Thermo King is a Great American Rip Off Company

Thermo King has a good gig. They bring together parts--engine, compressor, alternator, and other parts, add some 1980's era electronic technology in a flash, and then sell it at a premium price to trucker's who need comfort in their truck. When it breaks down, typically after only a year of service, they charge the customer to diagnose it, using proprietary electronic gadgets only their mechanics have access to, then charge big bucks for the most minor repair. Usually, they break something else during the repair, and I have to pay for that too. Thermo King crowds out the competition, then goes after the consumer's wallet, plain and simple.

In my hometown of Stockton, there is TK Services, which is a Thermo King authorized dealer. Joey, the service manager, is a nice guy upon introduction, and then has a habit of making up some round numbers that basically empties the owner-opts checking account for that week. He's sort of a manic depressive who is thrill to see you, then throws a temper tantrum in a role play similar to an aggressive "used car" finance department clerk when presenting the astronomical bill.

During a re-installation of equipment for which his shop is an authorized dealer, he told me that the aluminum mounts on my unit were recalled by Thermo King more than a year ago. If the mount breaks, the APU drops onto the street, a very dangerous situation. "The free installation window has passed", he smiles. I argued, no it hasn't I was never informed, and this is obviously a dangerous engineering mistake. Predictably, Joey lost control, telling me that installation in my Volvo was "a bear", and that I could take my work elsewhere, a remark that we both knew was dishonest.

In a way, I didn't blame him, Volvo's a little tricky for a lot of mechanics not trained to work on them. Volvo and Thermo King are similar in that way. More importantly I learned by observation that his job was actually not an elevated one of franchise manager, but rather a lowly one where he has to kiss the *** of the owner's son.

The owner's son is this handsome and happy young guy with a tie and starched white shirt and hands that appear to have never touched a wrench. It must be great to have a Thermo King dealership. The word "king" fits very well here, where the customer is the "serf". The owner's son is the sort of kid born with the silver spoon in his mouth, raised to sit in an office cracking jokes with the lease salesman in the morning, and then play golf in the afternoon. The lease contract salesman is a middle aged guy with a beer belly who normally stands outside the front door nervously smoking cigarettes, waiting to pounce on some kind of fleet sale opportunity. His coffee and nicotine stained teeth are revealed as he offer me a handshake. I know this kind of handshake. It means I going to get screwed. It reminds me of the giddy behavior of a broker who eagerly accepts my terms. Whoops, I bid to low, and now I'm paying for the broker's ski boat.

Meanwhile, the lowly mechanic out in the shop is a pleasant, mostly competent, but slow worker who brings in the $100+ p/hr wage rate, of which he probably gets no more than $25-. The management likes him not because he's competent, but because he shows no defiance. So, the customer must pay to keep the boss and friends joking in the office, Joey frowning as he paces around after the customer's wallet, and the mechanic pleasantly wrenching at his own slow pace.

I originally had this company install my APU and bunk warmer because Thermo King's system is not very consumer friendly to install. Between my Mexican mechanic and myself, we couldn't figure it out. Like I said, it has this archaic 70's era circuit board with a bunch of ICs and transistors on it, to which is tethered a spaghetti of colored wires, which are bundled into harnesses for distribution to the APU, truck ignition, bunk warmer, and thermostat. This thing is not exactly plug and play. There's no USB plug here, the owner's manual is practically worthless for troubleshooting, and the control panel thermostat provides practically no information. Even the engine hours is cryptically divided across two display screens because there's not enough LED digits available. I could go on and on about the huge number of features Thermo King engineers put into this thing that would make any Silicon Valley brat think this package of parts is a joke made at the expense of the customer, except that I get really angry into catatonia when I think about why I'm forced to buy this junk. After all, Volvo's stock cab ought to be more capable, and, of course, Thermo King's competitors are even less capable of marketing climate control and cab electric power. America can put a man on the moon and an iphone in his pocket, but the trucking industry produces junk like this.

Naturally, after less than 1,000 hours, I had problems with both the bunk warmer and the APU motor. The bunk warmer only worked when it was warm outside. If it was -10F outside, then it wouldn't reliably light up, or it might light up and make the cab toasty and warm for awhile. Yet, when I sleep the cab temperature eventually drops below freezing, but the thermostat doesn't resume operation of the bunk warmer. It seems like such a simple task to warm the cab with diesel fuel, but apparently it's not. I called Thermo King warranty and the guy and I had a nice chat. I wasn't happy though, I complained that for the price I paid for this unit--which was more than the HVAC system in my house--the unit ought to be a lot more reliable. I didn't see how 1970's Radio Shack hobby board electronics technology was worth the money paid for it. He politely informed me of things I needed to do to properly care for my Thermo King unit. I replied that for the price I paid for the unit, it ought to wipe my ****

The Japanese made diesel APU motor was more reliable, and although the puny alternator only puts out 65 amps of power to recharge my 6 pack battery, I really didn't have to worry about loss of electrical power for the cab lights, unless I used the fry pan and microwave at the same time. Thankfully, at least I didn't have to worry about starting the truck in the morning.

But, then days after one year, but less than 1,000 hours, a bright morning just as I was getting ready to pick up a load and leave town, the APU motor coughs and quits. I tried to get it to start up, but no amount of turning by the starter motor could make this thing pop into life. I was stumped enough to lower my guard from the previous experience at the Thermo King dealership.

So, I immediately drive over to visit Joey who is strangely happy to see me. "You look tanned", I said. He says, yeah, "I've been to Hawaii". I explain the situation, and so, he directs the kid to go to work. My truck is the only vehicle in the gleaming new 6 bay garage. This worries me. I see the boss clowning around in his office.

Soon, the mechanic reports that can't find anything wrong, that the starting problems was from water in my fuel. "There's water in your tank", he says, "it runs fine but I don't know what you want me to do." I say, "Nonsense. There isn't a water problem because I just had my tank pulled off and cleaned, and besides the truck engine and bunk warmer are doing fine. He shows me the tiny plastic fuel filter that needs replacing. "That's not a fuel problem", I said, "That's a filter problem". It's been less than 500 hours since the last one, but do a PM anyway. Later, he recommends a change in my alternator and replacement of two belts. So, I approve these changes. Summer's coming and I won't have time to deal with this then. And, I think to myself, this work shouldn't take more than a couple of hours, although I know the shop wages at TK Services are double the going rate elsewhere in town. So, I bring out my Kindle and wait around in that little windowless room where truckers are supposed to wait patiently.

Five hours later, the oil and filters changed, belts and alternators swapped, the mechanic finally submits his scribbled paperwork to the secretary. "Have a seat, this will take awhile", the secretary smiles. I couldn't help but frown. She was new but had already learn the attitude around this place. Thermo King had taken me for every ounce of energy I had, and now were getting ready to empty my wallet.

The total is $1,001.98, a figure that looked contrived despite being a computer print out. The parts list included the $300- for the undersized 65amps alternator. "You have a year's warranty of part", she advertised. I studied the bill carefully trying to figure how so little work could cost so much, but I had little recourse but to hand over my credit card. I was beat and eager to leave this place.

Next, I drove over to pick up my trailer. Several guys had been toiling for three days, patching and painting interior walls, tig welding a rail siding on the exterior , replacing the complete double tandem brake shoes set, among other things to satisfy a complete DOT inspection on one of my trailers. "Sorry to jack you up, but that's going to be $800- total", the manager says. " Is that all?", I reply. "Thermo King charged me $1,000- to change the oil, change two belts, and exchange the alternator. Your shop is OK. The manager nods his head in acknowledgement. "I know, TK Services Thermo King is just too expensive".

Later, I noticed that the Thermo King mechanic had cracked and broken the Volvo's plastic wheel wells that shrouds the APU motor from road debris. I also noticed that the bunk warmer doesn't work even on a warm day. Welcome to Thermo King...