Calex Express....My New Home!

Good luck at the new gig. Be safe and stop in occasionally.

 

Well first let me tell you about my big trip with my wife Lesli. It amounted to 62 miles and she handled it just fine. We left the house at 7:30 yesterday morning and I got her home at noon. Her big job was to call for directions on the way down. I heard her explain to the lady at the other end that we have a tractor trailer that's in excess of 65 feet in length and was she sure we could fit down the street that the park was on to deliver the playground equipment. I guess that question startled the women on the other end and she gave the phone to her foreman that assured us we could. I was very proud of the wife for asking that one question.

Now let me tell you why I'm stuck here in Duncan SC until Friday, my truck is in Volvo getting the EGR valve replaced. It was running great up until I pulled away from the dock at my delivery this morning. On my way to drop and hook my check engine fault code came on numerous times and shut my truck down. I put about 6 gallons of water in it and called the shop. I explained what was happening and that I didn't see a leak anywhere. They told me the water/antifreeze was going out the stack and that to make sure the water level was fine and every time I shut the truck off it would reset the computer. I did it, and limped into Volvo. My shop called ahead and was told that they were all backed up and they couldn't start the job until Thursday morning. It's a big job and it won't be done until Friday afternoon. So here I sit at a motel by the TA in Ducan. Not a happy camper to say the least. Can someone tell me the pluses about Volvo and Cummins?

 

We haul the playground equipment, the swings, merry go rounds, slides, monkey bars, and so on. It's made up in Lewisburg Pa. right next to the Federal prison. Calex has been hauling it for 20 years. I was told I'm on the list for a new truck at the end of the month. The only problem with that is the new trucks don't come with a fridge, big issue with me. My truck now has 392K on the clock. You would think major problems wouldn't start at this mileage, but from what I was told we have had fleet wide problems with the regen system like what happen to mine last week and the EGR valve like what I have going on now.

 

Hey Todd, glad to hear about the baby. How's it going at GTI?

 

I got my present truck with only 280K on the clock. It was a husband/wife team that got a new truck. They gave this one back and it looked like it just came off the assembly line. I have had a few issues with it since I got it in October. Transmission wiring harness issue, 3 days in the shop in Youngstown OH back in Oct. Regen system had to be taken out and completely rebuilt, 2 days in our shop in Pittston. The wiring harness turned out to be 2 end clips that vibrated loose that was shutting the truck down. I have spoken to a few drivers and our shop foreman and everyone has said the regen problem is an ongoing issue on these systems. The EGR Cooler? Same thing. I met Chris (The Rookie) for lunch yesterday at the T/A and he told me that when his EGR cooler was replaced a few months ago the bill was $4200. My truck is suppose to be done tomorrow afternoon, we'll see. If not, car rental time and I'm om my way 11 hours south of here. Stay tuned!