Glass Unit Training

Got towed into Tulsa Freightliner. What a rude bunch they are, and just a prediction here but I'm willing to add incompetent.
I went to the service desk and checked in. Then the guy just stared at his computer and ignored me as if to say I'm done with you driver get lost. I then asked sir would you like to know what the problem is. He said no I have everything I need. So you're just going to poke around and hope to find something I asked. That got his attention for a moment but he still really didn't want my input. What I was trying to share with him was the information I had after diagnosing the problem with my buddy over the phone. Oh ya, my buddy works for Eaton.
Then after waiting around for hours I called fleet net and had them get me a hotel. I went back to the truck to get my stuff out and Frick and Frack were under the truck with a voltmeter and had the vorad unit unplugged. I asked them about the data link code that I was getting, the looked at me as if I were speaking a foreign language. I then talked to the main service person and told him I felt Frick and Frack were more likely to cause more problems than they fix. He assured me they were well trained mechanics and knew what they were doing. Ya, we'll see tomorrow.

 

All of these transmissions are electronically controlled. Freightliner and Maverick both "should" be able to work on them. What they both fail to do is take advantage of Roadranger's free training. Also, most mechanics working on heavy duty trucks have very poor skills when it comes to electronics. Additionally, all the systems on these trucks talk to each other over a network (J-19). If one component acts up it can cause another component to show false symptoms. When you add up the complexity of these systems, lack of training and poor troubleshooting ability's of the mechanics you can easily see why downtown (sometimes extended) is to be expected.

 

Back on the road. It only took Tulsa Freightliner 31 hours to find the bad connector in the data cable. I wounder how much of that time will be charged to Maverick? Put about 300 miles on her tonight without incident so hopefully it's fixed.

 

So got my truck back late yesterday afternoon and deadheaded down to Wichita Falls, TX. huge glass plant here. Got in about 11:00 pm and thought I'd get a load out first thing in the morning. Sat around all day and no load. This is the first time I had to sit more than a couple of hours. Hopfully I'll get an assignment first this in the morning. Worst part is I have to sit here and watch all the FAST trucks (trucking company) haul load after load right past me. I didn't see one Maverick load come out today. Hopfully this isn't anything other than a small SNAFU. We shall see in the morning.

 

Both companies are still on paper logs as well, so they are able to get more miles. You are right though those long nose Petes are real nice. I've talked with drivers from both companies and it's not all rainbows and lollipops in either of them.