Boss says idle at will!

A little background. I follow the same idle policy with my current employer as I did with Steven's Transport, I only idle when necessary. So unless its really hot or cold, I'll shut down the engine.

Anyways, on Sunday night I shut down on the Turner turnpike at the mm178 rest area on my way to Columbus, OH. Since it was really mild, I didn't idle. I have a fridge and cpap machine that never pulls the battery down when I use them, besides, my truck has a low voltage cutout that only activates with the fridge on if I don't restart within 24 hrs. So I have a good set of batterties

So on Monday morning I go to start her up, I have power and all the dash lights come on but when I go to crank. Nothing. It doesn't even try to turn over. I call the owner, Marcos who does most of the work himself, his day job is as a diesel mechanic at a local LTL terminal.

We figure out its the solenoid sticking. I bang on it enough to get it to finally crank up. Marcos told me to just leave it on and only shut down if I absolutely have to. The way he figures, the extra fuel I'll use will still be cheaper than paying parts and labor to fix a starter out on the road, especially if a road rescue truck has to come. Melissa, his wife and the company dispatcher, got a load dropping in Midlothian, TX on thursday and it will be easy getting a load back to El Paso from the DFW area. I rarely sit with Melissa at the helm.

Ever been in this situation?

 

I can honestly say that I've stalled a big truck three times in my lifetime, twice in school and once sliding the tandems on a heavy load, and that was my fault for being in 2nd instead of 1st on a super 10. I think ill take my chances.

As for cheap SOB's, if it were my truck, I'd do the same thing. I'd rather run and get it fixed at home than be stuck a shop somewhere while they take their time replacing it.

 

I got stuck waiting a day and a half at Lonestar Freightliner in Wichita Falls to get a faulty oil pressure sensor replaced.

Another time I stopped at Freightliner in Jackson, MS with a transmission fault and they said it would be a couple days before they could even LOOK at it. That problem ended up being fixed at Freightliner in El Paso but it took 2 days anyways. Luckily I was home so I wasn't stuck at a motel paying for takeout.

So you can understand why I have no problem waiting to get it home to get a minor headache fixed.