Sunco

I am in the process of getting this one.....

 

Well, I'm off and running with Watkins/Sunco, just took my first load out today, Saturday. Got a red l/p freightliner with 687k on the clock and a killer TK apu... Picked up on the yard and heading to Winchester VA for Monday morning. 939 miles, probably the longest run you can do in the SE division, or just about. Pays $1.41 mile to the company, which translates to about .99/mile for me, plus the FSC of about $470. Should clear about $700 on the run after fuel costs...we'll see how the truck holds up, eh? Did 62 mph all day today! Ufff! Every time someone passed me and gave me a dirty look, I just held up my money clip, which is shaped like a "dollar sign"...and pointed to it and smiled.

 

Nice! Wanna trade?

 

Thanks, looking forward to it...

 

Well I'm sitting at the receiver in Winchester, VA for an 8am delivery Monday. This being my first run with Sunco, I was anxious and excited to see how my new (and yet very old) truck would perform. I drove at 62 all day Saturday, and lowered that to an average of 60 today. The truth is, I think that my 2007 Freightshaker Columbia with 688k has some motor issues, because to the best of my ability I gauged my mpg at around 5 or so. I couldn't even get an exact count, because when I picked up the tractor it was nearly empty of diesel, and they only allocate you enough money on your comdata card to run the trip you are assigned to. What I needed to do of course was fill it up, run awhile, then fill it again so I could see exactly how many gallons burned in X amount of miles. Doing it the way I did forced me to guestimate, but I'm pretty sure that I'm right on. Heard lots of knocking/pinging when climbing even the slightest of hills, and had to downshift to either 9th or 8th on a hill of any size. Maybe it needs Lucas or Nukote?? I'm going to buy some on trip back to see if it helps.

I'm going to call in tomorrow to a couple of the higher ups I met in orientation and share the issue - and see what they say. Of course, to fill up tanks which hold 300 gallons on my own, when they probably had 50 gallons in them to begin, would have cost in the neighborhood of $900-1000 - money that I have allocated for other issues with the truck. A very nice gesture on their part would be to send out their new contractors with a full tanks - both as a favor to them, and also as a practical matter so we can quickly gauge how the truck is doing. It would also be a great recruiting tool for them, I think, and I shall share those thoughts with the powers that be...

I really like it here so far, and I want it to work! I will do my best to make it happen, but I need to be happy with my truck - and 5 mpg running at 60 ain't gonna cut it, not here or anywhere. Can I get an amen?

 

Ok I will, thanks LMB. I know the fuel filters were just changed out during the prepping the shop did - they gave it a full PM supposedly. But I will, thanks. How you been?

 

Good luck Frank....
I go to orientation tomorrow.....DOT Physical, drug screen, road test...