Where, OH, Where........

While I agree with you about the small things, it's still the major issues that I'm talking about. I was 6 months without an APU. But your prolly right, the reason we have crap equipment (tractor and trailer) is because so many have complained about the little stuff that USA doesn't want to deal with any of it anymore. I've been driving that truck for 8 months with check engine lights on, transmission computer having to be reset (that's left me sitting 3 times now in the middle if the road Lol) no fuel gauge, etc. you just suck it up and deal with it. If FM wants it driven until the wheels fall off, then so be it. After all it's not my equipment. It's theirs. As long as it's not a DOT issue I really don't care if they don't want it fixed no matter how frustrating it may be. But if this current problem slows me down and eats into my paycheck, then we will have an issue.

 

The other reason I believe we have crap equipment is nobody has been taught how to properly maintain them. I'm talking drivers as well as technicians. When I first got my autoshift I had to watch a video on how to operate it. I've asked many of the drivers today if they had to watch that and they act like I'm stupid. There are do's and don'ts you need to know about in order for it to work properly.
The same with the apu's. Did you know if your Espar heater is smoking badly that's primarily because it has not been allowed to burn off old fuel? Try turning it up to 90 degrees for an hour and letting it run every couple of weeks and see the difference in it.
Don't have it or your apu a/c set so it comes on as soon as you turn your ignition key off. All those starts and stops aren't doing it any good. Especially if you are just moving up a space in line.
Greasing the landing gear legs with 5th wheel grease does them more harm than good. It just collects dirt and that turns to a thick sludge that fills up the clearance gaps between the upper and lower legs making the legs harder to crank up and down. Especially in the winter. If you must apply something, get a graphit spray which won't collect the dirt, but acts like teflon to help things slide.

 

Sitting at loves in utica, il. Delivered in Ottawa earlier and I'm out of hours for the week and only 4 for tomorrow. Wondering what they may give me tomorrow. On the plus side I got 2800 miles this week. And $60 extra as my last run had three pick ups and was 1200 miles total.

 

Running wild and going crazy.

 

back out tomorrow at 0400,Paris Tx to Kansas City Mo

 

Picked up in Monee, IL today deliver in Benson, MN by noon Monday. Its in the middle of no where. Closest Wal-Mart is 40 miles away lol.

Ill be out of hours yet again but ill be at 3300+ for the week now.

 

They have parking at the final. I usually run those straight through and break in the dock before they open. There's also a pretty big truck stop about 8 miles down the road from them and you'll pass right by it.

 

I'm headed to a co-op with a tire delivery. I looked on google maps and it looked like a small place to me. I'm calling in route tomorrow to make sure I got the location correct.

I only had 5.25hrs when I started today and one hour went to getting to shipper. Left me 4 hrs driving time. Still have 6.25 to go. Ill have about an hour left when I deliver.

I'm headed into minn-st. Paul in the morning. I can take 12 straight there to benson or stay on 94 and cut down 23 to 9 into benson. I have not decided which way yet. GPS (I know dreaded item) says its faster to take 94 to 23 then 9. I assume because of interstate speeds and 23 is 4 lane for a few miles. Any suggestions? I don't come up here often.


And where is the big truck stop at? I did an area search with my gps and the DAT app and neither showed a truck stop near Benson. Closest was a big on on 94 at xt100 or 103 I think. Thats about 25-35 miles north of benson

 

The final is a small warehouse right next to a nursery. You will be making a right turn down a narrow street that looks like an alley and the dock is right behind the warehouse. The also have a pretty big parking area back there. Also, the truck stop is on the north west corner of US12 and US71 and you will see it on your right as you pass by it. There's usually 3 guys that work in the warehouse and the get you unloaded in about 30 minutes. You have big truck tires so they use a forklift m

 

Look at the nw corner of Atlantic Ave and Utah Ave and you will see the final.