So you want to be an owner operator?

Not sure about doing a dyno. But I would like to get an oil sample analyzed.

Thanks

Hurst

 

Absolutely.

I'll be home on the 30th and truck will be going in for PM service on Monday. I will have them check the turbos and all couplings and clamps and test for boost leaks. Going to get 4 new drive tires as well. I will keep you guys updated as to what helped with fuel mileage and what didnt.

I've got a check engine light that just came on today. Diagnostic codes on the dash say its for actuator sensor voltage and the other code is for my jakes. I noticed my jake sounding differently and not holding as strong as it should. So I guess my first big $$$ repair will be coming soon as I get home.

Welcome to being an O/O. Easy come... easy go.

Thanks for all the advice guys.

Hurst

 

Just an update.

Got a load heading home tomorrow. Will be putting the truck in the shop on Tuesday.

I curbed my first tire in my entire life 4 days ago. Not sure what I ran over, but it ripped the side wall of the tire. I was an an intersection and saw the light getting ready to change,.. I didnt want to wait for traffic to pass me so I jumped out and didnt go out far enough for my swing. So being in a hurry ended up costing me. On the bright side it was a tire that was down to almost 30% tread. Spread axle eats tires like crazy. Being the lucky SOB that I am, I was under 2 miles from a tire center. I ended up getting 4 new tires for the front axle. Yokohoma's @ $350 each. Pretty good deal considering the owner paid $360 for the same tires. He's going to reimburse me for the 2 on the other side. I'll eat the 2 on the side I ripped. Oh, and I bought 4 new Hankook drive tires also. I have 4 Hankooks on the rear tractor axle with over 250k mi on them and they are still at over 85% tread. They gave me a pretty good deal so I got them now instead of waiting till I got home to Fla.

Anyway,.. I decided to try something different. The owner had me running 100 psi in the trailer tires. These are 255/70 22.5. Side wall recommends 120 psi. I decided to up tire pressure to 110 psi on all trailer tires. I had been running 110 on my Michelin steers and running 100 PSI on my drives. I finally got over 6 mpg. And over all mpg has improved. Last 3 tanks have been 5.96 mpg, 6.02 mpg, and last tank was 5.83 mpg. I think I can get this truck to average 6.5 once I get the bugs worked out. Going to get a 3 axle alignment done while truck is in the shop. The last one was done by the owner about 9 months ago.

Starting to see an improvement with just tires and adjusting air pressure. Off to a good start. Hopefully the shop can make some additional improvements.

Hurst

 

I would normally agree with that. But I have found a few exceptions.

Michelin recommends either 95 or 100 PSI on their super singles. I was just a company driver at the time and I did as I was told. But the new tires started cupping on the edges. The owner, the tyrant that he was had me return the tires and have them replaced under warranty. We then upped the tire pressure to 110. Viola,.. no more cupping and the ride was not so squishy when heavy on the drives.

The trailer tires I have now wear exceptionally even with only 100 PSI in them. They dont bag either despite the 120 PSI sidewall recommendation. I will being running them at 110 PSI from now on because its my fuel costs on the line. Even though the owner of the trailer wants me to run them at 100. Soon as I get my own trailer the better.

Hurst

 

Just another update:

Took 2 weeks off.
Had a full PM service done. They fixed my A/C good. Fixed a couple boost leaks from the couplings on the CAC. Fixed an air leak from my trolley valve. Left Florida happy and optimistic.

So leave out. I have my wife with me for the summer. I picked up a load in Indiana dropping in Washington state. I noticed my MPG dropping off bad. I Was averaging 4.5 - 5.2 in the mountains. I took I90 up through Montana and Idaho. I picked up 2 fire trucks going to Baltimore Md. While coming up Lookout pass just before the Montana line my truck just died. I look down and my fuel gauge is on empty. Well I had a little over 1/4 before I left that morning. I wanted to wait and buy cheaper fuel in Montana. So I call a service truck out. He brings me 50 gals. They truck starts. So I thinking great,.. wont do that again while in the mountains. But then it quits on me less then mi down the road. Didnt even make it to the top. So the guy comes back. He pulls me up to the top at the Idaho Montana line. After 45 mins of priming and pulling filters get the truck started. I head down the hill and truck dies again. I'm ready to pull my hair out. I'm in a valley with no phone service. I out my triangles out. My wife stays with the truck. I hitch a ride to the Silver Express. Get another service truck out. Truck wont start. End up getting towed to their shop. Fortunately it wasnt far. They found the problem turned out to be the dedicated hot lead for the ECM had corroded and broke off the battery. I looked at the batteries and was pissed. The shop in Florida charged me $300 for battery cleaning services and what I saw was that they never touched the batteries. Infact,.. had they done what they said,.. I wouldnt be out over $1500 for multiple service trucks and being towed with a loaded trailer and their labor.

Truck is doing really well after all that. I actually ran 2 back to back fill ups with 6.17 mpg and 6.06 mpg and 5.98 mpg on third. Seems power to the ECM effects mpg in a dramatic way.

I drop in Baltimore. Pick up a load in Taneytown going to Fremont Indiana. My check engine light comes on,.. I can feel the power leaving as I'm trying to climb the hills from Hagerstown and made it as far as Frostburg before I decided to just stop and call a wrecker. I decided to quit being cheap and relying on redneck mechanics and take it to a Freighliner shop. Turns out my ECM burned up. $2100 for new ECM, $1125 for the tow. $266 for transferring the programming from old ECM to the new one. Then another $533 to program the injector codes and $100 for them to test drive a truck that doesnt run. I'm looking at almost $5k plus hotel stay for something I think could have been avoided had the first shop in Florida actually checked and cleaned my batteries like they said they did. Anger and resentment are nice compared to what I am really feeling right now.

Sitting in driver lounge in Hagerstown Md as I write this wait for these guys to finish. Hopefully it gets done right this time.

Hurst