Glad I moved over to Poly Trucking

I had only the Bendix go out on mine at 57000 miles , it needed a hook and was rolling the next afternoon. I'm not an intl fan by any means , I have this theory about any truck though , beat it and it'll beat ya back. Not all intl's are lemons some are turned into lemons by drivers that never know when to slow down.
I travel through Jackson MS often enough , and for the most part, take it through between 40 and 50 , the road just flippin sucks. Yet one screaming demon after another goes through 60+ , you see em broke down 10 miles up the road , I'm sure they're talking about that truck being a pos.
We , (POLY) had 4 loads leave Tifton GA for a plant place s.w. of Dallas 8 months ago , I was the last one there about 3 or 4 hrs later than the 3rd one to arrive. The recv'ng clerk told me she hoped my load was not in the same condition as the 1st 3 , and they were please to see it was all upright. The others were all shifted and off the pallets.
Now I may be just a 26 yr vet of this industry and don't know a heck of a lot , but if the roadway is screwed enough to wreck the load , imo it's screwed enough to screw a spine up and maybe even some of the intricacies of the mechanical aspects of a truck. Don't beat em to hell and maybe they won't break down as much , "(MAYBE)" , then again maybe you just have a lemon.

 

Headed back out of the house yesterday on the way to Sumner. Pretty long day today with some freezing rain about Bend up to Mt. Hood but made her through. Pulled up in Troutdale tonight for a 10 am delivery tomorrow and then on to some onions in Hermitage. Guess I got a non lemon as the old girl keeps on keeping on (knock on plastic. Guess I have been lucky as I have had to only spend one night in a hotel early on in my time here.

 

Let's see. 1st truck, Cummins powered, had it 9ish months. It was a 2010, started with 215k (in Sept., 2013)...a/c 3 times in 9 mos, VG turbo actuator(replaced entire turbo), electrical issues, fuel supply pump, body seam water leaks, air-bag dump control valve solenoid, vent door actuator jammed (only had defrost 1st time, vent 2nd ) rebuilt twice.

2nd truck(currently assigned unit) 2013 Maxxforce, started in low 200k. Engine fan, EGR rewired, ECM reprogrammed because cruise would shut off, throttle position sensor, headlight socket melted, auto-start fails at least every 3 or 4 days (cranks engine 1/2 revolution then shuts down), hydraulic clutch linkage is erratic (after engine start, one time it works like normal, the next time it won't disengage clutch far enough to put it in gear to take off), air solenoid for 5th wheel slide doesn't work, dpf sensor randomly goes nuts so you have to do multiple parked regens before it resets, my no-idle heat has 2 temp settings...freezer and broil (it's all the up produces heat, slide the temp one bar down...it's a freezer).

The 2 Prostars I had at Crete...1st had EGR replaced twice (in 150k miles) alternator, ecm reprogrammed twice, fuel supply pump recall (replaced), clutch master cylinder failed (slave cylinder was leaking as well), a/c issues, electrical problems, by 140k the water pump on the International no-idle heat failed (2nd winter), no-idle heater's fuel pump went out twice, main engines thermostats stuck open (at idle wouldn't produce heat when outside temps were below 20-25 degrees), and the clutch sensor (to start engine) once. (Which is still an issue, I have spoken to 3 Poly drivers with new Prostars that have already been to the dealer on a recall for the same thing)

2nd Crete Prostar, Maxxforce powered w/140k. EGR replaced, ecm reprogrammed once, fuel pump recall (replaced), a/c damper door control mechanism replaced once, was failing again when I left, electrical gremlins.

I don't know...4 prostars under 250k...and they stayed in the shop. I never had that many issues with my FLD I owned or most of the Century Class Freightliners I had at Crete...sure, they had their own issues, but not nearly as often. I talk to many many drivers here who count themselves lucky if they can make it from one oil change to another without a breakdown...

Not sure how driving differently would have had an effect on these issues. I think in some cases, it would. However, how a truck is spec'd from the start has as much to do with it's durability and reliability almost as much as it's quality of maintenance. I mean, you can't run a machine at it's maximum rated output and expect it to last. Over spec'ing a truck might seem like a waste, but over it's life span, it will experience less problems and last longer.

Internationals, in my not so humble opinion, have always been the budget truck of the industry. Like a Ford Escort or Focus (or Chevy Cobalt, or a Chrylser 200). Freightliners are only slightly higher on the quality scale, then into your more premium models like Volvo and up to Pete and KW (Western Star use to be one, until Diamler bought them, now they're just a Freightliner with a fancier body style). In this type of service industry, you get what you pay for.

 

I guess I just been lucky , as I was put in 3367 out of orientation in Feb 2013 , and had my share of the down time , but I worked with the shop to get issues that seemed to be overlooked by the driver prior to me straightened out. It basically took about 9months of hair pulling (my own) to get it right , especially the A/C system that had been contaminated with the sealant type Freon that kept locking the expansion valve under the sleeper up. It wouold work for 10 to 15 minutes and I'd have to shut ti down for 20 minutes to get another 10 to 15. I had about 3&1/2 months that it was pretty good , and then was offered a new one. I told them I'd make the move to a Cummins eng not MaxxFarce , and I had no interest in a tag axle , that I'll stay put in 3367 if it wasn't possible , but they had what I was asking for so it was a go. As I said , one malfunction since 3/21/14 the Bendix went out , and each PM has been about 3 to 4 hrs and I'm rolling. But ya know I'm just about to turn 80,000 so lets see if I'm still happy with it at 120,000 then again at 160,000.

 

I have heard that the new DEF trucks are a vast improvement...the only issues I have heard in my countless hours in the break room were the clutch pedal start sensor issue, one driver had his clutch explode while trying to adjust the tandems on the 1st load of his new truck, and the drivers with the tag-axle trucks have had numerous axle recalls...

 

There is a recall for the clutch switch , the priority level is 3 so , it isn't shutting anyone down. I get the impression the shop figures it's a recall and if the thing goes on the road requiring a hook poly hands the towing bill over to intl.

 

That's been an issue since they started requiring the use of a clutch pedal to start these trucks...I guess it's a "fix it when it starts causing problems" type of issue. Always thought it was silly to require pressing a clutch pedal to start when the 1st 50 years of trucking it was never needed. I can't imagine that many run-away trucks from a driver having it in gear w/o the brakes set for it to be that vital.

 

They rebuild and\or repair mfg equip from tbe plant. Good people light load

 

Broken record time. Seems as though this thread has streaks of topics...running hard, making money turned into the shop woe's and safety meeting issues...then we went into how our equipment is failing us. I am still on that last one. That coolant leak I had did indeed end up just being a regular old cold weather leak, however...while my truck seems to running o.k., and the no-idle heater kept me toasty in the single digit temps in Iowa this week, I have now developed an issue with anti-lock brakes on the trailer(3 trailers in a row actually), and my pig-tail is getting worn out enough to make me stop more often because the right side turn signals quit working at random. And most of our trailers don't have the spreadable pins in the pig-tail box. Then tonight, my auto start just blinks at me. I have fiddled with the clutch and throttle to make sure those sensors aren't tripped (my jake works, so it isn't my clutch)

On a brighter note, unless my truck dies on me tomorrow, I will manage to get my 4 stop out of UPN delivered, and back haul has me set up to pick up a load and deliver by Sunday. Will end up being a 3300ish mile week with 5 paid stops...and get this...a $250 layover that back haul surprised me with the other day. After I delivered in Cedar Falls, my next load didn't pick up until the next day at 11 a.m., and without asking for it, after they gave me my load info, they informed me that they had put me down for the lay over ...and get this...again...the broker, Strive Logistics, also put me in for an hour of detention time for the shipper taking 3 hours to load me, again, without me asking...so my post aren't always negative

 

Dude I told ya last week with this company, approach is everything here and a good attitude will help ya.
I've gotten into trucks to road test guys and I've asked them in finding out they been here 7 yrs why the heck they're in a truck with 400k plus some. They hide nothing in telling me cause they don't pet em with a feather and tickle the right spot for them , and brag on the hard guy thing.
Okay I quietly tell myself, pick your flavor , and deal with that nasty after taste I guess.
Hey In this industry when you get 10 plus years you begin to realize as your job reference list becomes embarrassingly long , that maybe just maybe the overhaul that's needed might be a personal one , and when you change and concentrate on the it is what you make of it theory , you have better control of that desire to jump from the frying pan right into the fire.