The journey begins - purchased a truck.

Got it nailed down now. Initially he was saying this Thursday, but I think he was being optimistic.

Would have been a waste of time. It started off with "Open 7-5.30. M-F, and we're 'working' on 24/7 access". Ended up with "Once they're out the gate, they're YOUR responsibility" - and a note on one trailer I pulled out of there warning of impending tow. Guy there for 4 hours on Saturday that wouldn't answer the phone, I packed it in after the 3rd one and bobtailed back home in nasty conditions.

I very nearly did . . . I'll explain.

Will check them out soon - your pride in your job shines through even without pictures old fella.

 

Sent a nastygram.

The more I thought about it on the way back from KC, the madder I got. So. I typed a firm but unhappy email to Utility, and he called first thing on Monday. Basically, I said "Had this lined up for weeks, you dropped the ball, either cough up or spit the cash back out - I'll go elsewhere".

"Please, please, please . . . . working on it . . . . very sorry . . . . I understand"

"OK. Thursday it is, see how we get on. Be in touch"

About 10 am he calls back. Offers me some money to go and get them out of Alabama. Decent enough one way, but not to bobtail there. I said I can't do that, I'm under LS authority, but I'll see if I can hook something up. Problem is they're sitting ready in AL, but they only had one finished on Friday, the other 2 came out over the weekend. He can't get anybody on them till Thursday.

I start looking for power only moves down there. I call an agent in AL, explain problem, send email, he understands, gets right on it, and in 30 minutes - before he even calls me back , has Utility as a customer, and a load on the board. 2 hours later, the load is gone.

Utility thinks I'm the man for moving the trailers so quick. Agent thinks I'm the man for giving him another customer. I think I'm the man . . . because . . . well, nobody else is going to blow my trumpet, and there's some cobwebs in there, so dash nabbit - I'll give it a toot.

Truck test run.

Good chance to test the truck, use Comdata card, relearn why I should never pull into a Loves and expect a quick fuelling experience, enter some data into fuel gauges, fill out state mileage reports, reacquaint myself with another part of the country.

Truck runs good. Scan guage is invaluable. Everything said about the cruise control is accurate - I've renamed the CC the 'LED' (Lets Eat Diesel). That switch just don't give a #*****@ - it'll supply 25-30 lbs of boost and all sorts of horsepower if it thinks it's going to drop below the setting. Short runs between KC and Omaha, rolling hills and some flat land gave a good comparison. Managed to improve MPG substantially by running on the foot.

Very cold - 5 to 25 degrees up there. Nothing really wants to work right at that temperature, power windows labored a bit. No power to the cig lighter up front - to charge cell phone and headset. Solved that problem after I had half the dash apart and wired in another to separate power supply. The truck wanted to keep running after I shut the key off one day, never done it before or after that. Possibly a bad relay? I identified where to look if it happens again. Discovered it's a pretty snug fit with a van and the headache rack - just enough clearance, and when in a dip, it'll tear up that tarp rack protruding from the top (sorry Baha).

Question folks - when I check the oil, cold after being shut off for 6 hours, it's half down on the stick. When I check it after it's shut off for 30 minutes, engine still warm - it's at the full mark. Seems backward to me. Would have thought the reverse, after all oil had drained into the pan.

FIRST INCOME

Transferred $500 into the business revenue account, just to test the direct deposit system, and to make myself feel like it was all worth something. So, as any good truck driver would do, I ran straight down to Chrome Shop Mafia and charged $5,000 worth of chrome and chicken lights . . . . just kidding.