Water Damaged Trucks?

Discussion in 'Trucks [ Eighteen Wheelers ]' started by Sportster2000, Jun 9, 2008.

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  1. Jun 9, 2008 #1
    Sportster2000

    Sportster2000 Road Train Member

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    So how much water damage does it take to total a semi out? I had problems just getting to my apartment yesterday with all of the flooding here in central indiana. When I talked to my boss yesterday he told me that several (about 20) of our trucks were in 4-5 feet of water. From the pictures that I was able to get it looked like it was more than that. So the question remains. Will most of these trucks be salvageable? The reason I am asking is because that will probably be my job for the rest of the week will be cleaning these trucks up to find out the extent of the damage. I am thinking that it will not be a pleasent experience.
     
    Sportster2000, Jun 9, 2008
    Sportster2000, Jun 9, 2008
    #1
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  3. Jun 9, 2008 #2
    Cerberus

    Cerberus Medium Load Member

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    hard question to answer right now. it really can't be answered til they are looked overvindividually. water in lines and in places it's not supposed to be would be my main concern at first then go from there. follow the fluid spots on the sitting water and at least that will give you a place to start.
     
    Cerberus, Jun 9, 2008
    Cerberus, Jun 9, 2008
    #2
  4. Jun 9, 2008 #3
    honor roll

    honor roll Road Train Member

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    Oh no not good to have the trucks sitting in water I know my hubby's main terminal is in Indy and his DM said main roads were closed there he was going to go that way but went a different way because of that
     
    honor roll, Jun 9, 2008
    honor roll, Jun 9, 2008
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  5. Jun 9, 2008 #4
    Scarecrow03

    Scarecrow03 Road Train Member

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    The truck pictured below was under water for at least a week after hurricane Katrina. I drove it for a year. Every now and then there would be an electrical glitch like the stereo would stop working or the power window wouldn't go down, but never any problems mechanically. It did use a lot of oil, though. I'm sure the salt water wasn't good on all those seals and gaskets, which the company didn't replace. This truck is still on the road. It's a 2003 model with (back in November) around 400,000 miles on it.

    [​IMG]
     
    Scarecrow03, Jun 9, 2008
    Scarecrow03, Jun 9, 2008
    #4
  7. Jun 11, 2008 #5
    latanea

    latanea Road Train Member

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    I passe through indy 5 times in the last week and it is fine - even the low areas off of harding street are ok.


    no main roads were closed in indy.


    the flooding is pretty much south of there and west - towards the lowlands of evansville and monti...


    our indy yard had puddles but no "standing water" enough to damage anything.
     
    latanea, Jun 11, 2008
    latanea, Jun 11, 2008
    #5
  8. Jun 11, 2008 #6
    latanea

    latanea Road Train Member

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    the engines are usually good ina fresh water flood up as hig as the intake.
    oil contamination is easy to fix with freshwater... just change it -

    the ecm's are high up as are the injector bank... the trans is sealed in a lot of trucks - rockwells have a vent on top - as do some older eaton's.


    if the water has gotten into the cab - you may have mold problems in a few days / weeks


    the brakes will be "rusty" but ok - may want to check the pods and junction blocks on the airlines for moisture...


    I know a guy in terra haute who runs a 1999 KW that "slipped" into a river a few years ago... he had to replace about 5000K worth of stuff - but got the truck for a song from the dealer. (no major problems)
     
    latanea, Jun 11, 2008
    latanea, Jun 11, 2008
    #6
  9. Jun 11, 2008 #7
    Sportster2000

    Sportster2000 Road Train Member

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    Alright so we have started to tear things (mainly trailers) down and looked at them and we have started to wash the truck that we need right away. The trailers all had water in the hubs. We drained them and put new oil in them. Took them to a truck wash and got them wash top to bottom inside and out. Luckly the water was not high enough to get into the gladhands. The trucks are a different story. Out of 25 trucks we may be able to save 6 of them. The water got high enough to go down into the engine on a lot of them. we had trucks parked in two different locations and all suffered water damage except for those 4 that were in the shop. There is mud everywhere. You have to scrub like no other just to get the film off the outside with cleaner and a brush. It has already been 4 days since they have been flooded and we got the interior pressure washed out. It is better than nothing and we don't have much to work with right now. The company took over our shop so we can't do much in a mud covered parking lot that is turning into a scrap heap. Four trucks were at the top of the hill and that is all that our department has right now. Another deaprtment loaned us a truck to use, but it doesn't have enough power to pull the heavy trailers. I think the trucks that they are going to try to save are going to have the interior replace. We are going to have to scrap a 1985 Pete 359 with less than 80,000. It just got a new engine for testing. This stuff is wearing me out fast. If it was not for cleaning I would not have a job right now. On the upside we got 9 300kw generators on site and man are those things quiet. I am impressed with them. We have around 200 people cleaning things up and it is still going to take about 8 weeks before things start to wrap up.
     
    Sportster2000, Jun 11, 2008
    Sportster2000, Jun 11, 2008
    #7
  10. Jun 12, 2008 #8
    Scarecrow03

    Scarecrow03 Road Train Member

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    Evansville isn't flooded either. The flood zone seems to be between I-70 and US 50. Not a lot of flooding south of 50, and none that I've seen south of I-64.
     
    Scarecrow03, Jun 12, 2008
    Scarecrow03, Jun 12, 2008
    #8
  11. Jun 13, 2008 #9
    latanea

    latanea Road Train Member

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    yeah - dunno - I heard somebody talking today about how indianapolis is "under water" - and I just kinda nodded - all the while tinking 'what the hehlllll..."


    dunno I suppose people are exagerating a bit

    (not that some areas south of indy are not in a serious mess - but 90% of the state is fine...)
     
    latanea, Jun 13, 2008
    latanea, Jun 13, 2008
    #9
  12. Jun 13, 2008 #10
    Scarecrow03

    Scarecrow03 Road Train Member

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    I hear ya.

    Vincenes and Washington areas are bad. I saw stuff on the news about 'em. The little town of Bicknell, IN is almost completely flooded. People are without water and electricity.
     
    Scarecrow03, Jun 13, 2008
    Scarecrow03, Jun 13, 2008
    #10
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