Hey you experienced drivers....I mean you REALLY experienced drivers

My wife might actually be right....don't remember ever breakin down....gettin stuck....drivin in real cold wx...or slidin off an icy mountain....I guess I really do have that selective memory disorder she complains about.....lmao

 

35 years on the Atlantic Ocean i only remember calm seas full moons and the hold full of swords

 

Although it's close by, can we say Cabrini-Green, the south side is just an extension of it.

 

I saw some guys who appeared to be doing a rebuild at the EB picnic area on I10 near Sierra Blanca, TX.

Cylinder head was off and parts laying all over the place. It was a small El Paso fleet so they weren't far from home.

Another time an Indian gentleman with two old white guys who looked like they'd be at home on one of Cranky Yankee's fishing boats were replacing the turbo on an old Schneider truck from Fresno, CA at the TA in Albuquerque.

Talked to the owner, who was the Indian. He told me the turbo blew on his driver and he coasted into the TA. TA quoted him $3500 to replace it. He booked a load East, got to Albuquerque, swapped trucks with his driver who took the load east and he was going to fix the truck himself with the two mechanics he brought along with their tools and bring in the load to California. He had purchased a turbo before they left and figured he'd save about half that paying his own guys to do it on the fly.

Later that day they realized that the Freightliner shop in Fresno gave them the wrong turbo. He called and they arranged for him to go to Kenworth in Albuquerque to swap it in the morning. He figured by the next afternoon they would be rolling for home. They packed up their tools and grabbed their overnight bags and walked over to the Super 8 across the street for a room and a hot shower.

 

Well trucks are way different now. Even back in the late 80's they were simple enough. But here is a little more recent. Driving up 212 outside Lame Deer, had a idler pulley go, and snapped the fan belt. First thing I did was get out my spare fan belt and tried to reattach the idler with some 1/8 inch rope I carry. worked for a bit but then snap. Removed the idler again. took out a pair of nylons and ran those around the drive pulley to the fan. Got me to Billings where I was able to get a repair done at a local shop.
Had a tire go one time outside trailer, My weight was right just cut the remains of the tire off the rim left rim in place and kept going.
Had my fuel pump go middle of nowhere, I carry a 12 volt fuel pump for transferring fuel to reefer when I am not close to fuel stop. took that out hooked it into the fuel system. Got me to a shop and got it fixed. Had my alternator go once ran until bats got low, hooked up cables to reefer, let them charge than ran again till I got to a shop.
Picked up a loaded trailer one time, full of scrap alum. Delivered when the guy was unloading put a nice hole in the roof of the trailer. My next load was a load of sugar. Got a ladder went up with my trusty roll of muffler tape patched the hole.
Had a rad hose go once middle of nowhere, got out my tire patch kit made a patch covered that with a coat of silicon, then cut up a coke can which I put around the repair and tightened into place with zip ties. Got me to a repair shop.
Had a spring break on the steer axle once used a snipe with ratchet straps to hold the thing together till I got to a shop.

had a clutch go out since I never use the thing except to start and when stopped just downshifted and idle to do traffic lights ect and avoided having to do alot of stopping till I got it to a shop.

Where there is a will there is always a way.