mercer transportation

When you cut your patches....make sure you cut the corners off.....try to make the patches round..

 

I always kept a can of laquer thinner in the truck. Cut the patch, "rounded corners" clean both the tarp and the patch with laquer thinner, let dry, apply glue to patch and the tarp. Let that dry to the touch. Now apply the patch, rub the patch on real good.

As a finishing touch sprinkle the area with corn starch or baby powder, Roll up the tarp and your done.

The laquer thinner cleans really well, but at the same time it ever so slightly melts or makes soft the vinyl.

 

I do understand the concept. I was just hoping somebody would be there but kind of supervise make sure I was getting it right. I just like when I'm doing something new to have somebody watching me that has the experience. to keep me from making a possible costly mistake.

 

So you do have a husband!!!!!! LOL Jim is lucky to have someone that has his back.

I was very much blessed to have a great wife thru my 30 plus years as an O/O. You will help him sooooooooooooo much.

 

I was a mechanic for 30 plus years. And I've seen first-hand experience somebody new not knowing what they're doing and not asking for help. Mistakes like that and get rather expensive real quick

 

My wife talks about all the money I saved us over the years by doing most of the work myself.

What she doesn't know, is the many times I had to do something twice because I screwed up. But you won't learn unless you try.

I still saved us a LOT of money, just not as much as she thinks.

Glad you were a mechanic, it will make your success much easier. that 130$ an hour labor can hurt. Pay it when you need to, but only when you need to.

 

I learned that if the wire to the starter selinoid is loose the truck won't start. Voltage would drop hard and tell tale clicking sound. The wires were movable with force not super loose. Picked up crane parts and truck wouldn't start, I was blocking everyone. A crane mechanic found it. Mercer drivers helped me chain down, one was 70 years old.

 

The fun part and the expensive part. Is going to be buying a whole new set of tools to be able to do my own work on this truck and trailer

 

That's funny. I had 25 years at it and also had first hand experience, except I'd usually watch for awhile and then offer assistance before that costly mistake. Some didn't want my help.

 

Most of the time I would just tell them that if they had any questions let me know. Some of them would actually ask me before they messed something up. There were a few of them that came over afterwards. Too late now. I generally had my own work going on to where I couldn't actually keep an eye on them.