So, first HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! My latest update.... Finally got my load after sitting, Wisconsin to North Carolina. Nice run over the weekend, but still sat for most of Sunday. Delivered on Monday morning and then picked up my next load just north in Virginia. Get to backtrack back to Wisconsin again. So I get all the way to the consignee, 8 hours before scheduled time. (Hey, I wanted to go home for Thanksgiving.) Pull into the place and it looks like a morgue. I call the company and ask if they are receiving today, nope we are closed until 6am Monday morning. Call FM and get it relayed to Marshfield. Get to Marshfield and call again to see what's up. I got a relay heading home, but of course its not there yet so I am gonna have to sit and wait. I decide to wash the truck, hasn't been washed in a few weeks so why not. Sitting in line behind a 2 million miler and my phone rings. "So how much do you like your truck?" I look over at the 2 mil miler and tell him, when they call and ask you if you want a new truck you take it. He says "Yep, and to hell with washing the old one!" I am now the proud driver of a 2012 Grey International with all its bell and whistles So after spending a couple of hours moving my gear, chains and all, into the new truck I find that I have one small issue.... The truck only has a temp registration that ends 11/30/11. Great, walk into the office and after waiting an hour I finally get the word... My registration was just sent to Gary and my FM. If I would have came in 2 hours earlier it still would have been there. Oh, well drop my load on Monday morning and then need to get routed to Gary to pick it up, plate and registration. Oh, and if anyone is around I-494 and 169 in Bloomington, MN on Monday I'll be blocking traffic delivering bridge materials. Directions appear to state backing off the onramp into the delivery area. Don't normally go that way, but not sure that there was or is a pull off point to back from. Guess I'll see on Monday.
stock up on your long johns. the electric cab heater takes a long time to warm up and the gray curtains won't reach to the middle. put duct tape over the TPMS so it doesn't blind you at night and wedge pieces of wood into the tracks to keep the curtains from falling out. use duct tape on the CB hole, as well, to keep the CB from falling out and hanging by the wires. don't put anything small on the dashboard, because it will fall into the crack under the windshield and you'll lose it. if you have the auto-start, you can idle the truck to charge the batteries when the heater gives out. otherwise you have no heat after the first 10 hours of a 34 hour reset. the air conditioner is weak. on the other hand, the beds are large and comfortable. enjoy.
Thanks dorset... Didn't sleep in it yet, but I can see some of the "lighting" issues may keep me awake. Good to know on the dashboard. Have the auto-start so should be ok, but we'll see when I have to sit in a blizzard or Texas. Bed looks nice and the extra space will definitely come in handy. Thanks!
2005 freightliner, but I did know what he was talking about. Now to remember how to turn the auto-start on and what that #### regen is for again.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System. for the super singles. there's a gauge on the dash that will tell you the temperature, the tire pressure, and how much over or under the recommended pressure the tire is, for each tire on the tractor. when mine works, it matches a hand tire pressure gauge pretty well. mostly it doesn't work, and when it doesn't it flashes an annoying warning light in your eyes while you drive at night. you can't dim the gauge, and so i have mine covered with duct tape so it doesn't bother me after dark. like the check engine light, the illuminated triangle telling you the TPMS is non-functional is a permanent feature on the international dash display. keep your freightliner as long as you can. just live with the webasto, and don't complain.
I start my training in Marshfield WI on Dec 12. Then to Gary for flatbed training. I will be in the national flatbed fleet out of Garland TX. Any ideas on what type truck they will put me in after training? Miles and loads? Any advice at all would be great. Thanks .
