Adventures of a Flatbedder at Roehl

the trucks are supposed to have a sensor that allow them to idle at certain temps...but I know its not cold enough just yet and your truck may not have that sensor the mechanics have to install it...don't go to gary to get it done...appleton, marshfield, Iron mountain should be the place to get it done....otherwise until then take a 20oz bottle and stick it on the gas pedal, and wedge the top under the brake pedal...that should allow the truck to idle

 

should be, start engine, flip the switch to turn on cruise control, the the press up the switch to set the cruise control, which should, if it works, make your truck start idling at about 1000 rpms. then you can use the second switch downward to bring the idle down to 500-600.

if your bunk heater is draining so much power that it's shutting off, there's something wrong with the truck, either something is wrong with the heater, or you need new batteries. Which is much different than your bunk heater draining power to the point where the truck shuts off all of the 12v plugs and dome lights. Because that's normal.

When it gets cold enough where I'm worried about the batteries, I generally Idle the truck, turn all the fans on max heat and go to sleep, when I wake up in a sweat because of how hot it is, I turn off the truck, turn on the bunk heater, and go back to sleep.

 

Might be headed to Roehl national flatbed soon and have a few more questions...

Do some/most of the truck radios have a "line-in" jack in the face-plate to simplify adding an XM radio to the truck? What size mattress do they have? (I've never been in a fleet-spec'd Columbia)

Are that flatbeds steel or aluminum? 96 or 102? All 48 foot? I assume they are all spread? If spread, are the tractors equipped with a trailer air dump switch for tight turning situations while heavy?

Thanks again. Hopefully I'm about done with my questions. It's either Roehl (flatbed national) or Dot foods and need to decide by end of October 2011.

 

I have an inline jackand a twin/single mattress in my tractor, 102" 48' aluminum spread axle without a dump valve trailers, but there are a few older steel and a couple tandems floating around along with a few 96 but they have been replacing a lot of trailers

 

No there is no in line jack. I had to get an adapter to plug into the antenna in the back so mine would work without interference. Most of the flats are 102 but there are some old 96s. Most are spreads but no dump valves. They have to keep a few tandems for running certain Canada provinces. Twin mattresses.

 

All the flatbedders are going to have those eventually. They are getting rid of the freightliners. I asked my dispatcher because I'm nearing 500k and he said they are going to be selling them closer to 500k again not waiting so long anymore.

 

About the in-line jack - The older trucks didn't come with them, but if you had to get a replacement radio, and you got a brand new one, it has the jack. The new trucks come with the in-line jacks..at least the ProStars did.

 

why i carry wire cutters and electrical tape

 

I prefer wire nuts. TA had them on clearance at .50 a package.