Animals and truck stops

i drove more company trucks than i did o/o trucks, and i can assure you that o/o did NOT spec out his trucks with extra insualtion, he just bought them off the lot.

same thing with me, hot, dirty, walk in to take a shower, and a meal, go out, start sweating again just walking, jump into a hot truck....no amount of window coverings kept the heat out...

 

in my area, when i needed a freightliner key made, i could NOT go to any regular hardware store. i could NOT go to lowes/home depot..

i had to go to a locksmith shop, in 3 towns away from me.

he HAD all the blanks for ALL the big rigs..

ONE key cost me (back then) $14.00......

the local locksmioth shop, like 2 miles from my house..?? told me that particular locksmith shop was the one to go to.....

so it may not be as easy as anyone thinks, to go to any old key maker.....don't forget, they have to buy those blanks as well, or have them on consignment, and if they don't move, they go back to the supplier.

 

You are right. Keys arent cheap. I-State Freightliner in Sioux Falls, SD quoted me over 30 bucks to have a key made. I say quoted because I said "nevermind".

 

your company would have a fit if you left the truck running while you were in taking a shower you work for a real poor company. .
must be one of those big box mega carriers at nitpick about everything..
who are they to know if you're in it or not taking a shower close the dam privacy curtains go out the passenger side no harm no foul..
you got to learn to use your head think outside the box
they don't have APU?

side note if I had a bunch of dime droppers that get off tattling because I left my truck running you better hope that you're nowhere near me when you do that...if I found out which one it was......

 

hope you never need one for any (newer) 4 wheeler that you may have. nearly all keys now, have a micro chip inside and that replacement key can cost you "up to $300.00"

the key fobs for keyless ignigitons ain't cheap either.

this is for newer cars/light trucks only..'

I Lost My Car Keys | Car Key Replacement Costs - Consumer Reports

 

'93 freightliner key. Brass is original, chrome plated is the copy.
Now that I think on it, I did get it from a locksmith shop. I randomly saw the store front, stopped, & walked in. Maybe my dumb luck made it just that simple.? Asked the gal at the counter for 2 copies. She cut them, & I paid the $4. I was out in less than 2 mins..

I know keys have changed over the years with the magnetic key bases & whatnot. But can they not just cut one from it that will only open the door locks, & not worry about it having the magnet for ignition..?

For me, $14 or even $100 is well worth my pets wellbeing..

 

some keys are "dealer only", they go by the VIN numbers, and are propriety meaning no one BUT a dealership can or will sell them. not even a truck parts store would have them, as the key blanks are shipped from the factory to the dealers.

some keys like the ones i had made, were available only at that one locksmith shop, as they did not need the VIN to cut them, and they had no special thing to them, other than maybe thickness.. cuz i did now that i recall, had one made at an old fashion hardware store, and at a Lowe's, that was too thick, and would not fit in the door lock or the ignition.

they may "look like" what you have, but are totally different...now that i recall, each key i had made was about $2.00 each as well....!! sorry for my lapse in memory.

those keys in your picture (to me) look like different blanks,, the original seems to have a deeper long run, and the chromed one seems to be shallow(er), but just enough to work

then there are keys plainly stamped..."DO NOT DUPLICATE", and very often not even a locksmith will duplicate them with out prior authorization.

the wrong key blank will cause the tumblers inside to wear faster, or even jamb up the cylinder.

in answer to your question on just making a door key, someone should be able to do so, however, it would have to be the same weighted material as an original, other wise any thing lighter might break in the lock, or bend in short time. espically in the dead of winter, when the locks freeze up.

my bro-in-law in fact, had a spare key for his door lock, for his car.....then one day the door lock would not open.

it wasn't the lock, but the key that was bent just enough, to miss the tumblers. he had to go to toyota, and pay like $60.00 for a new door key.

 

I wasnt even thinking about not having a 2nd key. I always have, well except my current T600. I went to have one made and realized that the key just slides out of the ignition.

My truck starts up Monday morning and doesnt shut off till I get home on Friday, unless Im at a shipper that requires it and a couple do. My truck is averaging about 5.5mpg with nonstop idling and about 6.25-6.5 when its cool enough to sleep with the truck off.

 

No kitty in pic. Will not like.

 

It seems like some folks, work at ways to add stress to their lives.
I am thinking a guy should have thought this out before putting a cat in the truck.
Does the company know you have a pet in there, is it even allowed. I would hate to find out that the truck I was just assigned had a fridge, that was once a cathouse. lol