Calex Express....My New Home!

I'm home, and with the week I had I couldn't have gotten here fast enough. When I left Pittston last week I noticed I was losing power on hills and even on flat ground taking off. I would mash down on the fuel pedal and nothing would happen. It took forever to get up to speed. Then my check engine fault popped up with a code that I googled and found out my Turbo Actuator went bad. I called into the shop and discussed the problem with them and we decided that I could make back to Pittston, very slowly mind you, but it could be done. I try and get all my work done through our shop and the Volvo dealer we own, not being stuck at the mercy of some shop on the road.

I made it home last week, did my run then loaded Monday to go back. I told Louie what was happening. Being on this run, with it's time constraints makes it extremely difficult to factor in a breakdown or any other hiccups. I load my 2 pick ups Wednesday mornings then drive almost non stop to get to Wilmington NC for my first drop off at 12:30 am. So it was decided that the problem with my truck would require a few days in the shop and that I would take a loaner truck on this round. I did my pick ups with my truck, went back to the terminal and took only 2 changes of clothes, my gps and satellite radio and a pen. Everything else I left in my truck with the promise that it would not be used and put in the body shop until I got back. I hope so, the last time I left my stuff behind most of it came up missing.

This loaner truck has the same mileage as mine, but just came out of Volvo with a new engine that required 3 months of it being at the dealer. I got into it and almost immediately wanted to throw up. Nasty, disgusting, and the new name I call it is my personal dumpster on wheels. I mean there's a difference between messy and dirty, this was dirty. I can only imagine what the house of the team that drove it looks like. I mean come on, the mattress looks like someone slaughtered beef on it. What in actuality was someone not remembering when her period was about to show up. Now before anyone gets pissy about that remark just let me say, I'm married to my wife who for the last 18 years we've been sleeping together has never once used our bed as a tampon. Just nasty.

I couldn't stand the thought of sleeping in that truck a second night so I came home last night, slept in my bed then left at 5am this morning to finish my two drops. I did clean the truck a little at 2am yesterday morning to make it somewhat liveable. I'll only have to sleep in it once going back to Pittston next week. I should be able to handle this.

Now onto other truck news. I was getting ready to leave Pittston Wednesday morning when I got paged to see the big cheese at the company. I was told that because my truck is a team coast truck and I won't be going west anymore, I have to give up my truck. We have 4 KW W-900's with the studio sleepers. They have 13 speed tranny's, are pre-emmission trucks, no DEF, no re-gen, old school trucks. Tom, who does the west coast Florida run has one and loves it, the one I will get next week has been in our shop getting engine work done, new air suspension, new king pins and bushings, new A/C dryer and compressor and a host of other things done to it. It's old school trucking at it's finest. I was told to think about it. I spoke to Tom at length about it and decided to take it. My 2 pick ups and 3 drops can handle a long hood with no problem so I'll be moving into that when I get back.

I enjoy my automatic Volvo, but with the advent of electronics on these things the chances for a breakdown are magnified even more. I just hope I get the same results out of the KW as I did with the Volvo.

 

Thanks Carlo, Be safe my friend. I'm going to PM you my phone number. God Bless.

 

Got my reload info late this afternoon. I have to load in Griffin Ga at 3pm Monday going to Pa and MA. I'll be dropping it at the yard late Tuesday night for a local driver to make the drops. I need to be ready to load my dedicated run on Wednesday morning.

 

I hear ya Steve. I was told the same thing when I mentioned it to safety, it was suppose to be detailed, clean it and turn in the receipts. It's the same line I've heard the last 4 times I've moved into a truck. Sounds like lip service to me. How about this concept, clean it. Any way, how are you doing?

 

Now that right there is pretty gross.