Coming to orientation Aug 13th...

I think my frustrations boiled over last week, when I found out 1 of the guys I went to orientation with had blown the diff on one of the new bought Knight trucks, in Helena... They gave him a loaner truck that day, so he could keep running... and his old banged up, beat up, Loaner...... was in better shape than my truck.

No two ways about it, that was depressing. Now to be honest, I LIKE the truck I'm in. She has plenty of space, tons of storage ( I have not even come close to filling all the storage up yet), I have my fridge installed, her bed in comfortable, and I like the the way it rides. The fact this truck is "old" doesnt bother me.
However... I have lost faith in its its reliability. So far she has not left me stranded on the side of the road, but I cant stop thinking that its just a matter of time....
I am told the truck that is waiting for me is one of the "newest bought" Volvos we have.. That might be true, as I have not yet seen a truck number higher than the one they said is waiting for me in Missoula. I have also been told that if I can't get to Missoula, there might be another truck option opening up very soon in Modesto... Don't know.. I am torn between wanting to just get into a better truck ASAP by heading to Modesto.... or waiting a bit longer for an even newer truck in Missoula...

In the mean time... I am spending the weekend on another 350 mile, 4 day run between Phoenix and LA... There is a limit to how many times I can walk around the truck stop for exercise.... A limit to how much sleep i can get caught up on.... and a limit to how much internet browsing I can do before boredom sets in with a vengeance.....

As a side note.... I have now had PM's from 3 people who work for the company with messages of support, and suggestions/advice...
Thank you

 

Update.......

WOOT! Heading to Salem OR.... getting closer to that replacement truck!

 

Update........
:::sigh::: it looks like they are going to test my comment of "I don't care how old it is, as long as it runs well".... yep... Just got told the "new" truck I was going to pick up in Missoula has been handed to someone else.... instead, they are telling me there is a truck in Billings that I can have if I can get there. Not as new as the 1st offering was, but still 300ish numbers newer than what I am running now...
I have a routing to Billings after I get to Salem OR to take a look at this second offering..

So. Running North up I-5 somewhere near Los Banos CA this morning... Got a close up view of the results of not paying attention to what your doing. I was running a steady 58 Mph... so was the truck 100 yards in front of me.. Another truck passes me, then drops back into my lane while he catches up to the truck up ahead.. A stream a cars heads past us in the fast lane.... A brown rice-rocket type car bringing up the rear... Slightly behind the rest of the pack.... The truck that past me runs up on the truck in front of him, and instead of slowing down.........he makes an abrupt lane change into the fast lane...
It is rather impressive how little damage there was to the trailer tandoms..... given the brown rice rocket was smacked like a home run baseball into a spin worthy of a Hollywood movie, off the road, and down a 20 foot embankment....before coming to rest in a cloud of dust..... Amazingly still on its wheels.
Yep. the rig driver noticed the pack of cars, but had missed the little car following the pack.
I didnt see any serious injuries... But.... it could have been a LOT worse...

I spent the rest of the day with a drive up I-5, through the Shasta lake area and into Oregon.
Beautiful country. Not exactly a high paying drive, since hills make you slow down to much, but still worth seeing.

 

Update.....
Oh the delicious irony....
So.... I traded 1714 in Billings MT for truck #2070.....
wanna take a guess where I am now? Helena......in the shop....
I cant win.. lol... This time its a broken rear spring.. and a bunch of other little issues... They had to perform the annual inspection, and it failed a bunch of it..
opps...
Ok, so other than that.... I LOVE this truck.. ride, performance, ect.. everything seams so much better than 1714's....Now... to get THIS truck repaired.... and we shall see where this adventure I call a job takes me.

 

opps... should have said..... truck 2070 is an 08 Volvo... 10 speed, apu, all the toys....
has 650k on the odometer.