CRETE - A Year in Review

Heres a good example of Columbus not caring and not fixing my issue. My fuel guage does not work on my truck. (this was not my main reason for going to shop but why not get it fixed). I purposely fueled up right before I hit terminal so I know my tanks were full. He tells me we replaced the sending unit and the fuel guage is fixed. Start up the truck and my guage reads 2/3. Really? Now its 1/2 tank off.

 

After last weeks 2000 miles, this weeks shop shortened week will end up being 1400. That's 3400 miles in 2 weeks and 3.5 days in the shop. Let us just say...it will be a long time before 'give a crap' and I are in the same hemisphere.

On a brighter note...I delivered to one of the most friendly receivers I have ever met. Rite Aid in Liverpool, NY. The lady in the office was one of those kinds of people that are upbeat, positive, pleasant and someone you could kid around with and get a laugh out of. Very pleasant person to deal with. I guess my total opposite. However...$340 unload fee from the lumper service...and I didn't get dinner and a show this time either.

 

$340.00!!! That is robbery!! Did they have to unload each item individually??

 

30 chep pallets w/breakdown. I guess the cost of living must be pretty steep in the Syracuse area. The load instructions said use LMS...but he said they took their business...I guess having a monopoly is acceptable in the freight handlers business

 

ok and now for the blonde moment of the day.
I was in such a hurry to get into the loaner truck and get my miles in that I completely over looked the fact that there is no permit book in this truck So I called the permits dept. and luckily she seemed very cool about things. I guess it happens from time to time. She faxed me a temp. cab card and insurance sheet. I lucked out and got my AM to find a load going through KC. Then called KC and she's gonna get one together for me. What a bone headed move!. On the bright side every weigh station that I passed was closed today.

Heading back towards Joplin tomorrow. I hope to get back to Wilmer and get my regular truck. I miss my toys

 

It's amazing what an impact that has. I am definitely not a perky, outgoing person but when I've come across someone like that it is so memorable. I remember a few weeks ago in the middle of the night I went into a truck stop after fueling just to use the restroom. I made no other transactions and the counter lady was busy with customers - but as I went out the door she said "bye, have a safe night" and it sounded extremely genuine.

Then I was at a Love's yesterday and they didn't have a kiosk so I asked the lady if she could check my points/shower credits. I wasn't even planning on taking a shower, just stretching my legs and walking around before sleep. She said "if you don't have any shower credits, I'll give you a free one". It just really affected me because I hadn't even asked for anything or a favor. I know these things are not that rare, but it doesn't seem that often that you come across these truly sweet people.

 

If this truck is a Cascadia, the fuel gauge will never work right. I have had one for 3 years and it has never worked right, a friend had one before that and had the sending unit replaced...never worked right for him before or after the "fix". Apparently Freightliner can't get a Cascadia to have a working fuel gauge.

 

it is a cascadia

 

I noticed that freightliner fuel gauges will say empty even though you have plenty of fuel. That was true on every freightliner I drove , starting with a 1991 model.

 

My 1st Prostar had fuel gauge issues. Not sure if the Freightliner has the "low fuel" beeper, but these Prostars have an ear splitting "beep beep beep beep beep" when you hit 1/8 of a tank...that 1st Prostar would just drop to "e" at random, so no matter how much fuel you had, you would get the crap scared out of you many times a day when the truck thought you were out of fuel. Marietta's International "mechanic dejour" fixed that when he did the EGR.