FCC--Fremont Contract Carriers

Yesterday was a good day. Got west of STL and my dispatcher called and I asked if I wanted to drop this van load off in council bluffs and have a local take it in. Of course!

So I dropped in CB and bobtailed to Fremont. While in Fremont I loaded up my tarps and chains that I had to take off the other week. I also had the shop fix a leak at the manifold shutoff for the apu coolant line.

Before I dropped in CB though, dispatch calls and says we have a preloaded flatbed sitting in Fremont with my name on it if I want it. “No tarp, wall panels” going to Vandergrift PA. I’ll spare you the search, it’s 20 miles NE of Pittsburgh. I told him I would take it, though Texas or California sounds much better. I have until Thursday morning to get it there.

 

Heading out of the house after a few days off. Live loading the scratch and dent special trailer in Terre Haute and then emptying out in Omaha then bopping over to Fremont and dropping it so they can look at the trailer in person then decide on a disposition. My truck is supposed to be ready by then so the plan is I'll be moving out of Stolen Valor before it hits the shop (it's due for service and has the laundry list of small issues you'd expect from a half million mile truck).

 

Sorry, just seeing this. Was ok. Nose on trailer was heavy and I was just barely legal. But was pretty smooth in/out if I remember correctly. (Slept a few times since then)

 

After my 34 ended at 1300, Rolled from KC to Crete to Lincoln to CB on Monday for a quick Shop Visit. I was tired of being out of sync with my nornal hours so when they said the shop visit would spill into the next morning I just smiled and said “sure thing, no problem” and gladly shut down after a half day.

Lincoln Load is going to Savannah so that’s a nice two day run for Thursday morning but still have Chattanooga and ATL to slip around.

Again, just want to shout out our Shops… good guys there that keep our equipment in good shape. Much appreciated.

And if anyone is frustrated with any delays while at the Shops, please remember that it’s just a tad bit warner in the Shops than it is in our Cabs.

Please Be Patient.

stay safe

 

Not too bad. Started at the TA in Tonapah, AZ

 

Hopefully Stolen Valor can get all of its wrongs righted cuz I might be moving into it. My truck when it down shifts from 7th to 6th sounds like it’s going to grenade. It’s as if there’s a stick coming out of the floor with someone who doesn’t know how to drive a manual. Just god awful grinding. But only when it drops those gears. And on top of that it’s a toss up of when you put it in gear from “Park” if it’s going to go or just flash “Hold” for some reason. And the time it takes to cycle the key and kill the battery to clear that glitch is getting longer and longer. I fully expected to catch a flatbedders winch bar to my face today on the scale at Daingerfield TX when it did it again. Made it to KC tonight and unload in St. Joe tomorrow morning and I’ll see what the powers that be want me to do with it. It’s only got 205k on the clock so I’m guessing it’s gonna be warranty work. I’m kinda hoping they just have me dump it on Freightshaker in KC tomorrow morning, cuz my luck I’ll be in the Menards dock in St. Joe and that’s when it’ll #### the bed fully.

 

I see the new Carrier units ya'll are getting are a different style...plastic cases and a little quieter

 

Sorry your steed is acting up.
Here’s Stolen Valor’s punch list:
Windshield is cracked
Check Engine light (closed loop code ie a vague “something not good” emissions code) , they replaced the NOx sensor to clear that code and this started up soon after. Truck runs fine.
Trailer ABS light comes on when you apply the brakes (no matter what trailer you are connected to (they replaced the light cord but that didn’t solve it)

“Personality”
Steering is heavier than I’m used to (my regular steed has the electric power steering) but it doesn’t run out of boost.
Seems pretty sensitive to weight distribution, if the trailer is tail heavy it will really beat you to death. Had to take a bit more time getting the axles exactly right than I’m used to.
For some reason I can’t get as much weight on the steer axle as my regular truck even though they are both Freightshakers, on my truck with the 5th wheel fully forward I’m getting up to 12300 or so running heavy this truck I can’t get to 11400 so really heavy loads might be challenging.

 

Forgot the passenger side hood mirror won’t hold its adjustment, it always works itself down and left while you are driving.

 

I picked up in Daingerfield a couple of weeks ago and I swore I pulled into an FCC yard lol