So much fun...

So, a couple months ago my 07 Volvo was retired. I was put in a nice, almost new, 2011 Cascadia.

About a month goes by and I'm told it is supposed to be a team truck, so I have to trade with a new team and again get an 07 Volvo with 536k on the clock.

About a month later, a few days ago, I am sent to Memphis TN to turn that Volvo in.
They didn't have a truck for me, so instead of waiting several days or longer for something to turn up I decide to travel to another location for another truck.

We looked at what was available. I had several choices from places like Oklahoma and Detroit, and decided on an 09 Pro Star that was in Martensburg WV. The computer showed that it had around 300k, so I figured I would have it for quite some time before I had the hassle of trading trucks again.

We checked the boards, but there was no driver that I could ride with to WV. So I hopped on a bus for a 25 hour ride to Hagarstown MD, which is close to the Martensburg terminal.

I get to Hagarstown at around 2am. It is just a bus stop, not a terminal, so there is nothing open. And no one was answering at Martensburg, either.
I get a cab to the terminal, getting there at around 3am.

I find my truck, and the keys are in it.
Cool, I think, and proceed to fire it up to get a little heat going (it was rather cool and damp).
No go - the batteries are dead.

So I wrap up in a blanket and go to sleep.

Later, after I wake up, I begin to check things out on the truck.
Nothing major pops up, but the truck has nearly 485k - a far cry from around 300k. After the shop jump starts it, it seems to run fine. I let it idle for several hours to let the batteries charge while I am waiting for a load back to Memphis to pick up the rest of my stuff.

After turning down several loads, several times per load, I finally get one to TN - via dropping off another load on the way.

Cool, on the road again.

I had a 2300 unload, after which I would pick up another load 100 miles away and go on to TN.

I hooked that load and called it quits for the day, as it was around 4am local.

Get up, get my coffee, do a pre-trip and... wait, what's that?
I see some oil spots on the frame and oil on the driveshaft.
Don't remember seeing that yesterday when I am inspecting the truck, but it had been a rather damp day so I may have missed it.
Or the truck may have just been cleaned, I dunno.

So I decide to head out and check it later.
I stop around 30 miles down the road to check it, and there is definitely oil being sprayed. There is also some smoke coming from some exhaust components.

I go another 25 miles to the nearest TA, since they have a shop and I don't want to be stuck on the side of nowhere.
At the TA they see that the transmission output shaft seal is leaking.

I am sent to a shop 10 miles away, but they won't be able to get to it until Monday morning sometime.

So, here I sit. At a motel, waiting to see if the load will get repowered, and waiting to get back to making some $$$.

This week sucks, so far.

 

Stuff happens, especially with vehicles that are expected to run all day every day.

What I don't like is when it seems the shop people are not doing their job, and release a truck that clearly has something wrong with it.

 

In all fairness I must say that most of the equipment I've been given has been fine.

Both Volvo's were retired, but they ran fine and had minimal problems.
The Cascadia was almost new and didn't have problems, it was just meant to be a team truck and shouldn't have been assigned to me in the first place.

It would be nice if they gave a new truck when trading in an old, but I imagine they are trying to shuffle the older stuff around and out before bringing in the new.
I just happened to be at a terminal at the wrong time, and there were no unassigned trucks there. No big deal, really, but I sure wish the shop people at Martensburg had done a more thorough job.


As to leasing my life away...
I might have done such a thing if I was not a member of this forum.
As it is, that is not an option.

 

Swift leases trucks. As such, they have contracts that have to be adhered to.

My truck was at the end of its contract and had to be turned in by a certain date/mileage.

 

So, I finally got my truck back this morning.
Almost 6 days, sitting in a motel room.
Sigh, what a waste of a week.

At least now I am back on the road, with a load that takes me through Memphis. I'll finally be able to get the rest of my stuff.