When to move on from a company due to constant breakdowns?

After doing heavy research for several months, I joined a new company a few months ago. The company is going good in all regards except one.

I keep getting a Adaptive Cruise Fault Warning Light, which cuts off my cruise control. The cruise control will still turn on and will still detect vehicle's speeds ahead of me, but I cannot ever set the cruise control when the fault light comes on. So I'll have to have my foot on the pedal the whole time that I'm driving until I can get the truck into a shop to get it fixed.

I have had this truck for exactly 2 months now. This will now be the THIRD time that I'll be checking my truck into a Peterbilt Shop to get this same exact problem fixed.

The first time the shop recalibrated the system. Cruise worked fine for about 3 weeks, then the fault came on again.

Second time the shop just reset the codes or cleared the codes, one of those two things (forgot the exact terminology used). Cruise worked fine for about 3 weeks, then the fault came on again.

So this is now my 3rd time checking this truck into a shop FOR THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM IN A 2 MONTH PERIOD. I'm having to get the truck fixed each time when I come home on hometime, otherwise I'll just be sitting at a dealership OTR waiting for an open time slot (all the shops seem to be backed up nationwide) or driving around with no cruise control.

I'm having to handle this during my hometime and while I do get reimbursed for the Uber, I do not get paid for having to deal with this same exact problem. I was doing local work earlier this year and I'll admit, it's absolutely eating me up inside that I'm having to do all of this work for free. I knew what I was getting into coming back to OTR after getting paid hourly doing local work, but this is really getting to me because it's the same exact issue.

I got off the phone with breakdown earlier when I called to have them call the Peterbilt shop and let them know I was coming tomorrow or Wednesday to drop the truck off. When I was speaking to breakdown I told them that the Peterbilt shop cannot just clear or reset the codes and they can't just recalibrate the system. Something is clearly wrong and the Peterbilt shop has not been getting to the bottom of the problem and have instead been doing quick fixes.

I can't keep babysitting this truck and not getting paid for it and I let breakdown know that (as well as my dispatcher). Dispatch never responded, but breakdown got upset and said the guys at the Peterbilt shop are properly trained and that if they think they just need to calibrate or reset the codes, then that's what needs to be done.

Well I'm sorry but that isn't good enough for me. I'm not a mechanic but they can't just keep doing the same things over and over again. I haven't talked to the Peterbilt mechanics yet so I might be putting the cart before the horse here and maybe the Peterbilt mechanics will agree with me that recalibrating it or resetting the codes isn't going to fix the problem.

This has turned into a long rant so basically I ask you guys this: At what point do you just move on from a company if breakdowns, let alone THE SAME EXACT BREAKDOWN, keeps occuring every 3 weeks or so and you don't get paid for taking care of the problem?

Because even if I refuse to drive the truck when the Fault comes on OTR, my company still won't pay breakdown pay because I could still drive the truck.

I have 3 years experience and I've only been with 3 companies, including this one, and I have a clean record. I don't want to leave the company. But I CANNOT keep driving with no cruise control and keep spending hours upon hours related to breakdowns for the exact same breakdown. Having to keep my foot down on the pedal for a whole driving shift on RURAL Midwest interstates is awful and super uncomfortable, so much so that I would rather be driving a manual in Charlotte, NC like I was doing earlier this year (and I do not like driving manuals, at all).

I'm very frusterated tonight and just looking for advice? At what point are the breakdowns too much to handle, forcing you to move on from the company?

 

Can you clarify this for me?

Is your main complaint - that you have to use your foot on the throttle instead of using the cruise?

Is there any other issue with the truck preventing you from doing your job?

 

Just get you a throttle stick, the old fuel pedal depressor.

 

My wife is usually disinterested with this forum, but I called her in to read this post.

She was born in 1970, raised 2 children and worked before I met her. She teamed for 10 years with me.

She drove trucks that had no Jake brakes, stereo, and endured driving into CA several times with no air conditioning, until it was convenient to have the system fixed.

She spat out her coffee when she read your post.

Like I marvel at those that came before me, without air-ride, Air conditioning, and power steering - I , in similar astonishment, read your post and . . .

Well - I have nothing to offer.

I can't even repeat what she called you.

 

First, thank you for treating me with respect with your reply to me. We have interracted before on this forum on the LTL section of the forum.

I have two main complaints, both equal (in my view): That I have to use my foot on the throttle instead of the cruise and that each time I get this fixed on hometime, it costs me about 4 hours of my time that I do not get paid for. I am not getting paid for work related to breakdowns. I understand waiting on an Uber at the terminal isn't "hard work", but would I stand at the front of a terminal for fun? No, I would not. Therefore, it's grinding on me that all these hours of unpaid work related to breadkdowns just keeping adding up. I was doing P&D earlier this year. I was paid for every single minute I was at work. It's hard going back OTR when stuff keeps happening to you that you don't get paid for.

As far as not being able to use the cruise control and having to keep my foot on the pedal, it's super uncomfortable and is driving me insane. This past time my cruise broke down on Highway 212 in Montana. I was heading eastbound. Imagine driving the whole state of I-90 South Dakota with your foot on the pedal the whole time and try to tell me that it would not grind on you how retarded it is that you can't use the cruise control with only 3 other vehicles in your line of site for the whole state drive. I want the cruise control. It sounds trivial (and probably is) but it's a HUGE part of my driver comfort. I-90 through South Dakota is one of my favorite stretches to drive and not having cruise control took 100% of the fun out of that drive.

But to answer your question no, there is nothing else with the truck that's preventing me from doing my job.

I'm just so frusterated, but looking for advice as I don't want to make rash decisions or anything.

 

I do appreciate you not repeating what she called me. As I said in my last reply just a minute ago to you, we've interacted on this forum before and I appreciate you being respectful with your responses.

However, I hope she can at least see where I'm coming from with the unpaid labor related to breakdowns during my hometime is starting to really grind on me as well.

 

Where can I get one of those?

The pedal on this Peterbilt (maybe on all Peterbilts?) is angled to where most heavy objects will just roll right off of the pedal if I try to put them on the pedal. A throttle stick seems kind of dangerous because I'm assuming you would have to angle it where it's stuck on pedal itself and on the lower dash plastic above the pedals, so it's firmly wedged into place so that it doesn't roll off. I can't see that being safe if I needed to remove the throttle stick quickly. Even somewhere like I-90 through South Dakota, if a steer tire blew out or something that throttle stick would be really unsafe I think.

 

Do you have that plastic cover on the bumper that covers the hole where the radar is?

If so. Try removing it
VP from Peterbilt himself told me this when I was having all sorts of problems and it cured almost all of them
Actually it cleared all of them but it still glitches once in awhile but not nearly as bad as it was

 

Well - hey - Thanks for your respectful reply.

I was pretty sure you were going to fall apart and blast me in an irrational manner.

I get it, cruise is certainly an enjoyable part of the new creature comforts in trucking, and a throttle stick may solve the problem, but certainly isn't the safest option.

When I started driving in 2004, at 28 years old,I was in 3 year old equipment, and had never owned a personal vehicle that 'young' before. I was pretty happy about the whole deal at 32 cpm.

I wouldn't go jumping jobs right now if it were me - this is just a case of the reality of newer equipment these days. I'd stick with it, and find some other ways to 'remedy' the issue, whilst working with them on solving the issues with your otherwise pristine and functional company truck.

Good luck.

 

Clearing a code is NEVER a fix.
Problem is, there are very few real mechanics out there and far too many part pullers.