Monday, January 23, 2012

Will this moment of truth set me free?

So, remember about how I thought I would be able to take a 34-hour restart before taking a load into Buffalo, and then getting a load back toward Texas?  Guess what?

I got taken off that load, and essentially had to run through the night to deliver a load in New Jersey, in a town that isn't even listed in my road atlas.  I found it, and my GPS even had a better route than the company's automated routing system.  But, there was one other obstacle standing in my way.

The truck wouldn't start.  Again.

After messing around with it for about two hours, I finally got it to turn over and run, but had to keep starting it repeatedly to make sure it would actually work when I needed it to.  Bear in mind that I still needed to catch a nap since I'd be running all night long to make my delivery time.  I managed to get a whole hour's worth of sleep, but at the cost of not being able to start the truck.  Another hour later, I got the truck running, met up with the driver I was repowering, pulled next to the trailer I had to hook up with, shut the truck down for not more than fifteen minutes, and ... I think you can guess what happened, or more accurately, didn't happen.

More futzing, swearing, and manipulating, and the truck finally started, I got hooked up, and away I went to Joisey.  Made it on site, checked in, and lost even more sleep because I was at least two and a half hours early.  Couldn't go to sleep, had to keep the truck going you know.  So, I got unloaded, drove to the nearest safe haven, let sleep overrule my brain and posted what I was really thinking on Google Plus, then collapsed as sleep finally won out.

I had a load to pick up this morning, and lo and behold, truck wouldn't start.  Back and forth once again with the repair people at my company, got it started (finally), and drove to the nearest approved repair facility.  They had me pull in to the service bay, and after about an hour the mechanic came over, tried to start the truck, and ... nothing.  He hooks up a battery booster, gets the truck running, and does his diagnostics.  Batteries are really good, alternator works fine, no loose or shorted connections, starter motor's okay ... nope, this one has to go to a Kenworth dealer.  Nearest one is about an hour's drive away. Clock's still ticking on my pickup, but gotta get this problem fixed.  I get to the dealer, and after checking in, I'm told the truck won't even be looked at until tomorrow and I better get a hotel room.

Great.

I call the office to speak with my driver manager.  As of 4 pm Central time, I still haven't heard from him.  In fact, I've heard nothing from the company at all.  I don't know what to conclude from that.  And, at this point, I really don't care.

I'm staying at a Holiday Inn on my own dime, and fortunately they get a reduced rate for being a customer of the Kenworth dealer.  I will sleep in a real bed for the first time in a month and a half, and I will be applying to any job I am qualified to do because this is the last straw.

Maybe now, I'll get to go home.  Maybe.

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