Between company,O/O's and contracted independents about 110 trucks.

 

Yep, all three of my regular customers took a dive and I didn't have the time to run the truck and scrounge for work so I let it go. I did bid on few jobs but they wanted them done so cheap I'd actually lose money on the job, no thank you I say.
It's been a bit of a struggle with the truck as well but things seem to be loosening up a little now.

 

Well good luck!! Nice thing about both your "jobs" is that based on the economy you can pick one or the other up at any time. You bid and win a nice fat construction job and you can just stop truckin to do that project. There aren't a lot of careers out there that can be stop-start like that. So no matta what...you know u can keep that wife 'o yours in the fine life-style she has grown accustomed to

 

I never realized bologna sandwiches was a lifestyle but THANKS Geo!! :clap::rofl:
It's a whole new class of people really. I started something. bout time.

 

Well, I guess test driving that new truck put the jinx on me, we're sitting here in Buffalo getting new drive shafts put in. Felt a vibration through the gear shift yesterday while deadheading to Buffalo to pick up a load. Stopped at the T/A off of 90 and they said my carrier bearing and a u-joint was bad. They won't mess with carrier bearings so he directed me to Hunter Pete in Buffalo.

Turns out it was a carrier bearing, two u-joints and a drive shaft yoke. This morning they sent the drive shaft over to another shop, the other shop requested they send the other shaft over. One shaft was 4" and the other was 4 and a half inch. Bottom line, I need two new driveshafts. When it rains it pours. oh, and my leveling valve broke yesterday as well as my thermostat is stuck open and my CB is on the fritz. WTF??? Mondays are usually bad but c'mon.

I guess I'm lucky I could limp it to the shop instead of a hook.

Last two months: oil pan, two front rims, steering gear box, drive shafts, leveling valve.

Ok........positive thoughts......... I'm getting that new truck, just one piece at a time.

It could be worse, another driver that runs for the same company that has a 2003 Pete with a 600 hp Cummins blew his motor yesterday. They got one quote at 29000.00

 

Boy, you have really had a week, Rosty!!! You must have a rain cloud following you around. I can sympathize with you. I have had times like that. Sometimes it seems that everything goes wrong at the same time.



Is that the price for another truck or just the engine?!! :eek2:

 

The leveler valve either out of adjustment or bad will give you a really bad vibration. I hope that wasn't the problem all along. It's rare to have to change drivelines. If you ever have any 359 questions you can message me and I'll try to help. I don't know everything but I have two of them and am pretty familiar with them(359's)

 

Hey thanks moe, I got some questions and I'll try to pm you sometime over the weekend.

 

Just the motor! They of coarse found a motor elsewhere much cheaper.

 

And just to top off my week, before I left Buffalo Pete, I found out that my fuel pump is leaking. So tomorrow it's back to the shop to have O-rings put in. I did make it home with the leak (and delivered the load)but it's pretty bad. Luckily this isn't an expensive fix.

Oh yeah, and my water temp gauge took a s**t, however I had one put on in November so it's still under warranty but I have to drive to Lancaster Pete on Saturday morning to have a new one put on. Then from there go to the CB shop because that dove off a cliff as well this trip. jeezuz man!

The one thing about being home to do repairs is, my mechanic, who was a CAT mechanic for 20 years and knows this B motor very well, will cut me a break if I help, so at least I can save some money till I learn how to do things myself. If I could have limped the truck home the drive shafts wouldn't have cost so much cause I could have done a lot of it myself.

That's another thing about breakdowns away from home, trusting people when you don't know them or who they deal with. I tend to develop solid relationships with vendors and stick with them till I have a reason not to. When your out of town you need to pay sharp attention to what's going on. I did see the loose carrier bearing and u-joint for myself as well as another u-joint that the caps fell off of so that gave me comfort that I wasn't being scammed. I didn't see the two different sized drive shafts but I saw the yolk on the one and it was wore badly. Now, Hunter Peterbilt in Lancaster has a good reputation so I was hoping that Hunter Pete in Buffalo did as well but you never know, not with the limited experience I have.

All in all I will say this, it totally sucked to spend that much money and pay for a hotel for two nights BUT, I really learned a lot and I'm glad to have experienced it. You can only get through a learning curve by learning and you don't learn from success or everything going right all the time. It actually gave me some confidence that I can spot or feel a problem and know to react right away and find a shop and ask questions. I know you veterans don't think it's a big deal but it is your first time through it.

Sure would be nice though if I could go the next six months just changing the oil and greasing the chassis.

Another thing, a while back there was a thread on here about the CLC card, well I got one after reading the thread and lo and behold it came in handy for this breakdown. The room in Buffalo was like 95.00 per night, since I was with Buffalo Peterbilt for repair it was 79.99 a night, but with my CLC card.......47.00 per night, almost half!

I think it was Rev that started that thread, so thank you Rev...............but I'm not sharing any of the savings with ya. I'll buy you a Dr. Pepper if I ever see ya out there. If this truck don't let up on me it's going to be a very small Dr.Pepper.