Back in the Saddle

Ahoy!!! Writing you from the bunk of my "replacement" truck while in VA enroute to PA. YEAH.....................back on the road! This has surely been an experience and one that keeps on going. I am praying that things will continue to improve and am thrilled to get back on the road.

To follow up on my truck going into the shop ......... had to take it to the Volvo shop where we were in hopes of a firm diagnosis and easy repair. Yep, trying to look at things in the "half full glass" viewpoint. NOT!!!The Volvo shop said they could not even LOOK at the truck for another day and a half. After that, there was no way to know when or IF they would get the truck back to me in any reasonable time frame. I called my Fleet Manager and Begged again for a replacement truck and shared the news of the pending unknown time frame for repairs. He agreed that enough was enough and went to work finding another truck. In short order I heard back from him that he found a Freightliner in Loudon TN. He was arranging to ship me out via bus - OH YEAH you know how I LOVE the bus trips - to pick up the truck. He said I could drive it back to SC where my Volvo was and get my gear. I was excited at the idea of getting something going. Fortunately for me, Mom and Gene are INCREDIBLY supportive of me and insisted on taking me to get my Volvo unloaded and then drive me all the way to TN to get my new truck. Am I one lucky person to have them or what??? Off we went to unload my truck and take off for TN and the "unknown". For some reason I was very nervous about the new truck. I found out it was a 2007 model, a year older than my Volvo, but didn't have any idea what it would be like. I had only driven a Peterbuilt and a Volvo so Freightliner was an unknown to me. Still, just being able to get back to work after all that had happened was exciting.

The closer we got to our destination, the more apprehensive I became. Finally, we arrived in Loudon TN. There it was............yep, just as Randy had guessed, it was RED!!! HA HA HA. Wonder how he guessed that?? As I opened the drivers door............my heart dropped to my toes and tears began to flow. Yes I know, truckers don't cry, but this one has had way too many problems to hold them back and they came in buckets as I gazed upon the most horrendous, nasty piece of filth and destruction I have ever seen. There was dirt in mounds on the floorboard. EVERY surface was BLACK with filth! What kind of nasty pig could possibly live like this??? NOT ME.........no way, no how. After the shock, I was able to get my dust pan and broom and get started. Mom and Gene - GOD bless them - jumped in without hesitation and reassured me that all would be fine. Just a little scrubbing and we could get it fixed up like home. I didn't share their optimism but tried. YUCK YUCK gag me... It was sickening. We finally made a bit of headway and were ready to start bringing some of my things in, that is when I realized that "PIG PERSON" had also cut one of the closets in half and ripped it out! Nope, no joke! Half of one of the storage areas was GONE and the doors were gone as well. I am in total disbelief at this but am numb from the initial shock.

Fast forward, we got the truck as clean as three people working like mad could possible do. All we had was paper towels and Windex. It looked better then when we found it that's for sure. I then sat in the drivers seat and was looking at the console which was totally foreign to me. Switches and knobs that I had no clue what they did and I was praying again that I would be able to figure all this out. I did recognize the knobs for both the tractor and trailer air brakes and reached for them. POW, the Trailer knob came off in my hand. I looked at it and realized it was broken completely off.....There is NO WAY that PIG PERSON could have driven this with this problem. You couldn't use the breaks for the trailer. NO breaks, no go!!! OH MY GOSH, here come the tears again. Will I ever get out of this HELL???? I get a bit of composure and go into the shop (think I forgot to tell you that Loudon TN is the home of the terminal for TOTAL TRANSPORTATION, USX sister company) to let them know that this truck is totally inoperable and I need their help. The shop people were gracious and kind and quickly jumped on this for me. They did have to go into Knoxville for parts to fix it but they didn't hesitate for a minute to get moving. Hallelujah!!

Looks like we are OK for now....then....OH PLEASE!! Mom is in the passenger seat cleaning and tries to open the door - IT WON'T OPEN!!! Will I ever wake up from this nightmare????? I go outside and have to open the door from the outside. There is no way to open from the inside as the latch is at the bottom of the door. You would have to stand on your head out the window to reach it. OK, will tell the shop guys when they come back to fix the broken knob.

Finally get everything moved in and it's time for Mom and Gene to go. They are doing their very best to put on a happy face and tell me that all will be fine. GOD bless them. What in the world would I do without them??? Thankfully, I haven't had to find out. I waved good-bye through tears and came back into the truck and talked to myself and told myself to toughen up. This was just one more step but all would work out.

I held off calling dispatch to make them aware of my availability until the repairs were made. I wanted to be ready to roll when I called them. Finally the shop fellows got back with the part and had me bring the truck into the shop bay. They had to take the entire dash off to fix the knob. They also fixed the door and were kind enough to hook up my CB radio too. OK, I thought! I am ready to go!!! This can really work....can't it???

Called into dispatch and let them know I was ready for assignment. WHAT THE HECK................they had no clue that I was even in this truck. OH PLEASE! My Fleet Manager didn't "seat me" in the new truck. I told dispatch to check my old truck #. That was an invalid truck too, he DID take me out of that one. Here I am, floating with no valid truck. This of course means they can NOT give me an assignment until I am "seated" in a truck in the system. BREATH, BREATH....it will be OK. The very kind dispatcher was a trainee and couldn't do what had to be done to get me fixed up. His supervisor was at dinner and would have to handle this when he returned. "OK, that will be fine. I'll be here.." While I'm waiting for this to be handled, I decide to look through all the messages on the truck computer and fix my logs for the many days I haven't worked. Thankfully this computer works, have already checked that out.....OH NO!!! What happened???? (I know you must think I am kidding, I assure you I am not!) The computer will not come on! Evidently, something went wrong when the guys were putting the dash back together. It is now after 9pm and the shop is closed and everyone is gone. I will have to get some help in the morning.

Dispatch calls back and at last has me in the truck and ready for an assignment. I tell them about the computer but assure them it will be taken care of ASAP when the shop opens @ 7am. OK, at long last, I am going to rest. I know tomorrow will be a better day.....then @ about 10:30 my phone rings. It is another dispatcher. He wants to see if I would consider an ASAP load. He says he knows I probably have been up all day but just wanted to run it by me. It is 350 miles, shipping from Knoxville to IN and has to go strait through. My calculations tell me it will be about a 6 hour trip. That would put me up for well over 24 hours even though I haven't been "on the clock". I tell him that my computer is not operational and while I desperately want the run, I don't think I can do it with no sleep. He is gracious and agrees. Oh gosh, can't believe after all this I just turned down 350 miles! Oh well, I have got to get some sleep. Then, the phone rings again around midnight. It is my dispatcher. He has a load for me that needs to be picked up in Cleveland by 10am the next morning and be in PA by Friday at noon. THIS I CAN DO!!! AND it's a 600 mile run!!! YEAH!! I am happy I turned down the previous load. Maybe things will turn around after all.

At a couple minutes after 7am this morning, I am in the shop asking for assistance with my computer. He tells me that there are only two of them and it will be a bit. NO problem. I have some time and still need an empty trailer for my run. He asked if I had reset the computer by going under the bunk and disconnecting and reconnecting at the black box. Nope, didn't do that but sure can.....wa la...it works. Don't know why I didn't think of doing that...Now I just need the trailer and my Fleet Manager is on that. I realize that the terminal has full driver facilities and make a mad dash for a shower. Maybe this will be a good day after all.............Finally get the call on my empty trailer and off I go.....fast forward to pick up and drop n hook and I'm rollin!!! YEAH................oops, the cruise doesn't work. Double oops, the CHECK ENGINE light is coming on. I don't have anymore tears. Let's just roll on and see what happens. The light isn't staying on.......like Scarlet O'Hara, I'll deal with this problem another day.

Now, here I am with only 175 miles to my destination. All is well and I am ready to get some sleep. Doug - my Fleet Manager - has agreed to check into getting my Volvo back once and if it is fixed. Music to my ears. But for now, I am working and I am happy!!!

That's it......until next time..............keeping it between the lines..............