2010 comes in with a bang.....PT1

I can honestly say that 2010 is not off to a great start.

My first run of the year started on January 4th. It was a supposedly easy run to Shawnee, OK. It was due at 13:30 Monday. As long as I left around 0600 I would be good to go. I skipped my walmart trip and headed to the yard. I knew my truck had been serviced and washed so I set out looking in the yard. I found it ok but this is when the problems start.

Problem 1: Due to my truck being washed in artic temps both my locks were frozen. Some WD-40 and some Fonzi-like tapping on the door I got one open.

Problem 2: Truck will not start. Despite the fact that my APU was on (but suspiciously not running) my truck said NO! So I beef up the settings on the APU and waited. Truck still said NO! So I tell the night dispatch guy and he agrees to grab the mechanic's jump starter and help me out. It would be after 7am before the real mechanics would be on duty. Of course this doesn't work. As we struggle with it the shop lead guy saw our dilemma. He blames a plastic nut in the wrong place is why the jump start wouldn't work (even though I have jump started a fellow driver's truck before, but hey I don't argue) and said I would have to wait until 7am for a mechanic. He jump starts the truck and tells me to go to a bay so they can see why the truck didn't start.

Problem 3: A bad alternator. The lead guy asks me if I had time to wait around for them to put a new one on. I thought it a silly question because I thought vehicles needed alternators to run. He said it would only be 45 minutes. I was already running late so sure why not. I would love to have the luxury of having my truck running. I tell my Fleet manager and waited in the breakroom.

Problem 4: 45 minutes turns into 2 hours. Plus the alternator he was talking about was for the APU not the truck. I could have ran with that and just idled my truck for warmth. Oh well.

Problem 5: So I finally get my truck fixed, got everything loaded, and all the load info written down. Now I need my trailer. So I circle like a vulture in the dessert throughout the yard. After three passes in an icy parking lot I managed to go back to the shop (much to the dismay of lead guy)and discover my trailer in the shop as well.

I pull out exactly 5 hours later than planned. As I approach Shawnee, OK I learned that my new appointment time was 0800 the next day. Tuesday am and I wouldn't even have 300 miles. Great.