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RoadTime

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Happy New Year! As I mentioned in the Load One thread, I am in a straight truck now. Currently in Lexington Kentucky remembering what it feels like again to be a Lions fan after their loss :(

Got Coffee? After at least +5 years of use I noticed my coffee maker in the truck was taking a real long time to finish, so I timed it. 38 mins to make 5 cups of coffee. That's pretty long haha. So I got a new Black & Decker coffee maker. I timed it, but it was done so fast I missed when it finished, but it was done in max 7 mins. That's more like it.

Day 2 of use I discovered a major flaw I'll call it. 1st coffee maker I ever owned where you couldn't grab a cup while it brewing. I found out the hard way making a mess. I thought it was stuck or something, but nope just a drain hole. Heck, even my old $10 walmart coffee maker has that feature. Which amazingly is still only $10, guess I should of just got another one. I thought I was upgrading haha.

Congratulations if you read all this haha. I'm going to try to post more over here as I'm really getting sick of facebook, even if it means I'm just talking to myself haha.
Stay warm with he big freeze coming.
images.jpeg
 
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Ragman

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Happy New Year! As I mentioned in the Load One thread, I am in a straight truck now. Currently in Lexington Kentucky remembering what it feels like again to be a Lions fan after their loss :(

Got Coffee? After at least +5 years of use I noticed my coffee maker in the truck was taking a real long time to finish, so I timed it. 38 mins to make 5 cups of coffee. That's pretty long haha. So I got a new Black & Decker coffee maker. I timed it, but it was done so fast I missed when it finished, but it was done in max 7 mins. That's more like it.

Day 2 of use I discovered a major flaw I'll call it. 1st coffee maker I ever owned where you couldn't grab a cup while it brewing. I found out the hard way making a mess. I thought it was stuck or something, but nope just a drain hole. Heck, even my old $10 walmart coffee maker has that feature. Which amazingly is still only $10, guess I should of just got another one. I thought I was upgrading haha.

Congratulations if you read all this haha. I'm going to try to post more over here as I'm really getting sick of facebook, even if it means I'm just talking to myself haha.
Stay warm with he big freeze coming.
View attachment 24378
Glad you're back.
There's very, very few using the forum anymore maybe we can start a trend.
 
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RoadTime

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Knoxville, TN. Finally getting some warmth again after the big freeze. Nothing to write home about, 1 load so far this week. My sink drain in the truck froze up on me, finally got that flowing again. I've been nursing a leg injury the last 2 weeks (slipped on some ice) 99% sure it's a shin split, but I still need to have it checked out for peace of mind. That 1% unknown gets more worrisome as time goes on.
 

Ragman

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Knoxville, TN. Finally getting some warmth again after the big freeze. Nothing to write home about, 1 load so far this week. My sink drain in the truck froze up on me, finally got that flowing again. I've been nursing a leg injury the last 2 weeks (slipped on some ice) 99% sure it's a shin split, but I still need to have it checked out for peace of mind. That 1% unknown gets more worrisome as time goes on.
Uh oh!
Stay warm, keep safe.
We need to do a membership drive lol.
If only it was that simple....
 
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RoadTime

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Finally getting a break from the bitter cold. Things picked up a little, got a 3rd load for the week on Saturday which is rare. Currently in Indiana, will be heading to illinois for a delivery tonight. Then back to indiana to have the same repair work done for the 3rd time. Hmm, third times the charm or 3 strikes and your out? We shall see.
 

Ragman

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Finally getting a break from the bitter cold. Things picked up a little, got a 3rd load for the week on Saturday which is rare. Currently in Indiana, will be heading to illinois for a delivery tonight. Then back to indiana to have the same repair work done for the 3rd time. Hmm, third times the charm or 3 strikes and your out? We shall see.
Seems the more things change, the more they stay the same.
 

RoadTime

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Seems the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Somethings change…
Flashback I’d like to forget…
I stopped at a mom & pop type truck stop in Kentucky or Tennessee during the cold snap. I’m pretty nostalgic to them from my tractor trailer days. Although, this one made me wish I missed the exit.

This place was an absolute dive.
The bathrooms were not working as the pipes froze. After finally finding a staff, I found out there was 1 working bathroom, but I have to go through the “restaurant” to get there.

No problem. As I entered the large empty restaurant I was hit with the massive smell of cigarette smoke. I didn’t see anyone smoking and there was only a couple of people, but dang did it reek.

I don’t know what the rules for smoking
In restaurants down here are, but sure made me appreciate Michigan’s no smoking laws.
No way I could have ate there, so I finished my business and got the hell out of Dodge haha.
IMG_5011.jpeg
 

Ragman

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I thought the no smoking in restaurants was nationwide? Despite what my avatar suggests, I'm not a smoker.
Apparently not....

States with no statewide smoking ban​

edit
As of July 2018, twelve states have not enacted any general statewide ban on smoking in workplaces, bars or restaurants: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Instead, laws in most of these states (see individual state listings below for further information) require proprietors of certain places to designate smoking and non-smoking areas and post warning signage.
 

RoadTime

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Wow, guess that explains it. Pretty shocking
Apparently not....

States with no statewide smoking ban​

edit
As of July 2018, twelve states have not enacted any general statewide ban on smoking in workplaces, bars or restaurants: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Instead, laws in most of these states (see individual state listings below for further information) require proprietors of certain places to designate smoking and non-smoking areas and post warning signage.
 

RoadTime

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
APU saves the day…
This could almost be a conspiracy theory haha. I literally just spent 24 hrs in a TA service bay by Indianapolis getting my rear differential leak fixed for the third time Hopefully, third time is the charm.
I get a load shortly after going back in service, it’s dark now, within 60 miles of leaving TA on route to my pick up my battery light comes on with a alarm and I noticed my voltage has dropped to like 11.7 I’m like WTF?
Luckily, I was a mile from a rest stop. Once I came to my senses, I figured it was some charging/alternator issue. Thankfully, I remembered my APU charges the batteries, so I turned it on, full power restored.
I needed to run my APU for 6 hrs of driving, but mission accomplished.
Back in Michigan by Load 1 have service done. Batteries are good, alternator is bad.

In hindsight, it has been gradually going bad,
I just didn’t notice it. I thought my headlights were not bright enough and actually switched them out yesterday. I switched them back after picking up the load. They were much brighter with the APU running.

So here we are in a tiny room, completely out of hours waiting for service to be completed.

….I see posting pics is still an issue here. Too large
 

RoadTime

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Currently at home. After I finished getting the new alternator on my truck. Parked the truck and time to go home. Start up my Sprinter van and found the blower motor was not working at all :oops: Come on, really?

I've never had a blower motor just stop working without giving some heads up. So, I ordered a new one, replaced it, and nothing. Maybe the resistor which is another likely suspect, but I've pretty much reached my capabilities and effort I want to put into it. Checked for a blown fuse where the manual and other sources said it was #12 bottom row. Didn't even have a fuse in that slot. In fact, the fuse panel itself was lose and hard to even check fuses. Supposed to be a 30amp fuse, there was only one 30 amp fuse and I couldn't reach it. So who knows if I even have the right fuse in place where ever it is.

Tomorrow, I will be taking it to a new sprinter repair center I discovered in Livonia, MI.
Detroitsprintercenter.com

Hopefully, the place is alright. Very rare that I don't take it down to Wayne's World in Toledo, Ohio. But it will be nice not having to drive down to Toledo everytime. I left him a message this morning and still haven't heard back. Hope he's ok, it's been a year since I was there last.
 
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brokcanadian

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Laredo - day 10
I'm not saying they didn't offer me some loads, but I'd rather stay here than working for peanuts...
I'm thinking my El Paso, where I stayed barely 8 hours before getting a full rate back to GM Oshawa near were I used to live wasn't typical. I actually WANTED to stay later (but took it)

After the drive down, about an hour of looking around at the truck stop and trying to look at Mexico thru the wall I napped, turned and burned.

2 hours into the drive I lost an alternator as it was getting dark. Made it to Odessa, changed the alternator in a Burger King parking lot

On getting home I slept for 4 days :)

Wishing you the best of luck, but enjoy it, get out of the truck stop
 

brokcanadian

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Currently at home. After I finished getting the new alternator on my truck. Parked the truck and time to go home. Start up my Sprinter van and found the blower motor was not working at all :oops: Come on, really?

I've never had a blower motor just stop working without giving some heads up. So, I ordered a new one, replaced it, and nothing. Maybe the resistor which is another likely suspect, but I've pretty much reached my capabilities and effort I want to put into it. Checked for a blown fuse where the manual and other sources said it was #12 bottom row. Didn't even have a fuse in that slot. In fact, the fuse panel itself was lose and hard to even check fuses. Supposed to be a 30amp fuse, there was only one 30 amp fuse and I couldn't reach it. So who knows if I even have the right fuse in place where ever it is.

Tomorrow, I will be taking it to a new sprinter repair center I discovered in Livonia, MI.
Detroitsprintercenter.com

Hopefully, the place is alright. Very rare that I don't take it down to Wayne's World in Toledo, Ohio. But it will be nice not having to drive down to Toledo everytime. I left him a message this morning and still haven't heard back. Hope he's ok, it's been a year since I was there last.
What's the story, took a big truck driving job and kept the sprinter? I can't remember
 
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