Life on the Road – Trucking News Blog

Now just when is the last time I did a post about a dealership? Let me see, hum, last week? Last month? Yesterday? Well, this weekend I was at the T/A in Roanoke VA for a PM and to have them change the fuel filer. My MPG had dropped from about 7.5 to 5.4 and loaded with a whopping 5000 lbs. of steel for the Ft. Dix  NJ Army facility, I could barely make it up a hill. And my right signal light didn’t work.

So, despite torrential rain, I pulled the truck in. They did the usual T/A b.s. PM, doing half what they claim to do on the invoice. Do all my tires really have 125 PSI in them? I don’t think so. Window washer fluid full? Nope. They did actually change the fuel filter. And the “mechanic” came out and showed me that they had the proper switch to repair the signal. The guy standing there with the part is embedded in my brain. But, my carrier would not approve the repair. They want me to take it to a dealership. The load is JIT. From Roanoke to Ft. Dix, in this economy, on a Sunday, almost all dealers are closed. I should have called and argued, but, honestly, I’ve had it with the “road service” department. I’ve had five years of bad experiences with them and their absurd policies. I didn’t have an argument in me, preferring to eat my frustration away by ordering all-you-can-eat ribs and steak.

Monday morning – delivered the load to Ft. Dix. Ever been there? The place is huge. McQuire AFB is there as well. The steel is being used to rebuild – modernize fire range #14. On fire range #16 rifles were firing. I decided to stay in the truck. After getting unloaded, I called and said – OK – where is the nearest Freightliner dealer? Philadelphia, actually Levittown – 16 miles away via the turnpike. Stopped for a Cinnabon $5 coffee first. Beautiful NJ Fall day. They even called ahead, told them what had to be done and asked to please get to it ASAP.

Got to the dealer about Noon. The small parking lot is MT. A man child is behind the counter. He has no clue. Must be the owner’s son. I feel like I’m ordering a burger and fries at Steak ‘n Shake. And guess what? THEY DON’T HAVE THE PART!!! That would be the same part that the “mechanic” showed me back at the Roanoke T/A. The same part that my carrier wouldn’t pay for, opting instead to have me go to a freak’n dealer. Carrier says the work needs to be done under warranty. I guess they don’t realize that T/A is authorized to do Freightliner warranty work. Again, I just don’t have an argument in me. Beside, Philly has great cheese steak and pizza.

Listen, life on the road becomes worse when you know what needs to be done, but you’re a company driver and have no control over the incredible stupidity that goes on right in front of you. You’re on the sidelines when everyone thinks they have all the answers and are empowered to make bad decisions wasting your time. Obviously, I would have paid for the T/A to do the work, had a signal light that works, delivered this morning and by now would have already been reloaded and on my way somewhere. And life on the road gets miserable when you’re stuck at any dealership no matter what truck you have and deal with some of the most horrible customer service and inefficiencies in American business. This dealership has to be one of the worse I’ve been at in years.

So I’m stuck here until tomorrow afternoon. There are no lounge chairs. Crunch bars and weird flavored soda in the vending machines. No showers. The dealer closes at 5:30 PM. The gates will be locked. And I will be in my bunk watching NCIS or Burn Notice.