Friday, December 16, 2005

One of "Those Days"!

It actually started one hour before Wednesday started so lets start then! I arrived at my destination 13 hours late having been sent out about that many hours late by the company. Of course it was shift change time so meetings were going on and the usual before work conversations needed to be attended to. Anyway I was sent to a dock area to wait until the spotter pulled a trailer out. He got to doing this about an hour later. I then could back in and relax......doze a bit waiting for the clamp lift to begin taking the load off. He got there about an hour and a half later. It was 2:30 am or three and a half hours after my arrival that I found a parking spot and went to sleep.
About nine I decided to head her home through the snow. The difficult travelling conditions added a few minutes to the 350 mile trip. At about 4pm I got my next dispatch. Pick up the trailer at the warehouse and finish loading at the mill next door. I got to the mill just in time for their shift change! Another hour and a half wait! Finally loaded I was making my way out of the mill when Volvo's warning lights give me a show! The electrical system had a malfunction and the voltage was down to 11 volts. The engine died as there was not enough voltage to sustain the necessary functions. The mechanic got there in about an hour and found no bad connections so we went back to the shop and picked up some new batteries which were installed and I drove the truck back to the shop.A new alternator was installed and in another hour I was on the road again! I was heading for "the cities"!
But not for long. About 40 miles out, bambi decides to cross the road. SMACK. I got to the the next safe spot to stop and sure enough the green is dripping from the radiator! Not a real bad leak but enough to require immediate attention. I headed her home. Now when the reservior above Volvo's radiator goes dry the engine shuts down. I had a gallon of drinking water which I dumped in the first time the warning lights for a shut down came on and made it to an open establishment for more water the second time. Into the shop I eventually drive again and we found the minor leak at the juction of a hose with the radiator! At least bambi had not damaged the radiator. The lose hose was clamped down and I was again ready to hit the road.
But not for long. It was now 8 hours after getting home from the previous fiasco and I had made no progress toward my destination except getting loaded so why hurry now? It was bedtime! The load got to there Thursday afternoon.

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Dream of Travel

Dream of Travel
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