This will be an interesting thread moving forward......

[Truck Shop]

I billed them for my time...........just like I was repairing something. I'm not doing **** for free here lol

No free sh!t!

 

[Welder Dave]

No, that's not how it works . . . as though they have a drawer full of envelopes of cash.

At any rate, if they don't want to hire a helper for Vtech, they don't have to. Simple. It's their business, they can do as they like with their money. If their equipment goes down and it takes two weeks to fix it, that is their problem.

If they "got their act together", at least in a way that made the internet happy, they wouldn't need Vtech anyway. Then what?

I think they need Vetech more than anything else but Vetech has options. He's close to retiring, has other potential customers he could go to, could decide to just sell them his tools and retire or go and help his wife. It doesn't have to be his problem. What would they do without Vetech? There is only so much BS anyone will put up with. What if Vetech said he NEEDS a helper or he won't be able to work on any equipment that involves tight quarters and requires him to be a contortionist. Some jobs you need a helper and some jobs need a younger more flexible body to do them. This isn't a slight on Vetech but just the way it is. Vetech doesn't want to be all crippled up in his retirement because he had to do the work of a 25 or 30 year old. I've met a few guys that regretted trying to keep up with the young guys. Some of it's ego but you can't stop the body from getting beat up if you're trying to work at the same pace you did 25 years ago. I'd hazard a guess that things could be even worse than Vetech is describing.

 

[AzIron]

This whole thing cracks me up there are over 150 pages of insanity with no end in site but the story remains the same

If the new ownership is not qualified then why should anyone they hire be qualified that would go against the culture that's been established

What this really is an example of is how much money there really is in the road business and how many big corporations can charge more and make less simply due to being a dumb ass

I never realized the world was run by eddie hasscle type people

 

[Truck Shop]

eddie hasscle's are the epitome of business culture, common as the nose on your face.

 

[Monkeywithawrench]

Doesn't anybody ever report that machines need something fixed?

Was thinking about this post from Dave today. Excavating company I do work for has Mack GU7 dump trucks. They've had the trucks for 6 years now?? I've worked for with them for more than 10. New driver hired a few weeks ago asked me to check out the steering on his truck. Said it won't turn left for crap........but it turns right just fine. This was last week. Talked to a couple of the other guys.....and then the owner. "Oh yeah, it's always been like that..........ever since we got the trucks.......just 66 though." Looked at it today. The steering stop was jacked way out on the left side, right side was fine. Set the stop to the correct depth, sent the driver down to the pit to make some donuts. Big beaming smile........very happy.
Said to the owner, why didn't you guys mention this to me?? Response......I figured you knew......you just get used to it. LOL I said to him, and some of the other drivers........Listen, I don't drive them. I FIX THEM!! If you don't tell me what's going on, I can't correct the problem.
8 years of crappy turning, 5 minutes to measure, turn the stop in.........FIXED. They just got used to making huge turns on that one truck.........still laughing about it now as I type.

 

[Truck Shop]

8 years of crappy turning, 5 minutes to measure, turn the stop in.........FIXED. They just got used to making huge turns on that one truck.........still laughing about it now as I type.

Even under the 100 miles as the crow flies not required to fill a log but still required to fill out
a trip inspection---a good driver would have noted that everyday till fixed. When I operate the
tow truck for the company it doesn't matter over or under the 100 mile range I still fill out a
vehicle inspection form-if over 100 I fill out a log and a trip envelope with all mileages in each
state for fuel tax purpose in case of audit. If I cross a scale {which is always the bypass lane}
I still have legal paper work.

 

[Welder Dave]

I think that's pretty common; it's always been like like so we just live with it (or we do something to compensate for it). Sometimes it's not a big deal but other times it's royal PIA. I need to double clutch my Topkick water truck in 3rd gear only. I discovered it when I drove the truck to my property. I rarely need 3rd gear off road but it's not a big enough deal that I need to get it fixed. 2nd gear would be more of a problem if you weren't going fast enough or going up a hill.

 

[4x4ford]

Any time I have to drive a different truck it’s 2 weeks getting stuff fixed that other drivers won’t write up.

 

[Truck Shop]

Not to jack your thread Vetech.
*
If the owner want's to drive junk that's one thing, a hired driver totally another. People keep
gripping about the work force-in this case don't expect a good driver when you find one to
drive crap.
*
Just this afternoon, right after lunch I had to run up to the old shop. Les Schwab was there
installing a set of drive tires, they waved me over to look at the right rear drive/wheel end
soaked in oil {been that way awhile, air disc was covered}. Just then the owner/boss walks
in with the driver, {Mike do you think it will make it to American Falls?}. That's 455 miles.
Chris you already know the answer {it's out of service}. Constantly pushing the limit just like
the rest of the Eddy Hasscle's. Asking a driver-inadvertently to see if it will happen.

 

[AllDodge]

Not to jack your thread Vetech.

No offense but I can see no one ever being able to jack the thread

 

[Welder Dave]

Not to jack your thread Vetech.
*
If the owner want's to drive junk that's one thing, a hired driver totally another. People keep
gripping about the work force-in this case don't expect a good driver when you find one to
drive crap.
*
Just this afternoon, right after lunch I had to run up to the old shop. Les Schwab was there
installing a set of drive tires, they waved me over to look at the right rear drive/wheel end
soaked in oil {been that way awhile, air disc was covered}. Just then the owner/boss walks
in with the driver, {Mike do you think it will make it to American Falls?}. That's 455 miles.
Chris you already know the answer {it's out of service}. Constantly pushing the limit just like
the rest of the Eddy Hasscle's. Asking a driver-inadvertently to see if it will happen.

It shouldn't be up to the driver or the owner. It should be up to if it's legal and what's a worst case scenario if something goes wrong. Three weeks into my job at the mall I was put in a difficult situation. They took out an elevator in the office tower and wanted to weld beams in to support a new concrete floor. The then welding supervisor wouldn't do it until he had a signed and approved engineers drawing. It was a very reasonable request. They didn't have one so he refused stating he could lose his structural welding license. They were really ticked off at him. Then they asked me if I thought their idea would be strong enough. That wasn't the issue and I told them that. I agreed with the other welder it needs a stamped engineered drawing. Then they said if strength isn't a concern would I weld it. In hindsight I should have known it was just an inkling of what was to come. I welded it and the other welder helped me. He knew I was in a tough position having just been hired. After that they made his life so miserable that he resigned from the welding supervisor position. That's how I became the welding supervisor. I had more experience but it's not the way you want to get promoted. I didn't get paid anymore. Several month's later they wanted to be CWB certified. Ridiculous, that's who regulates structural welding and welder testing to get your structural license. To be certified they have to have a CWB supervisor on staff. They wanted me to study so I could pass all the theory tests to become a CWB supervisor. I asked how much of a raise I'd get? You won't get a raise but you'll have another ticket under your belt. I looked at the binder of all the stuff that will be on the tests. I talked to some other people and they said usually a foreman gets 5-7% more pay and a CWB supervisor 2 to 4% on top of that. I wasn't getting anything extra so there was no incentive at all for me to even take the tests.

 

[Vetech63]

Nothing new to report except a failure on my service truck. I took it to the Dodge dealer a month ago to get it serviced. They serviced the truck and did a recall replacement of all the wheel studs while it was there. Friday about noon I heard what sounded like an explosion behind my truck and the right rear corner went wonkie................I'm dong about 30 mph leaving a stop light.



I didn't find a single wheel stud. It looks like the wheel nuts came loose at some point but I had washed the truck a week before and didn't notice anything. The truck never drove strange or made any noises.....just BOOM! When this happened, the outer tire passed me on the right and hit a truck right in the side behind the rear door crossing traffic........then rolled into the center median to lie down. A wonderful afternoon.

 

[AllDodge]

Wow, glad no one was hurt. They must of forgot to torque the nuts

 

[crane operator]

Should have thrown the torque wrench and gave it a few more ugga dugga's.

I'm sure it says in the fine print that the wheels were to be retightened after 100 miles.

But someone I know hates trucks and refuses to work on them....

 

[Monkeywithawrench]

Should have thrown the torque wrench and gave it a few more ugga dugga's.

When I do track pads or truck wheel studs, I use the 'German Torque Standard'.

GERMAN TORQUE STANDARD DEFINED: GOOD'EN TIGHT, also known as alot of UGGA DUGGA'S!!

 

[cfherrman]

Work probably came with the tail light warranty

 

[eastroad]

Seems to be a common failure on the Ram 5500 trucks the feed mill has here. Replace with studs from the Navistar dealer for the same size truck and end of problems. Must be a different metallurgy or heat treat, but the Navistar parts hold up. Their mechanic uses the Ram nuts though because the washer part is bugger (more support ?)

 

[Truck Shop]

Wheel stud recall----a recall on parts that are mundane compared to the rest of the vehicle.

 

[HarleyHappy]

Yep, dealer recall ruined a vacation to Gattlinburg TN for wife’s car.
She took it in for service before the road trip, Toyota Rav 4 and oh, while it’s here let’s do recall on front axle wheel seals.
Wouldn’t you know, tech screwed up one of the seals and tranny was leaking.
Didn’t find out till Dollywood and then it was add tranny fluid in through breather tube as it’s a sealed transmission.
Took it to a dealer in Gatlinburg and they said it would take a week.
No way, daughter’s graduation was in middle TN in 2 days.
Terrible ride home.
Dealer recall= some tech needs some work.

 

[Shimmy1]

But someone I know hates trucks and refuses to work on them....