Thursday night

I am finally home.

The ending of the ordeal at the TA truckstop did not go without a hitch.  When I got there yesterday and we got past all of this nonsense with stripped wheel studs, I also brought up the fact that I need a new fuel cap for one of the fuel tanks.  It started leaking and I do not want fuel leaking out of the top of the tank, of which the tank was quite wet with diesel.  I brought this up at least 3 if not 4 or 5 times yesterday to cement into their minds that since I have to wait overnight, I want that fuel cap replaced as well.  

So it was today, near the end of this ordeal that I casually mentioned the fuel cap. The manager looked at me funny.  Fuel cap? Yes, fuel cap, I discussed this with them last night several times.  I know nothing about it.  That always irritates me when an employee dismisses your query with "I don't know anything" therefore, it doesn't affect them and yes, you are screwed.  I firmly responded that the discussion about a new fuel cap had gone to the point where they were going to measure it and would also ask Napa - this morning - about one.  It wasn't a figment of my imagination.

10 minutes later, a manager asked me about this fuel cap and acknowledged that it has been mentioned but for some reason the information hadn't been transferred between shifts.  

I looked her squarely in the eyes and said: Yes, well it was written down on paperwork, I saw them do it.  She replied that the paperwork had been "lost".  In my mind, this wasn't some person being honest, this was a person trying to cover their  and their employee's asses.  Be honest about it and I will be far more forgiving. Start lying to me and you are likely going to piss me off.  I became pissed, I had been there 25 hours at that point and I was in no mood for bs.  I was ready to leave, actually and didn't care about the damned fuel cap at that point, I would get one in Lufkin at the Peterbilt dealership.

But, that takes time and I had already spent enough damned time at this place, they should have dealt with this. Let me tell you here, that they had to send someone clear to Texarcana after they had exhausted all other resources to a place they hated to do any business with.  This is because, as they described it: the people that work there are assholes.  Their words, not mine.  I was not amused but I could believe that a place that has the parts are also full of people in perpetual bad moods. I have had my dealings with them in the parts industry in the past.  

You play their game to get what you need, no matter how foul they may be.  The point is that there is also a Peterbilt dealership in Texarcana and they could have also stopped for the fuel cap. Yes, it's important to not have fuel leaking, DOT doesn't much care for that.  It looks worse than the leak is, it doesn't take much diesel fuel to make the appearance of a major leak.  

I blew that cap off.  The wheel studs were coming, that place had all 10 of them, I was more than ready to get out of that place and leave it far behind. That lady disappeared and then they both came out 5 minutes later: we have a fuel cap coming.  I immediately asked how long? Because at that point, the studs were there, the mechanic had been banging on them for quite a while to get them seated and he was working on tightening down the lugnuts.  I was ready to leave that place.  "About 45 minutes" and "probably about the time the mechanic is finishing up with your wheels".  

I agreed to it.  What's a few more minutes to get everything dealt with? Well, a lot in my mind at that point but it was important to get that issue behind me as well. So, they got the wheels done but then decided to check the rest of the lugs on the rest of the trailer.  I did not ask nor did I want them to do that. What, find more problems? I want to go home, thank you, not spend another 24 hours at that miserable place.  TA's have gotten rid of their Country Pride restaurants at all or most of their truck stops and replaced them with things like Taco Bell and Subway.  It's the wave of the "future" to get rid of old style diners and trucker's seating at traditional restaurants and replace them with garbage food.  

So, I couldn't go sit down and have a nice meal to eat there and that takes away the allure of many of these places that are otherwise hell holes.  

Anyway, the lady finally arrived, she was on her way home. Where I was at is 45 miles from Texarcana, how far out of town does she live?  Anyway, I was glad she brought it, the mechanic "installed" it, it's just a fuel cap lol, tho there is a chain and a pair of "arms" that go down in the tank, when you take the cap off, the arms keep the cap from falling or going anywhere.  He adjusted the brakes and then?  I got the Hercules out of there.  

2 hours later, back at the park and I wasted no time getting out of there. I will deal with issues tomorrow.  

I was amazed the kids were still awake when I got home, it was far past their bedtime.  I learned that they are off today, Monday and Tuesday for Easter break. It is unbelievable the amount of time kids get off of school. 

Oh, there was a silver lining in all of this nonsense - remember, I only went to have 2 tires repaired. Not go through eternal hellfire trying to get wheel studs replaced.  

You see, the dispatcher was asking me all day long about "going down there after it's fixed".  Sure, unless it gets too late. It was getting too late. I would be arriving at the washout right about now, 9:30 pm. They said they would do a call out if I needed it. Then, I would arrive at the plant around 10:30 or later, sit there for at least an hour and then an hour and 40 minutes back to the yard.  We're talking 1 am junk here.  

So then, she said, well can you load tomorrow and bring it up here to El Dorado and drop it?  I reluctantly agreed. That is a very long day. I replied "you must be having logistic problems, so I will do it". or something like that.  It wasn't until I was about to leave the TA that she texted and said she had found someone to load today. THANK GOD ALMIGHTY. 

I mean that sincerely, thank the good Lord, I have had enough.  I don't know what I'm going to get paid for sitting around for 26 hours, but they are going to pay me and they are going to reimburse my hotel.  I couldn't stay in the truck last night, they wouldn't let me because it's in the shop and I couldn't have the truck running - because it's in....the....shop. 

I have 3 full days off now instead of 2 and I desperately needed them, thank you.  This was day 12 of being out on the road on a daily basis plus the fact I spent the night on the road, so to speak, done, toast, ready for a break and stuff needing to be done at the park.  Lots of stuff. Mowing, the post, the security system to name a few and the things that are on the top of the list.  

Enough. I am going to bed soon and I am going to relax for a few.  

 Thursday morning

It’s almost 9:00 am and they are just starting on finding parts after calling them to see where they’re at with this. They have to go to Napa to see if they have the parts and if they don’t, they have to go to some trailer shop in texarcana which will take significantly much more time. 

It’s not like I’m checking out if this hotel before checkout time at 11. And then I’ll head over to the restaurant to blow some more time off of the clock. 

After all the talking, the salesman hasn’t taken the price down at all and instead offers a pile of rubbish thing that would be all but useless to me. No bucket, no box and no brush attachment. So I’m not impressed and I’m not getting in over my head on payments. 

The dispatcher just called and asked what’s going on. I told her the same thing as I mentioned above. So she is going to have the head mechanic start making calls, see if he can motivate them to get their asses in gear. As I figured, they still want me to go get that load today. 

I replied that it depends on when they get me out of here. Cause’ at this point, I’m thinking it’s going to be quite a while before that trailer is fixed. 

-——————-

Left the hotel, over at the restaurant. Decent food, horrible coffee, waitress has  very sour attitude. I was polite, respectful and courteous, some people are just that way.  

Whatever. Will be walking the half mile back to the truck and start asking questions if they haven’t made any progress. Perhaps leave the trailer there and one of their local drivers can get it when they finish? But they probably won’t allow me to drop the trailer there and the company probably doesn’t want to have to interrupt yet another driver to deal with this. 

Meanwhile, after even more discussion with the dealer, I am not going to be able to do business with them. I told them I would think about it. That’s where it’s left. 7 years of payments that high just doesn’t set well with me. Maybe if the park income was double what it is now. 

______\___________

Many hours later. 3:30 pm to be precise, they sent a person to texarcana to search for the parts This person found them and is heading back here now. A mechanic coming on duty at 4, I hope to be out of here by 6. 

Enough. I get more worn out doing this stuff than actually working.