Friday - late

So. Just had to wash the trailer out with a garden hose this morning.  They washed it in Crosset, AR but there were flakes on the bottom. The plant doesn't like flakes in there, just wash it out into a buck at the park, a couple of gallons of water and that was that.  Skipped the washout ordeal altogether and drove straight to Lufkin.  I wasn't there long, the loader was working on a formaldehyde truck but he got to me only a few minutes after checking it.  That's the way it's supposed to be, load more than one truck at a time. 

During all of this is texting and phone calls about getting the ac fixed.  Because honey? I ain't driving that truck without functioning ac.  End of story, there is not going to be any arguing about it, it's unreasonable to expect someone to do so and endless "bring it up here" crap isn't going to work anymore.  I didn't say I would quit to them, but I'm telling you, this is something I would quit a job over, definitely without hesitation. If it comes to that of course, I'll work through the process first.  

First it was - we're going to have you take it to the Peterbilt right there in Lufkin. They treat us well there...Ok. I would have rather taken it to a shop in my town, but I'll deal on their terms with this.  A little while later: Well, they don't know if they can even get you in today, we're trying the Peterbilt in Texarcana.  Maybe half an hour later, the lead mechanic calls and says yes, you can can take it there, is that what you want to do? Of course I want to. Ok, we're setting it up for Monday, make sure you contact Jenn (dispactch) and let them know you aren't working on Monday because you have to take the truck in.

So that's set up.  I'm to be there, at the shop at 7:00 am.  GPS says it's 1 hour 16 minutes, I'll drive out of my park at 5:30 am.  That gives me a little leeway in case of whatever on the way up there.  Means I have to get up at 4:30 am.  Whatever, this is do-or-die for me in terms of my continued working at that company, it's getting very uncomfortable  in that truck as the days start to get warmer.  Like, high 80's with high humidity and dew points.   Combine that with a giant engine sitting in front of you and it likes to heat everything up very nicely.  

So, I'm toodleedoodleeing my way home on Highway 43 and suddenly I hear a Kablaaaaam! followed by seeing the entire ring of a tire go flying out on the highway surface.  Yay!  A blown tire! Just what I needed only 25 miles out from my park! I am out in the middle of nowhere.  In between small towns, one of them 10 miles north, the other 12 miles south.  I text the lead mechanic, he's like dang.  But, he finds a truck to send out, they show up less than an hour later. Not bad considering they were coming from 45 miles away.  

I just stood in the shade of the trees, certainly not going to sit in a hot truck.  He changed out 2 tires and switched out a third.  Switched, meaning moving from one axle to another.  Remember, I just picked this trailer up.  People don't care about tires, they just run the things until they blow.  There is another tire on the trailer that needs replaced, it's wore down to the wear bars.  The mechanics don't even look at them, as far as I can tell.  As I have stated, it's a 3rd rate company. They'll deal with stuff with confronted with it, otherwise, who cares.  

Whatever.  I am delivering that load tomorrow and then Sunday off.  Monday is sort of off too, really, since I am only going to a shop. I will be taking an extra set of clothes with me.  If they have to dig into that thing and tear the interior out, it could take more than a day to fix the thing.  I expect to be there for many hours, that's all I can say about that.  

What else. Well, people have been getting into the mailbox and it's gotten too much.  I don't know who's doing what with the mail and someone damage the lid. That's when I said no more. I have already printed out a paper to put inside the mailbox - RV guests are not to get into this box.  My plan to go to Carthage was eliminated with the tire problem.  

I can try again on...Tuesday if the truck is fixed on Monday.  I will not continue to drive that truck without the ac working as it is supposed to.  I got back to the yard, got in my vehicle and blasted the ac.  It cooled right down and kept blasting out cold air, just as it's supposed to, just as the truck's is supposed to.  

As it stands, I will take my laptop with me Monday and at least have something a little more interesting to do than playing on a phone.  

I don't know what else, my mind kind of stops there right now.  It just is amazing how much I have had to go through to get them to yank this situation out from shop mechanics who clearly can't fix the thing or don't want to be bothered to do what it is going to take to fix it. I literally had to tell them I am refusing to drive until the thing is fixed, save for taking this load I am on now.  This truck's ac hasn't actually worked correctly since I got the thing in Oregon.  It's just that it was cool weather for the most part driving back and then yes, it heated up a bit, took it in, they didn't fix it, then was going to take it in again, a cold front hit, winter came and I just blew it off. 

But it's been months now since I fired this thing about getting it fixed back up.  

Enough for now.