As you read Today's Thoughts ... The thing you should know is I have no intention a bashing anyone. But sometimes for a company to improve themselves as I know TA to be doing, they have to understand the problem so they can look in to it and make our lives as truck drivers a little easier as I know they are trying very hard to do. That being said ... here is how I spent my morning today.... with the simple task of replacing my air filters on my Classic Freightliner.
I pull up to the garage door, and with just one person in front of me that was already checking out, I walk in and ask about the pricing of changing out air filters. The Mechanic I was talking too promptly escorts me to the sales deck where the clerk stops checking out the guy in front of me and together for the next twenty or so minutes, search the computer for pricing on changing out air filters. Try as hard as they could, they could not even come up with an estimate as to what a filter might cost on a model truck as basic as mine, let alone as to a ball park figure as to the cost of labor for the twenty minutes it would take to change them.
So I make the excuse that I would go get breakfast and return.... had no intention at this time of ever coming back, I head up the hill to the SpeedCo. Much to my dismay, not open for another half hour. So I figure I would go back down the hill, pull out the air filter myself and take them a part number so I could just buy the filters and install them myself. After another twenty minutes of searching, I'm informed I need to bring my truck around so the mechanic could look at it himself, and determine the proper air filter. Still at this point, no figure can be giving me for the cost of labor that I will be charged for them to look at the same part number I just gave them, and determine the cost of doing the job.
So, Once again, I excuse myself with the full knowledge that I'm not coming back. I go out to my truck, reinstall the dirty air filter and head back up to the SpeedCo that is now open. As I set my brakes having been directed over the pit, the mechanic is already discussing the part number by memory for the air filter I need. As the first guy quoted a number to a filter, The second guy says " nope… to big… he needs a ….insert part number " and in less then thirty minutes, I left out with new air filters, a lube job on the tractor, and a bottle of additive for my radiator.
So after two and a half hour … two hours with one… a half hour with the shop that knew how to service a truck …. I finally head down the highway … Two things hit my thoughts…. the one mechanic that said " No wonder no one will get their work done here" and the other being the sign on their door that said drivers not allowed in shop area. Nope ….. If I cannot watch as the work is being done. I have no intention of letting such fine people work on my truck. Can you blame me???
Location not important as this is a nation wide problem
