Dealing with the shop

by Jimmy
(Kingman'Az)

Here's a couple tips for dealing with the shop. Any decent size trucking co. will have their own shop. It is a necessity to keep costs under control. Any one that is in business wants to be able to control their costs as best as they can. If any business is vulnerable, it is a trucking co. Why?, you say. Well, look here. If one of your trucks breaks down in possumbreath, Ar, dont you think you are just a little bit at the mercy of Corn Cob Carl who is going to fix it? I mean, afterall,this big ol' trucking outfit can surely afford to pay, can't they?

Stop and think. One steer tire purchased in some far away dusty hole somewhere will cost $300 PLUS the service call, plus the carcus charge and the inconvience to the driver. Not to mention possibly being late with the delivery.

Sorry, I'm wandering a bit. Back to the shop. Almost always, the shop will be backed up. Many times, a mechanic will tear into a probelm thinking all it needs is such and such, when he gets in there, he finds, whoops, we got a probelm. A two hour deal turns into a 7 hour repair. Nobodys fault, stuff happens. He can feel the driver's eyes boring a hole in the back of his head.

But he's only one person, doing his best to get it fixed. Believe me, they prioritize and maybe, while waiting for parts, they will jump into another engine. You, the driver, may leave and return two hours later and not see him working on your truck and think, hey, where is this clown, I gotta go. He should have been done. Leave him alone, he doesn't need you bugging him . Another thing, sometimes there's a shift change, and a relief mechanic will have to finish up what the first mechanic started.

Here's tip no.1 Call ahead if you know you're arriving at the terminal and will need service work or any repair instead of just showing up and expecting quick service. They will more than appreciate the heads up. Will it get you quick service? Maybe, maybe not, but at any rate they know you're coming and you might get a commitment that they will 'get right on it' even though truck 475928 rolls in just ahead of you. Also, what if the shop is slow, they don't know you're coming,and send the lube guy home, then you show up. Well, if they knew you were coming, they would have not sent him home. Makes sense to me.

Tip no.2 Bribary, you know, as in bribe. A nice hot pizza for the shop foreman will make an impression, plus he can share it and will remember you the next time you come in (and get quick service!).You do not want to be on the wrong side of the shop personell. You simply tell him he has a pizza on the way(after you order it), at that point he thinks, this driver is A-OK, then when it actually arrives, he is in hog heaven. And of course, always be polite and courteous. You are at the mercy of those boys.......Jimmy