Question to feeder drivers.

[greengrenades]

I wouldn't know for sure, I'm hope your steward may have an idea. I would document every indecent regarding this issue and maybe have a talk with the head of automotive in your area along with your steward. I couldn't image having that happen while getting off on an exit with a sharp turn that could be disastrous.

I'll have a talk with the head auto guy. Just got back around to reading the post.

 

[greengrenades]

I don't think I have the correct answer for you, but working here for awhile I will try.

You said the brakes get hard, can you clarify since tractors have air brakes so the only thing I can think of is the fact the engine can't turn the compressor when off so you lose air pressure, eventually resulting in a brake lockup.

Is this a tractor? Or package car? Just clarifying since you mentioned that about the brakes.

Is this a ups vehicle?

Sounds like you have hydraulic brakes Sonim trying to figure this out based on what you stated.

So if this is a ups vehicle, and has air brakes, and you are a ups employee, I would talk to the head of your feeder department and refuse to drive the tractor.

Sounds like a crank sensor going bad if it's not a road tractor.

Sorry to sound like I'm doubting anything just gathering facts.

LNG Mack. The whole truck loses power. It just shuts completely off. That is when I have to mash the brakes hard to slow down, usually I can crank it back up and limp on down the road so I can get off somehwere.

 

[greengrenades]

there is no advance warning like a "shut down " warning light going off? it sounds like you are completely losing power with no warning. BIG RED TAG ITEM!

i would not drive. speak to the shop manager and tell him your concerns. dot regulations state that you do not have to drive a vehicle that you feel is unsafe.

i am not sure what you can do if they "direct" you to drive it. write up the concern in safety section of the DVIR and they will have to sign off "Ok to operate." make your own copy on the copy/printer. that will alarm the shop manager to the point that he may take it out of service. if you get in an accident because of this you will have grounds for a lawsuit.

hopefully they will address the problem before it comes to that.

if it were me and there was no advance warning of a shutdown and i had given them several tries to remedy the situation , i would not drive it.

The red shut down light does come on, but it doesn't come on right until it happens. Like I'll be riding like normal then it hits, and everything shuts down. They keep trying to say it's a coolant censor, but that has been replaced twice, I even unplugged it because apparently it will show and error but you can still drive it and that doesn't work. It's just aggravating. so far it's still in outside service, I just don't want to be put back into it. I'll drive the crappiest POS on the yard before getting back in that death trap lol.

 

[greengrenades]

Does it have a regen system? I had a rental through peak that would only have the engine light come on for a regen. I was pulling through an intersection when it stalled but I hit the override button and it would make it for another 15 minutes or so.

This tractor needed to regen a lot for some reason.

Yea it does, but the regen light never comes on. Shop always says it's a coolant censor but I call bull crap on that.

 

[greengrenades]

Cant you switch it out for another truck from the hub? If i start at a different center and my a/c doesn't work i switch that truck out the next day on my turnaround at the hub

I wish. I actually go to a meet point though. I'm sure if I drive for another 15 years Ill have enough pull to do that ha.

 

[greengrenades]

@greengrenades , I doubt you can refuse to drive that unit. It is being reported as fixed/ready to run. Unless your Business Agent has precedent setting decisions for this. I would reiterate what others have said about copying the DVIR (or have union request copies, probably a better idea). It sounds like you have a run (as opposed to CPU work). If you have to slow down to run the right lane (to make sure you can get to the breakdown lane/shoulder), you might want to do so. When it shuts down, will it restart? Right away or after waiting? Are you recording the breakdown on road every time?

Yes on the road. I'm usually in the right lane all night, 64 mph. It will restart but it will kind of buck, and won't pull, I'll have to down shift, and I can usually limp it to an exit. I have recorded it everytime in the DVIR so I guess I can just use that, and make copies.

 

[greengrenades]

If it happens on the road pull over and call in a break down. Tell them you feel unsafe. After this happens a few times more attention will be paid to it.

I've actually been lucky the first few times, I was able to either turn around and go back or get off at a smaller hub and grab a tractor. Last time it happened though, it took 16 hours to go less that 350 miles.

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

When I had a recurring problem in a tractor, I'd usually give the mechanic 2 times to fix it. After that, I'd write it up as usual, then right below it, I'd write 3rd attempt, 4th attempt, etc and put a big circle around it. The automotive manager reviewed the DVIR sheets daily, and it would give him a heads up that maybe it wasn't getting the attention that it should. I would also go to a feeder manager and say, hey, this could cause a missed or late load if it keeps up, and if it happens, it is on YOU, since I've made you aware of the problem. Sometimes a call from one center manager to another can get the squeaky wheel taken care of.

 

[moldsporh]

LNG Mack. The whole truck loses power. It just shuts completely off. That is when I have to mash the brakes hard to slow down, usually I can crank it back up and limp on down the road so I can get off somehwere.

Not well versed in your truck, but the few conversations I've had with the mechanics they all hate those tractors. The cng not so bad, but the lng they wish ups would get rid of them or convert to cng despite the slight lower power output.

 

[olroadbeech]

i tried like heck to work well with the mechanics before going over their heads. the last thing you want is a pissed off mechanic.
the biggest complaint i heard from mechanics was lack of communication with the drivers. if you try to explain what is exactly happening and give as much detail as possible that will surely help them diagnose a problem.

how far is that outside service from you. i would even consider going there and explaining the problem. it could be life threatening to you or another driver.

 

[silenze]

If his hub is big enough for lng then there must be tons of trucks to choose from.

 

[Gear]

A bad coolant level sensor can cause a engine shutdown. Basically the EECU thinks you lost all coolant and shuts the engine down to prevent damage. You should see the Red X (shutdown light), malfunction light(lightening bolt) and have 15-30 seconds before the shutdown. If this is the case, it should leave inactive codes for the coolant level sensor.

Possible causes-
-coolant level sensor
-surge tank/overflow tank-Mack has had issues with the surge tanks
-Wire issue-Maybe a damaged wire that only acts up when you hit a bump.
-EECU

If no one can figure it out they should send it out to a dealer. Dealers have all the info needed for troubleshooting issues like this.

Intermittent problems can be very difficult to find. If they dont find a problem they have to take an educated guess. Thats why a dealer is the best place for this truck. If they seen this problem before they would start with the most common repair and release the truck. It sucks for you, but you cant repair what you cant see.

I would replace the surge tank with coolant level sensor. If it happened again, inspect every inch of wire for the low coolant sensor.

 

[Gear]

The red shut down light does come on, but it doesn't come on right until it happens. Like I'll be riding like normal then it hits, and everything shuts down. They keep trying to say it's a coolant censor, but that has been replaced twice, I even unplugged it because apparently it will show and error but you can still drive it and that doesn't work. It's just aggravating. so far it's still in outside service, I just don't want to be put back into it. I'll drive the crappiest POS on the yard before getting back in that death trap lol.

The sensor reading is what causes shutdowns. If a coolant level sensor says, "low coolant critical" you'll have a shutdown. If it says "low coolant", you may just have a limp mode or just the warning light. Same thing goes for coolant temp and oil pressure. Its the critical readings that cause the shutdown, high coolant temp or low oil pressure. So unplugging the sensor doesnt tell the EECU to shutdown. Its just says there is problem, pull back engine power and "limp" home.

 

[Dracula]

i tried like heck to work well with the mechanics before going over their heads. the last thing you want is a off mechanic.
the biggest complaint i heard from mechanics was lack of communication with the drivers. if you try to explain what is exactly happening and give as much detail as possible that will surely help them diagnose a problem.

how far is that outside service from you. i would even consider going there and explaining the problem. it could be life threatening to you or another driver.

Which is why I wouldn't drive it. This doesn't sound like it has much to do with our mechanics. Either way, if I wrote it up several times and it still did it, it's out of the mechanic's hands. I'd let automotive management that you've documented the problems, and let them know you want a second opinion from the DOT before you drive it again, to prevent this problem from becoming a serious accident. We know how this company behaves, and if you are in a big accident, unless you have solid proof of your documenting this problem, you will be the one left without a chair when the music stops.

 

[olroadbeech]

Which is why I wouldn't drive it. This doesn't sound like it has much to do with our mechanics. Either way, if I wrote it up several times and it still did it, it's out of the mechanic's hands. I'd let automotive management that you've documented the problems, and let them know you want a second opinion from the DOT before you drive it again, to prevent this problem from becoming a serious accident. We know how this company behaves, and if you are in a big accident, unless you have solid proof of your documenting this problem, you will be the one left without a chair when the music stops.

thta's what i said earlier. i have been in this situation and we had enough tractors so i could switch out. thanks for the back up Drak.

 

[Koondog]

I'll keep it short and sweet. The tractor I've been driving for the past year has had a lot of issues. Which is expected sometimes, however I always have the same malfunction on the tractor. It will go to outside service to be "fixed", it will run for about 3 weeks then same thing. It literally shuts off while I'm going down the road, I lose power steering, harder to push the breaks and acceleration is gone as a result. The first two times it happened it didn't bother me, but it's the fifth time it's happened, and sooner or later I feel like it may happen while I'm in a dangerous situation. The mechanics keep saying they fix it and it keeps happening and I'm to the point now where I can't believe them. Can I refuse driving this tractor due to safety reasons even if the mechanic says it's road worthy? I have a family to think about and I don't want to get into an accident because of this. I hate complaining about equipment because I know things happen but it's actually starting to worry me.

We have a tractor like that also..international? Just know it may happen and be prepared I guess. Mine shut off on me 7 times in one night but came back on. It's been an ongoing issue with this truck. It's been "fixed" multiple times. Lol

 

[greengrenades]

We have a tractor like that also..international? Just know it may happen and be prepared I guess. Mine shut off on me 7 times in one night but came back on. It's been an ongoing issue with this truck. It's been "fixed" multiple times. Lol

It was a Mack. They sent it off and it hasn't came back. Hopefully its in a landfill.

 

[UPS4Life]

It was a Mack. They sent it off and it hasn't came back. Hopefully its in a landfill.

They're probably still fixing it generally they disappear for a couple weeks then come back. I didn't get to read at the time but I read through the post now and you said it's an LNG but the regen light doesn't come on. LNG trucks don't regen. The only other thing I could say to you is if this continues to happen where it shuts off going down the road park and it and have them tow it back. How many times do you think that will happen before they make changes?

 

[feeder05]

talk to your manageer and tell him tractor is unsafe and you will eventually get into a accident.. See whag he does then