I have had a very eventful two weeks. Last week I scratched my eye with the end of some safety wire while I was safety 3 door handle bolts. I was off 3.5 nights from that.
Tuesday morning of this week, I ran (had to) over a huge piece of metal in the road. I hit it with my left front tire. The tires felt good after the fact, so I kept going on my way home. Until................two drivers drove up to my right side and pointed down under my truck.........................Uh oh. I pulled off I-45 and right into the Star Cinema and Grill's parking lot in Conroe. I got out and looked under my truck to see diesel pouring out with about 25 gallons in the tank. I called AAA and was waiting for the wrecker when I noticed the fuel was running for a drainage ditch and cars were driving over "my" diesel while cutting through the parking lot to miss the side street's stop sign. I called the fire department.......worrying about diesel in the ditch (environmental fines) and/or someone throwing out a cigarette and torching my truck.
The FD arrived with a whole circus parade of trucks.........a pumper, a ladder truck, a HAZ MAT heavy response truck, a pickup...............and a command car (SUV). About 25 fire fighters got out of said vehicles and started staring at my truck, which had stopped dripping fuel. The youngest (looked to be a green horn of about 18) fireman got out a pump up sprayer and started spraying it's mirobe eating contents on my spilled diesel. I walked up to the fireman (Gary) that looked to be in charge and asked if I had to pay for this cleanup. He said he was not going to file a report and was only using about $50 dollars of materials. He added, if I was a big 18 wheeler, they would put out absorbent and pick it up and charge the owner. They then started installing a temporary patch on the tank to keep residual fuel from leaking on the wrecker ride. The patches were not sticking. Gary said they had an aluminum tank to practice patches on, but no plastic tank. He added they were trying to find out what sticks to diesel soaked plastic and asked if they could have my tank when it was replaced to practice on. I told him yes.
So the repair tanked, my truck, and my wounded, frazzled pride arrived at my favorite repair garage in a wrecker. They let me have a rental car for $20 a day. But it was the size of a go cart and handled on the freeway like a go cart when an 18 wheeler flew past.
Back up a minute here. While waiting for the wrecker, a wore out looking 2003 Dodge 4X4 Dually pulled up with a ragged looking guy stating he was a mobile technician and could have my truck back on the rode for $150, as he had a tank out of his 2003 and would sell it to me for $100. I took his number and he left.
I tried getting a look at that used $100 tank, but it fell through and I wasted a half of day in getting a new tank.
While trying to relax enough to go to bed later in the morning, I called my Dodge dealer and was quoted $625 for a tank. Not too bad, but it would be a 5-7 days before delivery. My service manager (Thurman) called me to say it would be a few days or pay for expedited shipping. So we got the tank from Dodge and paid $169 for one day shipping. Meanwhile, I told this story at work and my lead mechanic mentioned my insurance should cover it. I called, yesterday morning, and filed a claim with Farm Bureau and was told yesterday at 3 that it was covered. I then called the garage and they said the tank was changed with about 8 gallons put in it, but no fuel gage movement and would be Monday before they could look into that problem.
I went to the garage and talked to Thurman and the mechanic and was asked to go fill the tank. Which I did post haste and was delighted to see the fuel gage moving as I pumped the tank full. Wow, driving my dually again was like getting a new truck. Yippee........no more getting knocked out of my lane by blasts of air from passing trucks or vehicles hurling up on my rear view mirror and almost clipping my go cart's rear quarter panels as they changed lanes to pass! I will pay $500 deductible to be out of that any day!
hugs, Brandi
