Phantom - Seattle – How Do You Hit A 53 Foot Trailer?

Phantom wrapped trailer parked in Seattle

“Phantom’s” next run was scheduled in Seattle.  The trailers in a show are designated as either show-to-show or advanced trailers.  The first part of our dispatch was to take a show-to -show trailer to Seattle.  When we arrived in Seattle two of the other drivers were already parked on the street next to the theatre.  Vince parked in front of the loading area since our trailer was one of the first to be unloaded. 

As we pulled up I saw and could hear some homeless people.  Once we got parked we noticed that the men on the street were yelling back and forth to each other.  I asked if we could move. Now don’t misunderstand, homeless people don’t bother me.  I worked as a volunteer coordinator at a homeless shelter and consider it the most rewarding job I have ever had.  My problem was their yelling back was definitely going to prevent me from going to sleep and as I have shared sleeping was still difficult in the truck.  Vince assured me it would be fine, but then something bounced off the truck and I began complaining loudly. So Vince moved us over with the other guys on the side street, more so he would not have to listen to me, not because of the guys on the street.

About 30 minutes after we got settled and were just drifting off there was a knock at the door.  It was Jeff, the lead driver asking us to move back to our previous spot.  He and Joe had staged other trailers near the dock and reported that the homeless had moved on so he wanted us in place.  Vince, by this time, was probably having his own homicidal thoughts toward everyone involved; me, the homeless, Jeff since all he wanted to do was get some sleep. He is too nice and patient a person to admit he was having those thoughts, but he did do some serious ranting about just wanting to get some sleep as he changed his clothes and put on his shoes.  I had already learned that when these moments occur my saying something usually didn’t help, so I remained silent.

The morning brought a very long day of loading in the show.  It takes as long if not longer to put a show of this size into a theatre, as it does to take it out.  Trailers line both sides of the streets around the theatre and there is always a truck in the dock. That afternoon we were standing around with the guys entertaining me with stories, when all of the sudden we heard a popping sound like glass breaking.  We assumed someone had dropped something while unloading.  Since a laundry basket had already fallen off the curb and traveled several feet across the street, we knew the sound of breaking glass wouldn’t be unusual. But that was not the case, because as we looked toward the street we saw a car pull over and stop.  It was then that we also noticed glass on the ground next to the Phantom wrapped trailer.  The wrapped trailer as seen above has a picture advertising the show.  As a side note it is always fun to have a wrapped trailer because people wave and smile as they pass us on the road.

Well apparently the woman driving the car had pulled between or was thinking she would pull between the two trailers to wait for her friend.  Now remember the street is marked no parking and the space between the trailers which you can’t see in the picture had a hydrant, so there was no way she should have been there.  She either aborted her attempt to go between the trailers or decided to move to the corner to pick up her friend and hit the corner of the wrapped trailer with her passenger side windshield. She not only popped the windshield, but also both passenger side windows and put a serious crease in the frame on the passenger side.  Now I ask you how do you hit the trailer to begin with and be going so fast that you cause that much damage to the car?  The show representatives and Jeff looked at the trailer and there was no damage, but we have no idea how she explained this incident to her husband or insurance company.

We left Seattle at 7:00 pm that evening headed back to Portland to pick up an advance trailer needed in Spokane.  Advanced trailers go to the show’s next scheduled city.  Sometime prior to the shows scheduled run in that city the advance trailers, that carry things like lighting and scenery, are unloaded due to the time it takes to put these items up.

Dirt Devils on the way to Spokane

 Our trip to Spokane through the northern portion of Oregon was beautiful.  After Spokane we were sent back to Seattle to pick up an empty trailer then headed to a Disney park to pick up lighting equipment that needed to be returned to the east coast.  On the trip from Spokane to Seattle we found this wonderful pull off along the Columbia River that was breathtaking.  It was nice because not all scenic view locations allow semis but since we where bobtail we were able to pull in and explore the area.  The thing that struck me the most about the stop was that there were many other people there, but it was so quiet.  In this day of cell phones which seems to lead to constant chatter, it was incredibly quiet since people were whispering and talking in low tones, which was wonderful.  The views were beautiful and I felt a great sense of calm.  A young woman who was there with her family offered to take the picture below.  It was so nice to get a picture of the two of us at this breathtaking spot.  Later as we explored the area, Vince reminded me of little boy exploring the rocks.  As I snapped pictures of him I thought how great it was that he could get out of the truck and enjoy nature.  I also thought about how if I wasn’t with him, he probably wouldn't have stopped at such a wonderful sight.

Vince and Joan at the Columbia River Gorge

Vince looking down into the Columbia River Gorge

Vince roaming the Columbia River Gorge

Our trip to Anaheim was uneventful and after a quick loading of the trailer we headed east.  Unfortunately time was a factor on this trip as Vince needed to get this trailer back to the east coast by the end of the week.  So there was no time for sightseeing.  While the trip was beautiful, we basically rode for hours, slept, got up and did it all over again.  When we reached Ohio it was time for me to get out of the truck to care for my mom.  I am fortunate enough to have a wonderful brother and sister-in-law, John and Elaine who share with me the responsibilities of caring for our mother. So after my first two week whirlwind trip through eleven states it was time to get out of the truck and adjust back to home life.

Phantom of the Opera – My First Rodeo

Vince working on his log book at Jubitz

Jubitz

 

As 2010 comes to a close, I thought I would pay tribute to my all time favorite show that poetically was also my first rodeo, “Phantom of the Opera”.  The curtain came down on “Phantom” for the final time last October. Since I will not be able to share stories about this great show in the future, my next two postings are a tribute to the show’s crews, especially its lead driver Jeff, who made sure that the show, always went on.  

       

On a Saturday in September 2008, we arrived at the Jubitz truck stop in Portland.  The Jubitz truck stop is one of the nicest in the country.  I was still finishing up my MBA on- line so I needed to get a paper submitted by Sunday. So while Vince slept I decided to multi task by going to the Laundromat to do laundry while working on my paper.  I was surprised how well I was able to concentrate in such a noisy public setting, because my paper was finished by the time the clothes hit the dryer.

 That evening we had to move trailers down to the streets of downtown Portland for the Sunday night load out.  “Phantom” was approximately 17-19 trailers so we joined five other drivers, to hook up to trailers and like a convoy head to downtown Portland.  It was fascinating to see how the drivers understood where to position their trailer along the streets, since I was totally confused.  After the first set was in place everyone returned to Jubitz to pick up a second set of trailers to do it all over again before returning to Jubitz for the night.  What I didn’t understand at that time was that I really needed to appreciate that night’s sleep.

On Sunday, we slept in and then later took a nap. But, I just couldn’t get into sleeping during the day. I figured I didn’t need to worry about sleeping.  The night wasn’t going to be that long, right?  When we arrived at the theatre that night I got to meet some of the other drivers.  I met Dennis aka OD and Joe.  As we stood around getting acquainted and listening to the political banter between the two of them, OD suddenly asked me if this was my first rodeo.  I said “yes” and they started laughing.  I mean that laugh you didn’t think your answer should solicit.  I thought why are they laughing? How long can this load out really be? 

We were positioned next to the theatre and even though there were signs for no parking there was a car parked in front of us.  After the show started in the theatre, our show began when a tow truck pulled up next to the illegally parked car and within two minutes the tow truck driver had the car pulled away from the curb.  He then took the car up the street, attached little axles and wheels underneath it and away he went.  Please know that when you go to a show you need to abide by the parking laws, because when the show is at the end of its run, it needs to go. All the trucks must be in position and ready to load, since the show opens in the next city in only a day or two.

As is the standard for most load outs within a half hour of the curtain coming down the crews begin loading the trucks.  In order to load out in Portland the show blocked off a couple streets and brought in overhead lights to help the crew see as they loaded multiple trucks at the same time.  They started on our trailer around 12:30 am so I thought wow that’s not bad we will be out of here soon, but as I mentioned they were loading three other trailers at the same time.  After getting into position, we got out of the truck and I was introduced to more drivers.  There I got to really see how big a production it was when I saw the crews pushing out boxes and fork lifts moving big pieces of equipment to all four trucks at the same time.

By 2:00 am the cold damp night air caught up with me so we headed back to the truck.  I was hungry so we fixed sandwiches which I hoped would help me fight the tiredness.  But the warmth of the truck led to a sleepy feeling that I couldn’t fight, so I put the bed down.  After I got comfortable on the bed, still in my clothes because after all this was just a nap, Jeff, the lead driver stopped by to say there was food in the theatre.  Vince was ready to go, but there was no way I was getting out of the truck.  He asked me if I was sure.  I could tell he wanted me to go, but falling out of the truck or sitting with my head on the table seemed too embarrassing this early in the game, after all I had just met these guys, so I declined. 

After Vince left, I turned the TV on since I just needed to doze a little and the TV would keep me apprised of the time by the changing of the shows.  Well, it advised me that it was 4:00 am, then 6:00 am when the morning news show started, but it didn’t matter I went right back to sleep each time.  In the meantime, Vince had been back and forth checking to see if I was moving, which I was not.  Soon, the truck started up and we were on our way back to Jubitz.  I thought great we are done, but no we were only to drop this trailer then head back to the theatre to pick up a second trailer.  To even my surprise by the time we headed back for the second trailer I was actually in my seat, but trust me I was not really quite with it.

When we got back to Jubitz with the second trailer, which this time meant only about a half hour wait on the street before the trailer was loaded. However, keep in mind the total time for the load out was 11+ hours.   Now I was awake and inquiring about breakfast.  Keep in mind Vince had been awake the whole time, so this may have been his first homicidal moment, but he would never admit it. Despite being tired, he agreed to breakfast so off we went to the restaurant for breakfast then we returned to the truck so that Vince could sleep.  The funniest part was I slept just as long as he did that morning into the afternoon.  I guess I finally adjusted to sleeping during the day.

As you might imagine it is tough to take pictures of a night load out, However the show’s next stop was Seattle. As you can see from the picture below we made it there and were able to get pictures and a story or two from that load in.  So next up – the Seattle load in.

Homicidal Thought Moment - The Grease Gun Incident

As promised here is my homicidal thought moment from our winter 2009 trip. It is one of my favorite moments and occurred on our trip from Dallas when we stopped at a truck stop in Prescott Arkansas for dinner. As we were getting out of the truck I asked if we could get a walk in before heading down the road.  Since we sit a lot in the truck I like for us to get walks in every chance we can.  Vince said we could get a “quick” one in after dinner.  So I decided to hide my purse behind/under my seat so that we could walk right after dinner. 

During dinner Vince shared with me that he also wanted to grease my seat before we left because it was making a squeaking sound that was driving him crazy.  I have found that sounds in our home drive me crazy and don’t bother Vince at all. While sounds in the truck drive Vince nuts and I don’t even notice them.  I was a little annoyed with him that he didn’t seem to want to get the walk in but he had time to get the grease gun out.

After dinner we got a few laps in and then I sent Vince back to the truck to mess with the seat while I went to the bathroom.  Mess being a word that so fit the events that followed.  As I returned to the truck I found Vince at the passenger side working on the seat.  I asked him if he moved my purse and he stated it wasn’t necessary for where he was working. 

Shortly after I arrived at the truck my phone started to ring and as you may recall, I had hid my purse which had my phone clipped to the outside of it, under my seat.  From the ring we could tell it was Elizabeth so Vince asked me if I wanted my phone.  Now he is standing there with latex gloves on that have grease on them and a grease gun in his hand, did he really think I wanted him touching my phone?  I told him no I would call her back.

So Vince went back to work and we talked as he worked.  Everything was going fine all the way up to when Vince checked his work.  At that moment he began swearing, yes as the joke would go like a truck driver. I thought he must have got grease on the floor of the truck, which I knew would upset him because he keeps the truck very clean.  I asked him what was wrong and he told me there was grease on my purse and phone.  To which I replied very loudly “you better be kidding”, to which he replied just as loudly “no I’m not”. 

When he pulled my purse out so I could see it, I went from calm to livid in seconds because there was and I am not exaggerating a ball of grease, between the size of golf ball and a baseball sitting across my phone and purse.  I asked him what I should do and he told me to get in on the driver’s side, grab paper towels and wipe it off.  All the way around the truck I kept thinking why didn’t he move the purse if he knew he was working right by it, all while emitting a string of cuss words, that in the spirit of the season greatly resembled Ralphie’s dad in the Christmas story.  I climbed in the truck and grabbed the towels to start wiping the phone and purse.  The phone cover and purse reeked of grease and again I was thinking how hard would it have been to just move the purse? However, I must say the leather cover over the phone, slide off way easier than any other time I had removed it.

As you might imagine there was a great deal of tension between us at that moment. So Vince finished up actually greasing the seat while I cleaned the phone and purse in silence.  After he finished he just got into the truck and we just belted in to head up the road.  As we were leaving the truck stop I decided to return Elizabeth’s call since there wasn’t going to be any conversation in the truck. 

Although I was really mad at Vince, I didn’t let on to Elizabeth that anything was wrong.  As Elizabeth and I talked I recalled our conversation from the previous night.  Elizabeth was upset about something that had happened at work and I reminded her of advice I had gotten from a co-worker many years ago.  My co-worker had asked me when I got upset about something if anyone had died.  Of course in my case and in Elizabeth’s no one had and like me, Elizabeth calmed down.  I have found that this question always puts things into perspective and reminds me that I need to not get upset about little things. I immediately realized that no one had died because grease got on my phone and purse and that actually no real damage had occurred either.  I needed to not be upset with Vince and to just move on.  However, I must confess that I did laugh, on the inside of course, when as we pulled out of the truck stop Vince had a mini fit of cussing and hitting the steering wheel because, my seat was still squeaking.

Winter on the Road is Always an Adventure!

Peoria 2009

Between the snow coming down today and spending the last six days worrying as Vince traveled from Buffalo to Cleveland to Minneapolis, and now onto Jacksonville I am reminded of my first winter on the road.  Boy was I a rookie on that trip. Rather than a baptism of fire I received a baptism of snow and below zero temperatures.  I recall that despite the prediction of below zero temperatures across the country the week we were heading out, I was very excited about getting back in the truck.  Vince even looked at me after the weather report one evening and asked “are you sure?”  I simply replied “that’s love baby”.  I was going and not even cold was going to stop me.

On our first dispatch that January was “Spamelot” from South Bend to Peoria, when I learned that it is possible for a semi get stuck in heavy snow, just like cars.  Silly me I thought they would be heavy enough that they just plow through.  When we arrived at the parking lot in South Bend, Vince informed me that “yes, we could get stuck”.  Great I thought, I wasn’t going to be able to push the thing nor could I drive a stick so I would be no help.  Fortunately even though the snow had come down for several hours, by the time Vince pulled out for the theatre we had no trouble leaving the lot.

           

Next we experienced 19 below temperatures with a minus 40 mph wind chills and heavy snow in Illinois.  There I discovered that fluffy snow turns to a glossy ice pavement near truck stop fuel islands when temperatures drop this low. I learned that tidbit, one evening on my way to the bathroom.  Vince didn’t have to go but offered to go with me.  I told him I would be fine, layered up and headed toward the truck stop.  As I trudged through the deep snow near the trucks I kept convincing myself that it was not that cold.  When I got to the end of the aisle I began assessing the fuel island area.  As I stood waiting for the trucks entering the truck stop to clear the way, a driver waived me to go in front of him.   As I started to cross I felt my feet come out from under me.  I began flinging my arms in a circular motion to keep from falling and surprisingly it worked. I now refer to it as my helicopter move.  I was able to get my footing, slow my pace down and get across to the building without falling.  But I have no doubt that driver shared the story of the crazy woman who almost fell in front of his truck with anyone and everyone he could that night.  I know I sure entertained Vince with the story when I returned to the truck.

In Northern New York on our way to Boston I got brave enough to help Vince back into a space when the snow was coming down so hard it was difficult to see the trailer behind us. As you know most trailers are white then add the snow and you get the picture. So Vince asked me if I would help by telling him when he was close enough and I jumped at the opportunity.  There I stood in knee high snow with a radio in my hand at the back of the trailer.  However, I decided to use a hand signal method that I had seen Vince use with other drivers since I wasn’t comfortable with the hand held.  I placed my arms wide apart, but rather than horizontal I put them in a vertical position.  Vince watched in his mirror and knew as my hands got closer together he had reached his target.  Once Vince got back to where he needed to be, I got on the radio and told him to “lock her down”.  When I returned to the truck Vince said “you said lock her down” and I immediately thought oh no I said the wrong thing.  I asked if that was that not right. He told me no that was right and how much he loved that I was learning the lingo and how to do things to help him like the hand movement.

Later on the trip, at the Appleton PAC, Vince once again bravely called upon my help to back in.  The Appleton dock area resembles a hair pin turn on the road. Now while a driver of a car or van could drive down into the dock then turn around and back into the dock, a tractor trailer driver must back all the way down the driveway, make the turn, then line up with the dock.  Obviously Vince could back down the drive himself, but as he started to make the turn I attempted to direct him over the hand held radio.  I thought I had him in a good place, but then he aborted the attempt and pulled forward indicating to me that he was not where he needed to be.  I stood there thinking this could take a really long time since I apparently didn’t I know what I was doing.

Just then some of the crew unloading and setting up the stage came outside for a smoke break.  They started joking with me about Vince having a pro to get him down the driveway.  I told them “trust me this is the blind leading the professional”, at which the whole group burst into laughter and then gave me words of encouragement after they stopped laughing.  After Vince got the trailer swung around the corner, it was time to get him in the dock.  I am happy to report that I got him into the dock in one move.  However, when another driver arrived I left it to the professional to get that driver into the dock, it is one thing for me to misdirect my husband, but I would didn’t want to do that with a driver I had just met.

After load in it was time to head south to warmer weather in Dallas. But the next day was not without excitement when we had to out run a heavy snow storm while leaving Wisconsin. From Dallas on our way to Philadelphia I would end my trip by jumping out at home, proud that I had survived my first winter in the truck.

Buffalo 2009

Me wearing 4 layers of clothing as we toured Washington DC - January 2009

Share Away!

I have received some inquiries about whether this Blog is only meant for family and friends.  The answer is a big no; if you know of someone who may be interested in or entertained by our stories please feel free to share away.  In the spirit of the season we say the more the merrier!

Homicidal Thought Moment # 1 – The Closed Rest Area

JACKSONVILLE -VIEW FROM THE WALKWAY BY THE TIMES-UNION CENTER

             As promised I will now share the meaning behind my reference to our “moments”.  These “Homicidal Thought Moments" are dedicated to and inspired by couples who have been married over fifty years.  Many times while watching TV I have heard a couple celebrating an anniversary of fifty or more years, when asked if they ever considered divorce reply “divorce never, but murder often”.  I love that line because when you love your spouse like I love Vince you never consider leaving, but there are times when taking him out seems like a pretty good idea.  So these moments are dedicated to those couples and hopefully are humorous stories that the rest of you relate to and enjoy.

The first of these thankfully only a few moments over the last two years occurred on our trip to Jacksonville during my first stint in the truck. The plan was to get to the Times-Union Center in Jacksonville  late in the evening and sleep outside the center since our call time was right in the middle of rush hour.  The last thing Vince wanted to deal with was rush hour traffic.  Having been a commuter for several years, I too knew that the last thing commuters in Jacksonville needed was a semi driver holding them up while he was backing into a dock.

            Before heading into Florida we had reviewed the map and determined that we would stop at the last rest area before Jacksonville. Since we wouldn’t have a bathroom available until call time in the morning, it was important especially for me that we stop one last time.  As we came upon what we thought to be the last rest area we learned that it was closed.  I looked at Vince and asked if that meant no potty break.  He simply replied “yeah”.  Well let me tell you, I went into full panic mode because I was a 47 year old woman and there was no way I was going to make it 10+ hours without a potty break.  I asked him what were we going to do and he stated he didn’t know. WHAT?  He didn’t know!  What did that mean?  I was having all kinds of homicidal thoughts right then, because the man I love and adore was telling me he didn’t have a plan.  He had been doing this for years, I was an amateur and most importantly the nonchalant way he just said he didn’t have a plan told me he did not understand the urgency of the situation.  

            Also, I couldn’t believe he had no ideas, after all it was his idea for me to join him on the road, didn’t he realize he would need options for me.  He had shared with me over the years how difficult it is for drivers especially when they have trailers to find parking.  So I knew just getting off at the next exit wasn’t an option.  It isn’t like when you are in a car and you go to the next exit to find a fast food restaurant that you can run into and quickly make a bathroom stop.  So he didn’t have any ideas, he better be kidding.

            As we arrived in Jacksonville, I was scoping every street for a fast food restaurant or a coffee shop. Surely there had to be one somewhere that was open at almost 11:00 pm on a Monday night.  Meanwhile, Vince and I exchanged casual conversation about the directions; after all I didn’t want to give away my plans for him if we don’t find a bathroom.  As we turned the corner that lead to the center, I saw a large chain upscale hotel right across the street from the dock area.  Life was good for my husband and he would get to live, because as I learned in my travels as a paralegal, hotels always have bathrooms readily available in the lobby.

            As soon as Vince got backed into the dock area, I took off my seat belt and grabbed my door latch.  Vince asked where we were going.  I said “to the bathroom”.  He looked at me like okay I don’t know where we are going, but God love him he does trust me, so he just followed my lead.  We headed into the hotel lobby and I didn’t even break stride as I found the ladies and mens rooms.  When we met back up, Vince commented he thought I had never been there before, because I walked straight to the bathrooms.  I told him I hadn’t, but shared with him that past experiences had served me well in evaluating the lobby and quickly recognizing the set up.  We headed back to the truck and fortunately for my husband, he didn’t have to sleep with one eye open that night.

            While for some of you this may seem trivial, let me assure you that your survival instincts really do come out when you don’t have the basics readily available to you.  Our other moments, one of which includes what I am pretty sure was Vince’s first moment are meant to show you that while most the time we honestly do get along, we do have our moments.  I think you will especially enjoy my favorite “the grease gun incident” which could have been a scene right out of comedy movie. I promise to get you caught up on these moments and other stories by the time I head back out with Vince in January so that hopefully our future tales will make perfect sense.

OUR TRUCK IN THE DOCK IN JACKSONVILLE

TIMES-UNION CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

 

The Small Repair Shop – Thankfully Not Gone but Sometimes Forgotten

 This trip was like many over the last two years because once again we had a broken generator.  Unfortunately my husband’s luck with generators has not been good.  I would hazard a guess that of the three he has had over the last seven years cumulatively they have been broken down 40% of the time.  This is despite many hours of research and that is why I chalk it up to just plain bad luck.

Before I go on, I will explain to those just learning about trucking what a generator does on a truck in the most basic of terms.  A generator (which in the picture to the right is located in the silver side box under the sleeper) is mainly installed on a truck to offset fuel costs.  In order to have heat, ac or use a microwave or TV in a truck along with charging the batteries, the truck must run unless a generator is installed.  A tractor with or without a trailer burns approximately a gallon of fuel an hour when idling.  When a generator is installed it will operate all of the above but only burn approximately ¼ a gallon of fuel an hour.  So as you might imagine it is great to have a running generator and very frustrating when it isn’t working.

But, I must admit that the breakdowns over the past two years have given me the opportunity to see a part of America that I thought was long gone, the non-chain affiliated repair shops.  While the first generator which was the worst of them was repaired mostly by Vince, a trained mechanic, the last two have been more required repairs even Vince was not able to deal with.  I tell you I am thankful I wasn’t in the truck with that first one because I would have taken a wrench to it for all the problems it gave Vince.

Sorry I digress, so over the last few years these generators have needed repairs and which have led us to three small but I have every confidence very productive repair shops.  The Monday before Thanksgiving found us at Martin Diesel in Defiance, Ohio.  The generator had died in September and Vince had ordered a circuit board to install in it out in Portland only to find out that was not the problem.  He later learned it was the genhead. A genhead is as Vince would call it way above his pay range so we needed to take it to Martin, the original maker of the generator. 

The week before Thanksgiving Vince called to make the appointment for that Monday.  Jim of Martin told him that if we called him on Sunday and let him know our arrival time he would be happy to meet us at the shop and let us plug into Shore power overnight.  Shore power is a separate system that allows Vince to plug the truck into an electrical outlet and gives us the heat, ac, etc.  This was such a nice offer as Jim was taking time away from home on a Sunday to help us out.  Vince called Jim on Sunday afternoon and left a message with the time we would be arriving and at the very time Jim arrived to help Vince get hooked up.  It was so nice to have the temperature controls and microwave that evening but most importantly any time you can save fuel is golden.

At 7:15 am that next morning Paul, the mechanic who would replace the genhead and work on our exhaust system came out introduced himself and got us into position.  Over the next ten hours Paul worked on our generator.  He explained how the damage occurred and explained what and why he was doing everything.  He never made Vince feel like he was bothering him and when it was all done we were confident that the repairs were done in a professional manner.  Also both Jim and Paul offered us the shop pick up to use if we wanted to go in and get something to eat.

In addition to this positive experience, we have had similar experiences in July of 2009 Leesburg, Florida and in April 2009 in Ashland, Virginia. I told you we have had a lot of problems, this doesn’t count the times Vince worked on them or we had work done at home.  At Powertech in Leesburg they kept us on time by taking us at our appointed time and provided Vince with extra parts for the generator that he could install if need be in the future.  The Ashland Virginia at the Kaeser’s shop is experience I will never forget because after working on the generator for about a half hour the gentleman took down our information and said he would submit it to Powertech for reimbursement under the warranty.  We asked if he wanted a credit card number for his file in case they didn’t honor the repair and he stated “no I know where you live and how to get a hold of you I’m not worried”. 

How nice it is to know that these places still exist in small towns and cities across this country?  These experiences remind me of my childhood and are experiences that I thought were long gone.  I am thankful for these opportunities in the truck to learn that these types of shops are not gone. If anyone reading this has had similar experience(s) I do hope you will share them no matter what type of shop it so we know where to find them and can help to keep them in business.