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View Full Version : Roses to SW Missouri Truck Center, Springfield, MO


David_Reed
May 11th, 2006, 16:15
Leaving Marshfield May 5th, 2006, I proceeded S on Hwy A towards US 60.
I only made it to the Hwy A and Hwy FF junction. After crossing the James River and starting up the big hill on the South bank, I heard a loud boom under the hood.

"I've heard that before", says I. I've just lost my turbo.
Well, at 1,066,370 miles on the original turbo, I can't blame the ol' Mack, she's done a lot of work with that turbo.

So, I limp up the hill hoping I can get in the parking lot of the newly built Cass Chapel Baptist Church. Hwys A and FF only have about a 10" shoulder. Not a good place to stop.

As luck would have it I just barely got in.
Called SW MO Trk Ctr and and they have a rebuilt turbo, are open weekends and work late. They send McDowell Towing out and the Hook arrived in about an hour.

Meantime, I try to contact the Church Pastor for permission to leave the trl so we don't have to drop the driveline and tow the whole shebang.

Meantime, catty-corner to the church lives a Mercer Flatbed O/O, an OOIDA member (he's got a drop-dead gorgeous Pete), named Charley Ragsdale who comes over to offer any help he can. We discuss the trailer and he offers to hook to it and take it to my Dads' house where it is at the end of a private road and the 5 Bobcats I'm hauling will be much more secure. What a guy.

The hook arrives and takes me to Springfield where that evening the Service crew tore her down and began to get her back together.
Turns out I also need to replace the leaking charge-air cooler and they had that in stock. A few clamps here and there and fresh oil and filters and she is taken care of by Late Saturday evening.

In addition, I had, a few days before, discovered an intermittent wire at the throttle position sensor. They worked on that late Sat and early Sunday, had to replace it after repairing the wire failed to fix the problem.

By mid-afternoon Sunday, I had her back and went after my trailer.

Back to work and down the road.

From SW MO Truck Center Volvo/Mack Dealer, efficient, price competitive, competent work. Kudos to Nick and the mechanics.

To McDowell Towing, thanks for the quick service.

To Charley Ragsdale, I owe ya big time.

To my "thorough-bred" Mack, "Let's get 1,000,000 miles out of this turbo, girl". Git'r'Done!!

windcatcher
May 11th, 2006, 16:25
Awesome story!
Now thats Providence!

David_Reed
May 12th, 2006, 17:28
Awesome story!
Now thats Providence!

Hi Jennie,

Yes, Providence was smiling upon me.
I was;
In an area I'm familiar with.
Not too far from from a source of mechanical help.
Not too far from neighbors and family to assist me. Even those I did not think to ask. The ones I did not think to ask were the first to offer their help.
The Mercer O/O indicated that the Pastor, whom he knows personally, would not object to the spot I had chosen, as it was out of the way.

However, my concern was as great for the freight on my trailer as to the placement while I was detained.

He removed that entire burden with his offer of help.

Within minutes, at my request, my Dad showed up to offer his help and to show Charley the way to his place.

All in all, if you had to deal with this mechanical failure at this point, even with all the time I had, one could not have asked for more help or support.

I COULD HAVE ASKED, but didn't think to. I DID THINK to give thanks for the help I got.

The_Governor
May 12th, 2006, 22:45
Thats the way its supposed to be.Great story Rusty :cheers:

Glad your back on the road too.

Preacher
May 25th, 2006, 22:00
Hey Rusty, that's a great story! I've been down "A" from I-44 to US-60 several times. I know exactly where you're talking about. My son is in the correctional center east of Fordland on US-60. Had to drive my rig through there on my way from St. Louis. I'm really glad everything turned out well in light of the situation.

I had a very similar and positive experience happen to me when I was hotshotting in my F-350. I lost a tranny on the I-70 overpass at Odessa, MO. The wrecker pulled my truck and loaded 40ft. trailer through town and 7 miles out a dirt road to a shop that he recommended. The tow was only $40 and the shop replaced my tranny with a Jasper rebuilt automatic for only $2500. That was $1000 less than I was quoted a month earlier here in Tulsa.

Things like that kinda restore one's faith in their fellow human beings. :D