As of now I’m thoroughly convinced that our truck hates us.  If you’ve been following this blog, you are well aware of the myriad of mechanical problems we’ve been having with our new truck.  I won’t go into the past details again.  You’re welcome.  But the saga isn’t over.

Last night, while in Las Vegas, our air conditioning went out. . . again.  Now you may recall that it has already been repaired twice.  But it had been working fine all this time that we’ve been running up north.  Now as soon as we get to someplace warm, it craps out on us again.  How’s that for Vegas luck?  We’re going to try to tough it out until we can get to one of our company shops, but no one will be getting much sleep until then.

Let me explain something about trucks.  It’s true for cars too, but it seems to be especially pronounced in trucks.  Let’s use right now as an example.  We’ve made it to Arizona and I’m sitting in my truck typing away.  It’s approximately 50-55 degrees outside, yet it’s about 75 degrees in the truck.  I’ve got the front curtains up to block the sun and the windows are down, but it’s just not enough.  No matter what, it always seems to be 20 degrees hotter in the truck.  And it’s only 8 a.m.  Can’t wait to see what it will be like at noon.

What really chaps my hide is the look you get when you put your truck in the shop for a/c problems when it’s 50 degrees outside.  Most shop personnel think you’re nuts, thinking “what kind of freak needs a/c when it’s 50 degrees.”  This kind of freak.  It’s not just the temperature we’re dealing with, but the humidity also.  It doesn’t take long for a truck with no a/c to start feeling like a sauna.  And I doubt anyone (including The Evil Overlord) wants to see me sitting in my truck with nothing on but a towel.

Once again, I know I’ve been quite the downer lately.  In trucking, there are plenty of opportunities to put you in a foul mood.  But a truck that keeps screwing up on you is high on the list of things that will do the trick.  Tied with that is dealing with an employer that is incompetent.  Low miles due to a slow economy, I can deal with.  Occasional other misfortunes are acceptable every now and then.  But recurring problems are hard to let roll off your back.

And that’s why I have to force myself to try to stay positive; to try to find the silver lining.  At least I have a job to complain about.  And that’s saying something in this economy.  Sure, my truck hates my guts and it’s now about 85 degrees in my truck, but it could be worse.  For example, I’m stripping down and reaching for the towel right now.