Regen after regen, breakdown after breakdown — my Volvo was testing every ounce of patience I had. What came next was a battle with shops, a $2,000 bill I couldn’t spare, and a decision that finally ended the nightmare once and for all.
I delivered the load up in Michigan City and reloaded out of Burns Harbor back to Louisville. On the way back, the computer on the truck’s engine once again required another regen. I was becoming very agitated and very concerned at this point.
After I allowed the regen, I got to Louisville, unloaded, and headed straight to the Kaplan terminal. I told them my issue with the regen system and asked if I could leave the trailer there while I took the tractor somewhere to get this figured out and fixed. They said yes, so I dropped my trailer and headed straight back to Seymour Mack.
I didn’t make it halfway there before the truck shut down and went into derate mode. This is where the ECM — the engine control module — shuts down the motor’s ability to use its turbo power and only allows the truck to travel at around 5 mph. I pulled off in Versailles, Indiana, and Seymour Mack/Volvo had to come get it and wrecker it back to their shop.
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The Battle With Seymour Mack
I specifically told the shop manager not to put a wrench on the truck until they knew exactly what the problem was and to call me with updates so I could figure out how to financially cover this nightmare. I double-stressed that they needed to keep me informed.
I waited four days with no word, so I finally called them. The shop manager then proceeded to tell me that they had pulled the brand-new filter out and sent it down for cleaning.
I said, “Stop everything because I’m coming down there to get to the bottom of this.”
When I got to the shop, I was livid. I asked the manager why he didn’t call me with updates, as I had stressed the importance of getting funding in place before any work was done. He lied to my face and said he had called but no one answered — and yet they proceeded on their own.
I told him, “I’m not going to pay for something I did not authorize.”
He responded, “If you don’t pay, then the truck will not be moved, and storage and late fees will be added.”
This was getting very, very ugly.
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No Real Answers
I asked when my filter would be brought back to the shop. I wanted it back immediately without the expense of it being cleaned. He said it would be there tomorrow.
Then I asked the most important question of all: “Do you know what caused all these regens to happen, even with a brand-new filter?”
He put his head down and said, “No. Even Volvo Corporate has no idea why this happened.”
I was so furious I had to leave before I found myself behind bars.
The next day, I drove back, paid the $2,000 bill I did not have to spare, and made arrangements with another shop in Versailles to come get the truck and truly solve the problem.
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Finally, a Real Fix
I waited for the wrecker and followed it back to the shop in Versailles. I laid out all the facts about the regen system failure with the shop owner. He said, “Okay, I can solve this problem permanently — as in forever.”
I told him, “Do it.”
I won’t go into detail about what was done to my truck, but after I got it back, it ran like a beast. In my opinion — and for those of you who are independent contractors, you probably know the steps that were taken — the fix completely eradicated the problem.
It was expensive, but it was 100% worth the price.
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Going forward, there would be more and more issues with my Volvo — so many that there were times I thought I was going to lose my mind. The next chapter highlights my change from a side kit to a Conestoga cover for my trailer, so stay with me.
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My Trucker Life 