On the Road with Kurt Grote

hello everyone, i hope things are going good for you. myself i have been pretty busy as of late. i don’t know if it’s the time of year or people just have to eat. and to tell you the truth i have had, i guess you could say writers block. when i started writing my blogs i had thought everyone wanted to hear about nothing but the cascadia, and the DD-15. but there are just so many ways to tell and explain to people just how great this truck is. that’s when i started writing about not only the cascadia and DD-15 but also my life as a truck driver the good.. i.e. office window. or the bad sometimes waiting hours for your load to come in from the field. at any rate writing can be very difficult to do on a regular bases. i like to write about things that most drivers relate to, be it a part of the country or fuel mileage or tire wear. the more people respond to my blog the easier it is for me to get ideas for my next blog. if you are a regular reader of my blog you probably already know that I’m not a writer, by my run on sentences and missed spelled words. i try and be informative and interesting all in one writing. i will tell you this the more i drive this truck the better it seems to get, and the more i like it!! i have been very fortunate that a lot of you drivers that read my blogs but don’t comment are willing to talk to me at any giving time at a fuel stop, or in the middle of the parking lot. i like to help people and if i can help someone make better business decisions the better the industry is as a whole. i will try and do better on my postings in the future. i did do a radio show last week on the midnight trucking show so if you missed it keep watching my site and it will be there for you to listen to. also the 29th and 30th of this month i have the truck driving competition in Oklahoma city OK. i will let you know how it or i turn out. i will also take plenty of pictures. until next time you all be safe!!!

kurt

hello everyone, as i had said in my previous blog i was on my way to the great northwest. but that didn’t happen, the life of a truck driver is all about change. as i took off to get my load the load cancelled. i was really looking forward to going up there, not just because i like running up there, but the scenery is some of the most fantastic in the nation in my opinion. plus it would give me a great opportunity to really test the DD-15. i think it would have put the DD-15 through it’s paces. at any rate between now and the end of the month i have several projects going on. i am scheduled for a radio spot on the midnight radio show. i will let you all know the time and date. i also am going to be at the Oklahoma truck driving competition on may 29 and 30th. wish me luck!! it should be fun and i have never done anything like this before. if you have any suggestions i would be happy to here from you. i don’t know what to expect. maybe the first of june i can make it to the northwest.

kurt

hello everyone, yes finally back to work. i think i had to much time off, I’m getting a little lazy. at any rate, on getting the service done and the truck looked at after 100,000 miles all components look really good. really only one problem and that was a crack in the oil pan. i knew i had lost a little oil since the last oil change and added a gal. so i thought it was just using it over the 20,000 miles no big deal right? wrong, when i look at my truck as I’m walking up to it or lifting the hood i always look and see if i can see any oil leaks. i had made a mental note to keep an i on the oil drain plug, that it looked a little wet. so i assumed it was do to the last oil change just a little spillage. so freightliner of tulsa called me to inform me of the situation. what a good catch by the mechanics, great job by these guys!!! now on to another problem, my apu is called a night system,a battery operated system. i like the idea and do think this is way of the future. but the service that i am getting from the bergstrom people is, how should we say, less than terrible. i wish there was a way to get through to this company, but i don’t have the answers. i cant believe a company that would have such great potential not have better service than they do. now i don’t want anybody to get the wrong impression, the other two guys Dick McCorkle, and Henry Albert they haven’t really had any issues with this unit, their units are working just fine for them. i guess we will keep trying to get the issues resolved. my next load is going to take me to the great northwest. one of my favorite places to travel. i am hoping to be able to take lots of pictures. to post them for some of you that have never been and to remind those who have been up there. it should be very spectacular this time of year. maybe i’ll drop in and see my old buddy tom bennett of the new group. until next time.    kurt

hello everyone, as my title says I’m taking a few days off this week. even though the Cascadia is very roomy and a pleasure to drive a person just needs to step away from business for a few days. contrary to some of my fellow drivers beliefs i tend to run pretty hard. just this week my Cascadia, Spencer and myself turned over the 100,000 mile mark. so i think it’s time for a little break. besides Margee’s (my wife) birthday is may 4th. good chance for me to get the truck serviced and fix anything that might need repaired. i know it needs grease. i think I’m going to balance and rotate steer tires this time, along with rotating the drive tires. i don’t see any abnormal wear on the drives but they have 100,000 miles on they. i know i should be taking time off but i still have a business to attend to. i will let all of you know if i find anything out as far as my service goes, or if you have specific questions i will be happy to provide the answers or find out the answers for you. thanks for taking the time to read my blogs.      kurt