At the end of an all too easy week last week, I was cruising out for my last local delivery of plastic resin before parking for some well deserved home time. Murphy would come knocking however, just when everything seemed to be going just a little too smoothly. When climbing the onramp to the freeway entrance there was a spinning out of the transmission where the transition should have been to upshift into second from first. First gear is where it landed and that was all I was left with.
Having a newer truck can lower your maintenance costs and increase your uptime, but occasionally you will run into things such as this that can’t be avoided. There is limited control over problems that may arise in the course of operations that cannot be detected such as this. This is where a good warranty can come into play and alleviate much of the burden in solving some of the unforeseen problems that may be covered.
Warranties are not something I have only had on new trucks that I have owned, but on all of my trucks. I remember the first used truck I had purchased and how I thought at the time of purchase that purchasing the additional warranty for major breakdowns was a waste of my money. Although reluctant, I did end up adding it to the purchase price of my used truck before I left the dealer. Although it passed initial inspection before I purchased it, it wasn’t long down the road before I started to have problems with things like EGR valves, the water pump, and the electrical harness for the injectors. Although the water pump was not a covered item, that was minor compared to what the warranty did cover for me. I can honestly say I got my money’s worth out of that warranty.
Of course new trucks come with warranties of different terms for the coverage of different systems. The part that went out in my transmission was not a common part to go out, but was covered under the manufacturer’s warranty. The warranty on my transmission for this truck was so good that it covered the tow into the approved shop, as well as the repair of any worn elements discovered in the transmission while changing the initial faulty part. Although a warranty is a type of insurance against major defects that may happen to cause breakdown in the course of use, it is an insurance I am glad I could fall back on. Thanks to the warranty for repair and a rental truck from Penske, I was able to continue my runs with only a minor hiccup in my daily routine, but no cancellations to my customer’s loads! Having the truck back now and running like a champ, with only a tire repair having to be paid for from a bolt I picked up on the side of the road pulling over, I feel my warranty provided the safety cushion it was meant for!