Blown a turbo on I-40 outside Flagstaff at 2 AM - how I handled it

I was hauling a load of lumber from Phoenix to Salt Lake City when I heard that whistle turn into a scream around mile marker 211. Pulled over quick, saw oil smoke pouring from the exhaust side of my 6.7 Cummins. Had no cell service and it was 35 degrees out there. I ended up calling a mobile diesel guy from a gas station phone 10 miles back. Cost me $1,800 for the tow and a rebuild, but I made the delivery three days late. Anyone else had a turbo fail in the middle of nowhere and had to figure it out on the fly?

1 comments

1 Comment

barbarac6717h ago

Man I used to think having a backup plan was overkill for trucking. I figured if something went wrong I could always just call a buddy or find a shop. But your story hits different. Being stuck on I-40 at 2 AM with no cell service and a blown turbo sounds like a nightmare. I had a similar thing happen last year with a transmission going out near the Oregon border. Now I carry a CB radio and a satellite phone after that. It changed my mind about being ready for anything on the road. You made the right call walking to that gas station though. Better than trying to fix it yourself in the dark.