With age, it becomes difficult to learn new concepts, methods, techniques — new tricks. We often become very set in our ways and that’s reinforced from our own interpretation and acquired experiences.
It makes it rather awkward to absorb new concepts.
I have decades of experience driving cars, trucks, motorcycles and sidecars of all types and sizes; with and without trailers of highly various sizes; manual transmissions, automatic, even semi-automatic. I have driven countless miles across varied terrain, weather, and traffic — and, yes, motorcycles in heavy snow, at night, during rush hour in Denver.
So, yes, it is difficult to teach an old dog new tricks.
But I’m happy to say that this old dog has indeed learned a few tricks. I’ve recently obtained my Class A CDL and learned to drive large trucks — 18-wheelers, tractor-trailer trucks. That also requires no restrictions, so I’m qualified to drive anything with Air Brakes and Manual transmissions.
Why? Because I wanted to.
The mileage in this thing sucks.
Can I work in trucking? Maybe. My schedule for school eliminates the possibility of working Monday through Thursday. But it’s certainly a possibility should I find something tolerant of my schedule commitments and that’s local or possibly regional.
Next Spring, I’ll see about adding endorsements for Doubles/Triples and Tanks.
I had posted previously about the second consideration for tool truck vendors — Mac Tools in this case. I need a set of 12-point, universal, SAE sockets for a Powerplant course I’ll be starting next term.
I had noticed that Mac Tools had updated their inventory* and indicated that they were taking orders for those sockets. So I ordered them.
I received an instant (automated) order confirmation.
Then nothing.
Days passed. The days turned into weeks. Heard nothing. No tracking number. No charge to my card. Nothing.
So I contacted Mac Tools and ensured that it was canceled so I could resume my search.
Then I returned to Genius Tools and noted that its site, too (at the time), definitely indicated it was in stock. Click. Purchase. Confirm. Multiple automatic emails (order confirmation and such). Charge to my card.
And it arrived in a few days.
**sigh**
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*Mac Tools, when acknowledging the request to cancel the order, said, “SMU72TRA is still on back order…” Wait. What? You said it was out of stock, so I postponed. Then you said it was in stock. So I ordered. Now it’s out of stock? Hmmm… something fishy in their application of web technologies.
I had previously admonished the use of Tool-Truck vendors.
I had remarked:
As a student or just starting out, do not buy the ‘best’ tool that can be had nor anything from some mobile tool [truck] purveyor.
Instead, buy the cheapest thing you can find that meets the actual needs you have right now. Not needs you think you’re going to have in the future. Learn to use it appropriately. Care for it. When it breaks or wears out, if repair isn’t plausible, then look for the best tool that in your learned and gained experience will meet your specific needs.
Fast forward a bit and I had posted another portion of the tools list that was rather expensive, and then another bit that would eventually be required for the Powerplant program. Some stuff was easy to come by. But a few other things, not so much.
I’d have thought that there would be many plausible inexpensive options. Sure, the list specified “Genius Tools” and a specific product number. One could go over to the site and read all about it, but also see that it said “Out of stock” and to call some specific telephone number.
Okay, so let’s see where else we can find something comparable in the $35 – $50 range. Sure, metric sets were available.
Yet virtually nothing in US-aviation is metric. SAE only.
Oh, look — here’s a 3/8″ drive set of 12-point universal SAE sockets. Might be helpful. Maybe. But they’ll be taller and may not fit into tight space.
The list does specify 1/4″ drive… and as time progressed, it seems that they were extraordinarily rare. And over the months that I had waited and tried repeatedly, I wasn’t getting any response from Genius Tools.
I said I wouldn’t do it… but, let’s go look at Snap-On… hmm… $296. And Mac Tools? $310.
That’s more expensive than the $40 that Genius Tools had promoted the product at. About $263 more! But it’s becoming increasingly evident that it was extraordinarily unlikely — bordering on myth.
What’s Your Value?
Then there’s the question of how much one’s time is worth. How much has it cost in the perhaps 40 hours that I’d expended to save that $263?
It seems I’ve already spent about $263 of my time in tracking down something cheaper. Do the math and it works out to $6.58 per hour.
Looks that the Mac Tools offering is less expensive and includes a 11/32″ socket as well, so, ready to drop coin on it… son of a…
😒
Awaiting a response from Mac Tools, or I’ll ring them when I’m done with chores.
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Update: I looked over the Genius Tools page this morning while hammering out this post. On their product page, they now include a promising Add to Cart button. Quite a step up from the previously-used “Out of stock, call this number” note. So, I eagerly click it and…
🤨
I see what you did there. No doubt you were getting inundated with calls looking to purchase it, but instead you’ve removed the contact number to request it.
the rest of me 