Truckers Report Jobs

Find Trucking Jobs

Company Driver Company Driver Dry Van Dry Van Flatbed Flatbed Refrigerated Refrigerated Specialized Specialized Owner Operator Owner Operator
More Trucking Job Searches ⌄ Fewer Trucking Job Searches
⌃

Are you REALLY sure you want to do OD/Specialized??

Discussion in 'Heavy Haul Trucking Forum' started by catalinaflyer, Sep 30, 2015.

Page 1 of 3
  1. Sep 30, 2015 #1
    catalinaflyer

    catalinaflyer Road Train Member

    2,278
    20,065
    Oct 23, 2008
    Wichita, KS
    0
    This is just a couple minute clip of the 7 hour day I had today.

    Many people think we have it easy making the "big bucks" doing OD/Specialized. Well yes I get paid well but after 6 hours and 50 minutes of this today with a load that's 19' 6" wide, 90' overall length and a value north of 10 Million dollars there's a reason why I have high blood pressure, grey hair (what's left of it) and ulcers.

    I have to run 3 pilot cars and spend most of the day smoking the brakes because people do not respect the pilots or the fact there's something coming at them that's almost 3 lanes wide!!
     
    catalinaflyer, Sep 30, 2015
    catalinaflyer, Sep 30, 2015
    #1
    Vilhiem, Dye Guardian, peterbilt_2005 and 5 others Thank this.
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. Sep 30, 2015 #2
    lester

    lester Midwest's #1 Feed Hauler

    2,816
    7,478
    Jan 2, 2012
    NW, Iowa
    0
    By the looks of that road I'd think any 18 would need a pilot, ####.

    I've never ran a pilot load but I'd say your front car should have been further ahead, expecially over that bridge. Am I wrong?
     
    lester, Sep 30, 2015
    lester, Sep 30, 2015
    #2
  4. Sep 30, 2015 #3
    not4hire

    not4hire Road Train Member

    7,142
    26,948
    May 16, 2012
    Calgary
    0
    Just like the last place I pulled out of in OK. I was only 13.5' wide, but lots of barely two-lane wide and corners, bridges and culverts with guard rails--most hidden by bushes. I think most people think the flashy blinky lights mean it's the start of a race.
     
    not4hire, Sep 30, 2015
    not4hire, Sep 30, 2015
    #3
    Dye Guardian and macavoy Thank this.
  5. Sep 30, 2015 #4
    catalinaflyer

    catalinaflyer Road Train Member

    2,278
    20,065
    Oct 23, 2008
    Wichita, KS
    0
    There are 2 front pilots, you only see the one in the video. I run 3, 1 way out front, 1 right in front and 1 following.

    You can hear all 3 on the video but unless you listen really close it's hard to tell there are 3 talking.

    Watch just as I come out of the left curve towards the bridge and you'll see the lead pilot just crossing it. (White Nissan Murano)
     
    catalinaflyer, Sep 30, 2015
    catalinaflyer, Sep 30, 2015
    #4
    peterbilt_2005 Thanks this.
  7. Sep 30, 2015 #5
    zinita17601

    zinita17601 Road Train Member

    1,274
    1,519
    Aug 19, 2010
    lancaster pa
    0
    19.6 wide on that road??hard to believe
     
    zinita17601, Sep 30, 2015
    zinita17601, Sep 30, 2015
    #5
  8. Sep 30, 2015 #6
    johndeere4020

    johndeere4020 Road Train Member

    8,522
    119,289
    Jan 1, 2010
    Ohio
    0
    Now try that grossing about 180,000 or more with a couple of steep grades thrown in. Seriously I almost didn't post this, and I may well regret it. But I can't see any reason to "smoke the brakes" I've drug many of loads up 16' wide and plenty heavy down roads like that (take a stroll through parts of VW looking for some coal mine) and never smoked the brakes. Maybe you were saying that for effect but I didn't see anything stressful about that move. When I'm wide and heavy I control the road, I take my time, I take as much room as I want and I don't give anything that would get me in trouble, you let them and they'll hang you in a bad spot then there you are and they're long gone. I really hate working with pilot cars, mostly because I hate the coordination part, but every time I have them I think man I wish I had this on every other load. To me this type of move is less stressful than taking a 12' 6" wide 140,000 pound load into a downtown metro by yourself which we have to do on a regular basis. Which most days I never give a second thought its "just part of the job".
     
    johndeere4020, Sep 30, 2015
    johndeere4020, Sep 30, 2015
    #6
    TripleSix and macavoy Thank this.
  9. Sep 30, 2015 #7
    TripleSix

    TripleSix God of Roads

    17,774
    124,765
    Apr 10, 2009
    Copied in Hell
    0
    So, where did they put the 4 wheeler?

    The problem with running the goat paths is you always get the stop signs at the big intersections, and cross traffic doesn't stop. You come up on skinny bridges. Cars parked on the sides of a 22 ft wide road and you're near 20 ft wide. You can't really tell from the camera showing through the windshield of the ruck, but if the rear car had a cam, the road wasn't terribly tight, but at the end of the video, a car was coming and they would have to figure out how to get around.

    Excellent.
     
    TripleSix, Sep 30, 2015
    TripleSix, Sep 30, 2015
    #7
    peterbilt_2005, macavoy and CanadianVaquero Thank this.
  10. Oct 1, 2015 #8
    catalinaflyer

    catalinaflyer Road Train Member

    2,278
    20,065
    Oct 23, 2008
    Wichita, KS
    0
    Yes the "smoked the brakes" comment was more a sarcastic comment than actual smoke coming from the brakes. But with that being said when I have 2 Pilots telling me a bridge is clear to centerline then half way across the Ford pickup with the ladder rack decides to dart onto the bridge coming head on to me I had one choice, slam on the brakes and pray my rear pilot is paying attention.

    Actually for almost 30 miles I had to scrub either one side of the load or the other because there was less than 19' between the hazards on either side of the road.

    All but two vehicles we met on that route we were able to find a spot to pull them/me off to pass. Two vehicles however had to back up, 1 just a little ways but the other, a very attractive young lady threw her SUV into reverse, drove a perfect line backwards at 20+ mph for a good 1/4 mile+ then did a perfect Dukes of Hazard type turn onto a side road like it was just another day. She even waved at all of us as we went rolling by.

    Young SUV driver with MAD backing skills!!
     
    Last edited: Oct 1, 2015
    Reason for edit: Added Video
    catalinaflyer, Oct 1, 2015
    catalinaflyer, Oct 1, 2015
    #8
    Dye Guardian, wesland24 and truckon Thank this.
  11. Oct 1, 2015 #9
    nate980

    nate980 Road Train Member

    2,020
    5,221
    Dec 23, 2010
    Langley BC
    0
    I'm happy in bc we move everything wide midnight-5am lol
     
    nate980, Oct 1, 2015
    nate980, Oct 1, 2015
    #9
    Dye Guardian and CanadianVaquero Thank this.
  12. Oct 1, 2015 #10
    Lastkidpicked

    Lastkidpicked Medium Load Member

    686
    4,512
    Aug 17, 2007
    Colorado
    0
    You may have just described the perfect woman!
     
    Lastkidpicked, Oct 1, 2015
    Lastkidpicked, Oct 1, 2015
    #10
    catalinaflyer and truckdad Thank this.
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

    • Page 1 of 3