E.L.D.E.R. - Experienced Lowbed Drivers Essential Rules

Ha, couple years ago when just had my tandem dump, I got pulled over on a Saturday and he found I was 3,000 over on my drivers. I explained to him that I didn't want to get that particular ticket, so I could either shovel for about an hour in the bed to get legal, or dump a little out and he could give me a littering ticket. First time I've ever seen a DOT cop laugh, I must have been clever enough he just let me go!

 

I got on the scale at 80360, got out WITH my warning triangles and back pack, got punched at 79999....(this at a mine site with scalemaster)
Proud of myself for being so aware of my fatness and amount of snacks onboard in my pack!!

Alot of information is good in trucking...The new guys all have 'apps'...They can scout a delivery location in full HD surround sound with high def..input weight and dimension data, tractor and trailer type etc etc and the app will tell you if you fit, warn you about bridge limits, tell you when to shift, if you dont, shift for you, avoid potholes, traffic jams, tire pressures!!!...its ridiculous now...the new generation wont get stuck like the rest of us all did, somewhere, sometime..the gps will keep em exactly on time,all the paperwork will be good, it'll all be digitally recorded via satellite and viewable at any time...

I once pulled into a place I couldnt get doubles thru...had to break it down, spin each trailer around, rehook everything...

Train crossings can be fun with the lowboys...Need to go fast as possible so when the tracks hit your frame you got the momentum to slide untill the tandems catch, or find another way...LOL

 

I watched a guy rip 30 feet of rail up when he caught it at speed with his lowboy. It also tore his trailer up pretty good, I never drag over rr crossings with any speed anymore if I think I'm going to hang up.

 

The one time I got hung up on a railroad tracks, the flagger started panicking, there is a train coming!

I calmly turned on my PTO and raised it as high as it would go. When I pulled onto the street to lower, I started to laugh my ### off when I seen the "train" coming was a pickup truck on rails.

 

I have to tell you ^this^ is NOT the proper thing to do. In fact, it's downright stupid, and nothing to LOL about.
Learn how to manually override your equipment, or go pull another type of trailer before you write a cheque you can't cash.

 

Rule 1A:
Listen to your ELDERS,
Those who have come before you, the more experienced, or quite frankly, young intelligent people (the ones who seem to make things look easy)
It is significantly easier, cheaper, & quicker to learn from them than to make all the mistakes yourself to figure it out.

 

Best thing I learned that saved me headache time and time again was to never pull into a job site until you were 100% sure you have room to get in and get out. Also, a pre-walk to look for crap on the ground that ruins tires and snags air lines is always necessary. When it's a smaller site or unfamiliar area I always pull up before the gate where I can safely stop and not block traffic, walk into the site, find whoever the machine is for and run through a plan of action. This is especially important with the bigger machines or on sites where you can barely fit in to. Having 1 or 2 of the helpers come out and stop traffic so you can swing wide or back in safely really saves headache.

 

In the watershed I worked in we had to have someone from the RR there when crossing with anything (if I remember right) 18" or less ground clearance & ??' bridge.

Anyone know what happens when you lay a digging bar across the tracks at a regulated crossing?