Hopper, Dump O/O's & Drivers

Nah, fedex doesn't lose stuff. Even with all the wrecks they've had, I've never had a single package lost. I've gotten pretty leery of KW. It didn't help finding their tools inside my engine last time I got the overhead done. I'm getting my oil changed at a local tire dealer here tomorrow for half the price.

 

Well today really takes the cake I've had some weird experiences lately, but I just stopped posting them because I've been too pressed for time and worn out - even thinking and typing has been too much strain.

The dispatcher has known that I need to get to OK for the better part of a month to see about my trailer. I've been to FL, MA, DE, AR, VA, NC, SC, OH, GA(nowhere near home), and pretty much everywhere but west. Away from the house for 3 weeks at this point, I think, honestly I'd have to drag out my log book pages to figure that one out.

So when I was sent to FL from DE a week ago, I was told they should be able to find something west-bound. Went from FL to MS, and then MS to AZ........ yes, Flagstaff, AZ. 8 days from Massachusetts to Arizona, via Florida and Mississippi. Add in a slight detour to look over the trailer in OK and it's alot of miles. Not all paying miles, but I'm worn out, out of home-cooked food, and out of clean laundry, so it's alot of miles.

Come to find out they forgot to tell me a few things about the trailer, both in their website, and over the phone. Things like - has a thrashed set of recaps on it, and the rear hopper door gearbox is so gone that it won't open more than 3 inches when empty. Add in 2 busted bows, a puncture in the tail panel from about a 6" section of pipe I'm guessing, no vibrators, and both gearbox hangers are cracked. *sigh* What a month. I called the guy on all the above, and told him the recaps are a serious issue, and so are the hopper doors. Really everything mentioned above needs to be fixed, and I'm not buying a set of 24" tires when I wanted 22's to match the tractor. He's told me about 2 dozen times now that he could have sold the trailer many times over in the last month, and I answered back with "not at what I agreed to pay". I'm sure glad I went 5 hours out of route to see it myself, and it's a total mess that they couldn't get me out there sooner.

So I get to Flagstaff yesterday, after punching through that nasty storm that probably hit everything in the middle US. It made for an interesting day - sandblasting the truck across the desert, with tumbleweeds going sideways so fast they weren't touching the road, and then blinding snow at the higher elevations with the same 50mph crosswind. I get a reload trip in CO about 300 miles away, going 455 miles across CO back toward NE where I have to return the trailer.

When I pull up the trip area, there's no interstates to be found, nothing like driving the scenic route the whole way.... I start thinking about the off-tracking trailer, and while I'm on the phone with the customer I ask him about it. He tells me most of the shoulders are pretty wide, but I'll be on 2 laners for the better part of the trip up to load, and then across the state. So I call and find a shop nearby to stop in and see if there's something that can be done. When I stopped by this morning to have it checked, they tell me the bushings are shot and it would take a few days. I thanked them for their time and headed out - I don't have time for any of that, and this trailer won't be behind this truck for too much longer.

So I check my email, and I have a reload assignment after CO, from KS headed to upstate IN! The only thing I could do at that point was call and refuse, passing up NE by 3 states is a deal breaker. After talking it out with them for about 45 minutes, they came to the conclusion that it wasn't worth losing a truck and a driver over. As far as I know I'm going to have to deadhead to NE from CO, after giving them 3+ weeks to get me there somehow. Then I'll have to bobtail down to OK to where the trailer is, and hope for the best on the repairs and tires. If the trailer is able to haul a load at that point, I'll load somewhere (probably spend a few days at a shop waiting for a trailer repair or 5). And then head back to the house sometime - maybe - after that. Honestly I'm at my wits end, and when I get back to the house I don't want to see my truck for a week.

When I meet up with the customer today, we head out to where I'm loading, and I proceed to get stuck in a mudhole . There's a first time for everything, and todays my day. Turns out I found the soft spot from the storm yesterday, and all I was doing was following tracks laid down by trucks before me. I have tread that swallows 3/4 inch rocks, and they were full - I couldn't go anywhere - and I tried everything. The minute the front end slid straight when I was turning I knew I was in trouble. I stopped and locked the diffs in, then spun the wheels in Rev Low and 1st. Tried dumping the air bags, hoping to settle some weight on the drives - no dice.

Luckily the customer had an F350 4x4, and so did his friend that had a couple truck straps. After trying one of the trucks, they wound up hooking both their trucks end to end and pulling me out. The customer and his friend are good folks, and it really made my day to talk to some people that have both feet on the ground. I'd been warned that it would take all of 4 hours to load their sunflower seeds, and it went by pretty fast.

Overall, I don't know what to make of the last month. I left the house with a plan and a goal, and thought I'd made that clear to all involved. Today I came to the point to where I topped my tanks, and was about to head for the house after running this load through as promised to the customer. It's 473 miles to NE from this unload, and then another 380 miles down to the trailer running bobtail. And then I have to deal with the trailer - which after what I've seen and heard - I'm not looking forward to. I wonder how expensive it would be to just park this thing and buy a round trip flight SCREW IT! This mule has decided he's allergic to carrots after all!

 

I couldn't live like that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llNtGonJEug&feature=related

 

HWY, Did you ever follow up with Steve at Chicoda?

Stranger whats with the vid? Did I miss something there or is that and Advert?

 

You bet it was a day to stay home. I was hauling out of an elevator only 40 miles away and I got a whole 2 loads delivered on Thursday. It was a hell of a money making day at Horizon, that's for sure!

 

I was to referring to all that HwyPilot went through lately. I'm too old for all that stress anymore. I've been there before, and have the bad nerves to show for it.

In other words. "I couldn't live like that."

That is a recording from the early 70's. During that time WWL in New Orleans was an AM truckers channel at night, and Charlie Douglas had a show called "The Charlie Douglas Road Gang" It would blast over many states, and he played that a lot.

 

Mr Sand, I'm Mr Dirt. Good to meet you.

 

I hate that backing from bright sunshine into a dark hole. Parboil pit at Riceland is alot that way. Usually you can see a little but not if it's real bright. Just have to guess at the pit get out and look and adjust. It's a very small pit as well. The first 1 Riceland put in 50 some odd yr ago I guess.