Hopper, Dump O/O's & Drivers

Of course, my son gets to drive the 2000 Pete 379, and I get the 1994 Pete 377! Doesnt matter to me, as the old truck I sold had spring ride, and this one has air ride, much nicer on my back!

 

An earlier post here mentions the high heat indices we're having, and I'll pass on a word of warning: Don't be a hero. Yesterday I was hauling cement for a pour my company is doing, and was barely keeping up with the plant's need for cement. This had been going on all week, and the A/C in my '89 Pete 379 is rather anemic... when it's working at all.
By mid afternoon yesterday, I was wrapping up a load (oh, yeah... no shade in the unloading area), and went to the back to unhook my product line.
Next thing I knew, I was in a pickup enroute to a nearby hospital. They told me I was found slumped over a bunch of rolled up conveyor belt, and when they tried to get a response, all I could do was gibber (I'd love to see a video of that.. then delete it).

I got a couple units via I.V. and an order to stay cool for a couple days or so. I've also noticed my little trucker's-heat-rash has grown to cover most of my right hip area, and I have little itchy bumps all over. Gonna see the doc on Monday to finish getting checked out.

Unloading a bulk tanker is really easy work, as work goes, but you're still out there in the fryin' pan.

 

picked sweet corn this morning, even too HOT for that!

 

Tell me about it! I spent the day moving out of my house into another and it's REAL fun hauling appliances in and out of a house in this heat. I bet I drank 10 bottles of gatorade today.

 

You guys talking about all this heat and I have been running down to Waco and back a lot and it has been a killer then went to Springfield, MO last week and untarping my sheet rock about killed this big boy I had to take a break between tarps. I miss my roll over tarp, it worked better then these 6ft and 8ft lumber tarps. Me need a hopper. lol

 

It's a good thing folks came to your aid, heat exhaustion (heat stroke) can be deadly. I've had it 3 times in my life, twice in the military and once after working as a spotter next to a backhoe operator all day (guy didn't know much, so I was doing more of the digging with a shovel). The 2 I'd been working with that day had to pick me up off the ground - same symptoms as you described - I drove home after awhile and recovered.

The rash should fade away - I had it over 60% of my body after the first run in with heat stroke. As I remember it took about a week to clear completely, but was looking better in a few days. I went home that night and soaked in a tub full of water at room temp. Felt better the next day.

From what I know about working crews in high humidity and heat, you have to work less and break more - drink lots of water (1 Gallon/Hour in the index you're talking about - about all you get done is sipping at the water jug) - and stay out of direct sunlight. The break pattern at 100deg/90% humidity is 45min break/15 min work - or at least it was years ago. You won't get much work done - but at least no one will die over it!

A few tips that helped me more than anything - if you can't avoid working in the sun, make your own shade. Get yourself a large straw hat, or make a sheik-style neck shade out of a white T-shirt and stick it under your hat. Wear light colored loose fitting clothes, and shoes that breathe (also loose fitting). Carry a hand towel to wet down and wrap around the back of your neck. When you wet the towel down - you can hold one edge tight with both hands and spin it to cool it down (trust me, it works).

People can die from a lack of water in a matter of hours sometimes (depending on health and what's already going on). Get yourself a few of those huge Gatorade bottles (1/2gal) to drink during the day, and then keep the empties and refill them with water and keep in your vehicles. They'll work great for helping yourself, a co-worker, a stranger or a stray animal. The life you save may be your own!

 

I have to share something here lol, all this heat man it sucks. I was on vacation for a week at twin lakes up by leadville colorado. The high was 65 to 70 and the low was in the 40's we rented a cabin and hungout just relaxing. I came back saturday and stopped in lamar colorado for gas and it was a 102 wow i wanted to go back lol. Its back to the grind stone tomorow not looking forward to it. crop jocky