Van Wyk Inc.

I had a double whammy yesterday.

I had three stops in Denver on Tuesday (Blue Bunny) with the 4th yesterday morning (ugh, but oh well). I woke up yesterday morning in time to go from the TA in Commerce City to Shamrock Foods and be in the door 2 hours early. Except...

When I woke up my air tanks were alarm-low. Odd. Turned the truck over. Pressure built, but not well. Short version, after some looking and listening and moving the truck, I found a huge screw (complete with attached washer) jammed right into the tread face of one of my trailer tires. I don't know where I picked it up, but it was enough to make me uncomfortable even going such a short distance to shamrock.

...In retrospect, I should've gone to shamrock with the screw in my tire. The TA shop said, "No problem, pull up to Bay 1". I pulled up, but then they said, "The techs come in at 8." This was at 715, and my appt was at 900. So I'm waiting, and thinking maybe I should just go, when, of course, about two minutes before I said to myself, "Screw it! I'm going to the delivery!" they pull me into the bay. This was, like 805. So I wait. 5 minutes. 10 minutes. Nervous now, seriously doubting whether a patch job can get done in a half-hour.

I go check on what's up. "One of our guys called in sick, so we called another one. He's on his way." [Emphasis mine]. Again, I should have just gone...but I didn't want to get unchocked, cancel the service write-up blah blah blah, I just wanted the ###### tire plugged.

I wound up getting to Shamrock at 1030. With a good tire, but at 1030.

Oh well. Moving on. Go to Tyson Holcomb for a reload. Cool. 300 mile deadhead.

Got to Tyson. Those of you that have been there, you know where the empty drop lot is. Well, I went back there, looking for an opening on the back row, but it's jammed tighter than an anchovy tin. I see a couple of spots on the row facing, but it's a tight, right hand u-turn to set it up. No problem, I did this exact maneuver the last time I was here.

*POP*! Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss......

I broke the trailer supply line right at the glad hand. Didn't rip it off, but ruptured it. I Didn't hurt a single other thing (as in, the turn wasn't tight enough for me to endanger the side extenders on the cab) but ripped that line right open. The trailer kept enough air to let me almost finish parking it, but I had to push it into the hole the last 10 feet or so on locked up tires.

So, I'm not a big wrench turner. I can do basic stuff, and I'm trying to learn as much as I can as I go. But, let's face it, I'm the product of latter-day, white-collar, suburbanites who fled the farm for university degrees. What hands-on mechanical savvy I do have is a product of some trickle-down from dad, and a mind that's good with mechanical logic...Anyhoo, I'm not in a position to try to fix an airline blind and virgin. So I bobtail to Garden City. Shop's closed because, naturally, it's 2000 and they're only open till 1700.

Again, short version, I spent $185 of the company's money to do an after-hours call out for a ruptured airline. Kinda made me feel like a heel, but I got it fixed, and could service the Tyson load...which was the important thing at that point...and I watched the old mechanic (the man was 75 years old if he was a day) do the repair, so I do believe if I have such a mishap again, I might just be able to do it myself...or at least try it before I spend another $185.

Delivering in Ottawa, IL tomorrow morning, and then on to other things (hopefully home).


And through it all, I think I'm happier with what I've got than trying to swim through PA. Stay dry gents.

 

Been there done that my friend! Usually what I do when I go to Holcomb is do the whole slide the axles back at the gate, wash out & then I slide my axles back up under me. That drop lot is a mess and it always happens that right where you need to turn around is where some knothead didn't back his empty in all the way......grrrrrrr! You need all the extra turning radius you can get! Make sure to slide 'em back though, Tyson charges us $50 to slide the axles back. As for Denver, that TA is a waste of time. The Sapps is closer to Shamrock & their mechanics are a lot better. Plus, what they serve in the restaurant actually resembles food!

 

God, I hate when I press "post reply" then I remember something else I wanted to say! Brian, if when you're done @ Hormel & you need a place to washout & dump off pallets we have a place in town there. When you leave the t/s and head south crossing over 90, at the stop sign where you can only turn left or right, the brown/tan building on the SW corner is Palleton. We have an account there. If you go to Worthington DO NOT SLIDE YOUR AXLES BACK IN Tri states lot!!!! I have seen the cranky old office gal tear into enough drivers for that!

 

Thanks for that Husker. Would you believe I'm not loaded yet?! Or at least if I am, they forgot to call. They don't have much time left if they want this on time.

 

Okay I guess they don't want it on time. Still here, and apparently losing my mind. I rarely have a memorable dream, and even more rarely can recall it in detail, but I think you all will be humored by this one:

Driving down to Sygma Harrisburg (of course it looked nothing like) late with Ben (a driving buddy of mine that doesn't work here) in Van Wyk rigs. Next thing I remember I'm driving back solo and can't see jack, am driving like a mad man, and am starting to freak out. I get to my parents [old] house and instead of pulling in the driveway, I exit The road at a high rate of speed between the mailbox and the telephone pole. I can't stop so I try to loop around the back of the house.

Meanwhile a twin 53' remote controlled (no tractor!) rig is also entering the yard ahead of and faster than me to loop around back. Then another, and another. The backyard is a muddy construction site, where the doubles stop, and I hammer down to make it through, back up to the top.

I get out to survey the damage, as I've no doubt destroyed the trailer. I realize I've pulled a 28' Dollar General pup out of Sygma, or somewhere! The left front set of duals on the trailer is flat, and the wheel bent ridiculously, and pushed back towards the rear duals.

I had time to survey the construction as I was flying around the house. Everything was different, except the basement was mostly intact, but with bigger, fancier windows. I go inside to ask someone WTF is going on, freaking out even more, knowing I am way out of touch with the present. I find they are turning our house into some big flooring showroom or something, with lots of office folk working already. I ask if we still reside there, and I am told yes in the basement. Then I ask were I work and they tell me I work there, apparently unloading trucks. I am given my orders to unload some OSD yogurt. I am greatly relieved at all this news and am hoping to score some free yogurt.

I go down to the cafeteria to get some chow, and this woman produces an order I called in like a day ago in my dream, and tells me she put this seasoning on this and the other on that for me. I am relieved further.#

Next thing I know I'm playing ultimate frisbee or something with My old roomate and a bunch of people I don't know whilst trying to eat my food. They are all showing off some pretty impressive tricks.

Then I woke up, in my truck, and it was parked where I remembered parking it, as it had been. I am totally relieved.

 

For sure Larry! I do recommend the Riverside Restaruant at the Kum & Go here though. Thursdays is beer battered chicken strips, delicious! Everything is decent enough and great portion/dollar ratio!

Forgot to mention I asked the folk working at my house what year it was, 2012. Consider yourselves warned!

 

7.4 MPG pulling 1131 from Le Mars to almost Cincinatti, grossing 78,000! It's of course dropping now.

 

Yeah, the skirts seem to make quite the difference.

At least .5 mpg the times i've pulled them so far.