Stevens Transport Aviary . . cont'

####.....all I can say about that.

 

Going to scale out again. We'll see how this goes. I've always heard 4th times the charm.

 

Aaaaaaaaand were at 35,900 lbs on the drives. On empty. Trainers pissed. Yay.

 

Every load weve had since grad class has been a fuel shuffle to stay legal. Its been a PITA for two weeks. Truck is wild on mpgs too... 5.5 with mid weight on flat in clear weather, 8.5 at 80.9k in wind, rain and fog on an incline, 6.1 empty downhill with a tailwind, 7.6 in mountains at 79.9 in fog.
Problem is, she fights hills like an alley cat, prefers her drives overweight, and is lazy on the flat. No wonder alliance rejected her.

 

We're seeing more and more overweight loads. It's an industry trend you can lay at the feet of government regulation and ineptness. But without a long speach here, suffice it to say that shippers are learning they can ship late, fine us for delivering that same load late, can ship overweight because 'someone' will haul that load if not us and while you can say, "fine, let someone else haul it" that same shipper than takes 10 other loads away from you as a punishment.
The government write strong regulations, then selectively enforces it against the carriers with deep enough pockets to pay the mega fines.
So Able Trucking and Logistics with three trucks will haul overweight, illegal loads all day long and not be bothered by DOT because there is no money in it for the state.
It's nasty out there and people on the inside would love to see shippers doing things legal, however the political donations come from the likes of Tyson, Wal-Mart and Kroeger...
Same reason CSA is an abysmal failure.
We in the industry all know it, but we have an administration that wants as much as possible to run on trains because "...that's the way Europe does it..." and therefore we are plagued with constant rules that restrains trucking....rules like the 30 minute break before 8 hours or EOBRs.
I wish I had a simple solution and suggestion. All you can do is the best you can do.
Run it legal and complain afterwards...it's the trucker's mantra.

 

It ain't nothing but a thing. KMac I know you're busy on home time but if you read this message me I gots a question for ya.

 

Got caught in that ice storm down in west Texas a couple weeks ago. Looks like 'here we go again!'
Coming thru NM with a load to MO.
Anyone else out here in this stuff...be careful!

 

I just drove past the loves in Denton Texas. I saw 2 Stevens trucks parked next to each other in the car parking area. These clowns back the trucks in where the trailers were 50 feet into the grass. Really makes Stevens look good.

 

Curb, I do have a question which wasn't covered in your first post, were your tandems all the way forward?? I know it sounds silly, BUT, I have seen it happen. Unfortunately, Stevens has drivers that put their tandems 'California legal' and then never move them!! Hubby & I helped several drivers 'on the road' that were having trouble balancing their loads & had NO IDEA how to adjust their tandems!! They were never taught by their trainers, the trainers had told them to leave the tandems where they are legal.

 

Yes they were. I shoulda said that but I was kinda hoping it was implied lol