Post Gordon ~ Thoughts, Commentary & Reflections

Tires, Fuel, Modification, Speed, Pets
Equipment cost. Large part of company operations. Policy goals to achieve the most savings and run the best possible equipment.
Only new tires on tractor steer axles. First cap virgin casing or new tires in drive position. Second cap tires on trailer.
Inflation. 100 PSI. Dual tires at 100 PSI. Super singles at 100 PSI, as well as steer and trailer tires.
Measurement. Measured when cold. Properly inflated (100 PSI cold) tire can reach 115 PSI in operation. Or more. No inflation systems are installed on company equipment.
Tread depth steers. Replaced at 4/32. If below 5/32 at PM, tire will be removed. Goal is to leave tires in original position to avoid repeat handling and aging due to run out in trailer position. If below 5/32, steer tires will be set aside for retread. If one tire pulled due to damage, will be replaced with a matched replacement. If no matched replacement in inventory, a new set will be installed.
Tread depth drives. Replaced anytime less than 3/32. At time of PM, any drive tires with less than 4/32 will be replaced. Policy is to leave tires in original position until target removal tread depth to avoid repeat handling.
Any tire with less than 4/32 will be evaluated for damage and aging and either recapped or scrapped.
Fueling. Drivers are issued fuel cards. Never smoke while fueling. Never leave fueling dispenser unattended. Fuel at terminal if available. Use fuel card on the road. If pulling dry van, place van number in reefer spot and 20 hours. If no trailer, use '1111' in reefer spot and 20 hours. Tractors and reefers are equipped with anti-siphon devices. Report on DVIR if missing.
Modifications. No tractor may be modified in any way unless approved by the VP of Maintenance. Includes CBs, radios, refrigerators, televisions, etc. No unauthorized graphics. Vice grips or clamps are not permitted.
Speed control. All tractors have governors. Speed control contributes to safety, fuel mileage and public perception. Tampering with speed control results in termination.
No pets. In equipment or on company property.

 

I'm ready for some din-din. Got 11 courses left including Brake Certification Test, PeopleNet and Smith System. Um-m-m, those could take a while. What's with the $145 for this? Of course, I am stretching it out some by documenting... but my seat hurts from this stool (at law library). The software is a little glitchy and sometimes wrong. Course says they replace non-steers below 4/32 (at PM otherwise below 3/32) and wouldn't take that for answer. Insisted on 3/32 and had a battle getting the form cleared. Closed out, reopened, yada yada. Finally got it. Takes you back to listen to the relevant slide, even though the answer it wants is not the answer provided. Then you have to proceed through the course to the test questions again. Well, Apple doesn't like Adobe. Perhaps there's a good reason.

Had 3 eggs in the nest box this morning, one so soft it split as I lifted it out and a small one again so both went right into mico. Small egg's probably from the Buckeye. Chopped up more egg shell and put it out. Don't need any more dead hens, you know. Third egg was a Comet egg. Large.

Did you know that for all their rhoo-ing, roosters lack a typical digital male genitalia?? It's true, it's true. Surprised me. Nope. Don't have one. You can't turn your roosters over and find their rooster-ness. They have same appearance underneath as hens. So there's nothing to penetrate. All that banging away vent-to-vent or cloaca-to-cloaca fertilizes the hen's tube from the rooster's tube. Not only that, the way she lays a clean egg is a surprise. Her ovary turns inside out so fecal material is neatly blocked and the egg pops out of the vent directly from the ovary. Now you know...

Inadvertently left my CDL here last night. On deposit for workstation guest credentials.

 

Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls
Majority of workplace accidents accounting for 25% of claims--US Dept of Labor. Education a key element in prevention. What we can do, housekeeping, proper footwear, attitude.
Number 1 cause of injury. Occur in any part of workplace, inside or out. Potential for serious outcomes. Cost to both worker and employer. 'Like stepping on money'.
Worker. Pain. Lost wages. Temporary or permanent disability. Reduced quality of life. Depression. Decreased stock value in company shares.
Company. Lost productivity and business. Insurance premiums increase. medical, training and replacement costs.
Slip, Trip and Fall definition. Friction. The resistance when an object (foot) moved in contact with another (ground). Friction is necessary to walk without slipping.
Too little friction and your feet and ground will cause loss of balance.
A fall occurs when you are too far off center of balance.
Trip occurs when foot (or lower leg) hits object and upper body continues moving, throwing balance off.
Misstep occurs stepping to different level, usually lower, and losing balance.
Types. Sprains, strains. Bruises, contusions. Fractures. Abrasions, lacerations.
Body parts affected. Knee, ankle, foot. Wrist, elbow. Back. Shoulder. Hip. Head.
Over 17% of disabling work injuries are falls.

Risk factors.
Health and physical condition. Eyesight, visual perception. Age. Physical state, fatigue. Stress, illness. Medications, alcohol, drugs. Behaviors contribute. Also, moving large or cumbersome objects that obstruct view and disturb balance and use of handrails. Poor housekeeping. Improper cleaning methods. Missing or inadequate signage. Inattentive behavior. Shortcuts. Hurry.

Increase risk. Not paying attention. Clutter. Improper method carrying items. Cracks and potholes. Raised sidewalks.
Safe start. Eliminate rushing, frustration, fatigue and complacency.
Critical errors. Eyes not on task. Mind not on task. Entering line of fire. Loss of balance, traction, grip.

How raise self-awareness. Self-trigger on state or amount of hazard energy. Analyze close calls and small errors. Look at others for patterns that increase risk. Develop good work habits.
Mental preparation. Don't rush. Get sufficient sleep. Eliminate alcohol and non-prescription drugs. Leave personal life at home.
What impairs health, judgment and physical condition. Eyesight, visual perception. Age. Physical state, fatigue. Stress, illness. Medications, alcohol, drug effects.

Housekeeping. Clean spills immediately. Mark spills and wet areas. Mop or sweep up debris from floors. Remove obstacles and clutter from walkways. Secure mats, rugs and carpets. Keep working areas and walkways well lit. Replace burned out light bulbs.
Report cables/wires that cross walkways. Keep work areas and walkways lit and clear. Report burned out bulbs. Be aware of surroundings and report perceived dangers.

Housekeeping DON'Ts. Don't prop fire doors open. Don't store materials in stairwells. Don't store trash cans in front of doorway. Don't use blocks to prop open doors. Don't use chair to block emergency cut-off valve. Don't place chairs in dangerous areas.
Report any of the above. Report hazards immediately. Alert others. Contact safety officer if danger not fixed promptly. Trip, slip and fall example.

Entering/exiting truck issues. Missing a step. Moving from last step to ground. Lack of caution/awareness. Distractions.
Pre and post trips. Opening/closing hoods. Fueling. Cleaning. Plugging/unplugging truck. Opening gates. Lack of caution/awareness. Distractions.
Biggest factor around equipment. Lack of caution/awareness. Distractions.

Cleaning/washing truck windshield risks. Reaching/twisting. Standing on tires. Inappropriate use of step stools and ladders. Lack of caution/awareness. Distractions.
Equipment use and driving. Opening and closing doors. Steering. Setting and releasing brake. Foot pedals. Improper seat adjustment.

Falls from vehicles and equipment. Keep steps clean and dry as possible. Require good handholds. Face the vehicle. Use 3-point contact. Step down backwards, never jump forwards. No riders on running boards. Must have seat belts.

Awareness of surroundings. Walk to and from truck. Take care inside and outside truck. Pay attention. Slow down and don't hurry.

Inclement weather. Slow down to react to change in traction. Wear slip-resistant shoes. Carry work shoes. Use sunglasses when bright ice and snow out. Treat walking surfaces. Caution with wet shoes on dry floors. Lack of caution/awareness. Distractions.

Shoes and boots. 110,000 injuries each year to feet and toes. Represents 19% of disabling work injuries. Important to have protective footwear. (National Safety Council.) Soles and heels should be slip-resistant. Toe of shoe should resist crush injuries. Shoe should support ankle. Should meet ANSI rating. Company allows $50 every 6 months for approved slip-resistant work shoes. ($100/year)

Surfaces and materials. Soft rubber good for dry, not wet or greasy. Hard rubber good for greasy. Deep tread better if a lot of water. Leather good in most conditions. PVC or poly blend best in wet area with chemicals or grease. Rubber good for wet, not for chemicals or petroleum. Check with dealer or manufacturer, terminal manager or safety manager.

Loading dock falls. Wet surfaces lead to falls. Step back off dock. Replace railing after truck unload/load. Housekeeping and traffic patterns. Skid resistant surfaces.
Other causes. Metal-cuts, bruises and abrasions. Teeth-bites. Vehicle-cars, golf carts, delivery trucks, pallet jacks and lift trucks. Coffee containers can burn. Needles, scales-sticks and pricks. Electrical devices- shocks. Falling or overhead and stacked objects.
'Care must be taken to prevent injuries and that means YOU!' Safety first. Company intends to be world class, first class in safety.

 

Burrito Bowls-Chipotle vs Qdoba!

Had a burrito bowl over at Chipotle. Chipotle charges for guacamole; Qdoba doesn't. Qdoba you circle in counter-clockwise; Chipotle you circle in clockwise. Both have the lion's share of student pass-through traffic. Starbucks is open all night but folks literally camp there. The Asian kids who's clocks are 12 or more hours off our time dominate the late night. Chipotle's on Kirkwood, the main college-funk row; Qdoba's just across the street from campus on Indiana. So Qdoba's closer but it's a nice walk to Chipotle. Chipotle tables are small, stainless; Qdoba has booths and tables. More homeless asking for change on Kirkwood (Chipotle).

Enough for tonight. At least here in Bloomington. Homeward!!

Back to the mice, worms, chickens and dogs.

Hated to miss these two great weekend days for work on the hill out back, missed the movie at Tivoli Theatre in Spencer (reconstruction financed by Cook Pharmica), the Spencer Y and a musical performance tonight. Well, I did get some wheel barrows of dirt moved both yesterday and this morning.

I guess it's all good. Tonight I have my CDL back. Had no choice but come back and retrieve it. After all...


//Once I got in I immediately checked for tonight's mouse. Tonight's mouse--just as dead as last night's. This trap has a slippery trigger. Took 5 attempts to set last night, just 2 tonight. Still, that snapping right by my fingertips always unsettles me a little.

Not as much as it does the mouse...

 

I feel for you, truckerguru1. If it helps, I'm told that some of the mods don't like me much, either. Never much liked the 3 Stooges myself, but some of my friends did. Just saw no humor in it.

Woke up this morning to the smell of pee. What's that all about? Usually don't get a morning AND evening mouse. This girl's maybe the biggest yet. On her side and still kicking, dragged the trap about 4 feet. She's brown on top and white belly, a big deer mouse--they carry hantavirus, which can be deadly so she's not much welcome here. And apparently peeing on my floor.

Not for much longer...



//BTM (Bloomington Terminal Manager--new outfit) just called. Will run down to Fort Campbell tomorrow, probably just as a ride-along with trainer, Frank. At first BTM said would like if finish online courses today, then later said by early next week is fine. Told him this isn't even minimum wage at $145.

"No, no, it's not," he replied.

Money-wise might have been better off with Yard Boss and not sure how I'll feel poking along at 62 mph again; will feel like back at Gordon. But if BTM's good with just Mondays and Tuesdays as he says he is, with good, well-maintained, newer equipment and starting out from closer Bloomington--it's game on. Kinda depends on how many night runs and how truck interiors smell from drivers who smoke.

BTM thinks their smokers are super courteous. Frank, who's closer to the action since he's a driver, too, says non-smoking policy's not well enforced.

Hey! Sitting at Steak-and-Shake Friday, waiting for my eggnog shake, watched the cook on the grill, thought how cool it would be to learn how to run a grill.

Except he had a single spatula. Saw him crack an egg, break the yoke with the edge of the spatula and later lift a cooked burger onto a bun with same spatula. I'll stick with their shakes...

Cross-contamination.

 

Brake Test Certification
Best time to discover a brake problem is pre-trip inspection.
How long to build PSI from 85 to 100 PSI. 25 seconds.
Air dryer in line and draining tanks removes moisture from air system.
Wet tank should be drained before primary and secondary.
Air pressure from compressor is regulated by governor.
Tractor service brakes are controlled by dual-control foot valve.
S-cam forces brake shoe against brake drum.
Secondary tank serves the steers.
If primary or secondary is lost, a check-valve switches air to working line to prevent spring brakes from applying.
Control line to trailer passes through trailer protection valve and controls service brakes.
Hand valve on steering column controls trailer service brakes on coupling.
Spring brakes on tractor are located on drive wheels.
Foundation brakes include slack adjusters and diaphragms.
Anti-lock brakes read wheel speed by a toothed ring and induction sensors.
Anti-lock brakes reduce accidents, reduce insurance rates and tire wear.

----aside----
Odd that there is no online course on brakes, just the brake certification test. Frankly, I had trouble with it. Went back repeatedly. The system is glitchy and doesn't always want to let you move back or clear fields. At the end, I uncovered the answers the course deems correct. Don't know if it takes my first responses or last responses. Have to find out from BTM (Bloomington Terminal Manager) later. 25 seconds for build up from 85 to 100 PSI seemed arbitrary to me and did not know, for example, that secondary tank serves steers. Choices on foundation brakes were slack adjusters, check valves, diaphragms or all of the above. Had to check 2. Certainly slack adjusters, but what about diaphragms vs check valves? All of the above was a wrong answer. Okay, fine.
----end aside----


PeopleNet
EOBR more efficient and effective for company, drivers and customers.
PeopleNet video. How PeopleNet system works. EDriver log benefits. Regulatory compliance. Login. Vehicle inspections. Auto duty status change. Manual duty status change. Logout. Roadside inspections. Enter citation. Driver center.
Military GPS provides positioning which is stored in PeopleNet onboard computer. Cellular network conducts data transfer between PeopleNet Operations Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota and trucks on the road. The operations center packages that information for transmission to carrier over the Internet to dispatch through PeopleNet Fleet Manager or carrier's own dispatch software.
EDriver logs completely duplicates the paper logging process. Log data follows driver from vehicle to vehicle. Reduces driver time preparing logs by average of 20 minutes every day. Daily starting and stopping odometer tabulated automatically. Automates HOS. HOS hours used and available always viewable by driver. Warnings if about to go into violation. Logs certification requested at end of shift. Easier for office staff to process logs, paperlessly. No scanning needed. Log entries deleted automatically at either 6 or 12 months.
EDriver logs meet DOT 395.15 and Canadian Service Regulation 1994. Does not meet requirements above 60th parallel, passenger-carrying motor vehicles or State, Province or Oilfield and Specialty regulations.
Government regulations require to have in cab at ALL times: Driver User Manual. Abbreviated city list showing full name of every city with more than 11 characters. Paper log book in case EOBR fails.
To start PeopleNet, select MENU from main screen. Select LOGIN. Use keyboard to enter USERNAME ID, press NEXT. Type PASSWORD. Then press DONE. Company will provide USERNAME ID and PASSWORD which are case sensitive. If login fails, check country information. Last country entered will be shown. Press NEXT which brings up TRAILER NUMBER field, a required field. If not correct current trailer number, correct with keypad.Press DONE. Screen will request SHIPPING INFO, which is a required field. If correct, press DONE, else enter correct information.

And on and on and on and on...

 

Have you used both, Blu? QualComm tore me up for a while at Gordon. I was the only one at Orientation who had no experience with either PeopleNet or QualComm. It was skimmed over and I asked for more, was given a unit supposedly you could interact with like a truck unit. Wasn't.

So despite all my computer skills, my first week or so resembled hopelessness, with me pulling over every time the thing went off, unable to get it to move between screens, etc. The truck unit was poorly programmed, DOS-based and clunky. Dispatch spoke in ALL CAPS ALL THE TIME, which felt like hollering at me. Well, they probably were some of the time, too.

The MACROS weren't real macros, Hell, there's a whole operating environment under the hood of Excel, Word and Access and I was expert on Excel, could build applications you'd never know were Excel underneath. But I was pretty pitiful with the QualComm for a while. Tell you!