Avoiding Night Hauling....?

You idle, idle air or use the APU. Or, like me, you team and forgeddaboutit. It was 117F at 70 mph in Phoenix day before yesterday. I slept like a baby.

If you work for a company that doesn't provide APU, and won't let you idle, then A: stay up north and buy window screens and a fan or B: get a job where they think you are more than just a heatstroke victim. 'nuff said.

 

Carl's Corner?

There is only one Hillsboro I know of. There is another not far from there as the crow flies, a little touch of eastern european if you asked me. I think it burned, I don't know if they ever replaced it. If they did, I don't or did not recognize it. Which means the previous owners sold out and took the insurance pay out too. If they did I hope they enjoy the retirement, but I will miss their food. Anytime someone cooks well enough and it sticks to you for a thousand miles it seems one less hassle and wasted time having to stop and eat the next morning when you can just go.

There are a couple of other places around Texas I can get into other than Carl's but times have changed and really weally fast. If you want a example, recall Pauls Valley back in around 1996 or so. Plenty of goodies there. Fast forward a few years BOOM housing eveyrwhere. Not so many goodies anymore. I can either cry about it or just move on to the next field of dreams so they say.

 

I had airconditioning fail in Spartansburg SC at the old 76 there. off 85. If that truckstop is still there it's going to be either a TA or razed for something else entirely.

Anyway. It was a june evening when I pulled in to go to bed. 90 degrees and something like 85% humidty that wont quit making for a good frosty windshield glass which was one of the reasons I loved that tractor for one of the very few times I took one that far south. Anyway it was very late at night like after midnight when I turned in.

11 hours later it's almost noon, 105 outside and same humdity. I had been cooking as one poaches inside that sleeper since at least sunrise as the A/C system was on recirculate mode from the night before to fight exhaust gassing in that far corner of the lot which was downslope from quite a few rows worth of trucks. The recirculation simply heated the air around some more keeping it all in the cab, hotter and hotter. I estimate it was around 135 toi 150 in that cab when I finally woke. The second thought I had was that I was a dead man if I don't get rehydrated right now and slowly.

I got into that building and told one of the staff waitresses two things. First three gallons in pitchers of iced tea sweet, no lemon and all the ice they can keep it full, all three of them. And the second item was a standing order to whistle up a emt crew and ambulance should I drop from the counter top that day.

From 12 to 9PM I sit and sip fluids. It was about 11 pm that night before I finally started to make urine enough to go pee. That was when I knew I will be ok. It was 5 am the next morning when I paid up the ice tea billing that was round about 35 dollars worth. I had lost track of gallons sipped in all that time. But I remember the bill.

Dispatch was not happy. They lost two whole loads on me and finally I barked at em, do you want a dead driver in that bunk smelling up the place in decompostion for a week before anyone gave a #### about your precious tractor trailer? Another driver hung up the phone and started talking very small simple words as I got cranked up in temper lost properly. Took him another 2 hours in story telling before I was right again as far as being safe and all to go see if I still have a job with load number three.

You can have your heat at any price strong driver. But it will be your last act on this earth should you do it without air conditioning.

 

We actually got rid of a great truck because we couldn't keep the A/C running. Best fuel mileage we ever got. But the final straw was running across the Sonora desert in August during the day with no A/C. Probably 150F in that truck.

 

OK, switch with me! You can have my blue one, and I'll take your red one. I like red!

A i r c o n d i t i o n i n g.

Sort of sounds like hitting a sheep down on the rez. All of a sudden, that ancient sheep that was only there because it was sick and dying anyway, just became Injun Joe's PRIZE WINNER THAT HE USES FOR BREEDING. . .

Actually there is no difference. You DO NOT try to dictate to your employer.

A.i.r. C.o.n.d.i.t.i.o.n.i.n.g.

And there are probably some old timers who will come on and tell you about the "good old days," before trucks had air conditioning etc.
As far as I'm concerned, air conditioning is a necessity if you care going to drive safely.

 

Carl's corner is a petro now! Dang shame has a swinging little bar.

It's still there as a T/a and it's run down bad

 

Would not working for a dedicated oversized load hauler allow one to only work during dawn-dusk timeframes?

Personally, in my travels I prefer driving at night. Less traffic, and I can see better...