Broke Down 69...The Adventure Continues

Autos have some good points. Nice when you get in heavy traffic. Can be a bit troublesome in very tight places or when you really need to work the transmission. Then your dragging a box, not going off pavement very much.

 

Next thing your going to need is a few pairs of these.

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If you really work hard one day and overdo things, you could sprain that finger. You can find these in places like CVS in the first aid section.

 

So, yesterday I picked up a repowered load at the terminal in Des Moines. Other driver already had everything he needed pulled, so I just had to pull everything he needed and set on the trailer. Looked like he had pulled his tarp in fear of getting a crappy one in the exchange, but whatever. First thing I had to do was fix his bulkhead. Set it up a solid foot off the load. Despite all the wind I got it tarped. Made sure I had bungees to pin the tarp quickly, and took off for the mountains of northeast Tennessee. Get parked at the consignee, and prep it for delivery. Pulled all but two straps, bulkhead, all but four bungees, and jump back in and go over paperwork. Look at the bills, and first thing I see: ***Tarp Not Required***. So I untarped it, and kicked myself for not reading the bills as soon as he handed them to me. Oh well. Better safe than have a load turned down.

 

Think of it as a chance to practice and improve your skills.
Makes a good impression as a conscientious driver.

 

Your kidding!!!! I thought all TMC loads got tarped!

I can understand your confusion.

Lol

 

Its less on TMC, more on customer/shipper requirements. Every load I've hauled for this shipper has been tarped. I do know their coiled rod isn't tarped. So I went with the law of averages, and assumed it would have been tarped. But seriously, it was the improper bulkhead that had me aggravated more than anything.

 

Those sorts of "bulkheads" are a lot less useful than most people seem to think. The time spent doing that could be better spent throwing some more real securement over the load that would be more useful imo.

 

I'm sure. But when your safety department says that's what they want, that's what you do. If I was wholly independent, I could do what I wanted, as long as it is DOT compliant. But, alas...