Big Loads - Post Photos Number 2

Starting to, still need to make some handles to pick the big blocks up with. Gets interesting trying to squeeze in between stuff so you can put chain and binder

 

This is what I love about this section. It's so cool to see someone as experienced as truckdad ask a young fella like skooter about something that he hasn't experienced.

I can imagine trying to manouver my fat body to chain down loads like skooter is talking about.

 

Aslong as I go slow enough it feels a lot more stable and planted than it did with the deck when it would flex going around those corners the weight would transfer to outside of deck and try to push you through the corner. Center of gravity is lower with these and with no deck the tires don't flex either and make it wobble on bumps, but it off tracks like a #####.

From time I pulled in, set up blocks and got chains ready, set up my flip axle and had it loaded and ready to reattach neck was just over 1 hour. Spent 1.5 hours chaining it and putting extra blocks away from loading an getting flags and banners setup.

 

I'm in my early 30's and it kicks my butt, I'm also a FatBoy too! But I am loving the education and challenge it is bringing!

 

You learn little tricks to speed things up, I was slow at first but I got to where I could load my beam almost as fast as most guys could load on a deck, and I like they way things ride on a beam compared to a deck. The most sketchy loads are the one that set up kinda high with nothing to touch the ground in a lean.


These were a little nerve racking if that stinger takes to much weight they can kick sideways which is never a goo feeling.

I had to much blocking under this one, we picked it up at Dundalk and they had the outriggers unhooked before I could stop them so we didn't get to take the blocks out.

This was a top heavy ole girl

 

Gotta love it when the foreman on a job says, "you'll never get it where we need it with that set up", before he takes you in to eyeball it for yourself.

Scoped it out, blindside off a road narrower than the one you see out my windshield. Told him, no problem it's just not gonna happen fast.

Had a half dozen safety people show up to observe, not one had a heart attack.

The second picture is at the shipper.

 

Or better yet....

"You want it where?" Laughing all the way back to the truck. Only had to do that once where they had to actually move the crane. They said " The guy that brought the trusses just slid his axles forward and had no problem getting up there....

1. His trailer was 48' tandem mine is 53' triple axle.
2. His tractor wheel base was at least 40" shorter than mine
3. My axles do not move and they are all the way at the back.

I did try to make them happy but almost tipped the load of walls that were standing, or at least they thought that was going to happen. I finally told them that I was done, move the crane or I leave. Heck it was a truck mounted crane so it was not like it was a lot of work to move it anyhow.

 

I haul a mix of big bale squares and small bale squares. Once I deliver I can have the squeeze driver put the rear trailer on the lead, but I usually just keep them both down. I can haul about 54,000 with that setup and be legal in California. In Oregon I can haul up too 88,000. I'm just about 4-5 feet longer than a 53' trailer and normal tractor.

 

Skoot is the organic part of a machine. Solid driver. Like a younger @catalinaflyer. Pure driver...just keeps hammering big loads in.

Whenever you hear people mention the 'driver shortage', the only way I would agree with them is if their definition of a driver is a guy like Skoot.