Bulkmatic, as it happens...

Discussion in 'Motor Carrier Questions - The Inside Scoop' started by Suspect Zero, Apr 24, 2018.

  1. Steelersjunkie

    Steelersjunkie Road Train Member

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    Love that song, I need to check out more of their stuff. Here's one for you, sir :)

     
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  3. Steelersjunkie

    Steelersjunkie Road Train Member

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    @Suspect Zero I hope all is going well on your end. I know you're dealing with a lot of change at the moment. Just know that I'm growing with ya. Tonight will make the second time in a month that I've had to use the 8/2 split on hours. Never had to do that once in over a year and a half at Millis. Got screwed on a Walmart load today. Gotta love it. Growing pains at new jobs suck. But, we'll both pull through. Keep the posts coming :)
     
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  4. Suspect Zero

    Suspect Zero Road Train Member

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    Is a see thru trailer to much to ask for?? I mean come on, we put a man on the moon in 69!
     
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  5. wbw6cos

    wbw6cos Bobtail Member

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    There used to be some plexigass couplings (site glass) behind #4 hopper on the bottom line on various older trailers, mainly plastics, but as routine maintenance and damage repairs occurred, they were removed and never replaced. It was nice to watch while unloading, but not really needed. Over time they became cloudy.
    Back in the day, newbies would be required to shut everything down, blow down the tank and climb up to look inside. OSHA and fall protection requirements caused that procedure to stop (corporate "lawyers.")

    Hang in there. (it gets easier)

    As they say: "repetition, repetition, and more repetition."
     
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  6. Suspect Zero

    Suspect Zero Road Train Member

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    I know it will (at least I hope it will anyway), just aggravated when I posted that is all. This Dextrose unload just kicked my ###. First 2 hoppers went just as I remembered and my notes said they should, 3rd and 4th were totally different, kept losing pressure every couple minutes. I know what was happening, it was just pushing a small hole all the way down thru as opposed to pushing the whole mass down, but I just wished I could see if what I was doing was helping or not. Took me just under 4 hours to empty the trailer out :(

    Starch load tomorrow so hopefully things will go smoother.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 5, 2018
    Reason for edit: Skirting the filter.
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  7. wbw6cos

    wbw6cos Bobtail Member

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    It may have been possible that there were chunks in #3 and 4. Sugar and dextrose unload the same way with top air and bottom line assist. If there were chunks, they would block the hopper, somewhat. Remember the opening (valve) into the bottom line. Only so much can pass through it at a time. Optimal pressure (tank & bottom line) means good product flow. As soon as a chunk works it way down to the opening, the line pressure drops, which means less product getting into the bottom line (and silo.) While unloading and the pressure drops open and close the valve to try and disodge the chunk(s.) You may feel it and it is possible to hear the "clink, tink, tick (technical terms not taught to you yet. HA) Fully and open and close the valve quickly! Then put the handle back at the exact spot you had it for unloading. Wait to see if line pressure returns. A really chunky load may require being at the hopper valve for the whole time to maintain pressure. The 4th hopper (on a re-loaded trailer) may have more chunks the the first 3 due to them not being thoroughly emptied out on previous deliveries. Upon final clean out, it may sound like gravel shooting through. I remember most sugar trailers for United Sugars were on a 90 day wash cycle and residue build-up was evident. Not sure of the wash cycle requirements for most dextrose shippers, though. You could ask your driver trainer and see if he agrees with my assessment,
     
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  8. Suspect Zero

    Suspect Zero Road Train Member

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    I got introduced to the chunks @wbw6cos referred to in the previous post yesterday morning.... oh the joy.

    The trouble I had with the 1st dextrose unload was total loss of pressure (trailer and line), this one was pretty much as he described from start to finish. Pressure problems, line sounding like gravel going thru it then nothing, then plugged up the hose going into the silo pipe a few times. It took me so long I didn't make it home last night, ended up about 50 miles short of the yard camped out at a hotel for my 10. At least today was the last 50 miles back to a drop and hook and up to Green Bay with a starch load to a place I had been before, everything went smooth.

    If nothing else it is experience, and it looks like I'll be needing it as tomorrow morning I have a Dextrose unload then next week I will be working evenings with a 3 and 11pm dextrose unload at the same place and something else in between.

    It's been an interesting week, lots of ups and downs, lots of swearing at myself, a few Oh #### moments but I learned a couple things along the way.

    Hopefully next week will go okay, but I did this exact schedule of deliveries for 3 days when I was with my trainer and it was down to the bone time wise even as fast as he is. I can't go nearly that fast so I'm not holding out much hope.

    @Steelersjunkie Try this one out for size, don't know if you are into instrumentals or not

     
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  9. Suspect Zero

    Suspect Zero Road Train Member

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    @Goobr54 Was great to talk yesterday man, stay safe out there and let me know when you are wireless man, it will make the calling easier.

    Was working the semi-overnight shift this last week, starting around 2pm and generally finishing close to the end of my 14, except for Friday night into Saturday, when I had to use my 16 hour exception to make it back. Pulled into the rail-yard to drop my empty with 8 minutes left on the 16.... good times.

    Mostly dextrose last week (more good times). Was doing 2 deliveries to the same place each day with a really short starch run in between. The dextrose loads themselves aren't really bad, and the folks on each end are nice, but the process at the shipper and receiver are both so time consuming it's enough to make you wanna beat someone upside the head with a pipe wrench. Between that and the fact that these particular loads don't pay well it was just an aggravating week overall.

    The biggest thing I've learned on my own so far.... slow is steady, steady is fast.

    Well okay, steady may not really be fast, but for me at least it's one and done. My trainer taught me well, and eventually I will probably migrate, at least partially, back to the system of connecting/disconnecting/breaking seals and whatnot that he uses, it really is quick, but for now I just can't do it. Since I don't have the experience yet I was constantly missing one thing or another and having to stop in one step to go back and fix what I just screwed up because his system is based on one bug circle around the truck. I am now doing things one item at a time, which is eating up time but I am not forgetting or missing things anymore. Hook up procedure at the moment for me is now starting at the back of the trailer and doing one thing at a time.... Completely hook up discharge hose from trailer to silo and trays pans for it, move to return vent hose, completely hook up that one, and so on and so forth. Started working from back of trailer to front. On disconnect I go in reverse, from front to back, one item completely done before moving to the next. Way more back and forth movement but I'm much more confident in what I'm doing this way.

    Overall, things are starting to come together little by little. The hardest adjustment so far is the hours. Running recaps OTR was way easier days, I did that for 2 months at a stretch without a problem, nice even pace. Totally different animal here doing this.

    Every Friday we get our settlement statement, or whatever you would call them. Our work week runs from Sunday to Saturday, then the following Friday you get your statement that lists all the loads you did and what each one paid.

    For the week of 6/3 to 6/9 I did 7 loads, 2030 total miles for the week for those loads and grossed $1630. I think I use 66 hours of my 70, so for those of you that break it down that way it turns out to $24.69/hour.

    Every load pays differently due to mileage and if you loaded it or not so weeks will vary (this past week I just finished was way more work in a couple hours more and will pay less) but overall I could do worse.

    @Steelersjunkie

     
    Last edited: Jun 17, 2018
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  10. Farmer54

    Farmer54 Heavy Load Member

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    Good talking with you too Michael. You crack me up man.
    Let’s be sure and stay in touch towards the end of this week. It’d be good to go to dinner and BS for a few hours.
     
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  11. Suspect Zero

    Suspect Zero Road Train Member

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    I have devised a sure fire way to avoid ALL traffic when you are coming thru Chicago.

    Ask me what highway I am on, whatever one I say I am on, take a different one!!!

    I've lost 5 hours in the last 3 days due to being stuck in traffic. :mad:
     
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