Heavy Haul Miscellaneous Thoughts, Ideas and Questions

This lite was stuck behind the passenger seat when I got this truck.

Nobody knows how it got there or what brand it is.

It uses 4aa batteries, but I'm not sure if you can use rechargeable batteries.

I have strobes added to my portable lite bar,but still use the magnetic lites .

I can't believe there is no name on them.

 

Maybe this will help Ya, send those pics and also ones with the lense off( if it's removable) to Amazon

A client of mine did that last summer cause we were trying to matchup some hinges and weren't having any luck, long story short....about 2 or 3 days later matching hinges were at his house and I installed em

Found that whole process unbelievable!!!

Hope Ur as lucky

 

http://www.wsj.com/articles/how-caterpillars-big-bet-backfired-1476639360

Highlights of the article ....

"Fewer than 600 mining and other off-highway dump trucks left the Decatur plant last year, down 78% from the plant’s 2011 peak, according to market-research firm Power Systems Research, which forecasts 543 trucks this year. Decatur’s production workforce has fallen to about 800 workers, the lowest in more than 50 years and a third of 2012 levels, Mr. Karnes said."

I'm sure you guys are aware of this.....

 

I'm well aware of it.
I m on my way down to Peoria to load D-11 S/N 425, and I will cross the border with it on 11/02/16.
In my copy of my Customs Clearance A8A book, I cleared the border on 08/02/14 with D-11 S/N 358.
That's 67 machines, 27 months to the day later. That is a production average of 2.48 D-11 dozers per month. I cleared S/N 406 on 11/11/15, that's 19 in 11.25 months, so production is actually lower than 2.48/mo.
In one month of 2012 I moved 3 D-11's MYSELF!!! I also moved 8 or 9 793 rock truck chassis MYSELF that year.
I am one of what was then over a dozen guys here with their own multi-axle trailers.
I have hauled 5 (including the one I'm going to get now) D11's and one 793 in the last 24 months! In 2011 thru 2012 I only had one month that I DIDN'T haul a Cat load.
We're down to 6 guys with our own multi-axle trailers.
I used to do 26-29 loads per year. Unless the freight gods smile on me I will only be 12 or 13 this year.

 

Sorry to hear that....

The article says we're 2 or so years into what usually is a 7-8 year slump .....( in big equipment demand)

 

My 5-10-20 year plan is done. It is no longer feasible, and I don't want to wait till my 50's to take my next step,
That's why I'm continuing my education, I'm on my way out while I'm still young enough to make the change worthwhile.
It's sad, because the 20 was a 30+ when I kind of laid it out 15 years ago. I achieved every goal on time, or early...but I'm either too old, or too young because of the economic/environmental shift.
I can't change the timing of the world, so I have to prepare to change with the times instead..

 

The price of oil doesn't help things much. The area I work in is where a lot of this big iron ends up at. With oil prices down, a lot of companies aren't really laying out the money for new gear as much as they were 5 years ago.

 

Can't say I haven't thought about lately what I would do if I got out of trucking. Almost 6 years in and being 25 if I'm going to make a change I'm thinking it will be in the next 2 years. Love my job and what I do though. I just wish the economy would pick up a little.

 

Yea, We were in Decatur a few weeks back. Keen has laid off yard help again. Even the guy who did paperwork in the office got laid off. Their yard is really kind of mty. Morton Il, was the same way the other month. Deere is slow also.
I know Davenport works has laid off people as well

 

@Heavy Hammer You know of course that if you bail out of this type of work you will leave an empty hole in the heavy haul industry matched only by the empty hole that will be in your heart and soul. (I should coin this phrase) This kind of work is hard leave. I know.