Hopper, Dump O/O's & Drivers

I'd say the #1 thing would be to carry fuel treatment and a spare set of filters. If your truck has a fuel heater, bonus. A hammer and a large punch or bar for frozen brakes, a small propane torch, some lock de-icer, or better yet, spray some stuff in the locks beforehand to get them lubed well. I use ZEP 45 (I think, I know its ZEP something in a black spray can). Extra gloves for when your first set gets all wet.

Go over your batteries and make sure the connections are clean and they're putting out what they should. Another thing not to take for granted is to air up your tires if you're going to be running in a lot of cold weather. I've found that if they have 100 psi in them when its 80 degrees out, they're probably going to have about 85 psi when its around 20 degrees. Maybe not exactly those numbers, but its a pretty significant amount. And then of course adjust them again when warm weather comes back.

I'm sure there's a lot of other stuff I can't think of right now.

Mythbusters had a show on all the crazy uses for vodka, I don't remember them trying that one though. If it doesn't thaw the lines out, just finish the bottle, climb in the sleeper and try it again tomorrow!

 

We only ran day cabs,..........

Not sure if the vodka worked,..Or if it was the heat put to the lines,...But the truck got back on the road,....

On another note,....You'd be surprised how often you can get a truck unstuck in the wintertime by someone with a farm tractor or pickup for the low low price of a couple of bottles of booze!!!!,....

 

My personal opiion is as such> I love the areas that hoppers puts me In as I am just a long-haired-country-boy. If you don't mind a little hard work and getting dirty then hoppers is the way to go. Minumum city (JUST PASSIN" THRU FOLKS ) no docks to bump, no lumpers, just to mention a few plus's.

Theres a learning curve when you begin as to how to have the trailer loaded. Once you figure that out its much smoother sailing. Just remember that it is your butt on the line at the scales so have them load it your way not theirs. They go home while your on the road so some will just filll the truck to gross and send you on your way. Once you scale you'll find your in for a couple of hours of shoveling to get scaled properly. There aren't any sliding tandems so a good scoop shovel is the only way to adjust your load. As I said once you learn how to load your trailer the shovel becomes a minimum. With only a trailer guage I can usually get within a few hundred pounds now. Good luck

 

X2 on the sleeping bags. Plus, I would add good insulated gloves, wool socks, insulated underwear, and maybe even some of those chemical hand warmers. I keep a pair of insulated hunting boots rated below zero, bib-overalls, and a hunting jacket in my truck just in case. Canned food, extra water, and I fuel more in the winter time. Basically, what ever it would take to keep me alive if I am forced to ditch the truck, and go for a stroll in a blizzard for a while. I love the under armor brand of insulated underwear. Very expensive, but for the most part I wear one of those under a tshirt, and I am good to go...

I am learning in a hurry that the wind blows unmercifully hard and cold between grain elevators. The other day in Dodge I got caught in a below zero windchill situation with only a pair of summer gloves, and a light weight jacket. After cleaning my truck out over the weekend. Yet another lesson learned.

I had a fuel line freeze up last winter in Mt. The temp was something like -24 below, and the wind was blowing 40mph. Not sure what that makes the windchill, but it was FREAKIN cold lol. I wrapped some of those chemical hand warmers around the blocked fuel line, with some cheese cloth and duct tape. Took a little while, but the fuel line finally unclogged and away I went. I use the kind that has the metal disk inside it, the heat comes-on instantly as opposed to the other style that uses oxygen to activate. Those that use oxygen are way to slow to heat.

 

It is a very bad idea to ever leave the truck if stranded,....Carry a big candle and it will put out enough heat to keep you alive in the truck should you get stranded,...

 

The best winter advise I can give is "stay in the south"

 

R.W. how far are you from Decatur, IL? I loaded at ADM their Friday afternoon. Picked up a load of corn gluten pellets for a dairy farm in Texas. I couldn't get out of my truck and watch my gauges when I was getting loaded and had to watch the lights so I new when to pull up and he overloaded my drives by 2,000lbs. I told him before we started that my dump is 40ft long and to spread it out and he told me he has been loading trucks for years. Well I went to get my paperwork after loading and told him I was over on the drives and he tells me that the trailer is longer then he thought. Then I get out side of St. Louis and another driver tells me the St. Clair, MO scales are closed and I get to the sign and it said "OPEN" thank god I have Prepass and got a green light.