Hopper, Dump O/O's & Drivers

I thought he said something about meal. I couldn't figure out how you got meal in a scrap yard. It must have been a very strange place he loaded at.

 

That place was weird alright! The order said TMC Lamb Meal, basically high protein meal from the looks of the bill (50%). I was able to sleep awhile, and now I just need to scratch around and get cleaned up. After looking at the maps, I only made about 450 miles yesterday - 275 being paid mileage. Not bad for a "14 hour day" (measured in dog hours where you multiply by 7 *heheh*). I've got a great dispatcher, but the locations I load from are sellers - so the lowest price goes.

The good part about things is that the trailer finally started following my tractor after the first 1,000 miles. I noticed it when I pulled onto the scale yesterday without having to correct for off-tracking. It made last night alot easier to handle, and for the first time in days the truck found a groove and rode it instead of being steered like a boat in a crosswind.

I'm sitting here looking over the scale tickets, and I've got to post this because I was wrong in my post last night - I don't have 400 pounds of room - it's 300! I'll bet a state scale somewhere could "mistake" that and give me an award.

The shippers final scale weighed me at 78,760lb gross (49,860 in product). I had already pulled the tractor on, and ran inside to see it was legal, then back out to gross weigh. When I crossed the CAT scale about 275 miles later (after using about 45 gallons of fuel = 324 pounds) I weighed in at 79,200! Steer= 11,960 / Drives 33,740 / Trailer 33,500.

End result is that the shippers scale seems to be about 700 pounds off, or maybe CAT's was? All I know is, if I cross a weigh station with more than a quarter gauge of fuel - I'll be going in for more than a cup of coffee! After this, I may just have to start doing my math for 24 Tons instead of 25 - this is too much excitement!

It's too bad I can't shovel 400 pounds of meal over the divider and make more room on the tractor for fuel, but I'm not carrying a shovel. So, at my low fuel warning (which I found out will cover about 300 miles awhile back) I'm at 45,700 on the tractor. I was actually glad to see I'd gotten the fifth setting right the first time on Saturday, that should make things easier.

I noticed the fuel filter loaded up a few days ago, and it's looking like a fish bowl - so last night I OD'd the tanks with PS Clean Diesel ($30!). I've never tried the stuff, so it'll be interesting to flip the hood in a little while and take a look. My bet is that I'll need a fuel filter sometime on this trip.

Well, I'd better start working on my logs - after the 1,000 mile deadhead this week and all the delays they seem to be pushing the 70/8, and the 60/7 was done with last night. I have 9.5 hours today, and I'll have to look ahead and see what I'll have tomorrow.

Catch you all soon, and thanks for the heads up on the northern weather. I think I might try coming into Indiana from the West - I'll look over the route I laid again today and clean it up a bit .

 

I bet the shippers scale is way off not the Cat scale, I have run into this several times at some of the small dumps like you loaded at. I think if you run into a problem I would find a place to dump some meal off the front hopper and buy some fuel. I don't think a lot of people get their scales calibrated like they should.

 

thanks for the info. makes my days up here in western Canada look not to bad compared to yours, also pulling hoppers

 

Welcome to the forum MC! How's the things in the far north this time of year?

I agree that shippers scales can be whacked! As long as they get their product weighed for the bills, they could care less if you're legal or not. I had one place awhile back tell me that they have a policy not to load over 85k .

After thinking things through for a little while, from now on I run with the tanks full, and 24 Tons max. The delays, fines, and fuel filters aren't worth the extra ton. I pack up for weeks at a time, and I'm not sparing any of my baggage, either .

 

I read a note on the freight order to have it scaled when I get close to unloading to avoid a discrepancy, so I can't drop any now that I have it. Standard policy on a dispute is not to pay the driver until it's resolved, and I can't afford that right now.

With all the filing fees, insurance paid forward, and everything that's come up - and then sitting for 6 weeks waiting for my LLC to complete - I can't spare a dime or a day. Once I get this load off, I should have enough to cover my insurance and some expenses, and sit for a day to reset. The insurance was something else - paid it on the 20th to start on the 1st, authority went active on the 5th, finally got under load on the 13th - with insurance due again on the 20th! Wow, a whole week to run freight and get paid......

If this works out I'll be able to sleep at night for a change

 

Just keep your head up and think positive, things will get better. All the big boys (well most of them) started with one truck and some of them started out broke.

 

cold up here but can dress for it, but latly very foggy last week and half. I get paid on unload wieght so i'm like some if i drop/dump a little i loose on my statement. Also have problems when loading as some will overload, next say's have limit on what they can load. thanks will post more when get home on friday or saturday!

 

Thanks! Any word of encouragement is worth a pile out here right now. Not so interesting day today, this overload is making it impossible and frustrating to make it through - I'm coping with it by resting alot.

I picked a route north that would take me through the least amount of scales, up to Dallas, TX - over to near Little Rock, AR - and then north to Gary, IN. I finally crossed a scale this afternoon just short of Little Rock and I wasn't pleased about it (still overweight). My luck held, and the coop had a dozen trucks lined up in the parking area (?!), so the pattern was full and I didn't get weighed.

When I started climbing out of Texas, it seemed like I was short some power in high gear. So, I stopped off for dinner, and looked at my fuel filter again, it's almost at the top at this point. That's what you get for running the tanks low, but I've been trying to carry 25 tons in a heavy truck. I'll have to get that changed tomorrow, and let the broker know that I won't be in on time Wednesday.

I was scheduled 2 calendar days to make an "1,125 mile haul", when the closest route (by land anyway) is over 1,240. I started day 1 at 7:30am - finally contacted my unload at 10am after trying the number given and then 2 more from the broker - was unloaded and clear by noon - at the load 123 miles and across metro Houston by 2:30 - loaded and rolling by 7:30pm that night, and covered about 275 miles. Yet I'm supposed to make a 1,200 mile haul by Wednesday being overloaded (still) and no room for fuel? Not happenin'

I'll be lucky if I make it in tomorrow with these issues. It's optimistic, and it could happen - but I've got nothing to prove to anyone but myself. Right now I just want to roll through and avoid paying a fine that's not worth the trouble, even if I have to fuel at every stop! It'll get there when it gets there, and I'm too worn out to push it. This being my first week out, I'll find my stride soon enough.

Incidentally, the trailer decided to start dog trotting again today - it made the 20 miles of construction barriers on the fog line an interesting game! There's gotta be something up with that - I also noticed a slight stagger between the front and rear trailer axles from the mirrors. Seems like the rear axle on the trailer might be pulling to the right, causing the mis-tracking.

 

Try bumping the load back, meal might not move much. Slide 5th wheel if it slides. Can likely shovel just to the divider. Need to have good scoop shovel in this business. ADM loaded me 5K over on the tractor, just try and get them to fix it

Diesel weighs an average of 7.15 pounds per gallon figure distance to coups and fill accordingly and run vampire.

The PS Clean only increased your clogging by freeing more stuff. I learned the hard way to carry a spare primary filter.

I learnt the hard way to always have the fuel level I want in the truck before I Load.