Longest you have gone empty/bobtail?

My last company bobtailed me from Laredo,Tx to Colton,Ca.

 

In tankers I do 1000 empty often I’ve done 1400 empty before

 

Bobtailed from Oxnard, CA back to Canada....2500miles...dropped off a Tow-away

 

Springfield MO to Salinas, CA
San Diego CA to Oroville WA
not sure which was longer, strange things that happen to produce in the wintertime

 

Back in the 80s dart and I would have the occasional qaurell .lol
Deadheaded from niantic conn. To Fargo ND .
Deadheaded el Paso tx to Fargo .

 

Man, I thought it was bad to go 150 miles. Just a newb I suppose

 

Deadhead was a regular occurance hauling US Mail. I didn't care for it, especially in winter.
I've made several trips pulling a reefer from MT to California. Because we couldn't find any loads heading that way. I was a company hand, mind you!! So did what I was told.

 

1997, Matlack, Inc.
Sarnia, Ontario terminal (my home terminal)

"Skillet, grab your gear. Bob will drop you off at the Toronto terminal. Bring the tractor they give ya back here".
OK. (Psst...Bob--what's goin' on?) (Dunno. Shut up. Get in)

Get to Toronto. They give me a tractor. "Take this tractor directly back to Sarnia".
Okay.
DIRECTLY. Like ASAP!
"Johnnie, what's going on?"
(Dunno. Get going)

3 hr drive back to Sarnia.

"Bring the tractor to the shop. We need to do some work on it."
Okay. Where am I loading today?
"You aren't. You're taking this tractor somewhere."
"Where?"
TM hands me cash. "Go get yourself some breakfast. And bring us back some Tim's. Assorted Timbits, and you know the coffee order."

I'm done asking questions. I go eat breakfast. I call the TM. "Can I come back now?"
"Give us another half hour. You still at the diner? Have more coffee. Have a piece of pie. Don't forget our Tim's"

Back at the terminal, coffee and Timbits delivered.

"What was wrong with the truck?"

"Nothing. We did some mods to the fuel system."
"Still governed at 57?"
"Oh, yes it is. These are KML mods".
"KML"?
"MPG to you, Skillet. Go see the TM".

"Skillet, we need you to take this to the Kenner, Louisiana terminal."
Okay. Which trailer.
"No trailer. Bobtail."
".......C'mon...."
"Nope. That's the plan. Rob left with one this morning. Drop it off at the Kenner terminal, go to the motel, and we'll fly you two guys back."
"Why didn't you just put them on a flatbed?"
"We're doing an experiment."
"Well....okay. Want me to take my eight and start fresh tonight?"
"Nope. Get going now and get as far as you can. Truck needs to be there Thursday so you can fly back Friday. Any problems call me direct. Don't call Central Dispatch for ANYTHING. AT.ALL. Got it? Use a tach card, but if they don't ask for it in Kenner, don't give it to them. Questions? Good. Get haulin'"

Sorry for the long post. Just wanted to paint the background for my longest bobtail, about 1145 miles. And when we flew out our flight got cancelled due to equipment problems, and we got rebooked. So we got paid our hourly detention rate for the 8 hours spent at the airport, in the air, and in the taxi back to the terminal from Detroit,plus the 1145 mileage pay. It was the best check I ever got from the Pipeline on Wheels.

Never did find out what the "hush-hush" was all about. Seemed an awful lot of trouble to go to just to bust my chops......

 

1500 miles empty
460 loaded

Edit
Bobtail 780 miles to pick up loaded trailer