Magnum ltd - fargo, nd

I JUST got a heads-up from a guy in TN about three days ago to be sure my drags were at 41' because he just got a ticket that day in TN for driving with his tandems all the way back....while EMPTY.

Sorry, it's a minor hassle and can save me a lot of money. I'll just keep those suckers at 41. Takes 2 minutes to move my tandems. 5 If I have to bang on them with a hammer. 5 minutes beats the Holy Hell out of a $200+ ticket, TYVM.

You can skate by and get lucky, or you can skate by on "minor" stuff that a DOT guy on the prowl will write you $1000 in tickets over. Frankly, I'm not willing to roll those dice. We already play fast and loose on logs (minor stuff, but like I said...) I'm not willing to do any more. And yes, tandems and bridge laws, it's OBVIOUS. It's EASILY ticketable revenue. That's just waving a red flag at the DOT AFAIC.

 

What a day.

My marker lights, including my back lights on my trailer all died last night. Stopped at a rest area and slept. Got on the phone with the shop a few hours later after a short sleep and checked fuses...No luck. Took the truck to the nearest TA, 90 miles away. They couldn't figure it out. Drove past two MORE weight stations which were mercifully closed, to the Peterbilt dealership in Findlay, Ohio. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Findlay,_Ohio

Took them about three hours to track down a broken relay in my wiring harness. Made it to Fowlerville, MI and got unloaded, no fuss, no muss, even though I was an hour late. In and out in 40 minutes!

Didn't check into a load for tomorrow because by the time I knew I'd be fixed, all the dispatchers had gone home. So I'll be sitting here until tomorrow afternoon most likely.

On the upside, I found out yesterday that I got a 9cent-per-mile raise! That's about 23.7%. Better yet, it's backdated to March 7th, so my next paycheck is going to be enormous!

If I keep getting the miles I've been getting, I see no reason to even consider other work, except for that sweet local job. And even that, I have reservations about. I LIKE being on the road. I miss family and friends, but I'm not sure I could handle a drive from Yakima to Portland, a couple of stops and then home every day. I think I might get very bored, very fast.

I think I'm turning into an Over-The-Road Trucker. I keep thinking of other jobs and keep thinking: "BORING."

What I WOULD like to do is go to school for a few months and learn how to repair one of these beasties. I have no interest in becoming a mechanic. I just want to know how it all works. Mind you, I have LESS than ZERO mechanical aptitude. I think it's probably a federal crime for me to own a tool more complicated than a crescent wrench. But... I bought a shop manual and did all kinds of stuff to my Harley. So I'm SLOW, but I CAN learn. Anyone know of on-line courses in this stuff that are good? I really HATE being so ignorant about how my truck works.

 

Well here's a quick video on the after treatment system to get you started...

 

LMAO, they lost me about 20 seconds into that video. I kinda sorta got SOME info, But I'm more at the level of: "This is a motor..." Don't laugh, at least I ADMIT it.

 

Minnesota enforces it but it's 43 there

 

If you ever have any questions about bridge law I have a sheet that I made with every states bridge law. Most states now but not all are at what the federal govt sets it at. Which is a minimum not a maximum

 

If we start doing FL on a regular basis (since we're getting a few more FL drivers) they are strict on the 41' bridge...but they have a 40k lb tandem limit as long as you're not over gross. So there isn't much reason to exceed 41' unless you have a really f'd up load.

 

Doesn't that call come as a total surprise? And your raise was bigger than mine

 

Google had no physical address for the company.

 

Hah!