My Experiance with Watkins Shepard!

It's true these Super Singles suck Like Pamela Anderson at spring break! Not very many of our trucks or trailers have them, its just luck of the draw as to what you drive/pull. I wouldnt even want these things in the summer....lol But until I own the truck I drive I have no say, I'll live but I'll be putting along allot slower with these things




American Trucker

 

Why would you go and do something like that???







American Trucker

 

nope allot if not all of the FL Cascadias have them and My FL Century Class has them as well.





American Trucker

 

So when the QC beeped it was telling me to go to the Missoula Terminal and pick up a loaded trailer and take it to Seattle, WA. I ony had 8 hours for today, so ran over there picked it up and ran it all the way to Ellensburg, WA where I am now sitting at the Love's (ex pilot).

The missoula terminal is bigger then I thought it would be, I was walking all OVER the place I went to one of the buildings and they're like oh thats in the other building and then I do what I had to there and couldn't find what else I needed and they tell me oh thats in the other building , I got my exersise today lol. Oh and I met Loren (LEB).

So I pull into the terminal to drop my MT and of course since its Montana its all covered in snow and ice and of course I got stuck! After some minuvering I managed to drop my trailer and hook to the new oh without to many problems.

Then I get going and think well its only an 8 hour drive and I have 7.25 hours left so I should be able to get most of the way there, right? NOPE!

First it had started snowing hard before I even left the TS to go to the terminal, then it just got worse, then I get to this pass not sure on the name and it was rediculous! Crawling along (no power) and then I get to the top and theres a break check/ chain up area and there was 2 Oversize drivers chaining, so I'm like CRAP! so I pull over and I can see the chain sign isn't blinking but I figure I'd ask these drivers whats up and they said there not required and to just go slow and I'd be alright and since the road wasnt covered in snow or ice completely I figured I'd go ahead. So I'm going down at about 25 or so (couldnt go any faster truck wanted to pick up speed bad and It was slippery) and then I get about I donno a half a mile down and theres a fresh as in 2 seconds ago wreck! 2 idiots rented a penski straight truck and were pulling a trailer and went flying down the mountian and well they didnt quite make it down! They flew off the right side of the road and into this snow filled area and jacknifed and slammed into a HUGE snowbank...which is good because had that snowbank not been there they would have gone right back into traffic.


So I finally make it down that crap and then I get to 4th of july and that was all nice and dry so it wasnt a problem, then I get 2 miles from the WA boreder and theres a sign "Bridge out take Exit 2 detor" So I get off take a break at the TS and then follow this retarded detor and 30 minutes later I'm back on 90 about 4 miles down , but the detor did have us bypass the scales!

Then I came to the next big pass in WA no snow but real steep couldn't get any speed going up it at all.

WA had some really nice views, to bad my camera's battery finally died...


So then I make it here to my fuel stop and parked, didnt feel like waiting to pump now I'll do it at 5am on my way out while there all sleeping .

Oh I drove 400 miles exactly today and had driven 200 miles exactly when I took my break in ID how weird is that!



American Trucker

 

so you enjoyed almost sliding into that ditch?

They don't fit into the ruts made in the road by duals so you get jerked around allot.

They don't disperse water as fast a duals makeing hydroplaneing very easy to do.

They're so wide they disperse the weight to much to get any traction in snow or ice.

They're tread isn't even half as deep as the tread on duals.

They make this loud ##* humming noise like straps on a flatbed do.

They make for a very rough ride at times.

When they blow out you CAN NOT limp to a shop to get it replaced like you can with duals.

When they blow it can take a LONG time to find a roadservise that has a SS tire for you.

When they blow they often destroy the rim.

When they blow on the front axle they often blow out the tire behind it which often times causes a rollover which isnt the fault of the driver BUT will be blammed on the driver because the truck was moving and YOU were in control ( just like getting blow over by the wind is the drivers fault because you should have known not to be driving in the wind)

There isn't as much tire touching the ground as duals which means less breaking power

There isn't as much tire touching the ground which also means less traction!

AND THEY LOOK RETARDED!


They DO NOT benifit ANYONE includeing the carriers UNLESS they are put on to reduce weight, for types of trucking that get paid more for hauling more freight weight wise....




lol ya see!




American Trucker