Running with JCT

Sharpp · Dec 6, 2013

Some of our trailers are marked a couple of holes off on the California bridge. I've measured two trailers in the 5,xxx series that were too short. It wouldn't have mattered on your load as far off as they were loaded, but I was able to get legal with a Colton produce load by moving the two holes back. The bridge law is 40 feet from king pin to the center of the rear axle. A quick and dirty measurement is 10 feet from the rear of the trailer to the center of the rear axle, assuming a 3 foot king pin. Unofficially, they will allow you up to 6 inches leeway if that's what it takes to be legal. Your mileage may vary!

TAfool · Dec 6, 2013

Sharpp said: ↑

, ...... Unofficially, they will allow you up to 6 inches leeway if that's what it takes to be legal. Your mileage may vary!
Click to expand...

Yes, 6" and 500 or so pounds.

I had, note the "had", no tickets, no accidents and zero points on my record. Did I mention had? I agreed to swap to take into Cali. The prior idiot never legalled it out
. Had to go a foot and half passed to make weight. Planners pleaded to please run it in. Me being the genius that I am agreed. 1 scale down....2 scales down....just one more to go..."Driver, (yeah, they said driver, not sucker) pull around the inspection bay". Long story short, they popped me for one brake out of adjustment so I now have 12 CSA points. Anyway, had me put to the Cali hole, all 1500lbs over weight and sent me on my way.

I forget, who is the idiot again?? Oh yeah, I remember now, its me!

RizenPhoenix · Dec 7, 2013

TAfool said: ↑

Yes, 6" and 500 or so pounds.

I had, note the "had", no tickets, no accidents and zero points on my record. Did I mention had? I agreed to swap to take into Cali. The prior idiot never legalled it out
. Had to go a foot and half passed to make weight. Planners pleaded to please run it in. Me being the genius that I am agreed. 1 scale down....2 scales down....just one more to go..."Driver, (yeah, they said driver, not sucker) pull around the inspection bay". Long story short, they popped me for one brake out of adjustment so I now have 12 CSA points. Anyway, had me put to the Cali hole, all 1500lbs over weight and sent me on my way.

I forget, who is the idiot again?? Oh yeah, I remember now, its me!
Click to expand...

Didn't JCT offer to pay you the additional miles to run around the scales because the load wasn't legal? They used to do that back in the day(2007)

Lsv · Dec 7, 2013

TAfool said: ↑

Well, that's just trucking beautiful.

Got a load from a company that sounds a lot like Tyson in a place that looks like Rogers, AR. Drop my empty and check in to find that "Trucker, You're Staying Over Night" won't happen to me because they "only" need two more boxes to load. Yeah!

Two hours later I amble back in to see if they caught the rascally chickens....darn, I gave it away.....and they tell me it just needs to be billed out so go ahead and park in front. One and a half hours later, "Go ahead and get your bills, sucker....oops, I mean trucker, its done". Oh joy.

I've seen this movie before and it doesn't end well. Don't ever open the basement door; or look in the back of the trailer. Its stacked to the roof and full back so I don't go to the office, I go straight to the scale. Well not straight there. Got to slide the tandems from full back to the Calihole. I should have known right then this was too easy.

There is a nice ice storm moving through and everything is coated with ice, including the slider pins and slide bars. After dicking around for 30 minutes busting the pins loose this is not looking so good anymore.

The ground is iced over so I can't get any traction to move the trailer slides. Well I'm no dummy so I figure I'll just roll back into a bump-stop and slide those suckers right up. At the time it was shear genius, not later, but at that time it was.

Knock one, knock two, "they will give any second now. Wait, what's that laying on the ground? Oh krap, that's both mud flaps." Seems the trailer was a little too low and the bump-stop just a tad bit too high. Ripped them both off along with one bracket.

Now where to put these nasty things? Hum....well I'm no dummy.... Ever see that aero dongle thingy-ma-jig under the trailer? The one that has the stickers that say, "Hey, dummy (obviously not talking to me) don't stuff illegal aliens or other cargo in here". Well they fit right nice in there with a couple of bungie cords holding them in.
Well done, genius, well done.

Now back to the task at hand. They did break loose (I'm talking about the sliders here, not those mud flaps that were obviously about to fall off anyway). One more knock and slicker than snot they slide right up....a little too far up. Arrge. Now how to move them the other way? Bump-stop on the other side? No! I got a better idea. Just roll forward and pop the trailer brake. Shear genius. Once, almost. Twice, close enough! Pull out my keep-the-release-pin-pulled-out special tool and release the pins and do the ol roll and lock trick. Presto! Right in the Calihole.

Roll up the scale and find its 4,000lbs overweight in the back so to the office I go. "No problem, sucker....I mean trucker, just back into basement door 11". Oh krap, not the basement.

Well blow me drown, only two hours later its done. "Go ahead and get your bills, sucker." Or not - think I'll hit the scale first.

Now its only 1860lbs over on the back. I knew it was too good to be true. Back to the office. "Hey, sucker (this time they didn't even pretend to say trucker) back again? Over weight you say? Well sorry, its shift change so come back in an hour and somebody else will pretend to help you." Lovely.

Back at the window after an hour and half. "You weighed this two hours ago, what took you so long to come back?" There is so much I could say but I just keep my mouth shut. "Back into basement door 11.....sucker."

Five hours later. Now this is more like it! "OK, sucker, you're ready to rock and roll!" Or not. Back to the scale. "Can't let you leave, sucker, you're 580lbs over on the back end and now you're also over gross by 800lbs." "But its just the ice build up, please let me go so I can get out of this storm", I pleaded. Back to the office. "Hey, sucker....", yeah, I know, basement door 11.

After about an hour they decide it must be ice buildup because the gross rises the longer I'm there.....now why didn't I think of that?!

"OK, sucker, you're free to go." Paroled at last! Now I have 45 minutes left, guess I'll stay over night. Sigh......

Up at 4am my time, 6 local, I head out now 1200lbs over gross. It'll melt along the way; I know because I'm no dummy. Snowing like a SOB and the roads are nasty. Perfect! Hardly any idiots to deal with so I'll make great time getting to the terminal to get those loose mud flaps fixed. Humm, could stop at that Loves but I figure I'll do my part and save the company some money and go to the terminal as its right on the way. After all, how long could it take to replace mud flaps.....and one ittt-bitty bracket?

I've now been sitting here for 8 1/2 hours. This isn't fun any more. Now to call and say I can't make delivery. 1750 miles to go and 2 days to get there.....I'm not that good. There is so much more to this story, like the 4.4mpg while plowing snow in a head wind but my thumbs are twitching and my neck has a cramp in it.

This is just trucking beautiful.
Click to expand...

If Any chicken coup was feeling honary, they can hit u with over weight ticket. Or make u knock snow ice off to scale legal. If u can't get legal=well use ur imagination.

DenaliDad · Dec 7, 2013

TAfool said: ↑

Yes, 6" and 500 or so pounds.

I had, note the "had", no tickets, no accidents and zero points on my record. Did I mention had? I agreed to swap to take into Cali. The prior idiot never legalled it out
. Had to go a foot and half passed to make weight. Planners pleaded to please run it in. Me being the genius that I am agreed. 1 scale down....2 scales down....just one more to go..."Driver, (yeah, they said driver, not sucker) pull around the inspection bay". Long story short, they popped me for one brake out of adjustment so I now have 12 CSA points. Anyway, had me put to the Cali hole, all 1500lbs over weight and sent me on my way.

I forget, who is the idiot again?? Oh yeah, I remember now, its me!
Click to expand...

<Note to self: Stay out of California while driving your CMV>

popcorn169 · Dec 7, 2013

TAfool you have a way with words.

DenaliDad · Dec 7, 2013

TAfool said: ↑

Well, that's just trucking beautiful.

Got a load from a company that sounds a lot like Tyson in a place that looks like Rogers, AR. Drop my empty and check in to find that "Trucker, You're Staying Over Night" won't happen to me because they "only" need two more boxes to load. Yeah!

Two hours later I amble back in to see if they caught the rascally chickens....darn, I gave it away.....This is just trucking beautiful.
Click to expand...

Two hours.
Four hours.
Six hours.
A crawler.
Everyone who wants to be a trucker, stand up and holler.

I got lost counting the hours.

<NOTE TO SELF: If Tyson offers you $5,000 a week and you drive when you want....DECLINE. THE. OFFER!>

flyboynme · Dec 7, 2013

Swapping loads, new load goes to Wilmington, CA. We are in Lexington, NE. Which is best way to get there? 80 to 15 out of Salt Lake? Or 25 south out of Denver to I40 Albuquerque to 15?

Sharpp · Dec 7, 2013

flyboynme said: ↑

Swapping loads, new load goes to Wilmington, CA. We are in Lexington, NE. Which is best way to get there? 80 to 15 out of Salt Lake? Or 25 south out of Denver to I40 Albuquerque to 15?
Click to expand...

I always drop down thru Kansas and pick up I-40. Check WX first.

RizenPhoenix · Dec 7, 2013

Sharpp said: ↑

I always drop down thru Kansas and pick up I-40. Check WX first.
Click to expand...

That's the way I would always go in the winter time

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