Taking the plunge. My journey as an O/O.

No, and apparently neither did he. I have been putting off getting one for years now. Might break down and get one now.

 

Left Oklahoma City this morning, 37 degrees and raining with 20+ mph gusts.

Shutting down in Amarillo Texas after 4.5 hours driving on roads that would have been fine... If OK and TX had the equipment, knowledge, and people to treat the roads properly.

This is the TA in Amarillo right now.



I am shutting down early. Roads are not safe. Saw 20 or so wrecks between Oklahoma City and Amarillo.

 

Yeah. I40 maintenance in OK and TX was spotty and poorly sanded, with no brine or salt at all as far as I could see. Just a spattering of sand on some of the bad spots.

I hope they have salt or brine and use it tonight. Otherwise tomorrow is likely to be another crappy day at 45 miles per hour with flashers on.

 

The thing that really has me annoyed is that I thought that by routing from Joliet, IL to Victorville, CA through Amarillo, TX, I could avoid annoying weather.

Who knew Amarillo, TX would have worse roads than Vail, CO?

 

So, you want to know how a pack of peanuts nearly cost me my truck?

Sure, I'll spill.

I was northbound on I5 after entering Oregon the other day, and started a six mile steep grade. About a third of the way down, when thinks started to get steeper, I could tell my jakes were not working properly. By the time I was able to pull safely to the side of the road and stop, smoke was pouring out from my brakes on my drives.

I finally figured out what happened while I waited for the brakes to cool. My selector for Jake level was in low, not high...

I never run my jakes at low, and the switch is not visible behind the steering wheel when I am driving. It took me a minute after stopping and checking for actual fire to remember there was a jake power selector, and check it.

Earlier that day, I bought a pack of peanuts and stuck it behind my soda to hold it in place as I left the fuel island to park for lunch. I normally put stuff like that in the change tray, but I had some string cheese in that spot.

Apparently the bag of peanuts pushed the jake selector from high to low.

So, a bag of peanuts could easily have cost me my truck.

I was able to get to the roadside fast enough to avoid cracking or melting anything, but it was close. A LOT of smoke, and it kept smoking for several minutes as it cooled. I even paid for a real mechanic to do a brake/tire/hub check to be sure I missed nothing.

Details. Details. Details.

 

I don't believe anyone ever told me it would be easy.