Tough Day in Trucking

bth9461 · Tough Day in Trucking

Lost power to my Hydraulic Dove Tail, it will go down, but not enough power to lift it. I had 2 stops with trailers on, and bookings for 3 cars. I had to jack the tail up with my bottle jack. 4 times today!!!! Once with a truck on it. Will need to do it twice on Friday and twice on Saturday to finish out my contracts.

The Mfg got the pump Mfg on the phone with me, they think it could be a bad pump.

I am beat, having my best week gross wise $4500, but I am working my but off, for it.

Brian

Tom Cobb

Nothing good comes easy. If it did you wouldn't have anything to gripe about. GIT ER DONE. LOL

bth9461

Why don't some of you post your toughest day in Trucking, so I can feel how easy I have it. 3 crank ups to go.

Brian

Tom Cobb

Tarping a load in the wind and rain. It was wood that they didn't want to get wet. Nobody would come out and help me. The tarp would snag and not slide over the load. I was soaking wet and cold and really pissed off.

Another load was some tanks that had pipes all kinds of sharp objects sticking out of them. They were used tanks. No tarp would slide over it without snagging and no help. They did not need to be tarped, it was just a stupid requirement. Ruined two tarps and could not get them to stay on during the run. Finally took them off.

I could likely think of a couple of others but I will leave it at this.

bth9461

GOT IT DONE, 8 manual crank ups later, taking it back to the shop on Tues/wed. Have 2 flat loads booked.

Cold wind rain and a big tarp job, is a real downer.

Brian

LBZ

Brian, has the mfg. got your pump fixed up yet? If so what did they say caused the issue?

bth9461

Glad I took it in, the pump was fine, they have never had a problem with them. Nothing wrong with the trailer. The problem was electrical, and in my truck. The trickle charger wire to the Aux. outlet in the bed of the truck had rusted out, due to moisture getting into to the splice. So it was not charging the dual batteries up, after 6 weeks of use they wore down. My voltimeter showed 11.6-12 volts though. But the batteries had no load capacity though, not enough to lift the beaver tail. I guess the marine batteries recharge a little on thier own, and that was what I was reading, but no real power. Used it once today and seems to do ok, loading a car on the back tomorrow, so we will see how it does lifting a car.

They got me in at 6am and had it figured out by 7am, they charged the batteries while I looked on the computer for loads. They also rewired my truck, no charge, even though the problem was not their fault. Really impressed with the level of customer service. They suspected a possible eclectrical issue over the phone, but were willing to ship the pump. Thats why I decided to take it in, figured with my luck it would not be the pump.

Can't say enough about Imperial. First class guys from the owner to the tech that offered to fix the truck wiring without even asking MGT. Says a lot for a organization, that the help acts like the owner. I even offered to pay because it was not their fault.

If I ever need another trailer, they have the job.

Brian

Tom Cobb

Glad you got it fixed. Sounds like a company that takes care of their customers. What a concept.

Tom Cobb

A tough day trucking is driving all day with no load to someplace where there is no load.

bth9461

The last time I went to Salt lake City, I could not get a load back. I had met a RV hauler in IA on the way out. He had 130k on a Ford 6.0 lt that was only a year old and had blown the motor. I told him I would haul it home for him on the way back. If he needed the help. Sure enough the local Ford dealer wanted a arm and a leg, and he had the use off another truck but they wanted 2k for a trailer company to rent him a trailer. So 2 days later I was back with an empty trailer, no loads available, not even a car back to IA or NE. I charged the guy a top off of fuel about 30 gal at about 2.50 gal then. Did not have the heart to charge him any more.

I always seem to have trouble with return freight in UT,CO, WY, wen I go there. Thats one area I try to avoid now. Just turned down a direct customer a load going to Edmonton, AB for 4k on 1920 miles because there was no return freight when I checked not even a Car, figured I might need to DH to MN to get anything.

Brian

Tom Cobb

I always had trouble getting loads back from the west coast and from Canada. There seems to be loads that move around out there but not coming from there back east.

LBZ

I think it seems like the loads are usually going the opposite direction of where we are able to go. i.e. have a commitment on one piece and looking for another to match gets difficult, or want to go toward home always seems impossible. Maybe someone above just has a sense of humor for us to keep things interesting. Wink

Tom Cobb

You may be right LBZ. LOL

It seems that there really are certain areas of the country where the majority of the freight goes certain directions. The south is like that...the loads seem to run up and down the east coast with some going to the midwest and a lot of the midwest traffic seems to go east or stays in the midwest.

I guess it depends on how much manufacturing there is in the area.

bth9461

Learning the freight lanes take a little time, but it does seem that on average you can get a feel for how the freight will run. That is why I started running to the East Coast, or stay in the Midwest. I go South once in a while, and musst be paid very well to go West anymore, especially Co,WY,UT, SD,ND, ect. TX is ok because of the cars and they have a Mfg base.

Brian

Phil

One of my toughest days was on this trip. I had 2 full days of head wind and rain that cost me time and money. I have never seen weather effect me so much. When I got to my first drop I noticed the wind tore the spoiler right off of a Lexus GX 470. It was hanging on by a brake wire!!!! 2000 miles from Phoenix to North Dakota, 7 MPG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No exaduration, pen/paper Crying or Very sad

I am spending the long weekend headed home, I should have been home today and I am still in ND looking out for flippin tornados.

bth9461

Seems like there have been a lot of Twisters so far this year.

Phil hope the damage was not to bad, Cargo insurance is fine for the big problems the nickle and dime stuff really adds up though, thats why you must get a decent rate. Is the customer making you pay for the damage?

Brian

Tom Cobb

I remember a load that I took to SLC from TX. It was a cat engine on a skid with radiator. That sucker was about 5' X 5' square. Along with is was some other stuff and a tractor blade. The blade was on a pallet where it was standing up. The load was total resistance to the wind.

I was on I-40 headed west climbing up to the continental divide and into about 30 MPH headwind. I got 5 mpg from Amarillo to where ever I stopped for fuel west of the divide. I could barely hold 55 mph on the flat spots and I was in 4th gear and lower most of the time.

The next worse time was when I left Cheyenne in a snow storm and was going up the first overpass which is a long gradual grade up on it and I saw my trailer trying to meet the truck or the truck trying to meet the trailer. It went back and forth about 3 or 4 times and I let go and cried out for God to help me. The rig straightened right up. I was very shookup for a time there to say the least. Praise God for His mercy.

A big truck almost lost back behind me on the previous overpass. I moved into the left lane on the snow pack in four wheel drive and was OK from there on. I got out the snow not far outside Cheyenne.

God has been very good to me.

LBZ

I went through there a year ago in April & May several times and always ran into snow going up to Cheyenne and again over at Evanston dropping into SLC. Can't say I was much a fan of the stuff on those grades.

I remember it being kinda cool/overcast/rainy one afternoon in Evanston just before Memorial Day & I asked the attendant at the fuel desk if summer ever arrives there? The response was be grateful it is not snowing today! I was!

Tom Cobb

You have to keep it all in perspective in relation to where you are and the circumstances. Very Happy