Directionally Challenged...

It has been nearly 3 years since I have updated the blog and I have no idea where to start. 

So much has happened in the past 3 years. So much has changed me. So much has disappointed me. So much has hurt me. 

Perhaps I will start with a quick recap...

 

2013 - I bought my first house. I love it. It is perfect! 

           My relationship appeared to be solid.

           The circumstances surrounding my job probably improved, but not significantly. 

           My brother, who had previously been diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma, was in remission after several rounds of chemotherapy. 

           I honestly felt that 2013 was my best year to date.

2014 - A new relationship was formed when my boyfriend brought his college aged daughter to live in my home. Even though this decision was against my better judgement, I still managed to open my heart and home to her. As I grew closer to her, my relationship with him began to deteriorate. 

          My job took a turn for the worse with new operations managers and dispatchers. I literally was making about half of what I had been making the year before. 

          With conflict both at work and at home, I felt life beginning to overwhelm me in a negative way.

2015 - I lost my brother in February. He died one day after his 46th birthday. 

And I must stop there....

For those of you who have been wondering about me, I am here. I am fine. I have so much to say. But I guess I'm not quite ready to expose the rest of my dirty laundry, so to speak. I'm sure it might be posted eventually. My apologies if you are here for the tall tales, but for now, I feel like my blog will serve better purpose as a place for me to vent. I really need to vent!

Pondering...

I was thinking I might take up blogging again....

Hellllooooooooo? Is there anybody in there? Just nod if you can hear me.

Slow Boil

I am now to the point that I am ready to break my silence. You see, several months ago, I was informed that co-workers and upper management had started reading my blog. I was quietly cautioned to watch what I posted. I have since let several good posts slip from my fingers into oblivion because of the old saying "If you can't say something nice........."  Not every post would have been negative. Some were learning experiences, funny stories and updates on my life. But I have sincerely had no desire to share any of it because my job has taken a turn for the worst and I knew I couldn't share the good, with out the bad slipping out complete with an over abundance of expletives and exclamation points.

It's not the hauling of cars that has given me the blues. I love car-hauling!! It is the work load. Last year, I felt as if I hardly worked and was able to make a very comfortable living. I had plenty of home time and enjoyed learning as much as I could with each new load. This year.........  I am working twice as hard, but making less money. I can no longer plan my week in advance. I am suppose to follow new policies and guidelines, but in return, I can rarely get answers. If I work for a month and need several days off due to a major life event, the days are deducted from my paid vacation.  I have an extremely low damage ratio. I have a one year old piece of equipment to use with no damages to it. I have an incredible work ethic. I have desire. I have drive. And I have a dispatcher who couldn't really give a flying rat's ass if my truck is making any money. I have been receiving messages to remind me that my truck is not making money. You know, the irony is that I have not refused a single load. I have not left a single car. I do not let shit sit on my truck for days at a time. But yet, it is not the dispatchers fault, it is apparently mine...........

I had been asked a few months ago to let everyone get acclimated to the new structure. So I held my tongue and followed the protocol for the last few months. I think what really set me off is I have found out that 75% of what I am being told is bullshit. I do my best, and I played by the rules. What has it gotten me? A reduced check. No monthly bonuses. Very little home time. It has killed my desire. It has affected my focus and concentration. And, well, I seem to be pissed off at just about everything. SO......... I guess it is time for me to quit playing nice. I like to believe in a perfect world, hard workers are rewarded for their effort. Just one more fairy tale I have to let go of. I work just as hard, if not harder than others here and have enough experience to find another job should I chose to.

I made the first call this week, in order to get some changes made.... If I don't start seeing results soon, I will ask to transfer or be forced to find another job. No point in being away from home if I am going backwards in revenue.

Freehold, New Jersey

Do not be alarmed!  This is only a post.... Had this been an actual blog, you would have been reading new posts on a regular basis.

So, I am just going to jump right back in here like I never left......

As you can see to the left on the left of this text, I had the pleasure of meeting a local law enforcement officer in Freehold, New Jersey today. I had been given instructions to drop my present load at a holding yard rather than at a dealership and with turn by turn directions, I made my way towards my destination. "Head north and turn left at second traffic light". Now I like to be considerate of my fellow motorists and try not to pull any asinine maneuvers, so after passing the first traffic light, I begin to prepare for making a left hand turn by signaling and moving into the left lane. I also like to think of myself as attentive. So before, during, and after the lane change, I am continually scanning my mirrors. Hell, I am continually scanning my perimeters any time the truck is in motion. Within seconds of securing my left lane position, I notice the officer creeping up behind me. I have not seen a speed limit sign at this point for this particular road, so I err on the side of caution. Now Mr PoPo is peeking out to my left as if he is in a hurry, but with my left turn approaching, I figured he could be patient and pass me when I hit the turn lane. Bobbing and weaving behind me, he hits the lights and sirens. And yet, still, I hesitate before working my way to the right lane.

He follows me to the right lane, so I pull over. I have no idea what I have done....

I can see him approaching my passenger side door, so I lower the window. He yanks the lock and opens the door as I scramble to not let any gear fall out of the truck. I could see it in his face. With a smirky demeanor, he asks, "You have no idea why I pulled you over, do you?"  Now typically, I like to engage the officers in witty banter, so I replied as I looked in my mirrors, "Did I lose a car somewhere?" He takes a step back and looks at my load before he continues....



PoPo: Where are you from?

ME: Georgia

PoPo: How long have you been driving?

ME: About an hour.

PoPo: (At this point, he is losing a little patience with me) YOU KNOW VERY WELL THAT COMMERCIAL VEHICLES ARE RESTRICTED TO THE RIGHT LANE!!! You were in the left lane doing 40.

ME: What is the speed limit?

PoPo: 50!!! You are impeding traffic in the passing lane.

ME: I was going to make a left turn......   (sigh)

PoPo: (Oozing with sarcasm) On Center Street?

Center Street is about 500 feet in front of me.

Me: Yes........

PoPo: Well, you cant be riding through town impeding traffic in the left lane.

Me: I was looking for my left turn, that's why my left turn signal was on.

PoPo: Well, this is a warning! You can go.......



He then pulls out to the left lane to allow me to get into position to make my left turn. I arrive at my destination and begin to unload my cars. It wasn't more than 10 minutes later that my new friend pulls into the holding yard and circles the lot before he was off to protect and serve someone else.

You know, even though I was inconvenienced by this event and a little amused by his "I'll teach you, you dumb mother trucker" attitude, I was also feeling just a little bit giddy. Apparently, he has seen his fair share of ignorant freighthaulers who ride the left lane at a slower pace in a mind numbing stupor. And while I may have been the "sheep" he was aiming to herd, I can only hope he is successful in his efforts to teach  the big riggers the rules of the road. Oh the Joy!, to see the day when the left lane is once again used for passing, rather than a place to camp out because all those cars are scary merging in from the side roads and entrances.

And so it goes, I must stop now! I can feel a rant coming on................................

Bombs Away....

Once again the Kia gods have got me in their sites.

Last week I was sent to load up some more of those disposable cars. I backed an Optima over the hood and raised the deck.  It was dusk by the time I finished loading.

I was making my way towards DC and after awhile I noticed the puddle of water on my hood was not dispersing. How odd!! I stopped for fuel after a few hours and that is when I noticed the puddle of water, was lumpy, almost taking on a solid form. From my vantage point, it appeared to be either A) Pterodactyl poo or, B) vomit.

The longer I drove, the more disturbed I became by its presence. I could actually begin to "smell" whatever it was on my hood. Amazing how the mind can play its on itself! It had no odor, but the longer I stared at it, the more it reeked.

The next morning, I decided to investigate further in broad daylight. It turns out, it is just a rust proofing agent that is used to lubricate the inside of the frame of a car. Apparently, the Optima was filled beyond capacity and when I raised the deck, it came spilling out onto my hood.

After an entire evening of dry heaving and smelling the nonexistent scent of regurgitation, I am even more convinced the KIA gods are angry... The busted windshield, the lightning strike, the "vomit", all happened whilst hauling those little jewels....

What makes it even worse, is that anytime I have a chance to do some baking while I am at home, the extras always make their way down to West Point. I have taken coffee cake and cookies to the guards. I have given a cake to the guys and gals in the transporters office. In fact, just last week, I dropped off a few slices a Pumpkin Roll to my own WP dispatcher, Jim.  You know, now that I think about it, I use to take goodies to a truck shop in South Carolina and it turns out that just about all of their repair work was bullshit!

Perhaps it is not KIA, but rather, Betty Crocker who needs to be appeased?

Venting....

I know..... it has been awhile!

So I am sitting here in my little motel room for the night and I can't help but wonder if my job just went to shit.

I have been hauling cars 14  months now, and have had very few altercations. The only thing that notably stands out is the time a co-worker cut straps on my load to get back at me for something that was out of my control to begin with. I have managed to stay out of the politics and bickering for the most part. I am reasonably content... Or I was.

My first boss was awesome. He knew his job. He kept me loaded and made me good money. I never had a problem with him. I ended up in somewhat of a routine and could easily plan out my week. But, alas, he was fired. The new crew stepped in and even though they had no previous knowledge of the car hauling industry, I  once again was able to get into a groove, make money and stay very content. But their lack of knowledge essentially caught up with them and they were also banished from the kingdom.

New Bosses enter the picture, along with the politics of the game. The terminal I am assigned to is now running on a forced central dispatch system. To be honest, this causes me a bit of anxiety. The way I worked in the past, if a load was available for an area I preferred, I could grab it and essentially know what would be in store for me the next few days. I was in a sweet little groove. Now, I am sent wherever someone else sees fit. Yeah, I know, tough shit! But it just seems to me that if trucks are making money, and drivers are happy, why not let them continue on the routes they prefer. So last week, it started. No more choosing the areas I wanted. I was able to work my way back into Greer, hoping they would leave me alone with the routes I have been running the past few months, but that didn't happen. I was assigned a load that would finish up in Syracuse. Normally this would not have been a problem, except for the minor discontent in running new areas and not knowing where my head would hit the pillow at night. The major discontent came from the fact that I had asked to be home on a specific date next week for a family function. I gave them 10 days notice for my desired arrival at home. The Syracuse load would have me scrambling to find my way home. I asked for Ohio or Kentucky because that would leave me plenty of wiggle room. Nope, no Ohio or Kentucky.. Not that there weren't any loads going there. Just not for me. Head to the Upstate. So with that in mind, I told them I was going to have to reset my hours over the weekend, hoping they would throw me a bone and hand over my desired run. Of course, I loaded for New York... After doing a reset and getting all cars delivered this morning, I was told to head to Buffalo and grab a load to Queens, NY. What the hell????

I wouldn't be able to load until Tuesday morning because of the business hours. I wouldn't be able to unload until Wednesday due to business hours. That would put me reloading Wednesday afternoon/evening if everything fell perfectly into place. Now, if I load in New York on Wednesday afternoon, how the hell am I supposed to be empty and home on Thursday. Then there is the imperfect scenario in which they couldn't find me a load south until Thursday... You get the idea. So, I called to remind them I was suppose to be at home....

As it turns out, this is all my fault. First, supposedly the reset threw off my schedule. BULLSHIT!! The 34 hour reset only set me back 2 hours, because the cars could not be delivered until Monday morning anyways. "Oh well, it wasn't the reset that hurt you. It was that we didn't know you needed a reset" BULLSHIT.... I sent messages early on Friday mentioning a reset in hopes that I could get something other than Syracuse... I was told that if they knew I needed a reset that I could have gotten the Ohio or Kentucky that I had asked for. BULLSHIT!! I told them 8 hours before I loaded that I would be taking a reset...

I am sooooooo frustrated. Not with this particular exchange or the way this week is shaping up. Yes, I still need to get home and there is still time. But the reason, I am frustrated is because I am fairly certain that I am now on the "shit list". Perhaps everyone is on the shit list? This is the first time I have asked for a specified date in 14 months. And the reasons they are giving me for the difficulty in getting me home are clever excuses based on knowledge they claim they didn't have... BULLSHIT, BULLSHIT, BULLSHIT!!!!! Yes, I do understand that everyone is heading northeast after last week's storm. Another reason that I did not want Syracuse, I didnt have time to play on the east coast.

Nothing pisses me off worse than lies, deceit and feigned ignorance... If this is the way the dispatch is going to be run, I fear I may experience an elevated level of discontent.. Now, again, if the trucks are making money and the drivers are happy..... WHY WOULD YOU CHANGE IT ?  I think I just became a truck number........

Fahrvergnügen

Well, it has been a month since I experienced my first steer tire blowout. But that was not where the story ended. After having a used tire put on, I was able to make it to my dealership to get unloaded. The next morning, I was going to have to shop the truck to have some hydraulic lines replaced. Lucky for me, one of my routine motels was close by.

The next morning, after placing several phone calls, I was able to locate a shop that could do the required hydraulic repairs. Without replacing the lines that were shredded by the blown tire, I would not be able to lift the front deck and open my hood. Without opening my hood, I was unable to determine if there were any other damages that needed attention. Knowing the day would be financially unprofitable, I decided to sleep in. I never could pass up a good excuse.

Around 11am, I climb in the truck and begin my day. I pulled out of the motel and made the left turn onto the ramp to get onto the Interstate. The ramp lane actually continued forward and became the exit lane for 270 in Columbus, Oh. As I eased down the ramp, I was watching for traffic on my left to cut in front of me. Expect the unexpected, always! After a few hundred feet, another lane merges in from the right. This is typically an extremely heavy merge point, but there were no cars coming from my right. I am probably rolling along about 40 to 45mph because I had just started from a traffic light and was about to make a 25mph exit, so I never gained full momentum.

BOOM!!  Oh crap... Still in the left lane, with my right turn signal engaged, my first thought is that the USED steer tire replacement has just erupted. There was a slight jolt to the truck so I hit the brakes and check for cars on my right because I need to hit the shoulder. Seeing nothing blocking the lane,  BOOM!!!!!!  WHAT THE F#@K ??!!??!!  Now, I am thinking the tire has wrapped itself around my axle and just about that time, I notice the trunk of a Volkswagon Jetta about 2-3 foot off the ground going flying past my left headlight....

The Jetta slams into the wall on my left and I jerk the wheel hard to the right. There was not a whole heck of a lot of room between me and that wall and with the Jetta doing donuts down the left side of my truck, I feared the worst. She managed to bounce between my truck and the wall at least 3 times before we got stopped.

Basically, when she tried to cut me off, she did not allow enough room and the left rear corner of her car caught the right front corner of the step on my bumper. The impact immediately turned her to the left and I then t-boned the left side of the car. As I braked, she was then able to get traction and basically drove straight into the jersey wall on my left. As she bounced off the wall, she hit my truck again. Then the wall, my truck, the wall, my truck....

Both the driver and the passenger were physically okay with the exception of a few bruises and cuts. Emotionally, they were both a wreck. Well, literally too! The driver apologizes to me. I am still shaking my head because I have no idea where she came from. There were no cars on that ramp! A witness has also stopped and we continue to make sure the car occupants are okay. The police arrive, along with an ambulance and tow truck. Everyone is interviewed, except me..... The car is totaled. The occupants are transported to the hospital for standard tests and the witness offers me all his information before vacating the scene. The officer finally approaches me and informs me that with the witnesses testimony, the driver of the Jetta was issued a citation for improper lane change and improper passing.

I still have NO IDEA where she came from. I am thinking she just wanted to get passed the big truck and decided to pass on the right. But the accident report confirmed, along with the witness statement, that I did absolutely nothing wrong...

As for White Lightning, the truck is virtually unscathed...

Had this woman had the same accident with a regular high mount tractor trailer, the outcome could have very well been a tragedy. The points of impact indicate it could have indeed been fatal, but with my trailer riding inches off the ground, it kept her from being crushed by my tires.... Just something to think about, folks. Noting the damage to the Jetta, versus the scuff marks on my truck, I can assure you, I barely felt any thing.

Safe Travels!!

Customer Service

Several weeks ago I picked up a nail in one of my drive tires. But since I am quite meticulous in checking the air pressure, I saw no real need to rush out and get a new one. It was only dropping a few pounds per day and I keep an air hose with me anyways. This morning when I checked, the tire was flat. Saturdays are not the best day to try to and find a 19.5 tire. The majority of trucks run a 22.5 or 24.5 tire. So, I spent the majority of the morning calling around trying to locate one. This was after I unloaded my rear car to grab the air hose and try to re inflate it. I quickly realized that was not going to happen. So, I eased down the road to a local truck shop. They didn't have the tire either, but the mechanic also got on the phone and began to call around for me trying to locate one. I was able to get someone at Peterbilt Truck Care to start looking as well. I was able to find a set 300 miles away, but had no intentions of driving that far with the flat. PTC found something comparable just 15 miles from where I was sitting so I was instructed to head that way. Within 10 minutes PTC called me back and said to wait. I was told that the shop with the tires could not mount them because they were waiting on someone else who was 100 miles away. After that person had 4 tires mounted, they would try to fit me in before they closed in 2 hours.  Now, this is a first come, first serve type of situation and they were going to put me off because someone was 2 hours away and had an appointment? Well, PTC had issues with that type of service and decided we would take my business elsewhere. I headed back to the local shop and inquired about at least getting a plug that would get me down to Knoxville, where some more tires were located. After removing the flat tire, it was then determined that I was going no where. The inner wall of the tire had a huge split in it meaning a patch was pointless. Knowing that the truck stop down the road was now off limits due to the disagreement with PTC, I was getting ready to sit it out until Monday. That is when the local shop, who does not do business with the truck stop (over another disagreement) decided to head down there and grab the tires for me. I am sure he got his cut in profits from this, but it kept me from being stranded.

So what is my point? Well, I was impressed with PTC for their business ethics. Who cares if it would have cost me more time, I wasn't really in the mood to work anyways. I could have been at that truck stop in 20 minutes, but they were going to put me off because some other truck was 2 hours away.. I needed one tire changed!!  I was also impressed with the local shop for all the help (paid and unpaid). I am that person who is willing to pay more for better customer service. I am glad to see that PTC believes in that too. Yeah, I still have a hard time looking at a Wal-Mart after they ruined my wheels... And I am sure they don't miss my money, but it is about the ethics!

Has It Been a Year Already?

It has been a year. On September 6th, I celebrated my one year anniversary as a car-hauler. And a lot has happened in the past year.

I loaded small loads.
I loaded big loads.
I loaded even bigger loads....

I am becoming more confident with every load.

I received a brand new truck after only 8 months.
My new truck was hit by lightning after only 2 weeks.
I had my first steer tire blow out in 14 years of driving commercial vehicles.
I had my first major accident.
I damaged my first car.
I made a trip to California in a daycab.

Yes, a lot has happened. In my first year I loaded 116 loads with a total of 957 cars, ranging in size from the Smart Car up to a Ford F450.

I have made friends. I have made enemies...

After one year, I feel very confident in saying that I will do this until I am physically no longer able to load cars, or I just get tired of trucking altogether.

So what has 365 days of car-hauling taught me?  It has taught me that every load is it's own unique puzzle. Of course, hauling the same product lines, the puzzle becomes simplified. The auction loads are a different story. Every load IS different. Normally, if I have any questions about placement of cars, I will either phone a friend for advice or ask someone loading close to me if a particular scenario should work. I know I have said it before, but I still find it to be true... Car-Haulers are a different breed and genuinely look out for each other.

So, with my years worth of learning, this weeks auction load proved to me that I more than capable of being successful. I had to pick up in 3 locations and it is best if you don't have to keep moving units around to get it loaded properly. Armed with a basic knowledge of my vehicles, I was able to get everything loaded and only move one car twice. I was even able to add an extra unit. Still a little unsure  how close my axle weight would be, I felt pretty good about how it was loaded. I felt damn good about it!!!!

So this is what a year has taught me. Perhaps I shouldn't second, third and fourth guess myself quite so much? It could not have been anymore perfect. Sure it is still a little heavy on the steers, but I am always heavy there and my tires are rated for it. I am actually 11780 on the steer axle when empty, so it gets heavy quick!

Now, I am sure you are wondering about my California trip and perhaps the major accident? Yup, I have some blogging to do!

Rest In Peace....

WARNING

This is my account of a fatal accident.

There are some things that you never want to see. And some things you will never forget. Today I witnessed the scene of a fatal accident. The image will haunt me. This is the tenth time I have witnessed  the scene of a life expired. I feel the best way for me to find peace about this, is to write it down. Perhaps you may want to skip this blog post...

I was driving east when I noticed traffic began to slow drastically quick. Everyone began to merge to the right lanes and as with any delays in traffic, I began to look around for the cause. On the left shoulder, just beyond the overpass, I could see all sorts of debris including fiberglass, glass, metal and one of those large light poles used in the center of the Interstate. On the west bound side, I noticed several clusters of cars with people standing around holding each other, but none of the cars looked to be damaged. About that time is when I noticed a truck sitting under the overpass, pressed up against the jersey wall. There were no emergency vehicles there, so I just assumed the accident was being cleared up and any injuries had already been attended to. The truck was totaled. The hood was crushed in towards the cab. The cab was crushed down into the drivers seat, the windshield was pushed in to the steering wheel.

I wish this had been the only view I had seen, but I was heading east and passed by the driver's side. As I was stunned by the damage, I noticed something not quite right. The driver's door was literally ripped off its hinges and .....

He still had his seat belt on. 

The news reports say he was ejected. He was not fully ejected... One leg still in the truck, foot wedged in the steering wheel. Seat belt still wrapped around his waist, but his waist is now at the bottom of the door frame. His upper body hanging down over his steps. He still had his seatbelt on... I think that part bothers me the most. Something hit the truck so hard that it was peeled open and he was dragged outside, but he still had his seatbelt on. His shoe was missing, his blue jeans were ripped, but that seatbelt keeps haunting me.  I apologize if this post seems insensitive, but I am trying to remove the vision from my memory. The truck was pressed against the jersey wall, and all I can see is that seatbelt stretched around his waist...

Moving passed the scene, I immediately burst into tears, a deep heart wrenching sob. I am fairly certain, his life ended abruptly and without time for pain. But, my thoughts always extend to the family, the wife, the kids, the people who were standing on the side of the road, the ones who had run to the truck to see if he was okay, the ones who drove by and saw everything that I saw, the emergency workers... I have been told that people become numb to these types of tragedies. The people who attend the scene and clean up the debris, the emergency responders. I cannot imagine ever being that desensitized, but I sincerely hope that they do. I hope they all sleep well tonight and find comfort with their families. 

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Pucker Up

Just another one of those things I was able to check off the "First" list.

Last Tuesday, I had the pleasure of blowing my first steer tire in 15 years of driving. I was quite astonished to find out it was no where near as frightening as I thought it would be. Basically, I heard the noise, felt the front end raise as if I had run over something and then wop wop wop wop wop. It was not much of a struggle to keep control of the truck and ease off onto the shoulder out of harm's way. Perhaps, the low center of gravity on a car-hauler played a vital role in this.

And while I do seem to have exquisite luck, ( I will not indicate which end of the spectrum my luck tends to run), I was actually very lucky in the amount of damaged that was sustained.

Managed to keep my fender!

That is no illusion. With the dropped cab and blown tire, my fuel tank is hovering an inch above the ground.

Damage to the hydraulic lines for the front cylinder where the rubber slapped it a few times.

If you noticed in the first picture, there is slight damage to the fender, but I was able to reattach the mud flap and with the "new" used tire in place, I was able to drive away. No brake damage, no hood damage, no damage to any components under the hood.... At least that I know of. 

I am also very thankful that a few weeks ago, I took it upon myself to have my right fuel tank rotated. It has an aluminum elbow on the bottom which is attached to the hydraulic oil tank. Notice how low that tank is sitting? I would have sheared a good portion of that elbow off and perhaps caused a substantial oil spill.

The hydraulic lines did take a good punch. There will be no moving the front of the deck over my hood until those are replaced. I tested it to see if it was punctured and the 8' rooster tail of oil was a pretty good indication. What this means is I was unable to raise the hood to check for more damages from the blown tire. But at least I was able to unload that evening and had an appointment to get the lines repaired the next morning. Sure, I know it all sounds bad, but with minimal damages I was able to mark one more "first" off my list.

Old Dogs... and New Tricks

I often see pictures on the Internet of various loads on car-haulers and think "WOW"!

While I am getting very comfortable and perhaps a bit more efficient in the loading the standard 9 car, new inventory loads, I probably need to take a little more time to experiment and find out the limitations of my rack. Because most of the new inventory that I haul is small to average size, it is quite easy to throw them on and go.

Standard Load

The bottom of the trailer is pretty basic. Pull on the first car. Back the next over the tandems. And the last car gets pulled in to meet length requirements. Because the product lines that I haul are of average size, it always fits this way. Last week, I got a load of Honda Accords. While it is still not a big car, I did not have the luxury of mixing in a few shorter SUVs. And while I would have normally just shoved them in following this pattern, I thought it was a perfect time to learn to "stack the belly".

So I set about loading the truck and when it got time to place the last 3 cars, I asked the guy next to me for a little advice. I don't know, maybe it is just my personality, but when I ask a simplistic question I expect a simplistic answer. So the guy proceeds to give me a little advice. And then a little more advice. And some more... And another tidbit. Now, I already had 6 cars loaded and strapped, so it was starting to get on  my nerves that he was trying to enlighten  me on how to load the whole truck with various loads. And even more frustrating was the placement of the 7th car ended up being wrong and it would have caused me to tear up the trunk of that car whenever I turned. Somewhere during all of his narrative, another driver comes over and decides to throw in his one hundred and 27 cents worth. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but I have been doing this almost a year now and I think I have the basics pretty well covered. I just wanted to learn something new. In the end, I ended up yanking the 7th car off and loading in my standard pattern. It worked, and the guys wandered back to their trucks.

The next morning, I decided to try again. I was in the middle of a reset on my hours, so I had plenty of time to figure it out, without an over abundance of unsolicited advice. While it wasn't necessary for this particular load, the knowledge will definitely come in handy with longer vehicles.

The outcome... With the first car backed in and raised, I can tuck the second car underneath which allows for a longer car to be loaded without having to run the load longer. Yay, another victory for me!!!

I guess I may sound a little ungrateful. But if I asked how to tie my shoes, then explaining how to put on pants, button, zip and belt them and which arm goes into which sleeve, and how to apply toothpaste to the toothbrush.... well, I am sure you understand. A week later, I took a chance on asking another driver a very pointed question, and he gave me a very pointed answer.. Perfect!!

The Perfect Storm?

(July 22, 2012)

It was just about 2 months ago that I  was travelling north on I-77 and experienced a one in a million lightning strike. While most of the truck is seemingly unaffected at this point, I do have a few minor complications that may or may not be a direct result of that event. I still have one side of the dash that remains dark, but most of those were spare switches anyways. Now my sending unit on my fuel tank has decided it no longer wants to function properly. The first few times that I noticed my fuel gauge in the critical range, I may have panicked a little bit. Considering that I barely hold 135 gallons, it is not wise to test the limits on my fuel consumption. I can't tell you how many times I  have pulled over and physically checked my fuel levels just to be safe. You see, the tanks sit extremely low. I would guesstimate about 4 inches off of the ground. I have heard that we have had drivers scrub, scrap and even puncture these low-riders. So, after the first few fill-ups, when the gauge dropped quickly, I feared the worst. There are no scuff marks on the tanks, no leaks! I now resort to calculating my next fuel stop by mileage. Of course, I tend to fuel more often than I probably need to, but with only about 450 miles between tank fills, I prefer to play it safe. I do need to hit the Pete Dealer and get that replaced because the NO FUEL light is starting to get on my nerves a little bit.

Like, I said, for the most part, the truck seems to be fine.

Today, I am travelling north on I-77, when I noticed dark clouds ahead. It slowly comes to my attention that I am in the same 10 mile stretch of road... I am hauling the same make of cars... I am delivering to the same customers... I am once again riding in the left lane to avoid ridiculously slow four wheelers as the bottom drops out and lightning fills the sky.  It is the most surreal sense of Deja Vu!  Oh wait, I have been there before

There is not a whole lot that instills fear in me, but for the next 15 minutes, you better believe I was suffering a mild case of the heebie jeebies!

I guess it is true.  Lightning never strikes twice in the same place!!

This is Spinal Tap

The one moment I have been dreading ever since I got my new truck has finally arrived. (In reality, it arrived several weeks ago.) With every load, I gain a little more confidence, but being that my rack will hold 11 smaller cars, I was slightly intimidated with the prospects of actually loading 11. I remember the first 11 car load I saw coming out of Greensburg, Indiana, and to put it mildly... I was fascinated, yet completely intimidated. I have "practiced" with several 10 car loads, but when I say practice, I barely did more than place the cars on the ramps and strap the damn tires. The first few loads where I had to stack the head rack, someone else grabbed the valves and positioned the cars for me. Now, if you knew me, you would immediately understand that I was not pleased with having someone else touch my truck or position my decks. But, with a timing issue, I felt it was best to just keep my mouth shut and go with the flow. I can assure you, there may have been a chip on my shoulder while this was going on. But with it being "load supervisors", I managed to step back somewhat gracefully.

When I was told to go load 11 units, I had 2 reactions.  The first being, "oh crap!". The second reaction was the realization that I was finally going to get to put this puzzle together with no help. I headed over first thing in the morning to allow plenty of time for trial and error. Surprisingly, the load went on the truck with no hesitation. It was almost as if it fell into place by itself and with it, all anxiety of the 11 car load melted away.

This one goes to Eleven
(Spinal Tap)

As easily as the load fell into place, there were several unforeseeable issues that managed to arise that day.

After getting loaded, I was informed that one of my cars had been placed on hold and would absolutely have to be removed from the truck. Bet you can't guess which one?

I had no intention of unloading the entire truck just to remove the first car, and thankfully, I was able to find another driver who had not started loading yet. So, he dropped his trailer and was able to back up to me in order to the retrieve the car.  Another first for me, and you know how I love the first time for anything. Well, except the first damage claim...

After getting positioned, we raised the decks to get the car backed off of my tractor with scrubbing the chin spoiler.

We were able to get the car removed and back on the ground with relatively no trouble. I was able to get a replacement car to put back on the load, and other than having to unload a few extra at one of my dealerships, this was definitely a time saver.

Have I mentioned that I am definitely enjoying my career change. It just seems that everyone in this division of trucking is more willing to lend a hand to other fellow car-haulers. I have had people help me find cars, loan me tools, and give advice when I appear to get stuck trying to figure out the load.

I was extremely grateful for this particular favor, as it saved me hours of loading time. And while he seemed happy to lend a truck, he ended up finishing his day right there in front of my truck just after helping get the Acura loaded. He blew the main hydraulic line after building too much pressure on the system and dumped all his fluid. I felt horrible....

Normally, I am the one with "exceptional" luck. I guess I should have warned him before he ever agreed to help out?

One In A Million

Into everyone's life a little rain must fall...

This week I decided it was time to address a few minor issues I was having with the new truck. Minor things really. The rear axle had a gasket that was leaking, typical after removing the axle for the new truck to be towed to its new home. I had also noticed that the truck was not efficiently greased after being built. So, I thought I would stop in and get those items marked off the To Do List. While I was waiting, a nasty little storm was rapidly approaching from the west and for a moment, I almost decided to call it a day. But, with it only being 6 pm and I didn't get started driving until 11am, I decided to proceed towards my destination.

Ohhhhh, how I wish I had stopped early!!!

An hour after leaving the shop, the storm was catching me and I was watching a magnificent display of lightning. In fact, I had a front row seat. Actually I became part of the show....

While traveling north on I-77 through North Carolina, I had a one in a million experience when,  SNAP CRACKLE POP, a blinding light filled the cab. Every hair on my body stood on end as the entire cab of the truck lite up. All lights and gauges glowed for a brief moment, before everything faded to black. I noticed that all the gauges had died, the engine fan was now running, the engine brake no longer worked and my four-way flashers were mysteriously flashing. Mysteriously, because the switch was not engaged.

What the............

The truck continued to run, but with everything in the cab no longer working, I decided I should pull over and check the fuses or relays. I managed to make it into a rest area 10 miles later and proceeded to survey the damages. The only way to cancel the flashers was to shut off the truck. All fuses were good and with no other ideas, I called in for road side assistance. Peterbilt informed me that I would have to be towed in if the truck would no longer crank. Oh, did I mention that? While the truck continued to run after the lightning strike, once I shut it off, it was completely inoperable.

After waiting for what seemed like forever, I was told that I could not get a tow truck until the next day, so in my complacent nature, I decided sleeping in the truck would be easier than raising hell until the wee hours of the morning. Perhaps, I could actually get some sleep. Um, yeah... not so much! But at least the tow truck arrived bright and early. By 6 am, I was enroute to Peterbilt. The driver was actually nice enough to pull off on the side of the highway so I could grab some breakfast.

It is now approaching my 3rd night since the electrifying event and I can honestly say that I am bored out of my mind. The good news is that all the cars seem to remain unscathed. I crawled in a few to make sure they would start. I am still concerned about the 2 on top of the tractor. The truck itself is baffling the shop. They have replaced the Cab Electric Control Unit and there is still no change. The truck is still dead. All the auxiliary power still works such as the PTO. Interior lights function but no gauges and no ignition...  Non of the switches work on the dash, but if you turn the key the four way flashers light up.

Hopefully, tomorrow will bring with it good news. If not, I am heading home because the shop is closed until Tuesday for Memorial Day. Ahhh, the joys of motel living!

Even after living the experience, and writing this post... I still cannot believe it

I got hit by lightning....  What are those odds????????

If It Won't Fit... Force It !!

My first load with the new truck was the standard KIA load which I haul every week. There was very little challenge to where the cars fit, but with learning a new trailer it took me 6 hours to load. Of course, a lot of that was spent positioning the straps and figuring out which levers moved which deck in which direction. Then was the fact that EVERY car is now driven through the posts, so I have to be a bit more attentive. With the sterling, there was nothing to hit loading the top of the truck. With the Pete, I have at least a dozen opportunities to rip off a mirror or side swipe a fender. So far, so good! Another excuse for the slow load, was the fact that several of my car-hauling acquaintances were in West Point that day, so there was plenty of socializing as well.

Each week, after delivering my KIAs, I typically head to one of the auctions for my next load. These loads are always mixed with a variety of units. You have seen some of my big trucks, as well as the tiny cars. And with each load being a puzzle, I knew the Pete's first auction load would be that much more difficult. However, I did not expect it to be as difficult as it proved to be.

When I picked up the new truck, I had mentioned to the terminals managers that I may need a few weeks to get adjusted, so please, no overwhelming loads to start. Everyone smiled and agreed to give me that time. How foolish I was to believe.

My first auction load had me picking up in 2 different locations. Naturally, everything I picked up at the first auction was going to end up riding in the trailer. Essentially, I had to load, unload, and reload. It took me 2 days to get everything situated. And the end result, was that the load was really too big for the truck to begin with. But once again, my determination got the best of me. Even as frustrating as it was, I did manage to somewhat learn how to stack the headrack...  And with all the learning and frustration, the only thing the load paid extra was experience.  I think the thing that infuriated me the most was the fact that there were 7 loads coming out of those auctions that week, with mine being the most difficult and with me being the least experienced with this type of trailer. So much for the promises of a grace period.

The benefit to being challenged so soon, is that the normal smaller loads will seem  a whole lot more manageable in the future.

Long Overdue

2012 Peterbilt 365

So, I have had the new truck for a month and slowly but surely I am beginning to love it. There was the necessity to downsize my travel gear because I lost over 50% of my storage space, but I have eliminated everything that is not extreme necessity. Everything personal fits into 3 small bags which sits on top of my battery box. Yes... my batteries are located into a modified box which is located in the passenger floor. I can imagine this is going to be a major inconvenience if the need should ever arise to get to the batteries. The box is bolted shut, so there is no easy way to get into it. And because of the lack of storage, I need carry all of my maintenance and repair gear in the only tool box that is provided to me. That box is located on the rear of my trailer, underneath the last car. Another inconvenience should I ever need tools while I am loaded, because I would have to unload the last car just to get to the box. I am just crossing my fingers that I am not inconvenienced too often.

So, I have my storage figured out. And I am tickled pink that the new Pete actually feels like a truck. It sounds like a truck, and for the first time in a decade, I can sit comfortably while driving down the road. I no longer have many of the aches and pains I have been dealing with for the past decade and I attribute that to the fact the the fuel pedal is on the floor and a seat that sits low. You may think that something so insignificant could play a major role in one's comfort, but for the past 12 years, I have been driving trucks with pedals suspended from under the dash. Little pedals which I could barely keep my foot on, especially with the higher elevation of the Volvo seat. This caused me to sit in an awkward position with one hip scooted forward. It affected my knee, hip and sciatic nerve. I am sure a lot of this has to do with my lack of height. But height has never stopped me before, so I lived with it. Now, I don't have to!!

Stepping outside of the truck, I am now attached to a 7 car NextGen soft tie trailer. With the additional 4 that my tractor carries, I have the potential to haul 11 cars. The Sterling could only haul 9. And those 9 were in a very limited configuration. I now have 25 valves which move and adjust the decks. I have been told by everyone I know who hauls cars that eventually, this new to me trailer will feel like the best thing since sliced bread because it is a lot easier to arrange the cars. After a month, I am already beginning to feel that way.

Easy Come, Easier Go

As I mentioned in my last post, learning the Quick Loader left little to the development of my skills and therefore, my only real challenge was to fit the bigger vehicles on the load. Okay, so I didn't mention all of that, but I mentioned the part where I get a little giddy shoving big pick ups on my trailer.

Last week, my newest boss (another post, perhaps) called me up and introduced himself. His reason for calling was to offer me a new truck. I have avoided this for the past 7 months, because I was really intimidated by the thought of learning a new trailer and I was already making good money anyways. But the more I pondered on it, the more I realized that I just needed to bite the bullet and further advance my newly acquired skills. Since I don't post with any regularity, I am not sure if I have mentioned any of the maintenance issues that have been ongoing with the Sterling. The oil leaks, the grinding in the transmission, weak springs and a very nasty smoking issue. Every time my truck sits for any length of time (be it 2 hours or 2 days), I get the pleasure of fogging out the neighborhood. This heavy smoke will last for up to 20 miles and then a light smoke continues throughout my journey. It was very tiresome! On occasion, the smoke would also fill the cab. Well, because it is spring and there are no more worries of ice and snow, I decided that turning down a BRAND NEW 2012 Peterbilt would be ludicrous. Sure, there is a fancy NEW NextGen high rail trailer behind it and that does bring with it new anxieties, but how often does one get offered a brand new truck.

So, it is with a not so heavy heart that I bid farewell to the little Sterling. It was a great truck to get me started in car-hauling, and while I am essentially increasing my loading/unloading time, while I decreasing my revenue during the learning curve, and while I am struggling with new anxiety, I look forward to new challenges!  But before we say goodbye, there was one more moment of uber excitement that came with the very last load I hauled in the Sterling.

The last hooray! Here we have a nice little Dodge Ram 1500. Sitting next to it, an F250. Little Dodge, me arse!!

Talk about a tight squeeze !!!

But that is the last one for my personal record book, or at least for now?

Big Time

I'm on my way, I'm making it....
BIG TIME, I've got to make it show Yeah
Big Time, so much larger than life


If this post could have a soundtrack, it would be Peter Gabriel's "Big Time" And you are welcome!!!  Because those of you who know the song will have a hard time not singing a few lines over the next 24 hours. Damn it! I hate when a song gets stuck in my head like that. Once again, you are welcome.

There is a natural progression to any car-hauler's career. After learning the basics and getting a good feel for the equipment, it is only natural to want to see just how much you can fit on your rack.

I took the first few months getting comfortable and developing my rhythm. Loading new cars is almost routine at this point. KIA, Honda and BMWs are pretty standard on my truck, but it is when I am sent to pick up some auction freight that things can get a little challenging. The buyer that I haul for likes to purchase big units and you better believe I was intimidated by some of my loads. It starts with a simple F150 or 1500 ( I forgot how big pickup trucks feel to me), and after I realize they go on the truck with no difficulty, I start to get a little excited about the F250 or whatever big units that will appear on my next load. After several months, I have found myself eager to load the big stuff...

Here are a few of my bigger vehicles and/or loads.

First time to stack trucks on the tractor

First Big Load at Adesa Long Island.

Ford Excursion... Just because I wanted to see if it would fit.

Sprinter Vans heading for Canada

F450... And I needed a step ladder just to get in this one.

For those of you hauling cars, this might not seem like much. But to a rookie, like me.... It's the Big Time!