From desk to own authority

Its just a tad different out here in the West... especially the Rockies. What was described in your earlier trip out here does not come close to a " good ol' Colorado blizzard ". But what do I know... I have run the mountains here in the West the past 7 years, and I have to get over some pretty big passes in all kinds of weather just to get home.

I spent 2 winters in Frazer Colorado at Winter Park. From what I understand it's the coldest place in the U.S. Spent 1 year in Lake Tahoe where it would snow 10 feet in one day. I had a Mustang GT with 4 studded snow tires and I swear it was meaner than an 4 wheel drive. It use to throw up a rooster tail 10 feet in the air. The cops use to wave me on going up Mt. Rose. The GT is one heavy car and it was a convertible to boot.

I crack up every time I see your Avitar TF.

[yoopr]

Lake Tahoe where it would snow 10 feet in one day

BS

[rank]

I can't believe those clowns said you were "not even close" with a bid of $1.80/mile on a flatbed load. And into NY no less. I mean it's not exactly sunny Tucson. Was that $1.80 + FSC?

I honestly don't understand flatbed rates at less than $2/mile. I hate to beat this rate thing to death nor am I trying to be a know it all but........

Not a slam. Just can't figure it out is all.

[Teal 95 KW]

I gotta give it to ya there Steve, taking a Mustang GT out in that kinda weather. I traded in my lifted z71 on my new silverado and it's two wheel drive and I HATE taking that thing out in bad weather. I took my foxbody Mustang GT (92 5.0) out in the snow one day, and let's say a car with the potential to run 9's and drag radials was enough to make me cry like a little girl as I limped him idling lol.


30 minutes to go 5 miles!!!!!

[yoopr]

I gotta give it to ya there Steve, taking a Mustang GT out in that kinda weather. I traded in my lifted z71 on my new silverado and it's two wheel drive and I HATE taking that thing out in bad weather. I took my foxbody Mustang GT (92 5.0) out in the snow one day, and let's say a car with the potential to run 9's and drag radials was enough to make me cry like a little girl as I limped him idling lol.


30 minutes to go 5 miles!!!!!

Same as me driving my Stealth in the Winter up here :P

[Sonny Pruitt]

well time for my 2 cents

if the customer made no notations on the BOL you dodged a bullet

but if he did you are he still may file a claim against you.

once its on your truck and you signed for it you pretty much your responsibilty to get it there damage free or else.

if the shipper makes good...........fine

at some point the claim could be too big for the shipper to say "don't worry about it"

and you will get burnt especially if the customer gets to keep the "damaged" product........there are plenty of scammers out there

ok

the next thing is a bit hard to explain but let me just say that you want to experience a challenge and then the felling of accomplishment when its over.
You have to ask yourself is it really a wise decision to take a load into the belly of the beast? for any price? Are you heading to a snow stormed Denver for the big bucks or "the challenge?" Why risk your truck and life for a challenge? There are 52 weeks in a year to make money. So many things can go wrong with an 18 in winter especially at night. You may be a good driver in the snow but there are white outs, abandoned cars in the middle of the road and cars going the wrong way on the hwy and sharing the road with bad snow drivers.
as soon as the road is snow covered
there is big trouble and not to be taken lightly
sunrise should tell you
not all the trucks make it through a snowstorm

[person]

Please start a thread titled "not all the trucks make it through a snowstorm." The stories should be good.

[Kintama]

well time for my 2 cents

if the customer made no notations on the BOL you dodged a bullet

but if he did you are he still may file a claim against you.

once its on your truck and you signed for it you pretty much your responsibilty to get it there damage free or else.

if the shipper makes good...........fine

at some point the claim could be too big for the shipper to say "don't worry about it"

and you will get burnt especially if the customer gets to keep the "damaged" product........there are plenty of scammers out there

ok

the next thing is a bit hard to explain but let me just say that you want to experience a challenge and then the felling of accomplishment when its over.
You have to ask yourself is it really a wise decision to take a load into the belly of the beast? for any price? Are you heading to a snow stormed Denver for the big bucks or "the challenge?" Why risk your truck and life for a challenge? There are 52 weeks in a year to make money. So many things can go wrong with an 18 in winter especially at night. You may be a good driver in the snow but there are white outs, abandoned cars in the middle of the road and cars going the wrong way on the hwy and sharing the road with bad snow drivers.
as soon as the road is snow covered
there is big trouble and not to be taken lightly
sunrise should tell you
not all the trucks make it through a snowstorm

I will add that freight sucks coming out of Colorado.

[yoopr]

I will add that freight sucks coming out of Colorado

If you can find it and pays for more than fuel costs.

[GMAN]

My truck is posted as available for today and we'll see what happens. If I don't get a load today chances are I'll be stuck here for the weekend. There was one load going from here to NY which is close to home so I bid $1.80 a mile. I got an email back with a "ha ha ha, not even close".

At that point, I think I would have sent him a note back and apologized for sending the wrong quote. You really meant $2.80. :wink:

By the way, Steve. Victorville is one or two exits north on I-15. If you get tired of eating at the restaurant at the Pilot, there are other restaurants only a couple of miles from you. You may check to see if you can drop the trailer, though. It would be difficult to get the truck and trailer in some of the lots. If you get off and go West at Victorville there is an Applebee's, I believe and some other restaurants where you could probably get the truck and trailer near the restaurants. There is also a shopping center at that exit. If you go East, there is a WalMart if you need to pick up some supplies. If you go to that WalMart, you may want to go around back to the truck entrance and park. As long as you don't stay too long, they should not bother you.

By the way, are you bidding for most of your loads or picking them up off the boards?

[yoopr]

why and the world would he even be near Victorville?

[person]

Lake Tahoe where it would snow 10 feet in one day

BS

The 24-hour snowfall record at Lake Tahoe is 67 inches in 1982. That of course is in just that one place. Any build up is possible because of the blowing and the crazy terrain.

[yoopr]

Lake Tahoe where it would snow 10 feet in one day

BS

The 24-hour snowfall record at Lake Tahoe is 67 inches in 1982. That of course is in just that one place. Any build up is possible because of the blowing and the crazy terrain.

we get more than that up here and we're not even in the Mountains.

67" isn't even close to 10'

Thanks for the Walmart tip GMAN, I am out of supplies. I'm going to unhook and restock today. I want to see if I can make some metal cable hangers to hang my chains on the short support beams on my flatbed today also. Does anyone have any other suggestions as to how to hang my chains? I don't have space near the bunk because of my big tanks and tool boxes on both sides and would like to mount something today.

The 10' in Tahoe was with drifting too. The house I was in was completely buried to the roof. Thank God I didn't have to dig myself out. On a side note. I was hired by the gaming commission in Reno and given a huge program that ran in a million dollar slot machine. This slot machine was hit for the jackpot in less than a month at 2 different locations and the record showed the same sequence of quarters inserted. The program was modified in many different locations to modify itself after getting a certain sequence of quarters inserted. At different levels of quarter insertion a byte of code was stored in Malloc memory. When the sequence of quarters was complete the code did a jump to RAM and modified the RNG to hit then erased itself. It took me 6 months to find it and 2 programmers were convicted.

My Mustang won't move an inch with my regular tires but believe me, put 4 studded snows on and watch out.

As far as heading into a possible storm, well, it doesn't bother me. You guys can stay in Florida for $1.10 and for me, I'll chain up and head up!

All the loads I've been getting are off the load boards. Half the time I post my truck and end up getting a call from either a shipper as in this case or a broker with a load that was not posted. Most of the better paying loads that I see are for areas like what I'm about to head into or last minute stuff. I'm pretty sure if I tried for over $2.00 on most loads I would sit forever. I think most of you talk BS about what your getting unless your hooked up with a shipper but as far as load boards are concerned I think your lucky to get $1.60 to $1.80 at the most. I've bid on tons of loads and never hear back so I'm sure they are getting a cheaper price. If you think a handful of us here on the load boards are going to change the industry by not taking loads for less than $2.00 your F%^%& crazy and will sit and starve. I don't think my average is bad at all and this month should be about $1.80.

The load I'm taking is going to Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen and the band equipment is in special containers with there own power source for heat and dehumidifier and AC. Why a flatbed you ask. Because where I'm going is not a place a truck can get into so they will be off loading me close by with a forklift and driving the crates to the stage.

I'm still on Eastern time and it's 5:17am for me but really 2:17am here in CA. Pretty quiet I must say. Going to punch in Walmart on my GPS and call around and see if there are any 24 superstores in the area.

[GMAN]

I believe the WalMart I mentioned in Victorville is open 24 hours. I believe it at the second exit heading north on I-15. Come off the freeway and head east. It is a few blocks on the left. There is an auto parts store across the street. I think it is an Autozone. Anyone who works at the Pilot or restaurant should be able to tell you.

I believe the WalMart I mentioned in Victorville is open 24 hours. I believe it at the second exit heading north on I-15. Come off the freeway and head east. It is a few blocks on the left. There is an auto parts store across the street. I think it is an Autozone. Anyone who works at the Pilot or restaurant should be able to tell you.

Thanks, I just called and they open at 5am. I can type in WalMart on my GPS and it tells me everyone starting with the closest one and the one you mentioned will do. I don't think it's a superstore with food so I'm hoping they at least carry coffee.

[GMAN]

I don't recall whether that WalMart has a grocery department or not. I do remember a grocery store at that exit. If you are bobtailing, you should not have a problem parking.

Yup, I'm bob tailing so I'll find something. I need to buy a new printer/scanner since mine broke. I spent about $30 yesterday faxing stuff at $2.00 per page.

I need to grease up my 5th wheel although I'm not sure which one is my fifth. I've looked at all 18 wheels but they don't number them. I'll pick up more grease at WalMart and do all of them so that should cover it.

[GMAN]

Perhaps they should call them 19 wheelers rather than 18 wheelers. :wink:

[Outta here]

oh boy......... that ought to generate some replies LOL