High-Seas to Highways

[broncrider1]

i hope yer enjoying your weekend at home man

chat at ya next week

[devildice]

i hope yer enjoying your weekend at home man

chat at ya next week

Thanks.....I'll give you a holler when I get back out there Monday. Got 2 back to back loads lined up right now that will take me up to MN and then over to UT.

[danske]

Sounds like a nice little run.....congrats!!! Yeah the ride is doing good. I think I will have it turned up to 550hp though.

If you turn it up to 550hp, do you get any more low end torque? I always understood it was torque that's needed for pulling hills with heavy loads.

BTW, today I was on I15N in Utah. I saw a speed sign for 80MPH!! I didn't believe it a first, but then I saw a sign next to it stating this was a test section of the highway.

Deseret News | Speed limit of 80 mph now legal on parts of I-15

Now, I generally don't run over 70mph as I am more comfortable at 65mph. But, I figured how many chances am I going to get to legally run 80mph? My truck is ungoverned, so I set the cruise to 80mph for the 19 miles. I had a UHP come off the shoulder and follow me for a few miles. It was a strange feeling to be going that fast with a bear on my azz and no fear of being stopped. Once, the speed dropped back to 75mph, I reset my cruise to 68mph.

[allan5oh]

Hey DD,

Ever consider putting your posts all into a blog type format? That way we don't have to wade through everything. Or maybe get rev to put a "cliffs notes" version in the first post that way someone can just pick up at the end.

edit:

I went on US50 in that stretch a few months ago, it was incredible! By far the nicest highway I've ever been on. I loved how worn out the mountains looked on the east side. I did it empty, so I flew across the whole thing. My GF didn't like all the twistys though. Probably would just take 70 in winter.

[devildice]

If you turn it up to 550hp, do you get any more low end torque? I always understood it was torque that's needed for pulling hills with heavy loads.

BTW, today I was on I15N in Utah. I saw a speed sign for 80MPH!! I didn't believe it a first, but then I saw a sign next to it stating this was a test section of the highway.

Deseret News | Speed limit of 80 mph now legal on parts of I-15

Now, I generally don't run over 70mph as I am more comfortable at 65mph. But, I figured how many chances am I going to get to legally run 80mph? My truck is ungoverned, so I set the cruise to 80mph for the 19 miles. I had a UHP come off the shoulder and follow me for a few miles. It was a strange feeling to be going that fast with a bear on my azz and no fear of being stopped. Once, the speed dropped back to 75mph, I reset my cruise to 68mph.

I want the more HP because I got so used to the 500hp in the Western Star. And as strange as it sounds, I have spoken to 1 mech at a Peterbilt shop and 2 CAT mechs, and they all said that if I have it turned up to what it was made for (550hp), I should see a slight increase in performance and fuel mileage. I could never understand how more HP would save fuel but one of the CAT mechs explained that basically the motor would not be working as hard and therefore save fuel. A friend of mine had his Pete turned up and he claims he is getting almost a 1/2 mile more per gallon.

As for the speed limit in UT, I seen that too a few weeks back when I was running down I-15.

[devildice]

Hey DD,

Ever consider putting your posts all into a blog type format? That way we don't have to wade through everything. Or maybe get rev to put a "cliffs notes" version in the first post that way someone can just pick up at the end.

edit:

I went on US50 in that stretch a few months ago, it was incredible! By far the nicest highway I've ever been on. I loved how worn out the mountains looked on the east side. I did it empty, so I flew across the whole thing. My GF didn't like all the twistys though. Probably would just take 70 in winter.

Hate to sound dumb, but what do you mean by "a blog type format"?

Yeah that US 50 was a beautiful ride. It was 160 miles shorter overall than running back up to Grand Junction and across 70. It may have taking more time due to the curves and speed limit, but it was definitely worth it.

[allan5oh]

A blog would be your own website. Each entry would only be yours. Then we could "comment" on each blog. Sort of like this:

Little Green Footballs

That way it is much easier to go through your story. Don't have to wade through all the comments.

[ComfortablyNumb]

Allan beat me to it, but he's right. A blog is an acronym or just a short way of saying "web log" and it's basically a diary of sorts where you can just write away to your heart's content, or rant & rave, as your mood dictates. You basically start your own mini-web site to just write your story. The good part about a blog is that you are the star and we can read what you want to write. If someone has a comment on what you've written, they can click on a "comment" button and add their comments. We as the reading public, can then choose to either read your most entertaining story without being sidetracked by everyone's comments. Or read the comments too, if we decide. It's pretty cool.

Here's one place (of many...) where you can start your own blog for free: WordPress.com
Just click on the "Sign Up Now!" button and away you go...

Here's an example of a blog at this wordpress.com web site that was just started by someone I know: Tim's Blog
As you can see it's formatted for easy reading. You can select a title for the day's post and the blog web site posts the date for you and adds a comment button so readers can comment on your writing.

I have been lurking here and following your posts for quite a while and find them very interesting. You've obviously got some others following them as well.

Hope this description helps!

Greg

[broncrider1]

if ya do a blog, it will be alot harder for some of us to find it....newbies included

i know yer a busy man and all, but i also know they have the internet in the dakota's

so update ya dillhole......yer fans are waiting

[devildice]

Guess I've been really slacking in updating . I am even too lazy to go back and read my last update to see where I left off

So, let's see.......I dropped my son off at home and picked up a military load out of Fort Hood, TX going to Appleton, MN. I had 2 humvee's and 1 Dodge Caravan. It was an easy load except that dang van was a little bit of a challenge because it does not have any specific tie downs and I do not carry any special ties downs for regular vehicles. Although a slight pain in the rear end to secure, I "got er dun" and delivered the load with no problems.

From Appleton, I bounced down to Zumborta, MN and picked up some misc. pipes and racks going to a job site in South Jordan, UT. I was told to be at the shipper between 10-11am so I got there at 9:45am (early is on time and on time is late). Anyways, it turns out that the load was no where near ready. I mean they were still welding flanges and such on the pipes. I didn't roll out of there until about 3pm! Other than that, the run went smoothly.

From there I bounced down to Myton, UT and loaded some "Mats" for an oil rig that were going to New Town, ND. I usually will not take any loads up to that area as it can be real hard to get out of. But this one paid extremely well and when I figured in a healthy DH out of there it still paid decent. It was an absolute cluster there. There must have been at least 40 trucks all sitting in a field getting loaded with this and that. Most were OD & heavy loads. There was only one other LS truck there and he too was getting the same Mats as I was. We sat there for about 6hrs before they even called on me to load. Once they did, there was a big debate as to how much each mat weighed and what they would load on me. Eventually, they decided to play it safe and put 4 mats and a few misc. peices on and asked if I would weigh and call them back so they had an idea of what to load on the other trucks. When I weighed, it turned out to be about 39k. That load went smooth and was delivered a day early.

Of course they was not a single decent paying load coming out of the area so the other LS driver and myself DH back down to Rapid City, SD (bike week was gearing up ). After sitting for almost 2 days with no decent loads popping up, I finally found one from Peetz, CO to Elk City, OK. Although it and the previous load both have good rates, when my DH is factored in it goes from good rates to just O.K. rates. But that's the way it works in this business sometimes right.

I am now sitting at the Sapp Bros. in Sidney, NE. I am 14 miles from Peetz, Co where I will load first thing Monday morning.

After this load, I will start making my way back to the house to take a couple of weeks off as my son, who received a full blown Navy ROTC Scholarship to Hampton University in Hampton, VA, leaves for college in mid August. His mom and I will drive him there and visit a few old friends from my Navy days.

[Fratsit]

Devil,

Sounds like its been a busy few weeks for ya.....

Well done to your son on the ROTC Scholarship. Best of luck to him, too. If you find yourself around Naval Station Norfolk and have the time, it would be my pleasure to treat you and the family to lunch or dinner.

R/

Frat

[devildice]

Devil,

Sounds like its been a busy few weeks for ya.....

Well done to your son on the ROTC Scholarship. Best of luck to him, too. If you find yourself around Naval Station Norfolk and have the time, it would be my pleasure to treat you and the family to lunch or dinner.

R/

Frat

Yeah it's been a little busy. Was trying to run as much as possible in light of taking a couple of weeks off. Thanks, I am extremely proud of him. We plan to be in the area for about a week or so starting around the 21st.

[devildice]

Today was a day to say the least!!!!!

I sat at the Sapp Bros. in Sidney, NE for the past day and a half bored out of my mind. Finally, it's Monday morning and I'm going to load and get the wheels turning. I bounce the 15 miles or so to Peetz, CO and right off the bat I had to go 12 miles down a Country Road made of gravel and dirt. OK, no biggie. I get to the site (wind mill job site) and sat for 5 1/2hrs before they loaded me!

I get the load tarped and start rolling back down this 12 miles gravel road. I am rolling a lot later than I had hoped for but oh well, at least I am moving. Just as I reach the highway, I get a call from the agent saying that the customer has canceled the load and for me to go back and have it unloaded.

So I turn around and head back the 12 miles up this freaking gravel road to the job site. I explain to the crane guys what happened and they said they would unload me after they finished loaded 2 other trucks. I get my tarp rolled up and put away and all but a couple of straps off the load when a pick up shows up and a guy ask me what happened. I explain to him that the customer will not be able to receive the load until the 11th of August and therefore it has been canceled. He makes 2 phone calls and then tells me everything is good to go if I still want the load.

By now I am just a little hot under the collar and said no thanks. I've already untarped it and the agent put it in as a "truck ordered not used". This load was NOT paying good enough to tarp, untarp, retarp, and then untarp at the final destination. I told him if he really wants me to take it, then it goes untarped period. He could not make that decision, so I told them to go ahead and take it off my deck.

So now I am sitting in Brush, CO empty and with no prospects of a load as of yet. The ONLY saving grace thus far is that I was able to take a nice shower and eat a good meal, other than that this day has SUCKED big time!!

[tootie04]

Oh that does suck...hope ya get out of CO soon. I love CO but not for frieght!!

Big congrats on your son...he must be a chip off the old block...

[devildice]

Oh that does suck...hope ya get out of CO soon. I love CO but not for frieght!!

Big congrats on your son...he must be a chip off the old block...

Luckily I got out of there the following day. Picked up a RGN trailer and took it to Socorro, NM.

As for my son, Thank you, my wife and I are so proud of him. I wish I could say he was a chip off the ole block but he's a lot smarter than me hence his scholarship .

[devildice]

Well I made it back home the other day and have essentially parked my rig for the rest of the month. Aside from a few things I need to take care of here at the house, we will all be jumping in the 4wheeler and taking my son to VA to start college.

[Orangetxguy]

Are you still being lazy??

[devildice]

Are you still being lazy??

Yeah pretty much.

[Fratsit]

Yeah pretty much.

Thats just plain wrong..... ....I thought this was an update. Hope your son got settled in school and all is well.

R/

Jeff

[devildice]

Thats just plain wrong..... ....I thought this was an update. Hope your son got settled in school and all is well.

R/

Jeff

Sorry about that. There really isn't much to update. We just got back from Virginia where we helped my son get settled in at the college.

Right now I am charging my truck batteries as they were dead when I went to start it. I expected as much so no big deal. I will more than like get back out on the road next week.