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Steve, don't EVER be embarrassed when on the road, ESPECIALLY if you to ask for help from the COPS!!!! I've got over 30 years of experience of local and otr. Just a couple of years ago I was in Portland one morning during rush hour for a delivery. My instructions was to get off at a certain exit, turn right and immediately make a left at next light. As i was coming off of the exit, my lite was green, so I wheeled right thru the lite, and immediately got in left land for the next lite which was green also. I'm setting waiting for traffic to clear to turn left, NOT paying afternoon to WHAT I was turning into. When traffic cleared and I made my left turn, guess what?? It was a parking lot for an office complex...NO room for trucks...NO place to turn around...I was STUCK in the drive. The only choice I had was to back out into 6 lanes of rush hour traffic, hoping to get thru while I had the green lite???? I don't think so....so I called the Portland police. They showed up in about 10 minutes. I was expecting to get a ticket or at least a butt chewing, but they were real nice, and said they do that very often. So they stopped traffic and I backed my happy little butt out of there. You know if I had tried to back out w/o help, I know the lite would have changed before I got out completely and only god knows what could have happened. The point being here is SAFETY. Steve, when there's an accident, there's NO turning around, you cant take it back.Taking chances out there is NOT worth the risks. I have been blessed that I had no accidents in the years I've been on the road. Some close calls, which were "wake up" calls for me, but no accidents. So NEVER be embarrassed to ask for help out there. There is NO substitution for safety!!!! Good Luck Steve.

 

Do you have a link to the GPS system that you bought? Or, you could tell me which one it is, and I could search myself. A few rules of thumb I followed when I was starting out, and they have just become second nature, is if/when I am pulling into a parking lot, with a narrow entrance, pulling further up, and cutting it sharp to the left 9 times out of 10 puts me straight in line with the driveway, and I don't have the trailer cutting into on-coming lanes. Works nicely if there is an island, or other trucks trying to exit the parking lot. Also-if you got yourself into a situation, then you can CERTAINLY get yourself out of it. You just have to take your time, not get in a hurry and do NOT get excited, and you'll be fine. As far as weather, etc. goes drive where YOU are comfortable, turn off the cb, and remember, NOBODY is going to make sure you get from A to B safely, so that is up to you to do the thinking for everybody else on the road to ensure a safe trip. If you have to slow down below the flow of traffic, I would turn on my flashers, so as to draw attention to myself, and the fact that I am travelling slower so people will go around you. Same goes for if you're coming up on slowed/stopped traffic...hit the 4-ways, as it will catch the attention of drivers around you.


Curling up in bed at the end of a long day, when it's cold outside, and you've got the heat running, and a movie in the dvd player, with the vibration of the motor..I can honestly say it really doesn't get much better than that, lol.

 

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Teal 95 has it right. When weather is bad and your driving where you feel safe-turn off the CB unless you need it, because there will be somebody screaming at you and you dont need that pressure.

 

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I am glad you have a tire carrier on the trailer. I always keep a spare tire with me. Unless you have your own tire or can buy on national account, these truck stops can really rape you on price.

 

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I think the RPM depends a lot on the engine type. On my CAT C-15, it likes 1000 to 1500 the best, with 1100-1300 being the sweet spot.

I'm amazed when I hear about truck engines that people shift at 2000 or 2100 rpm. I almost never exceed 1600 rpm, but mine is one of the newer engines that 'like' low rpms with a lot of turbo boost. I've seen my boost guage hit 65.

Also, the rear end ratio plays a part. Mine is a 3.36. The dealer recommended a 3.55 when I ordered the truck, but I went with a lower numerical ratio. Looking back, I probably should have gone with a 3.25 or 3.08. With low rpm engines with lots of torque, it makes sense. Also, better for high speed fuel economy.

Everything I read here seems to indicate that CAT engines are the best low RPM performers with Cummins and Detroit liking a little higher RPM.

 

Hi SteveBooth,
If you will give me the year of the truck and the H.P. rating I will look up the performance specs. and let you know.