[NotSteve]

Well, I think we found the secret handshake!!!! I like it!

I figure we can have daycare also and GMAN can be in charge. The kids will be so freaked out by his mask they will just hide in a corner for the duration of out meetings.

I'm still in Laredo and the load is no more. After signing the rate agreement and showing up at the customer to load I was faxed the directions. How convenient there was a little note that the load had to be delivered in 3 days because the customer was shutting down for a week. There was no way I could drive that distance and make it in time going up the coast. I'll be lucky to average 500 to 550 per day.

They had another load of the same cargo going up to Maine that was 300 miles more but wanted to offer the same money as the other load. They didn't want to make good on the first load so it looks like I'll be filing a bad report on them to the ITS.

The radiator cost me $1,395 and the labor is $400 to put it in. It's coming from Canada so I'm hoping it arrives in time for when I get home. I kind of thought the labor sounded cheap since I'm assuming it takes all day to put that in or so I thought. This will be through the dealer up in Vermont. I gave up going through my local dealer. They are on the verge of going out of business.

When I delivered my load yesterday I noticed that the other truck had already delivered. I also noticed the machinery was outside on the ground. This is a very expensive load and the paperwork said it had to be weather protected at all times. I called up the factory and spoke to the plant manager. This place went through great pains to prepare this load and protect many parts and it was just thrown on the ground. I took pictures of all the equipment laying on the ground and was asked to email them to him.

I'm hoping to get out of Laredo today as the temp has been over 100 every day. That Rigmaster really works well now that I close off the front of the cab. It was just too much for the unit to cool the whole inside.

[GMAN]

That must be some radiator, Steve. There is a company in Chicago that will sell you a new radiator for about half that amount. I put a radiator in my International last year and I believe that it took me about 3 or 4 hours to take it out and put it back in.

[NotSteve]

I already looked for radiators and mine has a big ass one already that came with my model of truck. My Western Star is the EX model with more options and the big radiator is one of them. I check around and nobody stocks it and the ones I did find were $1,200 and up. I did find cheaper ones but they were rebuilt and I want a new one.

It just looks hard to put one in but they are saying 4 hours. It would take me a freaking week.

Well, I'm off to Canada again. With the dead head it's 2940 miles and paying $7,800. It's about 28,000 pounds or less so my rear tandems will have no more than 20,000 total on them which is the law up there.

After that I'm heading home I hope. I've noticed that I'm carrying a lot more money on the roads these days for fuel. I'm spending about $900 every 2 days on fuel so it adds up pretty quick.

Heading into down town Houston to the port to pick up this stuff so that should be a real trip. I'm assuming they have their own exit and everything though so it should be easy.

[Maxwell Payne]

You've been in my area and didn't let me know?!?

What's the matter, afraid of a slight delay at the border?

Be safe.

[Doghouse]

I've got a new radiator coming this weekend also. A nice all aluminum unit, its supposed to have twice the cooling capacity of a copper/brass unit.
Steve,..are you having the charge air cooler checked and or replaced?

[NotSteve]

You suck Max, I'm still not talking to you!!! This time I'm going through Coutts so you can't find me!

Yea Dog, they are replacing that charge card thinger dinger. He said I didn't have a choice. Well, actually I did but he said it's the right thing to do.

I picked up my load at the Port of Houston yesterday. What a trip!! The whole place shuts down over night and is open from like 8 to 3:30 and that's it. I thought places like that were open all night but I'm guessing since it's pretty much in down town Houston they don't want the heavy traffic and noise all the time.

You have to go from one office to another before you finally get to load up. It's wasn't that bad but took 4 hours from start to finish and I was loaded up before anyone else for some reason. The guy that loaed me was one of the biggest black guys I've ever met. Really nice person and telling me about when he lived in Chicago and was part of a gang. Show me a few bullet wounds that he could. He had more. He finally got out and made a new life for himself. The bastard is 46 and looks 25.

It was pretty cool being right next to all the cargo ships and watching the action. Made me want to hop back on the cruise ship until I thought about putting up with all those old ladies again.

The heat and humidity was sooooo bad that after I was loaded I had to pull over and change clothes. I thought I was going to have to rip some of the clothes off me because they were so wet and stuck like glue to me. I had the engine A/C running and the Rigmaster. I got the inside down to 66 before I cooled off.

I'm still in Texas and it's 11pm and pretty cool out but I still have to run the A/C because of the humidity. There's a lake outside my truck from all the water being taken out of the air.

I found out why so many trucks have water all over their windows in the morning. It's because the older trucks do not have an effective dehumidifier on the trucks A/C. That must suck big time. The only thing I can think of is that they are cool but still soaked.

This is one time I wish I could download the route I want to take up to Canada. The GPS is picking a way that's 200 miles longer then I need to go so I'm having to set waypoints along the way to make sure it goes the way I want it to.

Well, this sure is a sign of the times. I have $32,400 in outstanding invoices and will top over $40,000 before I get home. I'm guessing more than $10,000 of that is due to the increase in fuel prices and having to charge more to haul a load. I tend to fill up every other day at a cost of about $900 so it adds up pretty quick.

[BanditsCousin]

$900 every 2 days? I know OTR guys spending $1000/day. But they are hard runners. I won't mention any names on whom they may be :wink:

Speaking of cruises, you should attend the annual trucker cruise I used to partake in. Since you don't have belly boxes and 19.5's on your trailer, we'll make an exception just for you :lol:

[solo379]

Originally Posted by NotSteve

I found out why so many trucks have water all over their windows in the morning. It's because the older trucks do not have an effective dehumidifier on the trucks A/C.

You can't be serious? :shock: Are you? :roll:

[NotSteve]

I've been thinking about taking a cruise but I'll probably pay for it and go as a passenger this time. I'm going to have to pretend I'm on the road or I'll piss off a few of my female friends.

I can't imagine $1,000 per day in fuel. I have all this money but it's like it's already spent on my next trip out!!!

I should get good fuel mileage on this trip. I'm loaded like a van with all square crates so that should cut down a lot on wind resistance.

[BigDiesel]

Originally Posted by NotSteve

Well, this sure is a sign of the times. I have $32,400 in outstanding invoices and will top over $40,000 before I get home. I'm guessing more than $10,000 of that is due to the increase in fuel prices and having to charge more to haul a load. I tend to fill up every other day at a cost of about $900 so it adds up pretty quick.

Have any of the borkers burned you yet or very slow in paying ??

I'm doing roughly $1500 in petrol a week.......