September 1th, 2009

I saw a guy in our yard with a stepdeck today and asked him if I can measure his stake pockets. Turns out he's a new guy and this is his first day at MacKinnon. He was glad to learn that I am getting a step too as that means it might be easier for MacKinnon to find good loads for us stepdeckers. I grabbed a spool of my 4' strap with a flat metal hook to see if I can squeeze the hook through the top of the stake pocket. To my relieve, it went through! So, I don't have to change my straps after all.

I drove to the trailer dealer in Breslau ON around noon and hooked to my RoadBrute for the first time. Bruce, the sales guy, walked around the trailer with me and gave me more tips on how to take care of it, what loads I should protect the floor from ("put something on top of the aluminum if you carry a machine with tracks, eg bulldozer") and so on. We measured the height and at the lower deck it was closer to 35" in the front. I put on the 4-ways and the LED lights look much better than the regular lights on my truck. The rear has 9 lights!

Just like when you buy a car, the dealer had to have a proof of insurance from MacKinnon that the trailer is covered under the fleet policy. Bruce got the fax from MacKinnon with insurance info before I arrived in their yard...

I left Trailers Canada with a bunch of reference materials about the trailer and the original ownership. The trailer in plated in my name and I don't have to pay any annual fees for the license.

I was passing through Cambridge, ON on the way back to our yard and decided to stop by Traction Heavy Truck Parts. Now I have 8 recoilless binders, 3 chains (20' long), 16 steel coil corner protectors, a box of bungee cords (50 bucks). I bought only 3 chains because these were his last ones, still packaged in small boxes. When I walked out the door, my bank account had 500 bucks less in it than when I had walked in :) These accessories are expensive.

When I came to the yard, I showed the trailer to my Dispatch and she asked me to give her a sheet with the trailer dimensions. Also, she was interested in the empty weight: trailer, fully fueled truck, all accessories. Will do that tomorrow morning, once I fuel. Then the Safety Dept. wanted a copy of the ownership paperwork and the Shop guy "inspected" the 2010 trailer and sent the email to Safety (which is in the same building) saying I had the green light to join the fleet with my own trailer. Safety needed this email so that I can officially be set up for the 82% of gross revenue pay.

After this I parked the truck and trailer, jumped into my 2-door Chevy Cobalt Sport and drove 50 km (30 mi) to a tarp shop in Burlington, ON to pick up the load levelers. The car is a coupe and the rear seats fold down ... I was hoping I could squeeze the 8.5' levelers in. When I came to the shop and took a look at the levelers I knew I had made a mistake: the levelers were massive!

A shop worker helped me to carry them out and when we put them alongside the car, they seemed to be as long as the car!

So, I called a local cab company ... "Do you guys have a van with folding seats that can pick up 2 metal pieces 8.5' long and 5" wide?" I asked the Cab Dispatcher. He said the seats in their vans didn't fold, so "unfortunately we cannot help you". When I asked if he knew who I can call he suggested renting a pickup truck or a van.

Since I already have a truck and trailer that seemed like a bad idea, so I asked the tarp shop to keep the levelers overnight. They open at 7 am tomorrow and I can bring over my truck with a trailer and pick them up. A cab ride would cost a fortune anyway...

So, right now I'm sitting at a Swiss Chalet in Burlington, ON having a Health Check Quarter Chicken and resting from moving the 100 lb levelers :)

After I pick them up tomorrow, I'll be ready to roll ... except I still need to get at least 5 more chains. The tarp shop that sold me the levelers only had 16' chains and I think those are too short. I never thought that chains would be the most difficult items to find. Actually, there's another item that no one seems to have - mats for steel coil bunks ...

When i was pulling flats,for the mats we used strips of old mudflaps cut length wise. You can probably get three nice strips per flap. ask your shop if they have any old mud flaps they are getting ready to scrap and grab those and cut them up and save yourself some pocket money.They worked great and were easy to stow away and if you left any out on accident they were not something someone would think to steal from you and if someone did then you are not out any money.

Good tip, thanks. The drawback I can see with using mud flaps however is that they are probably much heavier than mats. So, you win in space, ease of storage, and cost; but lose in weight.

i'm all set
 

I drove to AeroKit with the trailer this morning to pick up the load levelers. They fit the stake pockets in the front of the lower deck, where Wilson wants you to keep their own levelers. I put a ratchet strap around them and they seem to sit pretty steady. I asked the sales guy if they could cut me some chains, and they said ok. I waited half an hour and now I have the full set of 20 ft chains. After I fueled I got on the scale and the total empty weight (truck with me inside, the 48' trailer with all accessories, incl. tarps, chains, binders, straps, etc.) came up to 31,180 lbs. Which means I can carry the maximum of 48,820 lbs in the US or 49,000 lbs if I keep one of the tanks half full. The final measurements for the height showed that my upper deck sits at 59 inches, and the lower deck is at 36 inches. If I replace my drive axle steel rims with aluminum ones later on, I should be able to take up to 49,000 lbs with both tanks full. I typed all these numbers, including GVWR, and concentrated load weights (43k lbs for 4 ft; 45k lbs for 10 ft; and 48k lbs for 20 ft) and faxed the Spec Sheet to Dispatch.

I emailed Recruiting and then Payroll to make sure they have switched me to percentage pay of 82% of the gross. Payroll was the hardest to crack :) The electronic dialog went something like this:

ME: "Morning, Teresa. Have you switched me to 82% pay? I have my own trailer now, Unit B3395. -Sergey"
PAYROLL: "I received the notice." ???
ME (irritated): "Am I on 82% pay now?"
PAYROLL (irritated): "All loads after today date of change will b paid at 82%"
ME: "Thanks."

I wanted to write something like "Communication received" instead of "thanks" but decided not to take chances. Joking with Payroll can be costly :)

Looks like my first stepdeck load is going to be an oversize. Just heard from dispatch (after sitting at a petro-pass in hamiilton, on for 4 hours) that tomorrow (Wednesday) morning i'm loading at a small town some 20 miles from here and the load is going to Baltimore, MD for Friday delivery. The message from Dispatch was laconic: "You load tomorrow early am at .... Permits have been ordered." I'm nervous: I never did an oversize before. The distance is 470 miles. Anyone knows how much a good oversize load should pay per mile?

Make sure you get your over sizebanners for the front and back and orange markers for the corners. those are easy to forget about if you have not messed with oversize before.

Read your permits carefully. Delivery in Maryland on the Friday before a federal holiday? There are going to be travel restrictions depending on the size.

I will give you a quick oversize lesson.

1) Read everything twice. Then read it again.
2) If the permit has your plate #'s for tractor and trailer (Maryland does) make sure they match the plate #'s ON the tractor and trailer.
3) Make sure the demensions of the load match the permit. If the permit says "load width 10 feet" you better not be 10'2".
4) The flags go on the widest point of the load.
5) People will honk the horn and give you the finger. It isn't because you are Canadian.
6) If you have Prepass and get a green light and the scale is open you still need to pull in.
7) If the sign says "Bridge Clearence 12 feet" and you are 13 feet tall even if you convert it to metric it still isnt going to fit.
8) If they tell you it is 470 miles it probably wont be. I just took one to Kansas. Qualcom stated "Loaded miles 678". 1534 miles later we got to Kansas.
9) Unlike a dryvan, when you get to the jobsite people will actually be glad to see you.
10) Cranes cost money, Be on time.

Oversize
 

ALL super good advice!!!!!!!!!!!

Good tips, thanks very much! What about rotating lights? Do you use them when carrying an OD load? I was looking and looking but couldn't find the battery operated type :)

First stepdeck load
 

I got up at 6 am and drove towards Smithville, ON, some 60 miles away. I bought 2 "oversize load" signs and 4 flags at our shop the night before but I still didn't have the rotating lights required on New York OD permit. I decided to stop at TA/Flying J on I-90, east of Buffalo, once I cross the border. I got lost on the way to Smithville thanks to my GPS that kept sending me down some very narrow roads that I had to avoid because of the 41 ft wheelbase on the stepdeck. Eventually I got to the shipper, just before the appointment time of 8 am.

I found the shipping office inside the plant and the shipping clerk was a rather attractive female. I told her what I was picking up and where it was going and she quickly found the paperwork and I signed it. I said I didn't know how far back inside the plant I should back up the truck, and she took me across the floor to the place where the loading guy was supposed to be. I was surprised to see that when we left the office, the girl put on not just the hard hat but safety glasses and a ... respirator. It wasn't just a mask, but a full blown thingie that people wear during nuclear attacks :)

She wanted to show me the items I was picking up and as we walked I couldn't resist asking why she was wearing the respirator. She said, "There's lots of dust here ... And I was trying to get pregnant..." ??? What do you say to that? I didn't say anything and we just kept walking. She showed me the stuff that was going on my truck. They looked like 2 giant cookies made out of concrete, 10 feet in diameter and about 1 foot thick. Each weighed 14,000 lbs. After the forklift guy put them on the lower deck, approximately 1 foot of the "cookie" was sticking out on both sides.

I asked the forklift guy if 2 straps per "cookie" were enough but he didn't have a clue. Since each of my 4" straps is rated for 5,400 lbs, I decided to use 4 straps for the entire load, crossing them over each other, 2 for each "cookie". I spent some time attaching the OD signs and flags (first time!)... When I was fighting with the rear OD sign, the attractive shipping clerk with the respirator showed up again. "You know it has to be tarped?" she asked me. I thought she was kidding: each "cookie" was wrapped in hard plastic already! I pointed this out to her but all I learned was that "all loads leaving our plant have to be tarped."

I drove the truck out of the plant and parked in an open area so that I could work without the hard hat. Just to be sure I sent a message to Dispatch asking them if they knew the shipper wanted this load tarped (there was nothing about tarping on my load info). The load planner wrote back, "Please tarp."

So, I unrolled my brand new bright blue "steel" tarp (16' x 20', with a flap) and got to work. After 30 minutes and when almost all 50 of my bungee cords were gone :) I was ready to start driving.

I got to the border in Fort Erie, ON and stopped to check on the load and get something to eat. The straps were okay and both "cookies" were still on the deck :) I lucked out on the US side by choosing Lane 1, which turned out the be the widest. Even with my 10'6" load I still had room on both sides to clear the lane without problems.

I did get into some narrow spots at toll booths on I-90 and then on 15 south, in a construction zone before Williamsburg. The 15 in that spot was so tight that I had to put on my 4-way flashers and slow down to 35 miles per hour. The zone lasted for 8 (!) miles and on quite a few occasions I had 1/2 foot of spare space on the left and as much on the right. Guys behind me were not thrilled but I didn't want to ruin my new tarp and damage the "cookies" :)

Usually I keep my CB shut off, but today I had it on just in case something would go wrong with my tarp or load. At one point a guy's voice said, "Hey, oversize, yellow International? Your oversize load sign on the back is gone, man." I grabbed the mike and asked the guy if he could still see the "D" sign on the back of the load, but his response died in static. I wasn't sure what to do but then another voice said there was a "bear" in the middle a few miles down the road. I decided not to take my chances and took the first exit hoping I can get onto the entrance ramp on the other side of the bridge and stop there. As my luck today would have it, there was no entrance ramp once I got through the light at the end of the ramp. Instead I saw the signs, "MacDonald's only" and "Mall only". Evidently these were put on for truckers like me :) What's worse I saw a roundabout ahead and the 3 lanes were turning into 1, with concrete barriers on both sides. So, I parked on the right while I still had 3 lanes ...

I walked behind the truck and the "D" sign was still there! One side of this sign says, "Oversize Load" and the other side just says, "D". I had used the D side because the load was small in the back and not all the letters of the "Oversize Load" sign would be visible. So, I just stopped for nothing. After tightening straps and checking everything, I saw no other way out except to pull sharp to the left from the right shoulder where I was sitting and then do a blind back into a private dirt road running off the main road at 90% angle. The road I was on led to the shopping center and it was about 6 pm ... but the traffic was light. By the time I got the truck and trailer onto the dirt road, 3 or 4 cars were waiting for me from both directions.

I shut down just past 8 pm on Hwy 15 in PA, some 4 miles before the junction with 322 because it was getting dark. According to the OD permits I was only allowed to drive from 1/2 hr before the sunrise till 1/2 hr after the sunset. It was a bit after that and at one point I remember passing a cop sitting on the shoulder. I was positive he'd start chasing me for driving after sunset but he stayed put on the shoulder. I found a truck stop shortly after that.

I'm about 120 miles from Baltimore, MD where I unload and then reload tomorrow. Looks like I'll be taking some small construction equipment from Baltimore to a suburb of Toronto, ON.

I do believe in the U.S. you need to use the "Oversize Load" side of the sign. In Canada you can use either the "D" or the "Oversize Load" As far as the beacons half of our trailers have strobes in the back bumper that we just turn on. All the trailers have a 4 prong plug at the back and we carry two portable magnetic strobes that plug into that plug. All our trucks have strobes mounted on them permanently. Truck stops sell a magnetic beacon that plugs into a cigerette lighter if you can figure out where to hang it on your mirror bracket. If you plan on pulling alot of this type stuff you should figure out how you want to do it. The pictures you posted the flags need to be on the widest point of the load, Not on the trailer. I have some flags that are on bungees and some that are on magnets for different loads. You will figure it out as time goes by.

You also need to put 2 flags on the front of your truck. All together you should have 6 flags. One other thing that I will mention. It is usually safer to use the "Oversize Load" side of your banner. You may check on the rear of your trailer. It should have a plug that can be used to plug in a strobe or other flashing light. They don't usually come with the lights, but you can find the pigtail type of attachment at most trailer dealers or Fleetpride. Fleetpride is a truck parts store. They are all over the U.S. Some states may allow you to run an oversize load after dark if you have lights. In any case, if you happen to run a bit longer than you are supposed to you are less likely to be bothered if you have flashing lights.

One other thing that I would suggest to you pulling over size loads. I always plan my trip so that I know where I will stop for the night. Most of the time it isn't a problem finding a place to park unless you are very wide. If you have an idea of how many miles you will drive and where you need to stop then it makes the trip much easier. There can be travel restrictions around some cities. As someone else mentioned, make sure to read and reread your permits. I believe Alabama requires you to sign your name with a red ink pen. Pulling over size isn't all that difficult. You just need to make sure you do what is required on the permit. You need to make sure you follow the route on the permit. Pulling over size just requires a little more attention to detail than legal loads. Most states also require an escort for loads over 12' wide. A few have changed their rules recently so you should check each state in which you plan on running before making your trip. One other note I will mention. ALWAYS MEASURE YOUR LOAD BEFORE LEAVING THE SHIPPER. I never order my permits before I measure the load myself. You cannot always rely on shippers to accurately measure their load. If the load is wider than is states on your permits then you will need to order new permits. If a piece of pipe is sticking out from the main part of the piece you are hauling then you need to order your permit for the widest part including the piece that is sticking out. I have had instances where shippers have given me dimensions and not included something that was sticking out beyond the main piece. That is why I prefer to check width's and heights myself. By the way, I also keep a height stick in my trucks. I believe they cost about $175. It is good to have if you plan on hauling very much over size freight.

Yeah, this OD loads need lots of preparation. This was my first time. Next time I'll make sure I have all the flags and lights and whatever else is required on the Permits. I'm thinking of going to a tow truck equipment shop and picking up a cheap roof light bar for the truck. I"m not sure how often I'll be doing these OD runs ... Thanks to all for the tips.

Load #2
 

September 4th, 2009

The Russian-owned "SeverStahl" plant (Russian for "North Steel") looked like a Zombie-Land: everything covered with dust, hardly any people around, big equipment crossing in front of you, unpaved "dirt" roads with potholes. The few people I did see looked grim and covered with dust, just like everything else. The only person smiling was a supervisor (originally from Holland) who was working with the invisible to me crane operator :)

They took off the 2 concrete "cookies" from my truck with a crane that slides under the ceiling of the shop and then I made my way back through dirt roads, and potholes and 100 stop signs and railroad crossings to the main gate.

A couple of things I learned from this Trip #1 with my own stepdeck:

1) concrete edges can destroy straps even if they don't look sharp (1 strap is practically done for); and
2) even when you point the tip of the bungee cord hook away from the tarp, the lower part will make a hole in the tarp, if the load is low and flat (I now have a 3 mm hole in my brand new tarp where the hook went through).

I took a hammer to all the hooks on all the bungee cords and modified the lower part so that it's now bent towards the rubber. These 'custom bungee cords" are not available in stores :) but they are not going to mess with my tarps any more. Actually, the smiling supervisor from the SeverStahl plant helped me with the first 20 bungee cords - he had a hammer in his toolbox and he said he didn't mind helping me since he "had nothing else to do until the crane came back to unload me". No wonder he was smiling ... I've attached a picture of the new custom look of my bungee cords.

My return load is 2 mini-excavators that I picked up at Baltimore Port. It took about 5 hours from start to finish and a special escort ($45/hr) to take me in and out of the port. All because I didn't have the TWIC card.

I secured the loaders with chains and the front was easy: I just threw the chains over the axles. But the rear of the machines didn't leave much room for chains between the axle housing and the wheel. I threaded the rear chains through the eyelets designed for crane hookup and by the time I got to the TA truck stop just 2 miles away from the port, I damaged the paint around the eyes. Grrr.. I took the 4 chains off and squeezed them behind the tires and onto the rear axle housings. The machine brand is CAT and the color is the standard CAT yellow: I'm going to pick up a spray can of yellow Tuesday from my CAT dealer and cover the scratches before going to the consignee. Next time I'll know better than to put chains on painted surfaces. I'm still wondering though why no engineer at the CAT plant thought of adding some chain tie-downs on the machines... They made tie-downs for cranes, but totally ignored the needs of the truckers who have to secure the machines somehow to the trailer.

What I"ve learned about my new trailer during these 2 trips is that it doesn't back up easily. Because of the fixed axles and 40.88' constant "king-pin to center of axles" setup, for some reason it feels worse than a 53' dry van with the same axle position. I had no problems backing a dry van and especially a 48" flatbed (10'1" spread) but the setup on my step is very "back-unfriendly". I also have to watch corners more closely now when turning at street lights as the trailer has a large off-track.

Other than that I"m happy with the equipment and wouldn't go back to just having a truck. Having your own trailer does make you feel a little better about yourself, you know?

Sounds like this case of dry van disease is cured!

Congratulations on your trailer, your first load with your trailer, and your first oversize load. I have yet to do one. I feel as though my company does not compensate enough for oversize. Usually pay 10-15 CPM extra. Whoopie.

Anyways, yes you need to bend the back part of the S on the bungees. I would squish it a little more then your picture shows. Always have spare carpet or tough rubber to put underneath your straps.

We have a customer with similar equipment to those loaders, just a little smaller. Try to use straps wherever you can, at an angle. Works fantastic. Chain on one side, strap on the other. The strap actually tightens up the chain.

If you get in a bind you could stop at any grocery store and buy a box of pampers. They can work great to protect your tarps. A pair of pliers can also work well to bend your hooks. I would suggest you bend them as flat as possible to avoid any damage. When wind gets under the tarp those hooks can play havoc on them.

Thanks for the tip on the rubber straps. I just ordered some new 21" straps, and I noticed that the hook on these straps wasn't as bent in as my old ones, and I was thinking it was a good thing because I could take the hooks off when the strap wears out and just order straps with no hooks, maybe save a little money.

As it turns out, I now have something else to do today. :D

My old ones did rub some little holes in my tarps, so I would imagine these new ones could really wreak havoc.

Rather than using a hammer you can also use a pair of pliers. That is what I normally use to bend the hook down.

i thought of using straps on these loaders but didn't see any spots where i could attach them without damaging the strap. when you say "sides" you mean to put straps on the driver's side of the machine and then use chains on the passenger side? or you mean the front and the rear of the loader? i prefer straps myself and like to use them instead of chains as often as possible....

i tried pliers and the hooks were too strong for them. for me it was much easier to bend them with a hammer: 2 hits and you're done. i used the flat part of the winch bar as a mini-worktable.

yes you must use the oversize load sign in the usa, NOT the D. But you must use the D in quebec.
in ontario and the rest of the canada i think either oversize or the D is fine.

you need some corner board edge protectors for your straps.

the look like two small peices of plywood fastened together with two shirt pieces of old strap.
i always used them on brick or stone or steel or cement, anything that can cut your straps.

you can also buy the small plastic edge protectors as well.

if you haul alot of brick and stone, you could get special brick sideboards that cover the side of the skid and stop any peices from working loose and falling off, otherwise its usually a good idea to tarp bricks or stone on skids.

i know the ones you mean ... mackinnon - the company i'm leased to - uses these wooden edge protectors on all their flatbed trailers. i have bought plastic edge protectors from tarp stop in gary, in. will use them from now on. they take less space and weigh less than the wooden ones.

Yes, one chain in front strap in rear. I find it works best.

if you ever need edge protectors for shingles, 1/2 inch plywood with old straps holding them together, 3' long, i have aboiut 20 of them I bought with the truck, and don't need them... lmk ;) In CT btw...

cheers, and keep the shiny side up

thanks, i just bought a bunch of new plastic edge protectors from tarp stop.

The restrains that prevent the machine from moving forward should have the combined load rating equal to 80% of the machine's weight. Since one machine weighed 14,000 lbs just one chain or one strap in the back wouldn't be enough. 14,000 x 0.8 = 11,200 (2 chains or 2 straps are needed).

Also, on this particular loader the rear axle housings are uneven and are located real close to the tire, with the rest of the axle hidden inside the machine. The crane holes in fenders are too small for a strap ... There was a thingie with 2 eyes in the back where you can put a big pin, but I didn't have any pins :(

By the way, on the way to the delivery place I stopped by a CAT dealer and picked up a can of their yellow paint. It fitted the color of the loader to a t. I used it to cover a few minor scratches made by my chains... The guy who signed the paperwork for the loaders was quite happy with the condition of the machines.

Heavy equipment dealers are usually not as picky about a few scratches where chains are secured as car dealers. I always try to be careful, but it is difficult to not have any scratches when using chains. You might get some carpet or material to use between the equipment and chains.

next time if I'm not sure how to strap it while minimizing damage to the paint, I'll just call the consignee and ask them how they want me to secure it (and get the name of the person on the phone).

September 8th, 2009

I got up at 6 am and drove 10 miles west to Cambridge CAT (Ontario, Canada) to pick up a spray can of yellow paint. As I expected because I had my truck serviced there quite a few times, CAT guys gave me the paint for free. I sprayed the scratches on the loaders (the color was a total match) and headed back west to Brampton, where I unloaded the machines at an equipment rental place. I didn't run into any trouble with the receiver and unloading went pretty smoothly except for one moment when I was backing this articulated loader and its left rear wheel was suddenly halfway on the guard rail! After wiggling the tail of the 14,000 lb beast for some 5 minutes I managed to put her straight without plunging 3 feet to the ground below.

I sent in the "load delivered" message around 9:30 am via my satellite and Dispatch wrote back telling me "to grab a coffee" and that "we're working on a load for you." Fast forward to 4 pm: I'm still waiting and Dispatch ignores my "check-in" messages. I try my cell and Verizon Wireless is quick to inform me that "there's no signal". I'm in a huge urban area (Mississauga) just west of Toronto, and there's no signal! I'm thinking it might be because of the nearby airport.... So, I move the truck and try again. This time, Verizon doesn't complain and I'm connected to Cindy, my dispatcher. Turns out that satellite was out since 1 pm and though there's nothing for me for today they have planned me to load tomorrow at 0800 in a small town east of Toronto called Pickering, with delivery somewhere to Indiana. The traffic in the morning thru Toronto is murder so I stay put in Mississauga at a Petro_Pass Cardlock station ... My home terminal is 40 miles WEST and it's rush hour so there's no point going back to the yard.

What do truckers do when they wait for a load? In my case, I:

- did my books for August: I have a master spreadsheet for 12 months and most popular categories of expenses; as soon as I put in the numbers for the month the spreadsheet shows me the totals on the far right for all the months in the year; I made it in my favorite OpenOffice program which is free and does everything you can do with Microsoft Office (go to OpenOffice.org - The Free and Open Productivity Suite to learn more and download)
- sent in my GST return by Internet (to get a refund for the sales tax I paid on truck related purchases)
- drove over to an International dealer and got my air tank leak finally fixed (the fitting was loose even though I have already had it changed twice); the mechanic took the fitting out, cleaned the rust in the tank, and then used sealant to seal the fitting inside; it worked but he said if I get an air leak in the same spot again, I'll need to replace the $200 air tank :(
-did some shopping at Traction Heavy Truck Parts Mississauga; I bought 2 more chain binders and 1 20' 5/16" chain (now I have 10 of both); a can of Termin8or (I'm going to spray my ECM on the engine and all the wires that are exposed to the elements under the hood); and - last but not least - 2 battery-operated wide load lights with magnets (see the pic). Now I'll have at least 2 lights at the back of the trailer if I do OD again. I'm still looking for a cost-effective setup for the roof of the truck. Traction had some stationary lights but each was close to 100 bucks. I think I saw them cheaper on the Net.

After I parked at Petro-Pass I took out my folding bike and rode a few times around the block and then to a nearby gas station to get some snacks. Yesterday I rented 3 movies at a Rogers Video Rental in Guelph. I watched 2 yesterday on my laptop ("No Country for Old Men" and "Rescue Dawn") and the "feature presentation" for tonight is "Logan's War" with Chuck Norris. OK, where's my pistachios?

Load #3
 

September 9th, 2009

I started driving at 6:30 am eastward on 401 towards Pickering, ON. When I pull in the shipper's driveway and find someone who knows about my pickup load, I'm told the load is ... not ready. "We expected you to come in the afternoon", says one guy who seems to know what was going on. Oh, oh ... I'm supposed to pick up a few big but light parts that look like they have something to do with air conditioning. The parts themselves are ready but they still have to be painted and a metal pyramid roof has to be bolted on top. I send a message to Dispatch telling them about the delay and drive over to the nearest Walmart - to wait for the phone call from the shipper. Chris, the guy at the plant I have talked to, says the stuff might be ready around noon...

I spend some quality time at Walmart (looking for new sneakers, checking out the new New York paperback bestsellers and getting a couple of breakfast burritos). When I come back to the truck an hour later, the satellite terminal is beeping: I've got mail. I open the message and - surprise! - Dispatch writes, "the Customer said the load is not going to be ready until tomorrow. I have a load in Stony Creek that goes to Chicago, if you want."

Now, Stony Creek, ON is about 100 miles WEST of the place where I am now, so before leaving I decide to give Chris, the shipper, a call. Well, it's official - the guy confirms the load is cancelled till tomorrow.

I call Dispatch on my cell and say I'll take the load to Chicago. She sends me a load offer (lumber!) and as I read through it I notice my least favorite words, "NEEDS TO BE TARPED".

I get to Stony Creek via 401, 403 and QEW and the load is bundles of maple plankwood. The forklift guy says it will weigh 40,000 lbs and that some of the bundles are 16' long and some are 10' long.

And I'm thinking, "I'm in trouble." My big tarps are: (1) 24' x 24' with a flap; (2) 24' x 20' with a flap. The steel tarps are 16' wide. So, if all this stuff is 8 ft high and the guy loads something on the upper deck, I won't have enough tarps ...

The forklift guy is named John and he is a remarkable character: he is in his 50ies, but is built like a weight-lifter. He wears training shorts, a training t-shirt with no sleeves, and ... heavy duty safety boots :) I look at him and I want to watch my diet and exercise :)

Anyway, I expertly direct the guy (I have no idea what I'm doing) to load everything on the lower deck (see the pic). Turns out the load is only 6 ft high and about 33 ft long after all's done. Now it's clear why MacKinnon has 20' wide "steel" tarps: my tarps are 8' and 4' tall so I have to tarp a 6' load with 8' tarps :(

Since it's the first time I unrolled the big tarps and for some reason the flap was INSIDE (at the end of the roll) it takes me forever to tarp the load. I even managed to throw straps onto the wrong side (the hooks went to the side with winches). I arrived at the shipper just before 1 pm and I left at ... 4:30 pm! I still had to stop a couple of times to the border because the trailer in the mirror looked more like a sail boat than a Wilson stepdeck :) if you know what I mean.

You'll notice in the picture I didn't put any straps on the lower bundle (which is about 3 ft high only). By the time I remembered I had to do that the load was on the trailer and because of the different height of the bundles getting a strap thru was impossible....

This was by the way one of those 'blind loads': the Buyer (the company that hired us to deliver this load to Chicago) bought the lumber from the Shipper and naturally didn't want the Consignee to know where and who it was coming from. I always feel uncomfortable with this: it's clear the Consignee will pay a higher price for the load because they bought it from the third party (the Buyer) but I'm sent directly to the seller of the said lumber! All the paperwork I got from the shipper/seller was a customs invoice faxed to them by the Buyer. Now I'll have to 'fabricate' a bill of lading using one of the Mackinnon Transport blank bills. I don't know ... maybe it's just me but this system doesn't seem fair to the Consignee.

So, I'm on my way to Chicago, IL and as I ran out of U.S. hours (14 hour rule) I parked at the Duty Free in Sarnia, ON. The USA is on the other side of the river - I'll be crossing via Port Huron, MI tomorrow after the obligatory 10 hours off. I know what you guys are thinking :) but I have an electronic log-book: have to be compliant 24/7.

By the way, I scaled the load in Burlington, ON on the way to the border and to my surprise with one full tank the ticket showed:

front axle: 12,060 lbs
drives: 24,860 lbs
trailer: 27,560 lbs

for the total of 64,480 lbs. Since with both full tanks my rig (truck+trailer) weighs about 31,000 lbs, this load of lumber is definitely lighter than 40,000 lbs. Which is a good thing because if it really were 40,000 lbs, I'd be probably overweight on the trailer tandems.

If they weren't happy with the price they paid they would shop around.

seems kinda dumb to park in duty free parking lot for ten hours, why not just park at sarnia petro pass or the truckstop at wyoming?

Parking at Duty Free was a great time saver: they have a coffee shop and washrooms and I was 100 m from the Blue Water bridge so that I was able to cross the border first thing in the morning, without wiggling my way through lights and intersections on the way from Petro-Pass truck stop. I have Internet access in my truck and I had good time watching DVD movies on my laptop and browsing Internet. The only thing that a truck stop would have would be a restaurant that I had no need for at the time.

wow Tracer,how dumb can ya be. I mean staying away from a truck stop at a nice clean convenient place with all the personal requirements you need for the evening at a location that is 100 m from where you need to get in line first thing in the morning is kinda dumb...i think you need to change your ways and start using that truck stop instead of thinking ahead and doing what works for you. What was on your mind to distract you so bad. :hellno:

i meant duty free doesn't want trucks parked there for ten hours, since the parking lot only holds maybe 20 trucks, and that is for customers to stop quick and then cross border.

if everyone parked there for there ten hours off, the lot would always be full.

i dunno how you can sleep on the huge slant the trucks park on, i like to be level when i sleep.

+1.....

Tracer go after the original shipper for a cancelled truck fee. If its a good customer you should be able to get a hundred bucks or so. On parking @ the duty free. You had already paid the toll and entered it in your computer so what difference would have it have made to clear the load and get off the bridge. You'll learn the blue water bridge is not the place to be in the morning unless you like inching up and over 10' at a time. When you have a load like your's put a ground tarp on the sharp edges of the lumber where the tarp is likely to whip and fray. Sometimes it's neccesary to put a strap over the outside to keep the tarp from ballooning out.

My thoughts exactly :) I don't know what I was thinking :)

I had 0 hours left to drive in the US. Because of the 2 hr difference in HOS regulations I was only able to go as far as the US/Canada border. As long as I parked on the Canadian side, I was in compliance and only had to shut down for 10 hours to be legal in US again. So I did it at the Duty Free sleeping at an angle :) which I didn't feel as bad as some people ... probably because I have 295s tires on the drives but 275 tires on the steers :) The line-up in the morning wasn't more than usual. Took me 10 minutes to cross.