[geomon]

Which show, Geo?

Heh heh...got several to choose from (Dick's Picks) but my fav for this song is still Euro 72. That's the album that introduced me to the boys several lifetimes ago in Boulder circa 1975....

[samael9]

Yup. It sure is hard to beat that album!

Turns out that the kinked fuel lines as a result of the tank rolling wasn't the key component of the engine quitting. Through logical process of elimination, it was determined that there was a crack on the fuel filter housing base, which allowed air to get in to the fuel systen just before the lift pump.

The guys at Inland Kenworth were great. They put up with a ton of questions from me, taught me a lot about how my truck works, got Bertha fixed and kicked us both out the door.

It must have had the problem to a lesser degree when I took delivery. BB (her new nick-name) was very sluggish on the hill climbs. But now, she's got lots of grunt. AND, from Albuquerque to Effingham, IL (1100-ish miles) she got (get this...) 6.66 miles per gallon. When I figured it up on the calculator, I got chills.... Me and my Satanic Kenworth <hehe>.

More coming, but gotta get some rest first
:shock:

[samael9]

Okay. Made my drop in the very quaint rural farming town of Minster, OH. The ride up 127 from I-70 was picturesque. All the neat little homes, and very beautiful farms, barns and animals. Time and Wal-Mart has yet to catch up with this place. The roads heading into Minster were all two lane and rather narrow. Pushing Ms. BB’s schnoz-ola around some of the curves was a new experience. By contrast, the view from Betty’s windscreen was unimpeded. I’m comfortable with BB’s beak, but still, decreasing radius on and off ramps can still be a bit nervy.

Within minutes of putting in my empty call, I got a pre-plan to load out of Leipsic, OH, just a mere 70 miles away. A quick blast up I-75 to Lima and then up US 65 into town. Easy, right? Nope. The entire entry to US 65 is under construction. To make matters worse, the detour signs are rather vague. After a few attempts to find my way to US 65, I miraculously ended up back on I-75 again. Wheew. I took another route in to Leipsic and found my way into the pick-up. Oh boy, thinks I. Another coil. 6 chains and one steel tarp later, and I’m heading for Laredo. Cool. I’m back in the system.

I didn’t really have time to focus on how BB ran during the trip up to Ohio. I was too consumed with the amount of time needed to keep my ETA intact. I had originally set it for 0600 yesterday, but due to the down time in Albuquerque, I was running a tad behind. But not by much. I ran like a bandit to my pick up and then headed for the nearest truck stop to catch up on some missing Z’s.

The ride down through Slow-Hio was great, but once I hit KY and TN, that’s where I began to have some fun with BB. First off, this queen has power. I could ride the rolling hills, for the most part, in 9th and not have to kick it down into 8th. She’s got a bunch more torque than lamented Betty. The ride is wayyyyy better too. Oh…. 68 mph never felt so good either. I was passing JB’s, Schneider’s and all kinds of other <ahem> comp’ny drivers. (How soon we forget, eh?) Man, I was having fun! Even with 43,000 lb on the deck, she just barreled right along. And smooth?!?!?!?! Smooth.

Oh. I spoke with the person in charge of O/O maintenance today regarding my breakdown in NM. I was told that all my billable expenses, including the towing would be covered for me by IEL. How about that? Huh? I was handed an invoice for the towing and the fuel filters, including labor for just under $500.00. Warrantee covered the rest. So the only thing dead BB cost me, in the end, was time. Great news!

This will be a great week for miles too. PHX to Minster: 1800 and change. Leipsic to Laredo 1400 ‘n somethin’. I’ll have 3200 done by Thursday bright and early. And hopefully, I’ll get a good one to ride me through the weekend.

The most wonderful thing about BB is her ability to maintain consistent road speed. This quality alone takes so much stress off of me. It also makes clicking down miles happen much quicker too. Yeah, a little more top-end speed helps, but not slowing down as much really hits home with me.

Do I sound happy?

[devildice]

Sounding great Clint!!!!!.......I do like me a good success story

[usedup]

Wishing you all the best!! I'll be following your real world experience with much interest..... Very Good Read by the way....

[zexersix]

Hey samael,im in Larado right now,when is your ETA to terminal?

Well here's the update on me,since last time i posted,i did get a call back from CFI,they wanted me to go to orientation. After weighing my options,i decided to stick it out,at least until i pay my loan off,i really think that once i get a year under my belt,i'll be able to go anywhere.


I got offered a brand new T2000, no downpayment,take over payments, i have until July to weigh the pro's and con's on that option.Im still not seeing how they make money,unless they are a trainer.
trk pymnt=500-550
[email protected] =448gx2.66avg=1191
crap swift charges=350
monthly maint acct=250
taxes=300

total=2641

pay
empty miles@84c+26c fuel surcharge avg off 600miles a week=660
loaded miles @91c+26c 2400miles =2808
total=3468-2641=827 take home

now i havent been to the sucess 101 class yet,but if those calc are the avg,i'm just gonna stay company untill i have money saved up for my own truck.

Well im gonna go and see some mexican titties,talk to you all later.

[samael9]

OMG.

The only reason I am writing this evening is just to get unwound from the trip down here. My evil (great, actually) DM put me in the Laredo yard @ 23:59. I beat the M/F by 20 minutes. I was the last rig through the safety lane also. The boys were busy locking all the doors and managed to wave me in. Really cool, because I got to run in and drop my papers for the T-Call. This means that I am officially unhooked from my load and available for dispatch. Groovalicious……..

The ride down was totally bomber. I shut down a little earlier than I wanted to last night. The squalls through West Memphis were a bit too much to push through. Guys were passing me doing 70+ and the visibility just wasn’t making it for me. No great surprise to see truck tire marks through the median this morning, as I am sure that one or two of the “fat stack” gang made a navigational error or two. More power to ‘em…..

My ride through OH, KY (love that) and TN yielded 6.15 mpg. I think that the fuel surcharge is right around 28 centavos. So multiply the current fuel price of $2.69-ish and the numbers look pretty good! So on the Albuquerque run, averaging 6.66 mpg, my surcharge was $1.86/gallon and @ 6.1 mpg it’s $1.70. So, effectually, I am paying less than a buck per gallon for juice. Yeah, baby……. And figure these two trips @ 3200 miles x .94˘ per mile, it comes to $3008 for miles and $896 in surcharge. Total: $3904 gross, and the friggin’ week ain’t over yet. Oh boy, oh boy. Factor out the fuel costs and the $700.00 per week payment, including insurance, etc., and I’m stylin…. As I get a better grip on tracking all the numbers, I will have more complete figures for everyone, but this is the ticket for a high miler. Yup.

Thanks everyone for your encouragement and best wishes. This program never smelled like a to-good-to-be true scenario, but it sure does look like we are off to a very good start. I have the mustard to run the freight, and my DM succeeds enormously on keeping me busy.

Too bad I missed Zexersix on the Mexican titties this evening. The image conjures pleasant thoughts.

Sleep now……

[zexersix]

I met samael today,or as he likes to be called Clint in the Laredo yard.
I was wandering why people where saying Clint on msg board, did not even consider,that could be his name. Sometimes im the dumbest smart guy i know,no wonder i have a cocker spaniel as a co-driver,shes the same way.

After our talk,usually it takes me a couple of hours,for the whole conversation to process to the part of my brain that works. I have this new outlook on the whole situation, your dead right about the freight and takeover situation. when i put in my arrived at final,3min later,i had a P/P,that has never happened to me before,i think i pissed myself on that 1. (those cigs you gave me, those are an aquired taste,i could not get past 2 puffs after i left larado)

I should get some sleep,but i'm all jacked up on moutain dew.

[samael9]

<hehe> Ahhh, yup. Bright and early, I hear someone saying “Samael?” outside of my tractor. It is indeed a rare occaision in where someone actually calls me by that name, but I rather enjoy it. Zex found his way over to my tractor, which was nosed in to a space, way ‘round back in flat-ville at the Laredo yard this morning. I was about 1/10th conscious at the time of his arrival.

As he mentioned, we had a good talk about what he was doing and wished to accomplish regarding his career. Having spoken from wisdom gleaned from past exerience, it was my opinion that he stay focused on developing a higher place for himself with Swift instead of going elsewhere. The cost associated with switching companies is no less than $2000.00 in lost income and costs associated with getting to the next outfit.

I did what I could to help him understand my satisfaction with what has transpired, for me, to date. There is so much information that it is difficult to take it all in in one brief sitting. Zex is a cool person and his dog is priceless. It was a treat to hang with both of them as I shaggily went about the business of stripping my T-Called load and prepared to tarp and strap the next one.

I got a pre-plan for a quick trip up to Fort Worth to deliver 43,000 lb of pre-cast concrete for a hotel. I never gripe about short trips, because they usually lead to longer ones. And, as usual, today’s plan was no exception. By the time I had my concrete all neatly wrapped and strapped, bingo. A healthy 2000 mile run up to WA. Gotta love it. The FW run moved me up to 3600 miles since I left PHX with BB. And while I can’t cram in all the miles to WA over the weekend, I am yet again off to a killer start. It’s just like how it went when I began in Gary back in February. Off to the races, and no time to look back. Dang.

I-35 north up out of Laredo is a festering hole of DOT, Border patrol and state police. I’ve never seen so many red and blue flashing lights in one stretch of highway. Anyone passing through that way had better have everything totally in order, from pre-trip items to logs and bills. They are seriously busting everyone for anything that they can find.

I managed to earn myself a quick look-see at the little weigh station just north of the inspection post. The officer was very, umm, slick in his questioning. What’s this you got here? Where did you get it? Did you oversee the loading? No? Why not? What do you mean by drop and hook? Where did the load originate? Where’s it going? And so on. Better have a look at your logbook….. He was cool about it all. And while he was giving me the third degree, he kept peering around inside my tractor with his Mini-Mag. So much so, that at one point, I offered to get out, just so he could poke around on his own. He said that that would not be necessary, but he did appreciate the fact that I had volunteered his access. All BS aside, he passed me through and sent me on to greener pastures. A hidden one-fingered buhbye, and I was out of there.

My, my. What a nice weekend cruise to look forward to. Lucky me…..

[Colin]

Coming to my side of the state?

Eastern side, if you don't feel like looking... 8)