Sonny with all due respect, I'm not a super trucker, and I'm just figuring out how to do things out here. If you want the truth, the first time I drove a truck in the snow was on a pickup in Lawrence, MA. I think I made it from Lawrence to the NY/NJ border in like 11 hours. As I was making $.28 a mile I was cursing the whole world throughout the day.

Actually I drove through the Rockies in worse snow and it wasn't nearly, to me anyway, as bad as it was that first trip in Mass. I know that doesn't make sense but all I can say my winter memerories are summed up with me getting up on a cold dark Sunday morning and pushing a shopping cart full of Boston Globes and making my deliveries at the age of 12 or so. So maybe it was being in Mass in the winter again, I don't know or that it seemed in Colorado everyone respected the weather conditions and in Mass and up to NY they were driving crazy and causing me more grief (several spinouts happened right in front of me).

I don't know what I am going to do in the winter as really I had not much of a plan when I got this truck as I was going to learn from this other guy which turned out not to be how I thought. But nonetheless I have the truck and am going to make this work.

Tootie, yes Rock Springs wasn't where I wanted to be on my reset but I had a load anyway so I never leave the truck unattened while loaded. When I was with the company I use to rent a car and go sightseeing but things are different now. As you know I respectfully disagree with the hobby trucker label but if people must make those distinctions I am not one of them anyway.

Steve, I got a good laugh picturing you in all those clothes. I like the Mad Bomber hat and the ski goggles. That must be a sight. You however are running a flat so I guess you need all that stuff more. I REALLY like the idea of hanging the chains where they are in plain sight. I do my utmost to keep away from the DOT. Actually I noticed on Safer Web that the roadside inspection Level II I had showed up and he made the comment that I was due for one, so I'm wondering if I am going to have the first year inspection that you all have had.

No_worries, I might contact the tire company. It's frustrating trying to get definitive answers from people. The problem I have and as I ask a lot of questions in general, is that it is tough to find people that really know. Most people answer when they really don't know. Whenever I ask someone something and they say they don't know I always thank them for being honest. I mean if I'm in a bank and I ask a banking question for example.

I saw an ad for something called TMC Recommended and Practice Manual but it looked expensive. Has anyone read this thing? I got aggravated enough once that I filed a Pro Se lawsuit and these practice and procedure books in law anyway were helpful.

By the way here's another thing I'm wondering. When I come down these mountains in 9th gear for instance, the rpm's are going up to about 1900 which from what I was told I should never let the truck go too much more than 1500 (I'm in a ex Covenant Freightliner fleet truck). I asked this guy I was working with and he said the jake brake works better in a higher rpm but I'm worried about doing some sort of damage. I just came down Lookout Pass this morning and I had the truck only going about 35 mph so the rpm's weren't has high.

So I guess the thing is to go slower, but I am usually going so slow that these other guys are whipping by me. Now I know not to concern myself with the other people, but I don't want to be going so slow that I am a hazzard. That is why before I just kept it in 9th and was going at what I felt was a safe speed, but like I said the rpm's shot up. Any thoughts on this?

By the way, my wife got in touch with the cousin that brought that girl over to my house who worked for a logistic and cold storage company in Ecuador. I will be sending you a PM anyway No_worries once I reach my stop cause I want to discuss more this flower issue.

 

As far as going down hills, I find the gear that allows me to descend without touching the brakes and that's what I use. I could care less about going too slow. Throw the flashers on, there's a passing lane. Isn't there a 35 mph speed limit on Lookout? I can't remember, but at 80,000 lbs I throw it into 6th or 7th and cruise down somewhere between 30-35, never touch the brakes. You can run your RPM's well above 1500 and that IS what you want to do when using the Jake. Every engine has a RPM limit that you shouldn't exceed. I'd check with a Detroit tech and find out yours. My Cummins is somewhere around 2000. I don't exceed 1850. Most guys will descend and stab the brakes once the road speed or RPM get too high. My preference is to drop one more gear or whatever it takes so that the Jake will hold the speed and I don't have to brake. To each his own, I'm never in that much of a hurry 8)

TMC is the maintenance council put together by the ATA. The various maintenance guys there put their collective heads together and come up with these guidelines. It's good information but, as you found, it isn't cheap. If you're not satisfied with the information you find on your own, talk to a reputable tire shop (not a TS) or call or email a manufacturer. They should give you an answer.

 

I'm looking at the loadboards and this truckloadrate.com site and I'm thinking that the smart thing to do would be to get a shorter load to California or Idaho and then back to the East Coast.

I came out here for cheaper then I should have and have no intention of going back so cheap. I admit I got nervous and jumped the gun so I will relax for a few days and wait if I need to. I don't need to haul for fuel nor do I have payments to worry about.

Maybe it will be good to write down here the different rate offers I get. We'll see what this waiting does.

 

I gotcha
what you have to keep in mind
going west to east with a reefer
in winter
no one cares about your snow delay
being a day late with perishables
can be very costly

 

Thanks BigDiesel. You know I was thinking I can sit and wait but wait for what? I mean I obviously need a goal, as they say goals you set are goals you get.

So I mean what the hell, lets set a goal for me to get back to Miami. I'm thinking no less then $1.70 on all miles. What do you think?

By the way, I'd like to time this right. When does produce start in Florida? Obviously the rates are going to fall at that point and I want to get in there right before they fall.

I do talk to all these people at these places too, but I need to make up some business cards or something.

I actually was thinking of calling on shippers but it's hard when you are a one truck operation or at least it seems that way to me. I mean I assume they want some type of commitment and obviously I don't know where I'll be from time to time. Unless I get a load from point A and then find a shipper at point B back to point A.

 

Merrick...Out of the Puget Sound there are a couple different types of reefer freight. Fish is the largest commodity, then beef, then poultry. Your gonna hop over into Central WA for fruit, Wenatchee, Selah/Yakima or the Tri-Cities. You will also get beef out of the Tri-Cities.

You will find diapers and toilet paper coming out of Everett, but the crafts paper in Tacoma, probably you are to heavy, what with a reefer.

 

You will find diapers and toilet paper coming out of Everett,[/quote]

New or used. :lol:


If you can fit cars on your trailer they pay good. Unless you run into Aswego. He runs for .79 cpm on backhauls to CA.

 

Should have stayed right where I was but made it to the Flying J at Tacoma. What a nightmare.

Anyway the calls have begun. TQL had a load going from Oregon, I think he said Portland to Boca which is 10 minutes from home. I think he said the miles were 3200 and it was paying $4900. He said it was covered anyway but he took my number just in case (though I don't want it anyway)

Next called H&M and they had a load out of Seattle going to Benton Harbor, MI which is a good area paying $3300. The miles he said were I believe 2150 or $1.53 a mile but I would have to be paying this expensive fuel again and for the reefer now too so I politely said no thanks.

Thats all for now I'll keep udating

 

I just called on one going from Tacoma, Wa to Miami just to see what they would say. She answered Bon Jour so I said Bon Jour como sa va? and she said sa va bien et twa and I said tre bien and then I ran out of my french words. They were in Cananda

They wanted to know if I was bonded as the load is eventually going to Mexico. Anyone know what that means?