StandOnIt
Farm Truck
Looks similar. I used to haul power only brand new trailers out of a drop yard at Eagle Pass Tx. 53' Van types. They were made in Mexico right across the border. Delivered them all over the place.
I need a hat, a chain for my wallet & a can of snuff.
- Thread starter dpkimmel2001
- Start date
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Yeah, it cleans up good. Just passed the 200,000 mile mark last week. Still young. I've not had it two years yet.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
I've been to other drop yards along the border but only to drop and hook product. I've not been to the location that I'm going today but apparently these trailers are manufactured where my pickup point is. They've got dry balk, food grade, chemical and tar trailers there.
I'm not sure how many of these were getting but I did see two of our drivers parked at the local Flying J last night. Each had new dry bulk trailer hooked up. They were gone this morning. I'm guessing there were riding together.
It's 32.5hrs off driving time to the terminal I'll be going to. I've only got 24hrs left on my clock. I could stay and reset my clock here but I'd rather get back with a full clock so I'm going to exhaust these hours, parking somewhere off of I81 near Bristol, TN. Haven't figured out the miles yet. I'll calculate it once I get parked tonight.
StandOnIt
Farm Truck
The brand I used to deliver was Utility trailers. They are a pretty popular van trailer. They call themselves a manufacturer, but it is mostly a drop yard.
Trailers as far as the eye can see lol.
Trailers as far as the eye can see lol.
Nitro Dude
Hauler Driver and Cylinder Head Maintenance
I have owned a few Utility refrigerated trailers with Thermo-King units on them in the past. They make a great trailer and have plenty of service repair shops throughout the country.
StandOnIt
Farm Truck
Thermo King on a Utility is as good as it gets IMO.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Nitro Dude
Hauler Driver and Cylinder Head Maintenance
That color green is the color of the second truck I bought back in the late seventies when I was around 22 or 23 years old. Damn, after many years and a lot of miles later I will turn 68 next week.
It was a 1971 cabover Freightliner with a 1674 (270) Cat with a 13-speed Eaton transmission in it. That was the truck that taught me a costly and very valuable lesson about blue silicone. I already had a 1965 Freightliner that I hauled grain for a lot of the local farmers and some grain companies with... and a couple of my friends who were twin brothers about my age that lived just a couple miles down the road also hauled grain for local farmers and grain companies with that truck. They decided to do an in frame on it... but when they hauled their first load it kicked a rod out the side of the block because when they were installing one of the pistons, they hit and bent one of the oiling tubes that oils the piston to keep it lubricated. They went to a salvage yard and purchased another block and most of the parts they needed to build another engine. But then they ended up purchasing a brand-new Freightliner from the dealer. So, I bought the old truck and all of the parts for a great deal from them and ordered a manual for that engine and started putting it together. It just so happened that at that time there was a strike at Caterpillar, and it was hard to get some of the parts that I needed to finish the engine. I lived in Indiana at the time, and I remember driving my pickup truck to Illinois to pick up some rod bearings. But there was one gasket I couldn't find so I made one and put blue silicone on it to make sure it sealed. I finally finished the engine and put it in the truck and fired it up and the engine sounded great except for a low chirping sound coming from the double overhead cams. They were getting oil, so I put the valve cover on, and bob tailed down to the TruckStop that was about 3 miles from my shop. I set the idle up to let it run while I went in and had some lunch, but when I got back to the truck it was not running. I hit the switch, and the engine was locked up. I had the truck towed back to my shop and when I pulled the valve cover off, both cams were twisted, and the rocker shafts were broken. So, I pulled the cam box and cylinder head off and took it to the local Caterpillar shop and had them look at everything. They said they figured it dropped a valve, so I had them put all new valves in the head and I went to the salvage yard and bought a used cam box with the cams and everything ready to just bolt on. I put everything back together and fired it up, but it still had that low chirping sound. It had good oil pressure, so I set the idle up and went into the house for a few minutes, but when I returned the engine was locked up again and the exact same sheet was broken. So now this is starting to get expensive. So, I started shopping around for a wrecked truck with a Cummins engine in it and found one and had made an offer on it, but while I was waiting for the guy to except the offer, I decided to go check a few things. The way the engine is designed, there is a dial pin that is on the back of the block that the head sits on and there is one in the back of the head that the cam box sits on and those dial pins feed oil from the block to the cam shafts. So, I took the cam box off and turned the motor over and there was not near as much oil coming out of dial pin in the head that I felt should be coming out so I pulled the head off and turned the engine over and man the oil shot out of the dial pin in the block like a geyser. I pulled the dial pin out of the head and I couldn't see through it so I shoved a small drill bit through it and bingo out popped a chunk of blue silicone. I set the head back on and turned the engine over again and there was a geyser of oil coming out of the head now. So I put all hew valves in the head again and went back to the truck salvage yard for another cam box and when I started it up there was a lot more oil coming into the rocker assembly and the chirping sound was gone. I hauled grain with that truck for a few years and then started hauling watermelons from Florida to Toronto Canada during the season and onions out of Texas during the onion season. That truck made me think that the old myth that the color green was bad luck was pretty true...but then I realized it was just some stupid costly mistakes us youngsters made while learning some valuable lessons in life.
Nitro Dude
Hauler Driver and Cylinder Head Maintenance
You may want to check and make sure there is no drugs or stowaways hidden in it somewhere.
Nitro Dude
Hauler Driver and Cylinder Head Maintenance
edit, I meant are... not is.You may want to check and make sure there is no drugs or stowaways hidden in it somewhere.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Way ahead of you. Took a bunch of pics.You may want to check and make sure there is no drugs or stowaways hidden in it somewhere.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Headed back to eastern PA.
Whizzer
Gig'em
That color green is the color of the second truck I bought ......................that taught me a costly and very valuable lesson about blue silicone.
Guess the color that was bad luck was blue more than green.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Morning in Dallas...
Whizzer
Gig'em
That's gotta be early morning in Dallas. All the crazies must still be sleeping.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
It was early but trust me, the crazies were still out.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Back in Pennsylvania.....
Whizzer
Gig'em
Is that steam from Three Mile Island? Road looks familiar. Living in New Jersey and motor homing to NASCAR races or any point south or, stopping in Fredericksburg where my son raced motocross. Other times headed north toward Clifford to a track near there. Surprised there are no construction signs or major potholes in the photo.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Those cooling towers are near our terminal in Pottstown PA. I'm not sure what that plants name is.Is that steam from Three Mile Island? Road looks familiar. Living in New Jersey and motor homing to NASCAR races or any point south or, stopping in Fredericksburg where my son raced motocross. Other times headed north toward Clifford to a track near there. Surprised there are no construction signs or major potholes in the photo.
That was rt 422 heading east from Reading. Plenty of potholes.
Nitro Dude
Hauler Driver and Cylinder Head Maintenance
I think I have been on 422 before but I don't remember where I was heading.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Finished delivering the new trailer to Pottstown. Next dispatch was to Pittsburgh with a newly inspected trailer that was going back into the rotation. There, I picked up a preloaded trailer and I'm headed to Edmonton. In North Dakota now. Deliver Wednesday after I get the trailer steamed.
Nitro Dude
Hauler Driver and Cylinder Head Maintenance
I really enjoy watching your adventures. Stay safe and keep the wheels rolling.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
In Canada now. Goal is just under 13hrs driving time today..... Canada South rules. Heading to Lloydminster, AB. A little over 800 miles from where I started in Valley City, ND this morning. That'll put me about 2.5hrs shy of Edmonton. In the morning I'll take this trailer to a tank wash in Edmonton to have it steamed ahead of delivery on Wednesday.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Sitting at the Tankwash in Edmonton waiting on my turn to park this trailer for steaming. They open at 7am but they're always running behind here.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
While I was in Pottstown last Friday I swapped trucks so mine could go to the dealer for fuel injection issues. Moved from my Peterbilt to an International. Probably took me about 3hrs to transfer all my stuff. Including not only everything from inside the truck but also everything from the exterior that I use, hoses, fittings, extra fluids and the like. Probably more of a process than you'd think. I try to take my time to grab everything that I need. Always forgetting something. This time garbage bags and my extra CB radio.
I'm out until the Thursday before Easter. This is the last of my long runs this winter. My daughter starts her track & field competitions during the outdoor season starting in April. Were going to try to travel to a couple meets during the season. Still waiting on her schedule.
The International has some nice features over my Peterbilt but not enough that I'd take it over my truck. I hope to get back into my truck sometime over these next couple weeks.
Chances are my next dispatch is to Chicago after I deliver tomorrow morning at 8. Picking up my trailer at 7. My plan is to deliver and get from here back down to just shy of Minot, ND. 11 hours of driving. From there is another 11 hours to Mauston, WI. At that point I will have exhausted my 70 hour on duty clock requiring me to do a restart to reset my clocks. If all goes as planned I'll arrive in Chicago about 9am Saturday with a fresh clock allowing me to go anywhere that they need me to go. Lots of loads have been coming up here so I wouldn't be surprised if I end up here again next week.
I'm out until the Thursday before Easter. This is the last of my long runs this winter. My daughter starts her track & field competitions during the outdoor season starting in April. Were going to try to travel to a couple meets during the season. Still waiting on her schedule.
The International has some nice features over my Peterbilt but not enough that I'd take it over my truck. I hope to get back into my truck sometime over these next couple weeks.
Chances are my next dispatch is to Chicago after I deliver tomorrow morning at 8. Picking up my trailer at 7. My plan is to deliver and get from here back down to just shy of Minot, ND. 11 hours of driving. From there is another 11 hours to Mauston, WI. At that point I will have exhausted my 70 hour on duty clock requiring me to do a restart to reset my clocks. If all goes as planned I'll arrive in Chicago about 9am Saturday with a fresh clock allowing me to go anywhere that they need me to go. Lots of loads have been coming up here so I wouldn't be surprised if I end up here again next week.
Nitro Dude
Hauler Driver and Cylinder Head Maintenance
Changing trucks can definitely be a pain in the azz. It isn’t like all you have to do is just change keys and jump in and go. Plus it takes some time to get used to driving a different truck especially if it is a different model. With the enormous amount of trucks on the highways these days and with the stricter emissions laws, the repair shops are always overbooked with work. Back in the 70’s and 80’ most of the major dealership repair shops were open 24/7 but now most of them are 7.00 am to 11.00 pm Mon-Fri and 7.00 am to noon or 3.00 pm on Sat and closed on Sun. The makes the downtime to get a truck repaired and back on the road much longer which means independents have to either stay in a hotel or fly home and back or rent a truck. Any of those options are very costly. Its so hard to believe that with the population in this country now and with the high labor charges, that they can’t find enough certified mechanics to keep these shops open longer.
StandOnIt
Farm Truck
I got too much of "it's fixed" and then broken again 300 miles down the road. Just far enough it isn't worth going back to that shop. I think some shops bank on that happening. I can only imagine what it is like with the emission trucks.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Finished offloading in Edmonton yesterday. Got dispatched to Chicago to pick up a preloaded trailer bound for, you guessed itt, Edmonton.
Crossed the border an hour or so ago back into North Dakota. I'll turn around in Chicago on Saturday and be back in Edmonton Monday evening weather permitting.
Crossed the border an hour or so ago back into North Dakota. I'll turn around in Chicago on Saturday and be back in Edmonton Monday evening weather permitting.
Whizzer
Gig'em
What are you loaded with? Does this all go to the same facility? I'd bet it is a scenic run in spring when things are green. Or is it basically flat land.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
I just delivered Mobil gear oil. The load I'm picking up later tonight in Chicago is just listed as Mobil Lube. Not exactly sure what that's used for. We deliver just about everything Mobil makes to this Edmonton location.
Yes, these Edmonton loads are going to the same place. This is their busiest time of the year because the lakes, err roads, are passable this time of the year. Other trucks pick up what we deliver and take products to northern Canada. I'm guessing you've seen or heard of Ice Road Truckers? They only have a short window to move products north to their destinations. The ice formed late this past winter causing a rush to occur now. There are usually four deliveries a day from our company. Lots of product.
It's mainly flat from Chicago to Edmonton with the exception of a few sections of North Dakota. Even those elevation changes are minimal. There's only a few locations I can't maintain 70mph. I'm only traveling about half way across North Dakota before crossing north in to Canada. Both Edmonton and Calgary are about an equal distance to the west from where I cross. About 11hrs west at 70mph. Just west beyond Calgary or a little further west from Edmonton are where the mountains begin. You can see them from Calgary but not from Edmonton.
It's still very scenic. Little population but lots of farm lands. Grain products are huge there. Canola plants for canola oil. Fields of gold stretch as far as you can see. This time of the year everything's brown.
I drive mostly at night. I see lots of rabbits, wolves, fox, and the occasional moose along with a ton of deer. Buffalo near Edmonton.
pjmolo
Director of driver attitude adjustments . . .
In case you somehow missed it, the Chicago River got a make-over on Saturday . . .
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
I was in/out of Chicago under the cover of darkness and back on my way north. Missed their green river. In Saskatoon now only 7hrs from Edmonton. I'll be there tonight. Dropping off the trailer for steaming. Delivery Tuesday morning.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Lloydminster, AB sunset.....
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
53 degrees in Edmonton today. Windows down. Warmest I've seen here since last year. It's actually hot sitting in my truck at the local Flying J waiting on tomorrow's delivery. Put up my makeshift windshield screen to reflect the heat. I could run the AC but it's nice to get in some fresh air.
Deliver at 8am local time tomorrow. Probably heading back to Chicago again. My at home date is Thursday before Easter. If they've got another load that delivers here next Monday, it would be doable before heading home. This time though, I'm guessing they'll send me east to be closer to home. Only 18 days into this month and I'm sitting just under 10,000 miles for the month. I could be setting a new record, for me, for a month should they keep me moving. The most I've done in a month was a little over 14,000 miles. I believe that was in January.
Deliver at 8am local time tomorrow. Probably heading back to Chicago again. My at home date is Thursday before Easter. If they've got another load that delivers here next Monday, it would be doable before heading home. This time though, I'm guessing they'll send me east to be closer to home. Only 18 days into this month and I'm sitting just under 10,000 miles for the month. I could be setting a new record, for me, for a month should they keep me moving. The most I've done in a month was a little over 14,000 miles. I believe that was in January.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Went to Walmart. They sell bacon in Canada. But, they don't call it American Bacon. It's just bacon.....
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Product raised from 60 to 90 degrees. At my delivery point now waiting on them to take samples. This location is extremely anal when it comes to samples. They take three samples at a time. Only once since I've been coming here have they been satisfied with the first three samples taken. We usually pour out three 5gal buckets and then take the samples. Two times ago they accepted the first round of samples taken. Last week when I was here I lost count of the samples but I do know we filled forty nine buckets before they accepted the samples and started offloading. That's a lot of wasted product. They do save all of those buckets full of oil and resell it for other uses. Not to consumers.
Greg
2014 RF YAHOO CHAMP Your leader
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I remember once sending a sample to the lab at work (wasnt a liquid). They failed it and asked for a new sample, I sent another one taken from the same original material I had previously collected and they passed it on their second check.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
The Canadian Starbucks.....
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
A North Portal, ND border sunrise.....
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Shortly after crossing the border back into North Dakota yesterday I got a call from dispatch. Apparently another driver on their way to Edmonton broke down in Bismark. Since I was the closest driver hauling an empty, they asked that I rescue the load. I did and now here I sit in Edmonton again.
Dropped my trailer early this morning to have the load steamed in time for delivery tomorrow. This load is being offloaded directly from my tanker into another that will head into the northern section of Canada. We don't normally do it this way. It's simply that they are in a hurry to have it shipped north.
Going to do another clock reset while I'm here so I'll have a full clock to get me through my at home date next Thursday. I'm ready to go home. Last long time out until late Fall. In the meantime I'll be taking in a couple days of March Madness while I'm here.
Dropped my trailer early this morning to have the load steamed in time for delivery tomorrow. This load is being offloaded directly from my tanker into another that will head into the northern section of Canada. We don't normally do it this way. It's simply that they are in a hurry to have it shipped north.
Going to do another clock reset while I'm here so I'll have a full clock to get me through my at home date next Thursday. I'm ready to go home. Last long time out until late Fall. In the meantime I'll be taking in a couple days of March Madness while I'm here.