I need a hat, a chain for my wallet & a can of snuff.

Hereford is the closest town. When you are driving by on I 40 the smell will knock you out of the seat if the wind is coming out of the south.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Another 600+ mile day making it to my terminal. Got here just in time for kickoff.

Here I sit until Tuesday. Alright by me, I'm tired. 6438 miles over these past two weeks. A lot for me. Maybe not for others.
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I have never pulled a tanker but I can imagine it has to be as bad if not worse then hauling hogs or cattle. You are doing an amazing job and your company has to be pretty happy they hired you. You deserve a couple good football games and some rest before you head out again.:)
 
How many miles have you drove since you started dp, do you keep that info?
 
Looks like I'm heading back North. Loads tomorrow. Delivers Friday near Pittsburgh. A 1400+ mile trip with plenty of time to get there.
 
The load I picked up on Texas for the Pittsburgh area needs to be delivered at 175°. While they told me that they loaded it at 200°, there's no way that was the case. My tank gauge said 162° at the time it was loaded. They tried to tell me that it's because it was loaded into a cold tank. There's no way the temperature dropped 38°in the time it took to load it.

So, it boils down to this..... The customers always right. The product is going to have to be heated to a higher temperature for me to be able to deliver. In order to do this they are pumping steam through the trailers in-transit heat system. Yesterday, I dropped my trailer off behind the terminal where they'll hook it up to steam lines this morning. The process will take most of the day to bring the temperature up so that I can deliver it tomorrow morning.

Pre-trip plans gone to hell. Now, instead of today being a travel day to put me in close proximity to tomorrow mornings delivery, I'll be leaving from Cincinnati for the final day.

Today's a rest day. I'm actually getting in yet another 34 hour reset. While I still get paid for sitting, I'd rather be moving. This trip started at my terminal in Western PA. From there I went to Jefferson City, MO - West Memphis, AR - Brownsville, TN - Los Angeles, CA - Pasadena, TX - Beaumont, TX and now Cincinnati, OH. Friday Pittsburgh, PA and finally home.

If that's not enough, my wife and I get to then jump in the Jeep and head to New York City Saturday morning where we get to watch our daughter compete in her final year for the University of Pennsylvania. It's the first large meet of this year's Indoor Track season.
 
Thank you, again, DPK. I could not tell you enough how interesting your experiences are and I was sitting here reading them and reading them to my Bride. She also finds your travels, trials and tribulations, interesting.
It is especially neat to read comments and helpful banter offered by other drivers. Good luck with your delivery and more than anything, we'll be rooting for your daughter to do well, like maybe be # 1, of all entered in her sport.
Safe travels.
 
Been steaming all day and it's only now up to delivery temperature. They have to shut off the steam as everyone that works at this facility goes home at 5pm. The next crew is to come in at midnight and will turn the steam back on continuing the heating process. I've got about a 5 hour drive to my delivery point. I think if they can raise the temp just a couple more degrees I'll be fine. Even though the temps are in the mid to low 30's tonight, it shouldn't cool down too much. They've got a heavy insulation blanket under that tanker skin.

Correction..... I now see it is to get in the low 20's tonight. Should still be good though.


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Whizzer said:
Are boxes on top of the tanker distribution points for the steam pushed through the lines?
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If you're talking about what appears to be boxes on the top, no, that's simply a box that protects the dome lid and other top connection points.

The steam connections are all on the side and underneath.
 
Magnethead said:
Hell haven't you been saying that for a couple years now? And to think, you "un" retired when you went from a part-time team to a Full Time team.

Come move to DFW, We could use somebody that won't have to lie through their teeth when the DOT checks the GCVWR tags.....and allow us to work more days before being at the track. ;)
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They have someone lined up to replace me now, but I'm going to go to the first race and help him get used to doing the cylinder heads. I did go to the shop on Mon and pick up the truck to bring it to my buddy here in orange that owns a truck repair shop to get the annual inspection done and get some new seats installed. If I hadn't committed to that then I would have went to the Chili Bowl last week and would be in Tulsa right now getting ready for the slot car race you and I were discussing a few days ago. Maybe next year.:)
 
HAZMAT 101

Been running all over this country of ours so far this year. I left my home terminal yesterday with kind of a unique load that just happens to be a hazmat load/loads.....

A compartmental trailer that has three compartments. Two of which are filled with some nasty stuff. This load is unique in the respect that one compartment is being delivered at plant A and the other at plant B, separated by 300+ miles. Normally all of the compartments are offloaded at the same location. Because they aren't, it means that the weight distribution of the load is quite different for that 300+ mile drive.

Compartment #1, the forward most compartment, was delivered at plant A. Compartment #3 will be delivered tomorrow at plant B. The difference, with the weight now being more to the rear of the trailer causes quite a different feel from the drivers seat. Don't know that I can really describe it but different none the less. I'm glad that the weather is cooperating with me. I'm not sure what snow braking would be like.

Anyhow here's some HAZMAT related pics. A spare placard with the identifying code and category. These cards need to be placed on all four sides of the trailer so that they can be spotted in case of emergency response. The 4 digit code is the product. The single number the category. 1993, in this case, is a fuel additive used in production of winter blends of diesel fuel. Basically it helps keep diesel fuel from gelling under winter's colder weather. The single digit, 3, simply identifies it as flammable. The simulated flame section at the top is for it to be easily identifiable by anyone with coming sense capabilities.

The Emergency Response Guidebook, and don't be alarmed by the 2016 date, is a book used by those transporting, storing or responding to issues surrounding the product. New products are created every day at a rate that could never be matched by any form of printed material. Every new chemical, at least that I know of, falls under one of the categories in this book. The book tells me what it is, in generic terms. It also tells me how to respond to it should there be a spill or some other problem.

When I get a trailer loaded with a HAZMAT product, the first thing I do is mark the appropriate pages in the book. I then review them so I know how to respond in case of emergency. The yellow pages define the product. The orange, how to respond. I'll leave it at that but believe me, this book is full of all the nasty stuff that it apparently take to make everything that we need/want in this world.

Just done basic HAZMAT stuff.....

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Speaking of flammable, Ron Capps' 18 wheeler caught fire near Amarillo on the way to testing. The photos look to me like it started as a left rear hub/brake fire. @Nitro Dude might know better.
 
Magnethead said:
Speaking of flammable, Ron Capps' 18 wheeler caught fire near Amarillo on the way to testing. The photos look to me like it started as a left rear hub/brake fire. @Nitro Dude might know better.
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Sorry Magnethead, I forgot to text you back yesterday. I had some friends in town and I took them out for breakfast and then took them to see Del Worshams race shop and bowling ally up stairs and then to dinner last night...so it was a pretty busy day. If I hear more about the fire today I will let you know.
 
About to get 'real' today. I was 25 miles from my delivery point this morning. My fuel gauge running low. My dash was telling me that I had 147 miles left in the tank. No problem..... Well, except that when I pulled into my destination point it said I have zero miles left. I'm exactly 7 miles from the closest fueling point. I have hopes that there's a little left in the tank to get me there. :eek:. I'll find out shortly after I'm finished here.
 
Today's load was a compartment trailer full of antifreeze. Two compartments of a 50/50 mixture and another at 100%. 2nd time I've delivered here. Familiarity is much more relaxing.
 
Apparently Empty on the fuel gauge translates to 40 gallons left in the tanks. It took just over 159 gallons to refuel which translates to $438.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
IDK..... I can only guess so but I never intend on testing it. I made it to the closest truck stop to top off without running out. I'll probably never let it get down that low again.
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What mileage do you get? Figure 5MPG at 40 gals is 200 miles.
 
Magnethead said:
What mileage do you get? Figure 5MPG at 40 gals is 200 miles.
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I normal range at about 6 mpg.

That was the first time that I ran the gauge down that far. I was just surprised to find out that there was that much left in the tanks when on E. Even though I now know, I don't intend on testing it again.
 
Under the cover of darkness.....

Delivery in the Bronx. This morning is the 2nd time that I've delivered in this general area. It seems that the key is to get in and out of here is in the wee hours of the night. Crossed the GW bridge at 8:30 last night. Delivery is at 7:00 this morning. Or so I thought. Had to park in the street to get set up for this morning's delivery. I got parked by 9:00 p.m. last night. Watched a little TV and settled down for the night. At 3:30 this morning there was a knock at my door by the security guard telling me that he's going to open the gate at 5:00 for me to back in. Going to have to use personal conveyance time to backed into my spot because I'm out of hours and it won't be reset by the time they want me to move. By the time I'm done off-oading though, I'll have a fresh clock. I've only got a couple turns to make to get on to 95 and then 80 to head west. I hope to be on my way about 7:00. it may not be too bad getting out of this city.
 
stay safe dpk. I hope you have something to defend yourself in the cab of that truck. The bronx is rough isnt it?
 
DanicaFreak said:
stay safe dpk. I hope you have something to defend yourself in the cab of that truck. The bronx is rough isnt it?
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The area that I'm at didn't look so bad. Can't carry any weapons and the like although I do have my tire thumper. ;)

I had originally thought that they were going to start off-loading when I moved into position this morning. All that's happened so far is that I'm hooked up, ready to offload. Waiting on lab results first before the valve can be opened. Not too big a deal though as I get paid for the delay.
 
Back in the early eighties when I was in my early twenty's and I owned my own trucks I would run from Mooresville IN to the Bronx 2 times a week. The place was on a small side street that just looped around back to the main street and the only thing on it was this small company I delivered to. They were closed at night but they gave me a key to the gate so that I could back into the dock and then lock myself inside the gate. I usually would arrive there some time in the night and then after I would park the truck I would either walk about a block to the main street and have dinner or I would catch a train to downtown NY City and bar hop until wee hours of the morning. It was not uncommon to wake up around 4.00 am and see a car stripped and on fire just outside of the gate I was parked behind. This was before cel phones and they would take the tires and gas tank so I didn't have to worry about the cars blowing up so I would just go back to sleep. There were a couple of times I had to wait for a tow company to pick the car up before I could make the swing to get out of there after I was unloaded.
 
1st time I was unloading in Compton Ca. it was dark early time in the morning, warm and I had my windows open. All the street lights were out, this was before GPS and I was rolling slow trying to read the street signs and at the same time look at the directions I had wrote down. I was looking left at a building address and when I turned back there was a guy standing on my running board on the passenger side with his head stuck in the window.
 
StandOnIt said:
1st time I was unloading in Compton Ca. it was dark early time in the morning, warm and I had my windows open. All the street lights were out, this was before GPS and I was rolling slow trying to read the street signs and at the same time look at the directions I had wrote down. I was looking left at a building address and when I turned back there was a guy standing on my running board on the passenger side with his head stuck in the window.
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This reads like it's just Part #1 of the story.
 
StandOnIt said:
1st time I was unloading in Compton Ca. it was dark early time in the morning, warm and I had my windows open. All the street lights were out, this was before GPS and I was rolling slow trying to read the street signs and at the same time look at the directions I had wrote down. I was looking left at a building address and when I turned back there was a guy standing on my running board on the passenger side with his head stuck in the window.
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That reminds me of the first time I went to Miami Fl. I had a load of produce on and when I pulled off the exit and rolled up to the stop light about 4 guys started running towards my truck so since there were no cars coming I ran the red light and hauled ass. I saw them later at the place I was unloading and it turns out that they just wanted to know if I needed them to unload my truck.:oops:
 
Nitro Dude said:
That reminds me of the first time I went to Miami Fl. I had a load of produce on and when I pulled off the exit and rolled up to the stop light about 4 guys started running towards my truck so since there were no cars coming I ran the red light and hauled ass. I saw them later at the place I was unloading and it turns out that they just wanted to know if I needed them to unload my truck.:oops:
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Yeah the same here. He knew little English, but he pointed well when I calmed down and asked him about the address, and from what I can tell he was spotting loads for his lumper group. No, I didn't execute a combination Jackie Chan/Chuck Norris ninja kick and blow him off the running board, but he did scare the sheet out of me for a bit. Lumpers for those that don't know unload trucks. It's quite a racket. They charge the shipper to unload his product at the consignee and the expense ends up being passed on to the consumers.
 
Nitro Dude said:
That reminds me of the first time I went to Miami Fl. I had a load of produce on and when I pulled off the exit and rolled up to the stop light about 4 guys started running towards my truck so since there were no cars coming I ran the red light and hauled ass. I saw them later at the place I was unloading and it turns out that they just wanted to know if I needed them to unload my truck.:oops:
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StandOnIt said:
Yeah the same here. He knew little English, but he pointed well when I calmed down and asked him about the address, and from what I can tell he was spotting loads for his lumper group. No, I didn't execute a combination Jackie Chan/Chuck Norris ninja kick and blow him off the running board, but he did scare the sheet out of me for a bit. Lumpers for those that don't know unload trucks. It's quite a racket. They charge the shipper to unload his product at the consignee and the expense ends up being passed on to the consumers.
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That just sounds rather unsafe in this day and age. I'd have doors locked, windows up, and a can of mace in my right fingers with the shifter between my thumb and pointer.
 
Been doing local runs for the past month or so. Did so so I could attend my daughter's track meets throughout the indoor season. The season wraps up tomorrow allowing me to hit the road starting Monday. First stop Pasadena, TX.....
 
Left Monday afternoon from Western PA bound for Pasadena, TX. Arrived there mid day only to leave for Mobile Alabama. I made it as far as just east of Lake Charles Louisiana where I'll stay the night. I'll be leaving sometime around 1:00 in the morning to head to Mobile. After a 30 minute break there I'll be heading north to Nitro West Virginia for delivery Friday. Lots of miles in a relatively short period of time.

Time to get some sleep..
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Left Monday afternoon from Western PA bound for Pasadena, TX. Arrived there mid day only to leave for Mobile Alabama. I made it as far as just east of Lake Charles Louisiana where I'll stay the night. I'll be leaving sometime around 1:00 in the morning to head to Mobile. After a 30 minute break there I'll be heading north to Nitro West Virginia for delivery Friday. Lots of miles in a relatively short period of time.

Time to get some sleep..
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I learn something every day, I had never heard of Nitro West Virginia. But I have stayed just outside of Lake Charles Louisiana on the way to Florida many times.
 
Nitro Dude said:
I learn something every day, I had never heard of Nitro West Virginia. But I have stayed just outside of Lake Charles Louisiana on the way to Florida many times.
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Adjacent to Charleston West Virginia. We have a terminal in South Charleston.

I've got an open window to deliver between 7am-3pm. Doing a 10 hour a little ways north of Birmingham right now. Debating what time to head out in the early morning hours. Still have 400+ miles to go before delivering.

My last three days have all been 600+ miles. Been getting up far to early to miss traffic.
 
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