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

So yesterday I was at a local sand and gravel pit to replace the slips printer in the scale house.

Either the loaders really knows their loads, or the drivers really know their load gauges. About 10 trucks came through in the 1.5 hours I was there, all came in around 30,000-31,000 pounds and all of them left between 79,500 and 79,800 pounds. All were tilt-dump, no live bottoms.

I already don't like being around tilt dumps because they just look horribly unstable. Now that I know they push every pound of the GCVWR, I really dont like being around them.

How much do ya'll push the weight with the tankers?
 
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So yesterday I was at a local sand and gravel pit to replace the slips printer in the scale house.

Either the loaders really knows their loads, or the drivers really know their load gauges. About 10 trucks came through in the 1.5 hours I was there, all came in around 30,000-31,000 pounds and all of them left between 79,500 and 79,800 pounds. All were tilt-dump, no live bottoms.

I already don't like being around tilt dumps because they just look horribly unstable. Now that I know they push every pound of the GCVWR, I really dont like being around them.

How much do ya'll push the weight with the tankers?
I'll run about 78,000 - 79,000 fully loaded. I'll take it to 79,000 if I'm already full of fuel. Many times though I'll be limited to whatever the customer can take. So, I may be running sub 70,000 many times as well. I'm never over. I know that.

My last load was a compartment load. Four compartments. I'm real close to 33,000 when empty. 45,000 is close to my normal product weight as rule of thumb. Here's the breakdown of my last load. 44,360 of product.
 
Took my empty to Chicago where I dropped it late last night. Hooked up to another trailer that I'm taking to New Jersey. I'll be dropping it there tonight. Waiting on word for my dispatch after that.

720+ miles yesterday which included getting in/out of Chicago. Not bad. 648 miles to my next stop tonight.
 
Man oh man, but you really go from corner to corner of this country. Never been to that part of the U.S. other than to fly into SeaTac to catch flight to Anchorage. We did spend 5 days in Vancouver but have no idea how it compares to Oregon. Take some pictures. Keep posting your travels. I can tell from the response there are a lot of posters following your trips around America. 👍
 
Man oh man, but you really go from corner to corner of this country. Never been to that part of the U.S. other than to fly into SeaTac to catch flight to Anchorage. We did spend 5 days in Vancouver but have no idea how it compares to Oregon. Take some pictures. Keep posting your travels. I can tell from the response there are a lot of posters following your trips around America. 👍
Today's travels took me from Swedesboro, NJ to just west of South Bend, IN. Just over 700 miles. Not too bad with a loaded trailer crossing central to western PA.

I currently debating whether to take I80 across to Utah and then northwest or I90 through South Dakota, Montana and then down from Washington State. Difference is only 20 miles but the elevation is greater across I80. There's still weather to contend with too. Going to sleep on it and check the weather in the morning. I have a couple hours of travel ahead off me before I have to make the decision. Leaning to taking I90.

I have to do a 34hr restart starting tomorrow afternoon. That will probably push my delivery to early Thursday.

I'll try to get pics when possible. Wasn't much to see today.
 
Bath Day!

Sitting in Sioux Falls, SD completing a restart, resetting my clocks. Decided to run to the local Blue Beacon to get both the truck and trailer washed.

Continuing my run to Portland just after midnight tonight. Not seeing any snow in the forecast. Planning on just over 700 miles tonight/tomorrow. That will get me to Columbus, MT for my next stop.

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Columbus, Montana!! Know it well! October, 1989, the stock market went in the toilet and as we walked into the house after being out for dinner that evening, we received a phone call from a stranger notifying us our son had been involved in an accident in Columbus, Montana that morning! No details, only that he had been injured and the caller was not sure where he was taken for treatment. Called the local hospital but they could not tell us if he were a patient based on privacy laws. Made a few phone calls to try to get details and finally managed to convince a Montana Highway Patrol dispatcher to contact the trooper - troopers in Montana do not work from a central locations but take their patrol vehicles home wit them and work out of their residence - who investigated the accident to call us.

In the meantime my Bride was on another phone securing airline tickets to Billings. We left our home around 10 that night and after all-night flights landed in Billings. The trooper did call us and told us as much as he could but did say no drugs or alcohol was involved, just plain driver inexperience.

Our son had some serious injuries and seemed to be well cared for at that facility and was drifting in and out of pain medications as he had surgery earlier.

We went to the location where his truck was taken to try to retrieve his possessions and found the owner extremely helpful. Time flew by quickly and that night we went to the truck stop for dinner and were sitting in a booth still very much concerned about our son. As we were eating, two couples came in and sat at the next booth behind my Bride. We could tell from their conversation they were ranchers and their topic of conversation was of concern for, "the poor lad driving the truck that had the accident yesterday morning. He's from New Jersey and so far away from home," the conversation continued, "I think we should got visit him in the morning and try to make his as comfortable as possible." We never said anything but were both on the verge of tears to think these people were willing to take the time to visit a perfect stranger who suffered some bad luck in their town.

The next day we visited him and he told us the nurse taking care of him had taken his clothes to her house to wash them as his other clothing got scattered by the wind when the luggage broke open. He had some trophies he won racing motocross and the tow truck operators son, a motocross racer himself, salvaged those he could and brought them to him and they visited for awhile. The entire scenario was a lesson in kindness and caring and one we never forgot. There is a lot more to this story but I'll save it for another time.
 
Columbus, Montana!! Know it well! October, 1989, the stock market went in the toilet and as we walked into the house after being out for dinner that evening, we received a phone call from a stranger notifying us our son had been involved in an accident in Columbus, Montana that morning! No details, only that he had been injured and the caller was not sure where he was taken for treatment. Called the local hospital but they could not tell us if he were a patient based on privacy laws. Made a few phone calls to try to get details and finally managed to convince a Montana Highway Patrol dispatcher to contact the trooper - troopers in Montana do not work from a central locations but take their patrol vehicles home wit them and work out of their residence - who investigated the accident to call us.

In the meantime my Bride was on another phone securing airline tickets to Billings. We left our home around 10 that night and after all-night flights landed in Billings. The trooper did call us and told us as much as he could but did say no drugs or alcohol was involved, just plain driver inexperience.

Our son had some serious injuries and seemed to be well cared for at that facility and was drifting in and out of pain medications as he had surgery earlier.

We went to the location where his truck was taken to try to retrieve his possessions and found the owner extremely helpful. Time flew by quickly and that night we went to the truck stop for dinner and were sitting in a booth still very much concerned about our son. As we were eating, two couples came in and sat at the next booth behind my Bride. We could tell from their conversation they were ranchers and their topic of conversation was of concern for, "the poor lad driving the truck that had the accident yesterday morning. He's from New Jersey and so far away from home," the conversation continued, "I think we should got visit him in the morning and try to make his as comfortable as possible." We never said anything but were both on the verge of tears to think these people were willing to take the time to visit a perfect stranger who suffered some bad luck in their town.

The next day we visited him and he told us the nurse taking care of him had taken his clothes to her house to wash them as his other clothing got scattered by the wind when the luggage broke open. He had some trophies he won racing motocross and the tow truck operators son, a motocross racer himself, salvaged those he could and brought them to him and they visited for awhile. The entire scenario was a lesson in kindness and caring and one we never forgot. There is a lot more to this story but I'll save it for another time.
Great story, Whizzer
 
My Bride just reminded me the name of the cafe where we had diner that night was called The Town Pump. I'm trying to recall but am sure it was in the truck stop at Columbus.
 
My Bride just reminded me the name of the cafe where we had diner that night was called The Town Pump. I'm trying to recall but am sure it was in the truck stop at Columbus.
Yep, that's the one that I'm heading to this morning. They're affiliated with Pilot/Flying J. There's a bunch of them around the northwest.
 
Portland is finally going to have some nice warm temperatures later this week so you should be arriving in time to enjoy that.
 
Sitting in Stanfield, OR waiting to deliver tomorrow morning. Been here since early yesterday. Tired of watching tv and I think I’ve reached the end of the Internet a few times.

Can’t wait to start moving again. Delivery is scheduled for 0930. I’m sure I’m be sent to Chicago after delivery. I’ll be taking a more southern route back across I80. The distance isn’t much different. I’m more familiar with my three stopping points on the way back to Chicago from here.
 
Curious why you're waiting so far out from everything. Why not Troutdale?
It has to do with my clocks, rules of service. By staying in this location for 34 consecutive hours, my clocks will reset. It will give me a fresh 70hr clock to start my week. Basically it’s setting me up for the upcoming week. My home date is next Friday back to western PA.

Here’s a look of my current clocks. Had I driven in closer to my delivery point, I wouldn’t have been able to reset that 70hr clock. I would have left myself with only about 44hrs left to start my next week.

I’m sure my explanation in confusing but I can try to answer any questions you might have that could explain it better.


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Not confusing at all. In fact, I figured your answer would be exactly what you said. Thanks for the reply.
 
At my delivery point now. This place is always slow. Hope to get out of here quickly so I can start back to Chicago. Would like to get in 400 miles today to set up all of my next stops.
 
Bath Day!

Sitting in Sioux Falls, SD completing a restart, resetting my clocks. Decided to run to the local Blue Beacon to get both the truck and trailer washed.

Continuing my run to Portland just after midnight tonight. Not seeing any snow in the forecast. Planning on just over 700 miles tonight/tomorrow. That will get me to Columbus, MT for my next stop.

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Do you pay for the wash or does the company cover that? Just curious., Nice looking rig for sure.
 
It really makes a good impression when you see a clean rig on the highway. I think the company could be one of the worse for delivery but if their trucks were clean they would still get business. Kinda like the old adage of, a clean car goes faster. :cool: I remember the first reliable car I ever had was a 1950 Pontiac tudor sedan, six cylinder with standard shift. It was a pretty green and every time I washed it, which was about three times a week, I had to take it out to make a fast run with it. KIDS!!! KIDS and their cars!! It was the best I could afford at the time and it was good transportation when I needed it most. Traded it in for a 1952 MG TD.
 
Ontario is in Idaho?

They musta’ moved it. 😇






Don’t mind me. Friend of mine’s car owner lived in Ontario, Oregon. Art Sugai … Eastside Cafe and Lounge. “The Pink Lady” … famous super modified cars in the PNW driven by Kenny Hamilton, Jerry Sneva and others. Art took Rick Mears to Indianapolis.

Sorry / not sorry about the derail. Have a great day in the sunshine.
 
Are those highways as smooth as they look? Beautiful scenery. Would love to do a trip to Utah and visit the national parks.
 
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