Put in the big hole and gouge on it (truck driver check in)

[Gil Bang 25922]

that's a lot of tires to "thump"

[GringoSalado 1651]

# 152 looks low to me.

[Gil Bang 25922]

reminds me of the old joke about the critters from the forest playing a football game; big critters vs. small.

So the bigs are running up the score and dominating the first half.  The second half starts, and the centipede is making plays all over the field.  Batting down passes, causing loose balls, running it from scrimmage, etc.  The game is getting close and the big critter team calls a timeout. 

The small critter coach says "centipede, you're playing great, but where were you in the 1st half?"

"sorry I was late, coach.  I was getting my ankles taped".

[ButtFumble 5165]

Drifter needs to get a little Tonka Truck to strap on the flatbed when he is empty

[fattyflattie 4639]

This is not the biggest load, but was by far the most difficult haul I ever managed. 18’ tall in Ga is like 28’ here. I had 20 bucket trucks with all the utilities; utility support alone was 7 figures. The bed in this trailer can lower the load as low as 2” off the pavement, and jack up as high as 3’ to clear RR crossings and whatnot. The trailer had to be reconfigured (on side of the highway) from a 4bed6 to a 6bed6 once we got near the coast to pass the shitty old bridges in the deltas. Went from north of Atlanta to Brunswick. Then turned it around and did it again a week later. Each haul took 7 nights to make about 400 miles. This one took years off my life.






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[drifter379 1106]

Were you driving or coordinating the loads?
That’s the kind of shit I dream about doing.

[fattyflattie 4639]

No, not driving. This was one of about 900 items I moved (managed) for a very large project I was managing.  The planning, engineering, operations, costing, etc are all mine. Boots on the ground, while I was there for as many as possible, not my job. 

[MadTrapper 152]

No, not driving. This was one of about 900 items I moved (managed) for a very large project I was managing.  The planning, engineering, operations, costing, etc are all mine. Boots on the ground, while I was there for as many as possible, not my job. 

Wow. Can you say the load was? Something offshore, maybe?

[RPM 26318]

3 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

This is not the biggest load, but was by far the most difficult haul I ever managed. 18’ tall in Ga is like 28’ here. I had 20 bucket trucks with all the utilities; utility support alone was 7 figures. The bed in this trailer can lower the load as low as 2” off the pavement, and jack up as high as 3’ to clear RR crossings and whatnot. The trailer had to be reconfigured (on side of the highway) from a 4bed6 to a 6bed6 once we got near the coast to pass the shitty old bridges in the deltas. Went from north of Atlanta to Brunswick. Then turned it around and did it again a week later. Each haul took 7 nights to make about 400 miles. This one took years off my life.






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

3 hours ago, drifter379 said:

Were you driving or coordinating the loads?
That’s the kind of shit I dream about doing.

Oh Lordy if I'd have had the chance to hook on to a load like that.

[Kennythetiger 9376]

8 hours ago, MadTrapper said:

9 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

No, not driving. This was one of about 900 items I moved (managed) for a very large project I was managing.  The planning, engineering, operations, costing, etc are all mine. Boots on the ground, while I was there for as many as possible, not my job. 

Wow. Can you say the load was? Something offshore, maybe?

It's a secret, man- that's why it's all covered in plastic.

[Kennythetiger 9376]

9 hours ago, drifter379 said:

Were you driving or coordinating the loads?
That’s the kind of shit I dream about doing.

First thing I spotted was the half-ton pickup and I thought "I think I could handle that one."

[fattyflattie 4639]

8 hours ago, MadTrapper said:

9 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

No, not driving. This was one of about 900 items I moved (managed) for a very large project I was managing.  The planning, engineering, operations, costing, etc are all mine. Boots on the ground, while I was there for as many as possible, not my job. 

Wow. Can you say the load was? Something offshore, maybe?

Petrochemical equipment for onshore facility.   Some heater of some sort.    Same as the towers I posted the other day.  Ethylene crackers have been expanding like crazy down here in Houston area. 

[unoriginal 55]

That load was well secured

[RPM 26318]

Saw 2 heavy loads going up 287 the other day. A couple of big pressure tanks that looked about 14 x 100 just guessing. Had 16 axles in 4 sets.

[fattyflattie 4639]

So this item was delivered from Nebraska to the yard south of Houston by one of my old competitors. Then we jacked it up with climbing jacks and staged it. Later hauled it down to Freeport when site was ready for it. Nothing crazy at all on my end, but the fellas that delivered it did fucking fantastic. They got that thing thru the gate with about 1.5” on either side, on the first shot. Got it all the way around our yard with trucks and cranes and equipment everywhere. Took them a day to break the trailer down and then took off to get the next one. I believe it took them 20 days from Nebraska to Houston. All were from Long Beach area and looked like surfers/skater types. Driver and load supervisor was 35. Whole crew was under 35. They ran a very good operation.








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[drifter379 1106]

 

Got a headache rack today.

Haven’t been on much lately. Turn over in dispatch has turned current job to shit. In the process of getting my truck on with Mercer Transportation.

Hope to be in Louisville Wednesday for orientation if I can get all my paper work together.

 

 

[RPM 26318]

Wow, horrible time to have to swap companies. Mercer has a good rep. Have you looked at Anderson?

[Gil Bang 25922]

Yeah, that seems to be the way it always is.  You get on with an outfit, and they seem pretty good, until they aren't.  You always  have to be looking for the next outfit.

[drifter379 1106]

This week makes 4 years at my current company. They were really good to me and I like driving for them but the dispatch situation has blown that.
I was looking at either landstar or Mercer and Mercer came out with better perks in my opinion.
I drove for a lady in the early 2000’s that had us leased on to landstar and I really like the no dispatcher route now that I own my own truck.


I’m on a ten year plan and need to maximize my income over that time.
I plan to be a Mexican citizen living on a beach in 10 years.

[Gil Bang 25922]

30 minutes ago, drifter379 said:

This week makes 4 years at my current company. They were really good to me and I like driving for them but the dispatch situation has blown that.
I was looking at either landstar or Mercer and Mercer came out with better perks in my opinion.
I drove for a lady in the early 2000’s that had us leased on to landstar and I really like the no dispatcher route now that I own my own truck.


I’m on a ten year plan and need to maximize my income over that time.
I plan to be a Mexican citizen living on a beach in 10 years.

Were you an O-O before you bought the Pete?

[Jkwellborn 6695]

You gonna continue to haul oversized? Or just take whatever?

[drifter379 1106]

I was a company driver until March of this year when I bought my truck.
Then we lost the concrete and oil rig customers so now I’m stuck hauling shit I don’t want to haul for less than I’m willing to haul it for.


I really like the od stuff and will have a chance to do some of that at Mercer.

[RPM 26318]

7 hours ago, drifter379 said:

so now I’m stuck hauling shit I don’t want to haul for less than I’m willing to haul it for.

Welcome to O/O land. 

[Wally Fairway 5541]

16 hours ago, drifter379 said:

I plan to be a Mexican citizen living on a beach in 10 years.

[luke duke 6412]

I plan to be a Mexican citizen living on a beach in 10 years.

[drifter379 1106]

If that’s what it takes.

[Coyote 269]

Fatty, what are you moving through Houston in the big crates that’s screwing up traffic everywhere?

[DallasHorn26 586]

5 minutes ago, Coyote said:

Fatty, what are you moving through Houston in the big crates that’s screwing up traffic everywhere?

Obligatory" username checks out"

[fattyflattie 4639]

34 minutes ago, Coyote said:

Fatty, what are you moving through Houston in the big crates that’s screwing up traffic everywhere?

Not me this time. I’ve moved back into O&G to be waaaay overpaid...until I’m not. Then repeat.  

My guess would be the Lyondell stuff over on east side, especially if it’s every night.  Our lead sheriff that ran the uniformed escorts used to love to say, “looks like a great night to motherfuck some traffic”.   

I would love to tell y’all I miss it. But so far it’s been a pretty healthy departure.  

[Coyote 269]

I walk through their tower to get to work, might need to go beat down some doors.

 

(Great time to get back in O&G btw...)

[Lat22 4010]

Not Lyondell stuff this time. 

 

https://cdllife.com/2019/heavy-haulers-transport-two-story-tall-crates-through-houston/

[drifter379 1106]

[fattyflattie 4639]

That’s a solid load there.  “One of the biggest to pass thru Houston”, meh not so much. 

[drifter379 1106]

I am officially driving for Mercer Transportation now. Finished my 3 day orientation that turned into 4. It’s the honeymoon phase and I know reality will set in eventually but so far it looks like this was a great move.
I’m sitting in Lodi, OH 40 miles from my delivery in Cleveland Monday am. Already have 2 more loads booked. Will end up in south GA wed night or Thursday morning. Went in to the TA for breakfast this morning wearing my new Mercer hat and the waitress said Mercer drivers get 50% every meal at this location.



New trailer



First load.

[PatrickMcHorn 376]

Nice, congrats man

[baboso 6054]

drifter, what's gonna be the official surly recognition signal when we spot you out on the interstates of this great nation?  Throw the horns up?

[drifter379 1106]

drifter, what's gonna be the official surly recognition signal when we spot you out on the interstates of this great nation?  Throw the horns up?

That will work better than the one finger salute because everyone uses that.

[Gil Bang 25922]

Just about a year ago
I set out on the road
Seekin' my fame and fortune
Lookin' for a pot of gold
Thing got bad things got worse
I guess you will know the tune
Oh Lord, stuck in Lodi again

Edited August 19, 2019 by Gil Bang

[Gil Bang 25922]

seriously, WTF do you do for 4 days at an orientation?

[KaiserSoze 998]

seriously, WTF do you do for 4 days at an orientation?

Put it in the big hole and gouge on it.

[drifter379 1106]

seriously, WTF do you do for 4 days at an orientation?

First day is paper work and drug test.
Second day is insurance and trailer lease.
Third day is physical and twic card.
There is company policy, log book requirements and truck inspections mixed in.

I was actually done by the third day at noon but I bought a dunnage rack to be put on the trailer. Wasn’t able to get someone out to install it until day 4.



It was too late in the day on Thursday to get a load so I loaded out on Friday.

[drifter379 1106]

“Are you sure there’s room for me to turn around?”

[Lat22 4010]

Holy shit. Good luck. 

[RPM 26318]

So much for that new low hanging dunnage rack.

[Johnny Sack 8397]

1 hour ago, drifter379 said:

“Are you sure there’s room for me to turn around?”

Damn. Don’t mark up the sled. 

[Gil Bang 25922]

read an interesting article yesterday. It was clearly CR material, but it talked about how truckers have had a rough time lately, basically things have gone to shit in the last year.  It seems that the new tax deal was not kind to truckers, particularly company drivers that collect per diem. 

[drifter379 1106]

read an interesting article yesterday. It was clearly CR material, but it talked about how truckers have had a rough time lately, basically things have gone to shit in the last year.  It seems that the new tax deal was not kind to truckers, particularly company drivers that collect per diem. 

Yeah I got fucked on the tax deal last year. They took away our itemized deductions. I was normally getting $3-5k back every year but I had to pay this year.

[drifter379 1106]

$ money maker $

[drifter379 1106]

Ohio.

[SydneyCarton 48069]

I mean, I take it you got out of that fucking mud forest, but I'd love some pictures of that drop off site and the return if you have 'em.