All HAIL breaks loose

We got up early at Gary, got our trailer and hit the road. No problems. This week is going too smooth. We were "fortunate" to have a hazmat load this time headed to Salt Lake. I had a funny feeling about it as well, and took a little more time on the preflight insp. than normal. When we crossed over the Ill/Iowa border, I kinda figured we'd get pulled in at that weigh station for some check of paperwork, etc. When we have a hazmat load, we are required to go enter the weigh station if open. Usually, we just get run across the scales and on our way. Once in awhile, they tell us to park and bring in the paperwork on the truck, bills of lading (bol's), etc. We have had no problem yet with this, just a little time consuming. Well, the first scale house we hit was normal, across the scale and on our way. The next one we hit was as we approached Des Moines. Across the scale, then "pull in and park, bring in the registrations, BOL's, license, medical card, etc." UH OH! I parked and took everything in. The inspector looked at everything, and even ran my name/license # thru the system to make sure I was ok and no fake license. (Do I look THAT dumb?). After that, he said lets go look at the truck and trailer. He looked, and looked, and looked. Under the hood, under the chassis, at the brakes, all the lites, horn, wipers, etc. He even marked the rod on the brake canisters, then had me depress the brake pedal to see if they moved far enough for proper operation on ALL wheels. After all that, he told me to grab my log book and come on back in.
He went thru my logs, and filled out some paperwork on the computer, had me sign, and told me good job. I just had my first LEVEL 1 inspection by DOT and did not get any violations. WHEW! I've heard about these inspections, but so far had avoided it. Guess it was my turn. Just glad it all went well.
OK, that down, the rest of the trip should be a piece of cake, right? Not so fast pilgrim!
Seems as Mother Nature had her own ideas of keeping my day interesting. We got on over toward Kearney, Neb, and heard of severe thunderstorm warnings, and tornado watches. The sky kept getting darker, then started to rain some. Next came a little hail. Then ALOT of HAIL and rain! All of a sudden I could not see past the hood of the truck. It was raining so hard and hailing, I couldn't hear Kim either. It looked like we were underwater, it was a weird aqua-greyish green out. I knew we were in trouble when I saw leaves and twigs hitting my windshield! Kim said they were spinning around. I just started shutting it down to pull over and just in time, Kim pointed out a truck camper stopped RIGHT in front of me. I swerved around him, and pulled over on the shoulder as FAR as I could behind some other cars and trucks. A couple minutes later, it lightened up where we could see a little, and we started on down the road slowly, still barely able to see the next car. It kept getting lighter, and we kept on down the road, as fast as our little truck would carry us! About 30 mi later, it was all clear, sunny, etc, and weather the rest of the way to SLC was not an issue.
WHEW, I have NEVER been in anything like that on the road, and hope not to again!
We got into SLC about 4am, dropped and reloaded, and rolled out. Now we are headed back to Aurora. I think we'll shut down again for the nite just east of Council Bluffs then hit Aurora sometime late morning.
Hopefully Mother Nature will figure she got our attention and leave us alone for the rest of the trip. And we also got a nice little sticker on our windshield from the DOT that I assume tells them we have had a Level 1 inspection recently, so hopefully they won't bother us either.
Here's to hoping anyway!
Till next time, keep it safe out there. (Right Dad? No more autocrossing with RV's!) :)

Nice weekend, now get back to work! :)

Well, we had a good weekend off. At least part of the weekend. I enjoyed teaching the motorcycle course, tho my legs and feet were complaining a little because they haven't been used like that in awhile.
Got back into the routine Tues. morn, and picked up our trailer at about 6:30. Headed out and had great weather till Kim took over (imagine that!) in Nebraska. Rained all the way to our rest stop just past Council Bluffs. Got up this morning to more rain. UCK. Finally after we got past Des Moines, it cleared up and has been a nice day.
We dropped the trailer in Aurora, then beat feet over to Gary and dropped our empty. We had been notified last week that our truck was due a service and oil change. We made our way over to the Speedco next to the Pilot here in Gary. An hour an a half later, we had a "fresh" truck. Oil change, lubed, new wipers, good to go again.
We are sitting at the Gary yard now, waiting on dinner to cook in the "lunchbox" oven, then it will be an early nite. 3:30am rolls around too quickly sometimes.
We hope all of you had a great Memorial Day weekend, and paid tribute to all the fallen heros.
2 members of my class were wives from the Patriot Guard Riders. It is an organization whose soul purpose is to honor those who defend our freedom. Check them out on the web. Great group of people nationwide. http://www.patriotguard.org/

Cheers

short week

Well, we had a nice "short" week this week. Short being about 2850mi in 3 days. That is also with 12 hours down in Gary Ind. on Wednesday nite. We got back to SLC about 5am this morning (Friday), turned in our paperwork, docked the trailer, did a yard check (we take an inventory of all CFI trailers in the Conway yard every Friday morning), and headed home.
The trip this time was fairly uneventful, until we got to the Nebraska panhandle area and into Wyoming.
Someone should correct me if I am wrong, but last I looked at the calendar, this is LATE MAY! It looked like January last nite going thru that area with snow flying, and slush and ice covered roads. We also had some mean showers to go thru, and the clouds were pretty scarey. Apparrently, it was remnants from the storm that produced tornadoes down in Colorado, north of Denver. It was a pretty slow creep down the mountain into Laramie also. It was ice packed 5 and 6% grades for about 15miles.
We are off for the Memorial Day weekend now, and head back out on the road Tuesday morning. Not sure we will know what to do with 4 days off, tho I have most of Sat and part of Sun booked. I will be teaching the Motorcycle Safety Course this weekend to a group of beginner riders. I have not had a chance to teach since last fall, so it should be interesting.
Well, till next time, keep it safe this weekend!
And please take a minute and remember what Memorial Day is all about. Our prayers and well wishes to all the families of the fallen heros.

Almost a perfect week.

Here is a picture of big rigs parked on the side of the highway just west of Park City, UT on I-80. UGGGGGGGHHHHHH.




We have been waiting for a week without any problems, delays, etc. It ALMOST happened this week. Aurora and Gary were indeed ready, so we got our paperwork and trailer and got out of Gary on schedule. We went to the rest area between Omaha and Lincoln and parked at 1030pm for a 5hour nite, then hit the road headed home. Our eta on "Lola" (our GPS) eventually had us due in about 6:30pm after a couple of short breaks during the day.


We were about 30 MINUTES from home when it happened. While making our way thru Park City, I notice a looooong line of big trucks parked along the side of the highway on the outbound side of Park City. I got on the CB and asked what was up. A tanker had been hit, and was leaking. There was a hazmat team cleaning it up.





Great! Soooo close to a "normal" week, and now we sit. We ended up sitting for a little over 2 hours by the time we got going and got past the accident. Seems there was a high speed chase on the eastbound side. The driver decided to end it, and swerved into a tanker, causing it leak all over, and also killing himself. Very sad. It was worse for the eastbound side coming up out of Salt Lake. Their lanes didn't get opened till about 1am. It was about 8:30pm for us.





We have had a really nice day off. 91 degrees, and I got to get out and get a ride with the guy who took over my old job. We rode up into the mountains to Kamas, UT (behind Park City area) and had a nice lunch. From there, he headed back toward Ogden, and I went back to Park City, and picked up I-80 again, and back home. Great to ride in the mountains again!

Special groups

Not much to report ths week,,,so far. We have got our trailers on time, and out early from SLC as normal (about 6:00-6:30). That gives us extra time on the first leg to Aurora, Il so we have the option of sleeping for awhile. We usually park it from 3-5hrs during the nite.
We are now on the 2nd round and about 150mi from Aurora on this Saturday morning. We stayed in a rest area between Lincoln and Omaha for a 5hr nite, then got up and out about 3:30 this morning. Should be in Aurora about 11am. We deadhead (pull an empty trailer) over to Gary, and should be out of there about 1pm headed home.
The weather sure is great this weekend. It's already about 75deg here, and the bikes are out in force this morning! That reminds me, yesterday we encountered a group of about 30 motorcycles with support vehicles. Veterans Awareness Ride to the wall. They were headed to Washington DC to the big ride on Memorial Day weekend. There is a Ride to the Wall going on now on all the major west to east routes, I10, I40, and I80. When they all get there, the ride is called Rolling Thunder, and is quite a site to see. Keep your eyes and ears open if your out there and run int the groups. The Ride to Wall is HUGE, we're talking thousands! Give 'em a honk and a waive. One day, maybe I can join my veteran brothers and motorcyclists and ride to wall with them.
Thats about it for now, gotta get back into the driver seat and finish off this run. Hopefully, Aurora and Gary will be ready us this time.
Till next time, keep it safe out there! And our special waive this week is to all the veterans, Memorial Day Weekend is next weekend. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.

A Record week and Mothers Day

Ok, we made our trip to Aurora without incident, and got over to Gary about 1100 Saturday morning. Things have been going pretty smooth this time around. Or so we thought. The guard at Gary uually has the paperwork ur Saturday load since only a few work on weekends. He kinda looked puzzled when we pulled up and said he no paperwork for us. Hmmm,,well, I'll go inside and talk with the supervisor. "Uh, no, he not here, he just left." Damm, I go on in and see some of the weekend crew. They had trouble finding paperwork for us. After about 30-45 min. we finally got the paperwork, found a trailer, hooked up and left.
We had arranged to meet our daughter in Des Moines for dinner. We made it to the Pilot there and she picked us up for a nice dinner to celebrate mothers day. After dinner, we made our way on to Omaha then shut down for the night.The winds had REALLY kicked up to the tune of 50mph gusts. We had been running pretty hard to get to Des Moines a little earlier than normal. Shutting down for a few hours was the safe thing to do. By morning the winds had died down some, and we headed home.
Our week, dispatch and paywise, is from Midnite Sunday morning to Midnite Saturday nite. This week we set a new weekly mileage record for us. 7200mi in a week, and was home Monday. Thats kickin a$$. :)
Kim decided to try a blueberry muffin mix in the lunchbox cooker. Putting it into a tin bread pan, she thought it would make a little cake for breakfast. Sounded good, and smelled even better! Only problem was she got up to do something in back, tripped over the wire, and knocked it over before it was done. You know what happened when you turn over a pan of muffins before it cooked? Its called a mess. Oh well, she finished cooking it, then scraped it out. It still tasted good!
We made it home about 7pm and got a good night sleep.
Monday morning we had to go back and get the truck. We had an appointment at the Salt Lake Kenworth service dept. to get our windshield replaced. This is the 2nd time in about 3 weeks. Hope this one lasts longer!
Weather is kinda cool today. No riding this week. Next week looks great,,,,so far. Hopefuly Memorial day weekend is great too. We will be off after our first run that week, giving us a 4 day weekend. I will also teach a Motorcycle Safety Class that weekend. I enjoy teaching motorcycle riding to beginner riders. It a challenge but rewarding and fun too.
Till next time, keep it safe out there. And give a waive to the new bikers out there, they're grinning ear to ear this time of year!

Wyoming thaw and a new schedule

Ok, I know, I am overdue an update! Here we go!
Yes, we finally got out of Wyoming. That night about 9:30pm we heard they had opened the road, but were still reporting high winds, blowing snow, etc. We also knew all the others that had been stuck around the closure would be hitting the road, so we decided to sit tight until 3am. Weather report had it clearing after that and by that time, the road would be cleared of all the "impatient" ones that had to be there yesterday. That put us about 16hrs behind what our schedule should have been, but this is the weekend pull, so we have until Monday and Tuesday before these loads are late.
We had some good rest in Rock Springs, so we pressed on to Aurora without stopping. Got there about midnite. We pulled up and and ,,,,,uh oh, the gate was closed! No worries, I spotted the security guard in his car in front of the building. I flash my lights, and just know he will come right over and let us in.........welll, maybe if I flash them again,,,,,,,,,,,no luck! Hmmmm,,,,maybe a little toot on the horn.....nope,,,alright,,,now he's going to get the air horn!,,,,and again! Alright, this isn't funny, we are tired and need to get on our way. AH HA,,the spot llight! AND the air horn! Finally, his lights come on and he moseys over and lets us in. 10 minutes I have parked the loaded trailer, unhooked, hooked up to the empty, and we are out the gate. Sure hope that guard catches up on HIS sleep too!.
We make our way over to Gary,,and guess what?! The gate is locked. And there is the guard, or at least his car in front of docks. Flash the lights,,,honk the horn, now the air horn, now the spot light. Yup, we go thru the same routine. a few times. I even get out, and try to see if he is in the car or not. Can't tell. Back to the air horn for some loooong blasts just in case he is inside. FINALLY a groggy security guard wakes up, makes his way over, and tries to unlock the gate. He can't see the keys, and has a hard time with it. Then looks for the right paperwork and can't tell which packet says CFI/Conway Truckload. By this time I've had it. I get out, grab the paperwork from him, and mumble something about if he weren't sleeping he could read the damn thing. I show him ours, get in the truck, find the trailer, run across the scales, adjust the rear tandems, and out the gate the gate. He even waives at us!
Now that we are fully functional, we decide to head back as far as we can. Little naps enroute help, relieving each other when it is time, and helping each other stay awake. We make it back to SLC about 6hours behind our normal Sunday schedule. Lately we have gotten in around 7-8pm. This trip is about 1am Monday morning, but we manage to get there and give ourselves a day off.
Weather was fantastic this time, and managed to get some riding in. The mountains sure are getting pretty, starting to turn green and lose all the white winter coat.
Tuesday morning, and back at the grind. We get our load about 6am (local)and head out. This trip we decide to try a little different schedule and see how it works out. We will drive till about 7pm (Central) and park for the nite (well, 6hrs anyway). This will put us just past Grand Island, Ne. At that time, we shoudn't have any problem finding a parking spot. Late at nite, they get hard to come by. We will sleep till 1am, get up and go. We still get into Aurora about 1:00pm Wednesday and get over to Gary and get a shower at the Pilot. Back to the Gary yard, and an early nite. This time we are tired and ready for bed. Most weeks, it's kinda early at 7pm for bed, but 3am comes awful early too. This time we are ready, and sleep good, a first for the Gary yard.
Thurs morning we grab our trailer, and guess what,,,Hazmat load! Oh well, only paint, so it's a flammable load.
We manage to get straight back to SLC about 3am, and sleep for about 3 hrs then back at it again. Got our trailer and now enroute back to Aurora.
These last trips we tried something new as well. At the Pilot truckstop, we purchased a "lunchbox" cooker. It is a black box that looks very much like the old style lunch boxes our parents took to work. This one plugs into the 12v system and cooks at about 300 degrees. It has little aluminum pans available (also at Walmart the bread pans work ) that fit inside to help with clean-up. We have cooked some strips of steak marinated with sauce, a pork tenderloin roll, and tonite some chicken strips sitting on orange slices. This is kinda nice. A nice hot meal at the end of a long day is a welcome addition.
For those interested, we did not really have to "purchase" the cooker. As with most chains, Pilot will you a "frequent fueler" card. Use it everytime you fill up, and you collect points on it for each gallon. A point is worth a penny. It adds up with these big trucks!
We have got our curtains for the cab, a cooler that sits up next to the driver to keep the drinks cold when the co-pilot is not available, and now this cooker. Each purchase was in the $25-30 range, so as you see, it adds up.
Ok, I have rambled on long enough, and you're probably snoring by now. :) Enjoy!
Till next time, keep it safe out there!

Our "Favorite" spot

Well we got our truck back about 5pm last nite and headed on back to Salt Lake. We decided since it would be 8pm or so getting there, we would just stay in the truck at the ConWay yard, get up early and get our load and head out. We normally get into the yard about 4:30am on Fridays, and our load is usually ready, or near ready. We decided to get up and go check about 5am this morning. Wouldn't you know it, NOT THIS WEEK! "Won't be ready till about 7". Oh well, gotta roll with the punches. We head back to the quiet end of the yard, and slept a couple of more hours. Yup, at 7am it was ready and waiting on us.
Got out of the yard about 7:30, and headed on up Parley's Canyon. That is the canyon between Park City and Salt Lake City. It sure is starting to get pretty with springtime rolling in. Hills are getting nice and green, the lakes and streams are all thawed out and full with run off from the snows.
About the time we get close to the Wyoming state line, there is an overhead sign that DOT uses to pass on info. Like this morning,,,,,I80 closed between Rawlins and Cheyenne. WHAT!!??? Not again. Weather sounded like it mite be clearing as the day goes on, so we kept rolling, hoping by the time we get close, it will open.
Well, we get to the last town before Rawlins, and it is still not opening, nor is it planned to anytime soon. Hmm,,,guess we'll stop here for awhile, since we know all the parking near Rawlins will be overflowing. The good thing is I know where there is parking available, the bad thing is we are right back where we started,,,yup, Rock Springs, Wy. In fact, we are now sitting in a parking lot of a truck stop next door to the hotel we have been in for the last 4 days. Oh well, we know where the good places to eat are as well, however, this time we have our truck, and our food now. Just wish we had the cable or satellite tv the hotel does. TV sucks without it here.

Soooo, thats about it for now, just wait and see how long I-80 stays shut down. It is due to snow and winds. Winds were reported 40-55mph in the cheyenne area, and 30-45 in the Laramie area. We are pretty light, 22,500lbs, so we won't be pushing our luck, even if the road does open.

Till next time, keep it safe out there! And PLEASE, lets pray for spring! :)
Cheers

Extended time off

Ok, a short update. It's Thursday morning, and we are STILL sitting in Rock Springs, Wy. It seems that Rock Springs is more remote that areas in Canada to get parts shipped to. There is no large trucking distribution center for UPS, FedEx, etc, so our radiator had to be shipped to SLC, then sent on a local truck up here. The order didn' t get in early enough to Kenworth on day one for overnite to SLC, so it went out on day 2. GRRRR
As of yesterday noon time, the truck had been torn down, the hub replaced, and they were just waiting on the replacement radiator,,,at least I hope that is all.
We need to get out today, so we can pick up our load in the morning and get at least our 2nd round in. 1/2 pay is better than no pay.
This however is the nature of the beast I guess. Mechanical things fail, and when the truck doesn't roll, no money is made, for the company, or for us. Conway does have a breakdown pay that will at least offset our food while we have been here amd of course they pay the hotel bill.
A day or two down was kinda nice. Day 3 and 4 is getting quite boring and frustrating. We are ready to hit the road.
Till next time, keep it safe out there!