Memories for us old truckers

[Coaldust]

I thought that too until early in the ABS years starting 1998. We had a short rash of main ABS
valves leaking past the exhaust port, was told by Utility not to use air brake antifreeze. Whether
that was the cause I can't say for sure but the use was stopped and issue stopped.

Common for Alaskan tanker fleets to still spec them on new trucks. Old habits die hard.

 

[DMiller]

I have some nice easy entertainment/work coming up. My friend Dwight called me yesterday
about driving a belly dump set up for about 6 days worth of work. The nice thing is where the job
is located. Out in the Clyde area 35 miles north of town hauling from a pit at Lyons Ferry.
Two trucks running pulling belly dumps at about ten loads a day each, plus load yourself and
scale it.
Out in the middle of nowhere, hardly any traffic on any of those roads, very few buildings around,
no one to bug you, deer and other wildlife to look at, nothing obstructing the view. Perfect.
Plus he only has excellent equipment to drive--zero iffy junk.

Sounds as the clay haul I ran over a year ago. Self entertained and low pressure.

 

[Oxbow]

Are you thinking of these:

Yep!

 

[Truck Shop]

The surrounding area of Lyons Ferry and Clyde, The road actually goes around elevator but
runs straight in line with center of elevator. Fields will be green this time of year and turn
color fast. Pit is near top of grade. Fun job to do, very few people out there, just a few
snakes-Bull and Buzz.

 

[Truck Shop]

Now that’s a “retirement job”. I guess you did pull the plug?

Oh I pulled the plug alright. Since I left the mayhem began. Seven of the longer term drivers quit.
And two more gave notice last week, expenses climbing, 9 trucks towed but he won't call me to
use his own tow truck, hates to admit some defeat at this point.
*
The Fish Rots from the Head Down.

 

[Truck Shop]

 

[crane operator]

Oh I pulled the plug alright. Since I left the mayhem began. Seven of the longer term drivers quit.
And two more gave notice last week, expenses climbing, 9 trucks towed but he won't call me to
use his own tow truck, hates to admit some defeat at this point.
*
The Fish Rots from the Head Down.

Losing 9 drivers would really hurt. What's he got? 50-60 trucks? Losing that large of a percentage of his drivers isn't good.

And the long term employee's are drivers that typically aren't tearing trucks up everyday, its the new drivers that are difficult.

 

[DMiller]

Currently at the local yard I am at, the original owner is still around day to day, health failing him where knew could not keep up the work yet there are at least eight of us that would be gone the day he has to stay away or gets so ill cannot be there to run shotgun.

 

[Truck Shop]

Losing 9 drivers would really hurt. What's he got? 50-60 trucks? Losing that large of a percentage of his drivers isn't good.

And the long term employee's are drivers that typically aren't tearing trucks up everyday, its the new drivers that are difficult.

A total of 13 are setting out of 65 tractors. There are so many things involved with new hires cost
wise, training is the big one. Getting them use to all the shippers/receivers, the commodity being
hauled, refer temp settings, fuel stops, and so on. About the time a driver gets acclimated they
quit. But one huge issue is lying to a driver or decreeing safety is a priority, then a driver finds
a tire issue and he is told to run it-your late we will change it later and later never comes.
When the pay rate is 10 cents low it attracts drivers that are 10 cents low.
*
One of the big issues that came up is drivers are not paid while on Company owned property
{shop/yard} that Penske leases and controls the maintenance for the company. A service there
takes 5 to 6 hours to perform meanwhile the driver is on company property-if asked a question
related to his truck-that's conducting company business. The driver is technically on duty, not
making a living.
*
Apparently my name and the old shop came up several times, and the fact it was rare for any
of the drivers to be tied up past 1.5 hrs for service repairs. If that happened I worked something
out by moving them into another rig for a trip, to keep things rolling. That doesn't happen now,
and you know what? It isn't my problem anymore either, I did my job to the best of my ability
while I was there.

 

[DMiller]

Problem solvers and decision makers are all but gone now. Down to bean counters and meter/computer readers.

 

[Hank R]

Bean counters run the world now a days, the larger the company the worse it gets.

 

[Truck Shop]

Dispatch is looking for him.

 

[Truck Shop]

For you LTL Ford people.

 

[crane operator]

Dispatch is looking for him.

He had to stop and check air pressure in the trailer tires. He might be a while.

 

[kshansen]

Bean counters run the world now a days, the larger the company the worse it gets.

Ain't that the truth! When I started at the quarry it was a fairly small company. The majority of their operations were in New York and Penn. Back then once a year all the top bosses would tour the various plants and stop and chat to many of the workers right down to the new hires and summer help.

90% of the time they knew who your father or other relative was as a good percentage of the workers were related to or neighbors of someone who worked as well. Dad got his job by knowing George who lived next door to us, my brother worked a couple summers and I ended up staying on more or less from the day after I graduated high school till I turned 65.

Unfortunately things started changing over the years as company was bought out by one company after another and at each merger it added at least one layer of management. With each of these the distance from the guy doing ground work in the plant moved further away from the head office people.

One thing I don't think I ever saw in all the years I worked there was a help wanted sign in the local paper. Now in the last couple months I see there is a permanent probably eight by twelve banner attached to the fence by the front gate.

It got so bad that last year my last boss got tired of the BS and lack of support from upper management and quit! He's I believe in his mid fifties so far from retired, and actually has worked for the company on a few occasions, see he had his crane operators license and what ever paper you need for that kind of wok and he kept everything up to date over the years. He told me now he runs better equipment at better pay and does not have to deal with the BS from the company. Just pull in set up the crane do the picks and drive off to the next job!

 

[Truck Shop]

He had to stop and check air pressure in the trailer tires. He might be a while.

Her right side steer tire was probably a little low, he'll get that pumped up.

 

[Truck Shop]

Prototype Hendrickson, A guy could cut himself on it.

 

[DMiller]

Appears a cross breed Diamond, Ford, White and possibly a Fruehauf corrugated trailer. The addition of Towboat style forward canted windshield just looks awkward.

 

[crane operator]

Shoot, that's a huge hendrickson cab. Its easiest to make square cabs when you're welding them up. They never were much concerned with looks.

Hendrickson subjected dimensionally challenged crane operators, to tiny square cabs for years.

 

[Truck Shop]

Towboat style forward canted windshield just looks awkward.

Built from leftover RSH parts.