Overload of the Day

[JLarson]

I love bonehead truckers.

Another reason I prefer driving 1 ton rigs so I don't have to go to truck stops and be near the Swifts.

 

[Truck Shop]

We had a driver that had a melt down at a freezer terminal. Drove into ecology blocks, tore the right
side of a two year old T800 all to hell. That was in 2008. As Spud said some of these companies just
flat run the crap out of these drivers, get the 36 off to clear the log and right back at it day after day.
All work and no play can make the sanest person do some crazy things. It's why in many cases drivers
walk and leave the truck where ever it's at. Walk off's are real common.

 

[crane operator]

I don't know how the long haul guys do it. We've been busy and I've been working most weekends. But I get to sleep in my own bed at night and if the weather goes to pieces- we just stay home.

A factory where we do some work- they've got a 8 month back log and those guys are working 6 days a week "for the foreseeable future". Morale doesn't hold up well under that. Everyone gets sick of it after a while and then nothing really matters. And they are hurting for help, or I think they would be wanting them to work 7/10s.

I know I like to make fun of some of the guys doing the trucking, but there are good guys and good companies out there doing it, and thank goodness there are- because the freight has to move.

But getting home at noon on saturday and leaving again sunday night week after week would wear me out.

 

[Truck Shop]

It's not just the hours C.O. and I know you know this.

People generally like the comfort of using their own toilet. Day after day of filthy
restrooms. The idea of walking into the kitchen to make yourself something to eat
or get a fresh cup of coffee. Truck stop showers. Sleeping in a bed with vents open
and a cattle truck slides in beside. Day after day of crummy food, bad nutrition can
lead to several problems including mental.
Then dealing with the public. The highways are over crowded, cars hate trucks and
in some cases justified. Day after day of traffic. Only to crawl into a 7' x 4' hole to
sleep it off.
Dispatchers, shippers, receivers and dock workers that could in many cases give
a damn about your Just in Time load-Just get it there no matter what. You get
sick your on your own, except for a emergency 911. And that's if you are able to call.
If you have a family-well forget about T-ball, little league games and such with the
kids. Holiday time-in many cases your dinner will be a Micky D, and that uncle
or ante you haven't seen well they are just going to be a lot older the next time you
see them.
I cuss drivers yes, I was one years ago. I know the routine all too well. It's not a hero
job never was and never will be. It's just a job and many really are not cut out for it.
It's why there is such a high turn over once they get a taste of reality.
It's not all bad but there is a lot of bad that goes with it.

 

[skyking1]

I only did the one long haul trip and that was enough, due to many things mentioned above. It takes a certain type to be successful at it for sure. I think it would wear anybody down.
I wrote a story about my friend Slim, and how that event got him to take a hosteler's job in the yard. That move about wiped him out in the change of pace and constant up down hook up move move.
He got to the night dispatcher's desk, and lasted a couple of years till he died too young at 55. I think the business had something to do with it.

 

[Truck Shop]

People can bitch about a drug free work place, and in the trucking end of things the hated E-Log.
Up till the time of the UA test then E-Log the Over the Road trucking business was the most unlawful
industry there was.
Hauling produce was by far the worst. In most cases the lowest pay and the most unreasonable hours
to reach/make pickups and deliveries. If a truck was in California that truck could end up with a mixer
load of up to 12 pickups. And depending on distance between pickups not much sleep time.
Depending on the brokerage {and quite a few did-something kept quiet/not talked about} would ask
there main drivers if they needed any pills. {FACT} kept in the dispatchers desk at the ready.
There were more drivers on the road pilled out at anyone time than one could imagine.

The business was dirty as all hell, many old drivers would balk at that because they would never admit
to it themselves. Truthfully the OTR industry years back was guilty of promoting drug abuse as
any other industry ever. Many old drivers will say they never used, because that goes against everything
a driver stood for years back. But they more than likely wouldn't have done it except for the dirty people
above them pushing them.

The Truth. The best thing that happened was drug testing and E-Logs.

 

[suladas]

We had a driver that had a melt down at a freezer terminal. Drove into ecology blocks, tore the right
side of a two year old T800 all to hell. That was in 2008. As Spud said some of these companies just
flat run the crap out of these drivers, get the 36 off to clear the log and right back at it day after day.
All work and no play can make the sanest person do some crazy things. It's why in many cases drivers
walk and leave the truck where ever it's at. Walk off's are real common.

It's one thing to walk off and leave a truck, or even have a lapse of judgment and hit something. But to back up and keep doing it like 4-5 times? That's beyond what is ok. If he hit it once and left the truck or even dropped the trailer, but what he did, he should be paying for all the damage and lose his commercial license, there is no excuse for it.

 

[Truck Shop]

lose his commercial license

It didn't happen on a public road therefor DOT would not be involved.

 

[digger doug]

A certain well thought of company around here runs Swing shift for all production employees.

 

[4x4ford]

I’m currently running otr but have a load planner that gives a **** otherwise I wouldn’t still be here I’m usually home Friday afternoon and don’t leave out till Monday morning. I cook in the truck and try to avoid eating out as much as possible

 

[skyking1]

People can bitch about a drug free work place, and in the trucking end of things the hated E-Log.
Up till the time of the UA test then E-Log the Over the Road trucking business was the most unlawful
industry there was.
Hauling produce was by far the worst. In most cases the lowest pay and the most unreasonable hours
to reach/make pickups and deliveries. If a truck was in California that truck could end up with a mixer
load of up to 12 pickups. And depending on distance between pickups not much sleep time.
Depending on the brokerage {and quite a few did-something kept quiet/not talked about} would ask
there main drivers if they needed any pills. {FACT} kept in the dispatchers desk at the ready.
There were more drivers on the road pilled out at anyone time than one could imagine.

The business was dirty as all hell, many old drivers would balk at that because they would never admit
to it themselves. Truthfully the OTR industry years back was guilty of promoting drug abuse as
any other industry ever. Many old drivers will say they never used, because that goes against everything
a driver stood for years back. But they more than likely wouldn't have done it except for the dirty people
above them pushing them.

The Truth. The best thing that happened was drug testing and E-Logs.

the bad old days I had supervisors in the earthmoving business who drank all day long. I have not complained about not having to worry so much about that, about some operator with my life in his hands up in the crane seat, etc. I hope the DOT and OSHA keep it that way. We have enough problems as it is.

 

[Tyler d4c]

Are you guys trying to tell me the good old days where well not so good.

 

[suladas]

It didn't happen on a public road therefor DOT would not be involved.

Wouldn't be the first time seeing them try to enforce laws on private roads. And for something that dumb, they should make an exception, who knows maybe he did make it back on the road like that.

 

[suladas]

Are you guys trying to tell me the good old days where well not so good.

The part I don't get is how they drove for so long in the older trucks, especially without things like cruise control or A/C. If I spend a few hours in a day in my old truck i'm done.

 

[terex herder]

Don't forget twin sticks, no power steering, little engine power, bias ply tires, and spring or rubber pad walking beam suspension. And those trucks were a big step forward from what came before them.

Everybody was tougher back then.

 

[56wrench]

Well, there were a lot of places to stop along the roads 50 years ago so the driver could stretch,eat, etc. Now, some of the main highways have very few rest areas that are only pullover areas with no services. The highways by-passed all the small towns with the diners and gas stations and allowed traffic to go faster and longer. Just part of the price of the world we live in

 

[Jumbo]

And, things moved slower. The pace of life in general was more civilized.

 

[Truck Shop]

And, things moved slower. The pace of life in general was more civilized.

You said a mouth full.

Don't forget twin sticks, no power steering, little engine power, bias ply tires, and spring or rubber pad walking beam suspension. And those trucks were a big step forward from what came before them.

Everybody was tougher back then.

Air wipers, poor lighting, ridged seats and no insulation. On some of the old Cab overs
there was a trap door on the dog house, set your can of beans on top of the engine
while you drove to warm them up.

 

[skyking1]

I've done that with Marooka track trucks. The engine is right there, pop the top on the ravioli and wait for it to bubble.

The one I ran was bigger, and the side of the hood was open to the engine on my right.

 

[kshansen]

On some of the old Cab overs
there was a trap door on the dog house, set your can of beans on top of the engine
while you drove to warm them up.

That reminded me of the guy who ran the drill rig at the quarry up in Watertown NY. I was there to check out a "vibration" in the engine, 8V71, turned out that was a broken crankshaft!

While beginning to pull engine he made a point to tell me to be carful with that strange bent up piece of 1/4 inch round stock hanging on the right side exhaust manifold. I was not sure what it was so I asked him. Turns out it was just the right size to hold a can of beef stew. He said hang the can on at 9AM break time and when it was time for lunch it was just ready to eat. Vibrations of the engine slowly rotated the can so it was heated nice and even!