Profile For Robert B. (The Dragon) yes, I breathe fire and other sideshow tricks

I’m probably one of the few who doesn’t own one. Granted, I do have the Co Pilot app on my phone but I only use it in reference to my road atlas. I think it’s more important to know how to plot your route, learn roads and alternate routes instead of relying on a tool which will often get you lost. It doesn’t take much longer to do it “the old fashioned way” and will only make you better in the long run.

Frac has been used extensively since the 40’s, it isn’t new. Obama pushed to limit and in some cases stop drilling permits in many locations but things were already ramping up as oil prices climbed which is why you saw the boom.

The loss of Stevens Transport in the oil field had more to do with their own failures than the field itself. You never saw Stevens trucks hauling for the major energy services because everyone knew they were unreliable and made a lot of mistakes. Once things started getting tight, the big companies kept going albeit slowly but the smaller energy services packed up shop and companies like Stevens had to throw in the towel.

I’m with G and Kearney about logging what you do. I rarely put myself in sleeper berth but then again, doing a split is super rare for me. I can’t tell you how many times I have my logs checked (generally once a week due to hauling oversized) and I’ve yet to have an issue with anything the officer has seen.

Detroit 60??

I was going to say I bet he’s running a cat on heavy haul 😉

Nope, series 60.

Yes, it’s a glider. Detroit series 60, 12.7 liter with a little bump in hp but nothing crazy. She does the job well and honestly runs and pulls better the heavier she is.

I was going to say I bet he’s running a cat on heavy haul 😉

Nope, series 60.

They also have a midnight blue and a purple one they use. The blue and purple are both 389 Pete’s but have no name or DOT numbers.

Oops, forgot but it’s 128,000 full fuel. The balance is almost perfect so it just floats down the highway.

Dang Robert! I'd be checking for leaks or installing lockable caps on those tanks!

How heavy was that one? Was that the grinder delivery?

Yep, delivers tomorrow after a permit delay in Idaho. Oddly enough, I never see better than 4 lol

Just a silly photo but I wonder if I qualify for a fuel bonus?

You’re right about 70 across Indiana. The big difference is that it will be worse than when they started.

Been busy lately so I haven't posted as much.

Bags of shredded steel belts:

Tracks for something Robert B would haul. Each one weighs 14,000 lbs.

Nice loads !!!

Just to ride the coattails of what’s already been mentioned and something which rarely comes into the conversation is this. The folks you meet who are “making good money” have been at this game for a long time. They’ve established relationships with brokers and direct customers so they’re rarely just “looking for a load”. Building those relationships takes time and most nowadays are in too deep to take that time and added stress which leads to a quick and painful financial disaster. I work for a small company that specializes in heavy haul. We only haul broker freight but we only work with a small handful of brokers and are top carriers with them. Because of the power units and trailers we run, we can haul freight to places that nobody else can without significant permits and extra axles. The load I’m currently on which I just posted pics of is one of those loads. The broker insisted we couldn’t run it on 7 axles because their own trucks require 8. Well, the scale ticket proved him wrong and made him very happy. Situations like that don’t just fall in your lap, and the majority aren’t prepared for breakdowns, loss in revenue and different things it takes to be successful. There’s no way in the world I’d buy my own truck and I guarantee you that I can match or better the revenue of most owner operators as many of the veteran drivers on here can as well.

Today’s move is a grinder, a big one. Run by a C18 Cat motors pushing 750hp, the grinder drum will shred a 48” diameter oak tree with very little effort and produce 120 tons of wood chips in an hour. It’s one of the smaller units this company manufacturers and weighs 87,300#. I picked her up in Idaho and her new home is just outside Chicago.

This heavy hunk of steel is headed from Victoria Texas to just outside Seattle Washington. It’sa Cat 349F excavator minus the arm, bucket and counterweight. Gross weight 121,420#. Fully assembled, it weighs in right around 118k by itself so it’s actually cheaper to send it on two trucks.

Honestly, personal safety is mostly common sense. Yes, you’ll have the occasional story pop up and social media will go insane but simple situational awareness will keep you safe. The seatbelt idea for the doors works but, if you needed to egress the vehicle in an emergency, now you’ve potentially trapped yourself. I’ve been in some bad bad neighborhoods and have yet to ever have an issue with someone trying to get into the truck. They might try to steal something to pawn off the trailer but that’s about it. In regards to safety in the parking lots, leave your phone in your pocket. Keep it handy but don’t have your face buried in it. Always be aware of your surroundings because safety isn’t just about people, there’s trucks flying around to with idiots behind the wheel talking on their phones or texting, eating, programming their gps etc. Park in well lit areas when possible and check your mirrors before opening your door. Being aware is probably one of the more important things regarding overall safety.

I’m gonna agree that it sounds a little suspect but I’m not there so I don’t know the facts of her situation. In regards to your question about learning a manual transmission, I absolutely think you should. Granted, the majority of the larger carriers are going to auto shift but all those carriers combined only make up roughly 10% of the industry. I happen to work in a part of the industry where if you aren’t competent with a manual, you’ll never make it. My honest opinion is that being stuck with the auto endorsement, limits certain possibilities a might find themselves interested in.

Hey Dave? I’m not sure if you’ve seen anything about it yet but Nikola just had 3 lawsuits filed and is being investigated by the SEC for fraud. Also, the CEO just stepped down all but admitting to defrauding investors and potential buyers. They’re also being investigated over the lack of having any of the tech they’ve been claiming.

Just based on your questions, the answer would be a resounding no.

Good company, plenty of freight, benefits, good pay and a solid training program. There’s no reason not to work for them honestly. Now, will it be your perfect fit long term? There’s no way to know based on others reviews because they aren’t you. I’ve never worked for them but know drivers who have and do and they all had decent things to say.