Profile For Spaceman Spiff

My friend quit prime inc when to do hotshot.he been for 6 months 120k debt.now he broke doing chapter 7 bankruptcy and waiting to be approved to come back to prime inc insurance is 2400 a month and he already been driving for 2 years CDL

Brutal

There was even a (non) reality TV show about hot shot trucking a while ago. In the episodes they would get a weird load either locations or the cargo itself (huge Teddy bear or something) and it would follow 5 or so drivers, showing them under bidding each other until one could tolerate operating at that price and would "win" it.

These people really loved the life and that was why they were still there. Try the company route for a year, worse come to worse you quit after a few months deciding it's not for you and all you owe is a measly 5k or so but till get the CDL.

PJ, an owner operator, just laid out the reasons in detail as to why it would not be feasible.

We aren't trying to "keep it to ourselves," more that we are trying to explain not to pursue your 4 month plan. You are a business minded person and that is great but it doesn't apply evenly going to this general industry. You will not be able to just acquire the necessary license, equipment and insurance then stay in the black. Small companies and medium companies are going out of business every day right now.

Do you not have the ability to leave home for a few weeks at a time? A company sponsored CDL program would be what the doctor ordered. It's a year of experience that is priceless, albeit too short to realistically still run your own successful hot shot line.

Please consider all the points not as obstacles to overcome and wave a flag but serious warnings from the industry's top drivers here at Trucking Truth. We exist only to encourage and assist folks, even if it isn't in the path they thought it would be.

Def not to scale unfortunately. Nearest safe haven for parking if the shipper doesn't allow parking on site. About to do this right now in Michigan with only 45 min left in my 14.

I honestly did not know CT was 36k legal. That is a learning curve. Thanks for making that run a lot easier on my mind in the future guys.

Different trailer set ups also interest me now, I'll add that to the bedtime smartphone browse list.

On the upside, I got another Nucor sticker on my Spaceman Spiff hard hat.

Guess I should add my solution for critique as well.

Had I been loading in NY I would have been fine with the first load and just spread the axle at the PA line, the little bit of extra weight on my tandems would still have kept me in the legal range.

I closed the axles to get back to legal in PA. I then pulled my route on the GPS and had it display weigh stations on the route. Pulled out the atlas to check and confirm. No weigh stations even near the top of MD for a while. Crossed the border, spread the axle so at least I would be visually compliant and kept my hopes up that no pop up weigh stations were about.

I'm not one to avoid weigh stations because I know I'm heavy but in this case, I just got lucky I guess.

Hello folks,

Had a small conundrum yesterday and today, looking for ideas and advice so I'll just lay out the situation.

This had to do with axle weights and spread laws in differing states. As I understand it, CA, WI, CT, NY and FL all require axles to be closed on a 53 spreadable trailer. In MD the axles must be spread open.

Ok a spread axle allows for 20k per axle. In CT, the weight allowed is 34k on trailer tandems but NY allows 36k.

3/11 arrive in CT at Nucor. Get loaded on a closed axle 53 trailer. Pic related.

At first, I weighed on the shipper scale and the trailer axle was at 35,600. This is fine, my Rightweigh in the cab was showing just under 31k ish so I asked them to move a bundle from over the trailer tandems to where the front bundle is in the photo (most forward bundle of round wire bales on top of the rusty mesh layers). Bundles weigh (allegedly) 2700 even.

RW shows 33k now and I need fuel. I add 80 gallons (8 lbs per gallon = 640 lbs , a little bit if which will be shared with the front axle).

3/12- wake up at 0140, start cruising toward my drop off in Maryland. In Pennsylvania, decide to be proactive and spread the axles to conform with Maryland laws, since it doesn't matter in PA anyway.

RW in cab goes to almost 35k. Fancy. Now I'm either not spreading the axles or overweight on my drives.

How would you go about it? How should this have been prevented?

I tried to get a half bale moved at the shipper initially (1350 lbs) but they are built together now and can only be shifted as a 2700 lb unit.

Looks like a placard mount on the mudflap?

Sorry, just noticed you haven't gotten a single response from a flatbed moderator yet as requested. I'm sure there will be a bunch soon or tomorrow tho

Try to get the tarps off and if possible, move them to the sides of the cab. Release the straps next and when you are on the passenger side of the trailer, gather those straps with the hook ends and toss them under the trailer just behind the drive wheels. Kick the excess straps under the trailer so a forklift doesn't run over anything. Gather the hook ends on the driver's side of the trailer and lay the hooks down against the drive tires and kick the excess under the trailer.

Now they can unload and your equipment is safe while you begin folding tarps. Once that is done, you can start rolling straps. Might I suggest a Bumblebee (pictured).

Any drill will work with a 3/8 Chuck bit.

If they try to hurry you off the lot, toss your tarps up on the flatbed and then your straps up there as well, drive around to where you aren't blocking yard traffic and finish up at your STEADY and SAFE speed.

I guess I should clarify, you are releasing the straps and pulling the strap off the load by pulling from the hook end, yes? If so, the first paragraph assumes you go down the driver's side trailer loosening those straps and then up the passenger side, pulling the loosened straps over and gathering the hooks etc.

How have you been going about it for the most part?

Sometimes shippers will have that on certain coils that are extremely well wrapped and prepared by shipping (thinking AK steel in Midwest). Even on top of those I add edge protection because the cardboard usually doesn't hold up long.

On the outside edge though, moving blanket material USUALLY holds up just fine, but I'll be doubling up more in the future.

Ugh and you had to drive with that concern on your mind. Classic.

On this same trip I had bundled carpet a few times to serve as a edge protector. Just experimenting. Worked great for the most part but one edge on one of the coils had the slightest dent from the chain in it. I was a bit worried while undoing the rest of the chains only to have the crane operator man (kid) come over, throw a chain through the eye, and lift it all up on the overhead crane with the same kind of chain. Nice big dents on both sides now. Looked around in their warehouse and saw these same dents in all the coils.

Not for preventable damage I would think but good question, I'll dig tomorrow.

Hello all,

Opening a subject here for input on specific damaged equipment experiences you've had and the steps taken to remedy it under load. This was a concern of mine when starting and I think folks would enjoy seeing that a broken X, Y or Z isn't something to lose an inch of hairline over.

To start with, a flatbedder special : tarps.

Tarp went from looking snazzy like so...

...to being damaged on a recent trip

Now, there are some things a Gorilla Tape warrior can effectively suture for repair, this tear was just too long. The edge of these coils were sharp, much sharper than any suicides I have transported yet. I protect all edges with sections of carpet generously donated by my parents but that day I chose moving blanket material. To my horror, I made it from downtown Los Angeles to Barstow Flying J to discover the blanket and tarp slid right open against the corner of the coil.

At the recommendation of my initial trainer, I made contact with a vinyl shop that specializes in boats, commercial overhangs and generally all things tarped. I was delivering in Salt Lake City and found one near our drop there. I was able to drop it off the afternoon before and picked it up the next morning.

Location - Sharp's Tarps Salt Lake City

Time - 4 pm drop off and 8 am return

Cost - $61 with tax

Repair - Heat melded new material to damaged area, like new.

Effect on driver :

That's a big Friday indeed. Awesome to see you 3 getting promoted to moderator status, well deserved indeed.

Will get Kearseys article read ASAP today.

I honestly started reading Knights article and was like, who is Dale M., Before it dawned on me. They could have put him down as Old School and I wouldn't have blinked twice. But no surprise to well earned recognition!

A reversed glad hand is like making a PBJ for a person who likes the peanut butter on top of the jelly and you hand it to them with the jelly on top by accident...it's an easy fix so to speak. Just flip it, yo.

And mud is your friend. Makes you grateful for the times it isn't part of the process. A tip- work hard in whatever footwear you have for the mud but stow those shoes between the driver's seat and driver's door. Keeps the mud contained to the working area and not the living area.

Thank you and I can learn to like that. I will post more later.

Victor, I believe it to be more 'tough love' than admonishment. I'm not the author of that post, but that's what I gleaned.

You KNOW I'm pulling for you, in many ways.

Best to you~!

Anne :)

THATS what you're concerned about? No dude, that ain't a problem. That's "wow a pre tarped load, sweet."

Delete Tik Tok , install Duolingo, have happier and more constructive wait times.

While you got the lady behind the window described to a T, this was Allied tube in Chino CA, a pleasant branch. Also loaded at Allied in Phoenix recently, also pleasant and helpful. Allied in Harvey should change to Axis Tube.

My teenie weenie electrical supply load. Awesome set up though, 17400 lbs, tarp pay on that little thing and it's a 3 stop

Oh and this box in the cab