Comments By Spaceman Spiff

Just received a notice from the Missouri Department of Revenue with a request for tax return from 2019. I apparently was not aware I had to file a tax return for the state of Missouri (where Prime, Inc. cuts it's checks to employees from).

Three years is a while but I am just generally confused as this was never brought up to me at any point i can remember. Do any other Prime employees (company drivers) pay a separate Missouri tax return each year? I'm looking at $1200 with late fees and interest.

I happened upon this article. I imagine that this fuel hauler is catching some heat.

Diesel offloaded into gasoline tank

I would think this driver is filling out info on Tenstreet at the moment.

Wow. Forgot to empty compartment 1 AND forgot to check landing gear before detaching? Bad day.

At least the driver could get some pull ups in on one of the rear axles while waiting for the manager to finish setting up for the termination meeting.

It’s interesting though you said the work is surprisingly clean and safe. I’ve always wondered about how bad the fumes would be. Because I have talked to a few fuel haulers while the were unloaded and Maybe there connections were half assed because it definitely felt like I was breathing in gas lol. There are a ton of fuel hauling companies in the Chicagoland area always hiring always advertising for 30 plus an hour plus ot usually but it just hasn’t quite appealed to me. Although I’ll say their tractors are usually brand new.

There are certainly ways to get filthy hauling fuel too. Right now I’ve got a good mix of dyed diesel and 89E10 all over me. Had gas on earlier in the week so I had to bucket drain it off to load the diesel for heating oil deliveries today. My whole truck smells like gas and I’ve got a pretty good headache from the fumes. I don’t have that problem on the big truck but in the straight truck, I get filthy. Between getting splashed, dragging the hose through god only knows what all day(then gettin it all over me) and people’s nasty basements, I usually stink pretty bad by the end of the day. I hate doing this heating oil stuff but I sure do like the M-F daylight hours and no weekends 😂

Spaceman, I’ve seen that tractor around town recently. I’ll have to keep an eye out. We only run in VA (at least I do) but we go pretty far out. We don’t do a lot of gas stations but more commercial locations and pump loads. If you get bored at eagle, we need drivers too.

I don't know anything about that straight truck work but sounds awful. You said you bucket drained for the diesel to go in, why did you have to drain so much? Refused load?

I'm switching to different tractors next week apparently. I also get to certify during the first wintry Mix Tuesday. Adds a little spice to the experience. Off to west Virginia this morning then up by the troutville scales for another. Keep the rubber side down, way down.

There is no higher agency or power they report anything to. No one is in contact with the physical personnel about medical marijuana cards.

If you used any at all, be aware that hair follicle tests are accurate and career crippling for a 90 day period back from the day of testing. Shave your head and body and wait 6 months.

X4, Dave, will do. You could also tell my truck by the split windshield of the old Freightliner style, only one i think in the yard .

Not too completely highjack this thread here but I’m curious Spaceman how do you like fuel hauling so far? If I’m not mistaken you were a flatbedder before?

Hi Bird One, yes you are right, I was a company flatbedder for the Right Lane Gang at Prime when I initially started. I didn't make the jump direct to tanker but had a 15 month stint doing food service between San Diego and Los Angeles. Then I enjoyed a short time working with transfer trucks and super tag dump trucks in the quarries and job sites of San Diego, ultimately leaving them after needing to move cross country for family reasons.

So far my days are relatively short at 9 or 10 hours starting around 230-3 am. I'll be moving to a 3 pm start after training ends next week, slip seating with my now trainer. I run south west VA, southern west Virginia, and Greensboro NC areas for nothing but petrol so far. We have a chemical division but I'm focusing on fuel for the time being.

The work is surprisingly clean and safe for those wondering. Most days I come home smelling like nothing at all. Ensuring all gaskets and connections are tight and taking time for steps to be followed correctly keeps the product in the tank and not on my clothes. I'm still trying to round off the sharp edges for a while but I'm grasping the fundamental understanding fairly well. Sure beats tarping in El Paso at noon in August.

We are getting to the colder time of year soon and I've been promised fun runs to rural west Virginia as a rookie. I'll be focusing on not trying to do too much under threat of snow or other weather, especially since we aren't allowed to chain up (sparks). The future seems unknown for the long term but is solid presently. Most drivers around me at the loading racks are friendly and seem content with their work. The company I chose has lots to do and not enough drivers to do it with so I'll have as much as I can handle. Can't ask for more than that I suppose.

As far as tanker goes, you are doing good grade? I have five compartments on my trailer and don't get a great amount of surge as a smooth bore I imagine. For some reason I thought you were LTL?

Nice profile pic

Spaceman or Dave? You deliver to Lynchburg or Floyd/Carroll/Patrick Counties area?

Generally, yes to all, but still very new so haven't pinpointed exactly where in those places yet.

Yeah Dave, I'll always be easily identified as the lone guy wearing the brown San Diego padres hat out here!

I haven't been to KM. That's pretty wild you're having allocation issues there. Both one and two?

I was at one this afternoon trying to get the gas and eventually got it. I was able to get it at two on Friday and I had an option at two today but went to one first to save the trip across town. Their computer system at KM is a little bit easier than buckeye. I’ll be at the ethanol racks tomorrow so who knows, I might see ya out there.

I'm off tomorrow, but then on for the next 6. Start about 3 end at noon. Will be in all three of those racks all six days. I'll be one of the only "team" day cab crews (training) in a company truck that sounds like "beagle."

Be happy to shake hands and have a chat any time (not at the actual racks of course).

That wasn't you by the Biodiesel shed around 11 this morning at the Buckeye/ KM 2 terminal ?

Spaceman, are you here in the Roanoke area?

We have still be able to get it here locally but the guys are making more trips to Greensboro. Sometimes they make the two hour drive to still not have the allocation and have to come back empty. I even had some trouble getting a load of gas today at KM. We have customers looking to stock up; I had to go check a few tanks today that a customer got to stockpile the fuel for their cranes.

Still here, back from Greensboro this morning actually. Successful at TM without diesel but the lines are seemingly building pre sunrise. Guessing that will get complicated shortly with the next tropical system arriving in Florida at the weekend start?

I got checked in and carded at Buckeye today, the super advising me checking for next load allocation during a live load is his number one pet peeve. I can understand why some risk it especially driving in from out of state and having to turn back, like west Virginia or so. We are paid by the load and that would suck.

I haven't been to KM. That's pretty wild you're having allocation issues there. Both one and two?

I stand by my earlier statement for those following along. Great time (as always) to be a company driver.

Trying to possibly get carded at Buckeye tomorrow. Hope all you tankers didn't drink the diesel dry during my one day off.

I spend the majority of my days offloading at the buckeye terminal. They’re a lot more laid back than the KM’s here in town. I’m not a fan of their computer system though. Hopefully it’ll change after the first of the year.

Oh man, no kidding. That lane 3 has an arm computer that has a shutdown error so common they printed and stuck on the access code to clear it. Took almost 10 minutes today to fill 2700 premium after clearing it about 20 times.