Am I Touched In The Head ?
Topic 19550 | Page 2
Ok.... don't answer that. Lol
But seriously, I can't be the only one out there that looks forward to "the dangerous roads," can I ?
I actually enjoy the challenge of Cabbage Hill, Grapevine, Etc... (as long as I'm not on a tight schedule of course)
I did, for the most part. Thing is, most of these passes aren't even hard with the modern equipment we have. With autos and jakes, all you have to do is set the jake and maybe tap the service brakes a few times on the way down. Nothing to it.
Wintertime is a different story.. I got a little freaked going thru I70 west of Denver in snowstorms a few times, but for some reason I really want to do it again.
I got a little freaked going thru I70 west of Denver in snowstorms a few times, but for some reason I really want to do it again.
OK, Pianoman, I can safely say that you really are a little touched in the head.
OK, Pianoman, I can safely say that you really are a little touched in the head.
It's all right Bud, I've known it for a long time. I guess the secret's out now..
US 50 is one of.my favorites so far. I forget how I wound up taking this route but I'm actually hoping I get another chance to drive it again. I basically started out in Salina UT and ran over to Reno NV. It's called "The Loneliest Road" for a reason. LOL!
JJ
Even I wouldn't say I looked forward to the more dangerous stretches, and I'm one that partakes in a number of dangerous pursuits. But I did love that every day out there was completely different and you never really knew where you were heading next. I loved the variety of life on the road.
Yesterday I was travelling and pulled into a service plaza at the bottom of a hill. A truck came in as I was walking inside and you could smell his brakes pretty good. He wasn't smoking or anything, but that smell is unmistakeable. It still makes my heart flutter a little bit.
Daniel, I know what you mean! I pulled a food grade tanker for a year and the stupid truck didn't have Jakes! Man, that was hairy at times. And trust me, it's not comforting going down those mountains out west having fruit juice or honey instead of gasoline. You don't have any baffles, and you don't land any softer at the bottom of a canyon, but 48,000 pounds of honey or juice makes the animals happier I'm sure......at least the ones you didn't land on.
Baffle:
A partition or separator within a liquid tank, used to inhibit the flow of fluids within the tank. During acceleration, turning, and braking, a large liquid-filled tank may produce unexpected forces on the vehicle due to the inertia of liquids.HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
A local song comes to mind, I'm sure you've heard it!
"You ain't nothing but a couyon. You ain't even got no shoes on!"
Northern Arkansas has some of the hairiest roads I've ever been on, US highways and state roads both.
US 65 and 167 are challenging drives with 40k+ pounds. I do one of those about twice a month on our way home or leaving home. I've done them enough I know exactly where to start slowing down and when I hit the accelerator again on the curves. Batesville, AR has an awesome curve that's 25 mph on an 8% downgrade. And they mean 25 mph. Any faster and you'll end up in the cliff wall. Crappy part is, my jakes don't work below 35 so that's always fun...
The scariest road I've ever been on was AR-7. It's a truck route because there's a bunch of logging companies out there, but it's really not meant for a box style truck. I ran this road really early on after training with Transam and it was white knuckles and 25-30 mph for hours in the middle of the night. 25 mph switch back curves that I had to take the WHOLE road to make it around on a 10% downgrade in the middle of the night. Thankfully I was empty and there was no traffic. But I've never taken that road again, and hope to never have to!
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
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You could tell he was sorta thinking that but was smart enough not to say anything until he investigated it.
Oh man, that sucks! That was basically the situation I had. And that was back in the day where drivers adjusted their own brakes. So I'm sure that's what the mechanic was thinking at first, that I hadn't adjusted my brakes properly, but he saw that I had and then found the bad valve.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.