January 22, 20214 yr Did you truckers recently have a conference on being left lane campers on the interstate? Good lord it is getting worse.
January 22, 20214 yr On 12/11/2020 at 10:42 PM, Gil Bang said: Anybody have any experience with a Western Star? Nobody in my family has driven one. I hear they are a damm fine truck. When I was managing some heavy haul stuff, the drivers didn’t like them all that much, fwiw. They made up about 40% of what we had here in the states tho.
January 23, 20214 yr Subscribed to drifters YouTube. One idea for content would just be good tunes start to finish on your radio with the camera pointed out the windshield. So sort of like being John malkovich but instead of seeing the world through the eyes of an actor who starred in a jewel thief movie, we’re seeing it through those of a trucker jamming out.
January 24, 20214 yr Author Back in the day (late 80's - early 90's) I had a pretty good TV set up. It was similar to this pic, but it was an Emerson. It was secured(?) with a small bungie cord sitting on the mattress in a cabover Freightliner. There used to be a movie rental network at Petro and TA where you rent at one place and return anywhere in the network. It was pretty lousy and I usually wound up doing the scan/computer work for the high school dropout minimum wage clueless clerks. But the set was damn near indestructible. It went through 100s of thousands of miles bouncing on a mattress held only only a small bungie wrapped around the carry handle.I had a similar set back in the day. It had an auto replay feature so when the tape ended it would rewind and start again. The outlaw Josey wales played so many times I went through three different copies. I can quote that movie word for word.
February 17, 20214 yr I've got a tough decision to make in the next few weeks. Just got my CDL renewal and it's $105. I haven't driven big trucks for a living since '95. Downgraded it to a Farm Use CDL in '12 so I could skirt the pita physicals. I got my Chauffeurs License (preCDL era) when I was 17 so for the last 43 years I've been able to drive just about anything I damn well pleased. Nowdays I'm pretty confident I'm not going to drive big trucks for a living ever again and there are lots of upsides to giving it up like regaining several civil rights like being able to fight a ticket. But damn if it doesn't hurt worse than pulling wisdom teeth without pain meds to give it up.
February 18, 20214 yr Author I've got a tough decision to make in the next few weeks. Just got my CDL renewal and it's $105. I haven't driven big trucks for a living since '95. Downgraded it to a Farm Use CDL in '12 so I could skirt the pita physicals. I got my Chauffeurs License (preCDL era) when I was 17 so for the last 43 years I've been able to drive just about anything I damn well pleased. Nowdays I'm pretty confident I'm not going to drive big trucks for a living ever again and there are lots of upsides to giving it up like regaining several civil rights like being able to fight a ticket. But damn if it doesn't hurt worse than pulling wisdom teeth without pain meds to give it up.I look forward to the day I can burn mine and I’ll be dancing as I pour the gasoline.
March 22, 20214 yr On 2/17/2021 at 10:35 PM, drifter379 said: I look forward to the day I can burn mine and I’ll be dancing as I pour the gasoline. Well today was my day. I did save it from shredding by telling her I was required to have it for work. I'm not, but fuck them for making me wait an hour. Maybe I can do a ritual later.
March 22, 20214 yr Author Congratulations!!!I’ve been slacking in this thread. I’ve been running my ass of this year.
March 24, 20214 yr On 1/9/2020 at 10:35 AM, ss13 said: drifter, you ever watch Highway Thru Hell on Weather Channel? On 1/11/2020 at 10:34 AM, Lat22 said: One of my favorite shows. I have no idea why. Lat, you have any idea how Quiring gets paid on his highway shifts? Flat fee? Per truck?
March 24, 20214 yr No idea, but I'd be interested to know. They spend all night pulling spun out trucks up the mountain.
March 24, 20214 yr If that’s you laughing in the background, you sure handled him pulling out in front of you at the end better than I would have.
March 24, 20214 yr I suspect one needs to have a higher stupidity tolerance when spending that much time on the road to keep from losing your mind. The rest of the way.
March 25, 20214 yr Author If that’s you laughing in the background, you sure handled him pulling out in front of you at the end better than I would have. That was me laughing. He didn’t pull out in front of me, there were two lanes. But in retrospect if he can’t go the right way on the highway I probably shouldn’t have trusted him to stay in his lane. You can’t hear him because of the radio but as I went by he says “I kinda fucked up there”
March 25, 20214 yr 3 hours ago, drifter379 said: That was me laughing. He didn’t pull out in front of me, there were two lanes. But in retrospect if he can’t go the right way on the highway I probably shouldn’t have trusted him to stay in his lane. You can’t hear him because of the radio but as I went by he says “I kinda fucked up there” That stretch between Big Cabin and Durant has got to be the longest 200 mile stretch in the country. I have made that drive many times and it seems longer each time.
March 27, 20214 yr Author That stretch between Big Cabin and Durant has got to be the longest 200 mile stretch in the country. I have made that drive many times and it seems longer each time.And tougher than shit. I fucking hate everything about oklahoma and that stretch of road in particular.
March 27, 20214 yr On 2/17/2021 at 10:30 AM, RPM said: I've got a tough decision to make in the next few weeks. Just got my CDL renewal and it's $105. I haven't driven big trucks for a living since '95. Downgraded it to a Farm Use CDL in '12 so I could skirt the pita physicals. I got my Chauffeurs License (preCDL era) when I was 17 so for the last 43 years I've been able to drive just about anything I damn well pleased. Nowdays I'm pretty confident I'm not going to drive big trucks for a living ever again and there are lots of upsides to giving it up like regaining several civil rights like being able to fight a ticket. But damn if it doesn't hurt worse than pulling wisdom teeth without pain meds to give it up. I let mine go for the very reason you describe. Always liked having it "just in case" and finally decided OTR was probably out of the equation for me, regardless of how dire things might become on the job front. I felt the same way you did, as if I was losing something that was a part of me. i appreciate Drifter's perspective though too! Edited March 27, 20214 yr by slorch
March 31, 20214 yr Got my new downgraded license, today I am a civilian. Along with the gold star (that I already had) signifying I'm me, the new photo is B&W digital. I noticed my new state professional license renewal had a B&W photo as well. WTF is going on? What computer system in 2021 can't handle basic color images?
April 6, 20214 yr Author This is the rig returning us to Texas after nearly a decade in the Midwest. It’s pretty rare to see a bed bugger with a big house like that. Nice truck though.
April 6, 20214 yr On 3/26/2021 at 11:43 PM, drifter379 said: And tougher than shit. I fucking hate everything about oklahoma and that stretch of road in particular. Didn't you have your tractor custom built in Oklahoma?
April 7, 20214 yr Author Didn't you have your tractor custom built in Oklahoma?Truck was built in Denton Texas. I rescued it from a dealership in Tulsa.
April 7, 20214 yr 18 hours ago, drifter379 said: It’s pretty rare to see a bed bugger with a big house like that. Nice truck though.
April 7, 20214 yr Author Bed bugger= house hold / furniture hauler. Big house = truck with a large sleeper cab. A truck with a sleeper that size is usually specialized or hauls trade shows. I bet they are just moving household goods right now to make money until the trade show circuits open back up.
April 7, 20214 yr Back in the day you saw a lot of big condos hauling household. They basically lived in the truck full time. It was always household movers because the truck was too damn heavy to haul anything else.
April 7, 20214 yr Bed bugger= house hold / furniture hauler. Big house = truck with a large sleeper cab. A truck with a sleeper that size is usually specialized or hauls trade shows. I bet they are just moving household goods right now to make money until the trade show circuits open back up. He’s a former Marines logistics guy that specializes in executive relocation moves. I’m sure the wife’s new employer’s bill is going to be over $50K. Crew of 6 taking 4 days to pack and load on this end. https://showtimerelocations.net/He having ARI build him a bigger cab presently. He’s got some pretty cool specialized moving equipment like giant roadie boxes basically made into file boxes for art, mirrors, and flat screen TVs that roll into the truck.
April 14, 20214 yr I remember giving my Dad shit for driving a '68 Dodge coe with a 290 Cummins and a 10 speed. This is a good replica, but the colors are wrong. Should be white w/red accents. "It has 1 stick, 1 stack and 1 axle." But apparently he made some decent coin driving for that guy and wound up buying his own truck not long after. Edited April 14, 20214 yr by RPM
April 15, 20214 yr Author Some of my boys doing work on the new moody arena. They are hauling out of Heldenfels in San Marcos.
April 15, 20214 yr Author In the three truck pic from left to right. Strollin’ NolanDougie DaddyPreacher ManSome of the same crew that did the tackle box remodel in Aggy land. I can neither confirm or deny that 27-25 was written on a majority of the pieces that were set on the aggy job.
April 15, 20214 yr I may or may not have put a curse on some carriage bolts I hotshotted to the tackle box a few years back.
April 15, 20214 yr I understand nothing about this clearinghouse other than it’s the government sticking their nose in wherever it doesn’t need to be. I understand from their FAQ shit on their site that it doesn’t officially begin until 1/6/2023 instead of 1/6/2020?Anybody schooled on this crap that can dumb it down for me?
April 17, 20214 yr Author I don’t understand it either. I assume I’m in it because I’m leased to a company. But I’ve made zero effort on my own to sign up.
April 17, 20214 yr I don’t understand it either. I assume I’m in it because I’m leased to a company. But I’ve made zero effort on my own to sign up. I’m probably wrong-the whole point of it was your drivers have queries with their drug and alcohol violation record so future employers can take a look at them? It’s so dumb that the FAQ says it won’t be up and running until January 2023 and you can’t even buy queries.
April 26, 20214 yr 15 minutes ago, MAUFRAIS said: https://kottke.org/21/04/the-70s-trucker-country-music-fad Meh, I was listening to Bill Mack in the 60's. 50,000 Watts of clear channel coast to coast.
May 5, 20214 yr Talk me out of buying this. $7,500 is chicken feed. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/480024816646818/?referralSurface=messenger_lightspeed_banner&referralCode=messenger_banner
May 5, 20214 yr 4 minutes ago, Gil Bang said: $7,500 may be "chicken feed" but the $75,000 you'll spend on a restoration is not. I could flip it for $30K without doing a thing to it. You're right about a full resto, but you'd be better off doing a modified version saving the sheet metal only. Edited May 5, 20214 yr by RPM
May 5, 20214 yr Clean B Model Macks are rare. I just don't have the infrastructure (shop) to handle it. I may have slightly overestimated the price in my excitement, but not by much. Edited May 5, 20214 yr by RPM
May 5, 20214 yr I could flip it for $30K without doing a thing to it. You're right about a full resto, but you'd be better off doing a modified version saving the sheet metal only.If you can flip it for $30k with no work, I’ll go halves on buying it. Lol
May 6, 20214 yr 5 hours ago, RPM said: Clean B Model Macks are rare. I'll bet that they are. How about rustbucket Model B Macks. Many of those around?
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