Life Day 21395: Hey, Hey, Hay
On Monday, the 6th, I left Las Vegas at 0300. I drove to Parowan, UT where I fueled. I then drove on to the Consignee in Fillmore. I arived at 0800, right on time. I was told that there was a truck ahead of me to be loaded, and to back into dock 1. I did so, then took the MMM for an untethered stroll. 1 truck turned into 2 and it was 0930 before they started to unload me. Earlier, I recieved a pre-plan that picked up in Meadow, UT and delivered in Tulare, CA (9 miles empty and 622 miles loaded). I accepted it. At 1045, I drove to the next Shipper. I arrived at 1100. This load turned out to be a load of hay bales. I've never hauled baled hay before, just 'hay cubes' (2"x 2" cubes which are used mainly in Japan for some reason). They are loaded into 'van' trailers by a conveyor belt, then taken to the Port in LA and unloaded, usually by tilting the trailer which is positioned on a platform then tilted by a hydraulic jack. Anyway, I digress. This load was loaded in a field. The bales are 4'x 4'x 8' and weigh about 2000 lbs each. 20 bales were loaded in 10 stacks of 2 bales each. Vans are not the most cost effective or efficient means of transporting hay bales in my opinion. Flatbeds can haul 26 bales per load. This is because flatbed trailers weigh considerably less than vans, therefore, can haul more weight. Since there is no 'dock' the bales are put in 2 at a time, then shoved forward by the next 2 bales until the desired number is loaded. Then 2 more bales are brought to shove the last 2 bales forward. If you 'do the math', this means that there is a 5' empty space in the front of the trailer and 8' space in the rear of the trailer (10 sets of 2 ea., 4' bales takes up 40ft of the trailer). The axle weights come out legal using this process, so who am I to render my opinion, but, I would put a single bale in the front and a single bale in the rear to more evenly balance the load. The photographs below show the loading process.
The MMM enjoyed a nice untethered wander through the weeds. Walter enjoys making "snow doggies" every time he encounters a patch of snow.
After loading, I drove to Las Vegas where I stopped for the night. After I parked at he Wild Wild West, I got my car and drove to the Rio. I met brother there and we went to the Silverton for dinner. We had Chicken Fried Steak. After dinner we watched the fish being fed in the 120,000 gallon aquarium.
On the 7th, I left Vegas at 0845. I drove to Bartow, CA where I took a quick MMM break. I then drove to Tulare. I arrived at 1545 (1445 local). I checked with recieving and was told to wait in my truck. There were already 2 trucks ahead of me, and 2 more arrived after me. We waited for about 2 1/2 hours before the recieving clerk came out and told us that we would have to wait until tomorrow morning before we will be unloaded. Something about their customer rejecting the loads because the hay is too dry. Also, there is the issue of getting the load inspected by the California Departent of Agriculture. There was a "hold for inspection" stamp put on our bills when we went through the "bug check" at Yermo, basically puting us in quarantine. Since the hay is in a closed vehicle, they could only inspect the last 2 bales of the load, and that was not sufficent to satisfy them. Now they have to decide who is responsible for the cost of the inspection. Swift has been hauling bale hay out of Southern Utah and Eastern Nevada for years, now the Department of Agriculture wants a 100% inspection. Governator Arnold must need a new Harley or Hummer. :={ At any rate, I'm stuck here.
Wednesday, the 8th, is not shaping up to be much fun. When (and if) I ever get this hay unloaded, I still have to be routed to a Terminal to put my truck in the shop. My transmisson is leaking again, and the sputter/cough is back again as well. I just lost 3 days driving week-end before last getting this stuff fixed, and now it's back!! Jeeeeze!! I think someone is trying to tell me to stay out of Central California. The last time I was here, there was the car fire in Madera (ref: the New Year, New Look, December 29th). http://straycat.us/2006/01/life-day-21357-new-year-new-look.htm Now this fiasco with the hay and the maintenance woes recurring. I can take a hint.
About noon the Consignee finally got everything organized. We were told to follow him to a public scale. There in turn, we all scaled to determine our heavy (loaded) weight. We then "convoyed" to a Dairy to unload. It was still in "Tulare", but it was about 15 miles from the Consignee. There in turn (there are 7 of us now), we were unloaded, one at a time. I'm #3. I pity #7. He'll be a while.
They used a portable dock to unload us.
The MMM carried on a "meaningful dialogue" with their new bovine friends while we were waiting our turn. I didn't understand a word they uddered. I think i'll move on to anudder subject before this becomes Udderly ridiculous.
Lower right: A crane stopped by for a little while to observe all the hubbub.
After unloading, I had to go back to the public scale and obtain a light (empty) weight. Then, I had to drive back to the Consignee to get my signed bills. At 1545 (almost 24 hours to the minute) after arriving I was finally finished with the load. Remind me NEVER to take a load to this Customer again. GEEEEEEZE!!! I will be paid $240.00 in Detention Pay ($30.00 for the maximum of 8 hours allowed by Swift). I should also be paid for the 30 extra miles I drove to the scale, to the dairy, back to the scale, and back to the Customer, but I don't know if that will happen since the dairy was still "technically" in Tulare. I then drove to the Pilot truckstop in Madera, CA to get lunch/dinner/whatever (the last "hot" meal I had was the Chicken Fried Steak with my brother at the Silverton monday night). After 'whatever' I drove to our Terminal in Lathrop, CA to put my truck in the shop. I arrived at 2015 (1915 local). The shop is swamped. It will be midday tomorrow at the earliest before I get in the shop. Looks like yet another "fun" day tomorrow.
The MMM enjoyed a nice untethered wander through the weeds. Walter enjoys making "snow doggies" every time he encounters a patch of snow.
After loading, I drove to Las Vegas where I stopped for the night. After I parked at he Wild Wild West, I got my car and drove to the Rio. I met brother there and we went to the Silverton for dinner. We had Chicken Fried Steak. After dinner we watched the fish being fed in the 120,000 gallon aquarium.
On the 7th, I left Vegas at 0845. I drove to Bartow, CA where I took a quick MMM break. I then drove to Tulare. I arrived at 1545 (1445 local). I checked with recieving and was told to wait in my truck. There were already 2 trucks ahead of me, and 2 more arrived after me. We waited for about 2 1/2 hours before the recieving clerk came out and told us that we would have to wait until tomorrow morning before we will be unloaded. Something about their customer rejecting the loads because the hay is too dry. Also, there is the issue of getting the load inspected by the California Departent of Agriculture. There was a "hold for inspection" stamp put on our bills when we went through the "bug check" at Yermo, basically puting us in quarantine. Since the hay is in a closed vehicle, they could only inspect the last 2 bales of the load, and that was not sufficent to satisfy them. Now they have to decide who is responsible for the cost of the inspection. Swift has been hauling bale hay out of Southern Utah and Eastern Nevada for years, now the Department of Agriculture wants a 100% inspection. Governator Arnold must need a new Harley or Hummer. :={ At any rate, I'm stuck here.
Wednesday, the 8th, is not shaping up to be much fun. When (and if) I ever get this hay unloaded, I still have to be routed to a Terminal to put my truck in the shop. My transmisson is leaking again, and the sputter/cough is back again as well. I just lost 3 days driving week-end before last getting this stuff fixed, and now it's back!! Jeeeeze!! I think someone is trying to tell me to stay out of Central California. The last time I was here, there was the car fire in Madera (ref: the New Year, New Look, December 29th). http://straycat.us/2006/01/life-day-21357-new-year-new-look.htm Now this fiasco with the hay and the maintenance woes recurring. I can take a hint.
About noon the Consignee finally got everything organized. We were told to follow him to a public scale. There in turn, we all scaled to determine our heavy (loaded) weight. We then "convoyed" to a Dairy to unload. It was still in "Tulare", but it was about 15 miles from the Consignee. There in turn (there are 7 of us now), we were unloaded, one at a time. I'm #3. I pity #7. He'll be a while.
They used a portable dock to unload us.
The MMM carried on a "meaningful dialogue" with their new bovine friends while we were waiting our turn. I didn't understand a word they uddered. I think i'll move on to anudder subject before this becomes Udderly ridiculous.
Lower right: A crane stopped by for a little while to observe all the hubbub.
After unloading, I had to go back to the public scale and obtain a light (empty) weight. Then, I had to drive back to the Consignee to get my signed bills. At 1545 (almost 24 hours to the minute) after arriving I was finally finished with the load. Remind me NEVER to take a load to this Customer again. GEEEEEEZE!!! I will be paid $240.00 in Detention Pay ($30.00 for the maximum of 8 hours allowed by Swift). I should also be paid for the 30 extra miles I drove to the scale, to the dairy, back to the scale, and back to the Customer, but I don't know if that will happen since the dairy was still "technically" in Tulare. I then drove to the Pilot truckstop in Madera, CA to get lunch/dinner/whatever (the last "hot" meal I had was the Chicken Fried Steak with my brother at the Silverton monday night). After 'whatever' I drove to our Terminal in Lathrop, CA to put my truck in the shop. I arrived at 2015 (1915 local). The shop is swamped. It will be midday tomorrow at the earliest before I get in the shop. Looks like yet another "fun" day tomorrow.
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