Utahans don't know how to rock (pics)

[Tobin S.]

I was cruising through Utah a few days back and trying to dial in a new rock station on my FM radio. I couldn't find anything resembling new rock. I found classical, religious, pop, adult contemporary, country (lots of country), hip hop, but no new rock. The best I could do was a classic rock station that only played the cheesiest of the cheesy. But there is lots of nice scenery in Utah and I snapped a few pics for you.

But first, I picked this load up in California and was not pleased when I opened the doors to check the freight.

The freight was packed clear to the back and what appeared to be unstably. There are slots in the trailer walls called logistics posts that you can hook load straps or bars into to secure the freight, but my trailer was so full that I could not get my straps into the last row of logistics posts. This freight had to roll all the way to Milwaukee like that. I wasn't afraid of it busting through the doors or anything. What I'm afraid of is when I crack this dude open in the morning and shit falls out and gets damaged. They would not take anything off the trailer. I snapped the next two pictures to protect me from any cargo claims that may ensue.



That little green tag says "Do not double stack" meaning, don't put anything on top of it.



And now for pretty pictures. The next three picks were taken at a rest area near Echo, Utah on I-80 between Salt Lake City and the Wyoming state line.

This is the only kind of rock you'll find in Utah. It's probably a rock climber's wet dream.







Windmills! I took the following photo in Wyoming near Fort Bridger. There are a couple of windmill farms there along I-80 in Wyoming. If any state could make use of wind power it's Wyoming. I don't think I've ever been there when the wind wasn't blowing and usually at gale force. If you could pack enough windmills in that state they could probably power the entire country. I also saw a couple of windmill grids in Iowa but could not stop to take a picture.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear Tobin!

Those packages stacked like that are scary! Do you have any say in how it gets done, or are you elsewhere when it happens?

I hope it survives the trip to Milwaukee...

And I love the rock pictures!

I don't know if you read much, but there's a book that you might find interesting on geology. Not to worry, it's not a textbook, but it should be.

It's called "Annals of the Former World" and it's by John McPhee. It's a highly engaging and interesting book about the geology of the US at about the 40th parallel. I recommend it.

Good luck on your travels!

:hug:

[Tobin S.]

2. I have no say in how the truck is loaded unless it's not done legally

By legally I mean that my truck cannot weigh more than 80,000 pounds. The weight on my trailer and tractor tandem axles cannot exceed 34,000 pounds and the drive axle is generally 12,500 pounds maximum, but that varies from state to state. I'm grossing about 72,000 with this load. Also, there is something called a bridge law that has to do with the truck. In California, it is strictly enforced. The trailer "bridge" between the center of the tractor tandems and the axle of the first set of wheels on the trailer cannot exceed 41 feet. The trailer tandems on most trailers can be slid forward or backward to adjust the weight on the axles and to adjust the bridge.

Thanks for the book recommendation. I could use something to read out here sometimes.

[elleng]

27. McPhee is a GREAT writer, describes EVERYTHING so well,

'engaging and interesting,' as you say.

[Swede]

3. Nice pics TS.

[Tobin S.]

5. Thank you

[Orrex]

4. I totally thought you were talking about this guy:

[Tobin S.]

6. Who is that?

I don't know a whole lot about comic books.

[Orrex]

8. Uatu

Sort of a cosmic super-voyeur whose race has taken a vow of non-interference.

[pintobean]

7. No new rock stations.

They're not complete idiots.

[Tobin S.]

9. The problem I have with older rock is that it's been played to death

If the Eagles and Pat Benetar was new music I'd probably like it. AC/DC came out with a new album last year, btw, that got a lot of air time on new rock stations and that album went to number one on the charts, their first ever number one album here in the states.

[pintobean]

14. It was a tongue in cheek comment.

Whatever you like is fine by me. I'm not one who believes my musical tastes makes me cool. My view is that rock pretty much went to shit around 1980. There's been some really good stuff put out since, but not much.
If you haven't tried HD radio yet, you might want to. Some of the stations play deeper tracks and more obscure stuff.

[kimi]

10. Beautiful pics along I-80

And yes, absolutely Wyoming could provide energy to the entire country on wind power. I lived there a long time, and can't remember a day when the wind didn't blow. I kind of liked it myself, lots of fresh air, but I'd drive on I-80 or I-25, and see trucks blown over by the wind sometimes. It's a powerful breeze out there. Be careful!

[Tobin S.]

12. Yeah, that wind ain't no fun in a truck

It's usually coming out of the west and if you are driving that direction it will actually slow your truck down if you are loaded heavily. You'll also get shitty fuel mileage. For truckers who drive a big box trailer like mine, the side of that trailer acts like a big sail in the wind, and, like you said, can actually blow a truck over.

[fizzgig]

11. great pics

there is some beautiful country out here in the west. hope the road is treating you well

[Tobin S.]

13. Thanks

It's my favorite area of the country to drive in. Lot's of wide open country out that way with very little traffic. I find the lack of development out that way to be peaceful and it sometimes helps clear my mind.

[av8rdave]

15. I'll be in Provo for a football game next weekend

Not expecting much of a tailgate there!

[Tobin S.]

16. Rge world's longest contruction zone is between Provo and Salt Lake City

But I checked your profile and it looks like you'll be coming up from Texas, so unless you are elsewhere you won't have to worry about it. College game? Who are you seeing play?

[av8rdave]

21. Actually, I'll be coming straight from work, so

I'll be going directly to Salt Lake from Atlanta, then driving to the game on Saturday. We're heading down early for the afternoon game because of all the construction.

The game is Washington @ BYU. (The Mrs. Family is from Seattle.). Hopefully, the Huskies can pull off an upset, as that would really help out my alma mater (Air Force) in the Mountain West Conference.

I go to Salt Lake frequently, but haven't had the misfortune of going to Provo for many years.

[Catshrink]

17. Utah is pretty dry, if you know what I mean.

BTW, have you ever considered XM Radio? It's about $20 for a 5 month trial.

[Tobin S.]

18. Yeah, I do have satellite radio

I was just checking the FM side to see what was out there.

[Catshrink]

19. Good.

I don't know how you could do your job without one...or a good CD or mp3 player in the cab. I'd go nucking futz without one.

[Catshrink]

20. Nice photos, too.

The rock formations on the drive between Phoenix and Vegas are awesome. I have a book called "Roadside Geology of Arizona" that talks a lot about what I'm seeing. Spheroidal weathering. Wow. I've seen them for other places also so I guess it's a series.

[auntAgonist]

22. Who the heck hires these dummies to load trailers?

(rhetorical question.)

Thanks for the gorgeous scenery pics. They bring back some cool memories for me. I remember that area well.

:)

:hi:

aA
kesha

[Tobin S.]

24. I don't know

They have to pack as much stuff on the trailer as they can, being an LTL company, and I understand that it's probably a challenge to get the job done right. I've only been here a couple of months and have already had two cargo claims. The company recognized that it was their fault due to the way the truck was loaded, so, fortunately, I haven't had to pay anything so far. I think a digital camera may be a trucker's best friend, aside from maybe his or her dog. :) It's saved my ass a couple of times now.

[Common Sense Party]

23. I live about 30 minutes from Echo. You didn't even get to see the

pretty parts of our state. And that's not the ONLY kind of rock in Utah, but it is the most prevalent.

[Tobin S.]

25. I was just giving you guys a hard time in the OP

You are right, of course, about the beauty of the state of Utah. It used to be my favorite state to drive through just for that reason. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to do it justice with my pics due to either driving through there in the dark or being unable to safely stop to snap pictures. But, yes, Utah is abundant with natural beauty.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

26. Excellent pics, but I could never live there

Too much brown. I'm a blue sky, green grass, one hour away from the Pacific Coast kind of guy. With all of the headaches that come with living in California, those three things make it worth it.

Also, I used to work in a warehouse, and for a few years handled trade shows in another job (which involved shipping and refurbishing of our exhibits), so your "do not double stack" sticker brought back some memories. I've seen those stickers at the bottom of many double, triple and quadrupile stacks.

:toast: