A Car Haulers tale. A photo essay of my trip from Tempe, AZ to Denver, CO (VERY pic heavy)

[A HERETIC I AM]

I am hoping some of you might find this interesting. I'm sure some of you will find this completely and utterly boring, but that is DU, after all!


Last week (5/5/11) I was assigned to pick up a load from Enterprise Rent a car in Tempe, going to the Mannheim Auto Auction in Aurora, CO. There are several ways to get from Phoenix to Denver, one of the prettiest takes you north to Flagstaff, north on US 89 toward the Utah line and Page, AZ, then right onto US 160 toward the 4 Corners area and into Colorado. US 160 then heads up into CO, goes through Durango and Pagosa Springs and up and over Wolfs Creek Pass. It continues all the way over to I25 and beyond.

Here is a photo essay of that trip, beginning with me being empty at the Enterprise facility in Tempe, right off I 10, south of downtown Phoenix. I apologize for the quality of the pics, as they were taken with my camera phone.

My truck. It is a 2000 model year Volvo with a 8 car capable trailer made by Boydstun. It has a 3 car "headrack" so it is possible to load 11 very small cars on this truck - Miata's or Pontiac Solstice's for instance. This load was only 9 units, but with their size and weights, I could have loaded 10. I started loading at about 4:00 PM. Temp outside - 104F! It took a solid hour just to locate my nine units. It took about 2 hrs and 45 minutes total to finish and roll away.


3 cars on board and the other 6 stretched out behind. At this point I have to begin chaining them down before I load the next unit, as the 3rd on has to be lifted up to get the 4th on.


Here's the top loaded and the decks lifted all the way up and pinned in place, ready to load the bottom units. Note the #3 is slid forward and is currently clearing the #2 unit by only a few inches. This is necessary in order to get the #4 unit high enough to get vehicles underneath it. Also note I now have my jump skids (that's what I call them, anyway!) from the bottom forward trailer position to the rear bottom of the tractor. This bridges the gap and allows me to back a car behind the cab.


All nine on and ready to lower the decks down to height. The statutory height on the interstate system is 13'6", though AZ and a few other states allow 14' loads. If you want to be safe however, 13'6" allows you to travel on almost every mile of US Highways as well as all the interstate system. With a car hauler I am allowed an overhang at the front of 3' and an overhang past the tail lights at the rear of 4'.


I finished and rolled away from Enterprise about a 1/2 hour after sundown and ran up to the north side of the metro area and got a room. This is a shot of the truck with the decks down, the clearance between truck and trailer expanded so I can turn the rig and I'm ready to roll. (This isn't meant to be a promo shot for Days Inns! It was just where I was parked and made a good shot in the morning sun)


Here's a detail shot of the stack on the trailer. 4 units nose over nose over nose over tail. There is about 6" of clearance between each unit. This allows for any possible flex in the suspensions so that they don't contact each other going down the road.


On I 17, northbound to Flagstaff. This is the top of the grade leading down to Camp Verde, AZ. Not an unusual grade in the western states, but nothing to sneeze at. it is in fact 2 miles longer and just as steep as the famous "Grapevine" hill on I 5 north of LA This grade has NO letup or transitions at all. It is a solid 6% to the bottom. I'll run down it at about 35 mph. with the Jake Brake doing all the work and my feet flat on the floor. I want my brakes nice and cool if I need them.


Down the grade we go. This is about 1/3rd the way down.


Topping off the tanks in Flagstaff at the Little America there. This place has old fashioned single side fueling. The pumps have extra long hoses so you have to fill one tank then throw the nozzle under the truck and fuel the other tank.


Here's the line coming under the truck and topping off the left hand tank. On this truck I have dual 100's, but 104 gallons filled me up. Bill? $450 or so. This type of fuel island used to be commonplace but are now fairly rare. Most modern truck stop fuel islands look like.....

This. A primary pump on one side and a "satellite" pump on the other side, slaving off the primary. This allows for both tanks to be filled simultaneously and is much quicker. This pic BTW, was taken 4 days later in Laramie, WY, the day I took the shots in this thread


Big Truck. Bigger landscape. The scenery on the way to 4 Corners, East of Kayenta, AZ. This is South of the Monument Valley area and is pretty stark, but still gorgeous.


The road to 4 Corners.


Parked at the 4 Corners Monument. The monument is on Reservation land and is not part of the National Park system. $3.00 to get in.


Standing in four states at once! (Nice outfit, eh? What a fucking fashion plate!) My left nipple is in Arizona, my right in Utah, my left buttcheek in New Mexico and my right in Colorado! Obviously, the photo is looking straight east and late in the day. This was on 5/6, BTW. I turned 52 years old. This trip was my own little B'day present to myself. I called it a day a couple hours later in Durango. Total miles on the day - 440. Total hours driving - 8 1/4.


The next morning at the base of Wolfs Creek Pass, elevation 7850'. The scar in the mountainside at the middle of the pic is the cut made for the road way.


From the same spot looking to the North.


The summit. The snow looked to be about 2 - 3' deep. My GPS said the elevation was 10,864' It was 8 miles of 7% grade climbing to the top. There were almost more bicyclists climbing the hill than there were vehicles!


The summit looking to the West. On the way up there are some spectacular views of the valley to the West, but I didn't stop to get any shots as stopping a heavy truck on a climb like that is a really bad idea, because shifting up to get rolling on a steep grade puts enormous stress on the drive train. I don't want to break anything!


On the way down, Eastbound. 8 miles of 6%. I set the trans in 6th and crawled down at about 25 MPH in order to let the Jacobs engine retarder ("Jake Brake") do all the work. I want the truck to hold a steady speed all the way down, neither speeding up or slowing down. An occasional touch of the foot on the brakes was all it took. In the days before engine retarders this would have taken about 15 mph and a steady brake pressure all the way down.


Further down. Photographs do not do ANY justice as to exactly how steep this is. And long! The 6% portion is by no means the end and is at about 9200', as it levels out a bit but continues down in varying degrees of grade for probably another 10 miles to the valley floor at elev. 8400'. It took about 20 minutes to go the 8 miles and another 20 to get all the way to the bottom.


At the summit of La Veta pass, elev. 9435', the last hill before I 25 which is about 25 miles away at this point.


The last mountain grade, down La Veta pass. Not too bad - 4 miles of 6%. Piece of cake.


The Big Road! Yay!


Northbound on I 25. 165 miles to the drop and smooth sailing. A few hills that get a little steep, but nothing real long. The big clump of something in the lower left is an ice cream I got at the truck stop a few minutes earlier. Yum.


Calling it a day in Castle Rock, CO. HMMMM... I wonder what they named the town after. Total miles on the day - 352. Total hours driving time - 7 1/2. I'm about 40 miles to my drop and this is Saturday afternoon. I can't drop till Monday morning.


Put to bed at the motel. This is what they call "Truck Parking"! Sometimes you get a big dirt lot that can hold 40 trucks and sometimes you get two spaces you have to back into off the street. You never know. Again, not meant to be an endorsement of the hotel chain!


I dropped in Aurora, East of Denver on Monday, the 9th.

I'm in Portland, OR, tonight and empty. Again, stuck till Monday before I can get loaded. Think I'll play a round of golf in the morning.

Hope you enjoyed it!

[KittyWampus]

1. 4 states in one! I saw a car pull out in front of a truck like yours the other day.

Truck slammed on the brakes and I just about had a heart attack watching.

My Grandpa had the job of scheduling those types of car deliveries for Chevy a long, long time ago. It was during the Depression. The drivers wanted Grandpa to make extra deliveries so there'd be more work but he was a manager and didn't feel it was right. He got out of the job cause of the stress- but that's another story.

[aikoaiko]

2. That's a beautiful drive.

I lived in Flag for several years often know that drive well as I liked to hang out in Telluride.

Thanks for the pictures.

[la la]

3. enjoyed this! - thanks---- n/t

[blondeatlast]

4. Very cool! I know that stretch of road in pic #8 VERY well; I know just the spot.

I really enjoyed this; I love people who are proud of their work!

[snagglepuss]

5. Your rig in all the pics remind me of that garden gnome series of travel photos.

Thanks for posting. Absolutely love seeing going down the road photos. :thumbsup:

[A HERETIC I AM]

18. I always wanted to swipe a lawn burro pulling a wagon and take it all over....

Back in the 90's I worked in IndyCar racing and I really wanted to swipe one of those little burros with a wagon from someones front yard and take it to all the races, sending back a pic a week. I thought I would start them off by the burro saying he had been kidnapped into slavery on the racing circuit! Take pic of him with a tire in his cart or have it loaded with tools in the pitlane and saying something like "They are working me to all hours in the hot sun!" Then as time went on, take pics of him at Big Sur and New York and all sorts of cool places and change the tone of the notes to the point where he was saying he was having a great time and never coming back!

Then, one middle of the night, he would show up back where I took him from with stickers of all the cities he had visited covering his cart!

But alas, I never did it.

Would've been funny, though.

[sharesunited]

6. What a splendid photo essay! Thank you for posting!

You hold a bouquet of automotive variety for a brief moment traveling through an enduring landscape of the American west.

And you take the time to share it with all of us.

If I could, I would drill down on all the stories of the people who thought of these cars as their own and the forces which exerted themselves to put them on that trailer.

[FLAprogressive]

7. Great post! Would love to see more of these!

[asjr]

8. I enjoyed it. This is a keeper. It sort

of reminded me about some stories my late husband used to tell me before we were married. He was a truck driver for several years.

[physioex]

9. Great.....

Thank you for posting.

[hlthe2b]

10. Dropped em off in Aurora, Monday, eh?

I'm betting I may have rented one of those black ones on top of your load--at an Enterprise in Aurora Tuesday afternoon (after some cretin dropped a wine bottle off a balcony and shattered my car windshield). ;) At least, I like to think so.... LOL

[A HERETIC I AM]

11. LOL,..no...they went to the auction, so they were or are to be sold off, not rented again.

Now, if you had rented an Enterprise car in Phoenix a few weeks ago, it could have been one of these.

I was told they had 100 or more coming out of Phoenix going to the auction. Enterprise Remarketing has a fairly big operation at the Mannheim Auction in Aurora, and that's who got these units.

[truedelphi]

74. A group of comedians were having an hour long chat on HBO

Including Seinfeld and Chris Rock, and one of them mentioned watching a semi truck hauler doing this fabulous but probably very routine maneuver to get his truck backed up out of a spot near the wharf, and then down a narrow lane and then back to a normal highway. He said he felt the guy was as much of a genius as anyone delivering a laugh a minute comedy special.

And I knew what he meant.

Thanks for sharing your ride.

[laylah]

12. Many familiar places...

thank you SO much for the pictorial. I hope you have a load and are on the road once again, come Monday. :hug:

[AzNick]

13. Nice photos, nice rig!

My dream would be to ride in an 18 wheeler across America.

Sometimes I even fantacize about telling everything to heck, and just drive a truck for a living.

And Volvo trucks are just too good looking!

[petronius]

14. So you were driving a huge-ass truck down a 6% grade, and you let go of the wheel to

snap a picture? Yeah, that makes me feel safe... :P

Also, did you sing the Wolf Creek Pass song all the way down?

[A HERETIC I AM]

15. Knees.

I got two of them!

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending) I don't know the Wolf Creek Pass song.

I still have "It's Friday, Friday" stuck in my head.

I want to shoot the asshole who thought it would be a good idea to produce that video.

[petronius]

22. The Wolf Creek Pass song (C W McCall) is much better than the Friday thing!

But it could be a pretty irritating ear-worm when you're facing a couple hundred miles of empty road, so listen with caution... :)

------
"Me an' Earl was haulin' chickens on a flatbed out of Wiggins, and we'd spent all night on the uphill side of thirty-seven miles of hell called Wolf Creek Pass. Which is up on the Great Divide?

We was settin' there suckin' toothpicks, drinkin' Nehi and onion soup mix, and I said, "Earl, let's mail a card to Mother then send them chickens on down the other side. Yeah, let's give 'em a ride."

(Chorus)
Wolf Creek Pass, way up on the Great Divide
Truckin' on down the other side..."
------

[A HERETIC I AM]

24. I think I hate you.

lol.....


Well, yes almost anything is much better than the Friday song, including "Rubber Ducky" by Kermit the Frog.

[petronius]

36. So you listened to it, did you? Just think: one of these days you'll be heading

into a stretch of 200 miles of straight boring road, and that will pop back into your head. You can thank me then! :hi:

[A HERETIC I AM]

50. "You wanna screw that thing back on there, Earl?"

:spray: :rofl:

LOL...OK, ok.....that's funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6LzWZYWpOU

[Codeine]

34. Must've heard that damned song a hundred times

when I was little in Wyoming in the 70s.

[SidDithers]

16. Really good & interesting post...

Real world experiences are almost always fascinating to me. Thanks for the thread! :applause:

Sid

[A HERETIC I AM]

19. You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it. n/t

[flvegan]

17. What a fantastic post.

We need more OPs like this here in GD.

For the record, I have crazy respect for those OTR drivers. Driving something like that is a talent I appreciate and know I could never, ever do.

[A HERETIC I AM]

20. Aww...thanks, man. I appreciate it. n/t

[Gin]

26. Have any of the cars ever fallen off? I was told by a man who

did this for a living (long time ago)that each car being carried is insured for 1 million in liability insurance...is that true?

[A HERETIC I AM]

40. They do fall off, yes. But I've never lost one ( I swear!)

My truck has chains to hold the cars down. These days, many manufacturers are going to what are called "soft ties" which is basically a strap over the tires. My truck has chain sets to secure the vehicles, though I do carry 36 ratchet straps designed for over the tire securement.

My chain sets look something like these;


The one on the left is a "J" hook (sometimes called an "S" hook)
The one in the middle is called an "R" hook
The one in the right is a "T" hook.

All of them are designed to fit into an industry standard oval hole in the frame or torque box of your car. Some manufacturers install a steel tab with the oval hole in them that hangs down from somewhere under the car specifically for transport purposes.

If you have an older model, you can find them if you're interested. But not every oval hole in the frame is the proper one! The ones designed for tie-down purposes have been reinforced or are cut into the sturdiest steel on the frame.

When the chains are placed, the four should form a "Y" (or a "V) or a "W" in other words, either pull outward from the center of the car or inward. I have made the mistake of setting them so they all pull one direction! You can tighten them down and think you are good, but a few miles of shaking and the whole car will move in the direction of the pull, loosening the chains. If it isn't caught in time, and the car is on a deck that is angled down and to the rear, you could indeed lose a car off the back end.

It has happened before, many times.

Total driver fuck up.

As far as insurance, a $mil per car is a bit high. My company has a mil total cargo insurance and the same for liability. In fact, we gave up a contract hauling Mercedes from FL to CA because the total value of 8 of the high end MB's exceeded our insurance coverage.

[Gin]

62. thanks for the info............ and an interesting post!

[blondeatlast]

32. My favorite uncle was an OTR for Safeway back in the day when they were Union

and treated the employees very well; in fact, he used to make us slightly genuflect when we passed a Safeway!

He made it sound like the best job in the world and really taught us respect for the road.

I've traveled that stretch of I-17 between Phoenix and Flagstaff many times and once was hassled by a guy who was trying to run me off the road. A trucker saw what was happening and maneuvered his rig between the asshole and my little 5 speed Civic and I managed to speed far enough away that the hassle stopped. I've never forgotten that.

[NYC_SKP]

21. K/R for your nipple butt cheek geography lesson! So, which part of you was actually...

In ALL four states at once?

:P

PS, yes, fashion plate you!

:hi:

[A HERETIC I AM]

23. Ummm...well...the centerline would have been running up past my.....

naughty bits, I assume.

lol.

Perhaps the "taint"

"Taint in any state, but all 4!"

[W_HAMILTON]

25. How do you drive something like that?

I have a hard time parking my damn mid-size sedan sometimes. I can't imagine having to drive that thing. Is it a case where, it's so large and powerful that if you do get stuck, you can just run over whatever is there -- the curb, grass, etc -- to get out?

[A HERETIC I AM]

35. Actually, a "Stinger Steer" car hauler is very prone to getting stuck if you aren't careful

Stinger Steer meaning the 5th wheel is located low to the ground and behind the tractor drive wheels, unlike a traditional tractor trailer where the 5th wheel is mounted on top of the drive tires.

These trailers have a very low ground clearance - 6" or less and scrape the ground going into and out of driveways all the time. Go to your local car dealership and look at the roadway entering the place. All the scars in the road were put there by car haulers. They can get high centered really easy if you aren't careful, so no, I can't simply "run over whatever is there" with no fear.

A regular tractor trailer - yeah. Sure. You can often get out of a tight spot by just dropping it to 1st and gassing on it! I have to look at the rise of a transition from street to parking lot, make sure there is room to turn (it just can't jack-knife when it has a load on it like a regular 18 wheeler can) and make sure I can get it turned and/or out of wherever I get it into. The latter applies to most big trucks too, of course.

How do I drive it?

Aim it and go!

[Trajan]

27. In Portland ...

Be sure to sample one of our many delightful food carts, and or wonderful brewpubs ....

Full listing of food carts - http://www.foodcartsportland.com/

We had a nice day but its starting to rain again ... damnit ...

[Libby2]

28. I really enjoyed the trip. Thank you for sharing.

[niyad]

29. quite a b-day present to yourself, and hope you enjoyed it. thank you for the pics.

[beck47]

30. N. Ariz

Reminds me of time spent on the Navajo Reservation. I love that area .

[Ruricolous1]

31. thanks for the photos

I'm been thinking of getting my Class A and drive the big rig.

Does a load of cars bounce around and act somewhat similar to a tanker full of fluid?

I stumbled across a link for a trucker with a GPS tracker. I don't know who he is or what he hauls but he stays mostly east of the Mississippi.

http://www.bts0.com/

Thanks again

[A HERETIC I AM]

77. I can't speak to the comparison of driving a tanker.....

as even though I have the endorsement to drive one, I've never done so.

But here's what does happen;

When you enter a curve, and heaven forbid you do so too fast, the entire truck from bottom to top settles into the curve - or loads into it, if you will, in stages. The first is the suspension of the truck itself, then the deck the car is loaded on - starting at the bottom. With the exception of the spot behind the cab, they are all mounted on hinge points and move independently. Next is the tires of the vehicle and then the suspension of the vehicle. Repeat that process all the way to the top of the load. If you look back at the pic of the trailer stack, the car at the bottom will have loaded into the turn well before the one at the top. It is only a matter of fractions of a second difference, but it is noticeable.

It's almost like a set of dominoes, if you can catch my drift. Or perhaps I should say it has a "crack the whip" effect. From the bottom to the top of the weight column, it will lean with numerous points of varying load. The only thing I think might come close would be hauling cattle (which I have also never done) as the cattle will move opposite the direction of the curve, or so I've been told by the "Bull Haulers" I've talked to. The animals on the upper deck of those trucks pose the greatest risk to stability. Same with my truck.

Luckily though, the freight on my truck tends to stay where I put it!!

I do try as best I can to "pre-load" the suspension when entering a curve by starting as wide a possible as early as possible - much like a race car driver does when "apexing" a turn. If it is a left hander, I'll get the truck all the way to the right in the lane as early as possible and start turning early to load the truck suspension before the decks and cars start to load. I've at least taken one of the dominoes out of the equation by doing that. It doesn't always happen, of course, but it is something I try to do.

Having said all that, I've got well over 1.6 million accident free miles in tractor trailers and never come close to flopping one on its side! I absolutely want to keep it that way!

[Motown_Johnny]

33. I lived in and around Vail for about 10 years, those pics made me homesick

[geckosfeet]

37. Cool trip.

[JonLP24]

38. I made that trip many times in life

Though I never went to the 4 corners. It was mostly east from Flagstaff to Albuquerque then north on I-25.

I also went on Route 163 through Utah near Mexican Hat and entered Colorado on I-70.

[A HERETIC I AM]

80. I had considered running up that way, and I've been that way before...

It is also a gorgeous drive.

As it turned out, It was a good thing I didn't. This was the first time I had been into Colorado for quite a few years and I found out they had changed their "chain laws" for trucks on the interstates and state and county routes. The rules now state that if you are traveling on any route or interstate other than I 70 west of Denver, you only need tire chains when they chain-up rule is in effect. On that section of I 70 however, you MUST carry them on your truck regardless, through the end of May. So even though Wolfs Creek Pass is just as high as the Eisenhower tunnel or Vail Pass, you don't need to carry them .

Well, I don't have a set of tire chains on board! They are not cheap and is makes no sense to lay out the money for them if you might need them only once a year. We have yet to run regularly through the intermountain West in the winter, so my company hasn't shelled out the cash for them.

I mean hell!, we're based out of the Tampa Bay area! Not a whole lot of mountain grades down there. The steepest hill is the Skyway Bridge, and it doesn't ice up too often!

[Dawson Leery]

39. k/r

[Hassin Bin Sober]

41. Cool thread! I enjoyed the trip.

[madrchsod]

42. best post of the day!

[Initech]

43. Heh I've often fantasized about being a truck driver.

Life on the road, not at a fucking desk, don't have to answer to anyone or anything but the open road and the cb radio, that would be awesome.

[A HERETIC I AM]

49. Well, it isn't all that romantic! But it does have its moments.

I suppose one of the reasons I got into trucking in the first place was precisely because there is no supervisor looking over my shoulder. But I certainly do have to answer to people - customers who want their cars yesterday and can't understand why you won't bring it right to their door, in spite of the fact that they live in a neighborhood with narrow, winding streets and trees hanging 8 feet over the roadway!

I do get to determine my own routing, however and that is nice. As long as I don't travel on truck restricted roads, I'm fine.

I have taken some REALLY off the wall side trips! Some that were such a handful I wouldn't want to do them again unless I was on a motorcycle!

[sakabatou]

44. When you're on the road, how do you take the pictures?

Button plunger? Timer? Or stop on the shoulder to take the picture?

[A HERETIC I AM]

46. I've got an LG camera phone with touch screen.

The shots taken through the windshield were done simply by holding the phone with my right hand and touching the "take" button on the screen with my index finger.

The others..yeah, I stop and get out to take the shot.

[sakabatou]

71. Ah.

[intheflow]

45. You should have called, I would have put you up

and shown you the town. The real town, Denver, not creepy über-trollish Castle Rock. I even have truck parking in front of my house! :hi: Next time for sure. (Geesh. You and Fly by Night pass through in one week and don't call. smh.)

I've been over Wolf Creek Pass and your photos scared ME of the grade towing that load!

Happy 52! :toast: Glad your butt cheek could age so gracefully in my humble state.

[A HERETIC I AM]

47. That's very kind of you!

And if you're serious, I'll PM you the next time I know I'm coming through!

Getting out and about with a truck like mine is a wee bit difficult!

[intheflow]

54. I'm very serious.

DUers across the country have hosted me, I'd love to be able to pass that karma along. :thumbsup:

Besides, I've seen you around the board long enough to know you're not a total lunatic. Or at least haven't been convicted of any heinous crimes yet. Not to mention, who can resist meeting a fellow heretic?

[A HERETIC I AM]

55. Awww.....

I'd love it. As I said, I'll PM you when I know I'm coming in the "The Mile High" again.

[bullwinkle428]

48. K&R for an excellent and informative post!

[eppur_se_muova]

51. If you really want to see the country, you need to ride high in a cab.

I've driven thousands of miles by rental truck* and have been amazed at the scenery and rather sickened by the dropoff from the bridges, most of which is blocked from view lower down by concrete railings and barriers. I don't remember things being so obscured from view years ago when I was riding in the back seat of my parents' car.










* Yes, I know those aren't "real trucks". After several such trips, I'm grateful to be alive. Let's just say that their inadequacies made themselves apparent in various hair-raising and/or frustrating ways.

[A HERETIC I AM]

52. LOL...yup.

I've been thinking of writing a book for years and I have the title;

"Looking at your lap.
Views of America from 8 feet above the roadway"

[Hannah Bell]

53. nice scenery, but driving that rig loaded with cars would be one of the few things that would scare

me to death.

in the city or on a crowded freeway or up/down a grade especially.

i'd rather parachute out of a plane than drive that rig.

((shivers))

[DemoTex]

56. Great story and photos!

Is brake cooling an issue on those steep downhills?

[A HERETIC I AM]

58. Yes it is indeed.

The biggest problem with the brakes on tractor trailers is they dissipate heat fairly slowly. So once you have built it up, it takes a long while for them to cool. When they get so hot they start to smoke, you begin to glaze the shoes and they start to lose grip at that point real fast. You just don't want to get it anywhere near that point if you can avoid it.

The only reason to smoke brakes is because you are going too fast for the load/grade.

I make it a point to be going fairly slow even before the grade starts. I can always adjust the speed up to match the grade but slowing down while descending is what puts the big load on the brakes and get them hot. I could have gone down those two long 6%'rs faster with a steady 10 pounds or so of application pressure and done so safely. But at the bottom of Wolfs Creek I would have had one smelly, smoky truck. As it was, you could have laid your hand on the brake shoes with no problem.

[CatWoman]

57. you're too cute

:)

[A HERETIC I AM]

59. Awww....

Shucks! {{{{{{{shuffles feet, hands behind back}}}}}}

[NJCher]

60. this photo thread skeered me

Seriously, I would be in such a state of tension going down inclines like the ones you show and with such a load of vehicles. I was practically shreiking in my computer chair as I clicked PgDn.

I'm glad you included shots out the front window because I was curious about what it would look like with that car over the top of the cab.

You have nerves of steel.

Enjoyed the pics. I have done a stretch of that highway myself, so the pics brought back memories.



Cher

[nc4bo]

61. Hey - nice thread!! nt

[JanMichael]

63. There are going to be some good photos on DU this summer between you

and DemoTex-

Thanks for posting the photos...we had fun looking at them!

[cliffordu]

64. HEY!!! I rode that downhill going towards Palos Verde - I-17, I think...

on my bicycle - what a GREAT ride!!!

[Robb]

65. Great photos and story, thanks for doing this!

K&R :toast:

[proud2BlibKansan]

66. Very interesting. Thank you!

[WolverineDG]

67. wow, you get to drive a portable parking lot AND see the country

how cool is that! :D

Thanks for the pics! Looks like you had a great trip!

dg

[immoderate]

68. Wonderful. Great story.

I have been on most of the roads you mention, including the "Grapevine."

Loved hearing the details. But are you sure you are "facing east, late in the day" at Four Corners?

I am in FL now, but I'm sending a link to some friends I have prowled the west with. Thanks.

--imm

[A HERETIC I AM]

72. I was facing west.

I said "the photo is looking straight east and late in the day."

Perhaps I should have said "The photographer is looking straight East".

Sorry about the confusion.

[immoderate]

87. Oops my bad.

But I mainly wanted to say I enjoyed the reportage. :hi: I love the "back story."

--imm

[polly7]

69. Very cool pics.

When we were younger my sisters and brothers and I used to make mom, or dad ... whoever was driving, get as close to a truck like yours as they could, so we could each pick out a car. I was always afraid that one would fall off on us. I've never seen a car on top of the cab like that .... doesn't that make you feel claustrophobic?? I would freak.

[A HERETIC I AM]

73. Not claustrophobic, but if nothing else, it cuts down on the view!

Having that unit over my head certainly limits vision, and on that trip, going through the mountains (and on any trip where I have on up there, for that matter) it limits my ability to see above me rather dramatically. On the way out here to Portland I drove acros S Rte 20 and in Eastern Or, it goes through miles and miles of valley, following a river.

You had better do all your looking at the mountains when you're far away, cause when you're next to em', you can't see up in front of you at all!

Sometimes, for any number of reasons, I am unable to really get that car cranked down on its suspension and it will flex up and down fairly substantially when I hit a bump. That can be unnerving as hell, seeing that car go up and then compress on its suspension to the point the chains get loose.

[polly7]

94. It sounds pretty scary to me

.... but very rewarding. What a great way to see the country.

Safe travels!

[Morning Dew]

70. Nice, nice, nice.

I love threads like this. Thanks!!

[Liberal_in_LA]

75. nice! thanks for sharing. I feel like I've been on the trip with you.

[HughBeaumont]

76. This is a great essay.

Usually folks don't get the scarcity and loneliness of the perfectly-surveyed middle states on the ground. It's hypnotic, but can also be therapeutic to some.

K & R.

[cherokeeprogressive]

78. Pic #25... Eating ice cream and taking cell phone pics at the same time... You Super Trucker You...

Excellent pics and story HIA. Hope I get through that way sometime. Leaving tomorrow for 20 days or so after spending almost three weeks at home. This 20/10 thing isn't bad at all but we had to get rid of one of our drivers due to his being an anchor. Leaving with our new teammate tomorrow p.m.

No hands huh? Super Trucker!

Here's a little bit of video I shot in March while I was bored and going up the I-65 in Alabama somewhere north of Mobile. I sent it to my wife via text msg and INSTANTLY got a message back about how it's not funny to simulate sleeping at the wheel LOL.

Drive Safe My Friend.
Chris

http://s675.photobucket.com/albums/vv114/cherokeeprogressive/?action=view¤t=VIDEO0030.mp4

[A HERETIC I AM]

82. BWAAAA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!

LOLOLOL!..

Too funny. You should have had some drool running out of the corner of your mouth!

Which way are they sending you?

As I mentioned, I'm stuck here till tomorrow and I bet I won't get a full load out of here till Tuesday night at the earliest. They'll all be POV's (Privately Owned Vehicles) and that means 8 or 9 units and 8 or 9 pickups at different locations all over town. Then 8 or 9 different drops. It's a pain in the ass. The Enterprise load is the best way to go. 9 units picked up at the same place and dropped at the same place.

We really should stay in touch, cause if we are headed toward each other, I want to know I have to get off the road so I don't get whacked by a rookie!!!

Seriously, The first two beers are on me, so PM me and let me know where you're headed and we'll hook up.

[cherokeeprogressive]

106. Rookie huh? I guess I asked for that one...

No way to know which direction we'll be headed until tomorrow when I go back to the truck in Fontana. I'm hoping that during my 20 days we can get 15-17,000 miles in.

8-9 pickups and 8-9 drops sounds like a helluva lot of work, but I'm sure it pays well. As for me, gimme the open road and let me drop and hook.

Going on E-logs tomorrow. Looking forward to it actually. Seems like it will be less of a pain.

Drive Safe My Friend and I will stay in touch. Gonna try to make some more amusing videos while we're out.

When I'm on the road, if you want to know where I am, go to life360.com...

Log in with "[e-mail]" and use the password "everywhere". I did that for my wife and daughter. It updates every 15 minutes. Really cool.

Chris

ps don't worry about getting whacked by a rookie like me, I try to stay out of the way of Super Truckers such as yourself LOL. Hasta!

[westerebus]

79. Good stuff.

At least you remembered to put your shorts back on for the photo op.

LOL.
:hi:

[A HERETIC I AM]

84. It was a debate, trust me!

But, alas, I wasn't the only one there, and no one wants to see THIS trucker dancing about in the altogether, remote historical landmark or no!

[PoiBoy]

81. Awesome post...!!

Incredible pictures and story..! Thanks for posting and a belated happy birthday....!


:hi:

[handmade34]

83. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

oh to be young and carefree again. :evilgrin: love the pictures!!

[A HERETIC I AM]

85. Thanks!

:hi:

[quakerboy]

86. Welcome to portland

Your post caught my interest. Ive been pondering the car loaded trucks for some weeks now. It seems to me that loading the cars has to be a somewhat nerve wracking experience, as it seems to me that they could easily be damaged with the fairly small amount of space you have to fit them into. Am I wrong?

[A HERETIC I AM]

88. You're not wrong at all.

Car-Haul is in my opinion anyway, the most dangerous trucking discipline there is, both from a personal safety standpoint and the potential for damage to the freight. You can do a whole lot of real expensive damage REAL FAST if you aren't careful. When you are moving desks around with cars on them, your head has to be on a swivel. Lifting one end of a deck often forces the other end down because of the way the decks are hinged. Plus on this trailer, of the 9 units I had on board, 3 of the decks can move or be slid using hydraulics fore and aft. There are other types of trailers - so called "Hi-Rail" designs where 7 of the 8 available positions on the trailer can slide and on some rigs with a 5-car headrack (that's the rack mounted on the tractor portion) you can have another 3 positions that slide. A high-rail with a 5 car headrack then can have 9 decks that can not only move up and down, but fore and aft. It' a lot to keep in mind.

From a personal safety standpoint, this job kills and injures drivers on a regular basis, either by falling from an upper deck while chaining a unit down or by having a deck failure - either a hydraulic line burst or a support breaking, and having a deck come crashing down on you. There are lots of other ways to get hurt as well, particularly during the process of tightening down a car. A link in a chain that wasn't straight or a ring in the hook set might unexpectedly straighten out under load, causing the ratchet and then the bar I'm using to tighten the car down to rotate instantly, smashing a finger into another part of the trailer structure.

There are two types of car haulers;

Those that have broken a bone doing this job and those that will. I've broken both thumbs - the last was my right thumb this past March.

[Zorra]

89. Great vista coming down the grade into the Verde, isn't it? nt

[A HERETIC I AM]

90. Yes, it is.

A big valley in a beautiful landscape. Further down the hill from that shot the road bends around to the left and you have the whole valley spread out before you. It is, like many parts of Arizona, breathtaking.

[Zorra]

92. I fell in love with it

and decided I'd stay for awhile.

The politics in AZ are terrible but the land is fabulous, and I live near a small community of crazy liberals.

The motto of the nearest little town by where I live is:

"We're all here, because we're not all there"

Love the on the road post.
:hi:

[david13]

91. I read it all. I'm on my way out there Tuesday myself, Monument

Valley and up to Torrey.
Thru' the Moki Dugway, which I suppose you haven't taken the truck up there. I'll be on the motorcycle.
I'll look for you out there on the roads.
dc

[A HERETIC I AM]

93. Oh, wow!

I had to Google that cause I've never heard of it. Quite a road.

http://www.midwestroads.com/otherstates/mokidugway/

No, I haven't ever been on that one at all, much less with a truck! And I doubt I want to. I have driven a Bobtail to the top of Pikes Peak, and it is steep at some points, but nothing like that!

I have driven a tractor trailer on roads in California that say "Vehicles over 30' Kingpin to Rear axle not recommended". Sometimes it is no problem. Others, it's a real handful.

[david13]

116. I'm probably going to be there in the rain, too. I didn't realize it

was originally built as a mining road. I guess you wouldn't want the job driving the mining truck with a load of uranium ore down that one? I guess it's like anything, tho', after a few trips it seems like just another day on the job.
dc

[Locrian]

95. really cool post - thanks for sharing ! - n/t

[A HERETIC I AM]

96. Glad you enjoyed it. n/t

[A HERETIC I AM]

97. Thanks, everybody for the interest and the recs!

I don't put up too many threads, as most of the subjects I'm interested in have already been covered by you folks.

But I wanted to say thanks for the interest in this thread;

Over 56 replies from others, 2200 views and 95+ recommends. I'm very flattered.

If this is evidence of interest in this sort of thing, I'll be sure to put up more when I have a trip I think you folks might enjoy.

Again, thanks so very much for the interest and the responses. I am so glad so many of you enjoyed this thread.

Paul.

[TygrBright]

98. Thank you so much for posting!

I just love learning about what people do, especially when they really enjoy their work. The little details are fascinating. I've heard truckers talk about "jake brakes" before, but didn't know what they are.

South of town here on I-25 we have the legendary "La Bajada" grade between SF and ABQ; we are always very careful to give trucks plenty of head and tail room!

appreciatively,
Bright

[A HERETIC I AM]

102. Been down that grade too!

I considered running up I 17, over I 40 to Albuquerque and then North on I 25 and up that way. It would have been less hours, but as it turned out, I wasn't in a hurry anyway.

The Jacobs Engine Retarder has been around for decades and it and the other types of engine and exhaust brakes made by them and other manufacturers have saved many, many lives over the years. You can learn how they work (if you're interested) at their website;

The following page BTW, contains a rather dramatic story of the genesis of the idea. Again, this technology has saved literally thousands of lives and countless millions of dollars in losses over the years.
http://www.jakebrake.com/about-us/history/

[cherokeeprogressive]

118. The Jake Brake is such a cool story.

I read that Cummins woke up Dave Evans on the way down the grade because in Dave's words "He didn't want me to miss the worst crash we was ever gonna have".

The other thing I read was that Cummins was looking for a "Kayhone" Pass (that's how Evans pronounced it), and never even noticed the Cajon Pass signs. I can just hear one white guy talking to the other way back then... "Watch out for that Kayhone Pass Clessie, it's dad-gummed scary!"

I've gone down Cajon hundreds of times since I live within a few miles of it and never NEVER fail to see some trucker going down that long grade, brakes just a smokin'. The first time I went down in a truck, fully loaded, I was as nervous as a blind cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Thank GAWD for that Jake. I'm like you, I don't like to even TOUCH the brakes on a steep grade. My trainer did the snub braking thing so hard it almost threw me out of the sleeper and into the cab, and when we got to Fontana, the brakes were STILL hot. Not for me.

[JDPriestly]

99. Awesome!!!

Thanks for sharing a bit of your life for those of us stuck at home.

I have traveled through and to Colorado twice in my life. What a breathtaking experience.

Wonderful.

[The Straight Story]

100. Thanks! Been through Flagstaff and those areas about 21 times now - great memories

Seeing your pics brought back some of the happier times in my life - my trips across country (usually on the 70/44/40).

Made my evening :)

[A HERETIC I AM]

103. I'm so glad you enjoyed it! n/t

[slackmaster]

101. Automatic Rec for first-person account with good photos!

:hi:

[Common Sense Party]

104. Great pics! It all looks so familiar...the scenery, that is.

Not the hauling cars on a truck.

I HATE Wolf Creek Pass! Nice scenery, yes, but I hate driving it, even in a little Impala. I can't imagine hauling 9 cars up and over that. Yeesh!

Question: How do they load the cars on? Does someone have to start each car's engine and drive it up? Or is there some mechanical system to pull them up. I've always wondered that.

Also, jake brakes. Is that the same as 'engine brakes'? How do they work?

[A HERETIC I AM]

108. LOL......sorry, bud...but I gotta LOL....

I load the cars! There is no "they". Or rather, the driver of the rig loads them with no other help, as a general rule.

Yup. You start em' up and drive them on. It's that simple.

While some car haul trucks like mine do have winches installed, for the most part, this isn't a tow truck, meaning the vast majority of the cars I haul I load under their own power. The thread from the other day about the Wind Turbine blades did have a wrecked unit from a company called "CoPart" which deals primarily in wrecked but running vehicles. Still, they loaded that one Volvo on my truck with a forklift!

There is no winch system on my truck, BTW.

I'll never forget when I first started training on Open-Rack trucks for a company in Michigan back in 1998. On the first day we were to begin practice loading, the trainer got us a 4-speed manual F-150 pickup. He had each one of us in the class back it up all the way to the # 1 position on the headrack. THAT is a bit daunting the first time you do it, trust me. About half the class spun the tires so much they smoked, trying to get it up past the second deck from the ground. I spun the tires a bit, but watching the others, I kind of knew when to gun it and when to ease it.


But yeah, the driver loads them by driving them up and onto the deck they will be secured to.

As far as Jake Brakes are concerned, see Jacobs website for a good write up about how they work and their history. They essentially alter the valve timing of a diesel engine, allowing the ignited fuel/air mixture to escape, right after top-dead-center, thus taking advantage of the compression stroke but eliminating the thrust the combustion would otherwise provide.

[Common Sense Party]

126. I was afraid it was all you. Criminy, that's a lot of work.

So do you carry 9 sets of keys, and have to keep track of which is which? I guess so, right...?

[A HERETIC I AM]

127. Yup on the keys.

I used to leave them in the ignition, which is actually quite common with many drivers in the industry.

I learned my lesson however, as one time I was parked at a motel with a full load of new cars and during the night, someone had climbed up onto my truck and swiped the keys out of the headrack unit and locked it!

I have my suspicions as to who it was (or rather, who they worked for) but the result was I spent about 2 hours longer than I should have while the dealer had a new set cut so I could open the door and drive the unit off.

Thing is, at least I was able to get the other 8 or 9 (can't remember how many were on the load) off before I discovered this bit of a very major pain in the ass!

So now I take the keys and keep them in the cab. Remotes come in real handy for ID'ing which is which!

As far as the work is concerned, let me tell you, that load was a piece of cake compared to some. Hauling POV's sometimes requires stripping the truck and reloading more than once. Then I go and weigh it and if I am overweight on the steer axle or the drives or the trailer, I may have to reload the entire truck AGAIN in order to get the weight distribution right.

Freight haulers can slide trailer tandems and their fifth wheel to move weight around, provided they aren't over gross. I have no such luxury.

[Buns_of_Fire]

105. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

With any luck, I'll be able to cruise some of the paths you've shown us so beautifully (to me, anyway!).

I was THAT damned close to being an OTR trainee several years ago (for CRST, I think) until I flunked the physical (some left-side nerve damage). Heck, I'd even haunt the local newsstand daily for the latest issue of Overdrive. Some dreams have to be set aside, but the open road still beckons, perhaps now even stronger as I get older and realize how much I have left to see.

:yourock:

[pitchforksandtorches]

107. Thanks for the photos & story-please do it again. n/t

[gtar100]

109. Enjoyed very much. Thanks!! And a belated happy birthday.

[Shagbark Hickory]

110. I'm always afraid to get behind those! Happy Bday. Hope no flames over the non-union truck ;) k+1=r

[Texasgal]

111. very Cool!

The only ting missing is trusty road warrior in your cab! Where's your Boston? :P

I loved the pics and the story, very cool! :)

[A HERETIC I AM]

117. Ol'Mr. BB has passed over the Rainbow Bridge by about 7 years now.

I'm ready for another one, that's for sure.

Glad you enjoyed the thread.

[Texasgal]

120. Awwww... I am so sorry.

My fifteen your old Bostion Suzie Q just left me in january of this year. :(

We have a nine your old male that LOVES road trips!

You need another road warrior! Bostons make GREAT travel doggies as I am sure you know! :)

This is Quincy, my baby boy!

[Blue_Tires]

112. wonderful shots!

you can drop the 'stang off at my house!

[ileus]

113. Excellent post...thanks for sharing.

[Anakin Skywalker]

114. Thank you for sharing! Looks like quite the adventure.

[tomm2thumbs]

115. very interesting, thanks for taking the time to post & upload pics

[onager]

119. Great!! Thanks!! And you coulda dropped that red Mustang...

...convertible off in Los Angeles! In my garage! On second thought, probably not, if it's on the way to an auction. (For the record, I bought a Mustang convert. directly from Enterprise once and it was a great car. Not a single problem in 4.5 yrs.)

That was fascinating. And great scenery!

Collateral damage - my Weird Hobby is building scale models, and now I know a lot more about how a car hauler should look.

[Left coast liberal]

121. That was really fun! Happy Birthday!

:-)

[lutefisk]

122. Very cool. Thanks...nt

[66 dmhlt]

123. Bookmarked ... Filed under: "You Learn Something New ..." Thanks!

[liberal N proud]

124. Very interesting

[veganlush]

125. Just way cool. ..n/t