It ain't pretty being easy... ([info]soopageek) wrote,
@ 2008-04-29 15:11:00
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Current location:Ellensburg, WA
Current music:you got yourself a trucker's atlas
Entry tags:truckgeek

i'm going up going over to Montana
n Friday evening I finally went back on the road, picking up a load in Logansport, IN bound for Tacoma, WA. It's nearly identical to the trip I went on back in January when I crashed, in fact I drove by my accident site yesterday afternoon.

I am enjoying the new company I work for. They're very laid back folks and yet, so far, have been fantastic with logistics. They're keeping me busy with all the work I could want, but with sensible parameters that don't require me to work myself to death trying to meet the demands of the load. After I deliver in Tacoma today, I back-haul with a load that's waiting for me in Wallula, WA this evening, due in Dakota City, NE by Friday morning. I'll take Friday off and part of Saturday to reset my 70 hour than try and knock out another 70 before I take a couple of days off next weekend with Welf in PA.

You know the type of people that, no matter what your problem is, they always have some bigger sob story than you? Like if you told them you were just diagnosed with cancer, they'd tell you about how they got cancer AND had to have a limb amputated in the same day? Ordinarily, those folks annoy the ever-living bejeezus out of me, but there is one instance in which I am that person. You can not complain to me about how expensive gas prices are and how it costs $80 to fill-up your SUV, because fucker, I will always win the bitch-fest in that department.

Photo of a diesel fuel pump showing the following: price of diesel, $4.17 per gallon, total gallons, 208.860, total price, $872.83


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[info]body_electronic
2008-04-29 07:17 pm UTC (link)
That picture is beyond epic.

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[info]smailtronic
2008-04-29 07:21 pm UTC (link)
Holy hell? Do you get a company card to cover that, or does it come out of your wallet?

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[info]soopageek
2008-04-29 07:35 pm UTC (link)
Yes and no. It does come out of my pocket, but I'm using a fuel card owned by the folks I'm leasing the truck from (with a usage fee). Basically, they cover the fuel cost for me, then deduct it from my settlements before cutting me my paycheck. I hope to, down the road, squirrel away enough operating capital to do my own fuel purchases so I can avoid the extra cost of using someone else's fuel card, but at the moment, it's a necessity.

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[info]lossfound
2008-04-29 07:22 pm UTC (link)
jeez, you could have almost bought one of these:

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[info]soopageek
2008-04-29 07:48 pm UTC (link)
I don't think I'd have much luck pulling 43k lbs. of frozen chicken with that.

Is that photo actual size?

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[info]lossfound
2008-04-29 07:50 pm UTC (link)
almost. i had to go with one where you could read the LONG HAUL TRUCKER part.

i guess not everyone has 1600+ horizontal pixels these days. oh well.

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[info]lossfound
2008-04-29 07:52 pm UTC (link)
also, for 22 tons of frozen chicken, give or take a ton, you really just need to put front and rear racks on it.



if you're really in a pinch, maybe add a bike trailer.

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[info]soopageek
2008-04-29 11:40 pm UTC (link)
Who's gonna peddle it? Over the mountains at that? And don't tell me you can now that you've quit smoking or some shit.

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[info]n_decisive
2008-04-29 07:26 pm UTC (link)
Soop's in Ellensburg? You should stop at the Red Horse for lunch!

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[info]soopageek
2008-04-29 11:13 pm UTC (link)
Do tell, what is the Red Horse?

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Here's a review and then addition photos.
[info]n_decisive
2008-04-29 11:24 pm UTC (link)
http://rvtravel.com/blog/chuck/2007/06/red-horse-drive-in-is-half-mile-and-60.html

redhorse7

redhorse4

redhorse5

And this is across the street:
WAIndianBust

I was born in California, but raised in Yakima.

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Re: Here's a review and then addition photos.
[info]soopageek
2008-04-29 11:43 pm UTC (link)
That looks neat! You wouldn't happen to know if they have any room for a truck and trailer to park do ya?

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Re: Here's a review and then addition photos.
[info]n_decisive
2008-04-30 12:24 am UTC (link)
I do, and they definitely do. :)

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Re: Here's a review and then addition photos.
[info]soopageek
2008-04-30 12:30 am UTC (link)
By the time I get out of Tacoma tonight and heading back east, it'll probably be too late, but I'll definitely keep it in mind for future trips.

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[info]betawriter
2008-04-29 07:29 pm UTC (link)
Wow! How far does 208 gallons of diesel take a truck, anyways? I suppose it's based on the weight of the load you're carrying, but can you give an average?

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[info]soopageek
2008-04-29 07:43 pm UTC (link)
To be fair, about 30-40 gallons of that particular fuel purchase was for the reefer trailer I'm pulling, to keep the load refrigerated in-transit.

You'd be correct that the weight of the load plays a large factor as does average speed, terrain, and weather conditions (especially wind and its direction). On this particular load, I'm essentially at the maximum gross vehicle weight. I weighed the sucker with full fuel tanks Saturday morning and was a little over 78,000 pounds. Heading to the west coast is a lot of climbing, especially across the plains which is a mile high climb over the course of 1,000 miles typically in high winds which I'm sure you well know... so it's particularly hard on fuel consumption. I've been fueling daily on this trip, to answer your question. With lighter loads and more forgiving terrain and winds, that can sometimes go down to every other day. It cost me over 2 grand in fuel getting out here. It's par for the course: fuel costs typically run about 40% of gross revenue. To answer your question, I get somewhere between 800-1000 miles on a full tank of fuel, depending on the above factors.

Edited at 2008-04-29 07:45 pm UTC

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[info]stormodacentury
2008-04-30 02:01 am UTC (link)
Do they at least pay the reefer fuel? If not, you know to break that off separate (since it's not taxable), right?

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[info]soopageek
2008-04-30 02:14 am UTC (link)
Nope, reefer fuel is all mine, too.

I do know to break it off separate. What I didn't know was that Flying J's card reader didn't provide the option to split it like Pilot and TA does, or at least, I had forgotten it. I was unsure if I'd be able to swipe the fuel card a second time so soon, so I said fuck it and ran it all together.

I've never much cared for Flying J. This ain't helping.

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Christ!
[info]sinceregenesis
2008-04-29 07:38 pm UTC (link)
How far will a tank get you?
Also, are you going to take students now?

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Re: Christ!
[info]soopageek
2008-04-29 07:46 pm UTC (link)
I gave a much more detailed answer to [info]betawriter in the comment above about how far I can go.

As for students, the company I'm now pulling for doesn't do any training, so no.

Edited at 2008-04-29 07:50 pm UTC

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[info]gonadsandstrife
2008-04-29 07:38 pm UTC (link)
Time to install a fusion reactor in that sumbitch.

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[info]soopageek
2008-04-29 07:47 pm UTC (link)
I need one of those food processor thingies like Doc had on the Dolorean at the end of Back To The Future.

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[info]gonadsandstrife
2008-04-29 07:50 pm UTC (link)
Yes, but the Mr. Fusion only powered the time circuits. The car engine still ran on gas.

A YPS 322 would do you well. Small, compact, good fuel economy, Earth to Alpha in 25 years.

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[info]autumnsshadow
2008-04-29 08:08 pm UTC (link)
yup - i think you win that one...

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[info]tulip_in_yellow
2008-04-29 08:46 pm UTC (link)
Holy shit. I worked at a gas station years ago and remember being shocked when those RV campers would come and fill up and it would cost them nearly $200 and that was in the days of $1.54 a gallon. But I've never seen that kind of number.

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[info]soopageek
2008-04-29 11:16 pm UTC (link)
I should've waited until this afternoon to make this entry. I filled up the tanks and the reefer tank. Final bill: $931.16

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[info]soopageek
2008-04-29 11:50 pm UTC (link)
I've been shocked that we haven't seen a drastic increase in prices on everything yet. While fuel isn't the only cost variable in transportation, it's certainly the largest. That's why, even though the the above photo is has a certain shock-value, all things being equal, the actual COST hasn't really change because the revenue has just increased accordingly. But somewhere, someone is going to have to pay for it. I can only assume that right now it's largely being absorbed by the profit margins of the people who ship goods around the country.

Heh, I don't know that we had a pact. And I certainly don't look for you to do something quite that bold this close to the end. Seems pretty risky, unless you just don't care and wanna fuck with things to fuck with things. ;-)

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[info]over_unity
2008-04-29 09:02 pm UTC (link)
because fucker, I will always win the bitch-fest in that department.

I AM that person with cancer and limb amputation problem :P I look forward to busting your ass with a photo of an equivalent fill up with Canadian prices...

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[info]frissel
2008-04-29 11:13 pm UTC (link)
equivalent fill up with cost more in canada so over-unity would win the bitch-fest for sure. got to love canada

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[info]lowercasedee
2008-04-29 09:29 pm UTC (link)
I suddenly feel a LOT better about the $38 I put into my little 4-cylinder Corolla this morning. HOLY CRAP THAT'S A LOT OF GAS!

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[info]welfy
2008-04-29 09:58 pm UTC (link)
Haha, yeah, I often cry over my wimp-mobile Cavalier and having to put $40 worth into the tank, too. And my car runs good on gas.

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[info]lowercasedee
2008-04-30 12:50 am UTC (link)
I know! I'm still very seriously considering buying a motorcycle just for the mileage. Ten dollars to fill the tank for a week? HECK YES!

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[info]welfy
2008-04-30 03:49 am UTC (link)
I think I've had at least 2-3 friends buy motorcycles in the past couple weeks. Wild, huh? I'd love one if we had the money.

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[info]soopageek
2008-04-29 11:52 pm UTC (link)
If a road tractor could be filled for $38, everyone would be a truck driver.

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[info]lowercasedee
2008-04-30 12:50 am UTC (link)
Amen to that, man.

I cringe to think of what it'll cost just to haul horses with the normal trucks and trailers this summer. Suddenly horse showing has gotten a LOT more expensive.

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[info]elva_undine
2008-04-29 10:10 pm UTC (link)
Holy shit.

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You win?
[info]evisceria78
2008-04-30 02:25 am UTC (link)
How far does that get you?

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Re: You win?
[info]evisceria78
2008-04-30 02:29 am UTC (link)
I got my answer, I should read the comments first.
I;m glad you're on the road it makes for interesting reading.

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[info]kita
2008-04-30 04:58 am UTC (link)
Start writing more again!

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[info]spleazeball
2008-04-30 09:29 am UTC (link)
OH YEAH?! WELL... UH... HMM. Nope. Got nothing that tops that gas tank picture.

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[info]mme_furiosa
2008-04-30 07:19 pm UTC (link)
You will in 872 little ways, plus change.

Crazy.

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[info]mskauri
2008-05-01 04:27 pm UTC (link)
Dang, Soop. You win that argument for SURE. I've shared your pic with a few folks here...and only semi-jokingly suggested I ask our Parking Office to allow me to add a horse carriage to the list of "approved vehicles" on my parking pass. Our Percheron (one of the new horses) is trained to pull carriages, to log, etc. so all I need to do now is get the carriage. Oh and start for work at 3 AM so I can get here before lunch!!

You've been in Tacoma...did you do me a huge favor and drive your truck thru my ex's yard? He always freaked out when the grass wasn't PERFECT. His new wife is VERY welcome to him--I'm glad I've traded up to a real partner and friend in Jahn, my current husband.

Safe travels! Enjoy PA--I'm reading Welfy's journal too and I know it's not news to you, but you're MISSED!!!

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