AllAmericanPilotCarServices.com » road

Mechanical problems on a load

MrBoyd — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 04:11:19 +0000

Today, I picked up a load out of Laredo to Illinois, courtesy of Linda Blowers with Emerald Equipment Escorts. We got on the road pretty quickly. However, about 20 miles down the line when we pulled off the road to check the load, I heard a loud rumbling in the back of the truck. I tried to continue the run but the noise got louder and the vibrations in the back of the truck got worse.

We pulled off at a truck stop and I checked out my truck. It seems that the differential had lost a bearing and seal. Unfortunately, I had to quit the load and limp back into Laredo. The good news is that I was able to find a differential and got it repaired this afternoon. My driver found another escort relatively quickly, and I was able to get back on my original load, which is scheduled to leave tomorrow, finally.

The Tragic Death of a Colleague

MrBoyd — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:56:45 +0000

Tonight I learned of the death of a friend and colleague this week. Karen Aleman (or possibly Alleman) died Tuesday evening in a rollover accident while returning from escorting an oversize load to Colorado. I do not have any specific information about the funeral, other than it probably will be in Lafayette, LA.

Apparently, Karen was not wearing her seatbelt, and thus was fatally injured when her pickup truck went off the road, possibly near Colorado Springs, CO.

When I have more information I will post it here and on the various pilot car groups. I also plan to write a brief memorial about Karen.

Please offer up your prayers on Karen’s behalf and for her family and friends.

It is a L O N G way from one end of Nevada to the other!

MrBoyd — Wed, 07 May 2008 03:31:51 +0000

We are in Hawthorne, NV, tonight. Our route took us from Bullhead City over to US 95, then north through Las Vegas all the way to Hawthorne. Tomorrow we continue on US 95 up to I-80, then back east to Winnemucca and north from there. Hopefully we will drop tomorrow at about noon.

With a heavy load and headwinds, it takes a long time to go up the hills and down the hills. It tires the driver completely out. There is not a lot of traffic on the NV highways, relatively speaking, once you get out of Las Vegas or Reno. However, because of the narrow two lane roads, hilly and mountainous terrain, it can be a real challenge, safety wise.

Today, we had a motor home and four four-wheelers trying to go around our load on a blind hill. The motor home and all the four wheelers started to pass when I called that a four wheeler was coming back. The motor home and three of the four cars BARELY made it around the load. The fourth vehicle actually STOPPED in the other lane, forcing the oncoming car to go into the ditch. Thankfully no one was hurt…but it is an example of how dangerous things can be out here on the road.

Getting on the road

MrBoyd — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:45:02 +0000

Today I am going to be heading toward northern Illinois for the first long load I have had since my heart attack. I look forward to it. I am hoping to contact a few pilot car companies along the way, buy them coffee, and just get to know them. I have missed the camradery. Some pilot car operators won’t have anything to do with you…they just kind of give you a cold shoulder. Others are quite friendly. Those are the people I like to meet. We can compare notes, share stories of the road, check out each other’s set-up. Sometimes I get to meet the people who post on the pilot car groups.

I am leaving a day early so I can meet those folks and maybe do a little sightseeing on the way.