What a SPECTACULAR day yesterday was here in Paradise. Temps warmed up to the mid 70s and sunshine most of the day. I took care of some business in the morning and then went for the motorcycle ride "Once Around the Bay". I was told 150 bikes showed up. It was fantastic.
One of the stops was a place called Shenanigans and I hated to leave. What a hoot. To bad it's almost 40 miles from where I live. I could hang here. The last stop was just a few miles from the house, the Porpoise Pub. I have driven past here many a time but never stopped until yesterday. Even if the BBQ wasn't FREE it would have been a great place.
But as predicted, the raindrops started to drop around 5ish and it was time to get home anyway. About 120 miles around Tampa Bay. Great ride with great people.
Today was a bit of shopping. Got to stock the fridge for my company coming in Wednesday night. I also visited three welding shops in the area. I am going to modify the ramps on my trailer slightly to allow me to easily carry two cars at a time.
I also went to the Harley dealer to check into getting some service work done on my bike before the warranty ran out. I added an extended warranty when I bought the bike since I planned to keep this forever (it's a 100th Anniversary model - very special). I assumed - although in my head it is what I was TOLD - that the 5 year extended warranty kicked in AFTER the 2 year factory warranty expired for a total of 7 years of coverage. You know what they say about 'assume' - it makes an ass out of u and me. In reality the 5 year extended warranty REPLACED the 2 year factory warranty so it ran out in 2008. Oh well, what I needed done was not that significant.
This afternoon, I've been moving out some of my clothes from my bedroom. My room has a queen bed while the other bedroom has two singles. Being a polite host, I am giving my room to my married company. I emptied most of my closet and a couple of drawers for them too. Ain't I nice? My biker neighbor is going to let them park their trailer in his driveway while they are here (they're bringing their bikes). I think I am about ready for them.
Unfortunately they are also bringing some of that cold weather down with them. While it's in the 70s so far this week, the temps are dropping on Thursday with highs in the upper 50s. But only for a couple of days and then warming back thru the 60s by Monday. That's still way better than the 20s and 30s they are leaving.
This has been a cold winter which I seem to remember the Farmers Almanac predicted. And a wet one in many parts of the country. So is global warming for real or is this all just part of a cycle measured in decades?
Monday, February 22, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
They Giveth and then they Taketh Away!
I have mentioned before, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is the epitome of government control combined with utter lack of common sense. This past Wednesday I learned - from a broker I was trying to set-up an account with to haul freight - that our Authority (permission to conduct interstate commerce) had been 'Involuntarily Revoked.' This resulted in me being stranded (sort of) in Jacksonville, FL with-out the necessary blessing of the FMCSA to haul freight.
You may remember, I was in Bowling Green as a monster snow storm passed just to my north thru Louisville, KY waiting to pick-up at least one and maybe two cars going to SC. I was working my way towards the Savannah, GA area to visit my dad who was having an out-patient procedure last Wednesday. I ended up with just the one car. Since Monday was a federal holiday, the banks were closed and the buyer of the second one I was hoping for was unable to make the payment and get the car released.
Monday afternoon I headed east across the Smokies just north of Knoxville. What a magnificent sight it was. There was 4" of snow on the ground but the roads were mostly clear; just a bit wet in places. The stark contrast of the dark limbed, leafless trees against the white snow gave an eiry three-dimensional effect to the landscape. The green limbed pine trees were weighed heavily with the wet snow. Frequently the rock had been blasted away for the road leaving a jagged stone wall on either side as you crested the hill. Apparently there had been some warmer days recently because the snow had melted and then refroze into a solid curtain of icicle's over this rock face. SPECTACULAR! This is why I love what I do - Travel the USA.
So I make my delivery Tuesday in Spartanburg, SC; reload about 50 miles away with a truck going to Jacksonville, FL; and continue on to Savannah in time for dads procedure. His thing went fantastically. We were at the hospital at 5 am; he was on the table a little after 7; and we were on the way home by noon. He was funny afterwards. He said he woke up in a hallway and and asked the nurse how much longer until they start. She told him they were done; he was in recovery. Good drugs!
I spent Wednesday night in Savannah and was setting up a reload for Thursday after I deliver in Jacksonville. SUPRISE! And I had a really nice trip set to take me to Tampa - about 30 miles from my paradise (see earlier ramblings). But no, not this time.
That's been two days ago and the problem is still not fixed. There seems to be a communication problem between our insurance company and the feds. The FMCSA requires - among a long list of other things - a filing from the insurance company verifying certain liability limits are in place. The insurance company says they did it. The feds say they haven't got it. Seems simple enough to me but this is the government we are talking about. Where time is NOT money. There is NO sense of urgency on either one of them's part. Such a simple thing, but obviously not. I have a copy of our declaration Page showing the coverages and dates but not good enough. Why is there such a HUGE dichotomy between the way out government works and the way a business works?
Ninety-nine percent of all politicians give the rest of them a bad name!
Perhaps if we just DON'T RE-ELECT ANYBODY things would improve. I dunno, but I think that is the only way we will ever get any real change in government - change the people like you change your underwear - frequently! (thank you Robin Williams)
I cannot go into detail about what has happened since Thursday. I prefer not to have any written record of whats up. But I will say that I am spending the next two weeks or so back in Treasure Island - Paradise. I have some friends coming down from Illinois - with their bikes - and we will enjoy life.
You may remember, I was in Bowling Green as a monster snow storm passed just to my north thru Louisville, KY waiting to pick-up at least one and maybe two cars going to SC. I was working my way towards the Savannah, GA area to visit my dad who was having an out-patient procedure last Wednesday. I ended up with just the one car. Since Monday was a federal holiday, the banks were closed and the buyer of the second one I was hoping for was unable to make the payment and get the car released.
Monday afternoon I headed east across the Smokies just north of Knoxville. What a magnificent sight it was. There was 4" of snow on the ground but the roads were mostly clear; just a bit wet in places. The stark contrast of the dark limbed, leafless trees against the white snow gave an eiry three-dimensional effect to the landscape. The green limbed pine trees were weighed heavily with the wet snow. Frequently the rock had been blasted away for the road leaving a jagged stone wall on either side as you crested the hill. Apparently there had been some warmer days recently because the snow had melted and then refroze into a solid curtain of icicle's over this rock face. SPECTACULAR! This is why I love what I do - Travel the USA.
So I make my delivery Tuesday in Spartanburg, SC; reload about 50 miles away with a truck going to Jacksonville, FL; and continue on to Savannah in time for dads procedure. His thing went fantastically. We were at the hospital at 5 am; he was on the table a little after 7; and we were on the way home by noon. He was funny afterwards. He said he woke up in a hallway and and asked the nurse how much longer until they start. She told him they were done; he was in recovery. Good drugs!
I spent Wednesday night in Savannah and was setting up a reload for Thursday after I deliver in Jacksonville. SUPRISE! And I had a really nice trip set to take me to Tampa - about 30 miles from my paradise (see earlier ramblings). But no, not this time.
That's been two days ago and the problem is still not fixed. There seems to be a communication problem between our insurance company and the feds. The FMCSA requires - among a long list of other things - a filing from the insurance company verifying certain liability limits are in place. The insurance company says they did it. The feds say they haven't got it. Seems simple enough to me but this is the government we are talking about. Where time is NOT money. There is NO sense of urgency on either one of them's part. Such a simple thing, but obviously not. I have a copy of our declaration Page showing the coverages and dates but not good enough. Why is there such a HUGE dichotomy between the way out government works and the way a business works?
Ninety-nine percent of all politicians give the rest of them a bad name!
Perhaps if we just DON'T RE-ELECT ANYBODY things would improve. I dunno, but I think that is the only way we will ever get any real change in government - change the people like you change your underwear - frequently! (thank you Robin Williams)
I cannot go into detail about what has happened since Thursday. I prefer not to have any written record of whats up. But I will say that I am spending the next two weeks or so back in Treasure Island - Paradise. I have some friends coming down from Illinois - with their bikes - and we will enjoy life.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Are We Infatuated with Our Cars or what?
I use the term 'cars' loosely here to include all forms of motorized personal transportation devices including sports cars, luxury cars, pick-up trucks, SUVs, minivans, motor homes, motorcycles and on and on. I wonder how many vehicles there are per person here in America.
I understand not everybody owns a vehicle. But alot of people own two or three. Then consider all the vehicles "For Sale" sitting on lots in every town with a population over 50. We'll ignore the salvage yards (they don't like to be called junk yards anymore) and the discarded heaps sitting in the field out back rusting away.
We love our cars.
I am sitting in Bowling Green, KY waiting for some money to change hands (not mine) so I can take this re-possed truck to the auto auction in SC. The auction send the required storage and recovery fees to the repo man via Fedex with 10:30 guaranteed delivery. It's now going on 1:00. Six inches of snow will do that to you.
There is also a wrecked car coming from the insurance auction here in BG going to Savannah; which is where I'm headed. My dad is having a 'procedure' Wednesday morning and I plan to be there. But the buyer has not paid the auction company yet so that vehicle also has not been released. I'm told that should happen today.
It's less than 500 miles from here to where I deliver the repo'd pickup; less than 10 hours. Then another 250 miles on to Savannah; less than 5 hours. (I drive slow, remember. It's all about fuel mileage.) I figure if I can get out of here by 4 this afternoon I can make my first delivery by late tomorrow morning. Then on to Savannah before dark. I can deliver the wreck Wednesday after my dad is done. His thing is out-patient. It works 'in my head' but first some money has to change hands.
Having a trailer with ramps has really expanded my opportunities for moving around. If I was sitting here with my old trailer I would ..... be sitting here awhile. Since I now have the ability to load vehicles we are subscribing to a new load board. It has amazed me how many vehicles there are to move. So much so that I'm now wanting another trailer that is a combination flatbed but also has a longer dove-tail and slide-in ramps (versus the flip ramps).
I know, never satisfied. But heck, if I was happy with everything as is there would be no growth.
I understand not everybody owns a vehicle. But alot of people own two or three. Then consider all the vehicles "For Sale" sitting on lots in every town with a population over 50. We'll ignore the salvage yards (they don't like to be called junk yards anymore) and the discarded heaps sitting in the field out back rusting away.
We love our cars.
I am sitting in Bowling Green, KY waiting for some money to change hands (not mine) so I can take this re-possed truck to the auto auction in SC. The auction send the required storage and recovery fees to the repo man via Fedex with 10:30 guaranteed delivery. It's now going on 1:00. Six inches of snow will do that to you.
There is also a wrecked car coming from the insurance auction here in BG going to Savannah; which is where I'm headed. My dad is having a 'procedure' Wednesday morning and I plan to be there. But the buyer has not paid the auction company yet so that vehicle also has not been released. I'm told that should happen today.
It's less than 500 miles from here to where I deliver the repo'd pickup; less than 10 hours. Then another 250 miles on to Savannah; less than 5 hours. (I drive slow, remember. It's all about fuel mileage.) I figure if I can get out of here by 4 this afternoon I can make my first delivery by late tomorrow morning. Then on to Savannah before dark. I can deliver the wreck Wednesday after my dad is done. His thing is out-patient. It works 'in my head' but first some money has to change hands.
Having a trailer with ramps has really expanded my opportunities for moving around. If I was sitting here with my old trailer I would ..... be sitting here awhile. Since I now have the ability to load vehicles we are subscribing to a new load board. It has amazed me how many vehicles there are to move. So much so that I'm now wanting another trailer that is a combination flatbed but also has a longer dove-tail and slide-in ramps (versus the flip ramps).
I know, never satisfied. But heck, if I was happy with everything as is there would be no growth.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Modified Trailer is Better than Ever
I don't normally mention names here, to protect the innocent (and those that think they are) but I have permission to give credit where credit is due. Lance Cabinet is a design/builder of high-end cabinetry here in the metro St. Louis area. Jim Lance is the "wood master" and his wife handles the business side. I am proud to also call them my friends.
I hesitate to say this in a public forum - Jim's head will get even bigger - but he is an incredible talent. He is able to visualize something and then turn it into reality with phenomenal craftsmanship in such a short period of time, one might think he has done that particular thing a million times. More often than not, it's a one-of-a-kind.
My new trailer has a 5' dovetail and then 5' flip-up ramps on the end. That makes for a rather steep incline going from the ground up to the 38" high main deck. Pick-up trucks, SUVs and bobcats have no problem. But low sitting cars 'bottom' out both at the front end when first getting on the ramp and then later in the middle when the front wheels are on the deck but the rear tires are still on the ramps. Not any more thanks to Jim!
He went from 'design' to 'done' in about an hour. Probably the slickest part of these is that they store INSIDE the existing ramps when not in use thus not taking up any space. Another feature, hard to see in this picture, is they actually lock into the bottom rung of the existing ramp so as to hold the ramp down (they are spring loaded) when in the extended position. This also prevents them from being 'spit' out as the car accelerates onto the trailer. He even put sandpaper strips across the top for anti-skid in wet weather.
These extensions add 39" to the overall length so the ramp area is more than 13' long - more than enough for even little cars. They work fantastic! And the price; well I can't go there, but it was 'such a deal!' If only they were green.
Lance Cabinets for all your custom woodwork! And great friends too!
I hesitate to say this in a public forum - Jim's head will get even bigger - but he is an incredible talent. He is able to visualize something and then turn it into reality with phenomenal craftsmanship in such a short period of time, one might think he has done that particular thing a million times. More often than not, it's a one-of-a-kind.
My new trailer has a 5' dovetail and then 5' flip-up ramps on the end. That makes for a rather steep incline going from the ground up to the 38" high main deck. Pick-up trucks, SUVs and bobcats have no problem. But low sitting cars 'bottom' out both at the front end when first getting on the ramp and then later in the middle when the front wheels are on the deck but the rear tires are still on the ramps. Not any more thanks to Jim!
He went from 'design' to 'done' in about an hour. Probably the slickest part of these is that they store INSIDE the existing ramps when not in use thus not taking up any space. Another feature, hard to see in this picture, is they actually lock into the bottom rung of the existing ramp so as to hold the ramp down (they are spring loaded) when in the extended position. This also prevents them from being 'spit' out as the car accelerates onto the trailer. He even put sandpaper strips across the top for anti-skid in wet weather.
These extensions add 39" to the overall length so the ramp area is more than 13' long - more than enough for even little cars. They work fantastic! And the price; well I can't go there, but it was 'such a deal!' If only they were green.
Lance Cabinets for all your custom woodwork! And great friends too!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
From "bored" on Thursday to 'exhausted' today
In case you haven't been keeping up, or perhaps you forgot, or maybe this is your first visit; I am in the St. Louis area (again) as a sort of home-base for the time being. We have an account here that pays very well but has been very sporadic with the need for our hot-shot service. They are in the construction industry - concrete work specifically - and their seasonally slow time (winter) has been made worse with the sputtering economy.
I did get one nice trip early in the week - Tuesday - but was beginning to go 'stir-crazy' (short trip for me, I know) by late Thursday morning. So I decided to go online to a couple of load boards we subscribe too and booked a load going to east Tennessee. Actually I found two loads going to the same general area. I called and got the info on each and then booked the second one first - it paid better - but by the time I called the first one back, someone else had nabbed it. But I was already committed so I took the one.
I left the house about 1 pm and, wouldn't you know it, our St. Louis account had a trip for me Friday morning going to Kansas City, KS. Except I'm now in route to Knoxville. Fortunately, the load fit on Dennis's truck - barely - and he went to KC.
I delivered my load Friday about 9 am and then found a return load going to St. Louis - PERFECT! By noon, I was reloaded and headed back. I talked to Dennis that afternoon and he had been given the WRONG size scaffold to take to KC. So five hours of driving in the sleet and snow (Friday was a very ugly day in Missouri) was for naught. They sent him back with the same material! But they wanted the correct scaffold brought back immediately since this job begins Monday.
I got in last night about 9 pm after driving 1200 miles in a day and a half. But my trailer is still loaded since it delivers Monday. So at 6 am this morning, I'm digging the old trailer I use to pull out from the snow, hooking up and off to re-load the right size scaffold going to KC. I delivered that at 1 pm and was back here by 6 pm -- another 580 miles logged today!
Tomorrow is a day of rest - sort of. It's Super Bowl Sunday and I have plans! woo-hoo. (I'd like to see the Saints win. I'll be rooting for them. But my gut says Peyton Manning will not be denied. We shall see.)
Monday morning I will complete my delivery to St. Louis and see what's next. But right now (I can't believe I'm saying this on a SATURDAY NIGHT), it's beddy-bye time.
I did get one nice trip early in the week - Tuesday - but was beginning to go 'stir-crazy' (short trip for me, I know) by late Thursday morning. So I decided to go online to a couple of load boards we subscribe too and booked a load going to east Tennessee. Actually I found two loads going to the same general area. I called and got the info on each and then booked the second one first - it paid better - but by the time I called the first one back, someone else had nabbed it. But I was already committed so I took the one.
I left the house about 1 pm and, wouldn't you know it, our St. Louis account had a trip for me Friday morning going to Kansas City, KS. Except I'm now in route to Knoxville. Fortunately, the load fit on Dennis's truck - barely - and he went to KC.
I delivered my load Friday about 9 am and then found a return load going to St. Louis - PERFECT! By noon, I was reloaded and headed back. I talked to Dennis that afternoon and he had been given the WRONG size scaffold to take to KC. So five hours of driving in the sleet and snow (Friday was a very ugly day in Missouri) was for naught. They sent him back with the same material! But they wanted the correct scaffold brought back immediately since this job begins Monday.
I got in last night about 9 pm after driving 1200 miles in a day and a half. But my trailer is still loaded since it delivers Monday. So at 6 am this morning, I'm digging the old trailer I use to pull out from the snow, hooking up and off to re-load the right size scaffold going to KC. I delivered that at 1 pm and was back here by 6 pm -- another 580 miles logged today!
Tomorrow is a day of rest - sort of. It's Super Bowl Sunday and I have plans! woo-hoo. (I'd like to see the Saints win. I'll be rooting for them. But my gut says Peyton Manning will not be denied. We shall see.)
Monday morning I will complete my delivery to St. Louis and see what's next. But right now (I can't believe I'm saying this on a SATURDAY NIGHT), it's beddy-bye time.
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