What did you do today?

[lynnmor 7,546]

5 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

 

Inconsiderate. Unprofessional. Just plain poor drivers. 

 

As a Professional Commercial Driver that kind of behavior from truckers is inexcusable and should be accountable.  

 

It appears to me that many trucking companies are so desperate for drivers that they will hire anyone with a pulse.  Maybe I'm wrong, what are you seeing?

[ebinmaine 70,389]

3 minutes ago, lynnmor said:

It appears to me that many trucking companies are so desperate for drivers that they will hire anyone with a pulse.  Maybe I'm wrong, what are you seeing?

 

 

I agree with that.

Some companies are opening the wallet and paying HUGE money to good quality clean drivers.  

IMHO... the majority  ((??))  are not.  

 

There is also an unfortunate revolution going around the US right now that I could refer to as, cheap freight.

 

There are unscrupulous freight brokers across the country that are creating serious issues with profit levels that are absolutely disgusting. Often even negative.

 

Drivers are often given completely unreasonable time frames that could only be met by traveling the entire distance in  "off hours".

Pressures are created that subconsciously force a driver to believe they MUST make an unreasonable goal a reality. 

I've worked for a company like that...

 

Expedited Freight has also created a problem. Many expeditors are doing things the right way and following the rules. But many are skirting those very same rules by using trucks that are under CDL and thereby not under scrutiny from the DOT in most states.

 

And then the Insurance Industry and gummint regulations being influenced by lobbyists.   

 

 

 

Man oh man.....

It's tough out there for some.   

 

 

 

[Ed Kennell 40,305]

My father was a long hauler and I drove triaxles during three summer vacations from school.    I have always had a lot of respect for truckers and go out of my way to aid truckers even stopping and directing traffic when necessary.

There is a small percentage of idiots in every group, but I feel the vast majority of truckers are professional safe drivers.      A group that I really try to avoid is the rental truck drivers.

[ebinmaine 70,389]

23 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

I feel the vast majority of truckers are professional safe drivers

 

 

Statistically speaking that is of course, quite true.

 

 The catch for a lot of companies is that, a violation on any DOT number affects the entire company as a whole. Like if I get a speeding ticket for instance, my license of course is affected but so is the entire company across the entire United States and the entire range of every driver in my company.

 

The other issue is perception of the public. I'm just as guilty of this as anyone else I suppose. If I see one truck do one thing stupid from one company, I might be a little bit too leery about that truck color the next time I see it.

[Handy Don 13,265]

3 hours ago, Ed Kennell said:

A group that I really try to avoid is the rental truck drivers.

Amen! Also boat trailers and rental trailers.

[ebinmaine 70,389]

 

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,923]

  I like old flashlights and have a large collection. This weekend I bought an older plastic military light. I usually don’t buy anything plastic. 
  Takes two D cells and as you can imagine it’s not very bright by todays standards. Bought an LED lamp rated for two D cells and swapped it out today. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Wayne0 860]

1 hour ago, Sparky said:

  I like old flashlights and have a large collection. This weekend I bought an older plastic military light. I usually don’t buy anything plastic. 
  Takes two D cells and as you can imagine it’s not very bright by todays standards. Bought an LED lamp rated for two D cells and swapped it out today. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had 2 flash lights with a wire loop to hold the bulb in. Both fiberglass. One was navy. Both water proof. I was told they were "Explosion proof" and the "spring" was to crush the bulb. Sounds a bit sketchy to me.

Unfortunately, they are gone or you would have them. I do have this, but it's missing the top cover.

 

Edited January 29 by Wayne0

[ebinmaine 70,389]

1 hour ago, Sparky said:

I like old flashlights and have a large collection

 

 

Ya want this one?

 

 

 

Edited January 29 by ebinmaine
Fixed image

[953 nut 57,581]

5 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

 

 

Ya want this one?

 

 

 

               Why would he want that one, it doesn't work!

[ebinmaine 70,389]

7 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

               Why would he want that one, it doesn't work!

Gotta add batt-trees 🔋 🔋 🔋 🔋 

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,923]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

 

 

Ya want this one?

 

 

 

Appreciate the offer. I try to collect old ones only. I have a few that are well over 100 years old 

[Mickwhitt 4,970]

I have a collection of new ones, must be man's instinct to have light that drives it lol. 

Spent the last two days bug blinding, or sweeping out my workshop. Getting rid of grinding swarf, filings and general dust is very cathartic but I'm all bunged up in the smelling section now. 

What prompted this sudden flurry of cleaning was a repair on a Dyson vacuum cleaner for a friend.  

A two inch long "changeover" hose had split so that suction was greatly reduced, that allowed fluff to build up in the brush head and further cut suction.

It ended up totally stuffed with hair, dust, dog dander and bits of carpet fibre, all of which ended up in my shop. 

 

[cleat 6,939]

I still have a lot of old DeWalt 18V tools that I use all the time and they work great.

However, the hand held flashlight and snake lights while they worked, had poor light output.

 

Swapped the bulbs to LED and they are now very useful and bright.

A side bonus is that the battery life is incredible now.

 

[Mickwhitt 4,970]

Day off today, so we went to see the musical Chicago in our local city. 

 

Dang I've never seen so many purdy legs in one place! Mrs. W was suitably irritated by my enthusiasm for cheering each number.

But then on the way home said she was surprised as there were more "hot guys" on stage than she expected.  

Talk about sauce for the goose.

[MainelyWheelhorse 954]

Today, I plowed after a snowstorm. I’m still surprised how much snow despite being powdery the tractor pushes, with just chains. I think I am going to put some wings on the plow though I’m making winrows now that need to be knocked down which adds work.

[rjg854 11,866]

12 hours ago, MainelyWheelhorse said:

Today, I plowed after a snowstorm. I’m still surprised how much snow despite being powdery the tractor pushes, with just chains. I think I am going to put some wings on the plow though I’m making winrows now that need to be knocked down which adds work.

Now if you had a tractor set up with a snow thrower, you could blow all that away.  I have to plow snow to the south side of my driveway, because my neighbor doesn't like me putting snow on his property. So, after I get done plowing, I take the 16 Auto w/ the snowblower and throw all that windrow out into the framers field.  That way when the wind blows out of the south I don't end up with hugh drifts.

[MainelyWheelhorse 954]

1 hour ago, rjg854 said:

Now if you had a tractor set up with a snow thrower, you could blow all that away.  I have to plow snow to the south side of my driveway, because my neighbor doesn't like me putting snow on his property. So, after I get done plowing, I take the 16 Auto w/ the snowblower and throw all that windrow out into the framers field.  That way when the wind blows out of the south I don't end up with hugh drifts.

@rjg854 It’s not horrible, if we had more snow than I’d be looking at a snowblower more. At this point I’m probably better off modding what I’ve got.
 

[Mickwhitt 4,970]

Quite a sunny day here for winter. 

 

Awoke to the terrible news of the air crash in Washington,  so sad.

 

Spent the morning building a raised planter out of railway sleepers at the community garden.

 

Got home at lunch time expecting a few hours in the workshop. But we had a power cut (pretty rare these days) and I just had to read instead.

 

 Mrs.W usually goes out with the Gin Gals on Thursday but she's  stopping home tonight,  won't get to do my own thing! 

 

 

 

 

 

[ebinmaine 70,389]

[squonk 42,363]

Finished up 2 more Translogic tube station motor plates to install next month.

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,923]

Been meaning to run my generator for the last couple months, keep forgetting. Well power went out 15 minutes ago so what better time to give it a workout! 
  Fired right up with that full tank of e-free I get from a station in New Hampshire .

  That switch is on my kitchen counter and it’s a double pole single throw, each pole getting power from each of the hot legs coming into my house, but before my whole house transfer switch, When those lights go on I know street power is back.

 

 

 

[SylvanLakeWH 27,243]

43 minutes ago, Sparky said:

When those lights go on I know street power is back

I watch my neighbors' lights... none of them have generators...

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,923]

Power was out for about 60 minutes…perfect workout 

 

[ebinmaine 70,389]

Trina and I are starting a 3 month gym membership tonight.  

 

Goal. 16 weeks @ 1.5 lbs/week loss is 24 lbs. 

Bear is 272 lbs today...

248 by Memorial Day.  

 

This won't be easy. 

Definitely doable.