Vanishing LED's

  DATELINE: GLENDALE, KY         DATE: 4/9/2009            PLACE: PETRO TRUCK STOP
 Stopped at the Petro to spend the night on our way up up Louisville, KY. Went to the truck wash and afterwards backed in next to this dropped step deck trailer. As we were wiping down our equipment of water, I looked at the step deck and thought "this guy is missing a couple of lights in the front corner."  
 While walking down the side I noticed that the side turn signal was also missing. "This is not going to be good."
                                                     And as I rounded the back.......
   BAM!!!  Every light on this trailer was GONE!!!!  I figure that all the lights were LEDs and some low life saw an easy way to make a upgrade to their own equipment by stealing the lights off of this dropped trailer.  I estimate the loss at about $300-350.00.  lights missing are: 8- 4" round,  9- 2" round, and 2- oval side turn signals.  I called the owner of the trailer (phone # was on the inspection sticker) and gave them the bad news and they could forewarn the driver before he came back to pick-up the trailer.  Lowlifes like this give all truckers a bad name.......

no dumping???

 I took these photos at the Mid-Tenn truck stop in Cookeville, TN.  The same place that charges 

the $ to park or pay $100 if they block your vehicle in.  
This goofball will fine someone for not paying to park on the lot, but can't keep the place clean. Who wants to pay to park in an unsecured lot with no security and the outskirts littered with trash?  The pictures tell the tale better then I can.....

More "Sticking it to the trucker"

  Here is a little surprise to any one stopping at the Mid-Tenn truck stop at the junction of I-40 and hwy TN-111, exit 289, Cookeville, TN.  Based on the way the sign reads, there is no free time allowed

but after inquiring inside, pony up $5.00 upon arrival, if you stay less then 4 hours, come back in and get a refund.  NICE!
 Look how nice and busy this place is.  It is amazing how much traffic signs like this bring in...
 About 6-7 trucks on a lot that can hold 40-50 trucks. Maybe it will be busier when the sun goes down and people get tired and our willing to pay to park.
 Leave your truck on fuel island too long and the management will impose (or at least try) a $50.00 fine for parking. Asked about this too. "If the fuel nozzles are not in the tanks and fueling your truck, it is considered PARKING"  Walking around the store or grabbing something to eat is not allowed....
 If you are caught parking and did not purchase the required amount of fuel, store items, or shop services and display said permit in truck, the truck stop will place concrete blocks around the vehicle and will not remove them unless you pay $100.00!!!!   Talk about highway robbery!!
  This is the free area to park, the HUDDLE HOUSE truck lot. The owner here said the jerk from the truck stop has tried to coerce drivers parked here to pay up and once even placed concrete blocks over here to force trucks to park in the truck stop lot.  He was not happy about it....

   Times are tough for every body but tyring to rake truckers over the coals for parking and imposing outrageous fines and blocking a truck with concrete blocks and demanding $$$!! I would call this EXTORTION!!

 I would put $$ down that this truck stop will be out of business before the end of the year. word will get around and truckers will just start bypassing this place altogether, including me.

  

Enviromental Irony

This I thought was kinda funny, traveling the PA pike on the north side of Philly and this truck passed me.  Across the back of the truck the sign reads "EARTHCARE" and just below that it reads "McGovern Environmental."
 All the haze in the pictures is from the exhaust from the truck. Every time this guy hit a uphill grade the black smoke would just roll out of the exhaust like a smoke screen.  
                                  EARTHCARE!!!!!!  HA HA HA!!!!! Makes me laugh......

Unsecured load in KY

We were driving north bound on I-65 in Louisville when we came upon this.
I guess this is some kind of motorized wheel borrow for moving small batches of concrete.  We noticed that the equipment was bouncing around quite a bit. As we got closer we soon found out why....NO TIE DOWNS!!!  ZERO, ZIP, NADA,  not even a piece of rope. 
 As this fool went around the corners the equipment would vibrate for almost a foot in both directions and the tire would stop up against  the little 3" piece of steel sidewall.  Snapped the pictures and got away from this nutcase.  One good sharp corner or a quick stop and this thing is coming off the trailer.....
If anybody knows this company, feel free to pass these pictures on to them and show the owner the caliber of drivers they have.

TOLL ROADS and more

Last week I rented a car in Elkton, MD and drove to Norfolk,VA  for a Tiger Cruise (more on that later)

And drove south on the Delaware toll road (hwy 1) and the two toll booths were $1.00 each.  No big deal...

   I drove back north on Saturday morning and was surprised that the toll is now $2.00!  WHAT!!

 So I ask the toll collector what gives?  "there is less traffic on the weekends so the charge is higher from Friday night to early A.M. on Monday".

  This is so stupid!!  In Chicago everyone is charged more during peak traffic times (AKA: rush hour) and in Delaware they charge more during off peak times....Who are these brainiacs that think this makes sense, charge more when there is less traffic.....

  I have heard on different news programs about the NY subway system raising the rates because less people are using the system and the same with public transport buses. Less people are riding so the rates go up and becomes a bigger burden on the folks that are still riding.....

  What??  If you keep raising the rate to ride public transport that just drives more people away, not bring them back. Chances are that the ridership is down because the rates were getting too high to be within some ones budget.

 I suppose that public transport could always pull an "AMTRAK".  Amtrak runs at a loss year in and year out, and it seems that every 5-10 years they file for bankruptcy and get a huge government hand out to keep them up and running.......(must be nice to feed at the trough like that.....) AND lets not forget the airlines, if Delta or American, (or any others, just take your pick) even hint at going under, they get a nice fat check courtesy of the U.S. Gov.

 AND NOW the big 3 are getting big time $ for not running their business properly...UUUGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! I wish all these CEO, CFO, Head honchos and big wigs would take a long walk off a short pier.....

  Jeez Louise, the big 3 charge 30-50k for a new vehicle and still need the taxpayers money to make ends meet?!   Is it just me or does common sense just scream "you are paying way to much for labor if you can not make a profit off a 30k car!"

 I have never purchased a brand new auto or pick-up truck and at these prices, probably never will.......

  Sorry about this blog, I just started writing and the thoughts just jumped around........

Underwear

 We were at the Pilot T/S in Brooks, KY 3-14-09 waiting to p/u a load on Monday.  I went inside to buy some drinks and while inside decided to use the facility's. This was about 0600 on Sunday.
 I attempt to get a toilet seat cover from the dispenser and "WHOA!!!" no paper covers, but some used and nasty underwear.....What a low life!!! I don't care if some one wants to throw their undies away, but come on!!! There is a trash can not 3' from the stall door!!
 So I made my own paper cover with T.P. and double layered it and did what I needed to do and left. When I was back at the truck and told my wife about it she said I should get a picture and blog about it. I thought "no, it will be gone by the time I get the camera and go back".  So, I just relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the day.




 I went back into the Pilot T/S around 5-530 the same day to get a couple of sub's at Subway and took the camera just in case.  The undies were still there even almost 12 hours later.....Not only is the person that left the undies a pig, but the janitorial crew at this Pilot leaves a lot to be desired too.......