Tire Trouble & Barn Fire

Well, right after my blog about Ranger, TX - I have a flat tire in:  Ranger, TX.  I went to the Love's tire shop and luckily they were open all night.  I had to buy 1 used tire and had it installed that evening.  I visited with the driver in front of me.  He was hauling a load of lettuce from Yuma, AZ to New York City, NY!!!  That is a long ol' way!!!  It was going to take him 4 1/2 days.  A lot of drivers coming from the produce areas go through Texas this time of year so they stay out of the snow & ice up North of here. 



Love's tire barn & service truck

If you have an atlas, you can see Yuma, AZ would take Interstate 8 to Casa Grande, AZ, then I-10 through Tucson, AZ, New Mexico & El Paso, TX.  I-20 near Van Horn, TX, I-30 in Fort Worth to I-40 in Little Rock, Arkansas.  I-40 through Memphis, TN, Nashville, TN, Knoxville, TN.  I-81 near Dandridge, TN through Virginia, West Virginia, to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  I-78 towards New York City.  There are several different ways to get into New York City. 

George Washington Bridge at night

Holland Tunnel is VERY busy and not truck friendly.  But, it puts you right into Manhattan from New Jersey.



Lincoln Tunnel.  Not at all truck friendly.  Mostly commuters into NYC from New Jersey. 



George Washington Bridge is the most popular.  See Central Park in the bottom right?

I've been to New York City once.  I was probably your age.  I flew to Providence, Rhode Island to visit my Uncle that lived in Gale's Ferry, Connecticut.  Funny name, huh?  We took a bus into New York City and visited lower Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, and went down Wall Street.  It was VERY different from where I grew up in Arizona!!  But, it was very cool to see.  I would like to go again, but I would want to see so much.  I would definately want a good friend to help me with some of the better places to see!  I have two friends that live in the city.  I would definately want their help! 

Barn Fire.  Yup, I had a barn fire.  We have this big barn.  Well, we HAD this big barn.  It was probably 200 feet long by 50 feet wide.  It was about 25 feet tall.  I had all of my spare parts, tires, tools, lawn equipment, chains, man things inside of it.  Well, on Saturday - it was just Lindsey & I.  Mrs. Walker was at a ladies' retreat.  I was about to go to bed a little after 10pm and suddenly my power went out.  I went to go put on my boots to see what was going on & I see my barn on fire!!! 

The fire department and power company came out and put the fire out.  The barn is totally destroyed.  Nearly all of it is on the ground.  Only a few poles are left standing.  The power company got power restored and things got back to normal.  They think it was started by high winds and a bad electrical box or power line connection to the barn. 

A close up of the damage.



What's left of the barn.

So, what to learn about this?  If you have power going to something that hasn't been used in a long time, disconnect it.  Also, have an electrician check your elecrical boxes every now & then to make sure everything looks good.  Loose lugs make your box very hot and can cause a fire.  A simple check with an infared camera can sure help.  Also, if a qualified electrician says something needs replaced soon, make sure it is done!  It could save your property and even a life! 



Don't be like this guy!  Be safe around electricity!

Things can be replaced.  But lives cannot.  So make sure you guys are safe!  I hope you are having a great week.  The mill is down right now, so I am hauling pipe locally.  It sure is easy but can be a pain when having to wait to get loaded for a few hours.  Take care of yourselves! 

--Mr. Walker



Some of our old oilfield pipe we haul & sell.



Ranger, Texas

So, I thought I would update the map with some facts about a town I go through!  Ready to hear about Ranger, Texas?



Ranger started out as a camp for..... The Texas Rangers (law enforcement guys) that would train there.  Just like almost every town in Texas, it was formed when the railroad came through in 1880.  Ranger is also home to Texas' 3rd oldest airport.  Amelia Earhart landed at it at one time!  The discovery of oil in the area is was really put Ranger on the map.  Ranger got up to nearly 30,000 people in town at it's peak.  They also had massive flooding at that same time & really made a big mess there in Ranger. 



Old picture of Ranger during the oil boom

When the boom settled down, farming took over.  Peanuts, wheat, goats, cattle & hay are the major Ag products that helped Ranger out.  Ranger college was established in the 1970s and today is known as a good junior college sports college.  Around 2,000 people call Ranger home today. 



Ranger College football

Ranger is just off of I-20 to the North.  You can't really see it well from the interstate, but at night - you can see the lights of it.  There's a Love's truckstop in Ranger but I don't stop there much at all.  I use the tire shop there from time to time, but probably only twice in the past 8 months. 



Love's truckstop in Ranger, TX.  I have only bought a tire there twice.  Fuel & tires are expensive and service is slow.

There's also Ranger hill.  Ranger hill is one of the bigger hills you will go up on Interstate 20 in Texas.  When there's snow or ice, it is famous for shutting down.  There is a lot of criticism over how they don't spread salt on it in a proactive manner and it stays shut down a lot.  There's also a lot of accients on that hill as well.  Even without snow or ice.  I usually get slowed down to about 60 going up Ranger hill.  I slow way down and go down a gear when going down it so I don't go too fast.  Coming from the mountain West, Ranger hill is pretty small and silly to me and I have to agree it could be taken care of better by the highway department, but I can't worry about it too much. 



Exit before Ranger hill with traffic shut down during a little bit of snow.

Ranger is at exits 349, 351 and 354.  It's about an hour's drive from where your school is!  I hope you guys are having a good week!

--Mr. Walker



Gotta go!!



Good Rain

FOUR INCHES of rain!  That's how much rain the DFW area got in places in this recent storm.  That is a lot of rain!  Did you guys enjoy it?  I sure did.  It made driving tricky, but I was super careful. 


You have to be super careful when it's raining!

The rain poses one heck of a problem at the steel mill in Midlothain.  With that much rain, the holes we back into to dump our scrap in fill up with lots of water.  So much water, it covers up the WHOLE tire on my trailer.  I had 3 flat tires on Wednesday morning when I dumped my load.  I had to wait for the tire guy to come and get me fixed up so I could go back out to West Texas.  Luckily, I have a sleeper and I laid down on my bed and caught a nap! 


What a new truck's sleeper looks like.



This is what my truck look like inside. 

 Last night, the workers at the steel mill used a giant magnet to pick up metal in the water so I could back up without getting a flat.  It sure makes it tricky trying to have a good safe, normal dump at the steel mill! 

I did get a couple of large pieces rejected and got held up at the mill while they loaded it back.  This week has been tough since I've been held up every night so far.  But, hopefully this week gets a bit more smooth as it goes on. 

Until next time, have a great weekend!

--Mr. Walker

My Schedule lately

So, someone thought it would be a good idea to show you guys my routine & schedule since it's about normal so far this month.  So, here goes...

Wake up 12:30pm - 3:00pm
Breakfast/Lunch - my wife is a very good cook.  But my first meal after waking up is usually leftovers from lunch.


Is this what you look like when you wake up?

Chores - wake up - 6:00pm
Chores are usually working on the house, cleaning and organizing.  It seems to be never ending since we moved here in May.  We went from a 3 bedroom 2 bath house with a garage to a 2 bedroom 1 bath house.  So, there's a lot of organizing to do!  This is when I take my shower, too.

Supper - 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Again, Mrs. Walker is an incredible cook.  She keeps me very well fed. 

Family time - 7:00pm - 8:00pm
I usually play with Lindsey.  Maybe watch the start of a football or basketball game.  Sometimes, Lindsey goes to bed around now & I get to help her go 'night-night' as she says. 

Leave for work - 8:00pm to 9:00pm.
Since it's cold, I will let my truck warm up for about 10 minutes.  Then go from Snyder to Sweetwater.  Takes me about 35-40 minutes. 

Pre-trip Inspection - 9:00pm. 
I will start the truck first.  Check the oil, coolant levels, the tires, the lights, and air lines.  I will start my log book for this trip and pull out of the yard.  Lock the gate behind me and head down the road. 

1st stop - 9:30pm
Wes-T-Go Truckstop in Tye, Texas.  I will use the restroom and get my coffee.  If I need to add air into any tires, I'll do it here.  They also have a tire shop in case I need a tire. 

Arrive at Steel Mill - 12:30am - 1:00am
I will scale in, go to the inspection shack, wait to get my instructions on which place to dump my load after inspected and paperwork filled out.  Dump my load, get in line to scale out, scale out, and I'm on my way!

Coffee Stop #2 - 1:00am - 2:00am
There is a Love's truckstop in Midlothian, TX.  I will catch my logbook up and use the restroom if I need to.  I will get my coffee again and head back West. 


Interesting Coffee design.  I drink mine black.  No cream, no sugar.

Fuel Stop - 4:00am - 5:00am
Wes-T-Go truckstop in Tye, TX again.  I will get anywhere from 95 to 130 gallons of diesel depending on the truck.  It takes me about 20 minutes or so depending on how busy they are.  And YES - sometimes I have to wait in line at 4:00AM to get fuel.  They can be busy all the time.  I will get a cup of ice water and head West again!

Sweetwater yard - 4:30am - 5:30am
I will do my post-trip inspection, catch all my paperwork up and put my truck in position to have it loaded and start my pickup and let it warm up.  I will lock the gate behind me and head home. 

Snyder yard - 5:00am - 6:00am
I will drop my paperwork off in the drop box.  Sometimes I have to drop off keys or other items. 

I'm home - 5:30am - 6:30am
I will quietly come in the door.  Drop off my lunch cooler, hang up my coat, and get ready for bed!!

Schedules and routine are important for everyone.  Does your family have a routine that you guys do daily or on the weekends? 

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while.  I'm having trouble finding my past few blogs, I don't know if there was an error getting them posted or not, but I'm going to keep doing my weekly blogs at a minimum.  Hope you guys are having a great January!

--Mr. Walker

This past snow storm earlier this week dropped a few inches of very wet snow!  We have had more snow than many parts of Minnesota!! 

My Christmas 2011!!

Well, we just got back from my parents' house in Sierra Blanca, Texas.  It was so much fun.  We went Thursday night (instead of the planned Friday morning) to beat a snow storm that was headed that way.  It snowed some while we were there, but El Paso (just 70 miles West of us) got 7 inches of snow in some parts.  7 inches!!  Snyder had a white Christmas as well while we were gone.  They got about 3 inches but it melted before we came home. 

Sierra Blanca, TX

We got to eat like kings!  We had some of the best home cooked food around.  My mom is an excellent cook.  We ate chili rellenos, Chimichangas, tacos, sour cream beef enchiladas, mexican rice, a pot of beans, it was amazing.  Christmas morning we had a green chili/egg/cheese combo with home made cinnamon rolls.  Does your family do anything special for food around Christmas?  Most families do ham or turkey.  Not us!!  We sure love our mexican food. 


Our Christmas dinner looks more like this!

We had sugar cookies, rocky road fudge, 7-layer bars, buckeyes, oreo balls, cheesecake bites, and chocolate pepermint cookies for Christmas treats.  Soooo good!!  Do you guys have special Christmas treats you make? 

We did some roping, but mostly hung out with family & visited.  Christmas morning was great.  Little Lindsey was a hoot opening presents.  It was cute.  She would exclaim "Oooohhh" when she would open each present and jump up and down.  She got a tricycle and a doll and a play kitchen among other things.  What did you guys get?  I got some new jeans, and a cool light tester among other things.  It was a great Christmas. 


Some lights in Downtown El Paso, TX

I hope you guys are having fun with your families in this time away from school.  Make the most of it and have some fun!  I'm back to work tonight running to Midlothian.  Have a safe holiday break!

--Mr. Walker


Snyder, TX snow



CB Radio

This is what my radio looks like

So, my wife said I should tell you guys about my radio.  Most ALL truckers have CB radios in their trucks.  I use mine to talk to other truckers about dangers or accidents on the road.  We truckers have almost our own language on the CB.  It's funny, so my wife thought I should tell you guys some of the terms we use. 

Alligator - tire in the road
Bear - police
Bear cave - police station
Parking lot - truck that hauls cars
Bull Wagon - truck that hauls cattle
Skateboard - truck that pulls a flatbed
Chicken Hauler - truck that hauls frozen foods, usually chicken
Chicken lights - extra lights all over a truck
Deadhead - driving empty without a load
Bird Dog - cb radio or radar detector
Chicken Coupe - scale house
10-4 - okay
10-100 - bathroom break
10-20 - your location
Triple Digit Ride - truck than can go over 100 MPH
Braile - the bumps on the side that make that noise when you drive on it
Coloring Book - trucker's log book
Freight Shaker - Freightliner (my truck brand)
Yard Stick - mile marker
Wiggle Wagon - double trailers
Seasame Street - Channel 19 (used in the city because of all the goofy monsters on there)
4-wheeler - car
Big D - Dallas
Cowtown - Fort Worth
Music City - Nashville
Alamo City - San Antonio
Motor City - Detroit
Windy City - Chicago
Mile High City - Denver
Big Apple - New York City
Ankle Biter - small child
Disco Lights - emergency vehicle lights on top
Hammer down - petal to the floor
Go-Go Juice - fuel
Choke & Puke - truckstop restaurant
Insurance Convention - accident

These are just a few I could think of.  Most drivers see me and call me "Monster" because the brand of our trailers is on the back, and it says "Mon-Star".  You can really get to spending a lot of money on those radios.  I have mine peak & tuned.  That way it can reach out a long ways.  About 10 miles away.  Some guys put echo boards in them so it sounds like they're in an empty gym when they talk.  There's all kinds of add-ons they could do! 

Well, it's the week before Christmas!!  My wife made some of my favorite treats.  Oreo balls!!  My family makes all kinds of awesome Christmas treats.  Cheesecake bars, 7 layer bars, Christmas cookies, it's soooo good!!  What are some of your favorites? 

Very creative Christmas cookie

I hope you guys are having a good time!!  --Mr. Walker

Uh-oh!!

Well, I had my first boo-boo.  My first boo-boo since 1998.  I've only been at fault for one accident in my life and it was in 1998 when I was a young driver and I was following too close and rear-ended a car in a pickup truck.  It wasn't too bad, I paid a few hundred to fix the victim's trunk and bumper and it was over with. 

Last Tuesday, I laid my trailer over on it's side.  It was awful.  I was dumping in the very back where we take certain loads that set of radioactive alarms.  (Side note - they have always turned out false, we don't haul or take in ANYTHING radioactive!)  I was dumping like normal on some muddy ground and I got 3 1/2 cylinders up out of 5 and nothing had come out.  Almost every time, it falls after 3 cylinders.  So, I stopped and began bringing my trailer down to see what was going on.  It started to lean to the right a little.  So, quickly, I released the brakes and put it into 1st gear to pull forward and change the momentum from side to the back.  But, it was too late.  It wasn't coming down fast enough and it fell over on it's side!! 



Trailer on it's right side, still hooked up to the truck, tilted in the air.

The wrecker was called out and he had it set upright by 7:30AM.  The trailer fell over at 1:30AM.  Not too bad.  It cost $1,550 to have the wrecker do that.  OUCH!  I drove the rig back to Snyder.  Last week, the insurance adjuster came out and did looked it over and ordered the repairs.  Friday, I took the trailer to Lubbock, TX to get repaired.  The truck is in Abilene getting it's repairs.

The trailer's frame is mangled pretty bad.  It is estimated to cost $20,000 to $30,000 to fix.  The truck's frame and cab are damaged as well.  Possibly $7,000 to repair.  Luckily, the truck stayed upright, but it was still damaged.  It all came down to unstable ground (mud) that gave way, the load being packed in way too tight (the load didn't even come out when it was flung down on it's side!), and me not getting it down fast enough. 

I gotta tell you, it was pretty scary.  I am fine.  It was sure loud!  But going forward, you can never be too careful!!

So, on to happier things.  It snowed!!  I know it's common to have snow where you guys live maybe once a year.  Out here, we get it maybe 3 to 6 times per year.  We have to be careful when driving on snow especially when the temperature dips below freezing (32 degrees).  Ice is formed where moisture collects on the road and makes it very dangerous to drive on.  It's hard to stop, steer, or change lanes on ice.  The roads are usually kept clear with snow plows, sand and salt put down on the road making it safe for drivers.  (SALT?!? - Salt keeps water from freezing so easily.  It would be a cool easy experiment in class.  Check out the difference between water freezing with and without ice in it!)  But we make sure we slow down and drive with careful attention when it's like that! 

Yeah, it got cold out here in West Texas!!  If you want to check out your map, the snow stopped in Santo, Texas.  If you went WEST of there, there was snow on the ground.  If you went EAST of there (towards Saginaw/Fort Worth), no snow.  Funny, Santo.  Santa.  Snow.  Hmmm......are we going to have a white Christmas??

I am in truck #10, now.  I've still been running to Midlothian, TX about every night.  I'm trying to make these night runs easier on me and my family. I've been trying to leave earlier (7:00PM) and getting back earlier (4:00AM).  It means I'm awake with my family more during the day!

We replaced an old toilet in our house.  That left us with a big box, so I had an idea while I was hanging out with Lindsey.  I cut the top off and cut a door and some windows in it.  Talk about fun!!  She has been running in and out of it, throwing balls in and out of it, and sitting with the cat in there!!  Funny how the simple things can be so fun!! 

I hope you guys had a great weekend.  I'm sorry it's been a while since I last blogged.  My sleep patterns and week had been VERY BAD after I had that layover.  I'll be better!!



Christmas is almost here!!!  Are you guys excited?

I know you have Christmas break coming up soon!  I will keep trying to blog through the holidays.  So, if you're at home and want to keep up with me, you can!!  Have a great week!!  --Mr. Walker