well ... we got her torn down today ..... 1.3 million and all the gears on the front end of the motor .... look like they just came out of the factory ..... everything tight ... no slack in the bull gear bearings bearings ....... very awesome indeed ..... but ... with that many miles ... I'm still replacing the bull gear .... just makes good sense to do so .... kinda like insurance ....

The front cover that houses all those gears consist of two parts .... the back cover has a hair line crack running across the oil port ... that was my leak .... so they had a used cover at 400 bucks .... better then a thousand for a new one ....

had to drop the oil pan .... so might as well put in new rods and mains ..... but they won't do that until next week ... because they had to jack up the engine to get to the front cover ..... but with so many miles on the engine ... I'm interested in what those bearings are going to look like ......

I stuck around and helped for the last two days .... but now I'm into hotel bills over the week end ... so Tomorrow is a bus to a train day ... will be home tomorrow night .... then a friend is coming this way to have his engine done so I will catch a ride back with him Tuesday .... hopefully .... I'll have my truck back by Wednesday next week ....

Unions …. Any truck driver eventually will bump a union dock. I hate to even estimate how many docks I've bumped over the years. So I think I have a pretty good idea of what goes on in the minds of union members. ...I also can tell you that union members in the south seem to have a little different perspective on things then members from the north. Or maybe it's just the difference of the people from different regions of the country. Anyway, I like to let people make up their own minds about things. So I'm just going to tell a few of my experiences with union members that I've had over the years as a truck driver that visits their docks from time to time. I'll let you decide for yourself if unions have become too powerful for their own good or for the good of the country. Bear in mind that I whole heartedly believe that people should have the right to stand up for themselves. But ….

When I'm all unloaded and checked out, and all that is left is for the receiver that is holding his pen and my bills in his hand has to do is put his signature on the paper so I can leave. The bell rings for lunch. He simply puts his pen down and says "I'll see you after lunch" then walks away. I had to wait for an hour for him to come back, sit in front of me until the second hand reaches exactly one O'clock. Finally the bell rings again. Then and only then will he speak to me and finally put his signature on paper so I can leave. That's the union mentality. It's all about them … screw the rest of us.

On a dedicated run for automotive that I did for a while. Several things here. They would shut the plant down because they would run out of parts from time to time on the line. One reason was that I would be sitting just outside the gate with the needed parts. Union rules would not let me enter the plant no more than fifteen minutes early. So while the management was calling my cell phone, begging me to come in, union members forbid it and were paid to stand there, looking over the fence at the needed parts, collecting their paychecks for doing nothing.
Another plant, a worker did not show up one day. A pallet of parts needed to be moved from the dock to the line so the plant could continue working. The union members sitting on their forklifts reading news paper said it was not their job. Management could not move it because it would take a job away from union members. So the plant shut down with everyone still collecting their pay. To fix the problem, A forklift operator had to be called in at a minimum of four hours pay to take fifteen minutes to move the pallet. Awesome way to run a company I thought.

One thing I found I liked was how union members love to do not only their jobs, but someone else's also. One plant had half the people sitting in the break room most of the time. Each worker would work not only their section of the line, but also their buddies while they sat in the break room. Then they would swap out and the other guy would sit in the break room. In effect, the plant paid for two workers when in actually, only one worker was needed.

The things I seen on American automotive union docks is why I personally have come to the conclusion that I will never buy another car made by American union workers. You want to know why a car cost as much as it does. Go sit at one of these union plants for a couple of days. I bet you won't pay for those games either.

Now, as for the teachers unions doing all this protesting. Knowing the things I've personally seen union do on the docks I've visited over the years. And knowing that since the unions have gotten involved in our educational system that our children have dropped in their average test scores. It’s no wonder in my opinion why. Like I said, I whole heartily agree that the worker has the right to stand up for their rights as a worker. But when they become so powerful that they actually damage the system they are working within, then it’s time to pull the plug and bring the same reality non union members have to live with to the union world. Simple fact is that we as a nation cannot afford to support spoiled little brats any more. I want a chance at retirement to. I will not stand to pay for union members to rape us any longer while I sit here going broke being forced to pay them …. to sit on their asses.
Just my opinion

Sandy Long with her book "Street Smarts" has touched on a subject that most drivers and companies put on the back burner when in actuality it should be the number one thing on any drivers mind. I know from experience the places I myself ha...ve been into with my truck making deliveries and the situations I have un-expectedly found myself in. Sandy, with her experience, brings back to the forefront, what should be on every drivers mind to keep them safe in their daily duties as a driver. The continuing news stories about drivers that never make it home makes this book one of the most important tool that a driver could have to make sure they make it back home safe to their families.

Sandy in a very personal way brings us into her world as a driver and shows us the many things she has learned over the years about driver safety. I believe that not only every new driver would benefit from the information contained within her book but also old drivers as well. As we travel in our day to day life, it is just too easy to become complacent and that’s when we find ourselves in a situation that could change forever our ability to support our families. Following Sandy's advice could be the very thing that keeps you safe and alive for the return trip home.

On a personal note, I would like to thank Sandy not only for "Street Smarts" As I believe it to be a book that drivers have needed for a long time. Anyone that follows her advice will be sure to live a long and happy life in the trucking world and I highly recommend every driver should have a copy. But I would also like to thank her for all the wonderful things she does for the industry. From the articles she writes for various publications on topics relative to the trucking industry to the work she does with drivers new to the industry. No one in my opinion takes the safety of drivers on the road to heart like Ms. Sandy Long Does. Thanks for all you do. And a special thanks for "Street Smarts" You have surely saved a life with this one.

Little help please .....

I need 20 drivers ... to donate ten bucks a piece .... and the name of a Representative of their choice

Here's what I want to try to do .... I have 20 books that I want to send to 20 Representatives ..... my cost ... ......10 bucks a book ....including shipping .... no profit to me ...

The letter included .... either your words or a letter from me explaining that safe and legal drivers are out here ..... A Little help please in letting the FMCSA know that what ever new regulations they come up with needs to reflect that fact .... Please help us drivers keep our highways safe with regulations that make sense ....not put safe and legal drivers out of business ...

Author Unkown:
California: The Governor of California is jogging with his dog along a nature trail. A coyote jumps out, bites the Governor and attacks his dog.

1. The Governor starts to intervene, but reflects upon the movie "Bambi" and then realizes he should stop; the coyote is only doing what is natural.

2. He calls animal control. Animal Control captures coyote and bills the State $200 testing it for diseases and $500 for relocating it.

3. He calls a veterinarian. The vet collects the dead dog and bills the State $200 testing it for diseases.

4. The Governor goes to hospital and spends $3,500 getting checked for diseases from the coyote and on getting his bite wound bandaged.

5. The running trail gets shut down for 6 months while Fish & Game conducts a $100,000 survey to make sure the area is free of dangerous animals.

6. The Governor spends $50,000 in state funds implementing a "coyote awareness" program for residents of the area.

7. The State Legislature spends $2 million to study how to better treat rabies and how to permanently eradicate the disease throughout the world.

8. The Governor's security agent is fired for not stopping the attack somehow and for letting the Governor attempt to intervene.

9. Additional cost to State of California : $75,000 to hire and train a new security agent with additional special training re: the nature of coyotes.

10. PETA protests the coyote's relocation and files suit against the State.

Arizona: The Governor of Arizona is jogging with her dog along a nature trail. A Coyote jumps out and attacks her dog.

1. The Governor shoots the coyote with her State-issued pistol and keeps jogging. The Governor has spent $0.50 on a .45 ACP hollow point  cartridge.

2. The Buzzards eat the dead coyote.

And that, boys and girls, is why California is broke ................
And more importantly, why too much government doesn't work.

" And if you understand this, you understand the Tea Party"

It always makes my day when I get run off the road by a big truck because I choose to run the speed limit ...... Happened again in Chattanooga today ..... I guess I could apologize .... but I won't ..... Instead that driver that ...taught m...e that lesson today ... to repay him for his kindness .... I plan on sending out more letters to my Representatives asking for protection for SAFE TRUCK DRIVERS from the renegades of our industry ..... First letter goes to the Tennessee State patrol for the Chattanooga area ..... So for you billy big riggers ..... understand this ..... every person you decide to teach a lesson with your 80,000 pound weapon ..... you add to the list of people that are against this industry ..... you are the one's that are forcing the government to put black boxes in our trucks ..... and in my opinion ..... because of drivers like this ... this rest of us will have to suffer the consequences of your actions

Do letters work….. I'll let you decide …. Once upon a time … In the state of Georgia…. The American Trucking Association was able to convince the state to make it mandatory for every commercial driver to join their Highway Watch p...rogram or the driver would not be able to get or renew their CDL license. To me … in a free America that just seemed insane …. Being forced to join a political group or losing my privilege to work…. how freaking dare they …
So …. being the quite person I am when my dander gets up …. I wrote a simple letter to the editor of my local news paper explaining my stance …. Why should I be forced to join the ATA activities when they were on Capitol Hill trying to put owner operators like me out of business and lose my ability to feed my family…. I also sent the same letter to all my representatives….It took about a week … when I was pulling out of a dock and I hear Dave Nemo Talking with a guy from the Georgia Motor Trucking Association about ….. my letter wow….
The guy … I wish I could remember his name … was Telling the world that the gentleman from Gainesville had no clue what he was talking about …. Dave had no clue … because he had not seen the letter either …. So with today's wonderful world of technology ….. I email Dave on air …from my truck…. a copy of my letter … in which he promptly read on air just as the show closed …..
About six months later … Dave announced in a short blurb …. That Georgia no longer required it's CDL drivers to join the activities of the ATA or lose their privilege to a CDL license….
So … I leave it to you to decide ….. Was I the one to get the ATA kicked out ….I know I never received any actual credit for it …. And I'm looking for any now …… It does not matter to me who receives the credit …. only that the job gets done …. Letters do work