A bunch of useless crap
Published on November 17, 2010 By MasonM In Blogging

Yesterday afternoon I picked up a couple of large water filtration units down in Colorado Springs heading for the Stockton, CA area. The units are quite large and had to be tarped. The guys at the shipper helped me to get the tarps over the units.

The tarping was quite a job as there were high winds. We put one tarp on three times because the wind kept blowing it off before we could get a few straps on it to hold it in place.

The high winds were a real problem as I was heading north. I had to stop several times and re-strap the back of the rear tarp because the wind kept tearing it loose. It was an exhausting drive.

Just north of Ft Collins, CO I hit the snowstorm. It was snowing very hard and the wind was blowing the snow making it almost impossible to see the road. It normally takes about 2 hours to drive from Colorado Springs to Cheyenne, WY but last night it took me five hours.

When I got to Cheyenne I found that I-80 was closed going west due to the weather. Great. I pulled into the truck stop, which was already full of trucks. I found a spot to park. It isn't actually a parking space but I parked anyway.

When I got out of my truck and went to close the door it wouldn't latch. The latching mechanism was frozen. I beat and banged on it until I could finally get it to latch. I went into the steak house next to the truck stop and had some dinner and a couple of beers before calling it a day.

This morning the truck stop is jam packed with trucks. When I went inside to get a cup of coffee I heard one guy saying that he couldn't move his trucks because his brakes were frozen and another saying that he could get his started because his fuel had jelled up. It's a real mess.

I am feeling the effects of fighting that wind yesterday. My arms and shoulders are stiff and sore from the effort of keeping my rig on the road.

I am now waiting around for them to re-open the highway so I can be on my way. The sun is shining and the wind has died down, for now, so I have hopes that it won't be too much longer.

 


Comments
on Nov 17, 2010

I don't expect that it is super cold (just real cold), so why is everything freezing?  I can understand door latches and such (water gets in and freezes). but fuel?

Hope things get better.  It is no where near that bad here!

on Nov 17, 2010

Dr Guy
I don't expect that it is super cold (just real cold), so why is everything freezing?  I can understand door latches and such (water gets in and freezes). but fuel?

Hope things get better.  It is no where near that bad here!

It's the high winds. That blows the cold air into everything. I suspect the fellow with the gelled fuel probably had fueled up someplace that doesn't get cold enough for them to sell Winterized fuel and was low on fuel when he got here. If the fuel level is low the fuel will gel must faster. That's why I never allow my tanks to run below 1/2 during the Winter months.

As of right now, 9:19 am Mountain time, the interstate is still closed.

The restaurant of the truck stop was packed with people and it took me 90 minutes just to get some breakfast. The poor waitresses were being run ragged and the cook looked like he wanted to quit LOL

on Nov 17, 2010

That's why I never allow my tanks to run below 1/2 during the Winter months.

AH! (Light bulb)  My wife has the same policy and I always wondered why.  I suspect a friend of hers told her this long ago, so she still does it (I doubt we get that cold, but she has lived in places that do).

The poor waitresses were being run ragged and the cook looked like he wanted to quit LOL

I hope the truckers are being generous with the tips (I know most will be)!  Hopefully she will have a merry Christmas after this bout.

on Nov 17, 2010

Dr Guy

AH! (Light bulb)  My wife has the same policy and I always wondered why.  I suspect a friend of hers told her this long ago, so she still does it (I doubt we get that cold, but she has lived in places that do).

Yeah, if it gets cold enough fuel can freeze and become useless.


I hope the truckers are being generous with the tips (I know most will be)!  Hopefully she will have a merry Christmas after this bout.

I was, but can't speak for the others. The ladies were seriously stressed.

 

 

on Nov 18, 2010

oh my! Sounds MISERABLE.  That run west from Cheyenne is never good, summer or winter IMHO.  My BIL lives out west there in Lander and the times I have been across that area of road the wind did not stop blowing, summer or winter.  There is nothing to block it in that flat land and the antelope are all over the roads as another nuisance!  Again you are missing a home cooked meal in Wyoming but we never talk abuot this ahead of time.     Piss poor planning ...........   stay safe big guy.   judy

on Nov 19, 2010

notronaj
Piss poor planning ...........  

 

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