On the Road with Henry Albert

On Wednesday, I picked up a load in Laredo Texas that delivered in Charlotte North Carolina . This load weighed in at over 46,000 pounds , and my gross weight was 79480 pounds . I really enjoyed the power that the Detroit Diesel DD-15 provided . The Transmission never shifted below twelfth gear except when traffic conditions demanded . This route doesn’t really have a lot of long hard pulls but I was able to top the hill on route 85 in Blacksburg South Carolina at a impressive sixty two miles per hour. I also found myself pleased with the fuel mileage recorded on the dash board display (6.53) .

I have a request to make that stems from a comment that I received on my last blog (luck). Please take the time to leave a comment and let me know what it is that you would like to hear about . The Cascadia  and the Detroit Diesel DD-15 are the best engine and truck that I have ever had the privilege to operate . However I did not want to bore you by telling the same thing everyday . Do you want to hear about shippers traffic conditions and other drivers ? This blog is here for your enjoyment , so let me know , thanks Henry.

I consider myself a very lucky person . Luck to me is where opportunity meets preparation . The reason that I bring up this subject is because of a conversation that I had with a friend the other day . My friend told me , the harder he works the luckier he gets . I must say that I totally agree with my friends definition of luck . I would like to hear what your definition of luck is or maybe what you have done to improve your luck . It should be interesting and uplifting hearing from you . Who knows maybe one of the comments will help someone else’s luck .

The engine is still running , however , it is down about fifty percent . The engine I am speaking of , is not under the hood of my Cascadia . I am referring to the engine that powers our economy . It occurred to me , the economic engine that powers our economy , is alot like the internal combustion engine that powers our cars and trucks .

The CPU is like our leaders . Unless it sends the proper signals to the injectors, the engine might start but  won’t pull properly . Injectors are a lot like engineers, they design the fuel spray pattern . The pistons , rods and crankshaft are the highways that transfer the power that the CPU and injectors produce . Maybe , we have over looked a few other important parts in this engine . We will probably need some oil to reduce the friction , as these parts interact together . Oil is like the supervisors in our factories . Without fuel , the engine won’t turn the first revolution . The fuel is like the line workers and consumers .

The engine , (our economy) has been abused and not maintained for a long time . Each part , no matter how insignificant , all contribute to the smooth and efficient operation of this power plant . A bad CPU or stale fuel , the end result is the same . We can pour in a snake oil product that promises an easy fix . However , this would only mask the problem . When the symptoms reappear , it will be worse than before . Our politicians offer similar solutions . The only way to fix an engine , is to shut it off and make the necessary repairs . We should be careful not to mix in any high performance parts . While these parts might make more power , efficiency or durability , will be sacrificed .

 There is plenty of blame to put at the feet of each of us . We should stop looking for other people to blame , and make sure that we are doing our part , to make this engine run to it’s full potential .