On the Road with Henry Albert

 Hello… this post will be a follow up to my last blog in regards to fuel mileage. According to TMC, the most skillful drivers can produce as much as 35 percent better miles per gallon than the least skilled. On a recent run from Charlotte, NC to Laredo, TX, I averaged 8.351mpg.  My shipment weighed approximately 25,000 lbs. Needless to say, I am thrilled with the Cascadia’s fuel mileage performance.  I have achieved some great fuel mileage figures by doing the following steps:

1. I limited the top speed to under 63mph.

2. When accelerating, I pushed on the throttle pedal as if there was an egg between my foot and the pedal.

3. I reduced my trailer gap as much as possible.

4. I slid my trailer tandem forward as much as possible. (This helps to get the tandem out of the air flow).

5. I anticipate traffic flow in order to keep the truck rolling in a steady manner.

6. I don’t stop at truck stops within a valley. Therefore, I stop on level ground or at the top of hills whenever possible. This reduces the amount of fuel needed to get the vehicle back up to speed.

7. The Cascadia offers a park smart HVAC system. Therefore, I have no need to idle the engine.

8. I time out my trips in order to miss high traffic through various cities

9. In hilly areas, I tend to use my foot instead of the cruise control. If you keep an eye on your boost gage, you can learn how to beat the cruise control for fuel efficiency. (This takes practice).

10. When traffic permits, I coast as far as possible before exiting the highway.

These are techniques that have benefited me in big ways when it comes to saving fuel. Of course, these are in addition to other factors such as: tire pressure, vehicle allignment and truck specifications. Saving fuel assists in lowering vehicle maintenance costs. Other benefits include longer lasting tires and brakes. I am happy to inform my readers that over the last eleven fill ups, I have averaged 7.361mpg.

FYI: The Detroit Diesel DD15 engine not only sips fuel, but also appears to use very little oil. I have driven 25,000 miles since my last oil change. The oil level on the dip stick shows full. This is incredible!

Henry        

  This morning when I awoke, I had some time to reflect on the day. On this MEMORIAL DAY, I hope that each of us takes time to remember the soldiers who gave their lives for our freedom. May God bless the families and friends of our fallen heroes. Let us not ever forget them or their sacrifices that enable us to enjoy the freedoms we have today.

Henry

Hello everyone. Today, I would like to discuss fuel mileage. If you know me, you know that I take fuel mileage very seriously. Fuel mileage plays an important roll in the success of your business in trucking. Some ways I control costs in this area include: I tarp and load flatbed shipments for aerodynamics. I also use a slider instead of a spread axle. This allows the load to be toward the front which greatly improves air flow. On my van trailer, I use wide base single tires. I am getting ready to add aero devices to the trailer. The tractor uses full side skirts and I will soon be skirting in the trailer as well. All of these contribute to overall better fuel mileage. These are just a few of the things I do to help my business. I am interested in knowing what my readers do to obtain better fuel mileage. Therefore, please write in and share your ideas and any success stories you may have regarding fuel mileage. I look forward to hearing from you . At a later date I will do a post on some of the more creative ways to save fuel. Thanks,

Henry

Hello. My family and I have returned to North Carolina. While in our hometown of Lancaster, PA, my wife and I had some time to visit friends and relatives. On Saturday evening, I treated my mother to a wonderful dinner for Mother’s Day. We also had the pleasure of seeing some old friends from our high school days. We had fun chatting and joking abouth those “good ole days”. Looking back makes me wonder ” where did the years go?.” Although I was having a good time, I looked forward to Sunday when I would attend the 20th anniversay of the “MAKE A WISH” trucking convoy. Well… let me just say, I was not disappointed. In fact, words cannot express the many emotions that I experienced throughout the day. We pulled into the loading area at 9:30am. We were greeted by attendants who assisted us in parking. I was amazed at how many trucks were participating. I was told there were approx. 380 trucks. Drivers took pride in this event, as every truck appeared to be clean and polished. My family and I went directly to the registration tent. There, we signed in and were handed “MAKE A WISH” flags and banners to decorate the truck for the convoy. We elected to offer a “wish child” with special needs, the opportunity to ride in the Cascadia throughout the convoy. We were told to come back to the tent at 12:30 to meet the child and parents. The convoy was to begin at 1:30pm. We had time to walk the grounds and observe all that was happening around us. We talked with some drivers and their families. As I observed, I witnessed a community who came together to make this “one” day memorable for these special needs children. As the morning went on… more people arrived. There were clowns, games, live music and plenty of food. There was a joyful spirit in the air and many smiles to go around. The weather was beautiful and the sun was shining brightly. Childrens laughter sounded throughout the crowds. I walked through the long rows of trucks parked side by side. Some of them featured banners and pictures of children who have passed away, due to their illness. This is enough to make even the toughest of men shed tears. Did I mention, I had my darkest sunglasses on all day? The time reached 12:30 and it was time to go meet our “wish child” and parents who would ride with us for the convoy. We were greeted by a MAKE A WISH representative. She introduced us to the “Swanson” family: Kirk, Holly and Ryan. Five year old Ryan was born with only half of his heart functioning properly. He has had three major surgeries,  beginning at 19 mo’s old. His father shared that he should live a full and healthy life.  He had blonde hair and wore red spiderman sunglasses. His parents explained that he was a bit shy. I suggested we go to the truck and get Ryan familiar prior to the start of the ride. His Dad, Kirk lifted him up into the truck. He immediately took the driver seat. I showed him the air horn, which he blew many times with smiles and laughter after each loud blow. Ryan was amazed at the technology and buttons on the dashboard. He liked the refrigerator and slide out desk. I pulled the top bunk down and his eyes lit up. He was going to get up there! While in the bunk, he enjoyed peeking  out of the windows. He told us he saw a bird fly by. After about ten minutes, this shy little boy became very comfortable with us. He even offered to show us his surgery scars. He then shared his experiences with us, in regards to his heart. At that moment, I knew we were friends.  It was 1:30 and time for all the trucks to roll out. Ryan sat on his father’s lap and buckeled in for the trip. The route extended from Lancaster, through Ephrata and back. We rode approximately 26 miles. The crowd lined streets along the parade route were incredible! It was overwhelming to witness how many people came out to show support for this magical event. As we drove by, the crowds cheered, clapped and waved flags in support. ”On this day, I was proud to be a truck driver.” At the end of the ride, Ryan was tired from the long day. We took some pictures, exchanged addresses and phone numbers with Kirk and Holly. My wife bought a teddy bear for Ryan to take home. Ryan gave us hugs and thanked us for a great day. If anyone has the opportunity to participate in such an event, I can tell you,  it is truely a rewarding experience… life changing. I honestly, feel that these “special children” give more back to us, than we could ever give to them.

Henry Albert

*FYI: This year’s MAKE A WISH convoy raised funds to grant 100 wishes to “special needs children”.

*Ryan was granted his “wish” to go on a Disney Cruise through the” MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION”.

Today I fueled and made my goal of a mile per pint. Yea… that’s right, 8 miles per gallon! As you know, this has been a goal of mine since I began driving the Cascadia. I had approximately 20,000 lbs on the truck. I was cruising at 65 mph. The goal was reached between Ina, Illinois and Haw River, North Carolina. I even passed through some mountains in Asheville, NC. Currently, it looks like I’m on my way to another 8 mile per gallon trip. Although, it may be difficult due to the convoy. I’ll keep you posted on my progress. Have a great day everyone.

Henry

I am honored to be part of “The 20 Group”. The mission statement is as follows:

Our mission is to share information with each other and others within our industry, government and the motoring public. Our goals are to improve industry business practices, bring trucking related issues to the forefront and promote a new more positive image of the trucking industry. We should adhere to the highest ethical standards for the following reasons:

1.  It is the right thing to do.

2.  Public trust in our performance is the basis of our legitimacy.

Now onto this week… Let’s do some catching up on where I’ve been and where I’m going. Upon leaving Denver, Colorado, I drove empty to pick up a load in Trenton, MO. The reason I dead headed so far was that I needed to take this shipment to Troutman, NC. After delivering the shipment, I picked up my wife and son. They will be riding along on this next journey. We picked up in Charlotte, NC on Wednesday evening. The load delivers in Swedesboro, New Jersey. We then pick up in Newark, Delaware and head to Lancaster County, PA. We will participate in the annual “MAKE A WISH” convoy on Sunday, May 10th. This is a special day set aside for the children. This day will be special for my wife and I, as Lancaster is our hometown. The convoy travels throughout the Lancaster area and has been the World’s Longest Truck Convoy since 2003. This should be a memorable weekend for sure. If anyone is interested in learning more about the foundation or convoy, you can find them at www.makeawishtruckconvoy.org. I would like to wish all the Mom’s a Very Happy Mother’s Day. Take care until next time… be safe.

Henry

Hi, It’s good to be back. I wanted to pick up where I left off on my last blog. Many topics covered during the last few days of the CMC seminar included: Return on Investment, Equipment Spec’ing, Equipment Financing, Insurance, Income tax, Fuel Tax, Controlling Costs, Business Evaluation and Fuel Mileage. Participants networked on short breaks and well after midnight on most evenings. Over one hundred people attended this years event. The Certified Master Contractor Program is designed to increase the competence, confidence, and profitability of Independent Trucking Professionals. Recently, I was selected to be part of “The 20 Group”. This group was founded by Kevin Rutherford. On Friday, May1st, we met for our first annual driver meeting. The meeting was hosted at Kevin Rutherfords home. We enjoyed Kevin’s fine cooking, hospitality and spectacular views of the mountains in Colorado. The purpose of this group is to improve the image of the transportation industry by those who will “lead by example”. During the seminar this week, ”The 20 Group” raised over $2,000.00 for a homeless teen shelter in Denver, Colorado. On my next blog, I will post the mission statement of this unique group. The last two weeks have been uplifting. I have met people who are trying to improve themselves and move our industry forward in a positive way. The time spent at the OOIDA meetingts and CMC seminar have been rewarding.
 Henry