On the Road with Henry Albert

Hello everyone. I am taking off next week to spend some time with my family. Have a great week and be safe.

Henry

Hello everyone. Today, I began thinking of all the wonderful people I’ve met over the years. This business has allowed me the opportunity to develop great friendships throughout the country. From east coast to west. Each day during my travels, I get to meet many different people. I guess you could say, I am somewhat of a sociable person. Therefore, I enjoy getting to know all types of people.  My list of friends on the road include: drivers, dock workers, fuel desk attendants, waitresses, mechanics, Christmas tree farmers, business owners, engineers and corporate leaders. My list could go on…  To my friends, I appreciate all of you and each has contributed to making me the person I am today.

Looking forward to seeing one of you around the next turn soon!

Henry

  Hello everyone, I am loading in  Charlotte, NC. today. The temperature is in the nineties today and the sun is shining brightly. The Park Smart HVAC system will normally keep the cab cool without pulling the sleeper curtains shut. Today, for the first time, I have exceeded the HVAC systems capabilities. I pulled the insulated curtains that separate the sleeper from the driving compartment for the first time. After pulling the curtains shut, the Park Smart HVAC system was able to keep the sleeper area cool. The HVAC system could not keep up due to the fact I was trying to cool the cab and sleeper areas . The Park Smart HVAC system is not intended to be an APU. However, if it’s used as designed for only cooling the sleeper, it works very well.

Thanks and have a great day,

Henry

Hello Everyone,

I have arrived in Swedesboro, NJ.  After delivering, I’ll pick up a shipment in Delaware and head for North Carolina. I enjoyed my trip out west across the country. The wide open spaces were a nice change in scenery for me. The mountain areas in Utah and Oregon reminded me of the gorge in North Carolina. Everything was much larger in size. The scenery and views from my window were spectacular. While crossing the plains, it’s amazing how far you can see.  It was unfortunate that it rained almost every day during my trip. I ’m sure on  sunny days the views are awesome. Today, I am back on the east coast where all is familiar. I am looking forward to getting home to see my family. Once again, I must say the Cascadia and DD15 made the long trip effortless. Thanks Freightliner!

Henry

     Hello to all. On Monday, June 8th, I tooka  shipment from Charlotte, NC to Portland, OR. I arrived in Oregon on Thursday the 11th.

      While in Portland, I had the opportunity to visit the Freightliner Headquarters. I met with the cab design group. We discussed future ideas to make this great truck even better. I am impressed with the factthey keep wanting to make continuous improvements to an already seemingly perfect truck. I enjoyed meeting with the “product validation noise and vibration group”. These folks are simply amazing. They have successfully taken steps to make the cab of the Cascadia incredibly quiet. This group also continues in their research to perfect their product. I also enjoyed visiting Freightliner’s Testing Center.  I observed the accelerated wear test. I watched  them shake, jolt and rattle the cab and chassis. I can honestly tell you, the cab is “put to the test”. Throughout my walk of the test facility,  I also viewed the testing of various truckcomponents. (Doors,latches,switches). Nothing escaped the torture of their testing. Finally, I took a tour of the “wind tunnel”. Freightliner is on a relentless mission to gain better fuel efficiency. I feel that having their own on site wind tunnel allows Freightliner to be on the cutting edge of aerodynamics. I also met with the transportation managers, personnel dept. and the supervisor of the test fleet. What an incredible day! I want to thank all the people I met for taking time out of their busy schedules to meet with me. I also appreciate the many tours throughout my stay. I am proud to be associated with these fine people at Freightliner. Thanks again.

     FYI: My fuel mileage from exit 211 I-84 to Portland, Oregon and back was 7.3mpg. I weighed approximately 55,000 lbs. and crossed Cabbage Hill, Oregon, in both directions. The Jake Brake on the DD15 worked flawlessly as I descended Cabbage Hill. I didn’t need to use the foundation brake on this steep grade. As a matter of fact, I had to cut the power level back on the Jake Brake, as it was more than I needed. On the return trip up to CabbageHill, I had to back off the throttle because the DD15 had more power than what was needed to make the climb. Needless to say, I was very impressed with the results of this trip. I picked up a load in Oregon and I’m headed to Bridgeport, NJ. Until next time… be safe.

Henry

I recently started using a new product in my tires called Ride On Tire Protection System. This product seals punctures up to one quarter of an inch in diameter. Now that I have this sealant in my tires, my fear of a flat with wide base singles is greatly reduced. Ride On also dynamically balances my tires. I expect balancing the tire with this method will increase the life of the tread. I’ve had this product in my tires for approximately one month. The piece of mind is worth it alone.  The web site for this product is www.Ride-On.com

Henry

If you had to pick just one thing, what would be the thing you like” most” about your job as a truck driver? For me, it’s early in the morning when Dave Nemo is playing the National Anthem. The sun is just starting to come up and the tires are singing their own song. Each day I get the pleasure of looking out my windsheild to view this wonderful country of ours. This is my favorite way to begin another day of opportunity. On mornings when I have extra time, a” hot” breakfast is a special added bonus. 

Henry