On the Road with Henry Albert

Good morning everyone, Thanksgiving is over and it is time to get back to work. I am in Charlotte NC this morning getting unloaded and reloaded.

Time off during the holiday passes by quickly, but it sure was nice having time off to spend with family and freinds. My son Austin seems like he is growing up so fast.  Austin serviced our car and pickup on his own for the first time this weekend while my wife and I started decorating the house for Christmas. On Saturday eveningt my family enjoyed  going to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra perform in Charlotte. This was really nice because my wife and son are both really into music. I was glad that I was able to take them to this event.

Well it’s time to start my trip to Laredo TX now. I am hoping to get my fuel mileage back up from my return trip last week. I experienced traffic jams and on top of that my load weighed almost 44,000 pounds. My average fuel mileage is only 6.65 so far. I think  given the conditions  6.65 is good mileage for the Cascadia and the DD-15 engine. I will keep you posted as to where the MPG ends up .

Henry

Hello to all,

Today,  I experienced  a scary moment while driving on Interstate twelve in Louisiana.  Let me set the stage:

I had a truck to my left in the passing lane. To my right, there was another truck trying to merge onto the highway from the entrance ramp.  Without warning, the truck on the entrance ramp began to merge while I was next to him. There was no place for me to go.  He got so close to my truck that his mirror was literally between my cab and the nose of my trailer. The corner post of my trailer shattered his mirror! At that point, he then moved away from me. He pulled over onto the shoulder to inspect his damage. I pulled over also. I was lucky that the only damage to my trailer was  a small scratch. I spoke with the driver and he was pretty shaken by the experience.  This was a minor event that could have been a lot worse. 

The experience today reminds me that we need to pay special attention out here on the road. Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travelled holidays of the year.  We need to be on our  ”A game” this week as most of us will travel in heavy traffic.  I want to wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving. Take care and be safe.

Henry

Hello to all,

I thought it would be neat to share some of our favorite eateries we encounter while on the road.

While traveling,there are some eating places that I have a hard time passing up. Here is my short list of preferred restaurants.

# 1. Jennies Diner (Ronks, PA). Home cooked food and lots of it… way too much on your plate. If you leave hungry; it’s your fault. 

#2. 301 Plaza (Middletown, DEL).  I enjoy their seafood dishes.

#3. Pearsall (Exit 101 on I-35, TX). Wonderful  hot breakfast.

#4. Buckhorn (TA Truckstop in Greencastle, PA). Goodt food and interesting pictures on the walls related to the local area.  

#5. Crosskeys Truck Stop (Duncanan, PA). It’s been years since I’ve visited here but the food and service was always great.

6. Burkeys Restaurant Lee-Hi (Lexington, VA along route #11) Excellent food with a large antique toy truck collection.

My list is longer, but these are some of my favorites. Please write and comment on some of your favorite eateries. I am up for trying anything new. Thanks,

Henry

When I began my business fourteen years ago, my truck of choice was the Freightliner.  I made this decision based on my experience while driving for other companies. The Freightliner provided reliable service and therefore became my brand of choice.

Over the years in business, I have always purchased a Freightliner with Detroit Diesel power. This combination has proven to be near bullet proof.

The next important issue was the service after the sale. Freightliner has more available service outlets to keep you up and running. Such as; dealerships, Detroit Diesel distributors and Travel Centers of America Freightliner Service Point.  The vast service availability and parts distribution network have kept my small fleet on the move over the years.

In my opinion, there was no better choice than the Freightliner. The Cascadia has been no exeption as this truck has reinforced a peace of mind with it’s excellent quality.  

Henry

Yesterday, I stopped at the rest area in Colorado County, Texas. I noticed a flatbed driver trying to shift his shipment up onto his trailer. After parking my truck, I walked over to talk with him. I was willing to lend him assistance if needed. The load he was hauling included over sized steel light poles. One of the poles   had shifted too far off the back of his trailer. I told him I could help. Therefore, I went back to my truck and got my gloves and we worked together with a chain and binder to shift the pole forward onto the trailer.  I assisted him to secure the load in hopes that the load would not shift again until he reached his destination.

It gives me great pleasure to help others out here on the road. We all need to be each other’s eyes and ears while traveling. It may be something as simple as letting a driver know that his tire is low. I have often warned drivers that a “light” is out on their trailer. Others have helped me in the same way. The assistance anytime is greatly appreciated. 

 We are all professionals in our industry and it’s our duty to observe potential problems  which may affect our fellow drivers.   

Please take time to read  Slice of Trucker Life driver, Dick McCorkle’s current blog  ” I AM A PROFESSIONAL”.  I found this to be a very good read. Take care and be safe.

Henry

Hello everyone,

I had a good week. I ran my regular route from Charlotte, NC to Laredo, TX. My fuel mileage at the end of the week was an unbelievable 8.818 MPG. I was absolutely amazed! I had to re-check my calculator twice to make sure my numbers were correct. My dashboard display also indicated that I was up in that range. Granted, the exact conditions went my way this week related to traffic, weather and load weight, approx. (20,000lbs). I have exceeded my goal of attaining 8.5 MPG with the Cascadia.

Since adding the skirs to the trailer just a few months ago, I have noticed that my fuel mileage is best at 65 to 67. Prior to the skirts being added, my best fuel mileage was generally at the 63 to 65 mile an hour range.

My future goal is to repeat this same week… just to make sure I can do it again with the same results. Thanks for the support from the readers on this issue. I’ll keep you posted on future results. Thanks,

Henry

p.s. I would like to thank the folks at Peach State Freightliner in Jefferson, GA for accommodating me with an alignment on my truck this week. You guys did a great job and the service was excellent.

I awoke this morning in Laurel, Mississippi. I had a shower and fueled the truck. On my way back out to my truck, I met a nice guy who drove for Schneider. He asked me if I was a sales person for Freightliner? He said he thought I was in sales because of the way I dressed. I explained that I drove also and was participating in the Freightliner Slice of Trucker Life Program. I invited him to check out the new Cascadia and all its features. He went inside the truck and was very impressed. We enjoyed talking about trucks and our industry.

I am still working on my fuel mileage goal of 8.5 mpg. I had a small set back due to a loose clamp connecting to my EGR cooler. With the loose clamp, my fuel mileage was 7.11, 7.93, 7.74, and 7.25.  Freightliner of Charlotte, found the problem and replaced the gasket and tightened the clamp. My first fuel up was 8.10 mpg since the repair. I am now on my second fill up and the dashboard display is indicating an amazing  9.45 mpg and this is six hundred and thirty six miles into the trip. My load weight is fairly light at only 20,000 lbs. If I can maintain my progress through this entire tankful, I will reach my goal of 8.5 mpg round trip. I will keep you posted on the end result. Until then… be safe.

Henry