On the Road with Henry Albert

Last evening, I pulled into a truck stop in Meridian, MS . for my ten hour rest period. My parking space happened to be next to a flatbed. It was dark outside when I stopped. As I pulled into my space, the headlights shown upon the side of the tractor which was pulling the flatbed. I noticed the fuel cap on the tractor was missing. Also, fuel was spilled on the ground beneath the tractor. My first thought was “I hope somebody didn’t steal this driver’s fuel”. After I parked, I went out to inspect the situation. I took my flashlight and could see that the fuel tank was nearly full. The driver seemed to be asleep as it was late and the privacy curtains were drawn closed. There were no lights on inside. Now…. here I was wondering what to do. Just then, I noticed the fuel cap laying between the step and fuel tank.  My thoughts were to:

A – Put the cap back on (hopefully nobody would see me and think I was trying to steal fuel or anything else)…or take the chance of waking the driver.

B – Ignore the situation and not get involved.

C – Wake the driver and inform them that the fuel cap was off.

What did I do??? It was just about to rain, therefore making my decision an easy one. I didn’t want rain to enter the tank if we should have a downpour. I very carefully put the cap back on, went to my truck and went to sleep.

We live in times where we shouldn’t have to contemplate what to do in case of the negative consequences which may arise from doing what’s right.  It’s a shame to even have to second guess something when we already know the RIGHT thing to do.

Henry

Hello to all,

This week, I attended the “Open House” at the new Western Carolina Freightliner Dealership located in Hildebran( Hickory, NC).  The president “Ken Maynard” should be quite proud of this new facility.

I displayed my new Cascadia along with some other interesting trucks. Present were the Chrome Shop Mafia Cascadia and their Coronado.

 Cargo Transporters also had their Cascadia which included a  tribute to the POW’s and MIA’s.

I enjoyed meeting some new people and showing the new Cascadia. I answered lots of questions on Blue Tec SCR. There seem to be many myths surrounding the technology. Upon discussion regarding how the system operates, drivers and owners have a much better understanding and appreciate what the system can  do for them to enhance their operating efficiency.

I met some drivers who are presently operating Cascadia’s and we had great conversation related to our positive experiences. Such as, fuel efficiency, quiet comfortable cab and spacious interior.

The event was a success as many people came by to view new trucks and see the new dealership. It was great to catch up with some old friends since this dealership is not far from my home. By the way… the BBQ was delicious! Great show and I appreciate being invited to the event. Thanks,

Henry

Hello,

I took the beginning of this week off in order to prepare for an “Open House” hosted by Western Carolina Freightliner. The event will be held in Hickory, North Carolina on Wednesday, June 23rd at exit 118 off I-40. This Freightliner dealership has just recently moved to it’s new location. I look forward to seeing the new facility.  I plan to meet some customers of Hickory and share my experiences with the Cascadia.

In preparation for the event on Wednesday, my son “Austin” and I decided to give the truck and trailer a good washing. The picture above is he and I hard at work in 98 degree heat. Looks like most of the country this week is heating up. It was nice having a few extra days at home to enjoy some family time.

After the show, I’ll be heading off to Bridgeport, NJ where I understand it’s still steaming hot… looks like we’re gonna need lots of water to drink this week. Take care until next time…

Henry

Hello to all,

Thought I’d let you know what my current specifications are on the new truck. These are the components I chose to make my truck as efficient as possible.

DD15 455 HP – 1,550/1,750 multi torque engine

Blue-Tec SCR Emissions

Eaton Fuller 13 speed Ultra Shift transmission

13,200 steer axle

6×2 axle configuration with rear tag axle

3.42 rear axle ratio

Michelin wide base 445/50/22.5 tires – I am trying the new Energy version of this tire.

Park Smart HVAC System with shore power

So far, I’ve driven the new truck approximately just over 4,300 miles. The first trip included New Jersey, Delaware and Lexinton, VA. While in VA, I participated in the Super Rigs Truck Show Parade. My fuel mileage for this trip was 8.07 mpg. The next trip was from Charlotte, NC to Laredo, TX in which the fuel mpg ended up at 8.22. From Laredo back to Charlotte, the mpg was 8.54 .  The shipment weight on these loads were under 20,000 lbs. I ran at a speed limit of 65 mph where applicable.  This is a great starting point for a new truck that isn’t broken in just yet. I am very pleased with these figures to date.

I filled up my SCR tank for the first time at the “Pilot” in Breaux Bridge, ,Louisiana. I am anxious to see what the consumption rate of SCR fluid will be. Thus far, it appears low as I haven’t shut off the first light on the SCR tank gauge. The SCR tank is 23 gallons with four indicator lights on its gauge. I’ll keep you updated on future results.

Henry

Hello,

I enjoyed attending the Shell Rotella Super Rigs Show at the Lee Hi Travel Center in Lexington, VA. I spent three days last week at the event from Thursday thru Saturday. 

I arrived on Wednesday afternoon.  On Thursday, things got off to a slow start and by Friday afternoon there were lots of people in attendance. The Shell Oil event is held each year to determine which trucks will be included in the Calendar. A Pride and Polish competition is judged during the show to select the winners. 

I had the Cascadia on display with Truck Centers of Virginia. Lots of folks enjoyed seeing and touring inside my new truck. Some of the drivers I met are regular readers of the blog.  Much discussion included my fantastic fuel mileage results from the previous truck. The opportunity arose for me to talk about the new Blue-Tec SCR technology featured on the new Cascadia. I spent time addressing many of the myths surrounding this new technology. Once drivers understood how the system works and allows the engine to perform, they responded very favorably. 

The event included truck dealers and various industry vendors. There was plenty of food, amusement rides and live music.  On Friday, I participated in a “parade of trucks” which traveled throughout the streets in downtown Lexington. It was great to see the local community come out to support the event. The evening included an awesome firework display.

The closing ceremonies were held on Saturday afternoon. A thunderstorm came in just as things were closing up for another year. Storms had been predicted every day however, the weather was great for entire show. 

I enjoyed the show and look forward to attending again in the future.

Henry

Hello, This is my first trip out in the new Cascadia. I unloaded in Bridgeport, NJ on Tuesday. I reloaded in Newark, Delaware. On Wednesday, I arrived in Lexington, VA to attend the Shell Super Rigs Show. The show begins on Thursday and runs through Saturday. I washed the truck this afternoon in preparation to make an appearance with the Cascadia during the event. I’ll be in attendance with “Truck Centers of Virginia” and I’ll be available at the show until Saturday to answer questions regarding the new Cascadia. If you happen to be in the area the next few days, be sure to stop at the show and say “Hi”.

Currently, my fuel mileage  on this first trip out appears to be over 8 mpg. I will fuel again on Monday and will update you at that time.  Thanks,

Henry  

Hello to all,

I took the week off to take care of  some necessary requirements prior to stepping into the new Cascadia. I needed to move out of the old truck. It’s amazing how much one accumulates in just over a year. I also had all permits, tags and taxes taken care of at the local DMV office. Before I knew it… Wednesday evening was upon us. This was the night that Freightliner and Detroit Diesel management got together for dinner with the Slice of Trucker Life drivers. We all had a chance to reconnect and spend time getting to know our new driver, Gina Angston. We enjoyed some great food and conversation.

Thursday morning arrived and we met at Penske Racing in Mooresville, NC. This is the site of Roger Penske’s racing operations. In a large conference room,  The Freightliner marketing group opened the morning meeting with discussion on subjects regarding the Detroit Diesel DD15 EPA 2010 – Blue Tec SCR engine.  A brief training session was given to instruct each driver on how to operate the ParkSmart HVAC system. Freightliner introduced “Virtual Technician”, a product which sends information via real-time communication to a call center, which relays the code to a designated location of your choice. The service center then knows of your issue ahead of time and enables them to have the right parts on hand and an appropriate technician ready. Shorter downtimes. More uptime. Important decisions faster. Virtual Technician is just another example of how Freightliner helps you to run smart.

After lunch, everyone enjoyed a tour of the Penske Racing facilities. We had a behind the scenes look at how race cars are built and maintained daily. Having been a race car driver myself, I really enjoyed the tour. It brought back some great memories of my race days.

The Freightliner marketing group kept us all in suspense as they waited to reveal our new trucks. We took a group photo and each driver was  instructed to round the corner individually to look at our new Cascadia.  As we walked into the truck area, a group of photographers met each individual driver and taped our excitement  as our new truck was awaiting us. We each were thrilled at how our trucks appeared with their new color schemes and graphics. The four trucks were parked in formation along the wall inside the Penske Racing facility. The lights hanging above made the paint on the trucks shimmer brightly. Each truck has it’s own character, reflecting  the driver’s personality, as we each had the opportunity to select our individual paint scheme and graphics.

Throughout the day, there were many photos taken and I will post them for you soon. I want to thank Freightliner and Detroit Diesel for a wonderful day. I look forward to many new adventures in my new Cascadia. I am honored to ba a part of the second season of  the Slice of Trucker Life program. I’m anxious to take my first trip next week. I’ll keep you informed on truck performance and continue to write about my experiences on the road. So… stay reading and please continue your questions and comments. Thanks,

Henry

Well, it’s time to say goodbye to the 2009 Freightliner Cascadia. I turned the truck in on Friday to the Charlotte dealership. On Thursday of this week, we will receive our new trucks from Freightliner. The kick off celebration will take place in Mooresville, NC on June 3rd. I was honored to be chosen to participate in the program and look forward to another great year driving a new Cascadia.It’s been great getting to know my fellow drivers in the program, Dick and Kurt. We welcome our new driver, Gina Angston. Over the past year, I have enjoyed meeting so many people on the road. Attending various truck shows, I was able to make many new friends in the industry.This year, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting thousands of people who have taken a tour inside my truck.

Over the last year, I’ve made several aerodynamic improvements to my trailer. I’ve trimmed the mud flaps, added air slipper side skirts and a nose cone. This has enabled me to achieve 7.969 mpg average fuel mileage on my Charlotte to Laredo run. I’ve been able to reach that fuel mileage at a cruise speed of 65-70 mph. On one trip out, with a 42,000 lb load,I was able to record a 7.881 mpg. My all time high mpg was 8.861 with the lowest being 7.526.

It’s been a great ride and I’ll miss this truck and the great experiences it’s offered this past year. However, I look forward to a new truck and future adventures.  Take care,

Henry