Fuel for Thought

Headed to New York!

By Dale
Posted Sep 15th 2009 2:31PM

I’m sitting in Binghamton, NY today, relaxing after a run from West Virginia. Once again I was driving thru familiar territory to the pickup.. going down thru Ohio on Rte 35, thru Gallipolis, and on down by Charleston, WV.   As I said in an earlier blog, I’ve traveled this route many times, as we have family in the area. It was nice as always, to see the familiar sights, and familiar roads.   I noticed the leaves are starting to change… there is still plenty of green left, but the oranges and yellows of fall are starting to peak thru in the hills of West Virginia.

 

 

Last night was one of the longest trips I’ve ever done.   Not in physical miles, but in stress and wear and tear.   The trip itself was just about 700 miles, but it was what I was hauling. I picked up a ‘tote’… a bulk container with 2300 lbs of thick liquid.   I’ve hauled liquid many times before, usually in 50 gal drums, or something similar. The problem with this, it was all in one ‘smooth bore’, or unbaffled container.   When liquid is in smaller containers, or has baffles inside, the liquid doesn’t slosh around as much.   This sloshing makes it a dance to speed up, slow down, or even to take a corner. The ‘push’ of the liquid surging made the van want to move around.

 

            I have a tanker endorsement on my license, as I used to deliver chemicals for a farm supply company.   This run took me back to those days.   Every corner, bump, and stop sign, made my van lean, and feel ‘antsy’.   I took it as easy as I could, but could tell the weight was doing things to my van that weren’t good.   I hope to never have to haul one of these containers again.