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KEH

Glad to see you made "good" progress. I pulled a 14x75 from Grand Jct, Co to Phoenix, AZ and it looked like such a simple task but I can tell you I never will do that again. Colorado has 14ft lanes from the center line to the roadway edge.

The most exciting part of the trip came on a grade called "slick rock pass". Colorado required a single pilot car so I sent the pilot car up to the top of the grade with instructions to block the 2-lane roadway with there vehicle. I get the call to head up the 7 mile grade.

I using all the roadway from guardrail to the side of the mountain to make the corners. I'm on a sharp right hand corner with my single DRW tractor in the left lane in the dirt burm and the rear of the trailer just missing the righthand guardrail by a few inchs, when I look up to see a semi a coming down the mountain.

I'm maybe hitting 10mph and have no more torque left to go faster. I keep watching the guardrail trying to get my tractor back into my lane and quickly see this isn't gonna happen, so I open my door just incase.

I got my tractor over the center line but my trailer is still in the left lane when the trucker comes around the last corner and see's my trailer.

He sets his trailer brakes to lock and heads towards the shoulder of the road and as he's passing my tractor, I can see the overhanging rocks rip open the top of his trailer. I keep watching in my mirror to see his trailer pass the rear corner of my trailer by 4".

I'm stinking pretty bad by this time. :)

I get to the top of the mountain and find a pull off about 30 miles down the road as you can't just pull off anywhere you want.

The trucker had ran the road block being he was the fourth vehicle back. I asked the pilot car if he blocked the road as I had requested? Nope! he didn't think it necessary!!!

I would have fired my Dad (pilot car) but I needed him to get to the Co/Az border. :)

AZ didn't require a pilot car for this load and has 16ft roadways or just like being on a 4 lane road when comparred to Co.

T_Bone

I remember when most toters were 1600 - 1800 series IH. A big one was a 2000 series IH diesel. These days are bigger heavier KWs, Freightliners and the sort. I guess there's probably a good reason for that. 2x6 construction, 16'x80' lengths and stuff. Guess times and quality have changed. Had a buddy that inherited a '57 Chevy 1.5 ton with a huge gas 6 cylinder that was built as a toter when was new. Back then highways were two lane through the mountains with the only room for error being over the edge and down the side. Ha Ha Ha Ha, no way. I just aint that brave.

Mark

Ohh this was 20yrs ago when I was in my prime and I laugh alot about it now! I sure wasn't laughing at the time tho :)

My tractor was a 70Dodge 1-1/2 ton, 318ci, 4spd with a 5:88 2spd and a 2-1/2ton Eaton rearend. What a screamer...lol

T_Bone

You made the news, huh? Not always a good thing to do.

Mark

Ya, I didn't like it very much the first 60miles as it was alot of consentration from just pulling the small trailers.

After a 200miles and the "pass" incident then it wasn't too bad but I quickly knew this was not the way to make a living.

I had the dealer throw in 8 extra tires as I was told I'd blow a few tires in 650 miles. The only tire I blew out was when I dropped the tire off the pavement edge. It really supreised me when I could feel the blowout on a 4 axle trailer.

Me, I'll leave this type of driving to the professionals as it's just not worth the headaches.

T_Bone