Interstate 40 Oil Man

Lately, I have been looking at the biodiesel industry in this country and it is really beginning to make sense to me. The fact that we are importing around 60% of our petroleum supply from other countries when we have a completely renewable, sustainable, source of energy here is beyond reason.

The farmers in America need the income produced by the crops that make biodiesel and if the usage grows there will be a complete industry that grows, produces and distributes the fuel.

Environmentally the statistics are quite impressive. Biodiesel produces about 40% to 50% fewer harmful emissions that does petro diesel. The NOX emissions are a bit higher but not much. The BTU content is about 5% to 8% lower but the cetane rating is higher depending on the type of crop used to produce the fuel. In my Cummins/Dodge I have been running B20 (80% PD/20% BD) and find that the truck performs exactly the same and gets the same mileage as when I used 100% PD.

The problem is cost. Here B20 is about $.30 higher than PD. It is made elsewhere and trucked into our state so that must add to the cost. Down near Dallas it is the same price as PD. I think states and local governments should waive some taxes on biodiesel in order to encourage greater use and kick start it into the mainstream.

Energy cost is going to become a major factor in all of our budgets and I think we are going to see more and more drivers and owners thinking long term about saving money and getting more efficient. A 2% savings over 100,000 miles can mean some real money when fuel is $2.65/gallon.

I would be interested to hear any experiences of truckers who have been using biodisel in their rigs. Please post comments to this blog.

BTW, take a look at www.wnbiodiesel.com, Willie Nelson's web site concerning biodiesel. He has partnered with some guys down in Texas and they are marketing Willie Nelson Biodiesel at truck stops in Texas, California, South Carolina, and Georgia so far. They have these dandy above ground tank units that make it real easy to add BD to an existing truck stop or station. He is interested in the plight of the American farmers and thinks that it is important to support their efforts and economy. The web site has tons of information about production and use of BD. I entirely agree with their position and think we should try to use BD whenever possible. I use it in my tractor and truck so far and thinking about converting from B20 to B100. (B100 works in the warm weather but should be blended with PD in the winter to prevent icing of the fuel.)

Category: General

I woke up today thinking about oils, grease and lubricants. I think our world pivots and operates on lubricants. That seems to be a given but when you think about it and consider what the world would be like without them lubricants become pretty important.

Consider the automobile. Not only does the engine require oil for its internal parts that are spinning so fast that they are a blur but, also the other rotating parts must be lubricated. Wheel bearings, cv joints, differentials and transfer cases all require oil or grease. Automatic transmissions get even more involved since they contain not only rotating parts and gears but also use hydraulic fluid as a power transfer medium. Torque converters use fluid to transfer power from the driven hub to the output shaft of the unit. Pretty vital stuff.

When you get on a plane and see that spinning spiral on the nose of the turbine you know that its bearings are getting some special lubrication. Also important on planes are the steering elements that allow the plane to be guided through the sky. These flaps and rudders are controlled by hydraulic systems, sometimes triple hydraulic systems.

I took apart a broken electric drill yesterday and found a couple of shafts that were supported with bearings on each end. These bearings were sealed but were still lubricated. The lubricant is lifetime and sealed in at the factory. The gears had some lubricant on them. Even things we never see are lubricated.

We have become a well-oiled world and we tend to take it all for granted. From a sewing machine to a rocket, things are just filled with lubricated devices.

Save Money $$ with AMSOIL!!
Make Money $$ with AMSOIL!!
www.canyontraders.com

Category: General

I agree with the person who thinks this site is a bit difficult to navigate. I just noticed that the small calendar on the right side of the current blogs is actually a navigation tool that moves the viewer forward or backward in the blog history files. It only took me a couple of weeks to realize this!

What I can not figure is why diesel prices are hanging way up there while gasoline prices are down around $2.45 now. There are some theories but probably just rumors.

The high cost of fuel has to filter down to the consumer sooner or later and then then the economy will suffer more than it is now. If we have to spend more for the basic necessities then elective spending like restruants and movies will have to go down. Hobby automobiles and vacations will have to go also. Not a good thing.

Category: General

Yesterday someone asked me if Multi-Level-Marketing (Network Marketing) worked and whether it was still popular. I started to think about the question and that brought up some thoughts from quite a long time ago.

When I was a kid living on Route 66 in New Mexico, every other Wednesday around 2:00 in the afternoon a woman would come walking up our walk with a small bag in her hand. My Mom was expecting the woman and they would sit and talk quietly in our living room for about 15-20 minutes. The woman would give Mom a small bag that contained some lotion or cosmetics of some kind and Mom would look over a catalog and order another small amount of cosmetics and give the woman some money. I think the entire transaction could not have been worth $2.00. The money paid for the new delivery that would arrive in a couple of weeks.

That woman was an Avon representative in our area. She worked her way around the neighborhoods on a regular schedule and provided a valuable service to the people living there. Most of the ladies were like Mom and did not have a car and could not easily get to shopping, etc. Mom used Avon products for years. She appreciated the convenience and the quality of the cosmetics. I think when she died last year at the age of 100, she still had some Avon containers in her stuff.

This all happened from 1946 til now. Avon has always used MLM as a distribution method for their merchandise. They have had a good name in that industry and for all I know still have folks selling Avon in neighborhoods around the country.

When you evaluate doing business with a company it is necessary to first decide if the product suits your needs. Analyze the benefits of the products and compare them to the competition. Secondly, consider the availability and convenience of aquiring the merchandise. Usually, a Multi-Level-Marketing company will provide more personalized service and timely delivery of their goods. You deal with a friend or neighbor who usually has plenty of good solid advice about which product best fits your needs. The independent dealer knows the products well and knows his success relies on repeat business from people like you so he will go out of his way to make sure you are satisified with the sale.

Some folks have a bad taste in their mouths about MLM. These businesses are not "Get Rich Quick" schemes. Those are down the road at the next casino. I think if you do not expect too much and approach the business with realistic demands you will not be dissatisified. Whether you want to be a customer or a dealer, reputable companies using MLM to distribute their products will supply you with quality goods and great service.

MLM works. It enables you to be independent, and yet have the backing and resources of a big organization. You can remain at your current job while you try out the business. You can work as much or as little as you want. It does not cost an arm and a leg to get started and your earnings are directly related to your performance. Give it a shot!!

Send me an e-mail if you have any questions about MLM: roadrunner@canyontraders.com.

Category: General

409,000 Miles without an oil change!!
Save Money $$ with AMSOIL!!
Make Money $$ with AMSOIL!!
roadrunner@canyontraders.com

Read Full Article...

Category: General

I was free-associating recently and as I continued to do it my list got longer. Here are a few:

Am I the only one who:

Still does his own mechanical work?

Thinks that the USA needs a very broad middle class?

Thinks that the common working man should expect his retirement to really be there when he needs it?

Thinks that the highest paid teachers should be at the kindergarden and first grade level?

Believes that everyone does important work?

Thinks that the most important worker is the person cleaning the restroom at the airport?

Believes that trucking requires skilled, quick, talented drivers?

Thinks that it is better to have a few quality items rather than many pieces of junk?

Thinks that church and state should be separate?

Thinks that prices have to be high enough to support those in the supply line that gets goods to market?

Appreciates a great sunset?

Is thankful for another sunrise?

Believes that happiness is a well running, great handling car?

Thinks the teenage clerk should pay attention to a customer with cash in hand rather than talking to a friend on the cell phone?

Appreciates a civil society?

That's about it for now.

Category: General

It's really neat to see so many truckers using Ham Radio these days. I have been involved in the Amatuer Radio hobby since 1973 and in the early days there were very few operators on the road. Then CB came onto the scene--there was a time without CB!!--and everyone including the public started to use these convenient forms of communication. Now with VHF and even HF radios being sold in small convenient packages, it is fairly easy to equip a rig with radios for this engrossing hobby.

I hear truckers locally on the 40 meter band as well as the state-wide Mega-Link 2 meter system here in the NM-AZ area. There is a system of repeaters that are linked together so you can access anyone within range of any repeater where ever they are in the area. You can find the repeater list with frequencies by "Googleing" for New Mexico Mega-Link or look on the Upper Rio FM group's web site.

Those interested in longer range conversations usually use the 20 meter band. You can truly "Work the World" from your vehicle with a HF rig and vertical antenna sized for this band. It is very much affected by atmospheric conditions and sun-spots but when the band is open it is not unusual to talk to someone half-way around the world.

The days of a Morse Code requirement are gone now. To become a ham is fairly easy in that you take a test at a local volunteer's place and pay a nominal fee. There are many books available that will more than prepare you for the test. Also, you can choose the level you want to work in. If the VHF 2 meter band is your aim then a Technician license might be your goal. To work the higher HF bands requires at least a General Class license. Each level requires a higher level of knowledge and testing. See: www.arrl.com for some details.

I can see why this hobby is attractive to truckers. They have the time to spend on the radio and talking to the world has to be more interesting than listening to some talk show in Iowa or somewhere. The time just flies by when you get into an interesting conversation with someone in England or Poland. They will be glad to talk to you and learn about your lifestyle, too.

Category: General

After almost 20 years of travelling to the North Slope of Alaska to work for a major oil company, I can see lots of parallels with that lifestyle and that of truckers. Most oil patch workers do not work near their homes since most of that stuff is not in the garden spots of the world. Lots of workers are on a 28-28 schedule which actually works out to be about a 31-25 schedule due to travel time. Others work 2x2 schedules which means that they are working for 2 weeks then home for 2 weeks. This is probably the best of all schedules but still brings a set of problems along with it. While working, those guys are on the job for 7/12 which leaves little time to attend to personal things. Working 84 hours a week for 2 weeks can be tiring and when you get back to the house you have to spend a couple of days just "recovering". The spouse meanwhile has been totally in charge of the kids, the running of the house, paying bills, and getting broken things fixed, in addition to working while you were gone. They are in great need of respite which the returning worker is not able to give right away. Also, the spouse may think that the worker is used to having things done for them like housekeeping, cooking and things like that. It is true that those things are catered but still the worker has been living in a dorm-like existence which is not at all fun.
I suppose the point is that to make the relationship work takes lots of effort, open communication, and compromise on both parts. It is sometimes a good thing to let the other party know that you appreciate what they have to go through to make it all happen. The home-based person can express appreciation for the long hours and boring days that the worker puts up with just to earn enough money to make things work. The remote worker can let the partner know that they are appreciated and that their efforts are valued. Sometimes, a surprise bunch of roses sent for no special reason in the middle of the week can have much greater meaning than the regular anniversary, birthday, etc. gifts. Also, a surprise call to that teenager on the day of a big deal like a game or prom can serve to bring the worker closer to the daily lives of his family.
I notice that these blogs are starting to have more meaning now. Your kids can set up a blog and actually run sort of a diary that you can read and keep up on the happenings with them on a very timely basis. Also, you can keep them informed about your days and locations and what is going on in your world. Relationships are all about communication and these new techniques are going to change the way we communicate.


Save Money $$ with AMSOIL!!
Make Money $$ with AMSOIL
www.canyontraders.com

Category: General

Remember: You Can Save $$ with AMSOIL!!
You Can Make Money $$ with AMSOIL!!
Meet your AMSOIL Partner at:
www.canyontraders.com



Read Full Article...

Category: General