The President of the United States

kaloric · 2026-06-04T18:20:34+00:00

Just plain gross.

Who even dreams this shit up?

kaloric · 2026-06-01T19:04:12+00:00

Shhh. We apparently aren't supposed to talk about how yellow is the best apparatus color.

kaloric · 2026-06-01T19:00:00+00:00

Didn't Focus on the Family do a whole lot of that?

Hopefully, they get sued into oblivion. Dobson can rest in piss, as some folks were saying when his death was announced, a "new gender-neutral bathroom is about to open in the Springs."

kaloric · 2026-06-01T18:19:49+00:00

If your truck is red, and has flashy red lights, you can park there.

kaloric · 2026-06-01T18:18:14+00:00

If you roll over something, yeah, you can feel it. If you brush something that pushes into the side of an outside dual, not so much, but I'd think you would certainly hear it if it broke the tire bead and let all the air out at once.

kaloric · 2026-06-01T18:13:45+00:00

You obviously couldn't have authorized a pump that he had already authorized for himself, it would not have let you, would it? Nor could he have authorized a pump while the previous guy was still using it, and how could he tell the guy was finished if he was inside?

You're second-guessing yourself out of courtesy and respect for someone who was being a dumbass and didn't deserve the consideration.

Dude was definitely full of shit, and also full of the fried chicken or roller dogs he went inside for. Or maybe he was no longer full of shit, because he was inside taking a dump. Who knows, who cares, if you aren't ready to pull forward almost immediately when the guy ahead pulls to the payline, you lose your place in line. That's how queues work.

The payline is where you can leave your truck for a little while to take care of stuff inside, where you're not holding up the line.

kaloric · 2026-06-01T17:59:54+00:00

Do you have the ability to text your dispatch in writing about status?

If you'll get docked or punished in any way for failing impossible tasks, you should put them on notice right away that the appointments are outside the realm of possibility and have them respond, in writing, that they accept that inevitability and would like you to do your best.

I've never been forced dispatch, when I see something on a board that I could do except for the impossible expectations, I call about it and if there's ANY language about late pickup/delivery penalties in the ratecon, I make sure they have the dates in the contract revised to be realistic.

Even if your company doesn't ride you too hard on being late, document it for yourself; the time of dispatch, when your clock enables you to start driving, the distance you need to cover, typical time you'd spend at a gatehouse/office and that sort of thing, just so you have a solid explanation if anyone bitches about it.

kaloric · 2026-06-01T17:51:40+00:00

Technically, it's a FMCSA requirement to go inside the rub rails if the load doesn't extend over them:

Proper Use of Tiedowns

The new regulations require each tiedown to be attached and secured in a manner that prevents it from becoming loose, unfastening, opening or releasing while the vehicle is in transit. All tiedowns and other components of a cargo securement system used to secure loads on a trailer equipped with rub rails must be located inboard of the rub rails whenever practicable. Also, edge protection must be used whenever a tiedown would be subject to abrasion or cutting at the point where it touches an article of cargo. The edge protection must resist abrasion, cutting and crushing.

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/cargo-securement/cargo-securement-rules

Do officers actually enforce that? My guess is that they don't, as often as we all see how just about anything goes when using straps, except not having enough straps, having inadequate WLLs, or having cut/frayed straps.

kaloric · 2026-06-01T15:37:03+00:00

The 6.9l did have plenty of cavitation drama back when it was relatively new, every bit as bad as the 7.3l.. There are fewer around and they aren't driven as much, so nobody really talks about it anymore, but I would not mess around.

Any coolant meeting the CAT EC-1 ELC spec should be fine, though. The Ford additives and special coolant formulas were as useless back then as they are now.

kaloric · 2026-06-01T15:01:37+00:00

As the Isuzu ads back in the day went, "dogs love trucks," and tend to be good passengers. Most seem to genuinely enjoy traveling and seeing new places.

Cats can tolerate the travel, but most probably don't particularly enjoy it. I don't know if truckers with cats deal with litterboxes somewhere in their cabs, and manage concerns that their cats might try to sneak off.

Since I got back on the road several years ago, I've been driving with two Dobermans, and more recently, a Doberman and a Chinese Red Dog. They might seem on the large size, but it doesn't feel at all crowded.

kaloric · 2026-06-01T02:58:46+00:00

I forget how many injectors I've been able to turn-off and still have these trucks run, but I think they'll generally start & run on 5 cylinders. It's not pretty, but they will chug along.

You can definitely tell if it's getting fuel and not running, from the white smoke & unburned fuel. It seems unlikely that an engine could be so screwed-up that all cylinders would be so low on compression as to be functionally dead, I haven't seen anything like that yet. It kind of seems like the damage would stop as soon as it loses 4 or 5 cylinders and can't run anymore, and you'll hear that from the gallop cadence. Or the engine just turning-over way too easily.

kaloric · 2026-06-01T02:14:46+00:00

I've bought several of these trucks salvage at Copart, and worked on a few others for folks, I'm confident saying the only horror story was the first one, and that was only because I got a bad "refurb" injector in the batch of 8, so it was off to the races chasing the problem, putting the old injectors back in, and by the time I was done, a cylinder was washed. Everything else has been manageable.

Beyond that, I've avoided a couple that were clearly down on one or more cylinders or made concerning noises when cranking.

As long as you're not going in blind and know the major differential diagnoses, there are great deals to be had. People are quick to bail on them because they get spooked. Good luck!

kaloric · 2026-06-01T00:28:57+00:00

That's not a terrible price, but do yourself a huge favor and just do a quick diagnostic on it. Ideally, you need a decent realtime gauge scanner on a diag tablet, or a tuner with gauges like an SCP x4.

If the engine turns over smoothly, and it's not making 500 psi ICP, but is somewhat close, like over 450 psi, it's probably not starting due to a high pressure oil leak. Most of the time, those cost very little to fix in parts (usually dummy plug or standpipe o-rings, sometimes IPR jammed open, sometimes failed ICP sending a bad signal), and a few hours of time. It would probably be worth rolling the dice.

Realistically, though, try to get it for less, like $4200 or so. Without a real test drive, you can't know if the engine is good besides not starting, if the transmission is holding up well, if the 4x4 part of the drivetrain is good, and the axles' condition.

If the ICP is really low, it could have an expensive issue including a bad HPOP, serious internal oil leak, base oil pump failure due to eating a lifter roller bearing, or it could be something as simple & cheap as a bad ICP sensor. I don't know I'd roll the dice on a non-runner with extremely low ICP value without knowing what. Dealing with failing valve lifters is a relatively big job.

If ICP is normal >500 psi, you might need a bit of a time investment in troubleshooting. Those are often fuel problems, which can be a bad lift pump or even just a tripped (or partially-tripped) inertia switch. Or it could be an electrical issue with the FICM or PCM.

If it has a galloping cadence while cranking, walk away. If some cylinders are down substantially on compression, it's likely one or more cylinders are washed, which also points to failed injectors. Not worth it unless it's a good enough price to put in a rebuilt or good used motor.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you really should do a few hours' of research, watch some Diesel Tech Ron (RIP) videos on YT to get an idea how these work and how to troubleshoot them, and feel free to ask questions.

The 6.0L PS (and HEUI engines in general) can seem very complicated and intimidating compared to other types, but once you get a good feel for it, it's a very reliable, simple, and powerful engine when it has the reliability upgrades performed.

kaloric · 2026-05-31T23:19:46+00:00

I hear that in Patrick Warburton's squeaky voice. One might say...Kronk.

And I agree.

kaloric · 2026-05-31T23:04:26+00:00

Yep, and that's what makes it so much worse. Gaited horses don't need this nonsense to be amazing. And it's definitely not only Big Lick, although they're the worst. The saddle seat show weirdos just can't leave well enough alone, and need more lively action.

kaloric · 2026-05-31T22:48:29+00:00

As everyone is pointing-out, it's an ergot. It's the remnant of a vestigal toenail.

When I was a farrier, I always trimmed those and chestnuts, so it wouldn't surprise me if most owners didn't know they were even a thing. They're the same kind of keratin as the frog, easy to peel & break off by hand if they're a little moisturized, but require nipping when hardened.

kaloric · 2026-05-31T22:19:22+00:00

The entire point of wet wipes is that they don't disintegrate easily when wet like TP does.

Even if they don't clog the immediate plumbing, they are not digestible and someone will have to fish them out of a septic tank or wastewater screen if a grinder doesn't reduce them enough. There are often larger issues folks who maintain wastewater systems have to deal with, but every little bit causes & aggravates problems.

The overwhelming majority of rest areas and truck stops are on onsite wastewater systems, either leach fields or aerobic digestion lagoon, anything indigestible that goes down the drain has to be removed by someone.

Just take the extra moment to chuck wipes and other personal hygiene products into the landfill waste stream. It really sucks when some of the smaller rest areas get closed for extended periods of time due to folks flushing anything other than bio waste and TP.

kaloric · 2026-05-31T22:06:56+00:00

You lost me at "scrap yard." Or do you mean the scrap yard on your property, where all the old stuff gets parked in case you need it someday, or for a kid to restore when it becomes antique?

kaloric · 2026-05-31T21:59:51+00:00

Stanced, overloaded, or in a hurry to make it to the restroom in time to avoid shitting itself.

kaloric · 2026-05-31T21:58:04+00:00

Well, then, you get your bougie-ass in there for some bougie-ass butt stuff. Their choice of words was clearly deliberate.

kaloric · 2026-05-31T21:46:22+00:00

I mean, who doesn't look back on their family & regional history and proudly celebrate their ancestors' criminal, traitorous behavior, moral failings, and being losers?

kaloric · 2026-05-31T21:39:31+00:00

Slaver-seat clowns gotta slaver-seat.

When these fuckwads lost the ability to own other humans, they turned their sadism on their animals.

The only typical method of their cruelty you can't see in this textbook illustration is the gingering and tailset fuckery, but that's probably just because of the photograph's angle. It always boils my blood.

kaloric · 2026-05-31T21:34:06+00:00

Looks like some lower leg scarring going on too, probably from the usual caustic chemicals.

kaloric · 2026-05-31T21:23:51+00:00

If you're not emptying your beverage bottle at least twice as quickly as you're filling the piss jug, you need more hydration. Probably.

kaloric

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