Another Power Plant Another Story

Moot

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I have picked up and delivered to power plants, both coal LOS SCRUBBERS CONS and nuclear Nuclear Fun For Everyone .

I picked up 3 transmissions at a Ford assembly plant once and delivered them to a Mazda transmission plant. This shipment seemed to be going against the normal supply chain flow. I am but a lowly cargo van driver and shouldn't be questioning the inner workings of the freight universe.

I have also picked up cheese in Minnesota and delivered it to Wisconsin. Sleeping with the cheese.
Once again this seemed strange. Hauling cheese to Wisconsin is like delivering a pallet of Budweiser to St. Louis or manure to Washington D.C.

Yesterday I picked up at a coal fired power plant just south of Milwaukee. The load delivers in North Dakota Monday morning. Nice for me since I live along the route and I am getting a paid layover to spend the weekend, or at least most of it at home.

This load consisted of 1 pallet with four 55 gallon drums strapped to it. The contents of the drums was...
COAL. Yes indeedy, coal. That black stuff that is removed from the ground and burned to create electricity. The black stuff that is responsible for global warming and black lung disease. I'm no geologist but I believe most of the coal mined in this country comes from Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania etc. in the east and Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas in the west. I'm pretty sure there isn't much coal mining done in Wisconsin. Does North Dakota really need more coal? Four 55 gallon drums seems a rather insignificant amount when it comes to coal. It is however more than enough to make a mess of my van. At least it doesn't stink like powdered cheese!
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So why is North Dakota getting this shipment of coal. I guess I will find out Monday morning.

 

Greg

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator

Slo-Ride

Veteran Expediter
[QUOTE
So why is North Dakota getting this shipment of coal. [/QUOTE]

Recall? Check manufactures web site for more info on recalls. :D
Also hound your dispatch for a trailer washout reimbursement. I'm sure that dust will be with you for awhile to come.
 

runrunner

Veteran Expediter
Maybe for quality or content testing, that they don't trust to or can't be done at an independent lab? Just a wild guess.
 
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JohnWC

Veteran Expediter
Or can it be a special blend or a differnt sulfur content.
Most of American coal has a high sulfur content
 

tknight

Veteran Expediter
I once picked up a full truck load 24' of potato chips that were being sent to Fritos-lay in Wooster , really air freight picked up at Hopkins in clev.
Upon arrival they were thrown in the crusher and a case was kept for testing . Seems the flavor was being recalled , seems wasteful but hey I took the money
 

tknight

Veteran Expediter
[QUOTE
So why is North Dakota getting this shipment of coal.

Recall? Check manufactures web site for more info on recalls. :D
Also hound your dispatch for a trailer washout reimbursement. I'm sure that dust will be with you for awhile to come.[/QUOTE]
I refuse to do loads of graphite from graft on Ohio anymore after the first time took a few washings to get it all out of the etrack
 

pearlpro

Expert Expediter
You might be surprised to find its going to a restaurant or other similar place who may be using it to fire there Baking ovens, Ive seen several of these...
 
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vandriver2

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
A Load of New Shoes Once to a Retail Store.
An 11' long Cessna Wing Tip delivered to an Airport Hanger.
A 12' Long Rod to Homestead, FL Nuclear Power Plant.
A 300 lb. Gear to a Coal Mine in WV.
A 500 lb. Spool of Cable to AT&T in Alabama.
Interesting, varied loads sometimes. Rarely though.
 

Tennesseahawk

Veteran Expediter
I once picked up a full truck load 24' of potato chips that were being sent to Fritos-lay in Wooster , really air freight picked up at Hopkins in clev.
Upon arrival they were thrown in the crusher and a case was kept for testing . Seems the flavor was being recalled , seems wasteful but hey I took the money

They need to recall nearly everything. They make jalapeno kettle chips that taste like... burnt regular Lays. It's like they cooked them in someone's shoe.
 

akkshole

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
US Air Force
Most "interesting" truck load I've ever hauled...53' trailer, wall to wall, front to back, top to bottom...14,000 lbs of Trojan brand prophylactics...yes, condoms
 

rollincoal

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I wouldn't call it interesting but have done several 1 pallet loads in my 53' van before that paid phenomenally well. Just ordinary expedited really. They were nothing oddball like coal from Wisconsin to West Virginia or cheese from Kentucky to Wisconsin lol.
 
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fastman_1

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
A Load of New Shoes Once to a Retail Store.
An 11' long Cessna Wing Tip delivered to an Airport Hanger.
A 12' Long Rod to Homestead, FL Nuclear Power Plant.
A 300 lb. Gear to a Coal Mine in WV.
A 500 lb. Spool of Cable to AT&T in Alabama.
Interesting, varied loads sometimes. Rarely though.
A 9/16 drill bit from Birmingham Alabama to the jeep plant in Toledo. Yep 1 drill bit.
 
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paulnstef39

Veteran Expediter
Fleet Owner
I think I might have called a friend in Toledo, told him what kind of bit I needed dropped off and had him buy and deliver it for me. Would have saved a bunch of gas. :jester:
 
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mjmsprt40

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Way back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, one of the drivers in the outfit I drove for at the time had to haul an order of milk from Bensenville, Illinois to Wisconsin. Later, he said he asked the delivery "Don't you have cows in Wisconsin?"

It was as well that the weather was cool--- a van is no vehicle to be hauling milk over long distances in warmer weather. We hauled a lot of stuff we shouldna hauled back in that day--- can't honestly say that I'm not glad it's over.
 

Deville

Not a Member
Most "interestine ever hauled...53' trailer, wall to wall, front to back, top to bottom...14,000 lbs of Trojan brand prophylactics...yes, condoms

There are several loads that I have had that stick out. But the one that I would see consistently for years was a shipment of Viagra from Pfizer going to Caribbean air bound for Jamaica. They would double stack the pallets for a total of 24. I would get this load 2 or 3 times a month. Haven't seen that one in a long time.
 

Moot

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Maybe for quality or content testing, that they don't trust to or can't be done at an independent lab? Just a wild guess.

Runrunner wins the Golden Wheel Chock Award for the correct answer to the disturbing question: Why ship coal from Wisconsin to North Dakota.

I delivered the four drums of coal to a testing facility that is part of the University of North Dakota. They will burn this coal and test it for mercury content. If there is a high mercury content the coal can be chemically treated to reduce mercury emissions. 20 years from now it will be discovered that when burned, the chemicals used to treat the coal are 50 times more toxic than mercury.
 
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