Flying minis
Well-Known Member
So my hubby is a horse transporter - has been for 7 years. He's had problems occassionally with equipment breakdowns, etc., but not bad. He does a great job, and usually runs pretty well on time. He has 3 trucks to use, so he always has backups - a Dodge 1 ton, a Ford 1 ton, and a new small semi tractor. Keeps his equipment in great shape, so he doesn't have breakdowns - because breakdowns are a nightmare (especially if he has horses on, not just having to get the truck / trailer fixed, but finding place to board the horses, caring for them - and if he has to board them due to breakdown, we pay the board bill - not the customer, which gets pretty expensive if you have a full load of 6-7 horses on and you sit for 2-3 days!).
So, he was to leave Friday am, going to eastern IA, wisconsin, Ohio, then down to Florida. Thursday night and Friday there was a blizzard across Eastern Iowa. So he called everyone, waited to leave until this morning (Saturday) at 10 am. Takes his 1 ton Dodge because it's just been totally redone in the shop (engine and transmission) and ran perfectly the last trip, and the new semi doesn't have chains for yet and isn't great in the snow without them. Gets 120 miles from home, turbo goes out in the Dodge. Drops the trailer, limps it home. Thinks about taking the Ford, but that would leave me here for nearly a month with all the horses and no truck in case of emergency, so decides on the semi. Plug the semi in let it sit 3 hours, meanwhile, go into town (20 miles away) and get chains for it. Come home, try to start it - nope. Put on the battery charger, let it charge 2 hours (take a nap this time, since obviously he's now going to be driving overnight), try the semi - it starts! Woo Hoo! Tries to move the semi - stuck in the snow (not a 4 wheel drive). No problem, start the tractor to pull the semi out - tractor is cold, plug it in for 2 hours, ok, now the tractor starts. But guess what? Due to our recent ice/sleet storm, the barn door is frozen shut, can't get the tractor out.
Ok, start taking buckets of hot water out to thaw the door , after about 15 gallons (the door is 20 feet long) - manage to slide the door open and finally get the tractor out. Hook up the chains and pull out the semi! Put the tractor away, make sure everything is moved from the Dodge to the semi, and finally, 2:45 am, he's back on the road! Lots of stress, thinking about all the horses on this trip that are now going to be late - all the clients had to be called, etc., etc.
Next time your transporter is late, think about this - even with the best equipment sometimes things happen - and sometimes, lots of things happen at once! On a brighter note, doing this all in 10 degree weather with a 0 wind chill has definitely convinced us to proceed on moving for the winter : )
So, he was to leave Friday am, going to eastern IA, wisconsin, Ohio, then down to Florida. Thursday night and Friday there was a blizzard across Eastern Iowa. So he called everyone, waited to leave until this morning (Saturday) at 10 am. Takes his 1 ton Dodge because it's just been totally redone in the shop (engine and transmission) and ran perfectly the last trip, and the new semi doesn't have chains for yet and isn't great in the snow without them. Gets 120 miles from home, turbo goes out in the Dodge. Drops the trailer, limps it home. Thinks about taking the Ford, but that would leave me here for nearly a month with all the horses and no truck in case of emergency, so decides on the semi. Plug the semi in let it sit 3 hours, meanwhile, go into town (20 miles away) and get chains for it. Come home, try to start it - nope. Put on the battery charger, let it charge 2 hours (take a nap this time, since obviously he's now going to be driving overnight), try the semi - it starts! Woo Hoo! Tries to move the semi - stuck in the snow (not a 4 wheel drive). No problem, start the tractor to pull the semi out - tractor is cold, plug it in for 2 hours, ok, now the tractor starts. But guess what? Due to our recent ice/sleet storm, the barn door is frozen shut, can't get the tractor out.
Ok, start taking buckets of hot water out to thaw the door , after about 15 gallons (the door is 20 feet long) - manage to slide the door open and finally get the tractor out. Hook up the chains and pull out the semi! Put the tractor away, make sure everything is moved from the Dodge to the semi, and finally, 2:45 am, he's back on the road! Lots of stress, thinking about all the horses on this trip that are now going to be late - all the clients had to be called, etc., etc.
Next time your transporter is late, think about this - even with the best equipment sometimes things happen - and sometimes, lots of things happen at once! On a brighter note, doing this all in 10 degree weather with a 0 wind chill has definitely convinced us to proceed on moving for the winter : )
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