other dog

Damn right. The employee shows up for work, and at the end of the day when they punch out, they don't have to THINK about anything work related until they punch back in the following day. Most have no idea what goes on AFTER business hours or the other expenses involved in operating a business. Most have no idea how much it costs the employer just to OFFER them the PRIVILEGE of having a job.

I've always tried to tell people that if your employer isn't making a profit as a result of the work that you do, you won't have a job for very long. Entrepreneurs risk their capital to start a business in order to see a return on their investment...profits. If profits are good, the business can expand...adding employees. Employees are an investment...if they don't provide good returns on that investment, the job is terminated. It really doesn't get any simpler than that.

My first job was a camp councilor at a Boy Scout camp. The camp director was a real hard-ass and gave us the following speech on the first day of our employment:

"You are all employees of the camp. ANYTHING that needs being done at the camp is your job. I don't care if your job title is 'scoutcraft instructor', if the commissary needs help getting food ready to send to the troops, that is your job. I don't care if your job title is 'nature instructor', if the waterfront staff needs help on Saturday with the swim checks, that is your job. If I hear 'that ain't my job' out of ANYONE, you'll be on the next bus home."

Anyone I have worked for, I figure they are paying me for my time...that I owe them a full day's work for a full day's wage. It doesn't matter if I'm pushing a broom or whatever else needs doing, I'm on the clock. If the job needs doing, I'll do it.

Unfortunately these days, I work for a real slave driver who takes advantage of my strong work ethic...got me playing the roles of driver, mechanic, secretary, & accountant...and because I agreed to work on salary, most weeks I find myself wishing I was lucky enough to be making the minimum wage. Oh well...at least I get to drive a kick-ass truck.

True indeed. My brother-in-law was looking for a job one time and I got him a job working in the shop at the company I drove for, servicing trucks. The first time the shop foreman asked him to line the brakes on a trailer he refused, and that's exactly what he said-"that's not my job".

Nobody has any pride in their job anymore, they're just looking for that paycheck. I've been loading at a steel mill before, after sitting there all afternoon, and the workers quit a half hour before their shift was over with just one more lift to go on the trailer. And of course the next shift had to screw around at least a half hour before they do anything. And then if the truck ain't sitting 500 miles away at 7:00 the next morning to unload the truck driver must be a no-good lazy shiftless bum.

The really dangerous part of all this "poor work ethic" and "I deserve everything" attitude is that more and more of the people are demanding, and getting, compensation from our government. In exchange for votes I suppose. Somewhere along this path it has to fail. We, as a shrinking workforce, cannot keep shouldering the bill for this ever increasing entitlement program. And we sure cannot keep borrowing the money from the rest of the world, just to pay the interest on the debt we already have! Something has to give. And when it does, our economy will probably bottom out unlike anything else we have ever seen.

Someone recently called the 2000 - 2010 decade the "Fading of the American Dream". That's very scary to me.

We are all in it together - from unemployment benefits or health care or all of the assorted subsidies or stimulus foolishness - somehow, somewhere almost all of us are getting some money to relieve us of our responsibility for taking care of ourselves. Can you say "Socialism"? We may already be the most socialist country on earth. And it might be too late to get the American way of life back. That's a terrible thought, but it might be reality.

So many of us are sucking off of the government that we are all afraid to send a simple message to our representatives and just say "No, we've had enough of your political foolishness and out of control spending - you are fired" And then we need to remember not to elect any lawyers. Let's elect farmers, truck drivers, independant business people and plain old common sense thinkers for a change. If you have any political experience, we don't want you. Period. It couldn't hurt - what we have now obviously isn't working!

Nice to rant now and then.

It would be even better if we actually did something about it!

Paul Van Scott

That's what I thought when Virgil Goode, plain 'ol southside Va. tobacco farmer, lost in the the last election. He actually listened to the people, and actually replied to phone calls and mail. Did his job in other words. Was dead-set against illegal immigrants. But he lost to a big shot city slicker lawyer type democrat in the last election-who's done nothing by the way.

I think the "you owe me a living, i'm looking for my handout now" people outnumber the rest of us. And that is a problem.

not sure if these are real-the one of the man shoveling snow is a secret satellite spy shot, taken someplace in Illinois. could it be?..

Nature put it on there, nature will take it off and make the grass grow.

Rob

post some more after it rains. been pouring here all day.

I like it!

potential tire spokesman for a national ad campaign

later that day, after spending $82.25 at the local car wash- all in quarters...

Very nice short n stout like my . . .

Mike

First daylight pictures-looks great! Post some more right after you wash it.

from 700WLW

Hey you could apply at my new trucking venture: "The Shoe Leather Express". I could buy a bunch of Peterbilts and would need a parts runner!! 40 hours per week and the best physical fitness program ever offered by employer without employee shared cost in the open air gymnasium!!

Waiting to sign you up!!

Rob

send me an appliction-or can I just do it online?

I took a load of kyanite to Greensboro in a van today. My flatbed was supposed to be loaded when I got back, going up the road somewhere, but it wasn't. Maybe it got rained out...anyway, i'm back at home.

As much as I like the new Silverado's my big gripe with them is all that space in the rear wheel well.

sawzall + 12.50-38 Super Swampers = no problem

have to change gear ratios though, I could only fit Q78's on the front-36''

I agree with a lot of ways to spend money, that's why I'm trying to be "thrifty" rather than jump at the chance for more tools. Don't want to buy what won't be used if something I've got will suffice.

I thought about not being able to open a tilt hood and that is a detriment to the purchase in itself. I think I'd rather have an air assisted floor jack and more floor stands as most work on these things is performed on the floor anyways.

Thanks for all the help.

Rob

i'd say the trailer work justifies it's being at the shop, that's mainly what they use it for. Gotta get 'em in and out quick sometimes, and they have over a hundred trailers.

Rob,

Many, many other ways to spend money!

Paul VS

yeah, you could donate to the "Other dog ain't got no money and ain't likely to git none no time soon" fund. Cash, checks, and money orders accepted.

I got me a early christmas present this year its truely one of a kind some misserable son of a bitch stole my pick up from right in front of my shop dont that just frost your balls

wow, ain't that a bitch-I didn't know they had crinimals in Harrisonburg, but I guess they're everywhere.

'nuff said

You and Momma do the same things with your exercise bikes. Me, I don't have the energy to waste, so I don't use it.

Rob

I sold mine at a yard sale. Besides, Jo wants me to hang my clothes in the closet- like that makes any sense!

Hi Tom, I've seen in days gone by the same type used for full frame cars when they had a bumper on the front for the same purpose. A young cousin of mine likes to chain a truck to the upright where he works and lift the rear of the truck when doing clutches. Says a lot of times doesn't need to remove the plastic, or fuel tanks on new trucks for clearance. I don't anticipate doing that often myself, but more for tire and front end work than anything.

The photo is off of ebay. I know of one close to home but don't want to purchase it is not going to be used. It takes up a bit of room.

Rob

It saves a lot of time because you can do a whole axle, sometimes both axles, at once instead of jacking up one side at a time. It'll free up a jack and stand or two if you need to jack up something else and when you're not using it you can lean tires against it or even use it like my old excercise bike, to hang clothes on.

Now you know I would use more common sense than that Tom!

Some of you guys that work in truck shops should be able to answer this but how much would one of these types be used in a shop on older trucks? I've talked to a couple of places that service newer stuff and am told they are obsolete due to clearance issues, but they used to be quite common.

Thanks,

Rob

they use one similar to that, only a little smaller looking, a lot at the shop. They use it to lift the whole back of a trailer off the floor, and under the back of the frame on trucks when changing tires and lining brakes.

the story continues...

I got more-

Seen to notice white is your favorite color Rowdy, I'll have to get pictures of my truck tomorrow.

thanks, I needed a better picture of your sign for use in future photo projects.

What was the timeline for some of the R's

After the B Models it went to R? What year did it start and when did the line stop?

Also did the RW take the spot of RD? And what are the differences between those models..

Thanks a ton in advance!!

Yes, the R-model came out in '65, the RD in '71, RWs in '78. B-models were discontinued in '66. R's were made until 1989, but variations of them were made after that. The RB model didn't come out until 1989, and were made until the end of the century...they might still make them, that's as far as the book goes. The CH came out in '88.

The RD had a higher weight rating. The Superliners had a different hood and huge grill to accomidate a bigger radiator to keep the V8s cool.

from the Mack book, "Driven for a Century"

Well the poster below me is the there nutty character I was warning ya about, I'm the other nutty character of BMT. That is all I'm naming!