After 20 hours driving up to Medford, ~30 hours resting and waiting for MsBubba, and just under 24 straight hours driving home we are back in Tucson. The big difference in time up and back is mostly the 55 mph speed limit on towed vehicles in CA and a little traffic in LA.
Biggest observation of the trip was the increase in 18 wheeler traffic. While on I-5 and I-10 there would be 5 to 10 miles of trucks running nose to tail and if one pulled into the hammer lane to pass you were stuck behind it for miles. The other was all the rest areas were full and many times blocked where you could not pull in much less stop for a rest and any flat area along the highway was also chock full of trucks at night.
There is a better way to move goods and we need to transition to it soon.
It is good to be home and all back to normal with MsBubba cleaning and pointing out I haven't a clue about dirt. BTW, she likes her new kitchen trash can and even more amazing it only took a couple of hours before she noticed it.
ken
Welcome back home! Surprising that you have so many trucks when there are much category 1 railways there like UP. Maybe low oil price makes trucking more appealing?
ReplyDeleteBe careful, now that the trash can is seen and approved you will be asked to make all assorted accessories!
Lionel,
DeleteWe have allowed our rail network to deteriorate for years but there is always hope things will change.
There are always honey do's on the list :-). Next may be a Murphy bed.
ken
Is a Murphy Bed a bed where if something goes wrong, you can blame Murphy?
DeleteRailway is most probably more efficient (fuel wise) but one has to transfer goods from truck to rail (except for industries with direct access to rail [industrial spur]) and back from rail to truck. This works better with container handling installations like in the maritime/waterway world. Of course this doesn't apply to delivery of a single pack to one's door.
ReplyDeleteSylvain,
DeleteIn an intelligent world, trucks would be used for the last 50 to 100 miles with rail or water doing the long haul. What happens is government support of trucking vs. rail has distorted our system. Ike's interstate road system was brilliant but it allowed our rail system to fail. There is some hope for a better balance as we move to a "greener" world.
One thing for sure, the Interstate Roadways can not handle the truck traffic. The roads are beat to death with no way to keep up maintenance and are running near full capacity 24 hours a day.
ken
With the current push to automate trucking, i.e. robot trucks, the rail system will be overlaid onto our highway system. I don't understand why people aren't freaking out over having self driving trucks, especially where it isn't always sunny and free of snow.
DeleteWhat Steve said. Just the thought of 10 miles of driver-less trucks running 75 MPH (everyplace but CA.)nose to tail would make me either stay at home or if I could find a way truck-less way to the airport go back to flying.
Deleteken
Just one more thing; With today's automation I can fly from any point in the world to any other that is within the range of my aircraft with one pull maybe two of the yoke (depending on how new the system)and the push of at most two buttons. It is that good and reliable, still ain't no way no how I'm going to the back for a nap en-route or at either end. And that is with many highly trained folks on the ground keeping me from running over anyone or anyone from running into me.
Deleteken
I like the comics on page 27 of this document:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.eurocontrol.int/sites/default/files/2019-10/eurocontrol-white-paper-hf-integration-atm-systems-2019.pdf
Sylvain
Thanks Sylvain,
DeleteThe page 8 article is also very true. One of my biggest problems is getting pilots to integrate and use the automation effectively. Mostly because they do not really understand it, what the system is "telling" them, and because they do not understand they do not trust it. On top of all of it is the Macho element of pilots believing they can fly the "box the plane came in", they are better than the system. Truth is they not, modern autoflight systems properly managed are better than any human pilot no matter how skilled.
The old joke that a modern aircrew should be a pilot and a dog. The pilot to monitor the automation and the dog to bite the pilot if he/she touches anything is pretty close to true.
ken