Saturday, February 25, 2012

Left Iowa 80 early and delivered the wheel loader first thing this morning in Cedar Rapids, IA.  My next load is Monday morning in Waterloo, IA.  Drove up there to the Pilot truck stop for the rest of the weekend.  Load just down the road from here.  I'm so glad to have my APU back again!!!

Friday, February 24, 2012

I get real lucky!!  There was about a half an inch of slush on the ground this morning.  I heard on the radio that at about mile marker 40 on I-94 in Michigan the roads got progressively worse.  I did good!!

Drove down to Thermo King in Portage, Indiana and had my APU fixed.  I have been without it for over two weeks and missed it real bad!!  $887 later I was out the door and on the road. 

Still snowing but not sticking, melting right away.  Drove to Walcott, Iowa to the Iowa 80 truck stop for the night. No more snow, just real windy and cold!!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Got on the road at sun up and drove up to Marion, Michigan.  Got there just before noon and unloaded the pipe layer.  Next load was in Novi, MI.  That is just outside of Detroit.  Drove down there and loaded a Caterpillar 924 Hz wheel loader.  It is going to Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The weather report is for 4 to 10 inches of snow north of I-80 and rain/snow in the I-80 area 1 to 4 inches possible.  It was supposed to start this afternoon.  I was flying to get my next load on and down the road before the weather got bad.  After loading in Novi the weather still had not gotten bad yet.  Just overcast.  Drove west on I-94 toward Lake Michigan.  I got rain about half way across.  In the Kalamazoo area there was heavy wet snow (more like slush) falling from the sky.  It soon changed back to rain.  Drove all the way to the TA truck stop in Sawyer, MI at exit 12.  623 miles today and all of it in Michigan.  So far it is still raining.  Tomorrow could be interesting.  Then again it might not.  We shall see.....

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Got on the road at 9 am today.  Got pulled in at a weigh station in Pennsylvania for a DOT inspection. Did just fine except my trailer had some mud on it.  OH HEAVENS!!!  Other than that a very uneventful and nice day out on the road.  Drove to the Pilot truck stop in Ottawa Lake, Michigan for the night.    It is raining now.  Supposed to have some snow tonight, but not much.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Went to Jersey Shore to deliver this morning.  Myself and another Daily truck were both delivering the same stuff to the same place.  We were to meet the guy in charge at a gas station north of Jersey Shore at 8 am.  We were both there at 7:30.  At 8 the crane arrived there too.  The guy in charge met us.  After the crane guys got some coffee from the store we all left and drove to where we were to unload.  We went three miles up a one lane paved road that was made just for what we were doing.  Very busy road.  Had people at either end directing traffic. This road went way up into the woods.  Up and down and along side of big drop offs with no guard rail.  After we went the three miles we turned down a gravel road and went in another 2 miles to the site.  Looks like a natural gas well.  While they set up the crane I untied everything.  It took them forever to unload me.  Thought I'd never get out of there. 

When empty and back on real roads again I headed for my next load.  Went past Penn State College on the way.

Drove to Murrysville, PA which is just outside Pittsburgh.  Loaded a Caterpillar PL61 Pipe Layer.  It is going to Marion, Michigan.  Was able to get some photos for you loading.  For a change, someone else loaded the machine for me.

After I finished securing it I could not go anywhere since it is an oversize load and curfew was in effect.  I spent the night in their parking lot.  Will be able to go again after 9 am tomorrow morning.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Went over to Mason, Ohio this morning and picked up my next load.  It is a generator and three pallets of parts going over to Jersey Shore, PA.  I have no idea why they named their town Jersey Shore. It is not in New Jersey and it is nowhere near the shore!  Its in the middle of Pennsylvania!!

Got on the road and drove to the TA truck stop in Lamar, PA.  It is about 10 miles from where I deliver in the morning.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Weekends without football are really boring!!