Saturday, February 16, 2013

Had a very light dusting of snow last night.  Nothing stuck to the roads.  Left Hurricane, WV just after sun up this morning.  Drove into some heavy snow on the West Virginia Turnpike.  Fortunately it didn't stick to the roads.  About 2 inches fell.  Took some photos of it for you.

`The road crews were out doing a good job sanding / salting the roads.

After a while drove out of it.  New fallen snow on the trees is always pretty.

Stopped for the rest of the weekend at the TA truck stop just north of Richmond, Virginia.  It had started snowing again when I arrived.  Still not sticking to the roads.  It is a very wet snow, basically melts on contact.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Got on the road at sun up this morning.  Didn't get as far as I wanted to today.  Another driver that had the same dozer I have and who is going to the same place had stopped in Hurricane, West Virginia at the TA truck stop.  He had to move his machine back on the trailer to get the weight right for Virginia.  He didn't know how to drive the machine and asked if I would stop there and move the machine for him.  Which I did.  

I didn't have my Virginia permit yet.  They permitted mine differently than his.  My load was permitted as a "super load" because of the weight.  They take longer to get back so I waited at the TA for it to come in.  In order to get to Virginia we have to go down the West Virginia Turnpike.  Over sized loads are not allowed to stop for the night at the service plazas on the Turnpike so once you start on it you have to get off it before sun down.  By the time my Virginia permit arrived there was not enough time to get down the Turnpike before sun down so I stayed the night at the TA truck stop in Hurricane, West Virginia.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Drove the rest of the way in to Morton, Illinois and loaded a Caterpillar D7 Dozer.  It is going down to Fort Pickett, Virginia.  Gross weight is just under 107,000 pounds.

Dumb question - Why is the machine painted so it will blend in to the desert scenery so that it won't be easily seen by the "enemy" but then they put two red reflectors on the back of it to make it more visible? 

Had to stop a little early today.  Stopped for the night in Memphis, Indiana at the Love's truck stop.  Didn't make the Louisville, Kentucky curfew.  Can sleep in tomorrow, can't go into Kentucky until 9 am.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Drove in to Memphis, TN this morning and delivered the wheel loader.  Didn't have another load yet so I went back to the truck stop in West Memphis, Arkansas.  Was parked and back in bed before 8 am local time.

At 2 pm local time I finally got another load.  It is tomorrow morning in Morton, Illinois.  Got on the road and drove to the Pilot truck stop in Lincoln, Illinois for the night.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Drove the rest of the way in to Kansas City, Kansas to a small recycling place.  The company was bought out by a larger company and the new owners were closing the Kansas City place and relocating the equipment.  Loaded a John Deere 444 wheel loader.  It is going to Memphis, Tennessee.

Got on the road and drove down to the Petro truck stop in West Memphis, Arkansas.  Will deliver in the morning.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Just as I figured, we (there were four of us with hubs) were the last to be unloaded this morning.  They unloaded 12 other trucks first.  Finally got unloaded.  Next load is tomorrow morning in Kansas City, Kansas.  Drove to the service plaza on the Kansas Turnpike (I-70) for the night.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

After dinner this evening I went back and hooked back to my trailer.  The wind died down enough to take the tarps off.  I hate those things!!  There are a lot of trucks here.  It may be a while before I get empty tomorrow.