This morning went in to the Port of Houston and loaded a "reheater element" that was part of a shipment from China where they were made. There are 88 of these things going up to Salix, Iowa. It is 12'2"wide and supposed to be legal weight - 80,000 pounds or less gross weight.
There was another Daily driver that was to load one of theses things too but he didn't have a TWIC card (
Click here for info on TWIC ). Renewed it, just hadn't gotten it back yet. So he couldn't go in to the Port to load. I was asked if I would swap trailers and go in and load his load for him them go back out and swap back to my trailer. I did. Took all morning to do this. Finally got on the road. Stopped at a truck stop and scaled. Much to my surprise I was fine on all my axles but my gross was 1,800 over. After a bunch of phone calls, worked it out that I would swap back to the other driver's trailer - it is a 2 axle step deck which is a much lighter trailer than mine - and continue on up to Iowa that way. After unloading we will swap back again.
I didn't make the Dallas curfew so I had to stop for the night at a small truck stop in Palmer, Texas. I am about 150 miles ahead of the other truck. He will catch back up with me so we can swap in the morning. I can't go anywhere until after 9 am local time anyway because of the Dallas curfew. Meanwhile my Oklahoma escort car is patiently waiting for me at the Texas / Oklahoma line. Told him to enjoy sleeping late tomorrow.
