Saturday, March 19, 2016

Pretty dull day.  I started a half hour before sunrise this morning and drove all day stopping only once for the stupid required 30 minutes lunch break.  Stopped for the rest of the weekend at the Petro truck stop in Atlanta, Georgia because I ran out of hours.  I really don't like this truck stop.  Too crowded and the staff are not the best.

Friday, March 18, 2016

This morning drove over to Oswego, Illinois to the Caterpillar plant and loaded a Caterpillar 972K Wheel Loader that is going to the Port of Savannah.

Left there and had an uneventful ride down to the Pilot truck stop in Lincoln, Illinois.  There is a Cracker Barrel across the street from here.  Boy!  that was delicious!!!!  Don't get that luxury very often.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

At 6 am today I went over to the shop here at the TA and had my generator serviced, chassis lubed and a few other things.  While the mechanic was under the truck he saw that a part of my right side front drive break system was broken.  Actually, two parts were broken.  

Here is one of the broken things.

Here is the new one.

Here is the other broken part.

To make a very long story short and another $2000 later everything was fixed.  Got out of there at 4 pm.  LONG day.  I'm just glad he spotted those broken things before they made things a lot worse and a lot more expensive!!

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning and drove up to the John Deere plant in Dubuque, Iowa.  Fought a strong heavy cross wind most of the day.  While I was standing next to my truck at John Deere the wind blew a 3 foot by 3 foot 1/4 inch piece of plywood off the roof striking my truck and landing right next to me.  Fortunately no damage to the truck or me. After I got empty I didn't have another load yet so I went back down to the world famous Iowa 80 Truck Stop in Walcott, Iowa.

Here is a You Tube video, shot by a storm chaser, of a tornado that was about 70 miles north west from where I was last night.  The video is amazing!!!   Shows beautifully the beginning of a huge tornado.  This is what the hook echos on radar look like.

Tonight there is still the slight possibility of storms.  The wind is still blowing hard.  This truck is really rockin'.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Left this morning as soon as it was legal for me to do so.  Very good day on the road.  Stopped for the night at the Pilot truck stop in Lincoln, Illinois.  

Got pretty interesting tonight so far.  Big storm heading this way. Tornado reported in Springfield, Illinois.  TV is wall-to-wall weather coverage.

In the photo below the arrows point to hook echos on the radar.  They indicate rotation and possible tornadoes.

UPDATE:

Looks like I dodge it again!!  Storms on both sides of me and the Springfield storm passed by just to the south of me.  I was thinking about stopping for the night at the Daily yard in Morton.  Very glad I stopped here in Lincoln.

Monday, March 14, 2016

This morning went over to the John Deere dealer in Jacksonville and loaded a John Deere 310E Articulating Dump Truck that is going to Dubuque, Iowa.  

My trailer ABS light was on ever since I left the Daily yard this morning so after I loaded I went back to the Daily yard so the mechanic could fix it.  Here was the culprit!!

As soon as I pulled out of the yard my truck blew a break chamber.  Had to go to the end of the road to turn around.  Went back to the yard again and had the break chamber replaced.  We are so lucky to have one of the best mechanics working for us.  He really is good.  Finally everything was working again and off I went again.  

A little south of the Macon bypass on I-75 had a little pick up cut me off right in front of a cop.  And you know what he did?

NOTHING.  Now if I had done that he would have had an orgasm pulling me over!!!  

Had some bumper to bumper traffic on the north side of Atlanta.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Cartersville, Georgia.  Got here with only 4 minutes to spare.  Barely got a parking place.

Sunday, March 13, 2016

My trailer was due for inspection so I had it done while I was here.  Good thing I was here!!  Found a few things to be repaired.  Had two leaking air chambers and the other air tank was leaking too.  Also found a crack that needed to be welded.

Glad that is all fixed.  Now I'm good to go tomorrow morning.