Saturday, December 12, 2020

 The Country Pride Restaurant at this TA truck stop is closed.  So stupid!!!!   I wasn't about to sit there all weekend and eat Popey's Chicken and Pizza Hut.  This morning I fueled up and left.  Stopped at Wal-Mart and restocked a few things,  Then drove up to the Flying J truck stop in Ruther Glen, VA.  It was only 22 miles up the Interstate.  They have a fully functioning Denny's restaurant and a Cinnabon.   I'll stay here until they figure out where to send me next.  

Friday, December 11, 2020

 As soon as my 10 hours were up I left this morning.  Drove to Mechanicsville, Virginia, and delivered the excavator.  Fortunately no traffic issues today!!  I do not have another load yet so I went to the TA truck stop in Ashland, VA to wait.  After two unanswered emails to my dispatcher, I still have nothing.  I guess I'll be here for the weekend.

Thursday, December 10, 2020

 Today was not a very good day at all.  I got up early and went across the parking lot to the truck wash and finally got this thing clean.  In the process, I noticed that someone had stolen the beacon lights off the back of my trailer last night. Glad I keep a spare.  Went a few miles down the road and loaded a Caterpillar 316 Excavator that is going to Mechanicsville, Virginia.  

Left there in really good time, much earlier than I thought I would.  Did pretty good until I got to Georgia on I-59.  Just before exit 11, a semi-truck flipped over on it's side blocking the entire Interstate. It had just happened.  I was about 1/4 mile from it.  Could see it from where I sat.

Here is the above photo zoomed in.

Then the wrecker uprighted it.

Sat there for 2 hours and 25 minutes until they were able to clear enough road to let us get by.  Fortunately, there was no fuel spill so there was no other clean-up needed. Fortunately, I can drive at night in Tennessee.  Made it to Chatanooga and had a lot more bumper to bumper traffic.  Finally got through there and continued up to the Petro truck stop in Knoxville for the night.  Sure hope tomorrow is better!!

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

 Left a half-hour before sunrise this morning.  Drove the rest of the way to Baton, Rouge, Louisiana and delivered the excavator.  My next load is up in Flowood, Mississippi.  I drove to the Petro truck stop in Jackson, MS for the night.  Load a few miles from here.

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

 Had a late start this morning.  Had to wait for another permit to come in.  Finally got on the road.  Had no traffic issues going through Atlanta.  Surprise surprise!!!  Stopped for the night at a crappy Petro truck stop in Shorter, Alabama.

Monday, December 7, 2020

 

First thing this morning loaded a John Deere 200 Excavator that is going to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I have all my permits except for North Carolina.  

I left there and went to a truck stop to scale and wait for my permit.  Had a good breakfast there too.  Wasted an entire day waiting for my permit that Carlisle didn't even order until 1:47 this afternoon!!! Incredibly frustrating!!

At 2:30 my North Carolina permit came in.  I went to a truck stop that I thought would be on my route based on where I was to enter South Carolina.  Turns out, I was wrong.  N.C. routed me a different way into S.C which meant I need a new S.C permit.  It also meant I was way off route.  I backtracked to get back on route.  Then stopped for the night, and to wait for my other permits to come in, at the TA truck stop in Mocksville, N.C. Food isn't near as good here!!  Thought I would deliver tomorrow, well that ain't gonna happen now.

Sunday, December 6, 2020

 This morning I moved about 35 miles over to the John Deere plant in Kernersville, NC.  I load here in the morning.