Monday, September 16, 2024

 This morning I hooked up to the stretch trailer at the Baltimore terminal and drove over to the Port of Baltimore.  I was loading at the container area of the Port.  Totally different area from where I normally go.  My first time in here.  Once I figured out where to go in there I got loaded with an open-top shipping container that was going to Manassas, Virginia.  The load is 14' 10" high.  I'll have a pole car escort for this.

Once I got loaded I had to wait for my permits to come in.  Sat there looking at what used to be the Key Bridge.

A Panamax container ship came in while I was waiting.

There were some problems getting permits today, so my pole car waited all day, as did I. Finally had to drop my trailer there at the Port and bobtail to the TA truck stop for the night.  Hope the permits come in tomorrow morning.

Sunday, September 15, 2024

 Well, the Gators didn't do very well. I expect to see a coaching change very soon.

Yesterday I forgot to tell you about the car chase that passed me.

I was north on I-95 in Washington DC at the I-95 and I-495 split.  I-95, I-495 East splits off to the left and I-495 West splits off to the right. A car with no lights on went flying past me doing at least 120 MPH (193 KPH).

After he went by, the cops chasing him came. But they went to the left at the split and the "bad guy" got away.

Blog readers for the past 7 days.

Saturday, September 14, 2024

 I left the Flying J last night at about 10:00 PM EDT.  Lost about an hour in construction bumper-to-bumper traffic in Washington DC.  Drove up to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and dropped my trailer in the Daily yard.  Took the securement stuff off the load and put it on my truck.  Then drove bobtail to the Daily Terminal in Baltimore, Maryland.  Monday morning I'll attach to a stretch trailer for my next load.  I'll be here until Monday morning.  Finished all that before 4:30 AM EDT.  Now it's time for a nap and then a day of great college football!!!  There are some really good games scheduled today.

Friday, September 13, 2024

 I left Jacksonville last night at about 10:30 PM EDT.  Drove 654 miles to the Flying J truck stop in Ruther Glen, Virginia for my 10 hours.

Tomorrow...

It ain't gonna be pretty!!!

Wednesday, September 11, 2011

 

I left at 1:30 AM CDT.  Drove the rest of the way to the Daily terminal in Jacksonville, Florida.  Lots of convoys of power trucks, tree trimming trucks, portable toilets, portable showers, and food bank trucks heading west.  

Tuesday, September 10, 2024

 This morning I loaded a Daily truck that has been sitting at the Houston Terminal since March.  It is going back to Carlisle, PA but I'm routing through Jacksonville because I have a couple things to take care of at home. It wasn't easy loading.  The batteries were stone-cold dead. Had help from another driver.  Together we got the battery charger out of the shop (there is no mechanic there right now)  and charged the batteries. After getting it started, found that there was a large air leak.  The tanks could fill enough to release the brakes but not enough to raise the suspension airbags.  Then when we tried to move it, one of the brake shoes was stuck and wouldn't release.  Finally broke that free and went to put it on my trailer.  Was only able to get it halfway on.  Had to get the big forklift, raise the back of the truck, and then push it the rest of the way on.  It was quite an ordeal that took a good chunk of the morning to accomplish.

There is a hurricane heading toward Louisiana, but I'll be well into Florida before it gets there.

I drove 305 miles to the Petro truck stop in Hammond, Louisiana for my 10 hours.  

Monday, September 9, 2024

 I left early to beat the rush hour traffic.  Not too far from the Daily terminal, I came across this...

Glad I was paying attention!! I was early when I arrived at the Port so I got in line with the rest of the trucks waiting to get in. I was about 12th in line. When the Port opened I went in.  Checked in at 8 AM CDT.  Then waited.  To make a very long and frustrating story short, I finally got empty at noon.  I left there, got fuel, and then went back to the Daily terminal to wait for my next load.

Sunday, September 8, 2024

 

Enjoy it while it lasts.  Their one and only win this year.

Saturday, September 7, 2024

 I was going to leave a lot earlier than I did. I got up at about 2 AM CDT and did three loads of laundry.  When that was done, I left.  Drove 501 miles to the Daily terminal in Houston, Texas.  Arrived at about noon CDT.  I'll be here until Monday morning.  Now it is time to settle in for the rest of the day watching a lot of football!!!!  Hopefully, the Gators will get their one and only win this season this evening.

Friday, September 6, 2024

 I left at about 11 PM CDT last night.  Drove  662 miles today to the Petro truck stop in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

Thursday, September 5, 2024

 I left at about midnight CDT and drove the rest of the way to South Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  I got there at about 7 AM CDT.  The part that I was loading was not quite ready, so I waited.  When it was ready, they loaded it on my trailer.  It is a Power Module for a Caterpillar 7495. It weighs over 47,000 pounds. It is going to the Port in Huston. From there it and the rest of the machine go on a sea cruise to Chile.

It makes this move in and out.

I left there and drove to the Petro truck stop in Rochelle, Illinois for my 10 hours. 510 miles today.  I'm pretty tired this afternoon.  Phone is off.  Good night.

Wednesday, September 4, 2024

I left at about 1 AM EDT.  Continued on my eastbound treck.  When I was about an hour into Iowa my dispatcher called and said that he had a load for me in Ames, Nebraska.  That is just northwest of Omaha.   I turned around and drove back.  I stopped at a truck stop in the area of Ames and had breakfast while waiting for the information about the load.  My dispatcher called and said that the load fell through and we didn't have it.  BUT he had another one for me that loads tomorrow in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  I drove back that way.  I stopped at the Love's truck stop in DeMoines, Iowa when I ran out of hours.  When I stopped I had 15 minutes left on my clock for today.  I drove 645 miles today.

Tuesday September 3, 2024

 I left at about 2:30 AM MDT and drove the rest of the way to Colorado Springs, where I delivered the boom list when they opened at 7 AM MDT. Since I didn't have another load yet, my dispatcher said to head east via Nebraska, so I did. I stopped for my 10 hours at the TA truck stop in Ogallala, Nebraska. 495 Miles today.

Sunday, September 1, 2024

 I left last night at about 11:30 PM EDT.  Very good night on the road.  Drove 628 miles to the Petro truck stop in Colby, Kansas.  I'll be here until Tuesday morning because of the holiday.

Saturday, August 31, 2024

 I left at 1 AM EDT.  Drove 645 miles to the Flying J truck stop in Pontoon Beach, Illinois for my 10 hours. Then settled in for an afternoon of college football.  SEC football is the best!!!  I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!!!!!

Well from the looks of things, the Gators have not improved much since last year.  It is going to be another very long season for them.  It doesn't matter; I still love them!!  I have a feeling they will be looking for another new coach next year.

Friday, August 30, 2024

 I was at JLG in Shippensburg, PA at 6 AM EDT to load this morning.  They have no record of the machine I was to load.  Had to wait until 8 AM for the folks at Daily to get to work and figure out what went wrong with the paperwork.  Great way to start the day!!

At 8 AM my dispatcher called and said that my machine was at the yard in Carlisle.  He also wanted me to go to McConnellsburg, PA, pick up a Caterpillar Telehandler, bring it to the yard in Carlisle, and then load my machine.  So nice when the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing!!!  So I drove to McConnellsburg and loaded a Caterpillar TL1055 Telehandler.

When I got to Carlisle I unloaded it and then loaded the JLG 660SJ Boom Lift that is going to Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Left there but didn't get very far today.  Stopped for my 10 hours at the Somerset Service Plaza on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Somerset, PA.

I'll be stopping early tomorrow. It is the first full weekend of college football. 

Thursday, August 29, 2024

 My truck is all finished with routine maintenance.  My trailer is going to stay here.  I got a brand-new trailer instead.  It came in yesterday.   After the shop finished doing what they do with new trailers and adding the 6 new "D" rings that I requested, they brought it out for me to swap into.  Of course, just as I started to move all my equipment over to the new trailer it started to rain.  It has been sunny the entire time I have been here and the moment I start to work on my trailer it rains!!

When I finished I was soaked through to the skin.  Went and showered.  I will load tomorrow morning in Shippensburg, PA.

Tuesday, Au27, 2024gust

 They finished all the work on my truck this afternoon.  My trailer is another story.  They brought it into the shop this afternoon.  Still don't know what they are going to do with it.  They offered me a hotel room tonight so I took them up on the offer.  We shall see what tomorrow brings.

Monday, August 26, 2024

 I left this morning at about 2:30 AM EDT and drove the rest of the way to Bear, Delaware.  No traffic issues at all.  Delivered the skid steers and went to the "home office" in Carlisle, PA.  Dropped my trailer in the parking lot.  It wasn't too long before they brought my truck into the truck shop and got to work on it.  Meanwhile, I got a car and did a few errands.  They got a lot of the routine maintenance done to the truck.  Still have to replace the windshield and a few other things.  

Found a problem with my trailer too.  It could potentially be a major one.  They will look into it further in the morning.  The picture will mean nothing to you, but here it is anyway.

Tonight I'm picking up another driver at the Harrisburg International Airport.  He is flying in from Dallas.  His flight was supposed to arrive at 11:23 PM EDT but has been delayed to 11:43 (so far). I'm going to take a nap now.

Sunday, August 25, 2024

 My blog readers for the past week...

Saturday, August 24, 2024

 After a long off-season...

The first game of the college football season is today in Dublin, Ireland...

Nick Saban joins the ESPN College Game Day crew!!  Great addition!!!

I love this time of year!!!!!!

 

Friday, August 23, 2024

 I left at about 2 AM EDT.  Shortly after getting started I realized that I didn't have enough hours left on my 70-hour clock to make it to deliver today as hoped.  So instead of going through Washington DC and Baltimore at rush hour today, I decided to stop at the Flying J truck stop in Ruther Glen, Virginia. There is a Golden Coral restaurant there.  I'll leave early enough Monday morning to beat rush hour.

Thursday, August 22, 2024

 I left at about 2:15 AM EDT and drove the rest of the way to Raleigh, NC, and delivered the compactor.  Along the way, my "Check Engine" light came on again.

Instead of reloading this morning, I went to the International dealer in Raleigh to get it fixed again.  It turned out to be an easy fix.  A faulty sensor that was covered under warranty.  I was out of there in time to drive over to Sanford, North Carolina to the Keen yard and load three Caterpillar Skid Steers that are going to Bear, Delaware.

I left there and drove to the closest truck stop.  I was dangerously low on hours.  I went to the Pilot truck stop in Dunn, NC.  Just as I pulled into the parking lot my clock expired.

Wednesday, August 21, 2024

 I left at midnight last night.  Had no problems with traffic again today!!  Made it through Atlanta long before rush hour.  Drive 472 miles today to the TA truck stop in Cowpens, South Carolina.

Tuesday, August 20, 2024

 Left when my 10 hours were up at about 3:30 AM CDT.  No traffic issues today.  Stopped for my 10 hours after driving 561 miles at the TA truck stop in Meridian, Mississippi.

Monday, August 19, 2024

 Delivered the thing this morning.  Thought I was going to have a load in Dallas so I started off that way.  Unfortunately, it didn't pan out so I stopped at a little truck stop and took a nap while waiting to find out where I was going next. 

Finally got my next load.  Drove to Holt Caterpillar in Waco, Texas, and loaded a Caterpillar CP56B Compactoe that is going to Raleigh, North Carolina.

It was 105 degrees F (40.5 C) here and no shade.  Left there and drove to the TA truck stop in Hillsboro, Texas for my 10 hours.

Sunday, August 18, 2024

 Last night I left at about 10:30 PM CDT when my 10 hours were up.  Nothing exciting or interesting today. Stopped along the way and took about an hour nap.  Drove 641 miles to the Love's truck stop in Seguin, Texas.  I'll deliver in the morning.

My blog readers this week...

Saturday, August 17, 2024

 I left at about 2 AM EDT.  Very uneventful day on the road.  Drove 583 miles to the TA truck stop in Earle, Arkansas. I'll start again around midnight.

Friday, August 16, 2024

 I checked out of my hotel this morning and went over to Thermo King.  Was there when they opened.  They took my truck in right away, diagnosed the problem, and fixed it.  The alternator was bad. I was out of there at about 9:30 AM EDT.  Amazing!!   That never happens that fast!!! My next load was over in New Philadelphia, Ohio.  It was not supposed to load until Monday.  I called them and they said that the machine was ready and to come on over and load.  I did.  Loaded a Mantis PM201FR.  This company just started to make these machines in the USA and I got the very first one.  It is going to Seguin, Texas.

I left there and drove to the Flying J truck stop in Jeffersonville, Ohio for my ten hours.

Thursday, August 15, 2024

 I checked out of my hotel around 3 AM EDT and drove to Pataskala, Ohio.  I got there just as he was opening the gate.  Unloaded and headed toward Thermoking in Columbus, Ohio.  They were booked up today but can get to me in the morning. So I got a hotel room at the Best Western just down the street from Thermoking.  I was able to check in right away!!  Amazing.

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

 Nothing interesting today.  This machine is going to Pataskala, Ohio.  I left as soon as my 10 hours were up.  I drove 650 miles to the Pilot truck stop in Sulphur, Kentucky for the night.

This evening my APU died again.

So I bundled everything up and went to a hotel in LaGrange, Kentucky for the night.  I'll deliver in the morning then head to Thermoking for repairs.

Tuesday, August 13, 2024

 First thing this morning I went about 30 miles west to a job site where the machine was that I was to load.  They had to bring it out to me and I had to load on the road.  Loaded a Screen Machine 50TJ Jaw Crusher.  Cute little machine.  

Left there and drove to the TA truck stop in Prescott, Arkansas for my 10 hours.

Monday, August 12, 2024

 Well, today started off great!!  I was greeted with a "Check Engine" light.

Called the shop and they found a place to go to get it checked out and fixed.  Instead of loading this morning, I drove to the International dealer in Arlington, Texas, checked in, and waited.  It took all day (surprise, surprise) to get it fixed.  I got my truck back and went back to the Petro truck stop where I spent the weekend in Weatherford, Texas.  I'll try again to load in the morning.