Monday, November 3, 2025

 Well, the office staff screwed up.  They didn't get me any pilot cars for today.  After the office staff came in to work, I sent them an email asking where my cars were.  They got on it right away and ordered two of them for me.  They arrived around 2 PM EST.  At that point, it was a waste of time to go anywhere today, so we will get started a half hour before sunrise in the morning.

Sunday, November 2, 2025

 Even though they didn't win, they played great!! What a good game that was!!!

We left at sunrise this morning. Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Easton, Ohio.  Was done before noon.  Can't drive in Indiana on the weekends.  My two pilot escort cars left.  I'll get two new ones tomorrow morning.

Saturday, November 1, 2025

 We (myself and my two pilot cars) couldn't leave until 9 AM EDT.  Had a very good day on the road.  Beautiful autumn colors through the mountains of Pennsylvania.  The permit route had us going through some incredibly tight two-lane roads in a few small towns.  Stopped for the night at Trucker's World truck stop in Hubbard, Ohio.  Only 384 miles today.   

Friday, October 31, 2025

 I left at 2 AM EDT and drove to the Port of Baltimore in Dundalk, Maryland.  Loaded a large crate that has a printing press in it.  It is 15 feet, 7 inches wide and weighs 54,000 pounds.  There are multiple truckloads of these things going to Neenah, Wisconsin.

After measuring it found out that all my permits had to be reordered because they ordered them at 15'3".  So I sat there and waited for them to come in.  Ended up going over to the oversize lot at the TA truck stop in Baltimore.  By the time my Maryland permit came in I was very low on hours for the day so I ended up staying there for the night.  I have 2 pilot escort cars with this load, and they will be back in the morning.  Can't leave until 9 AM.  I ran out of printer ink so I made a quick trip over to Walmart to restock.

Thursday, October 30, 2025

 I left when my 10 hours were up at about 2:30 AM EDT.  Lots of rain today.  Very heavy wind too!!!  The wind didn't let up until about Scranton, PA.   They changed my destination to Bloomingburg, New York. So I went there and delivered the roller in the rain and mud.  My next load is tomorrow morning at the Port in Baltimore.  I went to the TA truck stop in Maybrook, New York, for a much-needed shower and my 10 hours.  Hope the weather is better tomorrow.  449 miles today.

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

 This morning I was in Rincon, Georgia, before they opened at 7 AM EDT.  When they opened, loaded a Caterpillar CB10 Asphalt Compactor that is going up to Poughkeepsie, New York.

I order to get it up on the trailer, have to build a ramp.

Left there in pretty good time.  Drove to the TA truck stop in Ashland, Virginia for my 10 hours.  624 miles today.

Monday, October 27, 2025

 This morning I went over and unloaded first thing.  This is how it looked after the shrink wrap shredded.

After that went to the Jacksonville, Florida yard for a couple of days.  Next load is on Wednesday morning, back up in Rincon, Georgia.  That's near Savannah.

Sunday, October 26, 2025

 I left at 1 AM EDT and drove to the Pilot truck stop that is about 6 minutes away from delivery tomorrow.  I have a 1:30 PM delivery appointment, but I'm going to go in the morning and see if they can do it earlier.

Saturday, October 25, 2025

 I left at midnight last night.  Didn't get 25 miles down the road when the plastic shrink wrap shredded.  Stopped and cut most of it off.  Continued on to the TA truck stop in Cartersville, Georgia, for the night.  550 miles today.   Now it is time for an afternoon of SEC football!!  Gaters are off this week.

Friday, October 24, 2025

 I left at about 2 AM CDT and drove the rest of the way to the farm in Mason City, Illinois, and delivered the truck.  My next load has a loading appointment at 6:30 PM EDT in Lafayette, Indiana. I drove over there.   I was way early.  I got there before noon but checked in anyway.  Then waited for them to load me.  

At 1 PM EDT they called me in to load.  Loaded a Caterpillar 3516 Genset that is going to Savannah, Georgia,

After loading, I pulled around to the staging area and settled in for my 10 hours.  Will be leaving around midnight.

Thursday, October 23, 2025

 This morning I was at Texarkana, Arkansas, when they opened at 7 AM CDT.  Loaded a Kenworth W900 Truck that is going to a farm in Mason City, Illinois.

This load is one heck of a lot better than the last one!!!!  I left there and drove to the TA truck stop in Matthews, Missouri, for the night.

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

 I let a half hour before sunrise this morning.  All back roads today.  Drove the rest of the way to Winnsboro, Texas.  Tarps did better than expected.  

Took a while to unload, but finally got it done!!

I left there and headed for Texarkana.  I load there in the morning.  Stopped at the Love's truck stop in Queen City, Texas for the night.  I'm exhausted and my back is toast!!  Good night.

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

 I left at 5 AM CDT.  Fortunately, no problems on the road today. Drove 603 miles to the TA truck stop in Savanna, Oklahoma, for the night.

Monday, October 20, 2025

 I went back and hooked up to my trailer this morning.  Got there at 7:45 AM CDT.  Sat there waiting for my permits.  At 10 AM, they came in, and I left.  Had to stop and fix the tarps 8 separate times along the way.  Stopped for the night at the Love's truck stop in Ellsworth, Iowa.

Sunday, October 19, 2025

 I had the prime rib again last night!!!

It's about time!!!!!   Should have done this last year!!!!!

Saturday, October 18, 2025

 This morning, I went back and finished securing everything. 

What a mess!!!  If these tarps survive the trip to Texas, it will be a miracle!!!  It is also VERY top-heavy.  It's going to be an interesting trip.

After dropping the trailer, I went back to the Petro truck stop and will be there until Monday morning.  

Now it is time for another Saturday of great SEC football!!!!  GO GATORS!!!

Friday, October 17, 2025

Tomorrow!

But first, today...

I went over to Saint Joseph, Minnesota, this morning to load.  I got there at 7:40 AM CDT.  I was loading a CNC Machine that weighs 20,000 pounds, which is going to Texas.  It was supposed to be a legal load (not over-dimensional or overweight).  It wasn't ready.  It was still welded to the floor.  The rigging company that was hired to get the thing out the door and onto my trailer wasn't given the proper information and didn't have the equipment to do the job.  A second company was hired and wasn't due to arrive until 10:30.

The other company arrived and got to work.  I waited.  A second truck arrived that was taking the rest of the machine parts.  They loaded him, and he left.  

The initial plan was for them to lift the machine up, I was to back inside the building, and they were going to set it on my trailer.  Well, that didn't work.  Couldn't get the thing up high enough.  It would hit the overhead lights and sprinkler system piping.  So they brought in a little remote-controlled sled (for lack of a better word) that has little tracks under it.  They set the thing on it and very slowly inched it out of the building.

Putting the rear wheels under the machine

Once it was outside the building, they put it on my trailer.  I secured it to the trailer and drove to the back of the building, where there was more room, and we didn't block the only driveway in and out.  The second piece was loaded on my trailer, and I secured it.  I don't have photos of this yet. I was too busy to take any photos.  Here is the second piece when it was still in the building.

Then the fun began!!!!  They had to be tarped!!!!  Put the tarps on the two tall sections, but didn't have enough to cover the entire thing.  By now, the sun is setting.  I dropped the trailer and went to Home Depot and bought one of the largest tarps they had, returned and put it on.  By now, the sun had set, and I was working by the lights from my headlights.  I put it on enough so that the wind wouldn't blow it off.  I was done for today!!!!  The thing measured out to be 14 feet, 6 inches high.  That means it is now a permit load.  Can't get any permits until Monday.  I left there at 8 PM CDT.  I drove back to the Petro truck stop where I was last night.  I had the prime rib again.  This time, I remembered to take a photo of it.

After dinner, I took a very much-needed shower.  As you might guess, I'm exhausted!!  I'll finish bundling it up on Sunday.  My body, especially my back, needs a day of recuperation.

Thursday, October 16, 2025

 I left Gary, Indiana, last night at about 10:30 PM CDT.  Drove to Savage, Minnesota, and was a little bit early.  When they got there, I unloaded the wheel loader.  My next load is tomorrow morning in Saint Joseph, Minnesota.  Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Cleawater, MN.  This place has the BEST, by far, truck stop restaurant in the country!!!   They have an unbelievable bakery. 

I got a caramel roll.  It was amazingly good!!!!

For dinner, I had the prime rib. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of it.  It is the best I have ever had!!  It is so good.  I look forward to having it every time I come here. For dessert, I had hot apple pie à la mode.  It, like everything else in here, was fantastic!!!  It is all expensive, but oh so worth it!!!!

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

 I left the yard in Carlisle, PA, at about midnight 30 EDT.  Drove 681 miles, stopping only once for the required stupid 30-minute break.  Ended my day with only 20 minutes left on my clock at the Petro truck stop in Gary, Indiana.

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

 I was going to go to the Port of Baltimore this morning after my dispatcher confirmed that the load was ready.  When the Port opened, he called them and found out that it had not cleared Customs yet and would not be ready until sometime next week.  So he gave me something else.  I received a loading appointment of 12:30 PM EDT at the Keen yard, about 3 miles from our yard in Carlisle.  When the time came, I went over and loaded a Komatsu WA200-8Y Wheel Loader that is going to Savage, Minnesota.

I went back to the Daily yard, parked, and went to sleep so that I could leave around midnight.  I'd much rather drive at night, when I can.

Monday. October 13, 2025

 I left a half hour before sunrise this morning and made my way to Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, and delivered the genset.  I had a few trailer lights that needed to be rewired, so I went to the "home office"  in Carlisle, PA, and had that taken care of.  Stayed there for the night.

Sunday, October 12, 2025

 

Saturday, October 11, 2025

 This morning loaded a Caterpillar 3516E Genset that is going to Mount Joy, Pennsylvania.  Fortunately, I didn't have to tarp it.  It was already done.

Left there and drove to the TA truck stop in Seville, Ohio. I'll be here until Monday morning.

Friday, October 10, 2025

 This morning, I drove the rest of the way to Springfield, Missouri, and delivered the motor grader.  My next load is tomorrow morning in Lafayette, Indiana.  I drove up there and parked outside in the truck staging area for the night.  623 miles today.

Blog readers for the past seven days...