Wednesday, April 16, 2025

 Not much interesting today. I left at about 10 PM MDT.  Drove 664 miles to the Petro truck stop in Kingdom City, Missouri.

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

 I left at about 11 PM CDT and drove up to Henderson, Colorado.  That is on the north side of Denver.  Got there when they opened.  It took a while to load because they had to take the bucket off the Liebherr  L546Z Wheel Loader. Once they did that it was loaded on my trailer.  It is going to Newport News, Virginia.

I left there and drove to the TA truck stop in Limon, Colorado for my 10 hours.  Saw lots of pronghorn elk along I-70. 520 miles today.

Internet Photo

Monday, April 14, 2025

 This morning I delivered the wheel loader.  Then I went to Walmart and restocked.  After that got the truck washed.  Parked at the TA truck stop in Amarillo to finish my reset because I only had 46 minutes available today.   Got some good sleep this morning!!

Sunday, April 13, 2025

 I left at midnight and drove the rest of the way to Amarillo, Texas.  516 miles.  Parked at the Caterpillar dealer, where I'm unloading Monday morning.  Then I went to sleep.

For dinner, I went to, where else?  The Big Texan!!

There were three guys taking the 72-ounce challenge when I got there.  None of them made it.  The guy with the full beard lasted the longest, but in the end, the steak won out!!

Here is my steak.

It was so good!!!!!!!

Then back to the Caterpillar dealer for the night with a full belly!!!

Saturday, April 12, 2025

 I left when my 10 hours were up.  That was about 1 AM EDT.  Drove 668 miles to the Flying J truck stop in Russellville, Arkansas for the night.

Friday, April 11, 2025

 I left at about 4 AM EDT and drove the rest of the way to Clayton, North Carolina and loaded a Caterpillar 938 Wheel Loader that is going to Amarillo, Texas.  

I left there in pretty good time.  Had heavy traffic with some periods of bumper-to-bumper traffic.  Also had rain off and on all day.  I stopped for my 10 hours at the Petro truck stop in Carnesville, Georgia.  Only 490 miles today.

Thursday, April 10, 2025

 I got up real early this morning and did three loads of laundry.  After that was done, I left a half hour after sunrise and drove to West Columbia, South Carolina and delivered the dozer.  My next load is tomorrow morning in Clayton, North Carolina.  I started in that direction but stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Florence, SC.

Wednesday, April 9, 2025

 I left at midnight and drove the rest of the way to Dublin, Georgia and delivered the telehandler.  My next load was in Albany, GA.  Drove there and loaded a John Deere 700L Dozer that is going to West Columbus, South Carolina.

Left there and drove a few miles away to the Love's truck stop for the night.  539 miles today.  I'm exhausted!!!  Good night!!

Tuesday, April 8, 2025

 When my 10 hours were up, I left.  Drove to Mechanicsville, Virginia and delivered the generator.  From there I drove up to Lorton, Virginia and loaded a Telehandler that is going to Dublin, Georgia.

I left there and headed back south.  Stopped at the Petro truck stop in Kenly, North Carolina for my 10 hours.  636 miles today

Monday, April 7, 2025

 This morning, I drove up to Port Wentworth, Georgia, and loaded a Caterpillar generator that is going to Mechanicsville, Virginia.

I left there and drove to the Petro truck stop in Florence, South Carolina for the night.

Thursday, April 3, 2025

Last night, my air conditioning totally went out.  Had to idle the truck all night

 I was at Thermoking first thing this morning to get my APU fixed.  They took it right in and got to work on it.  The A/C compressor went bad so they replaced it. Then they checked out the rest of it. They found a couple more issues and fixed them too.  It took all day!!!  I left there at quitting time and went back to the Daily Yard.

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

 I left early and was in Ocala to deliver when they opened.  Delivered the excavator and drove back to Jacksonville.  This afternoon my APU started to act up so tomorrow morning I'll be at Thermoking when they open to get that serviced.  It's always something!!!

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

 

I was at International in Jacksonville before they opened.  When they opened, they took my truck in right away and fixed it.  I was out of there before noon.  Went back to the yard and got my trailer.  Then up to the Port in Brunswick and loaded a Caterpillar 315 Excavator that is going to Ocala, Florida. 

After that, I went back to the Daily Yard in Jacksonville for the night.

Monday, March 31, 2025

 This morning I went to the Port in Brunswick, Georgia and loaded a Caterpillar D5 Dozer that was going to Midway, Florida.

Left there and drove to Midway and delivered the dozer.  From there I went back to the Daily Yard in Jacksonville.  On the way, my check engine light came on.  

Tomorrow I'll go to International to get that fixed.

Sunday, March 30, 2025

 Blog readers for the past 7 days...

Saturday, March 29, 2025

 When my 10 hours were up, I left.  Drive to the Daily yard in Jacksonville, Florida.  My truck was due for an oil change so I went to the local Love's truck stop and had that done.  Back to the yard after that.  Monday I'll head to Brunswick, Georgia for my next load.

Friday, March 28, 2025

 I left Earle, Arkansas at sunrise this morning.  Had a good day on the road except for Atlanta.  Quite a bit of bumper-to-bumper traffic there. BUT I made it to Macon, Georgia just in time to deliver today.  I drove over 8 1/2 hours nonstop, 549 miles, to get there in time. From there I went to the Love's truck stop about a mile away for the night.  I'm exhausted!!!  Good night.

Thursday, March 27, 2025

 At about 4:30 AM CDT, a thunderstorm came through. It was pretty good! There was pea-sized hail, very heavy wind, rain, and a lot of lightning.

Left there at sunrise.  Pretty good day on the road.  Drove 539 miles to the TA truck stop in Earle, Arkansas for the night.

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

 I left at sunrise this morning and drove the rest of the way to Wichita, Kansas.  Delivered the truck.  My next load was also in Wichita.  I drove over to the Caterpillar dealer and loaded a Caterpillar D4 Dozer that is going to Macon, Georgia.

Left there and drove to a convenience store with a dirt truck parking area in Leon, Kansas.  I'll be here for the night. I am really tired tonight.  Going to sleep real soon!!!

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

 I left just before sunrise this morning.  Had a good uneventful day on the road.  Drove 491 miles to the TA truck stop in Blackwell, Arkansas for the night.

Monday, March 24, 2025

 This morning I drove up to Brunswick, Georgia, and loaded a Rokbak RA30 Rock Truck that is going to Wichita, Kansas.

Left there and headed toward Kansas.  Lots of slo-n'-go and bumper-to-bumper traffic from south of Atlanta to Atlanta.  Made it through that and continued on.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Lincoln, Alabama.  That is right next to the Talladega Superspeedway.

Saturday, March 22, 2025

 At 9 PM EDT last night my 10 hours were up and I left.  Drove to the Daily terminal in Jacksonville for the rest of the weekend.

Friday, March 21, 2025

 Last night at 11 PM EDT my 10 hours were up and I left.  Drove the rest of the way to Miami.  Had some slo-n'-go traffic on the way.  Delivered the wheel loader.  My next load is Monday in Brunswick, Georgia.  I started that way and stopped at the TA truck stop in Vero Beach when I ran out of hours. 639 miles today.

Thursday, March 20, 2025

 I left when my ten hours were up.  That was about 2 AM CDT.  Still pretty windy outside.  No problems through Nashville or Chatanooga.  BUT Atlanta was a different story.  Slo-n'-go and bumper-to-bumper traffic from about 20 miles north of Atlanta all the way around Atlanta until I passed I-20.  Then some more at the I-285 / I-75 merge.  Continued to the Pilot truck stop in Tifton, Georgia.  I'll do my 10 and hit the road again tonight.  615 miles today.

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

 Very early this morning I left and continued the rest of the way to John Deere in Davenport, Iowa.  Loaded a John Deere 544P Wheel Loader and Bucket that is going to Miami, Florida. Very windy today.  Under a tornado watch and a severe thunderstorm warning while loading.  You can see the approaching storm in the background of the first photo.

For a change, I beat the storm and got out of there before it hit.  I fought the heavy wind all day.  A tornado watch all day too.  I stopped for my 10 hours at the Road Ranger truck stop in Marion, Illinois.  The power was out there when I got there.  Glad I didn't need anything from inside.  593 miles today.

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

 As soon as my 10 hours were up, I left Wheeling, WV, and drove the rest of the way to Bridgeton, Missouri.  Delivered the compactors.  My next load is tomorrow morning in Davenport, Iowa.  I started off that way but ran out of hours for today.  Stopped at a small truck stop in Farmersville, Illinois.  651 miles today.

Monday, March 17, 2025

 This morning I got my next trailer and it was broken.  Had to wait for the shop guys to come in and fix it.  When they finished, I went to Shippensburg, PA for my next load.  When I got there I found out that I didn't have the right wood for the load.  I went back to Carlisle and got it.  Went back to Shippensburg and loaded a Volvo DD128 Compactor and a Volvo DD15 Compactor.  They are going to a show in Bridgeton, Missouri.  The DD15 (the little one) is a prototype, the only one of its kind.  It is all electric.

Left there and drove to the TA truck stop in Wheeling, West Virginia for my 10 hours.

Friday, March 14, 2025

I left Brazil, Indiana at 2:30 AM EDT when my 10 hours were up.  Drove to Wheatland, Pennsylvania, and delivered the transformers.  From there I drove to the "home office" in Carlisle, PA, and dropped off the flatbed trailer.  My next load is Monday morning so I'll be here until then.  669 miles today.

Thursday, March 13, 2025

 I left at 2 AM CDT this morning.  Very good day on the road.  683 miles today.  Stopped when I ran out of hours at the Petro truck stop in Brazil, Indiana.

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

 This morning I went back to load.  Got there just before the crane arrived.  It took a long time to get set up.  Finally, they loaded two transformers that are going to Wheatland, Pennsylvania.

Each one weighs over 17,000 pounds (7711 Kg).  Left there and drove to the Petro truck stop in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for my ten hours.

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

 I was able to get unloaded this afternoon!!   My next load is tomorrow in almost the same place.  The crane won't be there until 11:30 AM so I'll sleep in again.  Until then I'm at the Love's truck stop in Denton, Texas.

Monday, March 10, 2025

 Was getting ready to go at 9 AM when the Dallas curfew was over when I got a call from Daily that said not to go into the job site until they called.  So instead of leaving, I waited.  At about 9:30 Daily called and said it was ok to go in.  Once my escort arrived we left and drove the rest of the way to Denton, Texas to the job site.  Once we arrived we were informed that they were going to have me drop my trailer in the back because they could not unload me today.  There were 5 of us to be unloaded.  They said that they could not put the crane up because the job site was so close to an airport.   They said they couldn't unload us until Thursday.  They took me to the area where they wanted us to drop our trailers and I dropped mine.  I left and went over to the TA truck stop in Denton to wait.  Daily called and said that they might be able to unload us tomorrow.  We'll see.

Saturday, March 8, 2025

 We left at sunrise this morning and drove to the TA truck stop in Rockwall, Texas.  Will be here until Monday morning.

Friday, March 7, 2025

 We left at 2:45 AM EST and drove 610 miles to the Petro truck stop in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

Thursday, March 6, 2025

 Left at 4 AM and drove the rest of the way to Chantilly, Virginia.  The place I loaded was right next to the Dulles International Airport.  While I was waiting to load I watched the airplanes landing right in front of me.  Saw an Emirates A-380 land.  That is one big airplane!!!!

Internet Photo, But It Looked Just Like This

Loaded a large fuel tank that is for a huge generator.  It is going to Denton, Texas.

It is 12 feet, 10 inches wide.  You can see my pilot escort car in the first photo.  We left there and headed toward Texas.  Had some snow flurries in southern Virginia.  Otherwise an uneventful day on the road.  I like it that way!!!  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Greenville, Tennessee.  516 miles today.

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

 I left at 2 AM EST and drove the rest of the way to Monroe Township, New Jersey, and delivered the wheel loader right when they opened.  My next load is in Chantilly, Virginia tomorrow morning BUT it requires a different trailer.  I drove to Carlisle, Pennsylvania and dropped off my trailer and got the trailer needed for the load.  From there I drove to the A.C.&T. truck stop in Hagerstown, Maryland for the night.

Tuesday, March 4, 2025

 Left early this morning and arrived in Hope Mills, NC this morning when they opened. Loaded a Caterpillar 930 Wheel Loader that is going to Monroe, New Jersey.

Left there but stopped early at the Love's truck stop in Ruther Glen, Virginia.  Didn't feel like messing with Washington DC traffic today.  I'll leave in the middle of the night and avoid all that.  

Monday, March 3, 2025

 I left early this morning to beat the Atlanta rush hour traffic.  Arrived at my unloading place and took the tarp off.  They told me that they don't open until 9 AM so I parked and took a nap. At 9, I went in to get unloaded.  I was 5th in line.  Finally got unloaded.  My next load is in Hope Mills, North Carolina.  I started off that way and stopped for the night at the Pilot truck stop in Latta, South Carolina.

Saturday, March 1, 2025

 I left when my 10 hours were up and drove 538 miles to the Pilot truck stop in Temple, Georgia. I'll be here until Monday morning.  Stopped here because I didn't want to spend the weekend in Atlanta. Yuck!!  I'm about an hour from delivery.

Friday, February 28, 2025

 I finally got my next load.  It was in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  I drove over there and was there at 7:30 AM CST and loaded an air cooler that is going to Fairburn, Georgia.  

Just as I was ready to get my paperwork they came out and said that it needed to be traped.  I called Daily and raised my objection.  They made a bunch of phone calls while I waited for them to make a decision.  I sat there for two hours waiting for a decision.  Finally, they said yes, it had to be tarped.  So I got the tarp up and spread out, and the wind blew it off.  THEN they said to pull it inside and do it.  So I backed inside the building, folded the tarp up again, and started over.

I got the stupid thing tarped and left.

I left there and drove to the TA truck stop in Atkins, Arkansas for my 10 hours.

Thursday, February 27, 2025

 I left early this morning and drove the rest of the way to Springdale, AR, and delivered the motorgrader.  Didn't have another load so I went to a small truck stop two miles away and waited.  Had a real good breakfast there.  

Sat there all day and......nothing.  Hope I'm outa here tomorrow.

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

 I left at about 1:30 AM CST.  Didn't get very far.  At about 2 AM CST, one of my trailer tires blew.  

I was able to limp to the closest truck stop, which was the TA in Earle, Arkansas.  The repair shop closed at midnight.  Our after-hours roadside service people couldn't get anyone to come out and replace the tire so I had to wait for the TA shop to open at 6 AM CST.  The service tech that was supposed to come in at 6 did not show up until after 7.  At 8:15 I was finally pulled into the shop bay to get started. I was due for a DOT inspection so they did that first. They didn't start on the tire until 9:30.  They finished at noon and I was back on the road, but again, not for long.  I ran out of hours for today and stopped at the TA truck stop in Atkins, Arkansas.  If nothing else goes wrong, I will deliver in the morning. 

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

 I left Jacksonville, FL at 9 PM EST last night.  Drove 692 miles to the Love's truck stop in Hope Springs, Mississippi. That is about 30 miles south of Memphis, TN.

Monday, February 24, 2025

 Finally back to work.  This morning I went up to Brunswick, Georgia, and loaded a Caterpillar 120 Motorgrader that is going to Springdale, Arkansas.

I left there and went back to Jacksonville.  Had an appointment to attend there.  I'll leave Jax at about 9 PM tonight.

Saturday, February 15, 2025

 I left when my 10 hours were up.  Drove the rest of the way to the Daily terminal in Jacksonville, Florida.  609 miles today.

Friday, February 14, 2025

 By 11:30 this morning it was looking like I wasn't going to get a load today.  I didn't want to stay in Baltimore all weekend and pay $25 a day to park there.  My dispatcher said to go ahead on up to Carlisle.  I started in that direction.  I got almost to Pennsylvania when he called back and said to head to Georgia for a load on Monday.  I turned around and headed south.  Lots of bumper-to-bumper and slow-n'-go traffic in Baltimore and Washington DC.  Finally had enough of it and stopped at the TA truck stop in Ashland, Virginia.  Just before 5 PM, dispatch said that the load wouldn't load until Tuesday.  That wasn't going to work for me since I was working my way home for a doctor's appointment on Thursday.  He took me off that load and said to continue to Jacksonville.  Good grief!!