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