Friday, August 13, 2010

Delivered the PVC pipe in Pikesville, TN.  They put the biggest dope on the fork lift. It took him 2 hours to unload me.  Would have been even longer but he accidentally pushed two bundles off the side of the truck. They came crashing down!  I was sitting in my cab watching this idiot thru the mirror. Glad no one was under those pipe bundles when they fell.

Then I drove over to Spring City, TN and picked up my next load.  45,080 pounds of bricks. There are 12,880 of them back there.  They are going to Lafayette, LA. 

Stopped for the night in Gadsden, AL at the Petro truck stop.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Finally got a load from Weatherford, Texas going to Pikeville, Tennessee.  46,000 pounds of PVC pipe.    Drove past the new Dallas Cowboy's Stadium.  It is georgous.  Didn't get a very good photo of it though, too much traffic.

Stopped for the night after driving 677 miles in Jackson, Tennessee.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Well, I'm still sitting here in Dallas.  Kristeen (my wonderful dispatcher) tells me that freight has dried up this month. Makes me a bit nervous. I did turn down a load that needed tarping and sounded like it was going to be a disaster to tarp and keep tarped going down the road.  Its just not worth the aggravation!!  I'd rather sit another day than deal with a mess like that.  We will see what tomorrow brings.

Tuesday, August, 10, 2010

Monday, August 9, 2010

Delivered this morning in Grand Praire, TX.  Thats basically between Dallas and Ft. Worth.  Now I'm back at the truck stop in Dallas for a 34 hour reset.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Drove 556 miles today down to Dallas.  I love Texas interstates!  Deliver tomorrow morning not too far from here.  Thermometer on the truck says that it is 106 degrees.  I believe it!!  Its HOT here.

Drove past Parkland Hospital on the way.  For those folks that don't remember, that is the hospital President Kennedy was taken to and pronounced dead.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Got up this morning feeling a bit better.  Drove from Delta, Ohio almost straight through, stopping only twice to pee, to Lebanon, Missouri.  624 miles.  Passed a pretty cool car on fire somewhere around Indy.  That's about all the excitement today.  Just a nice drive.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Delivered the insulated panels to a power plant that Duke Electric is building.  Its a huge coal power plant in Edwardsport, Indiana.

Just think how much they are spending on crane rental!! 

After I finished there drove to Delta, Ohio and picked up my next load. 10 rolls of steel.  Got the load on, tied down, and tarped then went to the scale.  My drive axles were 860 pounds overweight.  All together I was 160 pounds overweight on the gross weight. Sooooo   I had to go back, untarp, unsecure the load and move a couple rolls around. When that was done I re-secured the load and re-tarped it and went back to the scale.  Fortunately the re-arranging did the trick.  The weight on all the axles was fine but I was still overweight on the gross.  That's ok because after the fuel burned off in about 150 miles the weight would be under 80,000 pounds.  Just can't fill the tanks.  It doesn't look like much but believe me, IT IS!!  I was so exhausted all I did was take a well deserved long hot shower and fall into bed.  Slept like a rock!!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Another uneventful day on the road.  Drove up to Haubstadt, Indiana.  Spending the night at the Flying J.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Picked up my next load in Deland, FL.  Insulated Panels going to a power plant in Edwardsport, Indiana. 

Stopped for the night in Cartersville, Georgia.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Drove over to Deland.  Pick up a load tomorrow morning that goes to Indianapolis, Indiana.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Delivered my load in Plant City, FL this morning. Now waiting on my next one.

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Drove 491 miles to Ocala today.  Parked the big truck & went to Mom's in the little truck.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Drove down to Blue Springs, Mississippi and delivered this morning.  23 hours ahead of schedule!!  Delivered in a huge brand new (although it has been sitting empty for the past 2 years) Toyota plant.  The building is empty, except for the stuff we brought in.

Once empty drove down to West Point, Mississippi and loaded up with my next load that I'm taking to Plant City, Florida.

Stopped for the night after driving 563 miles today in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Drove 725 miles today.  Stopped for the night in Roland, Oklahoma at the Cherokee Casino.  Roland is at the Oklahoma / Arkansas border.

Saw these two stickers on the frame of my truck.  Is this another WTF moment??

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Another uneventful day on the road.  Drove 687 miles to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Spending the night at the TA truck Stop.

I forgot to tell you that yesterday while driving south on I-5 I saw a California Highway Patrol Trooper writing a ticket to the driver of a Bentley!   Only in California!!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Went to Fremont, CA this morning to pick up my next load. It was at a closed down auto manufacturing plant.  Was a joint venture between GM and Toyota to build cars.  The Vibe was one of the models built there.  When GM went belly up Toyota decided to close the plant down, in part, due to the high cost and difficulties of doing business in California.  They are moving most of the manufacturing equipment to a brand new facility in Blue Springs, Mississippi.  There were 9 trucks there with me this morning.  I got a full die press and a half of another one and a basket of assorted stuff weighing about 33,000 pounds.

While we were talking and waiting for our turn to load I noticed a slice in the side wall of one of my back tires on the truck.  The tire still was holding air but it was deep enough to need replacing as soon as possible.  After loading I stopped and had 2 new tires put on.

While driving on CA-58 just before the Majove Desert there was one of California's famous brush fires burning.  Could see the smoke for miles.  When I got close the fire was really visable. It was a "good" one.  Saw the huge Sky Crane fire fighting helicoter flying around dropping water on it.  Pretty cool. 

Stopped for the night at the TA Truck Stop in Barstow, California.  Only 467 mles today.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Delivered this morning in Stockton, CA.  Spending the night at the Flying J in Ripon, CA.  Load tomorrow morning in Fremont, CA going to Blue Springs, Mississippi.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Drove to Lodi, California this morning.  Deliver just down the road in Stockton tomorrow morning.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Drove 697 miles today to Battle Mountain, Nevada.  Spending the night here in the Flying J.

On the way went past the Olympic ski jump.  It is east of Salt Lake City and very visible from I-80.

Stopped at the rest area in front of the Bonneville Salt Flats.  That is about 120 miles west of Salt Lake City on I-80.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Pretty uneventful day. Drove 722 miles to Laramie, Wyoming.  Spending the night here at the Petro.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Delivered this morning is St. Louis, MO then went to Madison, IL and picked up my next load.

44,810 pounds of galvanized steel rolls going to Stockton, California.  Delivers Monday morning.

Stopped for the night in Oak Grove, MO just outside of Kansas City.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Picked up a load today in Oglesby, IL and took the flat stuff to Morton, IL then drove to Troy, IL for the night.  Deliver the rolls tomorrow morning in St. Louis, MO.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Delivered first thing this morning then went just down the road and had my windshield replaced.  Had a huge crack in the middle of it and 3 rock chips.

After my windshield was done I went to Johnson Creek to a truck stop that's about half way between Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  There is a restaurant there that is pretty good.  Their baked goods are fantastic!!  Took a few photos of some of the stuff they bake. I'll definitely be back here!!

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Am I the only one that sees the stupidity in this??

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Drove up to Oak Creek, Wisconsin.  That is just south of Milwaukee.  Will be here until Monday morning.  Deliver this load in New Berlin, Wisconsin Monday morning.

My new VuCube works great!!!   Glad I got it!!!

Friday, July 16, 2010

Went to Thermo King in Denver and got my APU fixed, minor repair.  They were jerks. Must not be a very good place to work, seemed like they were all unhappy.  Won't go there again!!

Then drove to Des Moines, Iowa and spent the night there.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Spent most of the day getting my new VuCube installed at the Grand Junction Peterbilt shop.  Then drove to Denver.  Drove east on I-70.  My favorite interstate highway.  Had to stop 3 times going up hill to let the truck cool down.  Took a few more photos for you.  If you pay attention you can see in a couple of them that I was parked on the side of the road cooling the engine off when I took the photo.

Cooling off.

Cooling off again just before the Eisenhower Tunnel. Elevation 11,000 feet.

Inside the tunnel. Bet you didn't know that!  :)

Going down the other side.  12 miles of 5% and 6% grade dropping 4,000 feet.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

After I got my load on and secured I drove up I-15 to I-70. These photos are along I-70 east bound in Utah.

Stopped for the night in Grand Junction, Colorado

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Dropped off my load this morning then went to pick up my next load.  It was only 9 miles away over near Nellis Air Force Base.  They were doing a lot of flying today.  F-15s and F-16s taking off right over my head.  Really cool!!!  Really LOUD too!!!

Las Vegas is building a new waste water treatment facility.  They are running the pipe underground.  72 inch pipe from Nellis AFB and 80 inch pipe from Las Vegas feed the facility.  They hired this company from Wisconsin to tunnel underground and insert the pipes. They used tunnel boring machines (TBMs) to do this. The ones used are smaller versions of the ones you see on TV boring huge tunnels.  Anyway,the job is finished now and all their equipment is being shipped back to Wisconsin. I am taking two shipping containers with hydraulic pumps and equipment for the TBM.  Also taking a huge steel "push ring" back.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Drove up to Las Vegas, NV.  Stayed overnight in The Orleans Hotel & Casino just off the "strip" in Las Vegas.  Great room and very good price.  They have a large truck parking lot too.

Walked down Las Vegas Blvd.  It was 110 degrees.  Had dinner in Caesars Palace at the buffet. then took a taxi back to the hotel.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Drove from San Antonio, TX to Lordsburg, New Mexico today.  736 miles.  Stopped and got my oil changed on the way.  The photo was taken from I-10 west bound in El Paso, Texas looking across the border into Juarez, Mexico.  Juarez is where the drug wars are going on.  Over 2000 murders there last year.  You can see the border fence in the bottom of the photo behind the train cars.