Friday, March 11, 2011

Went over to Richland, WA early to pick up my load.  Got lucky and got in early.  Picked up 6 bars of titanium weighing 40,100 pounds.  Going to Monroe, NC.

Parked at the building next to where I loaded was this old locomotive.  Looked really good.

Didn't drive very far tonight.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Boise, Idaho.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Loads from here don't pay worth a flip!!  Waited all day for them to find something that actually paid money.  Finally got one that loads tomorrow in Richland, WA.  Drove to a truck stop in Pasco, WA for the night.  Load about 10 miles from here at about 1 pm local time. (PST).

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Got an early start this morning.  Not too long after I hit the road the snow started.  Just flurries at first.  Going over Snoqualmie Pass on I-90 it was snowing real hard.  Very few other vehicles at that time of day.  The snow covered the road and with few other vehicles there was no way to see what lane I was in.  The whole road was white.  Just had to guess.  Fun thing to do, go over a mountain in the snow, at night, not see real good because it is snowing so hard, and don't know where you are exactly on the road.  I love a challenge!!! I'm sure glad I bought those heated windshield wipers!!  They worked great!!  No problems with ice forming on the wipers yesterday or today.   Once I got down the other side the snow changed to rain. 

Delivered at the port in Seattle.  While being unloaded the forklift driver dropped one of the bundles.  OOPS!!!

After I was empty drove to the TA truck stop east of Seattle on I-90 to do a reset.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Slept in this morning and got a late start. Felt good.  Once I got out of Utah the weather deteriorated pretty quick.  Started off with snow flurries.

Then it snowed real hard.

It snowed pretty much all the way through Wyoming. A few times it changed to rain, but most of the time it was snow.  The plows did a good job keeping the road clear.  When I got to Boise it was all rain. 

When I crossed into Oregon it was really weird.  The sky's cleared up and eventually it was sunny.  Went passed a sign:

Went over the top and this was the view:

The other side of the guard rail is straight down 1,500 feet.  Really cool!!

Stopped for the night in Union Gap, Washington at a truck stop.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Didn't sleep very well last night.  Got on the road real early.  Drove for about 200 miles and stopped for a nap.  Another uneventful day on the road.  Snowed most of the way through Wyoming. Heavy wet snow.  Fortunately it melted when it hit the road so it was more like driving in the rain.  At one point the plows were out plowing.  In Utah it changed to rain.  Stopped for the night at the Flying J truck stop in Ogden, Utah after driving 684 miles.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Another uneventful day on the road.  Passed a couple car wrecks in Dallas, one on its roof in the ditch and another bounced off the "Jersey wall" a few miles past that one.  Other than that a nice quiet day on the road.  Stopped for the night at a small truck stop in Walsenburg, Colorado.  I am at an elevation of just over 6,000 feet. Here is what that elevation does to a bag of potato chips:

STAND BACK, SHE'S GONNA BLOW!!!!!!!

Friday, March 4, 2011

Fixed the trailer lights this morning.  Found a short.  All better now and they work fine.  Nothing exciting today.  Drove to the TA truck stop in Dallas, TX for the night.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Drove up to Perry, FL this morning and went to a place that makes canvas covered structures. 

Loaded one up that is going to a port in Seattle, WA and eventually ending up in Alaska.

Drove to the Oasis truck stop in Robertsdale, AL for the night.  Stopped sooner than I wanted because the marker lights on the trailer stopped working.  I'll fix them in the morning when the sun comes up so I can see what I'm doing.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Got started on my taxes but nowhere near finished.  Also had a light fixed on the trailer and a mud flap fixed on the truck today. 

When I delivered at the port in Ft. Pierce yesterday there was a ship there that had an interesting bow.  The front lifted up so vehicles can drive on to the ship.  Thought it was pretty cool to see so I took a photo of it for you.

My next load is tomorrow morning in Perry, FL and it goes to Seattle, WA.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

They brought the crane up to where I was instead of me going down there. 

I was unloaded by 9 am and was on my way down to Miami for my next load.  Picked up a bunch of lumber and took it to the port in Ft. Pierce.  Quick trip. 

After that drove back home.  Have to meet with the tax accountant.  Happy happy, joy joy!!

Monday, February 28, 2011

Left Seville at 4 am and drove down to Boca Raton to deliver.  The job site is at least 15 miles west of Boca right on the edge of the Everglades out in the middle of nowhere.  Arrived at 8:45 am and got in line to get unloaded.  There was 5 trucks ahead of me in the staging area.  From what I was hearing, to unload we have to go down another dirt road and then back down another dirt road about 2 miles.  When I got to the "on deck circle" the guy that was escorting the trucks down to unload told me to pull around the corner and park.  I was loaded with "I" beams and that there was another "I" beam truck back in line someplace.  We were going to have to be unloaded last. 

The other trucks had this on board:

So I parked and waited.

At 5 pm the guy came and said that they would not be able to unload us today and that they would unload us first thing in the morning.  Said that I could drop my trailer and go find a place for the night.  Well, in south Florida there are not that many places to park and I was not about to drive 30 to 50 miles one way and waste all that fuel.  I told him "Bull$#*&!!  I was not moving!!!  I lost a lot of money sitting here all day and I'm not moving!!" The others did drop their trailers and left.  I did not!  As you might be able to tell, I'm not a happy camper!!  So I am spending the night here.  We will see what happens tomorrow.  The saga continues......

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Drove from Kenly, NC down to Seville, FL for the weekend.  This steel delivers in Boca Raton, FL Monday morning.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Drove down into Gordonsville, VA and delivered the first part of the load.  Then drove down to Newport News, VA and delivered the rest of it.  It was so windy there the waves in the bay looked like ocean waves. Was not able to roll up my tarp. It is in a big ball strapped down on the trailer.  Where I delivered in Newport News was at a coal facility of some kind.  Coal comes in by rail and off loaded and sent up conveyor belts some place.  There was piles of coal everywhere.  Coal mud everywhere too!!   It had just stopped raining. Everything was black.  Saw an interesting way that they empty the rail cars.  They bring them into this building and they are spun upside down, rather quickly, to empty them.  Really cool to see that. 

As I was leaving heading toward my next load, I looked across the bay to see what Navy ships were there.  Saw two carriers and a bunch of other ships.  One other ship really stood out.  The USS New York was in port.  You just can't miss that profile.  Norfolk, VA is it's home port.  Here is a photo of it I got off the Internet.

Drove up to Petersburg, VA to a steel plant for my next load.  My appointment was for 7 pm so I had a little time to kill.  At 6:30 pm I was there and got loaded.  8 fifty foot steel "I" beams going to Boca Raton, FL.  I'll have photos tomorrow, too dark tonight to get any.  After that I drove down to the Petro truck stop in Kenly, NC for the night.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Delivered the stuff in Louisville, Ohio first thing in the morning.  Then drove over to Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania to pick up my next load.  Parts to make industrial garage doors.  Have two stops.  First one is in Gordonsville, Virginia.  The second, and final stop, is in Newport News, Virginia.

The weather was pretty dreary all day.  Misty to light rain.  Temperatures in the 30s.  Just a gloomy day.  Drove to the closest truck stop to Gordonsville - which was not very close.  Not much to choose from around here.  And the price of fuel is ridiculous!!!  Anyway, stopped for the night at the Flying J in Clear Brook, Virginia.  Glad I got here when I did because this place is overflowing with trucks!!  They are squeezing themselves into every available space!!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Left St. George, South Carolina this morning not too early.  Not much exciting today.  Went past the Capitol of West Virginia in Charleston.

There was no snow on the ground until I got to Ohio. Then drove through Canton, Ohio.  Past the Pro Football Hall of Fame again.

Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in North Canton, Ohio.  Deliver in the morning not too far from here.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Went over to a large construction equipment auction place in Winter Park to pick up my next load. Unfortunately it took almost 5 hours to load 5 pieces of equipment.  They are going to Louisville, Ohio.

But once that fiasco was done, I got on the road.  Stopped in Kingsland, GA for fuel and a very pleasent break. Then back on the road again.  Stopped for the night in Saint George, South Carolina at a truck stop.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Had a great weekend.  Went for a motorcycle ride and ate at The Oyster Pub in Daytona Beach.  The weather could not have been any better. Now back to reality.

Did the paperwork and changed from Consolidated Lumber Transport

to JRC Transportation

Basically the same company, no change in pay or anything.  JRC only takes the best drivers, and have better looking stickers, that's all.

After that was done I drove down to Tampa and delivered my last two Bobcats.  My next load is in Winter Garden and picks up in the morning.  Drove to the Love's truck stop in Plant City on I-4 for the night.

Friday, February 8, 2011

Drove into Gainesville, GA and delivered one of the Bobcats there.  Then drove down to Lake City, GA and delivered two more there.  Then drive home for the weekend.  Deliver the last two Bobcats Monday in Tampa.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Got on the road and beat Indianapolis rush hour traffic but I didn't beat Louisville's rush hour.  Had some bumper to bumper there.  Another uneventful day on the road.  Passed a fatal truck crash.  Don't know any details.  They had everything cleaned up except the trailer.

Stopped for the night in Cartersville, Georgia at the TA truck stop. Deliver the first stop in Gainesville, Georgia in the morning.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Left Rogers, MN early this morning. Wanted to get past the "Twin Cities" before rush hour, which I did.  The day was very uneventful.  After yesterday I needed that.  My back is still , well, shall we say, uncomfortable. Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Whitestown, Indiana.  That's just outside of Indianapolis.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Got on the road early.  Was about a 2 hour drive to Fullerton, ND where I was delivering.  Made good time.  About 4 miles from delivery I turned down the road that the place was on.  Got about a quarter mile down the road and drove through a snow drift.  Then after that there was a dry patch and then the whole road was gone.  It was not plowed ahead for as far as I could see.  I stopped and decided to back out, there was no place to turn around.  Did fine till I hit the snow drift and then I got stuck.  I dug for 2 hours and also tried to put on the chains.  Non of that worked.  Finally called a wrecker.  No other choice.  $340.50 later I was unstuck and backing the rest of the way out.  Took another way to get to the delivery.  By this time I was soaking wet, exhausted, and really pissed!!!!   Delivered the steel coils and went over to Gwinner, ND to the factory where they make Bobcats.  They loaded 5 of them on and after securing them to the trailer I was off again. By this time I could hardly move.  My back hurt so much it was difficult to get in the truck.

Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Rogers, MN just west of Minneapolis.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

High wind warning today.  They were not kidding!!  For part of the day I had a real nice tail wind.  That was great!!  But then it changed to a heavy cross wind.  I was being blown all over the road.  Just after I entered North Dakota I saw this sign:

See??  There really is a home in the range!!  And all this time you thought it was just a song.

Stopped for the night and a reset at a truck stop in Mandan, North Dakota.  It is still really windy.  The truck is really rocking!!   The canopy over the fuel pumps is rocking and twisting in the wind too!!

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Drove on up to Columbia Falls, MT.  130 miles north of I-90 in the middle of nowhere.  Beautiful 2 lane road to get there.When I arrived at the place to deliver, they were closed!!  Fortunately there was a friend of the owner there doing some electrical work for him.  He was nice enough to unload the two coils so I wouldn't have to sleep in the parking lot all weekend.  After re-tarping again got back on the road.  Went back to I-90.  Here are a couple photos from that road.

Stopped for the night in Rocker, MT.  That is just outside Butte, Montana.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Went over and got loaded this morning.  5 steel coils.  Two of them are going to Columbia Falls, Montana and the other three are going to Fullerton, North Dakota.  After I got them all chained and strapped down and then tarped I went to the scale. 

I was WAY overweight on my drive axles (rear truck tires) and overweight on the gross by 400+ pounds.  So I returned to the place I got the load.  Untarped, unstrapped and unchained, and rearranged the load.  Then re-chained, re-strapped, and re-tarped.  Went back to the scale.  The axle weights were fine but still overweight on the gross.  No big deal.  I could burn off that weight in fuel.  Took a bypass road around the first scale and all the rest were closed.  I did good.  Stopped at a TA truck stop and replaced both front tires.  They were pretty bad.  When that was done I drove some more.  Stopped for the night Spokane, Washington.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Drove the rest of the way into Eugene this morning.  My next load doesn't load until tomorrow morning.  On the way to Eugene went down another cool road.  Here is a small video of the scenery along that road:

Stopped for the rest of the day at the TA truck stop in Eugene.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Took a back road up to Lakeview, Oregon where I was delivering.  OR-140.  It was a narrow two lane road that twisted and winded up and down a lot.  Came over one mountain and at the top the sign said "8% Downgrade Next 6 Miles Last Warning".  That road was really cool!!  As I topped the mountain and saw what the sign was warning me about.  I smiled a big smile.  The view was gorgeous but the road was even better.  Light dusting of snow on the road and 1500 foot drop off straight down and no guard rail!  Twisty and turney road too.  And it was every bit of an 8% grade.  I loved it!!  Here are a couple photos I took about 1/4 the way down.

Here are a few more photos of the same road but about 50 or so miles from the above photos.

Delivered in Lakeview, Oregon then headed toward Eugene.  On the way I passed OR-140 where I came off it.  There was a sign that restricted semi trucks to 60 feet in length on that road.  Didn't see one coming from the other direction.  I am at least 75 feet long.  Oh well, at least I didn't get caught!!  It was a great road to drive.

Stopped for the night in a little town in the middle of nowhere, La Pine, Oregon.  There is a truck stop there.  Didn't have enough hours left to make it to Eugene.

Tuesday Afternoon, February 8, 2011

After taking a nap I checked the Wyoming DOT web site an saw that the roads were starting to open back up.  I-80 was open for about 100 miles west of me.  I decided that I would wait a little longer so I went back to sleep.  That felt real good!!  Woke up a little later and rechecked the web site.  I-80 was open all the way across Wyoming. It was still snowing in Laramie and it was very overcast.  I got on the road about 1:15 pm EST.  The roads were not read good in Laramie.  This is what it looked like:

After a while the roads cleared up but there was the usual Wyoming cross wind of about 30 mph.  Drove the 310 miles in Wyoming, then through Utah and into Nevada.  Had a brief period of heavy snow for about 5 miles in the Bonneville Salt Flat area but other that that the ride was pretty uneventful.  Stopped for the night at the Casinos in West Wendover, Nevada.  Had a good meal at the restaurant in the casino.  Why is it that there are so many old women using walkers in casinos?

Tuesday Morning, February 8, 2011

7:00 MST  it is -1 degrees.  We didn't get as much snow as expected (so far anyway).  Only about 3 inches.  I-80 is closed pretty much all the way through Wyoming. So I just have to sit and wait for the road to open.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Started early this morning.  Then roads were in pretty good shape until I got on US-87 north of Amarillo.  Then they got a bit slick.  The road was closed so I had to take a detour.  This photo was taken on US-412 / 56 in New Mexico.

It got a bit better when I finally got to I-25.  But then I had to go over the mountain at the New Mexico / Colorado border.  This is what it was like going up and down.  The photo was taken on the way down in Colorado. Want to give it a try???

The roads improved a lot after I got down the mountain for a little while then the wind picked up.  Here is a brief video of I-25 in Southern Colorado:

 Drove through Denver again.  Here is the Denver skyline.

And another of Mile High Stadium.

As soon as I got in Wyoming the wind picked up.  40+ mile an hour cross wind.  At least there was not much blowing snow this time.  Then I turned west on I-80.  Now the wind was a head wind.  Slowed the truck down a lot.  Then the sky continued to get dark and then snow flurries.

Stopped for the night at the Petro in Laramie, WY.  Checked the National Weather Service web site.  Here is part of the advisory for this area:

WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM MST


TUESDAY...



A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM MST TUESDAY.



* TIMING...SNOW WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND

WILL INCREASE IN INTENSITY TONIGHT. THE SNOW WILL BE HEAVY AT

TIMES.



* TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE

FROM 6 TO 8 INCHES IN THE VALLEYS AND ELEVATIONS BELOW 7500

FEET WITH 12 TO 16 INCHES ABOVE 7500 FEET BY LATE TUESDAY

MORNING. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE.



* WINDS/VISIBILITIES...NORTHERLY WINDS WILL BECOME NORTHEASTERLY

AT 15 TO 25 MPH SUSTAINED WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH. THE WINDS WILL

DECREASE AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE STRONG WINDS WILL PRODUCE AREAS OF

BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THE

EVENING.



I am right about 7,500 feet.  It could get very interesting tomorrow.  Stay tuned.....

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Super Bowl Sunday!!  Go Packers!!   It is snowing hard this morning here in Amarillo, Texas.  Glad I'm not in Dallas today because this is heading their way!!  Hope it is all gone by tomorrow morning.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Slept in a little bit today to give the roads a chance to de-ice.  Got on the road at dawn .  The trees were still ice covered.  Still very pretty.  Tried to get a photo of them but it was still too dark and it didn't come out very good.  By the time the sun had come up enough to get a photo the ice had melted off the trees.  The roads were still icy in many places.  Didn't get too bad until Shreveport, LA.  Then they weren't too good.

Here is I-20 almost at the Louisiana / Texas line.

Little did I know that the worst was yet to come.

About 40 miles east of Dallas it got real bad.  LOTS of ice on the road.  Traffic slowed to bumper to bumper all the way to Dallas.  There were cars spun out all over.  Trucks jack knifed, it was a total mess.  No salt and very little sand on the road.  The ice was 1 inch thick in most places.  It took several hours to get to Dallas.

Once I got past Dallas the roads improved.  It also warmed up a lot.  Drove up to Amarillo, Texas to the Petro truck stop for the rest of the weekend.  The weather is supposed to get bad again tonight and maybe tomorrow.  Expecting 1 to 2 inches of snow.  We shall see.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Picked up my load of crane mats in Perry first thing in the morning.  I asked the guy how many truck loads have gone out of there so far.  He said about 340.  Also said that there were at least that many more to go.  Hope I can get back to Florida to get a third load of them.  This load is going to Lakeview, Oregon.  Drove all day in heavy mist and light rain.  When I stopped for the night in Tallulah, Louisiana the trees were covered in ice.  Was very pretty.  Unfortunately I couldn't get any photos of them because they were too far away and it was starting to get dark.  I'll be going through Dallas and Ft. Worth tomorrow.  Hope the roads are better.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Drove into Pensacola and delivered the first half of the load first thing this morning.  Then drove to Mobile, Alabama and delivered the rest of it.  My next load was back in Marianna, FL so I went there.  When I got there the guy told me that I had to have 14 4x4s and what I had on board would not work.  He told me that I had to go to Lowe's, which was just down the road, and buy them.  I said "That ain't happenin!!" and left.  Called the dispatcher and explained the situation to her and said that I refused the load. 

My next load was more crane mats from the same place in Perry, FL that I went to before.  I drove to Perry and stopped at the little truck stop there for the night.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

went down to Sanford and picked up my next load.  Some aluminum going to Pensacola, FL and Mobile, AL. Then went back to Seville to wait for the UPS guy to deliver my part for the satellite TV dish. 

The UPS guy finally came at about 3:30 and had my part.  I had to take the entire dish off the truck and then take the whole thing apart to get the broken motor off and the new one on.  Finally finished and got on the road.  Drove to a rest area on I-10 just outside Pensacola for the night.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Left Marianna very early this morning and drove down to the Port of Palm Beach in Riviera Beach, Florida and delivered.  After that drove up to Seville for the night.  One of the motors that rotate my satellite dish went bad and the company is sending the part overnight to me.  I'll put it in when it gets here tomorrow.

Monday, January 31, 2011

Left Terrell, Texas very early this morning.  Drove in fog and misty rain all morning.  Then light rain for the rest of the day.  Came around a foggy corner on I-20 about 10 miles west of Jackson, Mississippi and saw a semi trailer on the right shoulder fully engulfed in flames.  Fortunately the driver was able to separate the truck from the trailer before the fire got to his truck.  As I passed it one of the trailer tires popped.  Was pretty neat!!   No emergency vehicles were there yet.  Glad I went passed it before they got there and closed the interstate.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Marianna, Florida.  Will be starting very early in the morning again.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Got up this morning and drove over to Terrell, Texas.  That's just east of Dallas on I-20.  Will finish my reset here.  Straightened out my log book and now I'm ready to go in the morning.  Trying to deliver in Riviera Beach, Florida at the Port Tuesday morning.  We will see  :)