Sunday, August 7, 2011

Very uneventful day on the road.  Still had people taking photos when passing us and asking questions in rest areas.  Just west of Salina, KS we drove through a weather front.  Had a little rain.

Other than that, the weather was clear and sunny.  Stopped at a truck stop that had a truck wash so our "parade" truck could get the rain dirt washed off.

Then we were back on the road again.  When we crossed from Kansas into Colorado the National Guard was waiting there for us.  They escorted us all the way into Denver.  In Denver they escorted the parade truck to the military base.  We drove to the delivery site in Englewood.  It is right across the street from the hotel they had booked for us. Parallel parking a semi truck after driving all day. anyone want to try?

The Inverness Hotel & Conference Center    http://www.invernesshotel.com/    Is absolutely gorgeous!!   I have a very nice room.  After checking in and getting a well deserved shower, we were taken out to dinner at an exclusive steak house in Denver, all expenses paid.  I was instructed to bring the flag that was on my load to dinner with us.  We were thanked by so many people in the restaurant.  We were given flowers, a red rose, and a yellow rose and a purple carnation with a small flag. 

There was a stack of Sunday's edition of the Denver Post that had the front page, above the fold, article about us.  We all signed each newspaper.  We were given our own autographed copy. 

Then we had a great meal!!  I had fillet Mignon.  It was perfect.  This meal for everyone had to have cost a fortune.  My steak alone was $49 !!!  Then there were drinks, appetizers, and deserts!!

After we ate we posed for a photo out front.  Sorry, the photo is not very good. 

Then back to the hotel for a real nights sleep.   Unload tomorrow morning when the crane arrives at 7 am MDT. The parade truck will be in a parade tomorrow morning sometime.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Left Girard, Ohio and drove all day.  This morning we put a flag on my load.  Was difficult to find a place to put it because of all the sharp edges and jagged metal parts that would rip a flag to shreds in no time. 

There were cars passing us and then when they realized what we had on board would slow back down and let us go by them and then they would take photos out the windows as they passed.  Others would race ahead , pull over and stand on the side of the road and take photos as we passed.  We went through a toll booth and the female toll taker was so moved that she burst into tears and could hardly do her job.  When we arrived in St. Louis, MO we were told to get off I-70 at Memorial Drive.  That is the road that passes in front of the Gateway Arch.  When we left the Interstate the police and traffic units had the road blocked off for us.  We stopped briefly in the road for photographs.  As we passed by, people were taking photos, law enforcement officers stood at attention and saluted.  It was an amazing and very emotional site to behold. We then pulled back out on I-70 and continued west.  We found out that we would be in the St. Louis newspaper Sunday morning.  Here are a couple videos that I shot from my dash cam. 

When we would stop at rest areas, it took twice as long to get back out because people would recognize what we had and came over to talk, ask questions, and take photographs. Others just wanted to touch the steel.  Here is a photo that I took of one of the many photographers that took our picture as we were leaving a rest area.

Stopped for the night in Kingdom City, Kansas.

Friday, August 5, 2011

After a very good nights sleep in the hotel went back to JFK this morning and finished loading my truck.  Hanger 17 is right next to the area at JFK where all the diplomats and "important" people including the President go when attending functions in NYC.  It was empty while we were there.

 It took a while to get the two antenna sections on the truck.  They are heavy and awkward.

It took 2 1/2 hours to drive the 22 miles to the George Washington Bridge.  Four of us rode in a procession with the "parade" truck up front.

I brought up the rear.  There were people driving past us taking photos of us as we drove along.  Lots of talk on the CB about us as well.  About 20 miles or so east of Dubois, PA there was a TV news helicopter hovering very low over I-80 as we passed under it.  We stopped at the Pilot truck stop in Dubois .  Will be starting out early in the morning. 

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Left the TA truck stop in Bloomsbury, NJ early this morning.  Drove all the way in to JFK Airport with only a small amount of bumper to bumper traffic.  When I arrived at the airport I pulled in behind two other trucks waiting out on the road near the hanger.  Just in front of our trucks in a small staging area off the road there were about a half dozen "official" looking vehicles and a bunch of guys in suits standing around.  They were Secret Service.  They were there for some unknown (to us) dignitary.  They left all together shortly thereafter and we never saw them again.  I found out that I was a back up truck and I was there just in case another truck was needed.  Such as one of the other trucks broke down or something.  So I didn't know if I was even going to be used.  We all went in to Hanger 17 where the World Trade Center debris is being stored.  There was a lot that has already been taken but there was an awful lot still there.  I walked all over the place, which is huge, and took about 80 photos.  Way too many to post here.  Here are just a few of them.

The next photo is of the base of the antenna from the top of Building 1.

The next photo is one of the motors for one of the elevators.

The next photo is the top of one of the antenna from Building 1.

After lunch they decided that they were going to use my truck after all.  There were a total of 6 trucks.  I was the last to be loaded today.  Here is what my load looks like:

After that was put on they decided to call it a day.  It was after 6 pm.  So this is where I parked for the night: (the blue thing is a subway car under a tarp)

They are going to put on more tomorrow morning.  I am getting some of the antenna.  The guy from the museum took us to the Hilton and got us rooms for the night.  Very nice rooms!!  We will be back over there at 7:30 am tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Tomorrow's load sounds like it has not been coordinated very well.  Still don't have much information on it.  For those of you that I haven't told yet, I have been selected to go to JFK Airport tomorrow, along with four other of our trucks, to transport sections of the World Trade Center debris out to Denver, Colorado for a memorial.  It is a tremendous honor to have been chosen to do this.  Click on the web sites below for photos, videos, and information about JFK Hanger 17.  There is an excellent video from a NBC News story about it.

http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/06/17/6882607-hangar-17-is-home-to-world-trade-center-steel


http://www.airportbusiness.com/web/online/Top-News-Headlines/At-JFK-hangar--Twin-Towers-remnants-still-able-to-foment-anger/1$46178



http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/26738/ny1-tours-jfk-airport-s-hangar-17--where-wtc-debris-is-stored/

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Left the Pilot truck stop in Connecticut at 3 am this morning.  Beat the rush hour traffic and went to the Earle Naval Weapons Station in Colts Neck, NJ

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Weapons_Station_Earle   

and delivered the missile simulators.  When empty, I drove out to the TA truck stop in Bloomsbury, NJ to get a reset done before going to JFK on Thursday for our "special" load.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Went into Billerica, MA this morning and delivered the boxes.  After that drove over to Groten, CT to the Navy Submarine Base   http://www.cnic.navy.mil/newlondon/index.htm   and picked up two AURES Missile Simulators.  The place where I loaded was right in the middle of the munitions area.  There were big munitions bunkers all around me with only God knows what explosives in them.  Unfortunately, I was unable to get any photos on the base (for obvious reasons).  There was only one sub in port.  Cool to see that!!  The base is home to the USS Nautilus.  It is a museum now. The photo below is from the Internet.

Here is the load I have.  Had to take these photos when I stopped to get the truck washed.

Will deliver these tomorrow morning at the Navy Base in Colts Neck, NJ.  Stopped for the night at the Pilot truck stop in Milford, CT.  Glad I stopped when I did, got one of the last 3 parking places left.  These truck stops up here (what few of them there are) fill up FAST!!!

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Totally uneventful morning on the road.  Beautiful weather, sunny and clear in the 80s.  Drove up to a small truck stop in Shrewsbury, MA for the rest of the weekend.  Got here before noon today.  Deliver about 45 miles from here Monday morning.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Drove into Jersey City and delivered the brick this morning.  Didn't have a load yet so I went back out to the TA truck stop in Bloomsbury, NJ and waited.  Finally got a load in Lansdale, PA.  Went there and loaded a few boxes of treated metal that are going to Billerica, MA. 

Was out of hours so I went back to the TA in Bloomsbury, NJ for the night.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

The rain that I drove out of yesterday caught up with me today. Started off in the rain this morning.  Fortunately it didn't last long.  Nice drive all day. Hit and miss rain most of the day. Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Columbia, NJ. That is on I-80 at exit 4 next to the Delaware Water Gap. Deliver these bricks in the morning in Jersey City, NJ to a place right next to Liberty State Park. That is the New Jersey place to board the ferry to get to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Got an early start this morning.  Drove most of the morning in rain and thunderstorms.  Stopped at Peterbilt in Madison, WI and had my windshield wiper arms replaced. I can see much better now.  Also had an almost broken air line replaced.  Glad I found that before it blew.  I'd have been stuck if it did. Shortly after I got back on the road the rain stopped and the sun came out (of course)  for the rest of the day  Stopped for the night in a rest area on I-80 mile marker 47 in Ohio.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Drove into Hebron, ND this morning and loaded with 45,456 pounds of bricks that are going to Jersey City, NJ.

Really nice day on the road.  Stopped at the TA truck stop in Rodgers, MN and my cousin, Cathy came over.  Had a very nice visit with her.  Then drove to Hudson, Wisconsin to another TA truck stop for the night. Squeezed into the very last place to park - that really wasn't a parking space.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Went over to the pipe yard 12 miles west of Williston, ND and delivered the pipe.  It is really something out here.  Just like the "gold rush" in the old days.  This is the "drilling rush".  There are oil and gas wells all over out here.  They are laying miles and miles of natural gas pipe lines under ground.  There are pipe yards set up all over with hundreds, if not thousands, of sections of 50 foot pipe in there.  There are "man camps" set up all over the place with hundreds of workers living in them.  Its really something.

My next load is tomorrow morning in Hebron, ND.  Drove to a convenience store parking lot off I-94 at exit 84 in Richardton, ND for the night. Weather forcast is for heavy duty thunder storms tonight around midnight. Should be an interesting evening.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Got on the road this morning a little later than I had wanted to.  Considering when I went to bed, I did pretty good.  Had a great day on the road.  Gorgeous weather, sunny and in the 70s.  The truck ran great!!  Drove 730 miles today up to Williston, ND to a truck stop there.  Will be here for the weekend.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Started out early this morning.  Soon after I got on the road I realized that the overheating problem from yesterday was not caused by the weather.  It was only 70 degrees outside and I rapidly was on the verge of overheating again.  I drove 150 miles tenderly to the Peterbilt shop in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.  Got there at 8:30 am central time. They told me that there would be a few hours wait.  I could see that the bays were all full already.  I went out to the truck and took a nap.  Later on when I woke up I could see other trucks coming in and being taken right in and worked on.  I went in and asked how long before I was to be worked on.  All he said was "soon".  At 3:30 pm central time the night shift came in. I was then brought in and the truck worked on.  The temperature sensor was bad.  He had to take the alternator and water pump off to get to it.  Replaced it and took it for a test drive.  It was better but still not right.  The thermostat was bad too.  Had to take the alternator and water pump back off again to replace it.  Also when he came back from the first test drive I found that the pop off valve on the air compressor was leaking air and was faulty.  So that was replaced too. Finally got it all put back together and finished at midnight central time.  And for all this fun it cost ONLY $850.48.  I slept in their parking lot afterwords.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Drove in to Elizabethtown, KY this morning and loaded a bunch of PVC pipe. This stuff is not like the PVC pipe you are used to seeing.  This pipe is over an inch thick and heavy.  It is stacked high and makes the trailer a bit top heavy.  It is going to Williston, North Dakota.

Got on the road and did good until Chicago.  Lots of bumper to bumper traffic in Chicago.  Then up to Milwaukee. More bumper to bumper traffic.  Had a little trouble keeping the truck from overheating.  it was 100 degrees in Chicago.  Had to be careful, overheated three times. Finally made it to the Petro truck stop in Portage, Wisconsin for the night.  That is north of Madison.

Tuseday, July 19, 2011

Drove form Nashville up to Louisville, KY and delivered the pipe.  After that started heading toward the Lexington, KY area for my next load.  Got a little over half way there when my dispatcher called and said that she had a better load.  It loads tomorrow morning in Elizabethtown, KY.  That is south of Louisville.  Soooooo I turned around and went to the Petro truck stop in Glendale, KY for the night.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Drove over to the job site in Niceville. They are building several overpasses and these concrete panels are a few of many that are used as retaining walls for the overpass.  It is on US-85 next to the airport, if any of you know that area.

Then drove over to Panama City and picked up a load of steel pipe. They load it on the truck with an electromagnet, pretty cool.

And here is the finished product.  All ready to go.

Had a very nice day on the road.  Sunny and clear all the way.  As soon as I pulled into the TA truck stop in Nashville, TN the heavens opened up.  A huge thunderstorm.  Saw one of the tall buildings get struck by TWO bolts of lightening!!  That was really cool!!!   I deliver these tomorrow morning in Louisville, KY.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Spending the weekend in rainy Crestview, FL.  Deliver Monday morning just down the road at the airport in Niceville.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Went to Seminole Precast  in DeBary this morning and got my next load.  21 slabs of precast concrete going up to Niceville, FL for delivery Monday morning at a job site at the airport..  This stuff is real heavy!  I scaled out at 79,740 with less than 1/2 tank of fuel.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Got on the road VERY early again.  I like driving at that hour, not much traffic.  Drove down to Doral, FL. That is just west of Miami International Airport.  Took forever to get unloaded.  The guy on the fork lift had no idea what he was doing.  Finally got out of there and drove back to Fort Pierce to eat, shower, and sleep.  Couldn't believe it!!  I went in and out of Miami and had no bumper to bumper traffic.  Traffic was very heavy (as usual) but it was moving.  Going up to Debary tomorrow for my next load.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Yesterday while driving south of Indianapolis I passed a Google Street View car.  For those of you that don't know, that is what takes the photos of your house that you see when you look at the Street View while in Google Maps. (sorry about the bug splatter on my windshield)

This morning I left Glendale, KY early to try to miss the rush hours.  It worked.  Got through Chattanooga, TN with a small amount of bumper to bumper traffic.  Got all the way through Atlanta without B to B.  Stopped along the way and replace the last two drive tires.  Finished the day at the Pilot truck stop in Valdosta, GA.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Left Gary, IN very early this morning and beat the Chicago rush hour traffic.  Drove in to Union Park.  I was real early.  Once empty drove 6 miles down the road, in Chicago that takes about 15 to 20 minutes to do, and loaded 45,600 pounds of metallic electrical pipe.  That is going to Doral, FL. 

After that I drove down to Glendale, KY to the Petro truck stop for a good meal and a shower and some sleep.

Monday, July 11,2011

Had more APU problems last night!!  Left Nashville, TN at 2 am and drove to Thermo King in Indianapolis, IN and had it fixed, again!! After that had a nice uneventful day on the road and drove up to the TA truck stop in Gary, IN for the night.  Deliver in Chicago at Union Park in the morning.  Then pick up some pipe from someplace in Chicago. 

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Got started real early this morning.  Nice uneventful day on the road.  Drove up to Nashville, TN and stopped for the night at the TA truck stop next to the football stadium that got flooded out last year.  They rebuilt it and made it much nicer than before.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Went into Orlando this morning and had an alignment problem fixed. Fortunately it was a quick fix.  Then drove down to Rockledge, FL for my next load.  I was very lucky and it was ready today.  330 sheets of 4x8 plastic flooring.  It delivers in Chicago on Tuesday.

After that I drove home for a few days.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

This morning was at Thermo King in Tampa first thing to (once again) fix an elusive electrical problem with my APU.  This time they found the real problems and fixed them.  Also replaced a bracket that was defective and under warranty.  While there, had a side light on the trailer replaced at the trailer place next door.  After that drove up to Winter Garden to Peterbilt and had my A/C serviced. Was not blowing cold enough. When that was done drove to the Turkey Lake Service Plaza on the turnpike for the night.  Tomorrow morning have an appointment at the alignment place in Orlando to check out another problem.  It never seems to end!!!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Drove into Deland this morning and delivered the steel rolls first thing.  After that drove over to Oxford, FL and picked up 16 pallets of Black Kow fertilizer (cow poop!!).

 Had 3 stops with this stuff.  First stop unloaded 13 pallets in Riverview, FL.  Then over to Largo, FL and dropped off one more pallet.  Then down to Venice, FL to drop off the last two.  Then drove back up to Polk City, FL to a truck stop for the night.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Left very early this morning and was home by 9 am.  Will be here until Tuesday.  I deliver in Deland Tuesday morning then I have another short load to pick up in Oxford.  I think it is going down near Tampa someplace.