Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Was all set to load this morning and then I found a broken brake chamber on the rear of my truck.  I went over to the TA truck stop in Baltimore and got in right away.  They replaced the broken chamber.

 Went back and loaded a John Deere 470G Excavator.  Its a biggie!  It is going out to Park City, Kansas.

I am a bit heavy.  Right about the upper limits of what this truck, with this trailer, can haul.

It took forever to get across I-70 and I-68 through Maryland and West Virginia.  Had to stop along the side of the road at the top of most of the large mountains along those two stretches of road.  My drive axes would get a little too hot.  Had to let them cool down before tackling the next tone.  Made it all the way to the TA truck stop in Wheeling, West Virginia where I stopped for the night.  It took 5 1/2 hours to go 310 miles and $400 in fuel.

Monday, July 29, 2013

Went in to Fort Belvoir, VA this morning.  Took forever to get there.  Lots of bumper to bumper traffic in and around DC.  Finally got there and delivered the dozer.  Next load is up in Baltimore at the Daily yard.  Drove up there and spent the night in the parking lot.  Load in the morning.

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Left the Welcome Center at sun up this morning.  Stopped to put a little fuel in at the Pilot truck stop in Haggerstown, MD.  As  I walked back to the truck, after getting my fuel receipt, I saw a lot of fuel running out from under the rear of the engine.  Opened the hood and found that the fuel line had rubbed through at one of the clamps.

I drove around back and parked the truck.  Fortunately the fuel did not run out with the engine off.  Road Service came out and took off the old hose, took it, had a new one made, then installed it.  Truck all better now.  But in Maryland permit loads can not move after 12 noon on Saturdays, so here is where I'll sit until Monday morning.  Made good use of the time.  Did four loads of laundry and took a long hot shower.

Friday, July 26, 2013

First thing this morning went across the street and loaded a Caterpillar D7R dozer.  It is going to Fort Belvoir, Virginia.  My gross is a little over 110,000 pounds.  Got lucky, for a change, and beat the rain!

Had a great day on the road.  Drove all the way to the West Virginia Welcome Center on I-79 where I'll spend the night.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Next load is up in Morton, IL and loads Friday.  Drove up to the Daily yard in Morton and swapped back in to my old trailer.  After that went to Walmart and re-stocked a bit. Spent the night in the Daily yard where I can plug in and not have to use the generator.   I like that!!  Saves fuel.  Load across the street in the morning.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

This morning went in to Nixa and delivered the building.

After I got empty I drove up to the Cummins dealer in Springfield and got my generator fixed.  Then over to the TA truck stop in Strafford for the night.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Early this morning I dropped my trailer in the lot at the Flying J and went in to a Cummins dealer in Texarkana, TX to get the generator fixed.  They couldn't fix it.  Went back and picked up my trailer.  Still didn't have an Arkansas permit so I had to wait for that.  When it finally arrived at 10:30, local time, I left.  Nice day on the road.  Lots to keep me busy.  US-65 from Little Rock, AR all the way up to where I stopped for the night is nothing but a roller coaster ride.  Steep ups, and steep downs with twists and turns in most of them.  2, 3, and sometimes 4 lane road.  Drove through two real good thunderstorms.  The second one, in Clinton, AR, had pea sized hail.  Stopped for the night in Ozark, Missouri and got a hotel room at the America's Best Value hotel.  After I deliver in the morning I have an appointment at the Cummins dealer in Springfield, MO to get the generator fixed.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Went in to Bossier City, LA first thing this morning and loaded another cell phone communications building.  It is going up to Nixa, Missouri.  

Had to wait for my Louisiana permit after I got loaded. After waiting 2 1/2 hours the permit arrived.  I left and looked for a scale on the way.  Finally found one allthe way up in Texarkana, AR.  Found out I was way too heavy on my drive axles.  To make a long story short, I had to drive all the way back to Bossier City and take all the chains and binders off, then the crane had to move the building back. After that went off my permit route this time and scaled up a little closer to Bossier City.  It was ok this time.  Drove back up to the Flying J truck stop in Texarkana, AR, the same place I scaled up before.  Spent the night there because I couldn't go any further in Arkansas because I still don't have an Arkansas permit. The scale house is just up the road from here.  This was a wasted day!! AND to make matters worse, my generator won't start!!!  Just F'en great!!

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Thought you might like to see where I delivered yesterday.

The blue arrows show the path in.
The red X is where my truck was parked to unload.
The orange X is where the crane was.
The black X is where the crane put the big box over the generator and the fuel tank that was put there first.

Then I had to back out.  Getting out was  easy with a normal length trailer.

Remember, you can click on the photo to enlarge it so you can see it better.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Made my way in to Dallas to the delivery location.  BOY it was a tight squeeze to get in there.  Took out a small piece if the grass going in.  Not really sure how I got in there, but I did!!  I'm still amazed.  Even got several compliments on my driving skills from the guys working there.

Once I got emptied, I got out of there.  Load Monday in Bossier City, Louisiana so I drove over to the Petro truck stop in Shreveport, LA for the rest of the weekend.

Friday, July 19, 2013

Saw this in the parking lot last night.  Big worry about parking in truck stops.  Especially with this long truck.  Big target for inexperienced drivers backing into or pulling out of parking spaces.  I have seen this happen before, just hope it never happens to me. 

Another short day.  At noon local time I started to go to the staging area in Dallas.  On the way the guy called me and said not to come in until tomorrow at around 10 am local time.  So I stopped at the Dallas South TA truck stop and will wait there until tomorrow.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Super easy day.  Drove 78 miles to the TA truck stop in Rockwall, Texas.  Will be here until tomorrow.  Then I'll drive in to a staging area in Dallas.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Great day on the road today.  Left Ozora, Missouri at sun up this morning.  Drove all the way down to a rest area along I-30 in Mt. Vernon, Texas.  I'm only about 100 miles from Dallas.  Don't have to be there until Friday so tomorrow will be a very short day.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Went in to Edelstein this morning to load an enclosure for a Caterpillar generator.  It is a bit long and wide.  Stretched the trailer to accommodate the "big box".  I am 95 feet long altogether.

And here is the box being loaded.

Here it is all ready to go.

Drove down to the Flying J truck stop just east of St. Louis.  Stopped there to wait for curfew to be over.  While there took a much needed shower and ate dinner.  At 6:30 local time curfew was over so I hit the road again.  Wanted to get past St. Louis so I wouldn't have to wait until 9 tomorrow morning to start up again.  Drove down to a truck stop in Ozora, Missouri for the night.

Monday, July 15, 2013

Went over to United Rentals in East Chicago and delivered the excavator first thing this morning.  Then headed down to the Daily terminal in Morton, Illinois.  On the way developed a electrical charging problem.  Stopped at Kenworth in Mokena, Illinois and got a new alternator.  Continued on to Morton and swapped into a different trailer.  It is a stretch trailer.  Need it for my next load which is in Edelstein, IL.  That is about a half hour from Morton.  I stayed at the Daily yard in Morton for the night.  Can plug in to shore power here so I don't have to run the generator.

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Half day today.  Drove up to the new Petro truck stop in Gary, Indiana for the rest of the weekend.  Deliver a few miles from here Monday morning.

Friday, July 12, 2013

Went in to Greensboro this morning and loaded a John Deere 210 GL Excavator that is going to East Chicago, Indiana.

Had a real good day on the road and made it a lot farther than I thought I would today.  Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in New Paris, Ohio.  That is right on the Ohio/Indiana state line on I-70.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Left Carlisle, PA this morning and drove down to Nokesville, VA and delivered the dozer at another job site.  More dirt!  Next load is tomorrow in Greensboro, NC.  Really hit the traffic between Richmond and DC.  I should have known better than to go that way!!  The idiots decided that they needed to close two of the three lanes to fix a hole today.  It took an hour to travel 5 miles!! I'm not exaggerating, an hour to go 5 miles!!!!  Finally made it past that mess and continued down to the Petro truck stop in Mebane, NC.

Have an interesting load next week.  Requires a trailer change.  Stay tuned.....

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Got up long before the sun and drove to a job site in Farmingdale, NJ and delivered the little excavator.  On the way in there was little traffic, but on the way back out a whole different story!  Went back almost the same way.  Next load was in Saylorsburg, PA.  at another job site.  Loaded a Caterpillar D6 Dozer that is going down to Nokesville, VA.  Just as I was starting to secure it the rain came! It stopped just before I finished. Go figure!!  Fortunately, it was not a hard rain.

Here is part of the route the geniuses at the state of Pennsylvania sent me on today with this dozer.

The first 40 miles of this route, which is basically from point "A" west to the Interstate highway, took an hour and a half.  Extremely narrow, hilly, windy roads.  Almost every turn was a blind  curve that I had to take on the wrong side of the road in order to keep the trailer on the road or from hitting stuff on the side of the road.  Quite a good challenge!!  

Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Carlisle, PA.  Two job sites = lots of mud!  I was covered in it and so is the inside of my truck.  Had a good dinner and a very L-O-N-G hot shower.  Now to lay down and give my aching back a much needed rest.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

This morning went over and delivered the excavator. Then drove up to Cranburry, PA and loaded another excavator.  This one is a tiny one going over to Farmingdale, NJ.

Drove over to the TA truck stop in Columbia, NJ for the night.

Monday, July 8, 2013

As soon as curfew was over at 9 am I went over and delivered the big box.  Then went to the Port of Baltimore in Dundalk, MD and loaded a Caterpillar 320 EL Excavator.  It is going over to Murrysville, PA.

Left there and drove to a tiny BP station in Greensburg, PA.  Just before I got here I came upon a roadside vegetable stand that was selling fresh corn.  I bought a dozen ears for $2.  Had a couple for dinner tonight, they were GOOOOOOD!!!!

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Finished driving the rest of the way in to Baltimore.  Relaxing drive, traffic was very light.  Stopped at the TA truck stop until Monday.  Deliver a couple miles from here.

Friday, July 5, 2013

Early this morning drove in to Massillion, OH and loaded a big box.  Was first one there.  I'm not really sure what the thing is but it is going to Baltimore, MD and then on a boat to Saudi Arabia.

Good day on the road.  Drove to the Pilot truck stop in Haggerstown, MD for the night.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

My truck is all better now!!   Here is the culprit, the input shaft in the transmission.  I put a Mt Dew can next to it as a size reference.

My next load is in Massillon, Ohio and loads Friday morning.  Drove over to the TA truck stop in North Canton, Ohio to sit until then.  So nice to be back in my truck!!!!!

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Daily sent a company truck over here with my trailer.  We swapped trailers and he took my load on to it's destination because it needed to get there.  Other than that, not much news on my truck yet.  Got the  estimate, $2700 so far.  Don't know when it will be ready.

Monday, July 1, 2013

Went over and loaded a load inverter first thing this morning in Lancaster, PA.

Loaded and tarped real fast and was out of there and on the road in great time.  Everything was going great until I got on I-80.  At mile marker 71.2 something let loose in the transmission.  I had no clutch and could not move.  Coasted it off to the shoulder of the road and waited for the wrecker to arrive.  Of course it was raining.  

The wrecker arrived and hooked up a chain and pulled me off the interstate to the next exit where there was a large parking lot.  Much safer there to hook up to tow.  

And off we went.

Fortunately there was a Mack dealer in Shippenville, PA that could look at it today.  Had it towed there.  From there they drove me to a hotel for the night.