Saturday, March 29, 2014

Left Corbin, KY this morning at about sunrise.  Easy day today.  This is why the are called The Smokey Mountains.

Had to stop for the rest of the weekend because my North Carolina permit is not good until Monday.  So, I stopped at the TA Truck Stop in Corbin, North Carolina.

Forgot to tell you about this.  Friday, at the truck show, went to the (by invitation only) luncheon put on by TA/Petro Truck Stops.  Food was pretty good too.

Here is the Daily booth at the show. Took that photo before the show opened.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Had a very good time at the truck show but my back just couldn't take anymore.   I left and went back and got my trailer.  Then drove down to the Pilot Truck Stop in Corbin, Kentucky for the rest of the night.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Left this morning just before sunrise and drove drown to Louisville, Kentucky.  On the way dropped my trailer at a parking lot just north of Louisville.  Then parked at the truck parking lot at the convention center in Louisville.  Will be here for the Mid America Truck Show.  I'll leave here Saturday.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

First thing this morning I was at the TA shop to get the truck fixed.  Had regular routine maintenance done and had the "S" cam brackets and air hose replaced.  They didn't finish until almost 2 pm. But at least they finished!!  

Here is a time lapse of the sunrise this morning.

Cold front came through this morning.  COLD and WINDY here!!  Stayed at the TA for the night.

Monday, March 24, 2014

This morning drove up to Aurora, IL and loaded a Caterpillar 950K Wheel Loader that is going to Columbia, SC.  My gross weight is only 92,000 with this one. 

Hit the road and after a little while stopped and got the truck washed.  Continued over to the TA Truck Stop in Whitestown, Indiana where I dropped the trailer and went to a repair shop in Zionesville, IN for routine maintenance on my generator.  While the mechanic was working on it he spotted some problems with my brakes.  Upon further inspection found that both front "S" cam brackets were broken and that an air hose had been rubbing on the drive shaft and was almost rubbed through.  Neither one of those are good.

They didn't have the parts so when they finished the generator I went back to the TA Truck Stop where my trailer was.  I checked in at the shop.  Had them order the parts so that tomorrow morning they can fix everything as well as routine maintenance on the truck too.  Parked for the night with my trailer.  Will be in the shop for repairs at 8 am tomorrow morning.  Supposed to snow (not much, only an inch or less) in the morning so I probably won't be able to move anyway.  

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Weekend TV really sucks without football !!!!!!

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Just before sunrise this morning I left the Daily yard in Bettendorf and drove toward Goodfield, IL.  On a whim I called them just to see if, by chance, they were open today.  Much to my surprise someone answered the phone.  Yes they were open!!  I went there and delivered the excavator!!  My next load is Monday up in Aurora, IL, a suburb of Chicago.  I drove to the TA truck stop in Morris, IL for the rest of the weekend.  Supposed to get a little snow Monday.  We shall see.

Friday, March 21, 2014

Left South Dakota just before sunrise this morning.  Drove to the Daily yard in Bettendorf, Iowa because I had several trailer lights out.  They fixed the lights.  Was a bit more complicated than I could do on the road.  The back needed to be partly re-wired.  It was a bit of a mess.  It is all done now.  Tomorrow I'll go the rest of the way so I can deliver first thing Monday morning.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Left Hardin, Montana just before sunrise this morning.  Pushed it hard all day.  Weather was perfect and traffic was light.  Stopped for the night at a small truck stop in Vermillion, South Dakota.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Left Spokane just before sunrise this morning.  Very nice uneventful day going up and down all day through the mountains.  I guess they were making room for more snow up on Lookout Pass. 

Stopped for the night at the Flying J truck stop in Hardin, Montana.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

By this morning the wind had died down a lot.  I left around sunrise and headed toward Seattle.  For those of you that like mountain photos I took a lot for you.  (remember, you can click on the photo to enlarge it)

Here is sunrise.

I wonder why the avalanche shelter is only over the west bound side?  Guess they don't care about those going east.

Ski slope.

Snoqualmie Pass. Elevation 3000 feet.   Notice how deep the snow is on the side of the road.

Delivered the excavator in Kent, WA.  Then reloaded another John Deere 245G Excavator at a different place 6 miles down the road.  It is going to Goodfield, Illinois.

Left there and headed back east on I-90 again.  The weather had deteriorated a lot since I went over Snoqualmie Pass earlier.  Rain on the way up and on the way down.  Snowing at the top.

After I got past the mountains it cleared up nicely.  Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Spokane, WA.  

Monday, March 17, 2014

Started off before sunrise this morning.  Took a little while before I ran into the cold front.

But I finally did.  It started snowing.

Then it snowed harder and the wind picked up.

Then it started to accumulate.

Fortunately it didn't last long.  It stopped almost as fast as it started.  Had snow on and off for a while.  Here is the view from  the Montana / Idaho line on I-90.

Lookout Pass on I-90.

After a while it cleared up nicely and the sun came out.  It just got VERY windy.  At the Washington Weight Station got stopped for a Level II Inspection.  Passed with flying colors.  Stopped for the night at the Flying J Truck Stop in Ellensburg, WA.  It is still incredibly windy.  When I was in the restaurant the wind was making the building howl.  My truck is really rocking!!  

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Got started before sunrise.  Had all kinds of weather today.  Going through Sturgis, SD had rain that was changing to snow.  Then as I got up higher to about 5,500 feet it was snow. The next two photos were on I-90 in eastern Wyoming.

Montana weather was pretty cool.  Drove around this one.

Then it was a lot better, and so was the view!

Stopped for the night at the Flying J Truck Stop in Belgrade, Montana.

Friday, March 14, 2014

Left Iowa 80 before sunrise this morning.  Very pleasant, uneventful day on the road.  I'm in the Mountain Time Zone now.  Stopped for the night at a very small truck stop in Kadoka, South Dakota.  I'm just outside the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands and the Badlands National Park.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

It was 9 degrees when I left Wheeling, WV this morning.  Didn't get as much snow as the weather dude said we would.  Only about a quarter inch.  Very nice day on the road.  Stopped for the night at Iowa 80 again. 

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Was at the Port of Baltimore in Dundalk, MD first thing this morning and delivered the wheel loader.  Then went over to the Daily yard where my next load was there waiting for me.  Loaded a John Deere 245G Excavator that is going to Kent, Washington.  The weather was gorgeous this morning.  Didn't even need a jacket.  That didn't last long.

Got on the road.  By the time I got to Frederick, MD it was raining.  On I-68 at mile marker 15 in Maryland I drove into a wall of wind.  One second it was nice and the next it was blowing like crazy!  It stayed VERY windy for the rest of the day.  The rain was off and on.  This was the view on I-68 in West Virginia.

North bound on I-79 in Pennsylvania it started changing over to snow.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Wheeling, West Virginia.  The excavator photos above were taken after I stopped for the night.  Weather dude says that we are only going to get about an inch of snow tonight.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Left New Lisbon, IN just before sunrise this morning.  Beautiful day on the road.  Weather was perfect! Had to wait about 45 minutes just outside Baltimore, MD for the curfew to get over at 6 pm.  After that continued to the TA truck stop in Baltimore.  Deliver tomorrow morning.  Then reload and hope to get out of here before the bad weather that is foretasted  gets here.

This happens ALL the time!!  After the guy directly in front of me had already cut me off, another one tries it except he tries it from the shoulder!!  I decided that wasn't going to happen.

.  

Monday, March 10, 2014

Left Iowa 80 very early this morning and drove to Altoona, IA and delivered just after they opened.  After that drove back to the Daily yard in Bettendorf, IA where my next load was sitting there waiting for me.  Loaded a John Deere 624 Wheel Loader that is going to the Port of Baltimore in Dundalk, MD.

Got out of there real fast.  Drove to the Goasis Truck Stop in New Lisbon, Indiana for the night.

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Got started just before sunrise this morning.  Nice day on the road.  Snow just south of Peoria, IL but it didn't last long.  Stopped for the rest of the weekend at the world famous Iowa 80 Truck Stop in Walcott, Iowa.

Friday, March 7, 2014

This morning left after sunrise.  It was still raining.  Finally stopped raining and cleared up nicely just south of Chattanooga. Had to stop early tonight just south of Louisville, KY because of the Louisville curfew.   So, I'm at the Pilot Truck Stop in Brooks, KY.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Went over to Lakeland, FL first thing this morning and loaded a used Caterpillar 320DL Excavator that is going to Altoona, Iowa.  Of course it was raining.

Thought you might like to see me load this thing.  I've done much better.  Oh well.

Rained all day.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck Stop in Jackson, Georgia.