Saturday, November 14, 2015

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning and had a nice leisurely drive up toward Chicago.  Listened to the game on the way.  Stopped for the rest of the weekend at the Love's truck stop in Dwight, Illinois.

Florida Gators

9-1, 1st in East Division

Today, 11:00 AM

Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, South Carolina

11Florida Gators (9-1)

 

24 - 14

Final

South Carolina Gamecocks (3-7)

	1	2	3	4		Total
Florida	7	7	3	7		24
South Carolina	0	0	0	14		14

Friday, November 13, 2015

Went over and delivered the excavator first thing this morning.  Next load is up in LaCygne, Kansas.  Drove up there to a power plant and loaded a Komatsu 430 Wheel Loader that is going to Chicago, Illinois.

Left there and drove to the TA truck stop in Concordia, Missouri for the night.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Slept in this morning since I didn't have any permits.  A little after 9 am CST they started to come in. Missouri first, then Kansas.  I plotted out the route on Google Maps.

Just as I finished another driver knocked on my door. "Do you know that you have a flat?" No I didn't.  Had not been outside the truck yet.  He was right.  Flat as a pancake!  So instead of getting on the road I drove around to the shop and had it fixed.  They found two holes.  Here is the culprit from one of them.

About an hour and a half later I finally got on the road.  The trip would normally be about 220 miles.  The stupid State of Kansas turned it into 379 miles and 7 hours driving!!  I arrived in Wichita too late in the afternoon to deliver today so I stopped at another dinky truck stop for the night.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Left the truck stop a half hour before sunrise this morning.  Only a few sprinkles last night.  No weather.  Started off mostly clear but soon changed to overcast.  After a while it became partly cloudy and VERY windy.  It seems Kansas is having a difficult time trying to find a route for heavy trucks.  My Kansas permit was voided so I was sent another one.  This afternoon they voided that one too because they still had problems with the route.  I had to stop at the Petro truck stop in Oak Grove, Missouri until they figured out which way they wanted me to go and resend another permit.  I might have to wait for a new Missouri permit too because of where I am entering Kansas. Initially I was to go around the south side of Kansas City now I might be going around the north side.  That might be changed.  Don't know yet. When I stopped at Oak Grove and got out of the truck it was still VERY WINDY!!  I looked up and saw the cold front over my head.  Here it is.

Fortunately there was no rain.  It all went north of here.  That was a very good thing.  But this truck is really rockin' from all this wind!!!!! We are under a tornado watch and a high wind warning.  Wind is constant at 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph!!

Permits didn't come in today so here I sit until they get here.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Got started right at sunrise this morning.  Nothing exciting today. Rain for the first part then sunny.  Several routings off the Interstate through the back roads today.  Just a very nice day on the road. Stopped for the night at some dinky truck stop in Olney, Illinois because I ran out of daylight.  Weather report says strong storms possible tomorrow.  Sounds like fun!!

Monday, November 9, 2015

This morning went over to the Port of Baltimore in Dundalk, Maryland and loaded a Caterpillar 329 Excavator that is going out to Wichita, Kansas.  

Haven't posted one of these in a while, so here is my scale ticket.

Left there in pretty good time and made the slow trip through the mountains on I-70 and I-68.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Wheeling, West Virginia.

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Very early this morning went over to the Petro truck stop in Carlisle to have my tires checked and a leak repaired.  When that was done I went over and got the truck and trailer washed.  Both were a mess from the Quarry the other day.  Then drove down to the TA truck stop in Baltimore, Maryland.  Load at the Port in the morning.

Saturday, November 7, 2015

A horribly played game.  Offence was absolutely putrid!!!!! Yet somehow they managed to win.

Vanderbilt vs Florida

Today, 12:00 PM

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field, Gainesville, Florida

Vanderbilt Commodores (3-6)

 

7 - 9

Final

Florida11 Gators (8-1)

	1	2	3	4		Total
Vanderbilt	0	7	0	0		7
Florida	6	0	0	3		9

All times are in Eastern Time

Friday, November 6, 2015

Got started right at sunrise this morning.  Drove in to a quarry in Steelton, PA and delivered the machine.  They unloaded it the same way that it was loaded.  EASY.  My next load is Monday at the Port of Baltimore.  I went to the "home office:" in Carlisle, PA so I could plug in to shore power and eat at the really good Italian restaurant across the street.  I'll head over to Baltimore Sunday morning.

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Went in to Ghent, Kentucky first thing this morning and loaded a screener that is going to Steelton, Pennsylvania.  They were great loading this thing.  They built a ramp for it. Then after it was loaded they took the ramp away.  Wish it was always that good.  I'm just over 110,000 pounds.

Had to have an escort on the two lane roads so I met him at the entrance as I was pulling out.  He took me back out to the Interstate and dropped off.  That was an easy job for him!  Made it all the way up to the truck stop in Jane Lew, West Virginia for the night.

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Delivered the blue thing first thing this morning.  My next load is up in Ghent, Kentucky.  Drove up there.  When I stopped for lunch, this was in the parking lot.  How would you like to back that thing up to a loading dock??

Stopped for the night at the Pilot Truck Stop in Pendelton, Kentucky.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Drove up to the port in Brunswick, Georgia and loaded a stone crusher hood that is going up to Antioch, Tennessee.  That is just south of Nashville.  This is a very easy load!!  

Very good day on the road.  Stopped for the night at the Wilco-Hess Truck Stop in Monteagle, Tennessee.

Monday, November 2, 2015

OK everyone, I'm back at it again tomorrow.

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Took my two nieces and nephew to the Taylor Swift concert in Tampa last night.  They had a great time!!  It was fun!!!!

Friday, October 23, 2015

Delivered the Track Loader at the Port of Jacksonville this morning.  The machine is going on a boat to Iraq.  After that went home.  Will be here until the first week in November sometime.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Left at sunrise this morning.  Good day on the road until Atlanta.  7.5 mile bumper to bumper traffic because of a wreck.  Took an hour to get through that mess,  Made it all the way home to Jacksonville, Florida for the night. Deliver tomorrow morning.

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Was over at Caterpillar in East Peoria before they opened this  morning.  When they opened I loaded a Caterpillar 963D Track Loader that is going to The Port of Jacksonville, in Blount Island, Florida.  Notice the glass on the machine?  It is bullet proof glass.

For a change, I was first in and first out this morning.  Had a great day on the road today.  Got to Nashville, Tennessee right at rush hour.  But still wasn't too bad - for Nashville.  Stopped for the night at a truck stop in Manchester, Tennessee.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

This afternoon drove down to the Daily terminal in Morton, IL.  Load a few miles from here tomorrow.  Pretty boring week!!!

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Well, they put up a very good fight but LSU was just too much for them.

Florida Gators

6-0, 1st in East Division

Saturday, October 17, 6:00 PM

Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

8Florida Gators (6-1)

 

28 - 35

Final

LSU6 Tigers (6-0)

	1	2	3	4		Total
Florida	7	7	14	0		28
LSU	0	28	0	7		35

Friday, October 16, 2015

While running an errand this afternoon one of the pulleys for the serpentine belt seized up causing the belt to break.  I drove back to the Petro and had it repaired there. Replaced all the pulleys and belt. I'll be there for the rest of the weekend. At least it is fixed and working now.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Got started at 4:30 EDT this morning.  The farmers are hard at work harvesting.

Drove to Frankfort, Illinois and delivered the wheel loader.  My next load is not until next week. Hoping to get something local before then, but I won't hold my breath. In the mean time I went to the Petro truck stop in Monee, Illinois to wait.

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Went over to Caterpillar in Clayton, NC first thing this morning.  Loaded a Caterpillar 926M Wheel Loader that is going to Frankfort, Illinois.  

Got on the road in very good time.  Going through the mountains of North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia the fall colors were looking real good.  Tried to take a few photos for you but they really didn't come out very good.  Here is one of them.  The colors are much better in person.

 Passed a couple of large pumpkin farms.  They were harvesting them.  I tried to get a photo of that too, but it was too far away.

I zoomed in on a section for you. No "Great Pumpkin" yet Charlie Brown.

Stopped for the night at a truck stop in Jackson, Ohio.

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Well my number came up this month for a random drug / alcohol test so I went and had that done.  After that I went to the Kenly 95 truck stop in Kenly, NC.  My next load is tomorrow in Clayton, NC.

Monday, October 12, 2015

As soon as they opened this morning I delivered the excavator.  When hooking back up to my trailer it high sided again breaking the 5th wheel cylinder again.  I was able to reattach to my trailer and go find a new part to fix the problem. They had 3 so I bought all 3.  Then went up to the Wilco-Hess truck stop in Salisbury, NC.  I replaced the broken part and did some other minor repairs.  Still don't have another load so I'll just wait here.

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Right at sunrise I got out of there and drove the 4 miles to the Caterpillar dealer where I deliver Monday morning.  Parked in their driveway.