Monday, May 22, 2017

Drove down to Hope Mills, North Carolina this morning and loaded a Caterpillar 740B Dump Truck that is going to Romeoville, Illinois.

Took a while to load this.  They are not very easy to load on a beam trailer. Finally got it done and left.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Mocksville, NC.

Saturday, May 20, 2017

My next load is Monday morning in Hope Mills, North Carolina.  I decided to drive down to the TA truck stop in Kenly, NC.

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Finished swapping into the new truck.  Took all day!!  That is a lot of work!!!  I'm exhausted.  Here it is, 2017 Kenworth T680.

My first load in it is Monday morning.  I'll be here until at least Sunday.

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

This morning we drove the rest of the way to Manassas, Virginia and delivered the generator.  It was very tight getting in there.  VERY tight, especially being long and wide.

After that, drove up to the home office in Carlisle, PA and dropped off the trailer.  I'll be here for a few days. I'm getting a brand spankin' new Kenworth T680 four axle truck.  It will take a few days to complete that task.  I'll have pictures later.

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Left at 4 this morning and drove down to Virginia Beach.  There were 4 aircraft carriers in port at Norfolk Navy Base this morning.  

Internet Photo

One of these ships was in there too.

Internet Photo

The business where I loaded this morning had a model railroad out front.  It was really cool. 

Loaded a Caterpillar D3516C Generator that is going to Manassas, Virginia.  It weighs 80,000 pounds (36,287 kg).  Loaded, I am 14 feet, 5 inches (439 cm) high and 11 feet, 9 inches (358 cm) wide.  I am 92 feet (28 meters) long.

I have a pole car in front and another escort car in back.

Just as we were about to pull out, my chase car developed an electrical problem.  All his lights and radio went out.  

Spent an hour screwing around trying to fix it.  We were unsuccessful.  They called another car to come meet us.  He was coming from Richmond - about 2 hours away.

While we waited we watched these guys flying in and out of the Navy base. Those jets are really LOUD!!!

Internet Photo

Three hours later the new chase car arrived and we left.  Stopped for the night at the Flying J truck stop in Carmel Church, VA.

Monday, May 15, 2017

Delivered the excavator first thing this morning then drove over to Daily in Carlisle.  There is a load in Virginia Beach, VA that requires three 4 axle trucks each with stretch RGN trailers.  Apparently, one of the trucks that was on the way to do it broke down in Asheville North Carolina.  I was the only available 4 axle truck anywhere near there so I will take his place.  In order to get his trailer over to Virginia another truck, that was also on his way to VA Beach, stopped at the TA truck stop in Ashland, Virginia and dropped his trailer there.  Then he went to Asheville, NC to get the other trailer.  I went down to Ashland and got his trailer.  That's where I am for the night.  Are you confused yet?  Tomorrow morning we will meet in Virginia Beach and he will get his trailer back and I will get the one he picked up in Asheville, NC. Then we will load.  WHEW!!!

Sunday, May 14, 2017

This morning I drove the rest of the way to Murrysville, PA.  The route the stupid State sent me on was horrible.  After getting off I-79 north of Pittsburgh, it was narrow two lane roads that were full of ups and downs and lots of curves.

Saturday, May 13, 2017

Kentucky is one of those very rare states that allow permit loads to run at night.  I left at 4 am this morning and had another very uneventful day on the road. Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Wheeling, West Virginia.  Will go the rest of the way tomorrow morning so I can deliver first thing Monday.  

Friday, May 12, 2017

Got a late start today because of the Memphis curfew.  Nothing interesting again today.  I guess that is a good thing.  Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Glendale, Kentucky.

Thursday, May 11, 2017

Fortunately, I felt a lot better today.  Started a half hour before sunrise.  Pretty uneventful day on the road.  At a weigh station in Texas got a Level II inspection and passed with no problems.  Stopped for the night at a restaurant with truck parking in Palestine, Arkansas.  Will get a little later than usual tomorrow morning.  Can't go into Memphis until 9 am.

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Went a few miles down the road to Caterpillar and loaded a Caterpillar 349F Excavator that is going to Murrysville, Pennsylvania. 

Left there and drove to a Love's truck stop in Willis, Texas for the night.  I stopped early because I was not feeling real well and my back was bothering me.  I also needed a shower real bad!!  I'll be asleep very early tonight.

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Left the Daily yard in Houston at 9 am when the Houston curfew was over.  Drove down to the Port in Freeport, Texas and delivered the dozer.

My next load is in Victoria, Texas.  I drove down there and stopped at a crappy truck stop in Victoria for the night.  Will load in the morning.

Monday, May 8, 2017

Left at sunrise this morning.  Drove to the Daily yard in Houston, Texas.  I'll deliver tomorrow morning after the Houston curfew is over.

Saturday, May 6, 2017

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  Another very nice day on the road.  Very uneventful.  Stopped for the night at the Flying J truck stop in Mandeville, Arkansas, seven miles from Texarkana.  Will be here until Monday morning.

Friday, May 5, 2017

Left the Daily yard in Milwaukee at about 3 am and drove down to the Daily yard in Morton, Illinois.  With a tremendous amount of help from the guy that works at the yard, we loaded a Caterpillar D9T Dozer that is going to Freeport, Texas. This machine weighs 81,440 pounds (36,941 kg). It is a lot more hard work to load this type of trailer and I knew that when I agreed to it.  It is great experience.  I sure did learn a lot today.  

One of the many things I learned today was that I needed two track pins.  I had never heard of these before.  Here is what they are for:  When the dozer comes up off the ground the tracks hang down a bit.  The track pins tighten up the tracks thereby pulling the tracks up. This allows a couple more inches of ground clearance.  In the first photo below you can see the tracks without the pin, and the second photo has the pin in place.  Can you see it?

Without the track pin

With the track pin in place

OK, here it is...

It took all day to load this thing. Once I get the hang of it, it won't take that long.  Also had to go get the track pins.  Finally got out of there this afternoon.  Drove to the Love's truck stop in Hamel, Illinois for the night.  I'm exhausted, and my back hurts.  

Thursday, May 4, 2017

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning and drove up to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and delivered the excavator.  From there I went over to the Daily yard in Milwaukee and swapped into a brand new, never been used, beam trailer.  This will be my trailer now.

My next load is tomorrow down at the Daily yard in Morton, Illinois.  I'll leave here REAL early tomorrow morning.  I don't have enough hours left today to go anywhere and I'm exhausted!!

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Hit the road a half hour before sunrise this morning.  Another great day on the road. Drove up to the Pilot truck stop in Marion Illinois.  As usual, the Pilot parking lot was full so I parked across the street in a motel parking lot. They charged $10, but it was worth it.  I was out of hours, had no choice.  With luck, I might be able to deliver tomorrow.

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Left San Antonio early this morning and drove in to Victoria, TX and loaded a Caterpillar 336F Excavator that is going up to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  

 Got on the road in good time after loading.  Very uneventful day on the road.  Stopped for the night at a convenience store with a few truck parking places in Linden, Texas

Monday, May 1, 2017

It took a while but I finally got my Texas permit and got on the road.  Drove down to San Antonio, Texas and delivered the dozer.  My next load is in Victoria, TX and loads in the morning.  I stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in San Antonio, TX.  Will get an early start in the morning when the traffic is lighter.

Sunday, April 30, 2017

I am at the Choctaw Casino in Durant, Oklahoma.  Last night I went to the buffet for dinner.  It was excellent!!  Had a salad, peel-n-eat shrimp, crab legs, prime rib, two helpings of vanilla ice cream with an awesome caramel topping, cantelope, and watermelon. 

Stopped raining, but it is VERY windy here today.  Going back to the buffet again tonight.

Saturday, April 29, 2017

It started raining during the night.  Several thunderstorms.  It was still raining when I left this morning.  Went through a few pretty good thunderstorms.  Southwestern Missouri and eastern Oklahoma have a lot of flooding!!  Saw some minor damage from one of the storms I drove through.  Some trees blown over, limbs down, power out in one place.  Stuff like that.  Stopped for the rest of the weekend at the Choctaw casino in Durant, Oklahoma.  Still raining.  Thunderstorm here too.  I don't have a Texas permit yet so I may be here a while Monday morning.

Friday, April 28, 2017

Went over to the Caterpillar plant bright and early this morning to load.  My dozer was not ready yet.  After about two hours it was finally ready and loaded on my trailer.  Caterpillar D6T Dozer that is going to San Antonio, Texas.  

Then had a trailer issue to be fixed.  Fixed that.  When I was ready to go I went back inside to Shipping to get my paperwork.  Their computer took a dump.  They had a guy on the phone trying to fix it.  Wasted another hour waiting for that.  Finally got out of there and on the road.  Had to stop early because I could not beat the St. Louis curfew.  Would have if it wasn't for all the needless delays. Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Troy, Illinois.

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Left at sunrise this morning in the rain.  Drove up to Madison, Wisconsin and delivered the excavator.  Still raining.  Then drove over to Milwaukee.  On the way had rain / snow mix, then snow, then back to rain.  At the Daily yard in Milwaukee I swapped back into my normal trailer.  It's good to have it back!!!  Next load is tomorrow in East Peoria, Illinois.  I drove down to the Daily yard in Morton, IL for the night.

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Left at sunrise this morning.  Very good day on the road.  Made it up to the Petro truck stop in Rochelle, Illinois for the night.  Will deliver tomorrow morning.

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Well, it happened again.  Last night my APU quit working.  

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  Had a good day on the road.  BUT had to stop early because of a flat tire on the trailer.  SO, I stopped at the TA truck stop in Denmark, Tennessee for the night and to get the tire replaced.

Monday, April 24, 2017

Left real early this morning and drove the rest of the way to Victoria, TX and loaded a Caterpillar 336F Excavator that is going o Madison, Wisconsin. My gross weight is 127,000 pounds (57,606 kg).

Left there and drove up to Marshall, Texas to a very crappy truck stop.  Had to stop there, ran out of hours.  Hopefully I won't ever stop here again!!

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  Drove to Wingate, Texas and delivered the hub.  Next load is Monday in Victoria, Texas.  I headed that way.  Stopped for the rest of the weekend at the Flying J truck stop in San Antonio, Texas.

Friday, April 21, 2017

Left this morning just before sunrise.  Good day on the road.  Very uneventful.  Got some pretty good news this afternoon from the "home office" in Carlisle, PA.  I'll tell you about it in the days to come. Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Terrell, Texas.  That's about 30 miles east of Dallas.  

Thursday, April 20, 2017

Left early this morning and drove to Pensacola, Florida and loaded a GE Wind Energy Hub that is going to Wingate, Texas.

Left there and drove to the Love's truck stop in Loxley, Alabama for the rest of the day.  Couldn't go any farther today because my Mississippi permit does not start until tomorrow.

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Made a minor repair to the truck and trailer this morning.  After that, drove to the TA truck stop in Marianna, Florida for the night.  Tomorrow I'll go to Pensacola and hopefully load my next load.  It isn't scheduled to load until Friday, but I'm hoping they will do it tomorrow.  We will see

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Left this morning and drove down to Lutz Florida and delivered the excavator.  Next load is Friday in Pensacola.  I drove back to the Daily yard in Jacksonville.  Traffic going back was horrible!!  Took forever to get back.

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Friday, April 14, 2017

Left at sunrise this morning.  Heavy traffic in both directions on I-95.  Stopped for the holiday weekend at the Daily yard in Jacksonville, Florida.  Will deliver on Tuesday.  

Thursday, April 13, 2017

Left at sunrise this morning and drove the rest of the way to the quarry in Kittrell, NC and delivered the metal thing.  Next load was in Kernersville, NC so I drove back over to there.   Loaded a Hitachi 210LC Excavator that is going to Lutz, Florida.

Left there and drove down to the Pilot truck stop in Salisbury, North Carolina for the night.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Had to wait until the Louisville, KY curfew was over in order to start.  While waiting, fixed a light on the trailer and the APU.  Then got on the road.  

Had a good and uneventful day on the road.  Only bad spot was going through the gorge on I-40 through the Great Smokey Mountains.  Construction had it down to one lane.  Took an hour and a half to go fifteen miles.  Stopped for the night at a Love's truck stop in Marion, North Carolina.

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

As soon as my 10 hours was up I left and drove down to the Daily yard in Lannon (Milwaukee), Wisconsin.  I left my trailer there and hooked up to a trailer there that was already loaded with a bug metal thing.  It is going to a quarry in Kittrell, North Carolina.

Left there and drove to the Flying J truck stop in Franklin, Indiana for the night.  My APU quit working this morning so I'll have to idle the truck all night.

Monday, April 10, 2017

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  Drove all the way up to Eau Claire, Wisconsin and delivered the dump truck late this afternoon.  Next load is waiting for me at the Daily yard in Milwaukee. Started to head that way but ran out of hours.  Stopped for the night at the Flying J truck stop in Black River Falls, Wisconsin.

Sunday, April 9, 2017

VERY windy here all day.  This truck has been rockin' all day, especially with this big "wind catcher" on the back!!

Saturday, April 8, 2017

Nothing exciting or interesting today, just a nice day on the road.   Left Wheeling, WV at sunrise this morning and drove to a truck stop in Oakwood, Illinois.  Will be here until Monday morning.

Friday, April 7, 2017

First thing this morning went over to the Port of Baltimore and loaded a Caterpillar 745C Dump Truck that is going to Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

I'm a bit heavy.  Here is my scale ticket.

To put that in some perspective for those of you that do not drive a truck, I weigh more than TWO fully loaded semi trucks.

Had to have an escort car in Maryland.  He was waiting for me just outside the Port gates, and off we went.

Western Maryland is still in winter.  Snowing hard out there.  2 inches on the ground but not sticking to the roads. It stuck to the parking lot, not the roads.

At the Maryland / West Virginia state line my escort dropped off as I continued on.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Wheeling, West Virginia.

Thursday, April 6, 2017

Left at sunrise this morning and drove up to Frederick, Maryland and delivered the excavator.  Next load is tomorrow morning at the Port of Baltimore.  Drove over to the TA truck stop in Baltimore for the night.

Wednesday, April, 5, 2017

As soon as my 10 hours was up I was back on the road.  Made it down to Columbia, South Carolina and loaded a Doosan 300 Excavator that is going to Frederick, Maryland.

My "maiden voyage" in my new (to me) truck.

Left there and drove to the Love's truck stop in Lambsburg, Virginia for the night.

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Got up real early this morning to get a good start going down to Columbia, South Carolina.  Went to the Daily yard to get my trailer but it was not there.  I dropped my trailer there about a week ago and told them it needed servicing.  It sat there all that time.  Now the day I was going to go with it, they decide to pull it into the shop to work on it.  They worked on it all day!!!!  At about 2:30 this afternoon the finally finished it.  I got it and left. Now I'm going to be late loading tomorrow. Drove to the Pilot truck stop in Raphine, Virginia for the night.  I'll start in the morning as soon as my 10 hours is up.

Monday, April 3, 2017

Went back over to Daily this morning and got things switched over in their computers and some other "admin" stuff.  My truck was finished in the shop a little while later and I finished (sort of) getting moved into it.  Then went and filled up the fuel tanks.  The CB antenna were both missing, so I went to the truck stop and got a couple of them and put them on. Did  a few more things around Daily then back to the hotel for one more night.

My load Wednesday morning has changed a bit.  Someone got the pick up location and the destination switched.  They are going to pay me to go down to Columbia, SC and load Wednesday morning.  I'll be delivering in Frederick, MD on Thursday.  So, tomorrow morning I will drive down there.  I'll go to bed early and leave here whenever I get up.  Actually this works out better.  I'l get a little driving time empty with this truck to get a better "feel" for it before putting a 70,000 pound (31,751 kg) machine on it.

Sunday, April 2, 2017

Sad news:

Please join me in remembering yet another great icon of the entertainment community.  The Pillsbury Dough Boy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes to the belly.  He was 71.  He is survived by his wife Play Dough, and his three children, John Dough, Jane Dough, and Dosey Dough, plus they had one in the oven.  Services were held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.