Saturday, October 7, 2017

Drove home as soon as my 10 hours was up.  Got home at 8 am.  Ran a few errands then settled in for  football for the rest of the day.

Gators didn't do so well today.


Florida vs LSU
Saturday, October 7, 3:30 PM
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida
LSU
Tigers
(4-2)
 
17 - 16
Final
Florida
Gators
(3-2)
1234Total
LSU737017
Florida0313016

Friday, October 6, 2017

Friday, October 6, 2017

We left this morning a half hour before sunrise.  Had no problems on the road today.  Drove all the way down to Okeechobee, Florida to a huge land fill.  Went back in there and unloaded the compactor after they put the wheels back on.


Went to the Pilot truck stop in Fort Pierce, Florida for a much needed shower, dinner, and a good nights sleep.  My next load is up in Georgia Monday morning, however I'm going to spend the weekend at home.

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Started at sunrise this morning.  LOTS of bumper to bumper traffic in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  Took forever to get through there.  Finally did.  At the Louisiana / Mississippi state line my pole car was waiting for me.  She took the lead and we continued on.  Had a very good day on the road until Florida.  That's when we found one of those total dick head troopers.  As you watch the video you will see a trooper on the right shoulder with his lights on.  My pole car was behind another semi truck.  Just prior to this she told me she was going to go around it when she could.  As we approached the trooper, she could not see him, as she was behind a truck!  Then when she could see him, there was another semi truck to her left next to her.  She slowed and passed the trooper.  Apparently that pissed off "Barney Fife" and he took off after us.  He pulled her over and I pulled in behind them.  He proceeded to chew her out, but did not write her a ticket.   When it was over we continued on to the Flying J truck stop in Quincy, Florida for the night.  It was about 20 miles from where the trooper pulled her over.  We were in the parking lot for at least a half hour before she left for her hotel.  The trooper followed her into the hotel parking lot.  He did not talk to her, just followed her in an obvious attempt to intimidate her.  She was furious! And I don't blame her.  Cops like this are the reason people hate cops and do not trust them.  


Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Left this morning after the San Antonio curfew was over at 9 am.  Had a very good day on the road except for some bumper to bumper traffic in Houston.  Didn't get nearly as far as I wanted to get today.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Lafayette, Louisiana.  Tomorrow I'll get a pole car when I get to Mississippi.

Too those of you leaving me such nice comments, thank you.  I appreciate all your comments. I also welcome any suggestions.  Thank you.

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Felt a lot better today.  Left real early this morning and drove in to the Caterpillar dealer in San Antonio, Texas.  Loaded a Caterpillar 836 Compactor that is going to Okeechobee, Florida.  Once It was on the trailer they came and too off the wheels.  The blade was already off.  




Left there and went to the scale.  That was good, but I am 14 feet 4 inches tall.  My permit is only for 14 feet.  So I found a parking place to wait.  Will be here at the Petro in San Antonio for the night.

Monday, October 2, 2017

Monday, October 2, 2017

Woke up this morning feeling bad again.  Went over to the port and unloaded the dozer.  After that went over to the Daily terminal in Houston.  Had a bad tire on the trailer that I needed to have replaced.


After that was done, I started off for San Antonio.  My next load is there tomorrow morning.  I stopped very early at the TA truck stop in Bernardo, TX because I was still feeling bad.  Going to sleep very soon.  Hopefully I'll feel better in the morning, I have to.

Sunday, October 1, 2017

Sunday, October 1, 2017

There are several off shore oil rigs in here.  I think they build them over there.  Tried to get a photo for you but there is too much "stuff" in the way.  Here is the best one I could get.


Carnival Freedom was in port yesterday and left yesterday afternoon.


Another Carnival ship and a Royal Caribbean ship are in today.

Saturday, September 30, 2017

Saturday, September 30, 1017

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning and drove the rest of the way into Galveston. Parked in a dirt lot down the road from the port.  Dropped the trailer there and went to Shipley's Do Nuts.  They are sooooo good when they are hot!!!   Then back to the trailer.  Settled in for the rest of the weekend for FOOTBALL!!!!!



Florida vs Vanderbilt
Today, 11:00 AM
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida
Vanderbilt
Commodores
(3-2)
 
24 - 38
Final
Florida
Gators
(3-1)
1234Total
Vanderbilt7100724
Florida71071438

Friday, September 29, 2017

Friday, September 29, 2017

Left this morning to time the Little Rock curfew.  Got o LR just after the curfew ended.  Felt a lot better today and had a nice day on the road.  Drove to the Pilot truck stop in Huntsville, Texas for the night.

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Got started at sunrise and timed it perfectly to enter Missouri right at 9 am when the St. Louis curfew ended.  Had a bad headache this morning.  Fortunately, it went away by noon. Still didn't feel very well all day.  Other than that, no other problems on the road today.  Stopped a little early tonight at the TA truck stop in Earle, Arkansas since I would not make the Little Rock curfew and still not feeling well.  Hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow.

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Got off to a slow start this morning.  Stopped at the TA truck stop in Troy, IL and had a damaged mud flap replaced and had breakfast.  Then on up to the Caterpillar plant in East Peoria, IL and loaded a Caterpillar D9R Dozer that is going to the port in Galveston, Texas.



Left there and drove to the Pilot truck stop in Lincoln, Illinois for the night.

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Went to a large landfill that is across from the Gateway Motorsports Park.  That is one of the NASCAR tracks.  Took all morning to load a Caterpillar 836 Compactor.  These things can be very difficult to load.



Went a few blocks down the road to the Pilot truck stop and scaled.  Turns out that I was WAY too heavy.  I need at least two more axles to take this machine anywhere.  I went back to the land fill and explained the situation.  Also tried to call Daily.  When it rains, it pours!!  All the phone lines and internet were down at all the Daily terminals!!  Finally got hold of someone on his cell phone.  To make a very long story short, I ended up unloading the machine and leaving it there.  I went back to the Pilot truck stop for the night.  Have another load tomorrow up in East Peoria, IL.  I'm too exhausted to go anywhere today.

Monday, September 25, 2017

Monday, September 25, 2017

Went back to the Caterpillar dealer first thing this morning and took care of the delivery paperwork for the dump truck.  Then headed toward East St. Louis, Illinois for my next load.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Troy, Illinois.

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  rove up to Eau Claire, Wisconsin to the Caterpillar dealer and unloaded the dump truck.  They were closed but the lot was not fenced in.  Had a very difficult time unloading.  Took over three hours of very hard work.  When finished I drove to the Love's truck stop for the rest of the weekend.  Now its FOOTBALL TIME!!!!


WOW!!!

Florida vs Kentucky
Saturday, September 23, 7:30 PM
Commonwealth Stadium Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky
Florida
Gators
(2-1)
28 - 27
Final
Kentucky
Wildcats
(3-1)
1234Total
Florida01401428
Kentucky7710327

Friday, September 22, 2017

Friday, September 22, 2017

Was lying in bed watching TV waiting for the Cincinnati curfew to get over when I heard a loud crunch.  My truck didn't move so I new it wasn't me.  Here is what happened.



Brand New Trailer

Bent the undercarriage too
When the cop arrived to make out a report I went over and offered my video.  He was a total jerk.  Wasn't interested.  I just turned around and walked away.  And they just don't know why people hate cops!!!  What an ass!!!

When the curfew was over I left.  Had more back roads in Ohio to contend with.  They were pretty bad!  Narrow, windy, and hilly.  After that, the rest of the day was uneventful.  Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Rochelle, Illinois.

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Left at sunrise this morning.  More back roads in Pennsylvania.  Took another 3 1/2 hours to get out of PA.  Then it was Ohio's turn.  Here is the wacky route Ohio sent me on. Remember I'm going to Eau Claire, Wisconsin.  That is almost up to Minneapolis!!!


Went past the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.



I'm still not out of Ohio yet!!  Had to stop a little early because of the Cincinnati curfew.  Why I have to go through Cincinnati, I'll never know!!  I'll be able to sleep in a little tomorrow too.  Can't go through Cincinnati until 9 am.  Stopped for the night at the Love's truck stop in Jeffersonville, Ohio.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Went back to the Port this morning and got my trailer.   I didn't have my Pennsylvania permit this morning so I couldn't go very far.  Had to have an escort in Maryland.  She met me at the Port entrance and we left.  When we got to the Maryland / Pennsylvania state line I pulled over on the shoulder.  She went on ahead and let me know if there were any cops between the State line and the Welcome Center Rest Area a mile into PA.  There weren't any, so I went there to wait for my permit to come in.  After about an hour my PA permit arrived and off I went.  Here is the goofy route the state of Pennsylvania sent me.


And here are the photos of my load that I promised yesterday.  It is going to Eau Claire, Wisconsin.




All the roads that were off the Interstate took forever to travel.  Lots of steep hills, twists & turns, small towns, and traffic lights.  Of course I got most all of them red.  It took all day and I'm still not out of Pennsylvania.  I stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Milesburg, Pennsylvania.  I am still 3 to 4 hours from Ohio.

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Was over at Kenworth in Carlisle at 6:30 this morning to have a little work done on the truck.  When they finished I went back to Daily.  They did routine maintenance on my APU.  The trailer shop brought my trailer in and serviced it.  When my APU was done I went down the road to the laundry mat and did six loads of laundry.  When that was done I went back to Daily.  My trailer was finished so I hooked up to it and left for Baltimore.   Drove down to the Port of Baltimore in Dundalk, Maryland.  Loaded a Caterpillar 745 articulating dump truck.  I'll have pictures tomorrow.  I left my trailer at the Port and went to the TA truck stop for the night.  

Monday, September 18, 2017

Monday, September 18, 2017

Delivered the dozer first thing this morning.  Then drove down to the "home office" in Carlisle, PA.  They did routine maintenance on the truck.  Tomorrow will be at Kenworth first thing in the morning for some more work.  Then back to the "home office" for APU service.  When that is done, I'll scoot down to Baltimore for my next load.

Saturday, September 16, 2017

Saturday, September 16, 2017

Left at sunrise this morning.  Had to have an escort in Maryland and met her at the West Virginia / Maryland state line.  She followed me a whopping twelve miles through Maryland then dropped off at Pennsylvania.  I continued on to the "home office" in Carlisle, PA where I stopped for an early lunch at Napoli's Pizza.  After lunch I continued on to Pittston, PA to the Pilot truck stop.  It is right next to the Caterpillar dealer where I deliver Monday.  The foliage is starting to show some color up here in northern Pennsylvania.   Now I can settle in for a weekend of FOOTBALL.  






What a finish!!!!!!!

Florida vs Tennessee
Today, 2:30 PM
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida
Tennessee
Volunteers
(2-1)
 
20 - 26
Final
Florida
Gators
(1-1)
1234Total
Tennessee0301720
Florida3302026

Friday, September 15, 2017

Friday, September 15, 2017

Got up to leave as soon as my 10 hours was up but it was very foggy and I couldn't leave. Permit loads can't move when it is foggy.  I went back to bed.  By 8:30 the fog had lifted enough to go, so I left.  The rest of the day was uneventful.  Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Raphine, Virginia.  

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Left at sunrise this morning and had a good uneventful day on the road.  LOTS of bumper to bumper traffic through Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Stopped for the night at the Pilot truck stop in McDonald, TN.  Can drive at night in Tennessee so as soon as my 10 hours is up, I'm outa here

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Today went a lot better than yesterday.  Started off at Shipley's Donuts again.  So good when they are hot and fresh.  Then back to the Port to pick up where I left off yesterday.  Hooked back up to my trailer and finished loading a Caterpillar D8T Dozer that is going to Pittston, Pennsylvania.



Left there and got n the road, finally!!!!

This is what it looks like when a trailer tire blows out right in front of you.


Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Hammond, Louisiana.