Friday, July 19, 2019

Left this morning at 3 am and drove to Rapid City, SD.  I got here a lot faster than I thought I would. Met the other truck that was bringing the other half of this machine at the Pilot truck stop.  The guy from the delivery site came and met us there and took us in to where we were to unload Monday morning.  We dropped our trailers there and left.  He went back to the truck stop, I went to the Harley shop that was across the Interstate from the truck stop.  I rented a Harley Ultra Classic motorcycle (the black one) until Sunday afternoon.

I left there and spent the rest of the day on the bike.  Here is a map of the route I took.

I started off going to Mount Rushmore.  I didn't go into the park because I didn't want to pay the fee.  I had been there before and I could see it well enough from outside the park as you will see below.

A friend recommended going to Custer State Park so after leaving Mount Rushmore I headed that way.  It was an excellent recommendation!!  Great ride!!!  One of the best!!!  Here are some pictures I took along the way.

There were several of these one lane tunnels.

Look very closely in the center of this picture.  See it?

Here is a zoomed in view of the center of the above picture.

After I left there I rode over to Sturgis.  Everyone is getting ready for the 79th Annual Srurgis Motorcycle Rally.  It starts August 2 and goes till the 11th.  My first stop was The Buffalo Chip.

From there rode up to the Full Throttle Saloon.  This place burned down a couple years ago.  They relocated it to a larger place and rebuilt it.

Here is the inside.

From there I went into Sturgis and rode down Main Street. 

In two weeks there will be over 500,000 motorcycles here and it will look a whole lot different!  Wish I was going to be here for it.  From there I rode over to where a friend of mine from Florida works now.  He moved here a couple years ago.  He wasn't there but we talked on the phone.  Will probably get together sometime this weekend.  Then I rode back to the Harley shop in Rapid City where my truck is parked.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Had to time when I left this morning so that I would get to Kansas City at 9 am when curfew ended.  I was perfect!!!  Entered the curfew area at exactly 9 am.  

Home of the Kansas City Royals

In Iowa, lots of flooded farm land.  All the photos below are supposed to be farms, not lakes.

This is an exit ramp. If you look closely you can see the Stop signs at the intersection in the water.

Went past the Sioux City, Iowa Airport.  That is the site of one of the most amazing plane crashes in US history.  Click here for more information on it.  I remember this very well.  The video below is excellent about it.

Continued on up to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to the Flying J truck stop for the night.  Went in for dinner to the Denny's restaurant.  Well, it happened again.  I was seated by the hostess and promptly ignored.  Sat there for a very long time before I left.  I ate someplace else.

I was lying in bed watching TV when the weather radio went off saying that there was a Tornado Warning in my area and to take cover immediately.  I got dressed and went outside.  The sky looked cool.  Saw a tornado, not a huge one.  Here are a few pictures...

Here is the same system trying to make another one, but it didn't happen.

Never a dull moment.

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Left this morning a half hour after sunrise.  Just as I started to go up the mountain toward Monteagle, TN the heavens opened up.  I rained very hard all the way up and back down the other side.  On the way down passed a crash that just happened. Car going the other direction went into the median and half way through the cable guard rail.  By the time I got to Nashville the rain was pretty much over with.  In Illinois I passed another crash that just happened.  Car bounced off the "Jersey wall" and was facing the wrong way.  Other than that, it was a pretty uneventful day.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Forestall, Missouri.

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

My South Carolina permit finally came in just after 9 am and I hit the road.  Felt good to be moving again!!!  Was heading west on I-26 when traffic came to a quick stop.  I saw it and slowed down but the truck next to me obviously wasn't paying attention.  He did, however avoid a diaster.  Here is the video...

Here is the same video except zoomed in to see it better.  Sorry about the poor resolution.

Traffic was heavy going around Atlanta.  Lots of bumper to bumper on the north side. Made it through that without too much of a delay.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Cartersville, Georgia.

Monday, July 15, 2019

Went over to the Port of Charleston this morning.  Got there when they opened at 7:30.  Crane loaded a Crusher that came from France and is going to Rapid City, South Dakota.

After I was loaded and waiting for my South Carolina permit the cops came swarming in.  They were inspecting every truck in there, including me.  They went through the entire truck and looked at and in everything.  Finding nothing, they moved on.  I pulled just outside the gate and parked along the side of the road, as shown in the above photos, to wait for my South Carolina permit.  It did not come in today, so I'll be here all night.  Hopefully it will come in tomorrow. 

Saturday, July 13, 2019

After a little over a week off it is time to go back to work.  My next load is up at the Port in Charleston, South Carolina.  I drove up to the Flying J truck stop in St. George, SC.  I'll be here until monday morning.

Thursday, July 4, 2019

Tuesday, July 2, 2019

Left the Daily yard a half hour before sunrise this morning and drove the rest of the way to Cocoa.  When I got there I found an empty lot with several other machines there.  No building, and no people anywhere. There was a locked cable across the enterance.

Several phone calls and 45 minutes later I was able to get in.   I unloaded the machine.  Here is a video of it coming off the trailer.

When that was finished I returned to the Daily yard in Jacksonville.  I will be here for at least a week.

Monday, July 1, 2019

My South Carolina permit came in at about 8:30 this morning and I got on the road.  Traffic wasn't bad at all. Passed a car that had rolled over and was on it's side over at the tree line.  It just happened.  No cops, etc. there to screw up traffic.  At mile marker 6 on I-95 I blew two trailer tires.  Made quite a "boom" when the went.  I limped to the Pilot truck stop at exit 5, and waited for a tire guy to show up.  Not a very good way to start July.

He got here and got to work.

At about 3 this afternoon he was finished and I was back on the road again.  Once in Florida just south of the weigh station traffic came to a complete stop.  Nothing was moving north bound either.  I looked up and saw the helicopter coming down to land in the road.  45 minutes later traffic was moving again.  I saw where the cops were but I never saw the wreck.  Oh well.  Stopped for the night at the Daily terminal in Jacksonville.

Saturday, June 29, 2019

Left at sunrise this morning.  Was early enough to get through Washington DC without any traffic issues.  As the morning progressed the traffic continued to build.  I-95 was very heavy traffic north of Richmond and on the Richmond bypass until I-64.  Looks like most of that traffic was headed to Virginia Beach.  Down into North Carolina the traffic was heavy again.  Several areas of bumper to bumper for no reason, just too many cars for the road.  I stopped for the rest of the weekend just inside South Carolina at the Pilot truck stop in Latta, South Carolina.  I'll be here until my South Carolina permit comes in.   I probably could have made it through SC without a permit except they have had a detour around the Lake Marion bridge on I-95 for permit loads over 100,000 pounds.  I am definitely over that.  So, here I will sit.

Friday, June 28, 2019

Left Carlisle, PA at 2:30 this morning and drove to the Port in Newark, New Jersey.  The Port is next to Newark - Liberty International Airport.  It is also across the river from lower Manhattan where the Freedom Tower (formally The World Trade Center) is.   I did good and beat the rush hour traffic coming in.  Loaded a Sandvik QE342 Crusher that is going to Cocoa, Florida.  I couldn't remember how to run the machine, it has been a long time since I had loaded one.  It is operated by remote control, you don't ride in/on it.  It took about 20 minutes for me to finally get it moving, then had no trouble loading it.  

Here is a zoomed in section from the above photo showing the Freedom Tower.

 

Left there and, to my suprise, had no traffic issues getting back out.  Where I did have bumper to bumper traffic was going around Baltimore.  That was a mess.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Jessup, Maryland.  Once again, my South Carolina permit did not come in.  Have all the rest of them but not SC.  So, I'll be stopping in North Carolina tomorrow.  I wish SC would get their act together!!!  It was ordered two days ago!!

Thursday, June 27, 2019

My truck made it into the truck shop first thing this morning.  Had a lot of preventative maintenance stuff done including two new front tires.  My trailer went into the trailer shop and got serviced too.   My next load is over at the Port in Newark, New Jersey - YUCK!!!!  It is three hours from here.  I'll leave here very early in the morning to try to get ahead of most of the rush hour traffic.

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

They didn't get to my truck today.  They say it will be first thing in the morning.  We will see.  

This evening I went to get dinner and drove to downtown Carlisle.  I really like Carlisle.  They have a thriving downtown.  It is nice to see all the activity in the middle of the week.

There was a store that had a bubble machine. 

Tonight they had a small farmers market on the center town square. Lots of Amish farmers.

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Left this morning and finished my excursion up to Blairsville, PA and delivered the dump truck.  Interesting place.  Had a nice long talk with one of the owners.  We got along real well.  Anyway, I left there and drove over to Carlisle, PA.  Stopped and got the truck and trailer washed.  Then on to the "home office".  The want to do more maintenance on my truck.  The have me scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.  Have no idea what they are going to do, but I'll be here till it's done.

Monday, June 24, 2019

Went to leave this morning and found a couple flat tires on the trailer.  Went around to the repair shop at the TA and they said that they do not work on oversized loads.  Had to call an outside repair shop to come change my tires.  He arrived and got to work.

Here is one of my tires...

And here is the other...

He got them fixed pretty quick and I was on the road again.  Passed a wreck along the way...

 

Stopped for the night at a small truck stop in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania. Will have a late start tomorrow because of the Pittsburgh curfew.   I almost forgot!!  I passed one of those driverless trucks today.  It went by before I could get a picture of it.

Sunday, June 23, 2019

Saturday, June 22, 2019

Left a half hour after sunrise this morning.  Just a few areas of bumper to bumper traffic in the Charlotte, NC area, but that is normal for there. Continued on up to the TA truck stop in Wytheville, Virginia for the rest of the weekend.  Can't drive on the West Virginia Turnpike (I-77) on Saturday or Sunday.  Not getting that SC permit really screwed me up.  Oh well, thats how it goes sometimes.

Friday, June 21, 2019

I got a nice rest today.  My South Carolina permit didn't come in until a little after 4:30 this afternoon. Obviously, too late to go anywhere today.  I'll start a half hour after sunrise tomorrow morning.

Thursday, June 20, 2019

Left at 2:30 this morning and drove to a landfill in Mauk, Georgia.  Got there at about 7:30.  Loaded a Volvo A40 Articulating Dump Truck that is going to Blairsville, Pennsylvania.  

Left there and headed toward Pennsylvania.  Unbelievably I had no traffic issues going around Atlanta.  Had to stop a little early today.  My South Carolina permit, which was ordered two days ago, still had not come in.  I'll be at the Petro truck stop in Carnesville, Georgia until it gets here.

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  Drove to Ocala.  Heavy, heavy rain along the way.  Fortunately it wasn't raining when I unloaded.  Next load is up in Georgia.  Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Orange Lake, Florida.  Well get a very early start in the morning.

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning. Had absolutely no traffic issues going through Lake Charles or Baton Rouge.  Thats amazing for Baton Rouge!!!  Traffic is most always a mess in Baton Rouge.  Unfortunately I had to stop early.  My Florida permit was wrong.  I told them about it in an email that I sent last night and they received this morning when they came to work.  The correct permit still is not here.  So I stopped at a truck stop in Robertsdale, Alabama and will wait here until it gets here.

Monday, June 17, 2019

We left at sunrise this morning.  Arrived at the place in Portland, TX in good time.  They are building a huge new natural gas processing plant there.  It is just getting started.  Still assembling all the equipment and supplies to begin construction.  Like all the major construction sites they are stupid with "safety" rules.  Had to be escorted in and then back out again.  I waited for over an hour for them to come get me.  Finally got back in there and unloaded the machine.  Then waited for another hour to be escorted back out.  Left there and drove back up to Victoria, TX and loaded a Caterpillar 336 excavator that is going to Ocala, Florida.

Left there and drive to the Petro truck stop in Beaumont, Texas for the night.

Sunday, June 16, 2019

We left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  Great time to go through Houston!!  Hardly any traffic at all early on a Sunday morning!!  Stopped at a truck stop in Refugio, Texas.  Was done at noon today.  Deliver tomorrow morning.

Saturday, June 15, 2019

We all left at sunrise this morning. More back roads through the rest of Arkansas.  At the Texas line my lead escort car dropped off as I only needed a rear car in Texas.  A little Interstate in Texas, but mostly back roads.  Stopped for the night at a truck stop in Normangee, Texas.  Will get a lot closer to Portland, TX tomorrow for a Monday delivery.

Friday, June 14, 2019

Left after the St Louis curfew was over at 9 with my pilot escort car following behind.  The Mississippi River is the highest I have ever seen it.  Lots of flooding in Missouri.

 In Missouri my lead car joined us as we continued on through the back roads.  

Took forever to get through Missouri!!  At the Missouri / Arkansas line my lead car dropped off and I got another one.  We continued on through more back roads to the Petro truck stop in North Little Rock, Arkansas.  More back roads tomorrow through the rest of Arkansas.

Thursday, June 13, 2019

Went over to the Caterpillar Proving Grounds in Washington, Illinois first thing this morning.  Loaded a Caterpillar D6 Dozer that is going to an oil refinery in Portland, Texas.

I am going to have an escort from St. Louis, Missouri until I deliver.  In Missouri and Arkansas I have to have two.  For some reason (I think the flooding might have something to do with it) I am going to be on two lane back roads through most of Missouri and Arkansas.  It doesn't look it, but I am 14 feet wide, thats why I have the escorts.  Anyway, I left there in pretty good time.  Just before I got back to the Interstate in Peoria, this happened...

Miscalculated when to have the escorts and scheduled them for tomorrow morning.  I could have made it through St. Louis today.  Oh well.  Will just have to get a late start tomorrow morning because of the St. Louis curfew that ends at 9 am.

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Left very early this morning in the rain.  Got to the Caterpillar dealer in Eau Claire right when they opened.  Delivered the excavator.  My next load is down at the Caterpillar Proving Grounds in Washington, Illinois.  Drove down to the Daily Yard in Morton, Illinois for the night.

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  Only had about 3 and a half hours available today.  Stopped at the Petro truck stop in Portage, Wisconsin.  I'll get almost 11 hours tomorrow.

Monday, June 10, 2019

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  Very short day.  Only had a littke over 5 hours available today.  So I stopped at the Petro truck stop in Rochelle, Illinois.  Had only 8 minutes left when I stopped.  Had my 90 day inspection done in the repair shop and did four loads of laundry. I'll get almost four hours tomorrow.  I'll at least be able to get into Wisconsin.

Sunday, June 9, 2019

Nothing exciting today.  Left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  Another good day on the road.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Mount Vernon, Illinois.

Saturday, June 8, 2019

Left this morning and timed it right to get there when they opened this morning.  Loaded a Caterpillar 336 Excavator that is going to Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Left there in pretty good time.  Nice day driving the back roads of Texas.  Stopped for the night at a convenience store with a few truck parking places in Atlanta, Texas.

Friday, June 7, 2019

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  Drove to a place in Hidalgo, Texas along the Mexican border that transfers freight across to Mexico.  No one there spoke English except for one guy from the office.  I unloaded the machine and they wanted me to load it on their trailer, which I did.  They didn't know how to run the machine and all the labels on the two dozen switches had warn off a long time ago so I was happy to do it for them.  I was across the street from the border fence.  Here is the border crossing a few blocks away. The other side had trucks lined up as far as I could see waiting to enter the USA.

My next load is back up in Victoria.  I started that direction.  Stopped along the way for food, fuel, and a shower.  Then continued on up to a truck stop in Refugio, TX for the night.

Thursday, June 6, 2019

Left at sunrise this morning in a thunderstorm.  Rained steadily to Baton Rouge. Between Baton Rouge and the Basin Bridge the heavens really opened up.  Could hardly see.  It started to clear once I got to the bridge.  Eventually it became sunny and hot.  Other than that, it was a pretty good day on the road.  Some bumper to bumper traffis in Baton Rouge.  Made it through Houston without any B2B.  That is very unusual!!!  Stopped for the night at the Love's truck stop in Sinton, Texas.  I'll deliver tomorrow right at a place at the Mexican border.

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Went back over and picked up my trailer and was on the road a half hour after sunrise this morning.  Had some bumper to bumper traffic in Atlanta, GA and in Montgomery, AL. Stopped along the way and scaled...

Told ya it was heavier than it looked!  Drove in the rain most of the day.  I was supposed to have a rear escort car in Alabama, but I made it through without one.  Fortunately, I didn't get caught!!  Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Hammond, Louisiana.

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Left Kentucky at 3:30 this morning.  Timed it great again.  Got to Georgia a half hour after sunrise.  Quite a bit of bumper to bumper traffic going around Atlanta.  Made it to Covington and delivered the Screener.  Next load is over in McDonough, GA.  Drove over there and loaded a Roadtec Shuttle Buggy that is going down to Hidalgo, Texas.  This thing is a lot heavier than it looks.

I really didn't have enough hours left to go anywhere, and I found a slight problem with one of my tires, so I left my trailer there and drove over to the TA truck stop in Jackson, GA.

While waiting for the shop to be ready to fix my tires I went and showered and ate.  Just as I finished eating they called and said that they were ready.  I got 4 new tires.  Then parked for the night.  I'm totally exhausted!!   My whole body aches, can hardly move.  Phone is off and I'm going to sleep.  Good night!

Monday, June 3, 2019

My Kentucky permit didn't come in until 11 am.  Because of that, I didn't get anywhere near as far as I had wanted to.  I left and drove to the Flying J truck stop in Franklin, Kentucky.  Because of the lack of adequate truck parking, I have to stop early in the afternoon.  The machine on the trailer has a 3 foot overhang to the rear so I have to have a parking place where no one can park behind me so that someone does not back into the machine. 

 

By stopping a little earlier I usually don't have a problem finding an acceptable parking place.  I'll leave here at about 3:30 in the morning.  Have to time it so that I get to Georgia a half hour after sunrise.

Sunday, June 2, 2019

Friday, May 31, 2019

Went over to Pataskala, Ohio first thing this morning.  Loaded a Screener that is going to Covington, Georgia.

I positioned the truck camera to get video of the machine loading but, for some reason, the camera stopped recording just as he was ready to load it.  All I got was some video of it getting in position to load.  Oh well, I tried.

 

Once my Ohio permit came in I left.  Had to stop early today.  Still don't have a Kentucky permit. Stopped just inside Kentucky at the TA truck stop in Walton, KY.  Looks like I'll be here all weekend.

Thursday, May 30, 2019

Left at sunrise this morning and made my way over to Murrysville, PA and delivered the wheel loader.  Of course as soon as I got there and started to unchain the machine the heavens opened up and it poured rain.  Didn't stop until the machine was unloaded and I was done.  My next load is over in Pataskala, Ohio.  I left and drove over there.  Passed Three Rivers Stadium (now it's called Hintz Field) where the Pittsburgh Steelers play.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Hebron, Ohio.  When I got there I spent a couple hours fixing a few trailer lights that were out.  Had to replace one light and rewire another.  All good now.

Wewdnesday, May 29, 2019

Left at sunrise this morning.  Another uneventful day on the road.  Some bumper to bumper traffic going around Washington DC, but it wasn't too bad.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Breezewood, Pennsylvania.  I'll deliver in the morning about 2 to 3 hours from here.

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Had a very nice weekend at home, except it was not long enough!!  Oh well, back at it again this morning.  Left a half hour before sunrise.  Very pleasent day on the road.  passed a grass fire that was burning in the median on I-95 in South Carolina.  Fire Department was just arriving as I was passing by it.  In North Carolina I saw a very large "dust devil" in a field just off the roadway.  Was pretty cool to see a mini tornado that close.  Aside from that, nothing else exciting today.  Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Kenly, North Carolina.