Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Had a little snow overnight.

Left at about 5 am and drove to Darien, WI and loaded a large generator in an enclosure that is going to Hummelstown, PA.  

I'm stretched out about 10 feet for this load.  Once my pole car arrived, we left.  The route through Wisconsin wasn't too bad at all.  The route through Illinois is a different story.  Lots of low hanging trees and at least 6 power lines the I would have hit if I didn't have a pole car.  We were doing great avoiding everything until Streamwood, Illinois.  There was a power line that was a bit too low.  My pole car hollered that he hit it.  But because we were in a city and had just left a traffic light, I didn't have enough time to stop.  I clipped the power line.  When I did so, the line popped up as I passed under it.  When the line went up it arced and blew the power out to the area.  The line, much to my surprise, did not come down.  Of course we stopped.  While I was on the phone with 911, a cop pulled up. I explained everything to him and he got everything started.  They shut down the road.  It was 4 lanes plus a center turn lane.  The fire department came and then the power company came.  Everyone got there pretty quick.  The power company said that the line had been hanging low for a while.  The cop said another truck hit it last week.  Everyone said that it was not my fault at all.  

There was absolutely no damage to my load at all.  While the fire department was there, they brought a ladder truck, they went up and photographed the roof of my load for me.  No damage at all.  Got very lucky!!!!!

After all that was done, we left and continued on our merry way.  Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Rochelle, Illinois.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Went back over to Milwaukee and re-attached to my trailer very early this morning.  Didn't matter that I was there early, didn't get unloaded until noon.  After that, I went to the Daily terminal in Lannon, WI and swapped into a different trailer.  It is a stretch trailer.  I'll need it for my next load in Darien, WI.  I load in the morning.  Supposed to get rain then turning to snow tonight.  Not supposed to get much though.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  Drove the rest of the way into Milwaukee.  Dropped my trailer in front of where I'm delivering tomorrow.  Then drove bobtail over to the Love's truck stop for the night.  It is about 7 miles down the Interstate.  

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  Beautiful North Dakota sunrise today.  Sorry, no pictures of it.  Nice uneventful day on the road.  No problems going around the Twin Cities.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Hudson, Wisconsin.  Now it's time for some SEC football.  Gators are off this week getting ready for Georgia next week.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Can you believe it is only 2 months until Christmas?  Holy cow!!! Where does the time go?  Wow, it goes by fast!!

Left this morning a half hour before sunrise.  Very nice day on the road.  Here is another picture of my view today.

Look!!   There really is a home on the range!!!

In North Dakota I passed a bunch of oil wells.  Sorry about the bugs on the windshield.

Oh no!!  Look at all the environmental destruction!!  The total devastation!!  Look at all the oil spilling all over,  the dead animals lying around, the cloud of air pollution, and all the dead birds dropping from the sky!!!!   Oh....wait...none of that is happening.  Hmmmm........pretty much destroys the wacko environmentalists narrative, doesn't it?

Stopped for the night just west of Bismarck, North Dakota at the Flying J truck stop in Mandan, ND.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Had to wait for the Spokane curfew to be over, so at 9 am PDT I left.  Yesterday I went over Snoqualmie Pass, today had three more to go over.  The first one was 4th of July Pass in Idaho on I-90.  Here is a time lapse video going up to the top and down the other side.

The next one was Lookout Pass.  That one is right at the Idaho / Montana state line on I-90.  Here is another time lapse video going up to the top and down the other side.

The third one was the highest one.  It goes across the Continental Divide.  Here is another time lapse video going up and over the divide.

Here are some still pictures from this morning too.

Stopped for the night at the Pilot truck stop in Three Forks, Montana.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

I left Olympia, WA a little earlier than I had planned this morning.  Good thing I did.  Rush hour traffic was heavy going into Seattle.  Lots of bumper to bumper traffic.  I also went past my exit to the Port so I had to double back.  That was not easy!!  Finally got into the Port of Seattle and loaded a large crate.  I honestly have no idea what is inside, but it weighs 76,060 pounds.  

Got it secured and was out of there just after curfew ended.  Good timing.  It was a bit foggy this morning in Seattle.  Didn't clear until I was out of the city.  I got lucky with the weather.  It was perfect!!!  Sunny and cool.  Here are a few photos of the scenery on my way up to Snoqualmie Pass on I-90.

And here are a couple going down the other side.

Continued on the rest of the way to Spokane.  Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Spokane, Washington.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

This little Pilot truck stop is a busy place.  Yesterday they had a propane leak and had to evacuate the building for a little while.  They are back in it now but there are no showers or laundry.  Today they started fixing pot holes in the parking lot. 

All those trucks you see lined up are not parked.  They are waiting to get in to get fuel.  I hate Pilots !!!!  Most of them are way too small, just like this one.  Anyway, I'm all set up to load tomorrow morning.  Have my permits.  Just hoping for good weather going over Snoqualmie Pass.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Left as soon as my 10 hours was up.  Drove up to a small Pilot truck stop in Olympia, Washington.  I'm still about an hour from the port in Tacoma, but this is the closest truck stop to there.   The machine that I'm loading (I'm not really sure what it is) still has not cleared customs yet.  Plus I have to have a loading appointment.  I guess it is a crane load.  So when all that is done I'll go in and get it.  Until then I'm gonna sleep as much as I can.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

The Gators did good yesterday!!

As soon as my reset was completed I left and continued toward Tacoma.  Was a nice drive today through the mountains of the state of Jefferson and then into Oregon.  In southern Oregon I passed a legal marijuana farm.  There are billboards all along I-5 advertising recreational pot use.  Interesting.  

The autumn color is in full bloom up here.  Unfortunately it was very overcast which made the photographs duller than they should be.  

Even saw a few rainbows.  Here is one of them.  Unfortunately, they don't photograph very well either.

Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Coburg, Oregon just north of Eugene.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Didn't realize that I was just about of hours this week.  As soon as my 10 hours was up I left the parking area.  Drove to the Pilot truck stop in Cotati, California.  Will do my reset here.  

Now it is time to settle in for a full day of SEC college football starting with ESPN's College Game Day.  Then at noon EDT it's the Florida Gators at South Carolina Gamecocks.  GO GATORS!!!!

Friday, October 18, 2019

Left at 9 pm PDT and drove all night.  On State Road 37 in the San Francisco area, check out what this idiot did.  Sorry about the bug.

He pulled into a blind spot.  Damn luck he didn't get my bumper in his lap!!!  

Anyway, continued on up to Santa Rosa, CA and delivered the drill.  My next load is up in Tacoma, Washington.  I started that way, but due to a lack of hours I stopped at a parking area on the side of 101 in Cotati, CA.  As soon as my 10 hours is up,I'll get out of here.  Going to sleep now. Phone is off.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Left at 1 am PDT this morning.  My travels today took me past the entrance to Meteor Crater,  the Grand Canyon, and the Hoover Dam.  Then on up to Las Vegas.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to stop there. Just remembered the good times from all the past trips there as I went by.  Continued on into California.  Stopped for the day at the TA truck stop in Barstow, California.  I'll be starting again before midnight PDT tonight.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Left at about 6 am CDT this morning.  Passed the remnants of a trailer fire.

I think that load will be a little late.  Made it through New Mexico and into Arizona.  Stopped for the night at the Flying J truck stop in Winslow, Arizona.  Such a fine sight to see.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Left at sunrise this morning in the fog.  Fortunately it wasn't too bad.  Slight sprinkles of rain most of the morning.  Going around Dallas saw another crash happen in front of me.  When you watch the video, notice the jack ass in the red car change lanes in front of me then stop right in the middle of the Interstate highway to look at the crashed vehicles.  What an idiot!!!!!!

Continued on up to Amarillo, Texas.  Stopped for the night at the Big Texan.  They have truck parking in back.  It has been a while since I've been here.  The Big Texan limo was dropping off people in front.

Here is the view from my table. No one was doing the 72 ounce steak challenge tonight.

First was warm rolls.

Then the rib eye steak.

It was delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday, October 14, 2019

I forgot to post the score of the Gator game.  They put up a real good fight.  Was a great game, but in the end, LSU was the better team and it showed

Anyway, this morning I left a half hour before sunrise.  Very nice day on the road.  Hit rain in Hattiesburg, Mississippi then on and off for the rest of the day.  Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Left the Daily yard a half hour before sunrise this morning.  Drove to the Love's truck stop in DeFuniac Springs, Florida for the night. Can't drive in Alabama on Sundays and I don't have a Mississippi permit yet so there was no reason to keep going.  Not a whole lot of places to park past here.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Went over to Pembroke, GA this afternoon to load.  I was told that it wouldn't be ready until 3 pm.  I was there at 2:15.  The machine wasn't ready.  Didn't load until 3:30.  Loaded a CZM EK65 Drill Rig that is going out to Santa Rosa, California.

Left there and drove back to the Daily yard in Jacksonville, Florida for the night.

Just hope the Gators can pull this game off tonight!!!

Friday, October 11, 2019

Back to work again.  My next load is tomorrow in Pembroke, Georgia.  Today I drove to the TA truck stop in Richmond Hill, Georgia for the night.  Found out that it won't be ready to load until 3 pm tomorrow afternoon.  Oh well.

Tomorrow will be the biggest test so far.  Hope they can survive.  A big battle in the SEC.

Saturday, October 5, 2019

WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Nothing came up today so I drove home to Jacksonville, Florida.  Will be here for about a week and a half.

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Left early this morning and arrived at the Port in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (it is next to Charleston, SC) when they opened.  Took forever to find out where I was to load.  There are no directional signs anywhere.  I guess you are supposed to know by osmosis!!  Finally the guy came to get me and bring me back to where I was to load.  Got in the machine, started it up and started for my trailer.  Half way to it the engine stopped. The guy came over and explained that when they were unloading it from the ship it ran out of fuel.  They had to put fuel in it to get it to where I found it.  Apparently they didn't get all the air out of the fuel line.  After working with it for a few minutes it was running again.  Then I got it up on the trailer and secured it.

Left there and drove up to Sanford, North Carolina and delivered it.  My next load was in Peachtree City, Georgia.  Started off that way.  While on the way the load got canceled.  I stopped at the Pilot truck stop in Candor, North Carolina for the night.

Monday, September 30, 2019

Was over at the Port of Savannah at 6 am when they opened.  Unfortunately I had to go to the Credential Office and re-do my credentials to get in the Georgia Ports.  They have a new system.  Security directed me to the office which was about 5 miles away.  I went over there and parked in the only place they had for trucks.  Had to walk a quarter of a mile down the road to the office.  The were not open yet so I sat on the ground and waited.  When they opened I was first in line and was out in less than ten minutes.  Walked back to my truck, drove back to the Port, and checked in.  Loaded a Caterpillar 323 Excavator that was going to Augusta, Georgia.

My Georgia permit had not come in yet so I waited for that.  It came in pretty quickly and I was off.  rove up to Augusta to the Caterpillar dealer.  Where they had me unload was in the sand.  It was also on a slight angle.  When I dropped the trailer to detach, the trailer sunk in the sand.  Couldn't get back under it.  The guy that worked there was helping me.  He got a machine off the lot and dug down in front of my trailer so I could get under it again.  Finally got the machine off.  Had even more problems getting put back together. Finally got it done and I left there.  Started off for the Port at Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.  I stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Columbia, SC.  I was totally exhausted!!!!! and in desperate need of a shower and food.  This is a very nice truck stop.  One of my favorites.  After my shower I went in to the restaurant for dinner.  It is a Quaker Steak.

It also has a bowling ally on the other side of those windows to the left.

I was so exhausted it was all I could do to eat and get back to the truck. Oh, I almost forgot, I lost my glasses somewhere today! Going to sleep now.  Phone's off, good night. Hope tomorrow is better.