Went to the Port of Galveston this morning. It took over an hour to get checked in. What a pain in the butt!! But after I finally got checked in I delivered the skidder. Next load is in San Antonio, TX. I drove over there and loaded a Johnson Controls Chiller that is going to Indianapolis, Indiana.
Left there and drove to the TA truck stop in New Braunfels, TX for the night.
Left a half-hour before sunrise this morning. Very short day today. Drove to a convenience store with a few truck parking places in La Marque, Texas. Deliver at the Pot of Galveston Monday morning just a few miles from here. So, here I sit until then.
Left at sunrise this morning. Another uneventful day on the roads. I like those. Spent more time on the back roads than I did on the Interstate. Stopped for the night at the new TA Express truck stop in Nacogdoches, Texas. Very nice place.
Left a half-hour before sunrise this morning. Nothing very interesting today. Drove to the TA truck stop in Earle, Arkansas for the night.
Got started a half-hour before sunrise this morning and drove the rest of the way to Chatham, Illinois, and delivered the crane. Next load is up in Davenport, Iowa. Drove up there and loaded a John Deere 648L Skidder that is going to the Port of Galveston, Texas.
Had a little rain last night but it had stopped by the time I left at sunrise this morning. Nice day on the road. No issues, for a nice change. Had to get through St. Louis, Missouri area and into Illinois before 3:30 pm. If I didn't, I'd have to wait until after 9 am tomorrow morning to go through. I crossed into Illinois right at 2:57 pm. I did good. Stopped for the night at the Flying J truck stop in Alorton, Illinois. The restaurant here is closed so I had Door Dash bring dinner. I should deliver tomorrow morning before 9 am if all goes right.
Went into Baytown, TX this morning and loaded a Tanado 300XL Rough Teraign Crane that is going to Chatham, Illinois.
Got out of there in good time. Good day on the road. Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Prescott, Arkansas for the night.
I was up at 2 and on the road by 3 am this morning. Arrived in Austin to deliver the thing at 7 am. Didn't have another load yet, and my dispatcher didn't answer my email, so I headed toward Houston. After about an hour and a half later he sent me my next load information. I load Monday in Baytown, Texas. At least I was heading in the right direction. I was due for an inspection so I went to the TA truck stop in Baytown and got that done. After that, I went to the Daily yard in Houston for the rest of the weekend.
This morning I went over to load. It was about 20 miles from The Big Texan. Loaded on Pantax property. There are these signs everywhere. Pantex is a place where nuclear weapons are assembled and disassembled. NO photographs and they are very serious about it.
Loaded a Trex Vibrating Machine that is going to Austin, Texas. It is the only one in the USA. There are only three others in the world and they are in Russia. I have no idea what they use it for. I didn't ask any questions.
Left a half-hour before sunrise this morning and drove the rest of the way to Grand Prairie, TX, and delivered the dozer. My next load is up in Panhandle, Texas. That is just east of Amarillo. You know what that means??!!!! I drove straight to the Big Texan in Amarillo for dinner and to spend the night.
I had a 24 oz. porterhouse steak that was excellent!!! Ate it all!!
Left real early this morning and drove to Park City, Kansas. Got there a little before they opened. That gave me time to get set up. When they got there they loaded a Caterpillar D6T dozer that is going to Grand Praire, Texas (Dallas suburb). Got it all ready to go but had to wait until 9 am until the Wichita curfew was over.
We got about 3 inches of snow yesterday. Today at about noon eastern time, 11 central, I got my next load. It is up in Park City, Kansas. I started off that way. The brilliance of the office scheduled my Oklahoma escort car for today. He called me shortly after I entered Oklahoma from Texas and said he was at the Oklahoma/Kansas line waiting for me. I hated to tell him that I wouldn't be there until tomorrow. He understood. I stopped for the night at a truck stop in Tonkawa, Oklahoma. I'm about an hour away. I'll be there when they open in the morning.
Since the restaurant is closed at the Petro, this morning I moved to the Love's truck stop a few miles down the road in Hillsboro, TX. There are several food options within walking distance available here. It looks like I'll be here for the weekend. My wonderful dispatcher is not answering any of my emails so I have no idea when I'll be moving again. The local weather report is for snow Sunday. They say possibly 1 to 2 inches.
I really don't like the Dallas South TA truck stop. Very busy place and the staff are, well...to be polite, not the highest caliber of people. The food choices are poor too. Plus they gouge the Hell out of drivers.
Left at 3 am this morning and drove straight through to Dallas, Texas. Had no traffic issues at all. Delivered the wheel loader. Don't have another load yet so I went over to the TA truck stop in Dallas (south) for the night. 688 miles today.
I left Jacksonville very early this morning. Drove up to Newberry, South Carolina. My loading appointment was at 9 am. I got there at 8:30 and went right in. Loaded a Komatsu WA320-8 Wheel Loader that is going to Dallas, Texas.
Got out of there in real good time. Had some bumper to bumper traffic in Atlanta. Other than that, no problems. Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Lincoln, Alabama. That is just down the street from the Talladega Superspeedway. Drove 634 miles today.
Got my next load this afternoon. It loads tomorrow in Newberry, South Carolina. I was going to go up there this afternoon but when I was doing my pre-trip inspection found a flat tire on the trailer. So I had the tire guy come out and fix it. Too late to go tonight so I'll leave real early in the morning to go up there.
As soon as my 10 hours were up I got back on the road heading north. Drove to the International dealer in Jacksonville to get the 5th wheel cylinder replaced. I arrived right at 7:30 when they opened. About an hour and a half and I was out of there. All fixed.
Then drove to the Daily yard in Jacksonville. Going to move a few trailers over to the Port of Jacksonville tomorrow. More on that tomorrow. Otherwise, I'm home for the holidays and a bunch of doctor's appointments.
Left a half-hour before sunrise this morning. Did pretty good time-wise until I got to south Florida. Had several bumper to bumper traffic episodes down there. My permit route had me do a "U" turn in the middle of heavy (and it was heavy too) Miami traffic. What the heck were they thinking!!!!!!?????? I just had to barge my way through because nobody was going to let me do a "U" turn.
Was worried that the fog this morning would delay my start for a few hours. Fortunately, the fog had lifted just enough so that I could go at sunrise as planned. Drove 515 miles down to the TA truck stop on the south side of Jacksonville, Florida for the night.
Got unloaded first thing this morning then headed for Kernersville, NC. Saw quite a few Ohio and West Virginia road department trucks were staged and ready for the snow that was coming.
The weather didn't start until I got south of I-70. Started off as snow. Didn't stick to the roads. After a while, it changed to snow/rain mix. Then some sleet. And for the rest of the day until I got to North Carolina, rain. I passed three big truck wrecks today on the way south. The roads never did cover over or get slick. Because of that, I was able to make it all the way to Kernersville just in time to be the last machine that they loaded today. BOY did I get lucky!!!! Loaded a John Deere 250GLC Excavator that is going to Miami, Florida.
After securing it to the trailer I pulled out front and parked for the night. I'll be able to get a good start in the morning. Hopefully, with luck, I'll be able to deliver this on Friday.
This morning went over to the Port of Baltimore in Dundalk, Maryland. Loaded a blade for a Caterpillar D8 Dozer, the swing arms, and a parts box. All going to a landfill in Dover, Ohio.
I tried to make it a legal load (not needing permits) and thought I had it. But it didn't work. When I started to move the blade shifted. Had to go back and have the forklift re-position it. Now it was a permit load. Oh well, I tried. Left there and drove straight through to Dover, Ohio landfill, 408 miles. There was plenty of room for me to park overnight. There is a snow/ice storm on the way. I pushed it hard to get there. Didn't want to be stuck at a truck stop an hour or less away. At least when I'm empty I can still drive in the snow or ice. Can't with a permit load. So I will get empty first thing in the morning. My next load is in Kernersville, North Carolina. That puts me driving right through the heart of the snow/ice storm through the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia and North Carolina in the morning. Tomorrow will be an interesting day.
Didn't get my next load until noon. It is up at the Port of Baltimore in Dundalk, Maryland. I left and drove to the TA truck stop in Baltimore. Rained all the way. Had some bumper to bumper traffic in several places in the Washington DC area. Didn't get up there in time to be able to load today, plus I didn't get the paperwork needed until 4 this afternoon. So, I'll go over first thing in the morning and load.
The Country Pride Restaurant at this TA truck stop is closed. So stupid!!!! I wasn't about to sit there all weekend and eat Popey's Chicken and Pizza Hut. This morning I fueled up and left. Stopped at Wal-Mart and restocked a few things, Then drove up to the Flying J truck stop in Ruther Glen, VA. It was only 22 miles up the Interstate. They have a fully functioning Denny's restaurant and a Cinnabon. I'll stay here until they figure out where to send me next.
As soon as my 10 hours were up I left this morning. Drove to Mechanicsville, Virginia, and delivered the excavator. Fortunately no traffic issues today!! I do not have another load yet so I went to the TA truck stop in Ashland, VA to wait. After two unanswered emails to my dispatcher, I still have nothing. I guess I'll be here for the weekend.
Today was not a very good day at all. I got up early and went across the parking lot to the truck wash and finally got this thing clean. In the process, I noticed that someone had stolen the beacon lights off the back of my trailer last night. Glad I keep a spare. Went a few miles down the road and loaded a Caterpillar 316 Excavator that is going to Mechanicsville, Virginia.
Left there in really good time, much earlier than I thought I would. Did pretty good until I got to Georgia on I-59. Just before exit 11, a semi-truck flipped over on it's side blocking the entire Interstate. It had just happened. I was about 1/4 mile from it. Could see it from where I sat.
Then the wrecker uprighted it.
Sat there for 2 hours and 25 minutes until they were able to clear enough road to let us get by. Fortunately, there was no fuel spill so there was no other clean-up needed. Fortunately, I can drive at night in Tennessee. Made it to Chatanooga and had a lot more bumper to bumper traffic. Finally got through there and continued up to the Petro truck stop in Knoxville for the night. Sure hope tomorrow is better!!
Left a half-hour before sunrise this morning. Drove the rest of the way to Baton, Rouge, Louisiana and delivered the excavator. My next load is up in Flowood, Mississippi. I drove to the Petro truck stop in Jackson, MS for the night. Load a few miles from here.
Had a late start this morning. Had to wait for another permit to come in. Finally got on the road. Had no traffic issues going through Atlanta. Surprise surprise!!! Stopped for the night at a crappy Petro truck stop in Shorter, Alabama.
First thing this morning loaded a John Deere 200 Excavator that is going to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I have all my permits except for North Carolina.
I left there and went to a truck stop to scale and wait for my permit. Had a good breakfast there too. Wasted an entire day waiting for my permit that Carlisle didn't even order until 1:47 this afternoon!!! Incredibly frustrating!!
At 2:30 my North Carolina permit came in. I went to a truck stop that I thought would be on my route based on where I was to enter South Carolina. Turns out, I was wrong. N.C. routed me a different way into S.C which meant I need a new S.C permit. It also meant I was way off route. I backtracked to get back on route. Then stopped for the night, and to wait for my other permits to come in, at the TA truck stop in Mocksville, N.C. Food isn't near as good here!! Thought I would deliver tomorrow, well that ain't gonna happen now.
This morning I moved about 35 miles over to the John Deere plant in Kernersville, NC. I load here in the morning.
I left really early this morning. Drove straight through to Charlotte, North Carolina, and delivered the dozer. Surprised myself. Didn't think I'd make it today. My next load is Monday in Kernersville, NC. I drove up to the TA truck stop in Winsett, NC for the weekend. Another 630 miles today.
Looks like I made the right decision to go to the Morton yard. I got my next load and it was right across the street. Loaded a Caterpillar D6 Dozer that is going to Charlotte, North Carolina.
I was so fast that I had to wait about an hour for my permit to arrive. Once it got there I left. Didn't get very far. Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Seymour, Indiana.
Left real early this morning and drove to the Caterpillar dealer in Eau Claire, WI. I got there a little early, but that was not a bad thing. I had plenty of time to get all my stuff off the machine so that when they opened All I had to do was back it off. It worked out well!! In the process found that a mud flap on the trailer had broken. I guess it was too cold for it because it was very brittle.
I tied it up with a Bungie cord until I could get it replaced.
Left at about 2 am this morning. Had to time my arrival at the Illinois State line to get there at a half-hour before sunrise. I was a bit early so I stopped for a bit to wait. Once it was ok to continue on, I did. Drove straight through Illinois to the Pilot truck stop in Beloit, Wisconsin for the night. 666 miles today. Hope that is not a bad sign! Got here with only 15 minutes left on my clock for the day. Will get another very early start tomorrow and deliver as soon as they open in Eau Claire. The phone is off again, good night.
Went over to Pooler this morning and loaded a Caterpillar 950GC Wheel Loader that is going up to Eau Claire, Wisconsin. I lost my sunglasses in the process. Have no idea where they went.
Left there right at 9 am. Had no traffic issues through Atlanta to speak of. In the very north of Georgia, it started to snow then bumper to bumper traffic to Chattanooga. It finally cleared up but the snow kept coming. Up top of Monteagle, it was starting to stick on the grass. The plow/salt trucks were getting ready. I was going to stop there for the night but thought it would probably be a better idea to get to the other side of the mountain. Who knows what the roads will be like up there later on. I stopped at a small truck stop in Manchester, Tennessee. As soon as my 10 hours is up I'll be outa here. It is still snowing here, but not as hard. Going to sleep real soon. The phone is off. Good night.
Over the weekend I swapped back to my trailer, did laundry, and restocked the truck with various supplies. This morning I drove up to the TA truck stop in Richmond Hill, Georgia. I load tomorrow morning in Pooler.
Left a half-hour before sunrise and drove down to Ft. Lauderdale. Delivered at a job site where they are building a new power plant. I was lucky today. Had help getting the tarps off and folded up. It was very MUCH appreciated. Got that thing off and I headed north. Drove to the Daily yard in Jacksonville. Off for the holiday. Next load is Monday morning in Savannah, Georgia. I get my trailer back too.
Left at sunrise this morning. Had a pretty good day on the road. Some rain in places. Heavy traffic everywhere today. Drove 613 miles to the South Bound Rest Area on I-95 in Scottsmore, Florida for the night. Deliver tomorrow.
