Tuesday, July 12, 2022

 Left real early this morning and drove to Lathrup Village, MI.  Had to back into the job site from the main road, but I didn't quite fit all the way.  

Waited for the workers to get there.  When they got there they had to wait for the crane guys to get there.  Said they would be there at 8.  8 came and went.  Then they said they would be there at 9.  9 came and went.  They finally showed up.  Then they had to reposition the crane.  They FINALLY unloaded me. Picked up each of the 8 concrete things one at a time.  Just as I got empty my dispatcher called and said they had no loads anywhere near me and to deadhead to Carlisle to swap into my new truck.  I started off that way.  As unbelievable as it sounds, I had no traffic issues going through Detroit, Michigan, or Toledo, Ohio.  I was amazed!!!   Stopped for my 10 hours at the Glacier Hill Service Plaza in New Springfield, Ohio on I-76.  Will leave here as soon as my 10 hours are up.

Monday, July 11, 2022

 Arrived in Schofield, Wisconsin about a half-hour before they opened.  Unloaded the wheel loader.  My next load was in Lannon, Wisconsin.  Drove over there and loaded 8 concrete things and a small box that are going over to Lathrup Village, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit.

Left there and drove to the TA truck stop in Battle Creek, Michigan for the night.  Will deliver first thing in the morning.

Saturday, July 9, 2022

 

Friday, July 8, 2022

 As soon as my 10 hours were up, I left.  That was at about 1 AM EDT.  Drove in rain off and of all day.  Nothing heavy.  Pretty uneventful day until I get into Wisconsin.  North of Madison a high speed car chase went past me on I-39.  I checked my video to see if there was anything good to post, there wasn't.  Stopped for the rest of the weekend at the Petro in Portage, Wisconsin.  Stopped with 17 minutes left on my driving clock.  695 miles today.

Thursday, July 7, 2022

 Went over to Clayton, NC this morning.  Got there just before they opened.  When they opened, loaded a Caterpillar 930M Wheel Loader that is going to Schofield, Wisconsin.  

Left there at about 8:30 AM EDT.  Drove the mountains of West Virginia and stopped for my 10 hours at the TA truck stop in Hurricane, West Virginia.  Did laundry tonight so I didn't have to mess with it this weekend.

Wednesday, July 6, 2022

 Had a very nice couple of weeks off spending time with friends and family but now I'm back at it again.

Drove up to the Port of Savannah, Georgia, and loaded a Caterpillar 315 Excavator that went to Raleigh, North Carolina.  

Left there in really good time, before 9 AM.  Drove to Raleigh and delivered the excavator.  From there I went to the Kenly 95 Petro truck stop in Kenly, NC for the night.  Next load is tomorrow morning in Clayton, NC.  521 miles today.

Some of you have been asking how much fuel I use.  Here is what I used today.

Monday, July 4, 2022

 

Wednesday, June 22, 2022

 Left at 1 AM and drove to Cape Canaveral and delivered the big bucket.  Then drove to Daytona Beach and delivered the other bucket and wheel loader.  After that, I drove home to Jacksonville.  Will be here for a couple weeks.  526 miles today.

Tuesday, June 21, 2022

 As soon as my 10 hours were up, I left.  That was about 2 AM CDT.  Pretty good day today except for three separate areas of bumper-to-bumper traffic.  It cost me about an hour in time.  Traffic was pretty heavy in the daylight hours.  I stopped after driving 620 miles at the Love's truck stop in Cordell, Georgia.  I'm going to sleep now.  Good night.

Monday, June 20, 2022

 Left early this morning and arrived in Cedar Rapids just before they opened.  Unloaded the telehandler.  The next load was in Davenport, Iowa.  Went there and loaded a John Deere 544 Wheel Loader and two buckets.  The big bucket on the front of the trailer is going to Cape Canaveral, Florida and the wheel loader and smaller bucket are going to Daytona Beach, Florida.

Left there and drove to the TA truck stop in Mt. Vernon, Illinois for my 10 hours.  Drove 457 miles today too.  I am drained tonight!!  Good night!!!

Saturday, June 18, 2022

 As soon as my 10 hours off were up, I left.  That was at about 2 AM EDT.  Had a great uneventful day on the road.  In Illinois, I passed a wind energy tower section that was being transported.  It looked like something broke on the trailer causing the front portion of the tower to drop to the ground.  Not good and very expensive!!  Here is the video of what it looked like as I passed it.

Here are a couple snapshots to give you a closer look.

I stopped for the rest of the weekend, after driving 695 miles, at the world-famous Iowa 80 truck stop in Walcott, Iowa.

Friday, June 17, 2022

 The weather they said was coming never came last night. This morning I left at sunrise and drove the rest of the way to Rockhill Furnace and delivered the thing.  It took a long time to get it off the trailer.  They didn't have a crane.  They had to lay tracks to get it off my trailer.

Then it started to move.  If you look under the machine you will see a large hydraulic ram with a long flat plate attached to the bottom of it.  It is very hard to see.  That is what lifts the machine as you will see how it works later.

The video below is a timelapse of the entire procedure.

Once that was finally off, it took three hours, I went down to McConnellsburg, PA, and loaded a Caterpillar TL1055 Telehandler that is going out to Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Left there and drove to the Flying J truck stop in Smithton, Pennsylvania for my 10 hours.

Thursday, June 16, 2022

 I left at 3 AM EDT and drove to North Canton, Ohio, and delivered the excavator.  My next load was up in Austinburg, Ohio.  Drove there and loaded something that does something with railroad track. I have no idea what it does.  It is going to a rail yard in Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania.

While loading, somehow one of my trailer tires got cut.

Fortunately, there was a tire shop at the Pilot truck stop about a mile away.  Went there and got a new tire.  Then I headed toward Rockhill Furnace, PA.  Just inside PA on I-80, there was a 5-mile construction back-up of stop-n'-go traffic.  Made it through that and stopped at the TA truck stop in Barkeyville, PA for the night.  495 miles today.  I'm very tired!!!!  Supposed to get some Heavy thunderstorms later tonight.  Had a quick one come through when I was in the shower but they say more are on the way.

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

 I left at 3:15 this morning and drove to the Port of Baltimore.  Had no traffic problems all the way.  Loaded a Caterpillar 315 Excavator that is going to North Canton, Ohio.  I like the little ones, they are so easy!!

Left there and headed toward Ohio.  On I-695 going around Baltimore, I was in the middle lane following an empty dump truck. He was behind an idiot going 50 mph really screwing up traffic.  The dump truck went to go around him on the right (no trucks allowed in the left lane).  There was a car driving along in his blind spot.  When the dump truck changed lanes he did so into the side of the car.  The car sustained damage to the entire left side.  The car swerved wildly and headed straight for the right-side guard rail.  At the last moment, the driver was able to turn away from the guard rail just before striking it and came to a stop on the shoulder of the road.  The dump truck pulled over as well.  I continued on.  Unfortunately, my dash came is having problems and I didn't get it.  I'll have to replace my dash cam very soon.  I stopped very early at the TA truck stop in Breezewood, PA because my truck was due for service (oil change, etc.).   I got that done.  I'll leave real early in the morning to get to North Canton when they open.

Tuesday, June 14, 2022

 I left at 5:15 this morning and drove over to the job site where I was delivering.  WOW, it was difficult to get in there!!!  Then the thunderstorm came.  Fortunately, it didn't last long.  The crane arrived at 6:45.  After they got set up, they unloaded me. 

18,000 pounds "flying" through the air.

I took a much longer but easier way back out of there.  Went to the Port of Baltimore in Dundalk, MD for my next load.  After checking in I went to get the machine.  The batteries were dead and it needed a jump start.  Then the heavens opened up.  It poured heavy rain.  After about 30 minutes of waiting the rain finally slowed enough to get back to work.  The guy from the Port jump-started the machine, a Caterpillar 906M Wheel Loaded that is going to Whitehall, Pennsylvania.  I loaded it.

Left there and drove up to Whitehall, PA, and delivered it.  My next load is back at the Port of Baltimore.  I started back that way but didn't get very far.  Stopped at the Allentown Service Plaza on I-476 for the night.  I just didn't feel like dealing with Phillidelphia and Baltimore rush hour traffic.  I'll leave very early in the morning to beat it.

Siunday, June 12, 2022

 As soon as my 10 hours were up I left.  That was at midnight EDT.  Drove 598 miles to the TA truck stop in Baltimore, Maryland.  Will be here until Tuesday morning.  Have an 8 AM crane appointment at the job site in Baltimore.

Saturday, June 11, 2022

 As soon as my 10 hours were up I left.  That was at about 1:15 AM CDT.  Had a very good day on the road.  Nothing exciting or interesting.  Had a little slo-n'-go traffic in Chatanooga, Tennessee.  Stopped for another 10 hours at the Love's truck stop in Charleston, Tennessee after driving 693 miles. Had 15 minutes left on my clock when I stopped.

Friday, June 10, 2022

 My APU worked great all night!!!!   Drove the rest of the way to Seguin, TX this morning and loaded a Caterpillar Genset that is going to Baltimore, Maryland.

Was glad to get out of there before the real heat of the day set in.  Left there and stopped for the night at the Love's truck stop in Iowa, Louisiana.

Thursday, June 9, 2022

 Left a half-hour before sunrise this morning.  Drove to Thermo King in Pharr, Texas.  They were not able to work on my APU until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest.  Well, that wasn't going to work so I left and went over to San Juan, TX, and delivered the excavator.  My next load is up in Seguin, TX. I went that way.  Stopped at Thermo King in San Antonio, TX to try to get my APU fixed.  They said that they could get to me this afternoon but I'd have to wait for about 2 or 3 hours.  I checked in and waited. At about 3 PM CDT they brought my truck in to start on it. They found a bunch of stuff wrong with it and fixed them all.  I was out of there at 5 PM CDT.  Went to the Petro truck stop just around the corner from Thermo King for the night.

Wednesday, June 8, 2022

 Last night after I had settled in for the night my APU quit working.  I ended up going to a Days Inn hotel that was right behind where I was parked at the truck stop.   Left at sunrise this morning.  My "Check Engine" light was off.  Good.  One less thing to have to deal with.  Very good and long day on the road.  597 miles.  Stopped at the SureStay Best Western hotel in Falfurrias, Texas for the night.  I'll get my APU fixed tomorrow - I hope.

Tuesday, June 7, 2022

 Left a half-hour after sunrise this morning.  Got to Atlanta at rush hour so you know what that means...  Yup...Bumper-to-bumper traffic.  Finally got through Atlanta.  Continued on.  My "Check Engine" light came on.  Talked to the shop about it, but they didn't seem to be worried about it yet.  More slo-n'-go traffic from construction.  Then there was a wreck that blocked 2 of the 3 lanes.  Took a while to get past that.  From then on it was fine all the way to the Petro truck stop in Hammond, Louisiana where I'll be for the night.  564 miles today in spite of all the traffic.

Monday, June 6, 2022

 Went back to Charlotte this morning and delivered the metal thing.  Next load was up in Kernersville, NC.  Drove there and loaded a John Deere 210 Excavator that is going to San Juan, Texas.  That is right at the Mexican border.  

Left there and got on the road.  Lots of construction slo-n'-go traffic today.  Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Carnesville, Georgia.

Saturday, June 4, 2022

 Left at midnight. Drove to the Love's truck stop in Charlotte, NC, about a half-mile from where I deliver Monday.  It was full.  Not a parking spot to be had in the lot or out on the street.  So I drove about 35 miles to the next one.  I'll be at the Love's truck stop in Blacksburg, South Carolina.  633 miles total today.

Friday, June 3, 2022

 Got started this morning at 2:30.  I got very lucky today.  No traffic problems going around Richmond or  Washington DC.  Traffic was heavy all day. Had a few areas of slow & go between Washington and Baltimore, but it wasn't bad.  No problems in Baltimore or Philadelphia either.  AMAZING!!! Delivered the roller.  Next load was over in Monroe Township, New Jersey.  Went over there and loaded a big thing of metal.  Have no idea what it is or what it's for.  All I know is that it is going to Charlotte, North Carolina to be refurbished.

I was just about out of hours for today after driving 575 miles.  They were kind enough to let me stay there where I loaded so I could get my 10 hours done.  As soon as they are done I'll be heading toward Charlotte.  Lots of night driving so the traffic should be a lot lighter.

Thursday, June 2, 2022

 Left this morning and drove the rest of the way to the Port of Jacksonville and delivered the Caterpillar parts.  They are going to Singapore.  My next load was back up in Pooler, Georgia.  That is right next to Savannah.  I went there and loaded a Sany SSR120 Roller and a parts box that is going to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Left there and drove to the Petro truck stop in Florence, South Carolina for my 10 hours.  Even with unloading and loading I still got 488 miles in today.

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

 I left at 2:30 this morning.  There was a wreck on the east Atlanta beltway, I-285, just east of the I-75 interchange.  Traffic was backed up on I-75 for several miles.  I found a way around it.  When I stopped at a traffic light on my detour something happened in front of me that I have never seen before.  

Wasn't a big deal, just something you don't see every day.  Had no other traffic issues today.  Stopped after driving 631 miles and ran out of hours for today, at Grady's truck stop in Metter, Georgia.

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

 Left at sunrise this morning.  Had to get ahead of the St. Louis curfew that started at 6:30.  I did and made it to Fenton, MO with 12 minutes to spare.  Delivered the wheel loader.  Then drove up to Decatur, Illinois and loaded five palettes of Caterpillar parts for a Caterpillar 794AC Mining Dump Tuck that are going to the Port of Jacksonville in Florida.

This is what it looks like all put together.

Left there and drove to the Pilot truck stop in Marion, Illinois.  I'll leave here at about 2:30 AM EDT.

Monday, May 30, 2022

 

Saturday, May 28, 2022

 I left a half-hour after sunrise this morning.  My plan from yesterday worked.  I had no traffic issues through Chattanooga or Nashville.  Very nice uneventful day on the road.  Drove to the TA truck stop in Troy, Illinois.  That is just outside of St. Louis.  I'll be here until Tuesday morning because of the holiday. 

Friday, May 27, 2022

 I left a half-hour before sunrise this morning.  Had about 10 to 15 miles of slow-and-go traffic just south of Atlanta.  Then some more bumper to bumper traffic going around Atlanta and a little more just north of Atlanta.  Continued on to the TA truck stop in Cartersville, Georgia for the night.  Didn't go any farther today because Chattanooga was a parking lot.  I decided to go through there in the morning when there is less traffic, hopefully.

Thursday, May 26, 2022

 I left the yard at about 4:30 this morning and drove to Ocala and delivered the telehandler.  My next load was 7 miles away.  Went there and loaded a John Deere 624K Wheel Loader that is going to Fenton, Missouri. 

I left there and drove back to the Daily yard in Jacksonville.  Had to have some work done on my trailer.  While there ran a few errands.  The terminal manager asked me if I could go over to the Port of Jacksonville and assist another Daily driver.  He had a large forklift on his trailer and didn't know how to get it off.  I went there.  It was a bit of a workout. Had to put a couple pins in to attach the hydraulic ram to the lift part so it could move.  That took a bit of time and energy.  Those things are heavy!!!  Anyway, we got it done and I took the forklift off the trailer and parked it for him.  He was very grateful because he didn't know how to do any of that.  It is going overseas and all the instrumentation on the machine was in a foreign language.  Had to figure out how to run the machine with no help.  It was a good thing I knew what to do and how to do it.

The green arrow (you may have to enlarge the photo to see it) in the photo below points to the pin (one on each side) that had to be put in.

Then went back to the yard.  My trailer is done so I'll be leaving a half-hour before sunrise tomorrow morning.

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

 As soon as my 10 hours were up I left.  That was at 1 AM EDT.  About an hour north of Charlotte, NC on I-77 traffic was backed up and not moving when a semi truck  caught fire.  I got to the stopped traffic shortly after it happened. The cops had the Interstate shut down.  The fire trucks were arriving at the same time as I came to a stop.  I was only about 2/10 mile from it but couldn't see anything because of all the stopped traffic ahead of me. I heard one of the tires explode. We sat there not moving for just about 30 minutes.  Once that was over I continued on.  Made it to the Daily terminal in Jacksonville, FL for the night.  504 miles today.  I'll deliver in the morning.   I'm tired!!!   Good night.

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

 Left this morning at 2 AM EDT.  Drove to McConnellsburg, PA, and got there at 6:45 AM.  Got all set up to load and they told me that my machine was not ready and wouldn't be ready until Thursday, the 26th.  I had to wait until 8 AM for my people to get to work to find out if they had anything else available from here, or somewhere else to go.  It wasn't until about 8:15 that I got my answer.  Fortunately, they had another machine from there going to Ocala, Florida that I could take.  I loaded it, a Caterpillar TL 1255 Telehandler.

I left there and drove to the Flying J truck stop in Ft. Chiswell, Virginia.  Another 638 miles in the books for today.  Going to sleep soon.  Getting started again very early tomorrow morning.

So far for the year, I'm the 10th highest mileage truck out of approximately 250 Daily trucks.

Monday, May 23, 2022

 I left this morning at sunrise.  Drove the rest of the way to Kingston, NY.  The worst part of the trip was the last 35 miles.  It was on windy 2 lane roads in NY state.  But I made it and delivered the crane thing.  My next load is back in McConnellsburg, PA.  I started off that way but stopped for the night at a service plaza on I-87 in Modena, NY.  I'll start again when my 10 hours are up.

Saturday, May 21, 2022

 I left a half-hour before sunrise this morning.  Another 617 miles behind me today.  Stopped for the rest of the weekend at the Petro truck stop in Raphine, Virginia.  I'm out of hours and my Virginia permit does not allow Sunday driving.