Friday, November 18, 2022

 When I first saw what was to be tarped I knew exactly what was going to happen.  I was right.  I left at 3 AM EST.  What was normally a four-and-a-half-hour drive took over six and a half hours.  That tarping job looked real nice sitting still, but when I got out on the Interstate it turned into the Goodyear blimp.  Here is what it looked like in my mirrors.

Driver's Side Mirror

Passenger's Side Mirror

To make a very long story short, my Goodyear blimp turned into the Hindenburg!! I stopped along the way many times to fix problems and add more bungee cords.  By the time I got to Illinois, it had completely disintegrated.  I was able to pull off the Interstate and work on it.  Here is what it looked like.  

View From The Front

View From The Rear 

I pulled the tarp totally off.  Throughout the duration of the morning, I had lost about 75 bungee cords, broke 4 straps, wrecked a ratchet, and destroyed the tarp.  This is the thing that was supposed to be tarped.

There is no way a tarp can withstand these.

I continued the rest of the way to delivery that way.  They never said a word about it.  Delivered the thing and got out of there.  Daily didn't make much on this one!!  My next load has a loading appointment Monday morning in Lafayette, Indiana.  I drove to the Flying J truck stop in Lebanon, Indiana, and will be there until then.  That really long hot shower felt great!!!  Now it's time to relax and watch another great Saturday of SEC college football.

Thursday, November 17, 2022

 Left at about 1 AM EST and drove the rest of the way to Kuttawa, Kentucky.  Delivered the Skidder to a job site way back in the woods.  After that, I drove to Fairfield, Ohio for my next load.  Loaded a Caterpillar radiator frame that is going to Decatur, Illinois.  

I had no time left on my clock today so I stayed in their parking lot for the night.  613 miles today.  I'm really tired and my back is really letting me know that it is there and not happy.  Good night.

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

 The Snow Emergency Plan was lifted at 6 AM EST. That was perfect!!  I couldn't leave until 6:30 because I couldn't get to West Virginia before sunrise.  So that's when I left.  Had light rain on and off all day.  Occasionally had some snow flurries and a little sleet too.  Rough day going through the mountains of West Virginia.  Mostly back roads.  They were 4 lanes most of the way but steep up and down with a lot of stop lights.  Of course, I got at least 3/4 of them red.  Seemed like it took forever to get through West Virginia on my permit route.  The map below says 6 hours and 28 minutes.  HaHa!!  it really took 8 hours.

Stopped for my 10 hours at a dinky truck stop just east of Lexington, Kentucky.  I can run at night in Kentucky so I'll leave at about 1 or 2 AM.

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

 Left at about 1 AM EST and drove the rest of the way to Harrisburg, PA, and delivered the two mini excavators.  My next load was over in Ebensburg, PA.  Drove over there and loaded (a day ahead of time) a John Deere 748L Skidder that is going to Kuttawa, Kentucky.  Started to snow as I got started loading.

Left there and headed south.  The snow continued to get worse.  I stopped for the night at the Pilot truck stop in Grantsville, Maryland.  585 miles today.  As of now, the Snow Emergency Plan is in effect for the county I'm in (Garrett County) and that means permit loads can't move until it is lifted.  Glad I got here when I did!!  So far we have a couple inches in the ground.  I may be here a while.

Current Radar.  I'm the little blue dot next to the I-68 icon.

Monday, November 14, 2022

 Went over to Athens and got there a bit before they opened.  Good thing too, I was third in line.  By the time they opened there were 8 in line.  Loaded a couple mini excavators that are going up to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Left there and drove to the Flying J truck stop in Fort Chiswell, Virginia for my 10 hours.

Saturday, November 12, 2022

 I left at sunrise this morning and drove the rest of the way to Fairburn, Georgia, and was able to deliver.  My next load is Monday in Athens, GA.  I left there and drove to the TA truck stop in Commerce, GA for the rest of the weekend.  Now it is time for some great college football!!!!

Our last home game of the season.  :(

Friday, November 11, 2022

 Left at sunrise this morning.  Rain all day, sometimes pretty heavy.  A little breezy at times, but nothing very bad,  Did fine until southern Virginia on I-77.  In the middle of the backup, this guy wasn't paying attention and went over there to avoid slamming into the back of the stopped traffic from a very bad semi crash involving two semis that got tangled up and went over the side.  Neither driver survived the crash.  It took over an hour to get past that, and it wasn't even on our side!! That was at Fancy Gap, Virginia.

Finally got past all that and continued on down to Charlotte, North Carolina where I got stuck in more stop-n'-go traffic.  I had to stop for that STUPID 30-minute break so I pulled into the closed weigh station and sat there for 30 minutes.  What a total waste of time.  Got back out in the B2B traffic and finally made my way to the TA truck stop in Duncan, South Carolina. Only 448 miles today.

Thursday, November 10, 2022

 When I left the yard this morning I passed the truck wash and saw that there was no line.  I stopped and got the truck washed.  After that, I went over to the very busy Keen yard and loaded a Link-Belt 210X4 Excavator that is going to Fairburn, Georgia.

Left there but didn't get very far.  There was a semi crash up ahead on I-81 in northern Virginia that had the whole southbound side closed.  I stopped at the Flying J truck stop in Winchester, VA.  When I stopped I found that I had a flat tire on the trailer.  So I got that fixed too.

I stayed there for the night.

Here is why I try to never park at the end of a row.

Fortunately, the other driver, that could barely speak English, did not drive off, as so many do.  

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

 As soon as my 10 hours were up I left.  That was about 1 AM EST.  Drove the rest of the way to Batavia, New York, and delivered the mini excavator.  My next load is, once again, back in Carlisle, PA.  I drove back there and went to the Daily yard for the night.  Another 622 miles today.  After getting to the yard, I got a car, went to Wal-Mart, did three loads of laundry, and fixed something on the trailer.  Then had dinner.  I'm exhausted and my back hurts. Good night.

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

 As soon as my 10 hours were up, I left.  That was at about 1:30 AM EST.  Had another very good uneventful day on the road.  Drove up to Columbus, Ohio, and delivered the Dozer.  I only had enough time left to get to a truck stop so I went to the Flying J truck stop in Berkshire, Ohio.  663 miles today.  When my 10 is up, I'll hit the road again.  But for now, good night.

Monday, November 7, 2022

 Left at about 4 AM CST and drove the rest of the way to Montgomery and delivered the wheel loader.  My next load was back in Athens, Georgia.  Drove there and loaded a Caterpillar D3 Dozer that is going to Columbus, Ohio and a Caterpillar 304 Mini Excavator that is going to Batavia, New York.

Left there but didn't go very far.  Stopped at the TA truck stop in Commerce, Georgia for my 10 hours.  

Saturday, November 5, 2022

 I left Carlisle, Pennsylvania at about 4:30 AM EDT when my 10 hours were up.  Excellent day on the road today.  Rained most of the day too.  Nothing exciting or interesting.  I ran out of hours so I stopped for the rest of the weekend at the Pilot truck stop in Rising Fawn, Georgia. Yes, that really is a town name.  664 miles today.  It was nice to see the GATORS get a win for a nice change!!

Friday, November 4, 2022

 Left the TA in Erie, PA at sunrise this morning.  Drove the rest of the way to Lockport, New York.  Mostly back roads today with a lot of small towns and stoplights!!    Delivered the excavator.  My next load was waiting for me at the Daily yard in Carlisle, PA.  I drove down there and loaded a Volvo L60H Wheel Loader that is going to Montgomery, Alabama.

After I finished I stayed there for the night.  I'll hit the road when my 10 hours are up.  I'm tired and my back really needs a rest.  Good night.

Thursday, November 3, 2022

 Left real early this morning.  Had to get through Lexington, KY, and the Kentucky side of Cincinnati before 7 AM EDT to beat the curfew.  Otherwise, I would have had to wait until 9 AM EDT to get through.  BUT I couldn't go into Ohio before a half-hour before sunrise. Just across the river at the State line, there was a parking area for oversized loads.  

I got there at about 6 AM.  Sunrise was at 8:07 AM. I sat there and took a nap until it was time to go again.  Drove the rest of the day, 584 miles, to the TA truck stop in Erie, Pennsylvania.  I'll be here until sunrise tomorrow morning.

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

 Went the rest of the way to Peachtree City and got there just before they opened.  Once the opened I loaded a Sany SY215 Excavator that is going up to Lockport, New York.  That is right next to Buffalo.  While loading the Blue Angels were doing some training flights from the airport that is right next to where I was.  When they were coming in to land they were just over the top of the building.  I could see every detail on the bottom of the aircraft.  It was really cool. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get any photos of that.

Going around Atlanta a "Queen of the Sky", Korean Air 747, was coming in for a landing at the Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport, the world's busiest airport.  They are being passed out so seeing one in flight is becoming a rare sighting. 

It is still a beautiful airplane.  Then I got stuck in 5 miles of bumper-to-bumper traffic.  Once I got past that I continued on to the TA truck stop in Pioneer, Tennessee where I'll get some sleep.  Good night.

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

 A half-hour after sunrise this morning I left and drove the rest of the way to Garden City, GA.  When I got there they didn't have a booking number and had to email someone to get it.  So I waited.  Then it was lunchtime so I had to wait until 1 PM when they returned.  Finally unloaded the motorgrader.  My next load is in Peachtree City, GA.  I started off that way but only got as far as where I started from this morning, the TA truck stop in Jackson, GA.  

Monday, October 31, 2022

 

Left at sunrise this morning.  Good day on the road.  Only problems were on the south side of Atlanta.  A bit of slow-n'-go traffic.  Didn't get as far as I wanted to today.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Jackson, Georgia.

Sunday, October 30, 2022

 Went to North Little Rock, Arkansas this morning to load at 7 AM CDT.  Loaded a Caterpillar 14 Motorgrader that is going to Garden City, Georgia.  Eventually, it will end up in Viet Nam. 

Left there and went to a scale.  I was fine on the weight but I didn't like how it road so I moved it back a little.  Road much better after that.  Couldn't go into Mississippi or Alabama on Sunday, so I stopped for the rest of the day at the Petro truck stop in West Memphis, AR.  I'll start at sunrise in the morning.

Friday, October 28, 2022

 As soon as my 10 hours were up I left.  Drove the rest of the way to Baton Rouge and delivered the excavator.  My next load is up in North Little Rock, Arkansas.  Got started that way.  Supposed to load Saturday morning.  That got pushed back a day to Sunday morning.  That is a good thing!  I can get a reset done Saturday.  I made it to about 30 minutes away from where I load when I ran out of hours.  Stopped at a convenience store that has a restaurant in Redfield, Arkansas.  Put 643 miles behind me today and had 14 minutes left on my clock when I stopped.  Now it is time for some good college football!!  Except the Gators are playing Georgia tomorrow.  They are gonna get creamed, unfortunately. But there are some other matchups that will be good.  The Jacksonville terminal manager flew up to Pennsylvania today so he could go to the Ohio State at Penn State game.  That ought to be a good one.

Thursday, October 27, 2022

 Left the Daily yard in Jacksonville early this morning and timed it so that I arrived to load in Pooler, Georgia just before they opened.  I was first in line.  Then loaded a Volvo ECR145EL Excavator that is going to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

Left there and drove to the Love's truck stop in DeFuniak Springs, Florida for my 10 hours.

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

 Left real early this morning and went the rest of the way to Brunswick, GA and delivered the truck.  They were so excited to get it.  From there I drove to the Daily yard in Jacksonville.  Had a few errands to take care of.

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

 Went to Midlothian first thing this morning and got there just before they opened.  When they got there I loaded a Mack Truck that is going down to Brunswick, Georgia.

Left there and headed south.  Passed a semi truck in Petersburg, Virginia that had just started to burn. No one there yet.  

Stopped for the night at the Flying J truck stop in St. Georges, South Carolina.

Monday, October 24, 2022

 Left very early this morning and drove the rest of the way into the Port of Baltimore.  The place was packed.  Took over a half hour just to get a parking place in order to go check-in.  Once I finally got checked in, I unloaded the tractor.  Those things are so much fun to drive!!!  You can really feel the power that they have.  

After that, I went to a different area and loaded a Caterpillar 320 Excavator that was going to Mechanicsville, Virginia.

Left there and drove to Mechanicsville and delivered the excavator.  My next load is at 8:30 tomorrow morning in Midlothian, Virginia.  I went to the TA truck stop in Ashland, VA for the night.

Sunday, October 23, 2022

 Left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  Extremely uneventful day on the road.  Stopped for the night at the Sunoco truck stop in Grantsville, Maryland.