Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Got a good start this morning.  Drove for a few hours then stopped for fuel in San Antonio.  While I was fueling up I walked around the truck and checked the load and trailer (I always do that when fueling).  I found a screw in one of my trailer tires and that two of the tires were wearing real bad. 

Replaced that tire and got back on my way.  That was the only excitement (if you want to call that excitement) from the road today.

Stopped for the night at the Petro in El Paso, Texas after driving 684 miles today.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Delivered my load of bricks this morning.  Then went to Plaquemine, LA to pick up my next load. 
Its going to San Diego. Drove 419 miles today and stopped for the night in Sealy, TX.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Short trip today.  Drove 513 miles down to Lafayette, LA.  Staying at the TA truck stop until Monday morning.  Deliver about 5 miles from here.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Delivered the PVC pipe in Pikesville, TN.  They put the biggest dope on the fork lift. It took him 2 hours to unload me.  Would have been even longer but he accidentally pushed two bundles off the side of the truck. They came crashing down!  I was sitting in my cab watching this idiot thru the mirror. Glad no one was under those pipe bundles when they fell.

Then I drove over to Spring City, TN and picked up my next load.  45,080 pounds of bricks. There are 12,880 of them back there.  They are going to Lafayette, LA. 

Stopped for the night in Gadsden, AL at the Petro truck stop.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Finally got a load from Weatherford, Texas going to Pikeville, Tennessee.  46,000 pounds of PVC pipe.    Drove past the new Dallas Cowboy's Stadium.  It is georgous.  Didn't get a very good photo of it though, too much traffic.

Stopped for the night after driving 677 miles in Jackson, Tennessee.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Well, I'm still sitting here in Dallas.  Kristeen (my wonderful dispatcher) tells me that freight has dried up this month. Makes me a bit nervous. I did turn down a load that needed tarping and sounded like it was going to be a disaster to tarp and keep tarped going down the road.  Its just not worth the aggravation!!  I'd rather sit another day than deal with a mess like that.  We will see what tomorrow brings.

Tuesday, August, 10, 2010

Monday, August 9, 2010

Delivered this morning in Grand Praire, TX.  Thats basically between Dallas and Ft. Worth.  Now I'm back at the truck stop in Dallas for a 34 hour reset.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Drove 556 miles today down to Dallas.  I love Texas interstates!  Deliver tomorrow morning not too far from here.  Thermometer on the truck says that it is 106 degrees.  I believe it!!  Its HOT here.

Drove past Parkland Hospital on the way.  For those folks that don't remember, that is the hospital President Kennedy was taken to and pronounced dead.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Got up this morning feeling a bit better.  Drove from Delta, Ohio almost straight through, stopping only twice to pee, to Lebanon, Missouri.  624 miles.  Passed a pretty cool car on fire somewhere around Indy.  That's about all the excitement today.  Just a nice drive.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Delivered the insulated panels to a power plant that Duke Electric is building.  Its a huge coal power plant in Edwardsport, Indiana.

Just think how much they are spending on crane rental!! 

After I finished there drove to Delta, Ohio and picked up my next load. 10 rolls of steel.  Got the load on, tied down, and tarped then went to the scale.  My drive axles were 860 pounds overweight.  All together I was 160 pounds overweight on the gross weight. Sooooo   I had to go back, untarp, unsecure the load and move a couple rolls around. When that was done I re-secured the load and re-tarped it and went back to the scale.  Fortunately the re-arranging did the trick.  The weight on all the axles was fine but I was still overweight on the gross.  That's ok because after the fuel burned off in about 150 miles the weight would be under 80,000 pounds.  Just can't fill the tanks.  It doesn't look like much but believe me, IT IS!!  I was so exhausted all I did was take a well deserved long hot shower and fall into bed.  Slept like a rock!!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Another uneventful day on the road.  Drove up to Haubstadt, Indiana.  Spending the night at the Flying J.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Picked up my next load in Deland, FL.  Insulated Panels going to a power plant in Edwardsport, Indiana. 

Stopped for the night in Cartersville, Georgia.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Drove over to Deland.  Pick up a load tomorrow morning that goes to Indianapolis, Indiana.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Delivered my load in Plant City, FL this morning. Now waiting on my next one.

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Drove 491 miles to Ocala today.  Parked the big truck & went to Mom's in the little truck.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Drove down to Blue Springs, Mississippi and delivered this morning.  23 hours ahead of schedule!!  Delivered in a huge brand new (although it has been sitting empty for the past 2 years) Toyota plant.  The building is empty, except for the stuff we brought in.

Once empty drove down to West Point, Mississippi and loaded up with my next load that I'm taking to Plant City, Florida.

Stopped for the night after driving 563 miles today in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Drove 725 miles today.  Stopped for the night in Roland, Oklahoma at the Cherokee Casino.  Roland is at the Oklahoma / Arkansas border.

Saw these two stickers on the frame of my truck.  Is this another WTF moment??

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Another uneventful day on the road.  Drove 687 miles to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Spending the night at the TA truck Stop.

I forgot to tell you that yesterday while driving south on I-5 I saw a California Highway Patrol Trooper writing a ticket to the driver of a Bentley!   Only in California!!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Went to Fremont, CA this morning to pick up my next load. It was at a closed down auto manufacturing plant.  Was a joint venture between GM and Toyota to build cars.  The Vibe was one of the models built there.  When GM went belly up Toyota decided to close the plant down, in part, due to the high cost and difficulties of doing business in California.  They are moving most of the manufacturing equipment to a brand new facility in Blue Springs, Mississippi.  There were 9 trucks there with me this morning.  I got a full die press and a half of another one and a basket of assorted stuff weighing about 33,000 pounds.

While we were talking and waiting for our turn to load I noticed a slice in the side wall of one of my back tires on the truck.  The tire still was holding air but it was deep enough to need replacing as soon as possible.  After loading I stopped and had 2 new tires put on.

While driving on CA-58 just before the Majove Desert there was one of California's famous brush fires burning.  Could see the smoke for miles.  When I got close the fire was really visable. It was a "good" one.  Saw the huge Sky Crane fire fighting helicoter flying around dropping water on it.  Pretty cool. 

Stopped for the night at the TA Truck Stop in Barstow, California.  Only 467 mles today.