Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Early this morning I left Iowa 80 and drove to the Daily yard in Morton, Illinois.  I dropped my trailer there and went over to Wal-Mart and restocked.  After that I took a nap.  My crane loading appointment was for noon.  At noon I was in Pekin, IL loading a cone crusher (whatever that is) that is going to the Port of Baltimore in Dundalk, MD.  From there it is going on a boat bound for Germany. 

Believe it or not, that thing weighs 52,000 pounds and is top heavy.  Can't unload until Monday so I have a nice leisurely drive to Baltimore.  Drove to the Goasis truck stop in Lisbon, Indiana for the night.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Left Iowa 80 at 4 am local time.  All the farmers were out working in their fields.  Spring is finally here!!!

 It took 6 hours to get to Carroll, IA the way I was routed by  the State, but I finally made it.  Delivered the wheel loader to a private farm that was WAY out in the middle of nothing but farms.  The purchaser was out working in his farm.  Had to wait for him to come in.  Unloaded it, parked it in his barn, and showed him how to work it. He then went back to his tractor.   My next load is back in Illinois so I turned around and went back to the Iowa 80 Truck Stop for the night.  This time it only took 3 hours, 45 minutes.

Monday, April 21, 2014

Hit the road as soon as I could this morning.  Glad to be moving again!!  Drove through the cold front.  Little bit of rain.  Temperatures didn't change that much.  Stopped for the night at the Iowa 80 Truck Stop in Walcott, Iowa.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Drove up to Lebanon this morning and loaded a John Deere 644K Wheel Loader that is going to Carroll, Iowa.  It took a long time to get this done.  The guy that handles that stuff was on vacation and didn't leave any paperwork.  Also their computer system was having problems.  Finally got it all straightened out and on the road.

Then realized that in Ohio the permit would not allow for multiple pieces so I turned around, went back, and unloaded the bucket.

I left again.  This time didn't have to go back.  Stopped for the rest of the weekend at the Petro Truck Stop in Girard, Ohio.  Unfortunately, another STUPID regulation gets in the way.  Friday is a holiday so permit loads can't move until sunrise Monday morning.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Delivered the excavator first thing this morning.  My next load is a few miles from there.  Headed that way.  Got a phone call saying that the load won't be ready until at least noon.  So I went back to the TA to wait.  Shortly before noon I was told that the load, upon further inspection, was needing more time and would not be ready until next week sometime.  So, I took a different load.  It loads tomorrow in Lebanon, PA.  I left and headed that way.  Just after I turned off I-79 in Meadville, PA I saw this fence around the Road Department.  Look close at the very long mural.  It is made entirely of road signs.  I zoomed in on a few segments so you could see it better.  It is an amazing sight to see.  The thing is huge!!

Isn't that cool??

I went back to the Daily yard in Carlisle so I could eat Italian food again and so I could plug in the truck instead of running the generator.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Very early this morning I was at the Port to load.  As soon as I pulled around back to load it started raining.  Never fails!!  Loaded a Caterpillar 320EL Excavator that is going up to  Erie, Pennsylvania.  

Of course, by the time I finished loading and securing it I was soaked.  Hit the road. It rained all day. On the way I drove through the cold front that brought all the rain. Behind the front the rain changed to snow.  Was in flurries for quite a while.  But for the last two hours of driving today was in a lot of snow.  Didn't accumulate on the roads, but it looks like a couple inches has fallen so far.

  It is still snowing. Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Harborcreek, PA.  Basically, that is Erie, PA.  The Caterpillar dealer that I am delivering the excavator to is right behind the truck stop.  I'll deliver in the morning.

Monday, April 14, 2014

Sat through the LCV class today. While I was there the shop took my trailer in and replaced the trailer tracker that was on there with a new one that is solar powered.  

When class was over I got out of there and drove down to the TA truck stop in Baltimore, MD.  Load over at the Port in the morning.

Saturday, April 12, 2014

The truck was finished this morning.  The breaks all work great!!  Went back over to the "home office" in Carlisle to park for the rest of the weekend.  I can plug in there so I don't have to run the generator.  There is a good pizza place across the street so I'm sure you know what I'll be eating this weekend!!  Taking a LCV (Large Combination Vehicle) class here Monday, then outa here for my next load.

Friday, April 11, 2014

I was at Kenworth in Carlisle at 6 am this morning (they open at 7) to get my brakes looked at, they didn't feel right.  They were so backed up that I sat there all day waiting.  At about 3 pm they let me use one of their loaner cars.  

I went to the Petro truck stop down the road and did three loads of laundry, took a shower, and then went to Wal-Mart.   Sometime after 4 pm they took my truck in.  When I got back they gave me the "good" news.  All of my rear brakes needed to be replaced along with the hubs.  They were bad too.  I went to dinner.  Had a great meal.  Stuffed to the gills!!  When I got back they had more "good" news.  Had a wheel seal  going bad too.   Kenworth is open until midnight.  They could have had the brakes done by then but the wheel seal changed that.  So, I got a room at the Super 8 motel down the road.  Definitely not a four star place!

Thursday, April 10, 2014

This morning loaded another John Deere 245 Excavator going back up to South Plainfield, NJ.

Took it up there and delivered it.  Then drove over to the home office in Carlisle, PA.  Will be here for a few days.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

My Maryland permit finally came in.  Left and drove up to South Plainfield, NJ and delivered the excavator.  Turned around and went back to Baltimore, MD.  I'm loading another machine and taking it back up to South Plainfield tomorrow.  Stopped for the night at the wonderful TA truck stop in Baltimore for the night.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Got another load this morning.  Here in Baltimore I loaded a John Deere 245 excavator that is going up to Plainfield, NJ.  

Couldn't go anywhere because Maryland is very slow with permits.  Delaware and New Jersey came in but not Maryland.  Went back to the Baltimore TA truck stop to wait for my Maryland permit.  Hope it comes in early tomorrow morning so I can go.

Monday, April 7, 2014

Drove the rest of the way in to the Port of Baltimore in Dundalk, MD and delivered the compactor.  Don't have another load yet so I went to the TA truck stop in Baltimore to wait.

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Drove 88 miles to Hagerstown, MD to the Pilot truck stop.  Will be here until Monday morning.

Friday, April 4, 2014

Left Whitestown, IN just before sunrise.  Nice easy relaxing day.  Nothing special.  Stopped for the night at a truck stop in Grantsville, Maryland.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Left Gary, IN just before sunrise in the pouring rain and drove in to Naperville, Illinois and delivered the excavator.  Yes, it was still pouring rain and I got soaked.  Left there and drove over to Aroura, IL and loaded a Caterpillar 816F2 Compactor.  It is going to the Port of Baltimore in Dundalk, MD.  Fortunately, by the time I finished securing it the rain stopped. Go figure!!

Left there and drove to the TA truck stop in Whitestown, Indiana for the night.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Last night on my way into the truck stop I noticed that my brakes weren't working as well as they should and I used a LOT of air when applying the breaks.  I had a pretty good idea what the problem was.  I parked for the night and went to bed.  This morning I got up and investigated the problem.  It was just as I thought.  The air hose that was just replaced was still rubbing the drive shaft.  They had replaced the hose but didn't fix the problem.  The hose was worn through.  I taped up the leak as best as I could and zip tied the hose away from the drive shaft.  There was a TA truck stop 20 miles up the road so I went up there and got it repaired again.  This time the correct way.  It was covered under warranty so all it cost me was time.  After they finished I drove up to the Petro truck stop in Gary, Indiana for the night.  I'll deliver and reload in the morning.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Left Kernersville at sunrise this morning.  Very nice day on the road.  Nothing exciting at all.  Stopped for the night at the Love's Truck Stop in Memphis, Indiana.  

Monday, March 31, 2014

Hit the road this morning and drove in to Columbia, South Carolina and delivered the wheel loader.  Here is the easy way to unload.  (Not me driving)

Next load was up in Kernersville, North Carolina.  Drove up there and loaded a John Deere 250GL Excavator that is going to Naperville, Illinois.

My North Carolina permit does not start until tomorrow morning so I parked at John Deere for the night.