Friday, July 1, 2016

Spent most of the day setting up the new computer.  I think I have most of it done now.  This evening my generator quit working again. Same exact problem.  Needless to say, I am really pissed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Fortunately I can plug in here.  Will stop probably at Cummins in Davenport, Iowa Tuesday to get it fixed again

Thursday, June 30, 2016

I'm a little late with this post because my computer took a dump.  Thursday was  pretty uneventful other that my computer problems.  Drove to the Daily terminal in Morton, Illinois.  Will be here until Tuesday because of the holiday.  When I got to Morton I dropped my trailer and went and bought a new computer.

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Alabama rejected my permit so it had to be re-submitted.  That is the "Readers Digest" version of what went on.  It finally arrived and off we went.  Because we got such a late start we only went 384 miles (671.988 km) today.  Stopped for the night at a truck stop just inside Tennessee on I-65.  Tried to plug into Shore Power that is available here - it didn't work.  Went to the restaurant for dinner - the service was horrible!!  Ordered hot apple pie and ice cream for desert.  After waiting over 20 minutes it still didn't arrive.  I told the server to cancel the pie and I left.  She got no tip at all.  Needless to say, I am in a horrible mood tonight!!

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Drove the rest of the way to Tallahassee (actually it was really Midway, Florida) and delivered the tractor. Then drove over to Pensacola, Florida for my next load.  Was lucky and was able to load today - a day early!!!  Another GE Wind Energy Hub that is going out to Greenfield, Montana.

But since I was a day early I didn't have any of my permits yet.  The only one I had was Florida.  So I went across the street and parked in the truck staging area to wait for at least Alabama's permit.. Will be here overnight.  It didn't come in today.

Monday, June 27, 2016

Left just before sunrise this morning and had a very good day on the road.  Nothing exciting at all.   Even made it around Atlanta with no problems.  Slight back up south of Atlanta but it didn't last long.  Stopped for the night at the Pilot truck stop in Tifton, Georgia.  Will deliver tomorrow morning.

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Easy day today.  Left at sunrise and drove down to the Pilot truck stop in Hayti, Missouri.  Can't go into Tennessee until Monday.

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Left this morning at sunrise.  Nice day on the road except for an idiot that I almost creamed.

I had nowhere to go.  There was a car camped out right next to my trailer on the left.  The video does not show how hard I stomped on the breaks to keep him out from under my truck.

Stopped for the night at a truck stop in Foristell, Missouri.  Tomorrow will be a short day.  I can only drive in Missouri on Sunday so I'l have to stop before I get to Tennessee.

Friday, June 24, 2016

This morning went back to the Cummins shop.  Parked in front of it on a dead end road was this super load.  They were preparing to leave.

They left the Port of Houston, Texas on June 4th. and will deliver it in Canada.  They say it has something to do with water purification.  It is 21 feet tall and 18 feet, 6 inches wide and weighs half a million pounds.    They had a push truck, six escorts, and six power company bucket trucks with them.  I watched as they left.  Here is some video I shot for you as they pulled out.

My generator was finished and I left there at 12:30 local time.  I passed the super load on my way to Yuma, Colorado.  They had stopped in a truck stop for the weekend.  They were only able to go 80 miles today.

Got back to Yuma and loaded a Caterpillar Challenger MT865C Tractor that is going to Tallahassee, Florida. My gross weight is 106,000 pounds.

Left there and drove to the Petro truck stop in Colby, Kansas for the night.  Sorry about the camera being down,  Sprint SUCKS!!!!

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Well everything he tests turns out fine.  But when he runs it the damn thing still does the same thing.  Still trying to figure out why.  So here I sit for another day!!

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Yesterday was not a good day.

I decided to go horseback riding something I haven't done in over 20 yrs. It turned out to be a big mistake! I got on the horse and started out slow but then we went a little faster and before I knew it we were going as fast as the horse could go. I couldn't take the pace and fell off but caught my foot in the stirrup with the horse dragging me. It wouldn't stop it just kept going around and around in a circle.

Thank goodness the store manager at Wal-Mart came out and unplugged the machine.

Thought you would like that. I copied it from the internet.  OK, now back to reality.

I left Garden City, KS at about 3 am and drove up to Yuma, Colorado.  Stopped along the way and had routine maintenance done on the truck.  When I got to Yuma to load they said that the machine was not ready yet and it would be about 4 or 5 hours. I went  back to the truck to take a nap.  Started the generator  and it happened again!

The generator started, ran for a few seconds and shut off.  Same exact thing as before!!  So, after a LOT of phone calls I ended up dropping my trailer there and going back to Garden City, Kansas to the Cummins shop.  500 miles (804.67 km) round trip!!  They were the only ones anywhere close by that could see me today.  Everyone else was booked up through next week.  When I got to Garden City they took my generator totally out of the truck so I could have the truck to sleep in.

There was a campground right next door so I went there for the night so I could plug in.  

Monday, June 20, 2016

Left this morning at sunrise.  Drove the rest of the way to Garden City.  Much to my surprise, I didn't have to wait all day to get empty!!! After that I went to the truck stop in Garden City, Kansas since I didn't have another load yet.   I was done for the day before noon.  I'll do my reset here and get that out of the way.  Also gives them some time to find a load for me.

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Got started at sunrise this morning.  Great day on the road.  No traffic issues today at all.  The State routed me all over the place today in Texas.  Dumb!!  Kansas is doing the same thing! Anyway, stopped for the night at a small truck stop in Meade, Kansas. The home of the Dalton Gang Hideout.

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Left this morning at sunrise and after a good nights sleep.  Pretty uneventful day until the last part of Louisiana on I-20. There was a crash which caused a long back up. About 2 miles past that another huge back up.  Traffic was at a complete stop. A thunderstorm went through about 4 miles ahead and blew several trees across the Interstate.  Sat there for about a half hour while crews cleared the road. After I got past that there was construction 4 miles past that.  Down to one lane and more bumper to bumper traffic!!  Finally made it out of Louisiana!!  Stopped for the night, when I ran out of hours, at a truck stop in Willis Point, Texas.  I can drive in Texas on Sunday, so I will.  Want to get past Dallas - Fort Worth area on Sunday.  Hopefully the traffic won't be as bad.

Friday, June 17, 2016

Another very warm night.  Didn't sleep well again.  Yuck!!!

This morning loaded a GE Wind Energy Hub that is going out to Garden City, Kansas.  This one is one of their bigger ones.  My gross weight is about 116,000 pounds (52,616.7 kg).

After that was loaded I drove to the Cummins shop in Mobile, Alabama and got my generator fixed.  I'll be able to sleep tonight!!!!!!!!  Because we didn't know how long I was going to be getting repaired, didn't start my Mississippi permit until tomorrow.  About a mile from Cummins was a Love's Truck Stop and that is where I went to spend the night.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Well...I knew things were going a little to smooth.  Then....

At about 11 pm last night my generator quit.  So, I had to run the truck all night.  Had very little air conditioning.  Didn't sleep very well.  

This morning I delivered the excavator. Then tried to get the generator fixed.  Cummins in Atlanta was booked until next week.  He suggested that I have it serviced - oil, oil filter, fuel filter, and air filter changed. Sometimes that resolves the problem. He checked the Montgomery, Alabama Cummins for me.  They were also booked through next week too.  

My next load is down in Pensacola, Florida. I headed that way.  I stopped at the TA truck stop in Montgomery, Alabama and had the generator serviced.  No change.  Still not running right and shuts itself off.  I talked to the Cummins shop in Mobile, Alabama.  They said that they could see me after lunch tomorrow.  GREAT!!  I continued on down to the GE Wind Energy plant in Pensacola, checked in and will spend another miserable night in my truck in the truck staging area there.  I'm number 2 in line to load in the morning.  Fortunately I'm routed right past the Cummins shop in Mobile.  Sure hope they can fix it tomorrow.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Delivered the grader first thing this morning.  Next load was in Savannah, Georgia.  Drove down there and loaded a Sany 235C Excavator that is going to Peachtree City, Georgia.

Left there and drove to the TA truck stop in Jackson, GA for the night.  Will deliver in the morning.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Finally got another load.  At about noon went over to the Port of Jacksonville and loaded a Caterpillar 120M Motor Grader that is going up to Florence, South Carolina. I love driving these things!!

Left there and got started north.  Very shortly after I got into Georgia the rains came.  It rained heavy with thunder and lightening almost the whole way north through Georgia. South Carolina was sunny.  Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Florence, SC.  Deliver almost across the street from here in the morning.

Saturday, June 11, 2016

Went back home again this morning.  When I got here I took my lightbar apart and cleaned it.  Polished the lenses with a high speed buffer to get a lot of the oxidation off.  Looks a lot better. Polished the headlights on my pick up truck too.

Friday, June 10, 2016

Back at it again.  Left Jacksonville real early this morning and drove down to Ring Power (Caterpiller dealer) in Ocala, Florida.  Loaded a Caterpillar 730C Articulating Dump Truck that is going up to Valdosta, Georgia.

Left there in good time this morning and drove to Valdosta and delivered it before noon. Still do not have another load so I went to the TA truck stop in Lake Park, GA to wait.  I think I'll go back home tomorrow to wait for my next load.  The food is better there.

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Went over and got my windshield replaced.  No more crack to look at. Will still be home until at least Sunday or Monday.