Saturday, April 4, 2020

Very short day today.  Only went about 120 miles to the TA truck stop in Ashland, Virginia.  Will be here until Monday morning.

Friday, April 3, 2020

Nothing interesting today.  Left early this morning and drove to the Petro truck stop in Raphine, Virginia for the night.

Thursday, April 2, 2020

All that stuff I posted yesterday about the super secret load was nothing but an April Fools Day joke.  Did I get you???  

Here is the real scoop...

This morning I drove to Lafayette, Indiana and loaded a Caterpillar C175 Genset that is going to the Port in Norfolk, Virginia.  Not very exciting, is it?

Drove to the Pilot truck stop in Mount Sterling, Kentucky for the night.  Tracker will be back on soon.  

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Well I finally got a load.  It is very different from anything I have ever done before.  It is over in Indiana, but that's all I can say about it.  It is a super secret load.  Can't say where I am loading or where it is going.  My tracker is turned off and so are all my cameras for this load.  Will have an armed security person in the truck with me.  Will have a ton of highly visible and invisible security for this.  Can't say anything more until it's over.  Will be very interesting!!!  I drove to the TA truck stop in Whitestown, Indiana for the night.  I'll have more details tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Had another trailer light go out.  I tried to fix it but, as usual, I was unable to.  This morning went over to the Daily yard in Bettendorf, IA and had that fixed.  Was out of there before noon and back at Iowa 80 waiting for my next load.  

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  Still very windy!!!  Drove to the Love's truck stop in Newton, Iowa.  It is right at the Iowa Speedway where NASCAR races.  Got all settled in then sent a text to the phone number that I had for delivery.  Had instructions to contact the guy before delivering.  Had no idea if that phone number was a cell phone that I could text to or if it was a hard phone in an office.  Much to my surprise he replied to my text!!  He even said I could deliver today!  Of course I jumped on that and drove over to Sully, IA, which was only about 30 miles away, and delivered the dozer.  I left there and drove to the world famous Iowa 80 truck stop in Walcott, Iowa for the night. 

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  Had some rain for a while but it cleared and ended up being sunny and very windy.   Still looks weird looking at all the huge casinos bone dry empty.  Not even one car in any of the parking lots.  Missouri sent me all over the place.  I'm still in Missouri!!!!  

The first diversion was 105 miles to bypass 27 miles of I-29.  The second one was not as bad.  86 miles to go around 34 miles of I-35.  Oh well.  Stopped for the night at a truck stop in Camron, Missouri.  The wind really has this truck rockin' tonight.

Friday, March 27, 2020

Last night I got an email that said my truck was due for A Maintenance.  Using the TA/Petro phone app I scheduled a service appointment at a TA I was going to go past about 2 hours away from where I was.  About a half hour before sunrise I left and drove up to the TA in Hillsboro, Texas.  Got the truck serviced and was back on the road.  Wasn't bad going through Ft. Worth.  This Wuhan virus sure is making the roads a lot better.  Stopped for the night at a  small truck stop in Savanna, Oklahoma.

Thursday, March 26, 2020

As soon as my 10 hours was up I left.  Made such good timing that I decided to stop by and see if my load for tomorrow might be ready today.  So I went to the Caterpillar dealer in Austin and checked in.  It wasn't quite ready but they were not that busy so they got it ready for me.  Then had to wait for the paperwork.  It took 4 1/2 hours but it finally made it's way onto my trailer.  A Caterpillar D6T Dozer that is going to Sully, Iowa.

My Texas permit doesn't start until tomorrow, but I left there anyway.  Drove to the Flying J truck stop in Jarrell, Texas for the night.  

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning and arrived in Doniphan, Nebraska just about opening time.  Unloaded the grader and was out of there by 8:30 AM CDT.  Next load is Friday morning in Austin, Texas.  Started off that way.  Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. As soon as my 10 hours is up I'll be out of here.

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Left a little before sunrise this morning.  No problems with traffic at all.  Drove up to the Petro truck stop in York, Nebraska for the night.

Monday, March 23, 2020

Yesterday afternoon I went back to the Daily terminal and hooked back up to my trailer.  This morning I drove to the Port in LaPorte, TX and loaded a Caterpillar 140 Motor Grader that it going to Doniphan, Nebraska.

Left there and drove to the TA truck stop in Denton, Texas for the night.

Friday, March 20, 2020

Left at sunrise this morning.  Drove in the rain to Longview, Texas and delivered the excavator in thick messy mud!  Next load is in LaPort, Texas Monday morning.  I drove to the Daily terminal in Houston, dropped my trailer there and went over to the TA truck stop in Baytown.   When I showered I had to wash all the mud off my boots in the shower.  That mud was everywhere!!!!   Looks weird to see all the restaurants closed up everywhere.  Some of them are only open for carry out or delivery only.  I ordered Italian from Door Dash and they brought it to me.

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Left at 1 AM EDT.  Very good day on the road.  Traffic was not bad at all.  Drove 615 miles to a small truck stop in Hensley, Arkansas for the night.  Have to wait until sunrise tomorrow morning to get started again.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Left at 2:30 AM EDT and drove the rest of the way to Kernersville.  Got there just before they opened.  Once they opened, loaded a John Deere 350 Excavator that is going to Longview, Texas.  

I did real good this morning.  Was out of there and on the road by 8:30.  I got a lot farther than I thought I would today, 485 miles.  But had to stop just before getting to Tennessee because my wonderful dispatcher didn't order it until 1:30 this afternoon.  That was an hour after I had stopped to wait for it.  I wanted to get into Tennessee before I ran out of hours, so I went anyway.  Stopped for the night at a "mom & pop" truck stop in Newport, Tennessee.  At 3:38 PM my Tennessee permit came in.  Good thing I didn't wait because I would have been out of hours when it got here. I could have made it to Knoxville.  Oh well.  At least it came in.  I'll be able to start again as soon as my 10 hours are up.  Can drive at night in Tennessee. I like that!!!

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Late yesterday afternoon I finally got a load!!!   Early this morning I drove to Valdosta, Georgia to a Caterpillar dealer.  Got there just before they opened.  When they opened, loaded a Caterpillar 725 Articulating Dump Truck that is going to another Caterpillar dealer in Austell, Georgia.  This is a small one.

Left there and drove up to Austell and delivered it.  Next load is tomorrow in Kernersville, North Carolina.  I started off that way.  Traffic around Atlanta was heavy, as usual, but didn't have any bumper to bumper.  That was nice!!!   Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Commerce, Georgia.  Going to sleep early so I can get a very early start at about 3 AM.

Friday, March 13, 2020

Still nothing!!!! 

Thursday, March 12, 2020

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Still no loads available.  There are four trucks sitting here waiting too.  Not a good sign.  Fixed a few minor things on the trailer today.  Other than that, just waiting.

Monday, March 9, 2020

No loads available yet.  The left tail light was out on my truck.  Was unable to fix it myself so I had to go to Kenworth here in Jacksonville.  Was there when they opened at 7 AM.  Was there until after 1 PM while they fixed it.  Boy!! are they slow!!!!  Meanwhile back at the Daily yard, my trailer was being fixed.  The trailer lights along the side quit working again!! They were fixed by the time I got back from Kenworth.