Tuesday, March 15, 2022

 They weren't able to get to my truck today.  I got some much needed sleep today instead. That felt great!!!  Hopefully, they will get started on it tomorrow.

Monday, March 14, 2022

 Delivered the stuff in Warfordsburg, PA first thing this morning.  Then drove up to Carlisle, PA.  Stopped and got the truck washed on the way.  There was quite a line.  It took two hours to get that done.  Will be in Carlisle for a few days.  The truck and trailer are due for routine maintenance.  The truck needs a lot done to it.

Sunday, March 13, 2022

 Only got a light dusting of snow last night.  This morning the sun was out, bright blue cloudless sky, and dry roads.  I left Ruther Glen, VA this morning at about 7 AM EDT.  Traffic was light, even though Washington DC, all the way to Hagerstown, Maryland where I stopped for the rest of the day. I'll deliver about half an hour from here first thing Monday morning.

Saturday, March 12, 2022

 At 3 AM EST, when my 10 hours were up, I left.  Rain all day.  Heavy rain and thunderstorms in North Carolina.  Very Strong crosswind from the west in North Carolina and Virginia.  Felt like I was back in North Dakota!!  Stopped at the Flying J truck stop in Ruther Glen, Virginia.  It was raining when I went in to shower.  When I came back out it had changed to snow.  

Friday, March 11, 2022

 Drove up to the Port of Savannah, GA this morning and loaded 4 pallets of parts for a very large crusher.  They are going to Warfordsburg, Pennsylvania.

It took a long time for the Port guys to get around to loading me.  When I finally got out of there I didn't go far.  Stopped at a small Pilot truck stop in Savannah, GA for my 10 hours.

Wednesday, March 9, 2022

 Took the truck over to Thermo King this morning and got the APU fixed - again.  Nexdt load is Friday in Savannah, Georgia.  I'll be here until then.

Monday, March 7, 2022

 Drove to Ocala this morning and delivered the telehandler right when they opened.  Then went back to Jacksonville.  Will be here for a couple days.

Saturday, March 5, 2022

 The battery in my pick-up truck was almost dead and the truck wouldn't start.  AAA came out and jump-started it.  Then I went and got a new battery.  Did a bunch of errands too.  Got my trailer lights fixed, again.   For comparison, here is the photo from yesterday when they didn't work...

And here is today after they got fixed...

Friday, March 4, 2022

 As soon as my 10 hours were up, I hit the road.  That was about midnight.  Great day on the road.  No traffic issues in Washington DC, or Richmond, VA.  I was following a car that was behind an oversized load transporting what looked like an older Caterpillar D6 dozer with the blade attached.  When he entered a construction zone the blade of the dozer struck the "Jersey Wall".  The outside edge of the blade was knocked off and it slid along the Interstate and went under my truck.  No damage to anything of mine, just interesting to see.

This is difficult to see.  Expand to full screen to see it better.

That was the only thing interesting today.  Stopped, because I ran out of hours, at the TA truck stop in Richmond Hill, Georgia.  As soon as my 10 are up, I'll be back out on the road.

My 10 hours were up at 9:30 PM.  I left and drove to the Jacksonville, FL Daily terminal.  Wouldn't you know it, half my trailer lights are out again!!

At least I'm here and can get them fixed tomorrow,  GOOD GRIEF!!  777 miles today.

Thursday, March 3, 2022

 As soon as my ten hours were up I left.  That was at 3 AM EST.  Drove to the Port of Baltimore and got there before they opened.  Was first in line to check in.  When the opened, I delivered the tractor.  My next load was at the Daily yard in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.  Drove up there and loaded a Caterpillar TL 1055 HRC Telehandler that is going to Ocala, Florida.  

While I was there I also loaded some supplies for the Jacksonville terminal.

After that was done, I got a few more supplies for me. Then the truck shop wanted to look at my APU.  They hooked it to the computer and found out what is wrong with it.  Just a sensor.  I already have an appointment with Thermo King in Jacksonville next week.  They said it's no big deal, and to have them fix it when I get there.  Once all that was done, I left and drove down to the TA truck stop in Greencastle, PA until my 10 hours are up.

Wednesday, March 2, 2022

 My new Ohio permit didn't come in until after 9 AM.  That put me way behind.  I left when I got it.  Met my West Virginia escort car at the state line.  When we crossed into Maryland she dropped off. Didn't need one in Maryland.  Stopped for my 10 hours at the Sunoco in Grantsville, Maryland.

Tuesday, March 1, 2022

 Much to everyone's surprise, the part came in today!  I made arrangements to have my West Virginia escort meet me tomorrow morning.  The truck was finished at 4:30 PM.  Went over and got my truck then went back to the hotel for the night.  My Ohio permit expired so I have to wait until a new one comes in before I can go.  

Monday, February 28, 2022

 This morning I sent a detailed email to the Daily shop explaining, with photos, what the truck was doing.  They made arrangements with an International shop in Richmond, Indiana to get it fixed.  Daily sent a wrecker over and towed me to that shop.  I left my trailer at the Flying J.  After the wrecker dropped the truck, the shop took it in right away.  They spent all morning working on it. At about 2 PM EST they said that they have to order a sensor and have no idea when it will get here.  Here we go again!!!  So now I'm checked into a hotel indefinitely. 

Sunday, February 27, 2022

 When I started the truck this morning to leave, this is what I was met with...

Needless to say, I didn't go anywhere.  I had an escort scheduled to meet me this morning at the West Virginia line.  Had to cancel him.  Sent an email to the head of maintenance at Daily and then talked to him on the phone.  Tomorrow morning I'll talk to Daily again and get things set up to be towed to a repair shop.  

Friday, February 25, 2022

 Last night at about 8:30 CST road service for the tire showed up first, then Love's service truck for the trailer lights. Got it all fixed.  It stopped snowing around midnight.

I left this morning a half-hour before sunrise.  The snow had stopped and the plows did a good job of clearing the streets.  The Interstate was fine. Wet, but fine.  I stopped off at the Daily's Bettendorf, Iowa Terminal and got a couple things done there.  Only took 30 minutes.  Had a brief snow shower around Indianapolis, Indiana.  No accumulation.  When I stopped for the night at the Flying J truck stop in Spiceland, Indiana we were having more snow flurries.  Nothing interesting.  Have to do a reset here so I'll be leaving Sunday morning. Did 500.8 miles today.  

Thursday, February 24, 2022

 Left at about 2 AM CST and drove the 231 miles to Shakopee, MN.  I got there before they opened.  On the way up here the truck's "Check Engine" light came on.  Just what I needed now!!!  While waiting for them to open I called our shop to report the issue.  Once they opened tried to unload the machine but it was so cold that the fuel had gelled in it.  So he had to go get a heater and warm it up so that he could get it off the trailer. Once that was finally done I was able to get out of there.  I drove down to the International Truck dealer in Albert Lea, MN to get the "Check Engine" light taken care of.  They told me on the phone that they could get me in this afternoon after 3 when the second shift came in.  I was VERY lucky and they took me in right away!!  I couldn't believe it.  They were able to fix it pretty quick and I was out of there.  But that is where my good luck ended. Shortly after I got on the road my ELD (electronic logbook) went haywire.  Then it started to snow.  Then unbeknownst to me, my trailer turn signals and brake lights went out.  That attracted the attention of a DOT cop.  I got pulled over and inspected.  Also had a bad tire.  Fortunately, I didn't get any tickets and was able to temporally fix the problem.  I just got a crappy inspection.  I was able to just make it to John Deere in Waterloo, Iowa, and load a John Deere 8RX 370 Tractor that is going to the Port of Baltimore.

I stayed at the John Deere plant for the night.  Had road service come out and change the bad tire and fix the trailer lights.  Hope it stops snowing so I can go in the morning.  3 inches on the ground so far and still coming down hard. Can't have all good days, got to have some bad ones too.  That's just the way it goes with everything.

Wednesday, February 23, 2022

 Had to wait to start this morning.  Couldn't go into St. Louis, Missouri until after 9 AM CST.  It takes about an hour and fifteen minutes from Mt. Vernon, Illinois to get there.  So I left at 7:45 AM CST instead of the usual half-hour before sunrise.  I drove across the bridge over the Mississippi River into St. Louis precisely at 9:03 CST.  Timed it pretty good.  Had some snow flurries in the St. Louis area but nothing interesting.  Road crews were out pretreating the roads.  I guess they are expecting some weather later on.  Had a nice uneventful day.  Stopped for the night at the Flying J truck stop in Evansdale, Iowa.  I can drive at night in Iowa and Minnesota so I'm going to bed now and getting started as soon as my 10 hours are up.  I'll deliver in the morning.

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

 Left a half-hour after sunrise this morning stopping on the scale before I left.  Here is my scale from last night.

Here is my scale from this morning.  Had to get the trailer under 42,000 pounds for Kentucky.  In all the other states I was fine the first time.

Well, just as soon as I got out on the  Atlanta Beltway, I-285, I was in bumper-to-bumper traffic.  It eased up a bit and then I was right back in it again.  Once I got out of there It was smooth sailing to Nashville.  Heavy rain just south of Nashville caused the traffic to back up.  It was a real mess at the I-24 and I-40 split.  Once I got past that and onto Briley Parkway (the road that goes past The Grand 'Ole Opry) it was back to smooth sailing again.  The rain stopped by the time I got to Kentucky.  Continued on up to the TA truck stop in Mt. Vernon, Illinois for the night.

Monday, February 21, 2022

 I'm enjoying a nice, large, cup of hot chocolate while I'm typing this.  It's really good too!! Left at about 2 AM this morning.  Drove the rest of the way to Marianna, Florida, and delivered the boom lift.  When loading and unloading those things you have to hold on tight.  When it goes up on or down off the trailer it wants to flip you like a pancake on a spatula.  My next load was up in Atlanta.  Drove back up there and loaded a Komatsu 210 Excavator that is going up to Shakopee, Minnesota. 

Of course, it was raining.  I was covered in grease and mud as well as being soaked to the skin when I was finished.  Left there and went straight to the Petro in Atlanta, got fuel, then scaled.  Wouldn't you know it... I was too heavy on my trailer axles.  Had to unsecured it and back the machine up a couple feet.  Then re-secure it all again.  Just what I love to do in the cold rain!!  I'm sure I have it right now.  Parking places are at a premium here so I wasn't about to pull out of the two I had. I need two spaced side-by-side because of the machine width.  Finished the day after driving 560 miles with only 9 minutes available on my electronic babysitter.  I'll re-scale in the morning just to make sure.  Long hot shower, dinner, then bed!!!

Sunday, February 20, 2022

 My reset was finished at 8 PM Saturday evening.  I left the "home office" at 8:15 PM.  Stopped and got the truck washed before I left town.  Really nice night driving.  No traffic issues at all.  The way I like it!!  Stopped for my 10 hours, after driving 630 miles, at the TA truck stop in Commerce, Georgia.