Saturday, February 10, 2024

 Nothing interesting today.  I left at sunrise and drove 546 miles to the Daily terminal in Jacksonville for the weekend.

Friday, February 9, 2024

 I left early this morning timing it so that I arrived at Volvo in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania at 6 AM EST when they opened. I was first in and first out.  Loaded a Volvo L120H Wheel Loader that is going to Orlando, Florida. 

I got out of there in great time!!!  Had no problems with traffic.  Even went through Washington DC with no problems.  Amazing!!!!  Drove down to the Petro truck stop in Kenly, North Carolina for the night.

Thursday, February 8, 2024

 I left at about 5:15 AM EST and drove the mountain roads to McClure, VA.  

It was fine until I got to 63.  That was a 2 lane mountain road that had a lot of twists and turns as well as ups and downs.  Several over 10% grades.  I got to the coal mine at about 7 AM.  They tell me that they had some type of problem in there and they are having to put coal in piles where they normally wouldn't.  That made things in there very tight.  The first place I went to (where security told me to go) was not the right place.  I got up in there and it took about 30 minutes of wiggling to get turned around and back out again.  I ended up waiting for about 2 hours in another place looking at a coal pile with a Caterpillar D10 Dozer working on the pile.  Yes, that little yellow machine is a D10 dozer.  There is a Caterpillar 777 Mining Dump Truck under the hopper to the left.  Kinda gives you an idea of how big everything is in there.

Eventually, somebody showed up and said that where we were unloading everything was not there and to follow him.  I did.  We went back out of the mine and, basically, drove around it to a back entrance.  We went in and made a right turn on a gravel road that took us to where they wanted to unload.  When we stopped I told him that it wouldn't work.  The other trucks would not be able to make that right turn.  He said "OK" and that there was another place down the road we could go.  The video starts there.  

I had to go back out and make a right turn where we came in.  I knew I couldn't make that turn but tried it anyway just to prove that I couldn't.  Well when I made the turn, the trailer bottomed out and I was stuck.  I walked to the back of the trailer and hyperinflated the airbags.  Then tried to back out.  You can hear the truck struggling to break free.  It did.  I backed down to get in position to make a left turn instead.  I did and drove around the corner.  I stopped to let the air back out of the airbags and to let a small dump truck get by. Then I continued all the way back out to the main road, turned around, and came back in again.  Drove to the other place where a truck was waiting for me.  I unloaded there.  But there is no way the other trucks would be able to get in there.  I got out of there and drove to the Petro truck stop in Raphine, Virginia for the night and a much-needed shower!!

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

 I left at about 11:45 PM CST last night.  Had a pretty good day on the road until I got to Knoxville, Tennessee.  I got there smack dab in the heart of rush hour.  There was quite a bit of stop-and-go and bumper-to-bumper traffic there.  A little while later I had a brittle air line snap.  While I was waiting for road service to come I found that I had a flat trailer tire too.  Never heard it or felt it blow.  Road service arrived and fixed the air line.  I then drove to the Petro truck stop in Glade Spring, Virginia, and got the tire replaced.

I stayed there for the night.  I will deliver tomorrow at a coal mine.

Here is the fun route through the mountains to get there from here.

Just to give you an idea of what is going to the coal mine, this is a Caterpillar D10 Dozer.  It is huge! The red arrow points to the piece I have.  The rest is coming in several other trucks.

Hope that helps.

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

 When my 10 hours were up I left.  That was at about 2:30 AM CST.  Had no problems with traffic in Houston, TX, Lake Charles, LA, or Baton Rouge, LA.  Amazing!! Good day.  Drove 664 miles to the Love's truck stop in Sandersville, Mississippi for my next 10 hours off.

Monday, February 5, 2024

Went a few miles down the road to Longview, TX, and delivered the dozer first t thing this morning. My next load was way down in San Antonio, TX.  Headed that way.  When going through Waco, TX I was about 3 miles from where the Branch Davidian Compound was.  That is the place where President Bill Clinton's Attorney General, Janet Reno murdered hundreds of people when the FBI and ATF attacked the place and it eventually burned to the ground with all the men, women, and children inside.  For more info about the massacre, CLICK HERE.  Had some bumper-to-bumper and slow-and-go traffic in Austin and San Antonio.  Finally made it to load.  There is a used Caterpillar D10 Dozer being shipped to McClure, Virginia.  It takes several trucks to move the entire machine.  The machine was loaded up already on a 12-axle setup and he left shortly after I got there.  Initially, there was a bit of confusion as to what I was taking, but after a few phone calls, we got it figured out.  So the guy went to find my stuff.  After a while, he came back with one piece and went to look for the others.  He returned with nothing else. The other pieces were taken off the dozer by the mechanics (as they were supposed to) but they were put inside the cab of the dozer.  SO, most of my load left already.  We put the one and only piece on my trailer, I secured it, and left. 

One of the easiest loads I have ever had.  I went to the TA truck stop in San Antonio for my 10 hours.

Saturday, February 3, 2024

 I left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  There were two cruise ships in port this morning.  I like to see those.  They are much nicer to look at compared to the freighters I usually see. Galveston really floods out quickly!!  Just an average thunderstorm had the roads ponding with a lot of water.  I'd hate to see what they are like during a hurricane.  Had rain most of the morning.  I drove to the TA truck stop in Kilgore, Texas for the rest of the weekend.  I'll deliver a few miles from here on Monday morning.

Friday, February 2, 2024

 I left at about 3 AM EST and drove the rest of the way to the Daily terminal in Houston.  I dropped my trailer and went to Baytown to make my deposit in the cup.  When that was done, I went back and got my trailer. My next load was in Galveston at the Port.  I went there and loaded a Caterpillar D6 Dozer that is going to Longview, Texas. A long journey!!

After loading, I went across the street from the Port entrance and parked for the night.  I'll leave in the morning.

Thursday, February 1, 2024

 Last night I started at 11 PM CST when my 10 hours were up.  Had no problems with traffic.  Drove straight through Dallas and Ft. Worth without difficulty.  Drove the rest of the way to Lubbock and delivered the wheel loader right when they opened.  Don't have another load yet, but they said to head toward Houston. So, off I went.  After driving 675 miles I stopped for my 10 hours at the Petro truck stop in Weatherford, Texas, that's about 25 miles west of Ft. Worth on I-20.  While there, Carlisle called and said my name came up on the list for a random drug/alcohol test.  So tomorrow I'll go to the Houston yard, drop my trailer, and go pee in a cup at the test collection place they are sending me to. In the meantime, I'm going to sleep.

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

 When my 10 houyrs were up I left.  I didn't get quite as far as I would have liked.  The Dallas / Ft. Worth area roads were a sea of bumper to bumper traffic this morning.  I really didn't want to get stuck in that mess so I stopped at the Pilot truck stop in Caddo Mills, Texas.  I'll go through Dallas in the middle of the night when, hopefully, the traffic will be flowing better.

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

 At about 1:45 Am EST, when my 10 hours were up, I left.  Very nice uneventful day on the road.  Drove 641 miles to the Love's truck stop in Jackson, Tennessee.  I'll be back at it when my 10 hours are up again.

Monday, January 29, 2024

 I waited for my 34-hour reset to be finished before I left Carlisle. At about 10:45 AM EST, I left and drove to Shippensburg, PA, and loaded a Volvo L90H Wheel Loader that is going to Lubbock, Texas.

I left there and drove to the Petro truck stop in Raphine, Virginia for my 10 hours.

Sunday, January 28, 2024

 When my 10 hours were up, I left.  That was at about 8:30 PM EST.  I drove the rest of the way to Carlisle, PA.  It rained the whole way.  I got there at about 1 AM EST. I was going to unload the truck when I got there but decided to wait until morning when the rain stopped.  At about 9 AM I unloaded the truck.  Later on, I went to Walmart and restocked some stuff.  Then I did a few loads of laundry.  Now I'm done and will relax for the rest of the day.  I'll load tomorrow afternoon when my reset is completed.

Saturday, January 27, 2024

 I left last night at 11:30 pm EST.  Very nice, uneventful night on the road.  Drove 562 miles to the Flying J truck stop in Ruther Glen, Virginia for my 10 hours.

Friday, January 26, 2024

 Drove the rest of the way to Lake City, FL, and delivered the dozer this morning.  From there I drove to the Jacksonville terminal to get my trainer lights fixed.  I also need a new printer.  I had to order it.  This afternoon my printer arrived and works great!  The mechanic fixed my trailer lights, so I'm good to go.

This evening I loaded a Daily truck on my trailer.  The driver that had it quit and the truck needed to go back to Carlisle.

I'll get a bit of sleep then leave in the middle of the night.

Thursday, January 25, 2024

 I left very early this morning so that I would arrive in Trussville, AL just before they opened.  Started off in heavy fog.  After a little while it changed to rain.  Of course, it was raining hard when I was loading a John Deere 650K Dozer that is going to Lake City, Florida.  

I was soaked through to the skin everywhere.  Even my jacket soaked through.  Left there and headed south.  Had a very good day, even though it rained most of it.  By the time I stopped for the night at the Pilot truck stop in Valdosta, Georgia it had stopped raining.  I thought I would be able to deliver today but I was a little too short on hours.  552 miles today

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

 Yesterday on I-294 in Chicago, about 20 miles from where the car crashed into me last August, I Had another "episode".  I was in the far right lane (the construction zone used the shoulder as the lane), there was a truck 2 lanes over from me.  He decided to change lanes without looking and almost hit the truck that was passing me.  Fortunately, no one got hit.  Enjoy the video.

That was yesterday.

This morning I left a half hour before sunrise.  Rained all day.  Made very good time and drove all the way to Greenwood, Mississippi, and delivered the tractor.  My next load is in Trussville, Alabama.  I started off that way.  Stopped at the Pilot truck stop in Winona, Mississippi for the night.

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

 We got the ice storm that was predicted.  That meant I couldn't leave.  The pink in the radar picture below is ice.  The green is rain. I was where the blue dot is.

The Illinois website for traffic conditions looked like this.

Things got better by 11:30 AM CST.  That's when I left. Once I got on the road I had no problems.  Drove to the TA truck stop in Effingham, Illinois for the night.

Monday, January 22, 2024

 This morning I checked out of the hotel, returned the rental car, and was dropped off at my truck at the International dealer.  My truck was fixed!!!  I left there and drove to the Petro truck stop in Racine, WI to wait for my next load.  I didn't have to wait long.  My next load was in Sturtevant, WI, about 10 miles away. I went there and loaded a Case Magnum 380 tractor, 4 tires, and 2 boxes of stuff.  All that is going to Greenwood, Mississippi.  

As I'm ready to leave I see that half of my trailer lights had stopped working. Just great!!!  I left there and drove to the Love's truck stop in Wadsworth, Illinois.  That is right at the Wisconsin / Illinois state line.  Spent over 5 hours there getting them fixed.  I stayed there for the night since it was after sunset when it was finally fixed.  The weather is not supposed to be very good tomorrow morning so I may be here a little longer than I want to be.  We shall see.

Monday, January 15, 2024

 It was a very cold weekend here in the parking lot of the Caterpillar dealer in Milwaukee, WI.  This morning it was -4 F (-20 C).  I tried to take the wheel loader off the trailer yesterday but the machine was frozen and wouldn't run.  This morning when they arrived for work I told them about it and they sent a service technician over to fix it.  To make a long story short, it took 6 hours of him working on it to finally get it off my trailer.  In the meantime, my truck started to act up.  The "Check Engine" light came on.  Then the "Water in Fuel" light came on.  Then last but not least the truck was about to derate.  If it derates it would need to be towed.  

Fortunately, there was an International repair shop about 1/4 mile from the Caterpillar place.  I was able to get there.  Dropped the truck off and they gave me a ride to the hotel just down the street.  I have no idea how long I'll be here.  A couple days for sure.