Monday, April 8, 2024

 Went to Legion City, TX this morning.  Had a 9:25 loading appointment.  Didn't get loaded until 11.  Loaded a Caterpillar 972 Wheel Loader that is going to Newington, Connecticut. 

After loading it took another hour and a half to get out of there.  As you can see, it was heavily overcast today.  The eclipse was really a nonissue.  It got a little darker, enough to take my sunglasses off. But if I didn't know there was an eclipse happening, it would just be like any other heavy overcast day.  I left there and drove to the Petro truck stop in Beaumont, TX for the night.

Sunday, April 7, 2024

 Early this morning I left and drove to the Daily terminal in Houston.  

Saturday, April 6, 2024

 As soon as my 10 hours were up, I left.  Nothing interesting at all today.  Drove 680 miles to the TA truck stop in San Antonio, Texas for my next 10 hours off.

Friday, April 5, 2024

 My next load is Monday in League City, Texas.  I started off that way.  On the way I stopped at a rest area to use "the facilities".  Took a couple photos of the scenery for you.

Continued on to the Petro truck stop in Demming, New Mexico for my 10 hours.

Thursday, April 4, 2024

 Once again I went back to the job site and reconnected with my trailer. Got there at about 6:30 AM MST.  Sat there all day again watching the fighter jets fly over my head.  At 6 PM MST, I FINALLY got empty!!!  I was the last of 5 trucks to unload.  I went back to the Love's truck stop that I had been staying at all week, but it was full and overflowing.  I left there and went to the TA truck stop in Tonopah, Arizona for the night.  Have no idea where I'm going next, but I'll bet it won't be very close by.

Wednesday, April 3, 2024

 The three of us went back over to the job site first thing this morning.  I took off the tarps and put them away.  Then we sat there all day!!!  I enjoyed watching the fighter jets doing touch-n-goes at the nearby Luke Air Force Base.  They are amazing machines!!!  They would fly right over us at about 500 to 1000 feet.  The thunder of the two engines in the F-35 Lightening II is incredible!!!

Internet Photo

The F-16 Fighting Falcons are not as loud, but still very impressive.

Internet Photo

This afternoon they decided that we would not get unloaded again today.  We dropped our trailers and went back to the Love's truck stop in Buckeye, Arizona for the night.

Tuesday, April 2, 2024

 I went over to Walmart first thing this morning and restocked some essentials.  Then went back to the job site.  When I got there found out that it was still too wet and muddy to unload today.  Will try again tomorrow.  Went to a different Love's truck stop to wait.  This one is in Buckeye, Arizona.  A much better place.

Where I'm delivering is very close to Luke Air Force Base.  See a lot of fighter jets doing touch-n-goes.

Internet Photo

Monday, April 1, 2024

 Left this morning timing it so that I didn't get to Tuscon, AZ before 9 AM.  Had no problems with traffic today.  Drove the rest of the way to Waddel, AZ.  When I got to the job site where I'm delivering found out that the crane crew was sent home today because the rain turned the place into a muddy mess.  I almost got stuck in the mud.  I found a place next to the other trucks that were there to unload.  There were three other Daily trucks with stuff to unload.  Their trailers were there but not the trucks.  I dropped my trailer there too.  From there I bobtailed to the Love's truck stop in Tolleson, AZ for the night.

Saturday, March 30, 2024

 Every time I do a tarp load it is normal for the stupid tarps to have to be adjusted at least once along the way.  This load was no different.  The back side of them came loose.

This morning I fixed the mess so that it will hopefully hold until I deliver.  I also did some preventive work on the front to hopefully keep anything else from coming loose.

After that, I did three loads of laundry.  Now I can settle in and rest for the rest of the weekend.

Friday, March 29, 2024

 I left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  No traffic problems at all today.  Not even through the construction in El Paso.  I stopped for the rest of the weekend at the Petro truck stop in Deming, New Mexico.  I got a lot farther than I thought I would today.  I'm tired again tonight.  At least I'll have a few days to get some good sleep.

I almost forgot, a Tesla pickup truck went past me pulling an Airstream travel trailer.  Weird looking!!

Internet Photo

Thursday, March 28, 2024

 I had a 9 AM CDT loading appointment this morning.  I was there at 8:30.  There were two trucks ahead of me.  At about 10:45 They finally loaded me.  I have no idea what this thing is, or what it does, but it is going to Waddell, Arizona.  It is 13 feet wide.

Then the fun began.  It had to be tarped!!

Once that was finished, I left.  Drove to a small convenience store/truck stop in Menard, Texas for the night.   I should sleep well tonight!  I'm tired!!

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

 Left real early this morning and drove the rest of the way to Abilene, TX and delivered the motor grader right when they opened.  My next load is tomorrow in Wacco, Texas.  I drove down there and stopped for the night at the Pilot truck stop in Wacco.

Tuesday, March 26, 2024, Part 2

 By now I'm sure you all have heard about and seen the video of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, Maryland.  I thought I'd give you a little perspective on where it is in relation to where I load or unload at the Port of Baltimore.

In the internet photo below the red arrow points to where I load most of the time.  

In the next internet photo, you will see a green ship behind the damaged ship and collapsed bridge. On the other side of that green ship is where I load and unload most of the time.  Also the red arrow in the above photo shows where that green ship is at the dock.

Hope that helps put things in perspective.

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

 I lest at about 1 AM CDT.  No traffic problems anywhere.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Terrell, Texas.

Monday, March 25, 2024

 This morning I went over to the Port of Savannah.  Loaded a Caterpillar 140 Motor Grader that is going to Abilene, Texas.  This one has a steering wheel and 8 levers to control it.  I don't like these as much as I like the ones without a steering wheel and everything is controlled with 2 joysticks.

I left there at 9 AM EDT. That's pretty good!!  Had no traffic problems going around Atlanta.  That's even better!!! Drove to the Petro truck stop in McCalla, Alabama for my 10 hours.

Sunday, March 24, 2024

 Time to go back to work.  I load Monday morning at the Port of Savannah.  This morning I drove up to the TA truck stop in Richmond Hill, Georgia.  

Thursday, March 14, 2024

 I left a half hour before sunrise this morning and drove the rest of the way to Plant City.  Delivered the chassis.  Then I drove up to the Daily terminal in Jacksonville.  Will be here for a few days.  Have some things to take care of here.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

 Left this morning and had a good day on the road.  Traffic didn't get real heavy until I got to Florida.  Ever wonder what those sensors at the weigh station are for?  Well here is what the Florida weigh stations can get from them.  I blurred out my tag and DOT number.  All this is collected by the sensors and the plates in the road that we drive over.  They have all this by the time we pull up on the scale.

Stopped for the night at the Love's truck stop in Bushnell, Florida.  Tired tonight.  Going to sleep early tonight.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

 After dropping off the little roller it put a lot more weight on the back of the trailer.  That made the whole truck ride a bit "squirrely".  Have to drive a lot more carefully.  The back end could come around a lot easier than normal. I could have moved the roller, but I was lazy!!  I left Breezewood at midnight.  That makes going through Washington DC and Fredericksburg, VA a lot easier!!  No traffic problems.  Arrived at Washington, North Carolina just before they opened.  Unloaded the remaining roller.  My next load was a couple hours away in Hampstead, NC.  I drove there to a job site and loaded the chassis of a John Deere 300 Articulating Dump Truck that is going to Plant City, Florida.

Left there and drove to the Love's truck stop in Dillon, South Carolina for the night.  649 miles today.  I got here with about 8 minutes left on my 11-hour clock.  Not too shabby!!!

Monday, March 11, 2024

 The snow we were supposed to get didn't come.  That was a very good thing!!  I drove to Tonawanda, NY this morning and was there before they opened.  Delivered the little roller.  Then headed toward Washington, North Carolina.  I stopped a little early today because I didn't sleep well last night and was very tired.  Also had a headache.  Good night!