Saturday, September 18, 2010

Drove the rest of the way down to Kingsland, GA to spend the weekend there.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Went to Wilkes-Barre, PA and picked up my next load.  It is 23 bags of anthracite.  If you want to know what that is, click on this link:                    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthracite 
Each bag is 2000 pounds  (1 ton).  Taking them to Crosby, Texas.  Going the long way so I can spend some time in Kingsland, GA this weekend.  After I got my load I got on the road and drove 656 miles down to Florence, SC and stopped at the Flying J Truck Stop for the night.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Got my A/C fixed this morning. Fortunately nothing major. My next load is tomorrow morning in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.  Drove to the Petro in Scranton, PA to spend the night.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Drove 511 miles from Ohio to Edison, New Jersey and delivered my load.  As I entered NJ on I-80 my air conditioner started to get warmer.  I stopped in a rest area and looked under the hood.  Looked like the A/C compressor blew a seal and dumped all the refrigerant.  Wonderful!!  I found a place in Edison that can fix it, but not until tomorrow.  The allowed me to park in their lot overnight.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Not much exciting today.  Drove through Chicago and past Wrigley Field.  The Chicago skyline was gorgeous this morning in spite of all the bumper to bumper traffic. Stopped for the night after driving 710 miles at the rest area on the Ohio Turnpike (Interstate 80) in Vermilion Valley, Ohio.  Ohio Turnpike has the best rest areas in the country. Lots of well lite parking, large food court with lots of variety, large clean restrooms, free showers, truckers lounge, and there are hook ups for RVs in the RV parking area.  If only the rest of the country would do that!!  Web site:   http://www.ohioturnpike.org/travelers/service_plaza/

Monday, September 13, 2010

Drove over to Butterfield, MN and delivered the pipe.  Then drove to Fridley, MN for my next load.  Picked up 16 steel castings going to Edison, NJ for a rock crusher machine .  45,410 pounds.  These things go inside the rock crushing part.  The crusher pushes the rocks up against these things in order to crush the rocks.  Because of that these things wear out pretty quick and need to be changed out.  Didn't get very far after loading.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Hudson, Wisconsin.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Picked up my load of PVC Pipe in Calvert City, KY.

Then got on the road heading for Butterfield, MN.  On the way through St. Louis, MO I passed this goofy thing.

Drove 710 mles and stopped for the weekend in Albert Lea, MN.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Went and got my trailer put back together this morning.  They did a very good job.  Then went up to Nashville, TN and delivered the trees.  Went and got fuel, food, and a shower.  Then drove up to Kuttawa, KY for the night.  I pick up my next load tomorrow morning in Calvert City, KY.  It is PVC pipe going to Butterfield, MN.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Went to Crescent City, FL and picked up my next load.  42 trees going to Nashville, TN

I left and headed for Nashville.  When I got up to the Cartersville, GA area on I-75 I had another driver tell me that my tail lights were not working.  I stopped at a TA truck stop to get them fixed.  While looking under the trailer we both saw that the rear plug for the lights was unplugged.  Also noticed that the line was real tight.  Continued to look around to see why the line was so tight all of a sudden and found that one of the cross members of the trailer had broken off and was hanging by the electrical line and the air lines to the trailer breaks.  That's not a good thing. They couldn't re-weld it there but told me about a place just down the road that could do it in the morning. Pushed it back up & zip tied it in place then plugged in the lights. I parked for the night there.

right (passenger's) side facing the rear

left (driver's) side facing the rear

Tuesday, September 7, 2101

Delivered the truck bodies in Deland.  My next load is tomorrow in Crescent City.  Its a truck load of trees.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Drove down to Seville, FL to our yard and parked the truck for the weekend. Mom met me there and I'm spending the weekend with her.  I deliver this load Tuesday morning in Deland.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Got my next load this morning.  Three truck old truck bodies that I'm taking to Deland, FL.

Then I drove 506 miles down to Kenly, NC for the night. Went over the Delaware Memorial Bridge on the way.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Had a broken front shock so I went and had both front shocks replaced.  Then I drove down to Shrewsbury, NJ where I'm picking up my next load tomorrow morning.  On the way I detoured through Kinnelon.  I stopped at Lakeside Deli and got lunch then stopped in the parking lot of Kinnelon Fire Dept. Company 2 (my old fire dept.) and ate it.  While I was there one of the firefighters stopped by so I went in and talked with him for a while.  The place is a mess. All run down, no one is really taking care of it.  The trucks still look great though.  He showed me the plans for the new station they are fixin' to build.  It will be gorgeous.  Two stories high and three bays. It will be built in the empty lot next to the current location.  When its finished they will tear down the old building and make a parking lot out of it.  Our old house looks great.  Wasn't able to get a photo unfortunately, no place to stop.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Got back on the road early.  Drove from Emporia, VA up to Norwich, CT (656 miles) and delivered the panels at a US Food Distributor warehouse. They are building an addition to the building.  I spent the night at the job site.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Delivered used insulated panels in the morning and reloaded right there with 4 brand new bundles going up to Norwich, CT. 

Had to get a DOT physical done before Sept. 3, when my current one expires, so I dropped the trailer after securing the load and tarping the load. Drove to Quick Care in Deland and got that done.  Then went and got my trailer and took off for Norwich.  It was about 2:30 in the afternoon when I left.  There were quite a few other trucks loading up for the same place when I loaded but they were all gone when I came back.

Drove up to Emporia, VA and stopped for the night after driving 655 miles.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Drove to Deland, FL.  Parked the truck where I was delivering Monday.  Mom met me and we spent Sunday afternoon together while I did my laundry. I really enjoy our time together.  Then went back to the truck for the night.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Left Dallas this morning and drove 620 miles to the Oasis Truck Stop in Robertsdale, Alabama.  That's almost to Florida.  Passed the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile on the way.

Friday, August 27,2010

Today I didn't go anywhere.  The Great American Truck Show was at the Dallas Convention Center so I spent the day at the convention. Free truck parking and free to get in.  Here is a photo of our booth at the show.

There was a lot of exhibits.  I looked at all of them.

There was (of course) a lot of gorgeous trucks!!  

Alex from Ice Road Truckers was there posing for photos and signing autographs.  I got a chance to talk with him a little bit.  Seems like a real nice guy.  Very "down to earth".

The guy took the picture before I was ready. I look funny!!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Picked up my next load in Wichita, Kansas.  A truck load of insulated panels that are going back to Deland, Florida to the manufacturer.  Drove down to Denton, Texas to spend the night at the TA truck stop.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Delivered the panel to a job site in Wichita where they are building a Quick Trip convenience store.


My next load is here in Wichita but doesn't load until tomorrow morning so I splurged and got a hotel room. Not anywhere near as nice as the one in Las Vegas.