Saturday, September 3, 2011

Last night when I stopped in Hammond, LA I had already driven into Tropical Storm Lee. Rain, that's all.  This morning when I got on the road at 3:30 am it was still raining.  A bit breezy and raining harder than last night with periods of very heavy rain.  After about two hours I drove out of it. 

FOOTBALL IS FINALLY BACK!!!!!!!  I love this time of year!!! 

GO GATORS!!!!!

Passed a lot of Alabama fans on the way to Tuscaloosa for the game.  Later on passed a lot of Tennessee fans on their way to Knoxville. 

Stopped for the night at a TA truck stop in Baileyton, TN

Friday, September 2, 2011

Finally got another load.  Went into Houston and picked up four crates.  Each had a turbine blade in it.  They are going to a power plant in Athens, NY.



Thursday, September 1, 2011

Had a load to pick up in Houston.  Got on the road headed that way and the load got canceled so I stopped at the Flying J truck stop in Brookshire, TX to wait for another one.  Looks like I'll be here at least until tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Got on the road at 3 am this morning.  No problems from the fire on I-35.  Only a little bumper to bumper traffic in Fort Worth.  Went down to Harwood, TX and delivered the railroad ties to a job site where they are building a railroad yard or something.  Whatever they are doing, it is a big project.  After that went to a small truck stop in Flatonia, TX for the night.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Left Colman, SD early this morning and drove most of the morning in the rain.  It finally stopped and the sun came out.  The further south I went, the hotter it got.  Left South Dakota this morning in the low 60s and when I stopped for the night it was 104.  So far I have managed to dodge the scales.  No overweight tickets so far!  Hope I can make it all the way tomorrow with the same good luck.   Stopped at a small truck stop in Perry, Oklahoma for the night.  Huge brush fire just outside Oklahoma City to the east of I-35.  Several houses burned down and many people evacuated.  Hope they don't close I-35 tomorrow morning.

Monday, August 29, 2011

My next load was up in Solon, MN.  That is way up just a few miles from the Canadian border. Picked up a load of railroad ties.  Very heavy load.  Right at the max!  Too much fuel and I'm overweight. 

Stopped for the night at a small truck stop in Colman, SD.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Left Omaha this morning and delivered the pipe in Devils Lake, ND.   Then drove back to Grand Forks, North Dakota to a truck stop there for the rest of the weekend.   Went past the Grand Forks Air Force Base.   http://www.grandforks.af.mil/   Saw a drone, the unmanned airplanes that they use for recon and to drop bombs in Afghanistan. It flew right over my head.  Really cool to see in person!!

Yesterday and today had to do a few detours because the Missouri River is still flooding some of the roads.  I-29 was closed in a few areas because of it. The water has gone down a lot but it is still way above flood stage.  In a couple places on I-29 the sand bag dams are still in place.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Went to Saginaw, Texas (basically, Ft. Worth) and picked up a section of pipe 44 feet long and weighing 31,130 pounds.  It is going to North Dakota.

After loading I drove 724 miles up to Omaha, Nebraska for the night.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Drove to Lewisville, TX and delivered the steel first thing this morning.  After that went into Dallas to the truck show at the convention center.     http://www.gatsonline.com      Then drove out to the Pilot truck stop in Ft. Worth.  Load some pipe tomorrow morning going to North Dakota.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Drove into Red Bud, Illinois for the second part of my load.  8,000 pounds of flat steel sheets.  That place was way out in the middle of nowhere!!  Laterally in the middle of a corn field.

Fought with the stupid tarps all day.  I hate those things!!!   Stopped for the night at a rest area on the Oklahoma Turnpike ( I-44 ) about 25 miles southwest of Tulsa or about 90 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.  Will deliver tomorrow in Lewisville, Texas (suburb of Dallas).  DANG it is hot down here!!!!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Went into Indianapolis this morning and got rid of the fork lift.  Then drove back up to Butler, IN and picked up the first half of my next load.  A steel coil weighing 35,600 pounds.

Drove down to Effingham, IL to the TA truck stop for the night.  Load the second half of this load in the morning just outside St. Louis.  Then off to Texas.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Delivered the structural braces first thing this morning at the Home Depot Distribution Center in Romulus, MI.  Then waited all day to see if there was another partial load that I could take down to Indianapolis. There wasn't anything so I drove down to the Petro truck stop in Gaston, IN for the night.  Will deliver the fork lift in the morning.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Pretty uneventful day on the road. Passed the clean up of a semi truck fire.

Drove up to Wapakoneta, Ohio.  Will get in a reset before delivering the first half of this load Monday morning.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Drove up to Jackson, MS and picked up a fork lift that is going to Indianapolis, IN.

After that went up to Byhalia, MS (that's just south of Memphis, TN) and picked up some "structural braces" that are going to Romulus, MI (that's just outside Detroit).

Stopped for the night in West Memphis, Arkansas.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Drove over to Inglis, FL and picked up a load of crane mats.

Took them over to Pearl River, LA and delivered them.  After that went to Slidell, LA for the night.  Had a hole in my exhaust fixed while there.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

So much for a nice relaxing day off.  The parts I needed to repair my truck arrived yesterday.  Today I changed out a defective motor in my satellite dish.  Then the mechanic at the shop replaced the lower coolant tube on the big truck.  Got a stainless steel one so this one won't ever rust out again.  Also used silicone hose for it. Meanwhile my blue truck was in the shop getting the AC fixed.  Needed a new fan clutch.  Boy! was that expensive!!  To make things worse, found a large hole in my big truck's exhaust.  Have to repair that real fast.  Will do that after I deliver my next load which I pick up in the morning in Inglis, FL.  I'm bleeding money!!!!!!

Monday, August 15, 2011

Delivered the transformers first thing this morning in West Palm Beach.  Drove up to Orlando and had the trailer looked at at the shop there.  Then drove home. Will be home for a couple days.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Nothing exciting today.  Got on the road early and drove home.  Got there and in my bed by 10 am.  Will deliver tomorrow morning in West Palm Beach.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Left Mt. Vernon, Illinois this morning and had a nice relaxing day on the road.  Stopped and got the truck serviced - oil change, grease, and all the filters changed.  Even made it through Atlanta with NO bumper to bumper traffic.  Weekend driving is really nice.  Stopped for the night in Tifton, Georgia at the Pilot truck stop.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Got on the road early this morning from Springfield, Illinois and drove into Springfield Missouri and delivered the Dumpsters first thing this morning.  After that drove over to Jefferson City, Missouri and picked up 5 transformers.  Those things are heavy!  They ( all 5 ) weigh over 42,000 pounds.  The two at the back of the trailer weigh 13,000 pounds each!   They are going to West Palm Beach, Florida.

Drove through heavy, heavy rain in St. Louis, MO.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Mt. Vernon, Illinois.  Picked a good one tonight.  There is a Chilli's restaurant across the street.  You know where I ate tonight!!!!!   It was good too.