Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Yesterday took the truck to Peterbilt and had some engine work done.  Restocked the truck today.  Almost done installing a new video system in the truck.  Hope to be able to post some more videos here for you in the future.  My trailer is getting a lot of work done to it.  Its a mess.  Getting a bunch of new tires today.  That's about all the updates for now.  Still at home, will be going back out maybe Sunday or Monday.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Drove down to Alachua, FL early this morning and delivered.  Then drove home for some long overdue "home time". 

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Drove into Abingdon, VA and picked up an easy load.  Two pallets containing nine hydraulic cylinders. 

Then Tarp.

Fortunately none of that took much time and I was on the road quick.  These are going to Alachua, Florida.  I got some serious driving done today.  Drove down to Tiften, GA to the Pilot truck stop for the night.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Today was a bit better.  Went over to the port in Dundalk, MD this morning and unloaded the chassis.  Thought you would be interested in how that happens, so here it is.

Pull up next to "Big Red", the 25 year old crane.  They bring over a flat and sit it next to me.

After I un-chain the chassis the workers attach the crane rigging to it.

Then they lift it off.

Then they secure it to the flat for transport.

Then it goes on the boat when it gets there.

Next load is in Abingdon, VA.  Loads tomorrow at 2 pm.  After taking a shower, I got on the road toward Abingdon. Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Raphine, VA.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Today started off bad and only got worse!  I sat at the Ohio / West Virginia line for 3 hours and 15 minutes waiting for an escort car to get there.  Once he finally arrived we left.  When we got to Maryland he left because I didn't need one in Maryland.  Later while driving through a construction zone a very stupid woman hit her mirror on my load as she tried to pass me.  Then she tried to blame me for it!!  To make a long story short, the cops came and, because it was so minor, driver information was exchanged and no charges were filed.  Because of all the delays I missed the Baltimore curfew so I had to wait until 6 pm to drive to the truck stop in Baltimore.  14 hours of pure aggravation to drive 383 miles.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Pretty dull day.  This is what the truck chassis looks like all put together.

 

I'm taking it to the Port of Baltimore.  It is going on a big boat with all the rest of its parts to Burkina Faso.  Never heard of it before?  Neither did I.  Maybe this will help.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burkina_Faso 

Saturday, July 21, 2012

An easy day.  Left Oakwood, Illinois a half hour before sunrise.  Met my escort car at the Indiana line.  On the Interstate highways he is behind me but on 2 lane roads he is in front.  On the east side of Indianapolis I-70 is being re-made.  The state routes over sized loads around it.

Aside from that little detour, smooth sailing all the way to the Ohio line.  Don't need an escort car in Ohio so he dropped off.  Ohio is a pain in the butt with over sized loads.  More STUPID regulations!!!  If it is not specifically stated on the permit, you can't get off the route. Not even to stop for food, fuel, repairs, nothing.  They will allow you to drop the trailer at a rest area or weigh station, but that's all.  I can't go into West Virginia without an escort car so I dropped the trailer at the weigh station (glad it was closed) just west of Cambridge, OH.   

Went to an Econo Lodge hotel in Cambridge for the rest of the weekend.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Got on the road as soon as I could this morning and drove in to Decatur, IL.  On the way, passed The Corn College.  Well that peeked my curiosity!!  When I got to Decatur I asked about the Corn College.  They said it was quite a place.  The Deen is John Deere and the professors are called Colonels.  The students all sit in rows where the seeds of knowledge are planted during lectures.  They get quite an ear full.  I wonder if they are canned lectures or if they get a fresh one every year?  They combine classroom and field experience.  Their Homecoming Queen was Sweet Sue and their school mascot is a husky.  Unfortunately their football team is not very good.  They always get creamed.

Went to the Caterpillar plant in Decatur to pick up my load.  As we (there were 5 trucks in the group I was in) were being led back to the area where we were to be loaded, passed a test track that they use to test out the new equipment.  It was really cool to see a huge scraper flying around the banked track.  Something you don't see everyday!!

We then pulled up to where we were loading.  They loaded three trucks ahead of me.  Then it was my turn.  They went down the rows of chassis and found mine. 

Then they brought it to my truck.

\

That is 70,133 pounds of dump truck chassis flying through the air!

And then on my truck. Ready to go!

Got on the road but didn't get very far.  In Indiana I have to have an escort car.  He won't be here until tomorrow morning so I stopped for the night at a truck stop in Oakwood, Illinois.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

My pole car driver overslept this morning so we were 45 minutes late getting started.   When we got on the road we drove pretty much straight through.  Stopped for lunch in Illinois and then on up to Elkader, Iowa and delivered the Combine.  They jacked up the machine and put the tires back on.

Then unloaded it.  Next load is in Decatur, Illinois so I headed that way.  Ran out of hours so I had to stop for the night in Woodhull, Illinois at the Pilot truck stop. Drove 666 miles today.  So appropriate for that load!!!

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Finally a good day!!!  My pole car was ready and waiting at 9 am when the Baltimore curfew was over. 

My permits all arrived and we were off!!  Drove straight through, only stopping for a few minutes when we had to.  Went through a few thunder storms in Ohio.  Stopped for the night at the Flying J truck stop in Spiceland, Indiana.  Hopefully I'll deliver this thing tomorrow afternoon.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Went back over to the port in Dudalk this morning and was there and hooked back up to my trailer by 8 am.  After talking to a bunch of people and several phone calls, the final answer came down, no they would not take out any of the blocks under the front end.  Then a bunch more phone calls.  Finally got approved to re-order the permits and approved for a pole car.  None of that was built in the initial rate for this load so all those decisions had to come from on high.  Meanwhile I sat.  At 12:45 pm got the word that all that stuff was approved so I left the port and went back to the TA truck stop to wait for the permits and the pole car to arrive.  Pole car will be here in the morning.  Hope my Maryland permit gets here before 9 am when curfew is over.  Enough sittin', time to get movin'!!!

Monday, July 16, 2012

What a horrible day!!  Over the objections of my better judgment I accepted a load that I didn't want to take.  When will I learn that my "better judgment" is a lot smarter than I am! 

Went in to the port at Dundalk, MD arriving at about 12:30 this afternoon.  After the port staff came back from lunch at 1:00 pm, loaded a John Deere Combine.  That thing is difficult to load, but I got it up there.

Things went down hill from there.  It was 98 degrees, no shade, and no breeze.  The thing is too tall.  I am permitted for 13'11" and as it sat I was 14'8".  Fiddle farted around and finally decided to take the front wheels off.

That didn't help much, brought it down to 14'3".  Even let air out of the tires.  I tied it all down and was just about to pull out and head for the TA truck stop when I got a call and said to drop the trailer there for the night and someone was going to come over and assist in getting it lower tomorrow. 

By now it is after 5 pm and I'm physically exhausted from the heat.  Everyone else had gone home and I was the only one there.  I found a spot and dropped the trailer for the night.  Then drove over the the TA truck stop and took a very long cold shower.  I could barely eat dinner, I was so tired and drained.  Hope tomorrow is better. 

Friday, July 13, 2012

Got on the road real early this morning and drove into Baltimore to the port and delivered the generator.  Different part of the port than where I usually go.  This one was on the south side of the Harbor Tunnel. By the time I got there the plastic shrink wrap had disintigrated.  This is what it looked like under it.

And here is the boat it is going on.

Since I still don't have another load, I went to the TA truck stop in Jessup, MD for the weekend.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Left this morning and drove pretty much straight through to Hancock, Maryland to a truck stop there.  Will deliver tomorrow in Baltimore.  No real hurry, don't have another load lined up yet.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Left Hurricane, WV at sun up and drove to Lafayette, Indiana and delivered the excavator.  Fortunately my next load was also in Lafayette BUT it didn't load until tomorrow at 11 am.  Since I was only 5 miles from there I decided to go over and see if they could squeeze me in.  I got very lucky!!  They could and I got loaded with a Caterpillar 3516 Engine and a box of parts.  They are going to the port in Baltimore and then on a boat to Abu Dhabi.

After that drove to the Petro truck stop in Angola, Indiana for the night.

Monday & Tuesday, July 9, & 10, 2012

Finally got a load Monday afternoon.  Drove over to Kernersville, NC and loaded a John Deere 290G Excavator.  It is going to Layafette, Indiana.  It was very hot and no shade!  Thermometer on the truck read 109. 

Got on the road and drove through Mt. Pilot again.  I wonder why they called it Pilot Mountain?  It doesn't look like a pilot.

It looks like a big breast.  Maybe it should be called Boob Mountain?  Or Ta-Ta Teton?  At the top would be the Breast Crest. The road around it would be Areola Circle. Sorry, I guess I'm milking this for all it's worth.  Anyway, I stopped for the night at the truck stop in Mt. Airy (Mayberry), NC.  Verizon's internet service was down so I couldn't post last night. 

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Got up this morning and noticed that my trailer looked a bit odd.

One of the pins that hold the back axle on was gone.

Obviously, I couldn't go anywhere like that so I went over to Goober's Garage to see if they could fix it.  It really wasn't Goober's, but close enough.  It had to be a pin of solid steel 2 inches thick and 6 inches long.  Like this one:

Of course no place in town had anything like that, however there was a machine shop down the street.  They said that they could make one.  They did, and it was a good one too.  When the pin got back to the garage they put it in and I was finally on the road.  Since I got such a late start I didn't get very far.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Hurricane, West Virginia.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Drove in to Belle, West Virginia this afternoon and delivered the big ole' bucket. Don't have another load yet but possibly in Kernersville, NC.  Drove down to the Petro truck stop in Mebane, North Carolina for the weekend.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Drove to Wamego, Kansas first thing this morning and loaded a bucket for a Caterpillar 993K.  It is a bit large weighing 36,500 pounds. It's going to Belle, West Virginia.

Got on the road pretty quick and drove to Haubstadt, Indiana to the Pilot truck stop for the night

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Pretty uneventful day today.  Drove to a convenience store with truck parking in Maple Hill, Kansas this morning.  Load about 10 miles from here tomorrow morning.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Since I didn't have a load yet I decided to go over to the Peterbilt shop that was 2 blocks away and have some work done.  $890 later I was done. By then I had a load lined up.  It is in Wamego, Kansas and loads Thursday.  I drove for a little while and stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Oakley, Kansas. Washed the truck there too.