Friday, May 24, 2013

Left at sun up this morning.  Could only make it as far as the TA truck stop in Wheeling, West Virginia.  I'll be here until Tuesday morning.  STUPID STUPID REGULATIONS!!!!!!

Thursday, May, 23, 2013

This morning loaded a John Deere 9560 Tractor that is going to the Port of Baltimore in Dundalk, MD.  From there it is going on a boat to Brisbane.   These things are SO much FUN to drive!!!!!  Looking forward to unloading!!

Got on the road pretty quick this morning. They really do a good job getting everyone loaded there.  Wish they were all like that.  

The water is still very high up here.  At least you can see some of the lock and dam.  

Stopped for the night at the Love's truck stop in Richmond, Indiana.  Tomorrow will be a short day.  Because of the holiday, permit loads have to stop before noon and can't start moving again until 9 am Tuesday morning.  More STUPID regulations!!!

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Left Oak Grove, KY at sun up this morning.  Drove in to Davenport, Iowa and delivered the excavator.  Then went to the Daily yard in Bettendorf, IA and had new mud flaps put on the trailer.  After that drove up to the John Deere plant in Waterloo, Iowa.  I load there in the morning.  I am already number 13 in line for the morning.  On the way up here passed the Quaker Oats factory in Cedar Rapids.  Oatmeal anyone?

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Went a few miles down the road in Greensboro, NC and delivered the little excavator.  Then went over to the John Deere plant in Kernersville, NC and loaded a John Deere 290G excavator.  It is going to Davenport, Iowa.

Left there and drove the rest of the day.  Stopped at the Pilot truck stop in Oak Grove, Kentucky.  That is just over the Tennessee line in KY.   There are a lot of black clouds heading this way.

Radar looks good.

And the generator is acting up again!!  Just great!!

Nights like this I really love being able to shower and cook in the truck.  That is so great!!!!!

Monday, May 20, 2013

It took all day but I finally got out of there.  I have air conditioning now.  Went up to the TA truck stop in Greensboro for the night.  Deliver a couple miles from here tomorrow morning.

Friday, May 17, 2013

Went into the Port of Baltimore first thing and delivered the tractor.  Then went over to the Daily yard in Baltimore and loaded a John Deere 135G Excavator that is going to Greensboro, North Carolina.

   Got on the road and made it around Baltimore and all the way through Washington DC with no bumper to bumper traffic.  BUT that all came to a quick end just south of DC in Virginia.  Took forever to get to Richmond.  Traffic was very heavy and mostly stop and go.  Finally made it past all that and continued down to Garner, NC.  Will spend the rest of the weekend in the Gregory Poole Caterpillar parking lot.  Will have some work done on the truck here Monday morning.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Started just after sun up this morning.  Drove all the way to the TA truck stop in Baltimore, MD.  Will deliver and reload in the morning. Now going to sleep....a lot!!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013 Part II

When it got dark I got back on the road. I wanted to wait until Chicago rush hour was over.  It worked.  Made it through Chicago again with no bumper to bumper traffic. Amazing.  Drove until 3 am and stopped to sleep at the first service plaza in Ohio on the I-80 Turnpike.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

This morning, while waiting to load, my generator took a dump and stopped working.

Loaded a Case 260 Tractor that is going to the Port of Baltimore in Dundalk, Maryland and then on a boat to Chile.

After I got the tractor secured I drove up to the Cummins shop in Oak Creek, WI.  It is just south of Milwaukee.  Was there all day!!   They fixed it and also had oil and filters changed too.  Went back to the Petro in Racine to wait until Chicago rush hour is over.  I'll head out again after dark.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

I got to sleep in this morning because my Indiana permit was not in yet.  It arrived at 9 am and I was off and running.  Made it through Chicago with NO bumper to bumper traffic!!  How about that!!  Drove up to Avalon, Wisconsin and delivered the trencher.  It was their first new machine and they were excited to get it.

Next load is tomorrow morning in Sturtevant, Wisconsin.  Drove over to the Petro truck stop in Racine, WI for the night.

Monday, May 13, 2013

At sun up I drove the rest of the way to Craigville, IN.  Arrived at 7:30 am.  The crane didn't arrive until 10 am.  Finally started to unload me at noon.

Next load was not that far from there in Celina, Ohio.  Drove over there and loaded a Buckeye 7200 Trencher that is going to Avalon, Wisconsin.

Couldn't get in their driveway so I had to load it out on the road.  When I finished I drove to the Petro truck stop in New Paris, Ohio for the night.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Got on the road at sun up this morning.  Nice day on the road today.  Nothing much exciting today.  Just north east of Indianapolis, IN went past where Nestles Quick is made.  

Stopped for the rest of the weekend at the Petro truck stop in Gaston, Indiana.

Friday, May 10, 2013

Woke up at 3 am last night, wide awake and couldn't go back to sleep.  ARRRGGG!!!

Loaded another cell phone tower building this morning in Minden, Louisiana.  It is going to Craigville, Indiana.  101,000 pounds gross.

Got on the road in good time.  Took forever to get through Arkansas.  I am still not out of Arkansas.  This is the route the stupid State sent me.  Most of it back roads.  GOVERNMENT!!

I stopped for the night at the Petro in West Memphis, Arkansas.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Fortunately I didn't have to wait as long to get another load.  Picking up another cell phone tower building in Minden, LA tomorrow morning.  Drove up to a small truck stop in  Minden for the night.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Had to wait for about an hour for the fog to lift enough to drive.  Finally got on the road and drove to a ship yard at the very southern tip of Golden Meadow, LA.  On the way in saw this sign.

Got there and pulled up along side of the ship the winch was going on.  They were going to unload it with the ship's crane and put it on the deck.

The ship.

The 40 ton crane on the ship.

What the winch does is it is attached to a ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) that surveys the bottom of the ocean, underwater pipelines, and cables, etc.  In the middle of the wire cable is an electric cable that controls the ROV.  

After sitting there waiting over 4 hours they started to unload.

Then I drove out from under it and left.  The load I was hoping for next was given to someone else so I don't have a load yet.  Drove up to Baton Rouge, LA.  While sitting in bumper to bumper traffic on top of a bridge I snapped a shot of the lock and dam.

Stopped at a small truck stop / casino in Baton Rouge to wait for another load.  Hope it comes faster than the last one.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Went up the road a few miles this morning and loaded a winch.  There were 4 trucks loading there today.  Two of us getting winches.  Don't know what the others got.  We are all going to Golden Meadow, Louisiana.  It will end up on an off shore oil rig.  Was a tight squeeze to load this morning.  As you can see in the photo below I had to back to the crane and between the outriggers.  The back of the trailer was about 3 inches from the crane.  He also had to lift my winch over another one to get it to my truck.  The winch weighed 68,000 pounds.

Got it on and tied down.  That cable has a larger diameter than my arm.

Got on the road and got in bumper to bumper traffic in Houston.  Went past where the Houston Texans play.

When I stopped at a truck stop to scale up I saw this truck.  Think my truck is big?  Check this one out.

My gross weight is 110,200 pounds.

Stopped for the night at a small truck stop / casino in Grey, LA.

Monday, May 6, 2013

FINALLY !!!!!  Got a load that picks up tomorrow the other side of Houston.  Drove down to the Love's truck stop about 10 miles from were I load in the morning.

Friday, May 3, 2013

This is not a good way to start off the month!!  Still nothing.  I'm stuck here all weekend!!

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Still nothing.  Went to Wal-Mart needed to get more eggs, milk, and bread.  Hope I get something tomorrow.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Nothing.  Still in Beaumont, TX at the Petro.