Saturday, August 15, 2015

Left this morning way too early.  My brain said go but my body disagreed.  I wanted to get through the desert before it got too hot.  It was supposed to get to 117 F (47.22 C).  Did ok for the first hour but then had to stop for a nap.  Then continued on.  In New Mexico went through two separate thunderstorms.  Each with heavy rain and pea sized hail.  Stopped for the weekend at the TA truck stop in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  I was not real happy with the restaurant here tonight. Still very tired and hungry, I wanted to eat and go to bed. I sat at a booth and got no service.  So I went to the salad bad and made a salad.  I was half way through eating it when she finally took my order. I also asked for some napkins. Never did get any napkins.  Made two trips to other empty tables to steal theirs. After finishing my salad and waiting for a long time I still did not get my order, or napkins.  I canceled my order and left.  And NO, I did not pay for anything.  I have very little tolerance for poor service in a restaurant. Unfortunately it happens to single people all the time.  After my salad dinner, as I was about to step out into the parking lot a bolt of lightening struck in the parking lot in front of me.  It was really cool!!!!

Friday, August 14, 2015

Very early this morning went in and unloaded the parts.  Then went back for the rest of them.  Drove back to the City of Industry with NO bumper to bumper traffic. Things were going so smoothly I knew something would go wrong.  I was right.  Loaded the first piece fine.  The second one was the stairs.  It had a hand rail.  On my trailer it was way too high.  14 feet 11 inches to be exact.  Tried to lay it down but that didn't work either.  Then it was too wide.  So a lot of phone calls were made.  I suggested taking the hand rail off.  They were not too keen on that idea.  So they explored other options, none of which panned out.  So I ended up taking the hand rail off.  Then finished loading and securing the stuff.

Left there an hour and a half later than I really should have and drove back to Irvine.  Of course now I had quite a bit of bumper to bumper traffic.  Finally got there and delivered.  Left there and headed toward New Mexico for my next load.  Had bumper to bumper traffic all through the LA area on I-5, CA-91, and I-15 through the San Bernardino mountains.  Cleared up after going over the mountain. Thought I'd never get through there!!  Why in the world would anyone want to live there!!????!!  I am so glad to get away from that mess.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Barstow, California.

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Well it took all day but I finally got unloaded.  Then went 38 miles up I-5 to The City of Industry, California and picked up a parts load that is going back to the same place in Irvine, CA.  

Left there and drove back to Irvine for the night.  With all the "lovely" traffic in the Los Angeles area it took an hour and a half to drive 38 miles (61.16 Km).  

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Very easy day.  Started at sunrise this morning.  Drove up CA-86 past the Salton Sea. Click on that for more information on it.  Stopped at the TA truck stop in Coachella, CA.  Will be here until Friday morning. Not scheduled to deliver until Friday.  Here is the route the State of California is taking us.  It is 110 F (43.33 C) here.  HOT!!!!!

This afternoon I got a call and was told that it is OK to go in tonight so we will be leaving here at 5 pm local time (8 pm EDT) to go in.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Got started this morning at sunrise and drove to the TA truck stop in Eloy, Arizona where we stopped for lunch and to top off with fuel.  After I got fuel I saw two other Daily trucks with loads going where I am going.  They were waving me over to them.  They were waiting for a curfew in California to get over, one that I had overlooked somehow.  Glad I stopped when I did.  So I waited there with them until it was time to go again.

At about 2 pm local time we left again.  Passed what was left of a semi truck vs. bus crash.  We heard about it when we were waiting at the truck stop.  They had it almost cleaned up.

Drove down to a truck parking area on I-8 because we were still too early to go through Yuma, Arizona.  Once that curfew was over at 6 pm we left again. Made it through Yuma and  into California.  Here are some pictures of the Imperial Dunes State Park. It is a desert.

Continued along I-8 in southern California.  It parallels the USA / Mexico border so close that you can throw a rock and hit the fence.

 

Finally ran out of hours and had to stop for the night at a truck stop in El Centro, California.  I tuned in the local TV stations on my TV and all of the 15 that I got were in Spanish.  Not one in English.

Monday, August 10, 2015

Left this morning before sunrise.  Drove through Texas and finally got to New Mexico. Drove along the USA / Mexico border for quite a while.  Then finally up to I-10.  Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Deming, New Mexico.

Sunday, August 9, 2015

It is HOT here!!!   103 F (39.44 C)   Here is the goofy route the state of Texas has us going tomorrow. Actually starting from Sweetwater.  That is another 40 miles (64.37 Km) east of Colorado City.  Remember, you can click on any picture to get a better look.

Saturday, August 8, 2015

Got started right at sunrise this morning. When we got to Texarkana, Texas our front escort dropped off.  Don't need one in Texas.  Would have been nice to have though. Texas routed us all over the place.  Stopped for the rest of the weekend at the TA truck stop in Sweetwater, Texas.  Still have a long way to go in Texas.  They routed us all over the place.  We don't even get on I-10 at all.  All back roads.  Oh well, we will deal with that Monday.  Now it's time to do chores and rest.

Friday, August 7, 2015

Left Glendale, Kentucky this morning and had another good day on the road.  Stopped at the Petro truck stop in West Memphis, Arkansas for lunch and get my CB fixed.  A wire broke in my mic so I couldn't talk to my escorts.  Not a good thing.  Also had the radio tuned up.  Now it is better than it was when it was new out of the box. From there we drove to the Petro truck stop in North Little Rock, Arkansas.  Had to stop because of the curfew in Little Rock .

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Left at 8 this morning.  Could not go through Charleston, WV before 9 am.  After we got through there had to stop at the TA truck stop in Hurricane, WV and wait for my Kentucky permit.  An hour and a half later it arrived and we were back on the road again.  Once in Kentucky the State took us way off the interstate almost back up to Ohio then back down to Lexington.  It took forever to get through there.  It was mostly a 2 lane road with a wide shoulder most of the way.  The last part was 2 lanes with no shoulder and a drop off on either side.  Also had low hanging trees on both sides of the road.  So I had to keep from falling off the side of the road, keep from hitting oncoming traffic AND keep from hitting the trees.  Made for a fun drive.  Just beat the Lexington curfew.  

Shortly after we got on the Blue Grass Parkway we came upon what looked like a head on crash with a fatality. Fortunately it was on the other side.  

Looks like the minivan next to the ambulance was hit head on by the car in the median.  The fatality was (obviously) in the car in the median.

Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Glendale, Kentucky.

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

First thing this morning went over and loaded a Pritchard-Brown Exhaust SCR (basically it is a huge catalytic converter for a huge generator) that is going out to Irvine, California.  It is 15 feet wide.

Left there in real good time this morning.  My two escorts arrived just as I was finishing up.

Here is my front escort.  She will be with me until Texarkana, Texas.

And here is the guy bringing up the rear.  He will be with me all the way to delivery.

Left there and had a very good day on the road.  Stopped for the night at the truck stop in Jane Lew, West Virginia.

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Delivered the genset first thing this morning.  My next load is tomorrow in Baltimore, MD.  Drove up there and much to my surprise did not have a bit of bumper to bumper traffic going around Washington DC or Baltimore.  Hope that is a good sign!!  Went to the Daily yard in Baltimore and dropped off my trailer and picked up a 53 foot stretch flat bed.  Then went to the TA truck stop in Baltimore, MD for the night.

Monday, August 3, 2015

Went the rest of the way into Newberry, SC and loaded a Caterpillar XQ375 Genset that is going up to Ashland, VA.

Drove to the TA truck stop in Ashland, VA for the night.

Saturday, August 1, 2015

My next load is Monday morning in Newberry, SC. This morning I drove over to the Wilco Hess truck stop in Prosperity, SC.  Stopped at Wal-Mart on the way to pick up a few things.

Friday, July 31, 2015

Left at sunrise this morning.  Drove 542 miles through the ups and downs in the mountains of Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina.  Delivered the dozer in Batesburg, SC.  Then to a small truck stop in Gilbert, SC for dinner and sleep.

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Checked out of the hotel again and went back over to Cummins in St. Louis, Missouri this morning.  The part arrived!!!!  He installed it in 15 minutes.  Took longer to do the paperwork.  The generator works great!  Then went back to the TA truck stop, picked up my trailer and hit the road.  Stopped for the night at the Pilot truck stop in Oak Grove, Kentucky.  I'm about an hour from Nashville.  

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Checked out of the hotel and went over to Saint Louis, Missouri to the Cummins-Onan shop.  Was there at 6 am local time. When they opened they took my truck in right away.  A short time later he had found the problem.  The stater was bad.  He had one in stock.  Said it wouldn't take too long to fix.  Great!!!

BUT this is me we are talking about.  Nothing ever goes that smooth.  A short time later he came back and said that the part he had in stock was defective and did not work.  He did not have another one.  The closest one was in Memphis and that he could have it sent overnight.  I told him to do it.  He put my truck back together and I went back to the hotel and checked back in.

Overnight shipments don't arrive at the shop until about 10:30 or 11 in the morning so I'll be there when it arrives.  

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Left Council Bluffs, Iowa at midnight local time and drove to Morton, Illinois and loaded a Caterpillar D7R Dozer that is going to a military base in Batesburg, South Carolina.  I'm about 111,000 pounds (50348 Kg).

Left Morton and drove to the TA truck stop in Troy, Illinois for the night.  Drove a total of 586 miles (943 Km)  today Went inside to eat and shower while the inside of the truck cooled down.  When I came back to the truck after showering found that the generator had stopped working. Usually the fuel filter needs changing when that happens so I changed the fuel filter.  Damn thing would not start no matter what I did to it. Just great!!!  Now I need another shower. SO to make a long story short, I'm at the Red Roof Inn across the interstate from the truck stop.  I left my trailer at the TA.  Can you see it??

No?  Well let me zoom in a little bit for you.

Of course when I went up to the top floor of the hotel and tried to get in my room, the key didn't work.  Par for the course!!  Got that fixed and got in and settled in for the night.  It is a nice room for the price!   I have an appointment at the Cummins-Onan shop in St. Louis, MO first thing in the morning. I ordered a pizza.  After I eat and take another shower I'm going to bed.  I am really pooped!!  Tomorrow I get to spend a lot more money!!!

Monday, July 27, 2015

Went back over to Omaha to the job site this morning.  Picked up my trailer and then got unloaded.  Was back at the truck stop and in bed again waiting to find out what my next load will be before 7 am.

Late this afternoon I got my next load.  It is tomorrow back in Morton, Illinois.  I'll leave early tomorrow morning.

Saturday, July 25, 2015

About 2 am a thunderstorm passed by just to the south of me but the outflow winds came through the area I was in.  Wow!!  That wind really had my truck rockin' !!!!  Local TV news said those winds were up to 70 mph (112 kph) and I believe it!!  It was really cool to watch.

This morning went into the job site in Omaha and dropped the trailer.  Did that to be ahead of the Omaha curfew. Otherwise I'd have to wait until after nine am Monday to go in to unload.  When that was done I drove across the river to the Sapp Brothers truck stop in Council Bluffs, Iowa for the rest of the weekend.