Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Well, there were no loads anywhere near me so I decided to take a load in Georgia.  Just before I left I got a better load in Florida.  So I left for Florida.  Everything was just fine until I got to the Mississippi / Alabama state line on US-98.  The truck just stopped running.  Gave no indication of anything wrong, it just stopped.  Could not start it again.  So I was towed in to the Kenworth shop in Mobile, Alabama.  After dropping the truck, the wrecker driver took me to my hotel.  Needless to say, I lost the load.

I can never check into a hotel without issues, never.  Today was no exception.  Got my room and went in.  The air conditioning did not work.  Went back to the front desk and got another room.  Got in that room and there was no remote for the TV.  I went back to the front desk and got a remote.  Went back to the room and that remote didn't work.  Went back to the front desk and got another one.  She said call me if this one doesn't work.  I went back to the room and surprise surprise, it didn't work either.  Picked up the phone to call the front desk and the "0" button on the phone didn't work!!!  Went back to the front desk and she said that she would find one for me and bring it to me.  I then waked about a quarter mile to get a pizza and then back to the room.  Ate dinner and still no remote.  Went back to the front desk.  She apologized because she forgot.  I went back to the room.  It took her two more attempts to get a remote that worked.  FINALLY!!!!!  But it didn't have a battery cover.  Had to tape it to keep the batteries from falling out.  There were other issues too, but what I just told you about was enough.

Kenworth is open until 10 pm local time tonight.  I hope that they will call me with good news like it was a simple broken wire or something.  Silly me, I know that won't happen.

Monday, October 24, 2016

First thing this morning went the 4 miles down the road and delivered the wheel loader.  Had a problem with the truck engine so from there I went to the Kenworth shop to address the problem.  Found a little corrosion here. Took care of that.  Hope it solves the problem.

Didn't have another load yet so I went back to the Petro truck stop to wait.

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Left at sunrise this morning and drove down to the Petro truck stop in Jackson, Mississippi stoping only once for that stupid required break.  Now it is time for some football!!!!  Gators are off this week.

Friday, October 21, 2016

Was at the Volvo plant in Shippensburg, PA first thing this morning and loaded a Volvo L110H Wheel Loader that is going to Jackson, Mississippi.

Drove down to the TA truck stop in Greenville, Tennessee for the night.

Thursday, October 20, 2016

This afternoon I got another load that loads tomorrow in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.  I drove up to the "home office" in Carlisle, PA for the night.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Left at sunrise this morning.  Fall colors are great up here.  I took some photos for you but because it was overcast the colors don't show up as well.  Photos really don't do it justice.

Made it to the Port of Baltimore in Dundalk, MD and delivered the tractor.  I really love driving those things.  This is one that I drove around the Port a little before I parked it.  Don't have another load yet so I went to the TA truck stop in Baltimore to wait it out.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Left a half hour before sunrise.  Pushed it pretty hard today because I am way behind schedule for delivery because of that Iowa permit taking so long to come in. The fall colors are in full bloom right now.  Very pretty driving through the woods.  Stopped for the night at the East Bound Pennsylvania Welcome Center on I-70. I'll leave at sunrise tomorrow morning.  Have to get there by 2:30 tomorrow afternoon.  Hope I can make it.

Monday, October 17, 2016

This morning I got the load that I was hoping to get.  I drove up to Waterloo, Iowa to the John Deere plant and loaded a John Deere 9520TCP Tractor that is going to the Port of Baltimore in Dundalk, Maryland.

 Then it goes on a big boat to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

Had to wait for my Iowa permit to come in before I could go.  It finally came in at 3 pm local time.  Needless to say, I didn't get very far today.  Stopped for the night at the Daily Terminal in Morton, Illinois.

Sunday, October 16, 2016

It looks like I have a much better shot at another load over in Iowa so after my 34 hour restart was up I drove over to the Iowa 80 Truck Stop in Walcott, Iowa for the night.

Saturday, October 15, 2016

When I woke up this morning I saw that I had received a text telling me that my trailer was empty and ready to be picked up.  So I went back to the nuke plant and got my trailer.  Then I drove down to the Petro truck stop in Gary, Indiana for the rest of the weekend.  Now it is football time!!

Missouri vs Florida

Saturday, October 15, 3:00 PM

Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida

Missouri Tigers (2-4)

14 - 40

Final

Florida18 Gators (5-1)

	1	2	3	4		Total
Missouri	0	0	7	7		14
Florida	0	20	6	14		40

With Alabama destroying Tennessee today, it puts the Gators back on top of the SEC East.

Friday, October 14, 2016

Timed it perfectly again.  Got to Louisville right at 9 am.  No problems on the road today.  Drove all the way to the nuke plant in Bridgman, Michigan.  Dropped my trailer in their parking lot.  They were going to get it and take it back to the job site sometime tonight and unload it.  They will call me when it is back in the parking lot.  I went to the TA truck stop a few miles down the road for the night.

Thursday, October 13, 2016

This morning drove the rest of the way to Brent, Alabama and loaded whats called a LP Casing Frame.  Have no idea what it is or what it does or what it's for.  It is going to a nuclear power plant in Bridgman, Michigan.

It does not look it but it is wide and tall.  14 feet 5 inches tall.  Because of that I need a pole car for the trip.

Had a good day on the road.  Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Glendale, Kentucky.  Couldn't go into Louisville because of the curfew.  Will get a late start in the morning for the same reason.  Can't go into Louisville until after 9 am.

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Yesterday I did routine maintenance on the generator and fixed (I hope) a leak in the roof of the sleeper.

Today I left and headed toward my next load.  It is tomorrow in Brent, Alabama.  On the way I stopped at the TA truck stop in Marianna, Florida and had routine maintenance done on the truck.  That took a lot longer than I had anticipated, but at least it's done.  Continued on and stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Montgomery, Alabama.

Saturday, October 8, 2016

I continuously kept an eye on the weather in Jacksonville.  I decided that I could go home today so at 2 am I packed up the RV and left.  I really wanted to beat the traffic from everyone else going back home.  I did.  Nice easy drive until I got to Jacksonville.  About 30 miles from home all three tires on the passenger side of the RV blew.  I decided to limp it as far as I could in hopes that I could make it home.  I made it about 20 miles and could go no further.  Sorry the photo is so dark.  It was about 5:30 am.

 I left the RV on the side of the road and went the rest of the way home.  Found a tire shop that would come out with a new rim and tire.  To make a very L-O-N-G story short, he came and took the old rims and tires off and put on a new tire and rim on the rear axle and the spare that I had on the front axle.  Chained up the middle axle.  Then I limped the rest of the way home with the tire guy following to make sure that I made it.

The Daily yard was damage free although it was very obvious that a big storm had gone through there.  There was a lot of tree branches and "tree stuff" all over the place.  My truck was fine!!  Whew!!  

Friday, October 7, 2016

Here is what it looks like here while Daytona Beach is getting pounded by Hurricane Mathew.  Beautiful weather here.  Not a cloud in the sky.  Glad I came here.  Click here to see what Daytona Beach was like this morning.  Next stop for Matthew is Jacksonville. Check back later to see an update.

At 5:30 pm it is Jacksonville's turn. Fortunately it has weakened some.  Now a Category 2 hurricane. The other good thing is that the center of the storm is still about 40 to 50 miles off shore.  Hopefully my truck will be ok.  Still worried about it.  Only time will tell.

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Got up at 4 am and loaded up the RV.  Left at 5 am and headed west.  Glad I left early because I had no traffic problems at all. Drove 260 miles west to the Pine Lake RV Park in Fountain, Florida to wait out Hurricane Mathew.

Here is the 6 pm radar.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Left at sunrise this morning and drove the rest of the way to St. Petersburg and delivered the duct work sections.  After that I drove home to Jacksonville.   Traffic on I-10 was very heavy west bound.  

Getting ready for the storm to hit.  Gas stations are packed.  I also filled up my pick up.  Hooked up to the RV and will be heading west in the morning.  Unfortunately, the big truck has to stay here.   Here is what our office looks like...

Here is the latest from the National Hurricane Center.

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Left at sunrise this morning.  Great day on the road.  No bumper to bumper traffic going around Atlanta for a change!!  Things were going great until 30 miles north of the Florida line in Georgia.  My load shifted a little causing a strap to break.  I pulled into a truck stop and fixed the problem. Then continued to the Petro truck stop in Reddick, Florida.  Will deliver tomorrow morning.  I think I will go home after I deliver.  The arrow points to where I live.  The hurricane is headed my way.

Monday, October 3, 2016

This morning went the rest of the way in to Lancaster, PA and loaded a couple sections of ductwork that are going to St. Petersburg, Florida.

Was supposed to be legal height, but it wasn't.  It was higher.  Had to reorder my permits and wait for them to come in.  Fortunately, it didn't take long and I was out of there and on the road.  

Great day on the road.  Weather was perfect.  I even rolled down my windows and enjoyed it.  Lots of FEMA mobile homes going down I-81 headed towards Baton Rouge area for flood relief.  Your tax dollars at work.  A few of them stopped at the Petro truck stop in Glade Spring, Virginia for the night.  That's where I stopped too.

Sunday, October 2, 2016

This morning I mover to the Love's truck stop in Middletown, PA.  That way I'm on the other side of Harrisburg to avoid all that traffic in the morning.