Saturday, November 12, 2016

Left at sunrise this morning and drove down to Batesville, Mississippi.

Friday, November 11, 2016

Due to economic reasons I have become a company driver for Daily.  That means I am now an employee and not an independent contractor.  That also means that I use their truck. My truck will be parked for a while until this horrible economy turns around.  Here is my new (to me) ride.

My next load was at the Port in Baltimore, Maryland.  I drove down there this morning and loaded a Caterpillar 330FL Excavator that is going to Reserve, Louisiana. 

Left there and drove down to the Petro truck stop in Glade Springs, Virginia for the night.

Monday, November 7, 2016

Went the 25 miles over to Lewisberry, PA and delivered the yard truck.  It had to be jump started again. Finally got it off and I returned to the Daily "home office" in Carlisle, PA.  

Sunday, November 6, 2016

Got up very early this morning and drove up to the "home office" in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.  Had no traffic problems at that hour.  Wish it was always like that.   Deliver Monday morning.

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Got up at 3:30 this morning and hit he road.  Drove 606 miles (975.3 km) and stopped for the night at the Flying J truck stop in Ruther Glen, Virginia.

The Gators were absolutely PATHETIC today.  No excuse for the way they played, or should I say, didn't play today.

Arkansas vs Florida

Today, 3:30 PM

Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, Arkansas

10Florida Gators (6-2)

 

10 - 31

Final

Arkansas Razorbacks (6-3)

	1	2	3	4		Total
Florida	7	0	0	3		10
Arkansas	14	7	0	10		31

Friday, November 4, 2016

Left Vero Beach at about 3:45 am and drove down to Homestead to load a yard truck that is going up to Louisberry, Pennsylvania.  I got there a little too early and had to wait until 8 for them to open. This place is an auction yard.  After getting the paperwork finished in the office, went to where that truck was parked.  It was buried behind another truck and it took a little bit to find it.  The fork lift driver had to move another truck out of the way in order to get it out.  He left an I tried to start the truck.  The key was broken off inside the starter key switch.  Had to use the nub that was left to start the thing.  It was stone cold dead.  Had to call the office to get someone to come jump start it.  He came with one of those portable jump start packs.  Hooked it up and all it did was make the dash gauges move.  So he went back an got another one.  Hooked both up and the truck very reluctantly started.  It is a total piece of junk.  But at least it was running.  Had to build a ramp to get it up on my trailer.  Also needed a bit of a running start to get it up there.  

Got it tied down and off I went.  Made pretty good time today. Had some bumper to bumper traffic in Miami and Jacksonville.  Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Kingsland, Georgia.

Thursday, November 3, 2016

It has been a while since I posted here and a lot has happened since I got towed in.  To make a very long story short, the ECM (Electronic Control Module) in the truck fried and had to be replaced.  I spent 5 days in a hotel waiting for the work to be completed.  When it was done I drove home to Jacksonville to take care of some personal stuff.  

My next load is tomorrow in Homestead, Florida.  Today I drove down to the TA truck stop in Vero Beach, FL for the night.  I'll leave real early in the morning to try to beat the Miami rush hour traffic.

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.