Saturday, May 13, 2017

Kentucky is one of those very rare states that allow permit loads to run at night.  I left at 4 am this morning and had another very uneventful day on the road. Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Wheeling, West Virginia.  Will go the rest of the way tomorrow morning so I can deliver first thing Monday.  

Friday, May 12, 2017

Got a late start today because of the Memphis curfew.  Nothing interesting again today.  I guess that is a good thing.  Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Glendale, Kentucky.

Thursday, May 11, 2017

Fortunately, I felt a lot better today.  Started a half hour before sunrise.  Pretty uneventful day on the road.  At a weigh station in Texas got a Level II inspection and passed with no problems.  Stopped for the night at a restaurant with truck parking in Palestine, Arkansas.  Will get a little later than usual tomorrow morning.  Can't go into Memphis until 9 am.

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Went a few miles down the road to Caterpillar and loaded a Caterpillar 349F Excavator that is going to Murrysville, Pennsylvania. 

Left there and drove to a Love's truck stop in Willis, Texas for the night.  I stopped early because I was not feeling real well and my back was bothering me.  I also needed a shower real bad!!  I'll be asleep very early tonight.

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Left the Daily yard in Houston at 9 am when the Houston curfew was over.  Drove down to the Port in Freeport, Texas and delivered the dozer.

My next load is in Victoria, Texas.  I drove down there and stopped at a crappy truck stop in Victoria for the night.  Will load in the morning.

Monday, May 8, 2017

Left at sunrise this morning.  Drove to the Daily yard in Houston, Texas.  I'll deliver tomorrow morning after the Houston curfew is over.

Saturday, May 6, 2017

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  Another very nice day on the road.  Very uneventful.  Stopped for the night at the Flying J truck stop in Mandeville, Arkansas, seven miles from Texarkana.  Will be here until Monday morning.

Friday, May 5, 2017

Left the Daily yard in Milwaukee at about 3 am and drove down to the Daily yard in Morton, Illinois.  With a tremendous amount of help from the guy that works at the yard, we loaded a Caterpillar D9T Dozer that is going to Freeport, Texas. This machine weighs 81,440 pounds (36,941 kg). It is a lot more hard work to load this type of trailer and I knew that when I agreed to it.  It is great experience.  I sure did learn a lot today.  

One of the many things I learned today was that I needed two track pins.  I had never heard of these before.  Here is what they are for:  When the dozer comes up off the ground the tracks hang down a bit.  The track pins tighten up the tracks thereby pulling the tracks up. This allows a couple more inches of ground clearance.  In the first photo below you can see the tracks without the pin, and the second photo has the pin in place.  Can you see it?

Without the track pin

With the track pin in place

OK, here it is...

It took all day to load this thing. Once I get the hang of it, it won't take that long.  Also had to go get the track pins.  Finally got out of there this afternoon.  Drove to the Love's truck stop in Hamel, Illinois for the night.  I'm exhausted, and my back hurts.  

Thursday, May 4, 2017

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning and drove up to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and delivered the excavator.  From there I went over to the Daily yard in Milwaukee and swapped into a brand new, never been used, beam trailer.  This will be my trailer now.

My next load is tomorrow down at the Daily yard in Morton, Illinois.  I'll leave here REAL early tomorrow morning.  I don't have enough hours left today to go anywhere and I'm exhausted!!

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Hit the road a half hour before sunrise this morning.  Another great day on the road. Drove up to the Pilot truck stop in Marion Illinois.  As usual, the Pilot parking lot was full so I parked across the street in a motel parking lot. They charged $10, but it was worth it.  I was out of hours, had no choice.  With luck, I might be able to deliver tomorrow.

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Left San Antonio early this morning and drove in to Victoria, TX and loaded a Caterpillar 336F Excavator that is going up to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  

 Got on the road in good time after loading.  Very uneventful day on the road.  Stopped for the night at a convenience store with a few truck parking places in Linden, Texas

Monday, May 1, 2017

It took a while but I finally got my Texas permit and got on the road.  Drove down to San Antonio, Texas and delivered the dozer.  My next load is in Victoria, TX and loads in the morning.  I stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in San Antonio, TX.  Will get an early start in the morning when the traffic is lighter.

Sunday, April 30, 2017

I am at the Choctaw Casino in Durant, Oklahoma.  Last night I went to the buffet for dinner.  It was excellent!!  Had a salad, peel-n-eat shrimp, crab legs, prime rib, two helpings of vanilla ice cream with an awesome caramel topping, cantelope, and watermelon. 

Stopped raining, but it is VERY windy here today.  Going back to the buffet again tonight.

Saturday, April 29, 2017

It started raining during the night.  Several thunderstorms.  It was still raining when I left this morning.  Went through a few pretty good thunderstorms.  Southwestern Missouri and eastern Oklahoma have a lot of flooding!!  Saw some minor damage from one of the storms I drove through.  Some trees blown over, limbs down, power out in one place.  Stuff like that.  Stopped for the rest of the weekend at the Choctaw casino in Durant, Oklahoma.  Still raining.  Thunderstorm here too.  I don't have a Texas permit yet so I may be here a while Monday morning.

Friday, April 28, 2017

Went over to the Caterpillar plant bright and early this morning to load.  My dozer was not ready yet.  After about two hours it was finally ready and loaded on my trailer.  Caterpillar D6T Dozer that is going to San Antonio, Texas.  

Then had a trailer issue to be fixed.  Fixed that.  When I was ready to go I went back inside to Shipping to get my paperwork.  Their computer took a dump.  They had a guy on the phone trying to fix it.  Wasted another hour waiting for that.  Finally got out of there and on the road.  Had to stop early because I could not beat the St. Louis curfew.  Would have if it wasn't for all the needless delays. Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Troy, Illinois.

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Left at sunrise this morning in the rain.  Drove up to Madison, Wisconsin and delivered the excavator.  Still raining.  Then drove over to Milwaukee.  On the way had rain / snow mix, then snow, then back to rain.  At the Daily yard in Milwaukee I swapped back into my normal trailer.  It's good to have it back!!!  Next load is tomorrow in East Peoria, Illinois.  I drove down to the Daily yard in Morton, IL for the night.

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Left at sunrise this morning.  Very good day on the road.  Made it up to the Petro truck stop in Rochelle, Illinois for the night.  Will deliver tomorrow morning.

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Well, it happened again.  Last night my APU quit working.  

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  Had a good day on the road.  BUT had to stop early because of a flat tire on the trailer.  SO, I stopped at the TA truck stop in Denmark, Tennessee for the night and to get the tire replaced.

Monday, April 24, 2017

Left real early this morning and drove the rest of the way to Victoria, TX and loaded a Caterpillar 336F Excavator that is going o Madison, Wisconsin. My gross weight is 127,000 pounds (57,606 kg).

Left there and drove up to Marshall, Texas to a very crappy truck stop.  Had to stop there, ran out of hours.  Hopefully I won't ever stop here again!!

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  Drove to Wingate, Texas and delivered the hub.  Next load is Monday in Victoria, Texas.  I headed that way.  Stopped for the rest of the weekend at the Flying J truck stop in San Antonio, Texas.