Saturday, June 3, 2017

Left Jacksonville VERY early this morning and drove to the TA truck stop in Lafayette, Louisiana.  666 miles today.  Hope that is not a bad sign!!!  Will be on the road early again tonight.

Friday, June 2, 2017

Finally got my truck back this morning.  Hope it is fixed right.  We shall see.   Got my next load late this afternoon.  Loads Monday in Victoria, Texas.  I'll get a very early start in the morning heading to Texas. Going to bed early tonight.

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Truck still at Kenworth.  At least they found a problem and are working to fix it.  Bad sensor, bad sending unit, and bad wiring.  Hopefully it will be done tomorrow.

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Truck is still in Kenworth and I'm still in the hotel waiting.

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Went over to the Port of Jacksonville at Blount Island this morning and delivered the dozer.  After that went back to the Daily yard to get a couple problems fixed on the trailer.  Then the shop in Carlisle called and wanted me to take the truck over to Kenworth in Jacksonville to have some issues addressed.  I dropped off the truck and got a ride back to the Daily yard to get my pick up truck.  Then went to a hotel for a day or two.

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Left this morning at sunrise and drove home to the Daily yard in Jacksonville.  Will be here until Tuesday because of the Holiday.

Friday, May 26, 2017

In Kentucky and Tennessee permit loads can run at night, so as soon as my 10 hours was up I got on the road.  Wanted to get in front of the Nashville curfew, which I did.  Then a little while later I stopped for a half hour to wait for the Chattanooga curfew to get over.  Then on down to Atlanta.  Lots of heavy traffic and bumper to bumper.  Finally got through that mess.  Stopped for the night at the Flying J truck stop in Lake Park, Georgia.

Thursday, May 25, 2017

My machine was sitting at the Daily yard in Morton waiting for me.  Glad I spent the night there. This morning I loaded another Caterpillar D9T Dozer that is going to Blount Island, Florida.  That is the Port of Jacksonville.  Then on a boat to Durban, South Africa. 

Left there and drove to the Flying J truck stop in Oak Grove, Kentucky for the night.

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning and drove to a quarry in Romeoville, Illinois.  Had to go all the way to the back of the thing which made the truck and trailer a total mess!!!!!  Delivered the dump truck.  Next load is in East Peoria, Illinois.  Drove down to the Daily yard in Morton for the night.

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Left at sunrise this morning.  Rained most of the morning.  The Great Smokey Mountains lived up to their name.  Beautiful drive through the gorge on I-40 today.  Stopped for the night at the Pilot truck stop in Marion, Illinois.

Monday, May 22, 2017

Drove down to Hope Mills, North Carolina this morning and loaded a Caterpillar 740B Dump Truck that is going to Romeoville, Illinois.

Took a while to load this.  They are not very easy to load on a beam trailer. Finally got it done and left.  Stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Mocksville, NC.

Saturday, May 20, 2017

My next load is Monday morning in Hope Mills, North Carolina.  I decided to drive down to the TA truck stop in Kenly, NC.

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Finished swapping into the new truck.  Took all day!!  That is a lot of work!!!  I'm exhausted.  Here it is, 2017 Kenworth T680.

My first load in it is Monday morning.  I'll be here until at least Sunday.

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

This morning we drove the rest of the way to Manassas, Virginia and delivered the generator.  It was very tight getting in there.  VERY tight, especially being long and wide.

After that, drove up to the home office in Carlisle, PA and dropped off the trailer.  I'll be here for a few days. I'm getting a brand spankin' new Kenworth T680 four axle truck.  It will take a few days to complete that task.  I'll have pictures later.

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Left at 4 this morning and drove down to Virginia Beach.  There were 4 aircraft carriers in port at Norfolk Navy Base this morning.  

Internet Photo

One of these ships was in there too.

Internet Photo

The business where I loaded this morning had a model railroad out front.  It was really cool. 

Loaded a Caterpillar D3516C Generator that is going to Manassas, Virginia.  It weighs 80,000 pounds (36,287 kg).  Loaded, I am 14 feet, 5 inches (439 cm) high and 11 feet, 9 inches (358 cm) wide.  I am 92 feet (28 meters) long.

I have a pole car in front and another escort car in back.

Just as we were about to pull out, my chase car developed an electrical problem.  All his lights and radio went out.  

Spent an hour screwing around trying to fix it.  We were unsuccessful.  They called another car to come meet us.  He was coming from Richmond - about 2 hours away.

While we waited we watched these guys flying in and out of the Navy base. Those jets are really LOUD!!!

Internet Photo

Three hours later the new chase car arrived and we left.  Stopped for the night at the Flying J truck stop in Carmel Church, VA.

Monday, May 15, 2017

Delivered the excavator first thing this morning then drove over to Daily in Carlisle.  There is a load in Virginia Beach, VA that requires three 4 axle trucks each with stretch RGN trailers.  Apparently, one of the trucks that was on the way to do it broke down in Asheville North Carolina.  I was the only available 4 axle truck anywhere near there so I will take his place.  In order to get his trailer over to Virginia another truck, that was also on his way to VA Beach, stopped at the TA truck stop in Ashland, Virginia and dropped his trailer there.  Then he went to Asheville, NC to get the other trailer.  I went down to Ashland and got his trailer.  That's where I am for the night.  Are you confused yet?  Tomorrow morning we will meet in Virginia Beach and he will get his trailer back and I will get the one he picked up in Asheville, NC. Then we will load.  WHEW!!!

Sunday, May 14, 2017

This morning I drove the rest of the way to Murrysville, PA.  The route the stupid State sent me on was horrible.  After getting off I-79 north of Pittsburgh, it was narrow two lane roads that were full of ups and downs and lots of curves.

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.