Saturday, July 8, 2017

Drove over to the TA truck stop in Maybrook, New York.  Will be here until Monday morning.

Friday, July 7, 2017

Got started a half hour before sunrise this morning.  The Newburgh-Beacon Bridge that goes over the Hudson River in New York only allows oversize loads across at 10:30 am and 2 pm Monday thru Friday.  No weekend crossings.  On top of that they charge $100 PLUS the bridge toll to cross it.  I was unable to make the 2 pm crossing today so I can't cross until Monday.  How STUPID!!!!  More ridiculous government restrictions!!!!  Since I was two hours short of making it I decided to stop at the Petro truck stop in Scranton, Pennsylvania for the night.  Tomorrow morning I'll go the rest of the way to the TA truck stop close to the bridge for the rest of the weekend.

Thursday, July 6, 2017

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning and stopped at the first scale I came to.  I totally guessed wrong on placement of the crane.  I was over 4000 pounds overweight on my trailer axles.  SO, I had to move the machine.  Three hours later it was done.  Scaled again and it was perfect.

Left there but didn't get anywhere near as far as I wanted to today.  Stopped for the night at the Love's truck stop in Burbank, Ohio.  I'm exhausted!!  My back hurts and I'm going to sleep.  Good night !!!!!!

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Went in to Chicago first thing this morning to load a Liebherr HS855 Crane.  Started off OK, but it went down hill from there.  Put the crane on the trailer but when it came time to take off  the tracks, they didn't have the correct crane rigging.  Had to wait for that to get there.  Then a bunch of bolts would not come off so they had to cut them off with a torch.  I finally got it all loaded and secured and out of there at 3:30 this afternoon.  Needless to say, I didn't get very far.  Stopped for the night at a convenience store with a few  truck parking places in Boswell, Indiana.

This thing is VERY top heavy and heavy.  Have not passed a scale so I have no idea how heavy I am.  Will do that tomorrow.

Monday, July 3, 2017

Got started real early again.  Drove up to the Petro in Gary, Indiana.  Will be here until Monday morning.

Sunday, July 2, 2017

My next load is Wednesday in Chicago.  So, in order to avoid a lot of heavy holiday traffic, especially going around Atlanta, I left this morning. Had absolutely no traffic issues today.  Drove up to the Flying J truck stop in Oak Grove, Kentucky for the night.

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

As soon as my ten hours was up I hit the road.  Drove home to Jacksonville, FL.  Will be here until next week sometime.

Monday, June 26, 2017

Well, today didn't go as planned.  Didn't get confirmation of my second escort car until 9 am.  That's when we left for Portsmouth.  When we got to the tunnel we stopped at the inspection area.  When going through the tunnel all oversize loads must stop for inspection.  Once that is complete, they close off the highway and send us thru along with a highway department truck.  We have the tunnel all to ourselves.  Once through, the highway truck radios back and they open the road again.  He peels off and we continue.  At the Portsmouth exit we picked up our other escort car.  She took the lead to the Port.  Of course I arrived at the Port at lunch time, so I sat and waited.  It was a huge cluster, well, you know.  To make a long story short I didn't get out of there until 3:15.  I drove to the Petro in Kenly, North Carolina for the night.  I'm beat!!  Shower, dinner, and sleep!!!

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Easy day today.  Left at sunrise and drove to the TA truck stop in Richmond, Virginia for the weekend.  Was done before 9 am.  

If you are wondering what this thing is on my trailer, here is an internet photo of what it looks like when it is all put together.

Friday, June 23, 2017

We left at sunrise this morning.  539 long hard miles through the mountains of Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia today. The route the State had us take was definitely the long way around!!!  Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Raphine, Virginia.  I'm exhausted!!  Good night.

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Went back and picked up my trailer this morning and finally got on the road.

At the Illinois / Indiana state line I picked up my escort.

He will be with me until I deliver.  We continued on and stopped for the night at the Flying J truck stop in Waddy, Kentucky.  

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Went back to try to load again this morning.  The machine STILL was not ready. They said that it would be ready sometime today.  So I sat there ALL DAY and waited.  Finally late this afternoon the machine came from across the street. Had enough time to get it on the trailer, chain it down and scale it before they closed for the day.  I left my trailer there and went back to the Pilot truck stop for the night.  

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Went over to load first thing this morning.  They told me that I'm not supposed to load until tomorrow.  So, I went back to the Pilot truck stop until tomorrow.

Monday, June 19, 2017

Went over this morning and delivered the excavator.  Next load is tomorrow morning down in Decatur, Illinois.  Drove down there to the Pilot truck stop in Decatur for the night.

Friday, June 16, 2017

In Tennessee and Kentucky permit loads can run at night.  As soon as my ten hours was up I hit the road.  Timed it perfectly for the Paducah, Kentucky curfew.  It starts at 7 am.  I made it through Paducah and entered Illinois (where there is no curfew) at 6:58 am.  Continued on with a few areas of bumper to bumper traffic in construction zones. Had to stop because I ran out of hours eighteen miles from delivery!!!  Stopped with 3 minutes left on my clock.  STUPID, STUPID regulations.  Have to wait until Monday to deliver.  So, I'll be at the Petro truck stop in Monee, Illinois for the weekend.

Thursday, June 15, 2017

Got started REAL early this morning and drove the rest of the way to Kernersville, North Carolina.  Got there right when they opened.  Loaded a John Deere 350G Excavator that is going up to South Holland, Illinois.

Left there and drove to the Flying J truck stop in Knoxville, Tennessee for the night.  Still having overheating issues.  I'm keeping data on them for a study we are doing in order to fix the problem.

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Got up real early this morning and did a bunch of laundry.  Then they took my truck into the Daily truck shop to do a few things.  While they were "playing" with my truck I went to breakfast, Wal-Mart, and a few other places.  Once all that was done, I got my next load.  It is down in Kernersville, North Carolina.  Hooked up to my trailer and started off.  Stopped for the night at the Petro in Raphine, Virginia.

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Got up early this morning and got the truck washed.  Then over to Kenworth / Thermo King (they are both at the same place) to get the APU fixed.  Another one of the new Daily trucks had the same problem with his APU and was there too.  While we were there we were told that the "big wigs" from Daily were coming to meet with Kenworth "big wigs" and they wanted us to attend the meeting too.  We all met and discussed the issues we were having with the new trucks and possible steps to fix them.  After the APU was fixed at Thermo King, the trucks went into the shop at Kenworth to check some things. After that was done went back to the Daily yard for the night.

Monday, June 12, 2017

Left at sunrise this morning and drove into the Port in Bayonne, New Jersey.  I hate going there!!!!!!  Traffic sucks!!!  But I delivered the excavator.  Here is the view I had while unloading...

The photos make it look farther away than it was, but the New York City skyline is in the background.  I zoomed in on the Freedom Tower ( 1 World Trade Center) for you...

After that, I left there and sat in bumper to bumper traffic for about an hour getting out of there.  Finally got clear of the city and drove to the home office in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.  Tomorrow going to get my APU fixed.

Saturday, June 10, 2017

I didn't realize that I was running out of hours this week.  So this morning I only had two and a half hours left.  At sunrise I drove as far as my time would allow.  Stupid regulations!!!!!!  Stopped until Monday morning at the Sapp Brothers truck stop in Clearfield, Pennsylvania.