Saturday, September 16, 2017

Left at sunrise this morning.  Had to have an escort in Maryland and met her at the West Virginia / Maryland state line.  She followed me a whopping twelve miles through Maryland then dropped off at Pennsylvania.  I continued on to the "home office" in Carlisle, PA where I stopped for an early lunch at Napoli's Pizza.  After lunch I continued on to Pittston, PA to the Pilot truck stop.  It is right next to the Caterpillar dealer where I deliver Monday.  The foliage is starting to show some color up here in northern Pennsylvania.   Now I can settle in for a weekend of FOOTBALL.  

What a finish!!!!!!!

Florida vs Tennessee

Today, 2:30 PM

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida

Tennessee Volunteers (2-1)

 

20 - 26

Final

Florida Gators (1-1)

	1	2	3	4		Total
Tennessee	0	3	0	17		20
Florida	3	3	0	20		26

Friday, September 15, 2017

Got up to leave as soon as my 10 hours was up but it was very foggy and I couldn't leave. Permit loads can't move when it is foggy.  I went back to bed.  By 8:30 the fog had lifted enough to go, so I left.  The rest of the day was uneventful.  Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Raphine, Virginia.  

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Left at sunrise this morning and had a good uneventful day on the road.  LOTS of bumper to bumper traffic through Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Stopped for the night at the Pilot truck stop in McDonald, TN.  Can drive at night in Tennessee so as soon as my 10 hours is up, I'm outa here

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Today went a lot better than yesterday.  Started off at Shipley's Donuts again.  So good when they are hot and fresh.  Then back to the Port to pick up where I left off yesterday.  Hooked back up to my trailer and finished loading a Caterpillar D8T Dozer that is going to Pittston, Pennsylvania.

Left there and got n the road, finally!!!!

This is what it looks like when a trailer tire blows out right in front of you.

Stopped for the night at the Petro truck stop in Hammond, Louisiana.

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Left as soon as my 10 hours was up this morning.  On the way, stopped and got the truck washed to get the crap from the mine washed off.  After that stopped at Shipley's Donuts and picked up some hot, fresh donuts.  Got to the Port of Galveston a little early.  When they opened I went in and checked in.  They said that someone would bring my machine out.  I waited 45 minutes and finally someone brought it out, said they misplaced my paperwork.  I drove it across the lot and put it on the trailer.  It was just a little off center so I asked the fork lift guy to push the trailer over a little.  He did but in the process broke an air line.  

This happened at about 10:30.  Called for road service to come out.  At 12:20 I got a text that said they would be there in 2 hours.  He arrived at 5:15.  By then the Port was closed and I was out of hours.

He fixed the air line and everything worked again.  

While waiting for the service truck to arrive, I found this in my tire.

Fortunately it was only into the tread.   No leaks.

Anyway, I dropped my trailer there and left.  Stopped by KFC and picked up some dinner.  Parked for the night in a dirt parking lot just down the road from the Port.  Will go back in the morning and finish loading the machine.  Glad today is over!!!  Hope tomorrow is better.

Monday, September 11, 2017

Much to my surprise, they were able to get the two cranes over there today.  I went back and got unloaded.  Since I lost the other load I was supposed to have loaded after this one, I went back to the hotel.  After a little while, they found me another load.  It is tomorrow over in Galveston, Texas.  I loaded back up and checked out of the hotel.  Drove down to a truck stop with a Texas BBQ restaurant in Huntsville for the night.  Didn't sleep very much last night and not at all today so I'm a bit tired.  Going to bed very early.  Will get an early start tomorrow to try to beat the Houston rush hour traffic.

Saturday, September 9, 2017

The hotel I was in was not the best so this morning I changed hotels to a much better one.  Now it's time to settle in for a weekend of football!!

Friday, September 8, 2017

We left this morning at sunrise.  At the Arkansas / Texas state line in Texarkana my escort dropped off.  I didn't need him in Texas.  I continued on to a lime query in Cleburne, TX.  They were not ready for the machine to arrive.  There was no crane there.  After a few phone calls and a lot of waiting, they said that they would not be able to unload me until Tuesday.  So the load that I was supposed to load tomorrow won't happen.  I dropped my trailer there and drove into the city of Cleburne and got a hotel room.  Will be here until at least Monday, but most likely Tuesday.

Thursday, September 7, 2017

Timed it perfectly this morning and arrived at the Missouri / Illinois line right at 9 am when the St. Louis curfew ended.  My escort was there waiting for me and off we went.  Had a very good day on the road.  Stopped at the Petro truck stop in North Little Rock, Arkansas to wait for the Little Rock curfew to end at 6 pm.  Then continued on to a truck stop in Glen Rose, Arkansas for the night.

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Went to the Caterpillar plant in Montgomery, Illinois first thing this morning.  My load was not going to be ready until 9 am, so I waited.  At 10 am I backed inside the building and loaded a Caterpillar 990 Wheel loader that is going to Cleburne, Texas. 

This is the third largest wheel loader that they build at this plant.  There are two other trucks waiting to get loaded with the rest of this machine's parts.  Left there and drove to the TA truck stop in Troy, Illinois for the night.  Will meet my escort car tomorrow morning at the Illinois / Missouri state line at 9 am when the St. Louis curfew is over.

Saturday, September 3, 2017

The day I have been waiting for since last January is finally here!!!!

Unfortunately it didn't start off the way I would have liked.

Michigan vs Florida

Saturday, September 2, 3:30 PM

AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Michigan Wolverines (1-0)

 

33 - 17

Final

Florida Gators (0-1)

	1	2	3	4		Total
Michigan	10	3	13	7		33
Florida	3	14	0	0		17

Friday, September 1, 2017

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  My escort was 45 minutes late so I had to wait at the State line for him.  When he got there we left.  Not too long after we got into Indiana we drove into post tropical cyclone Harvey.  He was still dropping a lot of rain.  Drove the rest of the way in to Louisville, Kentucky.  Had to back inside a building when I got there. 

But it was not a simple straight in shot.  Had to go around a guard rail and a tank.  Did that being 12 feet, 9 inches wide.  That makes the mirrors not very useful since all there is to see is machine.  This is the view after I got inside.

It took about four hours to get the wheels on it and then off my trailer.  Glad we didn't have to do that in the rain!!  Finally got out of there.  My next load is back in Montgomery, Illinois at the same place I got my last load from. Was supposed to load Tuesday but it got pushed back a day until Wednesday.  So I will have an extra long holiday weekend.  I decided not to drive much more today in Harvey's rain since I was in no hurry to get anywhere.  I stopped for the night at the TA truck stop in Seymour, Indiana.

Thursday, August 31, 2017

Went back to Montgomery to Caterpillar this morning.  Fortunately I didn't have to wait too long before they brought my machine back from getting repaired.  Loaded a Caterpillar 826F Compactor that is going to Louisville, Kentucky.  It's wheels and blade have been shipped separately.  The wheels on the machine are only temporary wheels that are used only to move the machine around the plant and property.  They are removed for transport.

Here is what it looks like ready to go.

By the end of next year this plant will be closed.  Caterpillar is moving most of it to Little Rock, Arkansas.  I'm guessing that the oppressive Illinois taxes finally got to be too much for them.

Left there and drove to the TA truck stop in Mt. Vernon, Illinois for the night.  Tomorrow I'll meet my escort at the Illinois / Indiana State line.  He will be with me to delivery in Louisville.

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Went up to Montgomery, IL first thing this morning to load a Caterpillar 326K Compactor.  As It was being put on the trailer I saw a hydraulic fluid leak.  A big one.  Took it back off the trailer and parked it off to the side.  They said that it would be a while before it would be fixed.  They said that in order to get to where it was leaking they would have to take the cab off.  About an hour later they took it back over to the Caterpillar plant across the street to fix.  I waited.  At closing time it still was not back.  I left my trailer there and went back to the TA truck stop in Morris, IL for the night.  Will try again tomorrow.

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Well after sleeping most of the day, I finally got another load.  It is tomorrow up in Montgomery, Illinois.  So I drove up to the TA truck stop in Morris, IL for the night.

Monday, August 28, 2017

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning and drove in to Fenton, Missouri and delivered the excavator.  Don't have another load yet so I went up to the Daily yard in Morton, Illinois for the night.

Saturday, August 26, 2017

Left Baltimore at 3 this morning.  Nothing exciting today.  After yesterday, I didn't need exciting.  Although I did pass a nasty truck wreck in Dayton, Ohio.  A semi truck took the curve on the overpass too fast and fell off the bridge.  Other than that, I'm done for the weekend at the Flying J truck stop in Spiceland, Indiana.  That is about 40 miles east of Indianapolis.  Sure am glad I didn't go to Texas!!   Victoria, TX got the eye wall of the hurricane!!

Friday, August 25, 2017

Got up real early this morning to head in to Baltimore.  While doing my pre-trip inspection I found a problem with the air bags in the trailer.  Called road service to come fix it.  Three hours later it was fixed.  The load leveler was broken.  I left and drove in to the Port of Baltimore in Dundalk, Maryland.  As I was setting up to deliver the machine, A piece of lumber fell on an air line for the trailer and broke it.  While waiting for another road service truck, I was able to unload the machine.  Road service showed up and fixed the air line.  I put everything back on the trailer and went to another area of the Port for my next load.  Got there just before they closed for the weekend.  Loaded a Caterpillar 325F Excavator that is going to Fenton, Missouri.

Left there and went to the TA truck stop in Baltimore for the night.  Going to get an early start in the morning.  Have to be out of Maryland before noon on Saturday.  I need sleep real bad !!!!  Glad today is over.  Good night!!

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  Nothing exciting today.  Stopped for the night at a truck stop in Grantsville, Maryland.  Will deliver tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Left at 3 am this morning and drove to Caterpillar in Montgomery, Illinois and loaded a Caterpillar 824K Wheel Dozer that is going to the Port of Baltimore in Dundalk, Maryland.

Left there and drove until I ran out of hours.  Stopped for the night at a truck stop in Crawfordsville, Indiana.  I'm exhausted, and my back hurts.  Good night!!!