Friday, June 30, 2023

 Left early and drove to Orlando and delivered the rest of the stuff.  After that drove to the Daily Yard in Jacksonville.  Will be here for about a week.

Thursday, June 29, 2023

 Left a half hour after sunrise this morning.  Drove to Bainbridge, Georgia, and delivered the tractor.  Then headed toward Orlando to deliver the rest.  Stopped at the Pilot truck stop in Wildwood, Florida for the night.  523 miles today.

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

 Left a half hour before sunrise this morning.  The smoke was still very thick.  Only about a mile of visibility.  The farther south I went the better it got.  Passed a really bad crash about 15 miles before I stopped for the night in Cartersville, Georgia.  It was so bad I couldn't tell what was crashed, a car, truck or something else.  There was a blue tarp covering part of it which indicates to me that there was at least one fatality.  Fortunately, it was on the other side of I-75.  There was a 5 mile back up from it.  590 miles today.

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

 Drove the three-hour trip over to Waterloo, IA this morning.  Got there an hour before they open.  There were 18 trucks ahead of me to load.  The smoke from the Canadian forest fires is very heavy here today.  You can sort of see it in the photos. When it was finally my turn, I loaded a John Deere 8R 250 Tractor with tires and hubs that are going to Bainbridge, Georgia.  Also loaded two weights that are going to Orlando, Florida.

Left there and drove to the Love's truck stop in Williamsville, Illinois for the night.  Only 474 miles today.

Thought you might like to see how the John Deere plant in Waterloo, Iowa looks. All the following photos were from Google Maps.

Here is the entire plant...

Here is where all the trucks check in and get entered into the computer system for loading.  Then we wait in the staging area to be called in to load.  They call us on the CB radio or call on the phone if you don't have a CB.

This is the loading area.  If your machine permits it, you can back inside the building and they will drive the machine on your trailer.  If the machine is too big and you have to separate your trailer, that has to be done outside in the parking lot.  Most of the time, for the machines I have been getting lately, they can back the machine on the trailer from inside the building.

Thought you might find that interesting.

Monday, June 26, 2023

 With my reset out of the way, I left at 11:30 PM CDT and drove the rest of the way to Schofield, Wisconsin.  Delivered the wheel loader.  The next load is tomorrow in Waterloo, Iowa.  Started off that way but ran out of hours so I stopped at the Love's truck stop in Rockford, Illinois. 598 miles today.

Saturday, June 24, 2023

At 1:30 AM EDT when my 10 hours were up, I left.  Very good uneventful day today.  I did good!!!  690 miles.  Stopped at the Petro truck stop in Remington, Indiana for the night.

Friday, June 23, 2023

 Left at sunrise this morning and drove to Concord, NC, and delivered the dump truck.  From there I drove over to Clayton, NC, and loaded a Caterpillar 926M Wheel Loader and Bucket that is going to Schofield, Wisconsin.

Left there and drove to the Petro truck stop in Mebane, NC for the night.  I'm tired!!!   Good night!!

Thursday, June 22, 2023

 A half hour before sunrise this morning I was on the move!  Drove to Orlando and delivered the tractor.  My next load was up in Jacksonville at the Port.  Went there and loaded a Volvo A30G DumpTruck that is going up to Concord, North Carolina.  

Got out of there in good time!  Because of that, I was able to get farther than I thought I would. Stopped for the night at the Flying J truck stop in St. George, South Carolina. Only 490 miles today.

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

 Once again, had to time it so that I got to Georgia a half hour after sunrise.  A lot of slo-n'-go traffic starting north of Atlanta and continuing all the way around and a little south of Atlanta.  Once I got past that it was pretty much smooth sailing the rest of the day.  Stopped at the TA truck stop in Wildwood, Florida for the night.  663 miles today.

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

 Left early to time it so that I got to Illinois a half hour before sunrise.  Had a good day on the road.  Drove 658 miles to a small truck stop in Pleasant View, Tennessee for the night.

Monday, June 19, 2023

 Went over and delivered the truck first thing this morning.  Then drove over to Waterloo and loaded a John Deere 8R 410 tractor that is going to Orlando, Florida.

Left there but didn't go very far.  Stopped at the Flying J truck stop just down the street for the night.  This heat just sucks the life out of me.  I'm totally exhausted!!!. 

Saturday, June 17, 2023

 This morning when I tried to leave Iowa 80 I found that the left-side marker lights on my trailer were not working.  I drove over to the shop at Iowa 80 to get them fixed.  They had 7 service bays and all were empty.  There were a couple guys cleaning the floors in one bay.  The guy at the service counter was rude and said they were too busy now and I'd have to wait until tomorrow.  I left.  I drove to the TA truck stop in Council Bluffs, IA, and got my lights fixed immediately with no problems. I'll be here until Monday morning. Deliver not too far from here.

Friday, June 16, 2023

 Had to time it so that I didn't get to Missouri before a half hour before sunrise.  I left at about 4 AM CDT.  Drove to Scott City, MO, and delivered the excavator.  Then drove up to Davenport, Iowa and loaded a dumpster truck that is going over to Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Stopped at Iowa 80 truck stop in Walcot, Iowa for the night.  561 miles today.  I'm tired. Good night.

Thursday, June 15, 2023

 I got started a half hour after sunrise this morning.  Didn't do too bad getting around Atlanta.  Very heavy traffic, as usual, and only a couple slo n' go's.  Somewhere along the journey this morning a picked up something in one of my tires and developed a slow leak.  Stopped at a truck stop in Ringold, Georgia to get it fixed.  No shop there so road service came out.

When he was finished I got back on the road.  Some bumper-to-bumper traffic in Chatanooga.  Continued on to the Love's truck stop in Jackson, Tennessee for the night.

Here is a better look at how much track is on the trailer.

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

 I was first in line this morning at the Port of Savannah.  Wouldn't you know it, the paperwork on their end was screwed up and I had to wait until they straightened it out. After that was fixed I went over to load the machine.  The procedure is they bring the machine over to me and then I load it.  Well, there was no one in sight.  I waited an hour for them to bring it.  They finally got it to me.  These are a bit tricky to load without the counterweight on the back and no boom arm out front.  The machine is way off balance. It is really easy to roll over backward ending up upside down if you aren't careful.  Have to back it onto the trailer and then spin it around.  Just to make it more interesting, look closely at all the photos.  Most of the tracks are not even on the trailer.  This is a Caterpillar 340 that is going to Scott City, Missouri.

Here is what I weigh ...

Left there and drove to the TA truck stop in Jackson, Georgia for the night.  

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

 I decided to make my permit load a legal load.  It was wide by only a couple inches.  Hard to tell when looking at it, especially at night.  I left at 2:15 AM EDT and took the back roads bypassing the weigh stations.  Drove down to Tampa and delivered the wheel loader without any problems.  By 7:15 AM I was heading to Savannah, Georgia for my next load.  There was a big wreck on I-75 just south of Ocala and the Interstate was backed up for 15 miles.  I got off in Wildwood and took the back roads again.  Drove to the TA truck stop in Richmond Hill, GA for the night.  Made it there with 27 minutes left on my driving clock.  581 miles today.

UPDATE:

Here is the reason I-75 was backed up today...

Ocala / Marion County: The Southwest 66th Street overpass is currently closed after a northbound dump truck struck the 66th Street overpass on Interstate 75. (Yes, the same overpass that was struck several weeks ago). Drivers headed northbound on I-75 should expect delays. The interstate is still open for the time being but, as we learned the last time this happened, officials may have to temporarily close down traffic on I-75 to inspect/repair any damage.

Saturday, June 10, 2023

 Left at sunrise this morning and drove to the Daily Yard in Jacksonville, FL for the rest of the weekend.

Friday, June 9, 2023

 Left this morning timing it so that I got to Virginia right at sunrise.  Had no traffic problems at all today.  Beat the morning rush hour in DC.  Stopped a little earlier than I wanted because I got an email that said my truck eas due for an oil change.  Stopped at the Love's truck stop in Summerton, South Carolina and got the oil changed.  I'll get started again in the morning. 

Thursday, June 8, 2023

 Left Mayberry (Mt. Airy), North Carolina at sunrise this morning and drove the rest of the way to Winchester, Virginia, and delivered the dump truck.  From there I drove up to Shippensburg, Pennsylvania to the Volvo plant and loaded an "Amish" Volvo L120H Wheel Loader that is going to Tampa, Florida.

Left there and drove to the AC&T truck stop in Hagerstown, Maryland for the night.

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

 I'm finally back on the road.  Sure does feel good to be moving again!!!!  This morning I drove up to the Port of Savannah in Savannah, Georgia, and loaded a Volvo A30G Articulating Dump Truck that is going to Winchester, Virginia.

Was outa there by 9 AM EDT.  Drove to the Flying J truck stop in Mt. Airy, North Carolina.  Good night.💤