They finally finished working on my truck at International in Harrisburg, PA, so this morning I went up there and brought it back to Carlisle. My trailer is not doing as well. It is still in pieces in the shop.
My truck is finished in the Daily shop, but it had to go to International in Harrisburg. They have not started on it yet. My trailer is in the Daily shop with all the wheels off. It needs a bunch of stuff done to it. I'm in a hotel. Have no idea how long I'll be here.
I left at 3 AM EDT and drove to the Port of Baltimore in Dundalk, Maryland. I-70 was closed in the Hagerstown area, and had to follow a detour that took about an hour to get through. Also, it rained all the way in. Delivered the tractor. After that, I drove to the "home office" in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. My truck is due for maintenance, and my trailer needs a few tires. Hand more rain on the way. In the area of the MD / PA state line, the rain changed to snow. It had all stopped by the time I got to Carlisle.
I left half an hour before sunrise this morning. All that bad weather in the Midwest that you heard about on the news today, I drove through several times. Periods of heavy rain, wind, and pea-sized hail. Made it safely to a small truck stop in Grantsville, Maryland, for the night.
I left at 2 AM EDT and drove to Sturdavant, Wisconsin, and loaded a Case 70325 Tractor that is going to the Port of Baltimore, and then it's going on a big boat to Romania.
I drove the rest of the way to Shelby, Michigan, and delivered the wheel loader. My next load is in Sturdevant, Wisconsin. I started off that way, but had to stop at the TA truck stop in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to get a flat tire repaired. Stayed there for my 10 hours.
I left Hagerstown, MD, at about 4 AM EST. Drove to the Pilot truck stop in Toledo, Ohio. I'll be here until Monday morning.
I left at 4 AM EST and drove the rest of the way to Mount Joy, Pennsylvania. Unloaded the genset. Then drove to the Port of Baltimore and loaded a Caterpillar 950 Wheel Loader that is going to Shelby, Michigan.
I left there and drove to the AC&T truck stop in Hagerstown, Maryland. I stopped a little early today because I was very tired, hungry, and I'd had enough of heavy traffic!!!
Blog readers for the past 7 days...
I started off at 4 AM EST and quickly realized that the fog was way too heavy for a permit load to continue. I stopped at the next truck stop, a Flying J, in New Haven, Indiana, and waited for it to clear up. About two and a half hours later, the fog lifted enough to go. Even so, it rained all day again. My original permit route through Pennsylvania was really stupid!! This is where they were sending me...
I had a discussion (that is putting it nicely) with my dispatcher about it. A new permit was ordered with a better route...
I delivered the dozer in Indianapolis, Indiana, and was out of there by 7:15 AM EST. Then drove up to Lafayette, Indiana, and loaded a Caterpillar Genset that is going to Mount Joy, Pennsylvania.
I left this morning, timing it so that I would arrive at the West Virginia state line at sunrise. I did good, I was only 5 minutes early. It rained all day. After driving 561 miles, I stopped at the Petro truck stop in New Paris, Ohio, for the night.
I checked in at the Port of Baltimore when they opened this morning. They told me that they won't be able to get me unloaded until after lunch. So I parked and waited. At 1 PM EST, they brought me over to where I was going to unload. They were not going to put the tires on today. They lifted the compactor off with a crane. When I was empty, I went over to the other side of the Port and loaded a Caterpillar D5 Dozer that was going to Indianapolis, Indiana. It was snowing.
I left there and drove over to the TA truck stop in Baltimore for the night.
I left at sunrise this morning. Drove to the AC&T truck stop in Hagerstown, Maryland. Will be here until Monday morning.
I left half an hour before sunrise this morning. When I stopped for fuel and a shower at the TA truck stop in Wheeling, West Virginia, I decided to stay here for the rest of the day. Since I don't deliver until Monday, there is no hurry.
I left this morning and had to time it so that I didn't get to Illinois before a half an hour before sunrise. I did good. I crossed into Illinois right on time! Drove 570 miles today and stopped at the Pilot truck stop in Eaton, Ohio for the night.
This morning, I went over to Grand Island, Nebraska, and loaded a Case 7260 Combine that is going to the Port of Baltimore in Dundalk, Maryland. From there, it is going on a sea cruise to Belgium.
Once I got loaded, had to wait for over 2 hours for my permits to come in. When I got Nebraska's permit, I left. Passed a car fire along the way. The cops were just getting there, and the first fire truck was pulling up as I passed the burning car.
Drove to the Flying J truck stop in Des Moines, Iowa, for the night.
The crane was right on time this morning. It didn't take long for them to get set up. I backed down near it.
Here is the pad the statues are going to live on.
This morning I went to Norman, Oklahoma, for my next load. After looking at it and talking with the guys there, we realized that I had a trailer that would not work for this load. I talked with my dispatcher and went back to the Daily yard and found a trailer that would work. I dropped my trailer and attached to that trailer. Then I went back to Norman, OK. Backed inside the building and loaded 6 statues.
When my 10 hours were up, I left and drove to the Daily terminal in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Stopped and got the truck washed along the way. I'll be here until Monday morning. Have an interesting load in Norman, OK.
I left at about midnight. Drove to Amarillo, Texas, and delivered the wheel loader. From there, I went over to "The Big Texan" and had a great meal. 16 oz bone-in rib eye steak, salad, baked potato, and 3 dinner rolls. Ate it all!!!
There was a guy there just getting started on the 72oz challenge.
Don't know if he made it. When I left, he was still going at it.
