I was at the Port in Brunswick, Georgia, first thing this morning. Loaded a Caterpillar 140 Motorgrader. Had to jump-start it to get it running.
I left there and drove to Statesboro, Georgia, and delivered it. Then drove back to the Daily terminal in Jacksonville. Dropped my trailer and picked up the one I went to Jessup to get the other day. Then moved a bunch of my equipment over to it. I'll need all of it for tomorrow's load.
This morning I went to the Port in Brunswick, Georgia. Loaded a Caterpillar D4 Dozer with the blade separate.
I left there and drove to Albany, Georgia, and delivered it. Then drove back to the TA truck stop in Brunswick for the night. I'll load again at the Port in the morning.
Didn't do much today. Went to another driver's home in Jesup, Georgia, got his trailer, and brought it back to the terminal in Jacksonville. He is on vacation. Will need it for a load Thursday.
I left at 1 AM EDT. Drove 573 miles to the TA truck stop in Richland Hills, Georgia. Along the way stopped in Atlanta and got the truck washed. Boy, it sure needed it!!!
Well, I sat there all day. This evening, at about 6:30 PM CDT, I was finally taken back to the job site to unload. After unloading, I went over to the Love's truck stop about 20 miles away.
I left at about 1:30 AM CDT. Drove to Charleston, Illinois, to a staging area in a corn field for another wind farm project. There are a lot of tower sections, nacelles, and hubs here.
With them were all their pilot escort cars.
There were four other Daily trucks here too. I made the fifth.
They are running behind unloading, so it is looking like I won't get unloaded until tomorrow. I'll sit here until then. 577 miles today.
I left half an hour before sunrise this morning. Got stuck in severe bumper-to-bumper rush-hour traffic. It took an hour longer than it normally would to get to Cypress, Texas. I finally got there and delivered the dozer. I didn't have another load lined up yet, so I went to the Daily terminal in Houston to wait.
I timed it perfectly this morning. I crossed the Mississippi River into St. Louis exactly at 9 AM CDT. Had a nice day on the road. Drove 434 miles nonstop to the Petro truck stop in North Little Rock, Arkansas, for the night.
I left early this morning to go to Creve Coeur, Illinois. My truck was due for an oil change, so I stopped along the way and got that done. Once I got to Creve Coeur, I loaded a Caterpillar D6 Dozer that is going to Cypress, Texas.
I left there and drove to the TA truck stop in Troy, Illinois, for the night. Can't go into St. Louis until 9 AM CDT tomorrow morning. Only drove 349 miles today.
I drove past Gateway Airport in Sioux City, Iowa this morning. Every time I drive past there, I remember the unbelievable story of United Airlines Flight 232. This year marks 37 years since that happened. I remember seeing it on TV. If you don't know the story of this flight and subsequent crash, it is worth looking into. What the pilots of that aircraft did that day makes the "miracle on the Hudson" look like child's play. Here is a dramatised YouTube documentary of the flight.
Here is a photo of the aircraft involved.
Here is the flight path.
Here is the actual video of the crash.
I made it to Sioux Falls, SD, and delivered the motor grader. My next load was in Dubuque, Iowa. I drove the 6-hour drive over there to a small truck stop in Peosta, Iowa. That's about 20 minutes from Dubuque. About an hour after I got there and settled in for the night, Daily called and said that my load in Dubuque was canceled by John Deere. So, they gave me another load, but this one is in Creve Coeur, Illinois. I'll go down there tomorrow. 578 miles today.
I delivered the crane first thing this morning. Then I drove to North Little Rock, Arkansas, and loaded a Caterpillar 150 Motor Grader that is going up to Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
I left there and drove to the TA truck stop in Atkins, Arkansas, for the night. Drove a measly 354 miles today.
I left half an hour before sunrise this morning. Drove the rest of the way to Louisville, Mississippi. Got here at 10 AM CDT. Will be here until Monday morning.
Went over to the Port in Brunswick, Georgia. Loaded a Tadano AC 2.04 Crane that is going to Louisville, Mississippi. My first time driving one of these types of cranes. It drove great!!
Left there in good time. This load is really top-heavy on the trailer!! One of the most top-heavy loads I have ever had. Have to be VERY careful on the curves. I made it farther than I thought I would today. I drove 323 miles to the Petro truck stop in Shorter, Alabama, for the night.
I left at 1 AM EDT. The video below was just north of Spartanburg, North Carolina.
Drove to Savannah, Georgia, and delivered the stuff. My next load is tomorrow morning in Brunswick, Georgia. I went to the TA truck stop in Brunswick for the night. 554 miles today.