Not So Happy New Year!!

Well it's New Years Eve and I had to go back to work today. By late morning, I still had not been given a load assignment yet. So I called in and asked about the possibility of having another free day and making plans to celebrate the new year with friends. They said it was pretty slow and it may be tomorrow or even Saturday before I got a load assigned. Wohoo! That was good news to me. So my wife and I talked about spending New Years Eve with some friends and we looked forward to that.

However, that was short lived. A few hours later I had a load assigned picking up at 6pm this afternoon headed to NC. But there was still a chance.

I left home about 2:30 and went just 18 miles down the road to Groveland to pick up the load. I was there at 3pm. I waited and waited and waited. At 6pm, I finally was assigned a dock door. But they still didn't even start loading the trailer until 9:30 pm. It was 10:30 pm before I got out of there.

Now what to do. I had already said my goodnights to my wife on the phone. If I decided to go back there, I'd probably be waking her up to come and get me. Then we'd have to wake up early in order for her to take me back to the truck. All this should would do for me just for another night at home. She's so wonderful.

But on the other hand, going back that way sends me eastward first and a long way to a truck stop. This is a load of bottled water and is heavy. If I just head west, there's a truck stop not far up the Florida Turnpike and I-75. There I can have it weighed tonight in case I need to go back and had the load re-worked to balance out. Also, by going in this direction first it's 20 miles shorter to Garysburg, NC.

So I opted for the shorter route. Get to the truck stop tonight, get weighed just in case I have to go back, and park for the night.

I get to the truck stop and the CAT Scale receipt says I'm OK. Now to bed after I write this blog post. So that it for my not so happy new year.

Good night and see ya next year!

Finally Going Home for Christmas!

Well I woke up this morning at 6:30 AM hoping for the best. I left the little truck stop and drove back over to Con-Way Freight to see if my load was going to be early. But it wasn't. They only had 40% of it there. The rest didn't show up until about 10:30.

So I drove back over to the truck stop and did my laundry to help pass the time. About 9AM after laundry was completed and put away, I walked next door to the Denny's for breakfast.

Then back over to Con-Way at 10:00 and waited.

Finally on my way home at 11:30 AM. South on I-77 into South Carolina, east on I-26, and then south on I-95 into Georgia. I stopped in Savanna, GA for fuel and lunch at a Pilot/McD's. Then off again south down I-95 into Florida. I took the I-295 loop around Jacksonville, FL to I-10 westbound.

About 15 miles west, I turned south onto US301 through the small towns in North Florida. Once I hit Ocala, I jumped over onto I-75 south into Tampa. I arrived in Tampa about 10PM at the Con-Way Freight yard and dropped my trailer there. Hooked up to an empty and headed on up I-4 towards home.

Finally, I arrived at home just about midnight on Christmas Eve. Gee, me and my grey hair driving a big red truck you'd think I was Santa! So now I'm off for a few days. See ya back in time for the new year. Merry Christmas everyone!

Still In North Carolina

So I get up this morning around 6AM, grabbed a shower inside the Pilot truck stop, looked at the McDonald's menu but then decided I really didn't want McD's again. Back to the truck, but before I hit the road I grabbed the GPS'r and went hunting for a Geocache. It wasn't far. Just around the front in the McD's parking lot.

By 7:30 AM, I'm driving south on I-85 headed to Charlotte, NC.

I arrive at Con-Way Freight at 9:45, dropped my empty trailer, and checked in to see if I can get loaded and out today. NOPE, gotta wait until tomorrow morning. That means I won't get home in time for a Christmas Eve gathering with family at my mother's house. That's not what I wanted to hear.

While I was sitting here depressed in my truck, another CFI driver pulls up and parks along side me. We got to talking and he lives in South Florida. His load was leaving this evening at 9PM. We figured that since my load was going to Tampa (closer to his Ft Myers) and his to Jacksonville (on my way to Orlando), it would be better to switch loads. I could get home in the morning of Christmas Eve and he would be able to get home that night.

But the dispatchers didn't see it that way because it would add an additional 40 miles to the routes. We didn't see it, but that's what their computer calculations showed it to be. After continuing discussions with the other driver, we decided to just accept what we had. Which was OK, because neither one of us was too thrilled about driving the 9PM until morning shift anyway. He was actually better prepared for it having known ahead of time and had purposefully not gotten much sleep last night so he could sleep this afternoon.

Anyway, so I left there around 1 PM, still not having eaten yet. I drove about 2 miles down the road to another Pilot. There was a BBQ place next door and thought I'd try it out. It was OK, nothing special to even mention the name.

I was also hoping to be able to do laundry since I was to be sitting here all day. But this particular Pilot didn't have a laundry room so that was out. There were 2 Geocaches just down the street so I went and found both of them.

After leaving there, I came back over to near the Con-Way Freight. Right off the exit was another small Shell truck stop. I checked inside and there was a laundry room, but both washers were in use. So I decided to wait. They also had a Geocache in the parking lot and I grabbed it too.

While waiting, I managed to talk to an old friend whom I hadn't seen in probably close to 20 years who also lives here in Charlotte. We agreed to meet and have dinner. And as it was getting closer to the time, the other driver finally finished his laundry and therefore I didn't have time to start mine before having to leave.

My friend Jim came by around 7PM with his wife and daughter, picked me up and we all went out to eat. I had a really good time catching up and meeting his family. That's one of the great things about being a truck driver traveling around is having these kinds of opportunities.

So after a disappointing start, the day ended well. Hopefully tomorrow will start out great and I get loaded up and going early.

Thanks for dropping by. That's a truckers day. See ya tomorrow.

From New Jersey to North Carolina - 548 Miles

Chickens and Chickens everywhere, but not an egg to count! What am I talking about? Just wait and see...

Now back to this morning. Woke up along the Jersey Pike at a service plaza. My 10 hour break wasn't complete until 8AM, so I went inside to see what there was to eat. I guess because I was in the mood for bacon and eggs, the Cinnabon cinnamon roll just wasn't all that great. I don't know.

Anyway, I drove south non-stop through Baltimore, and then I hit the breaks in Washington DC. On the east side of the I-495 Beltway, they had lanes blocked due to snow removal. Southbound wasn't too bad, maybe 5 miles or so long. But I felt bad for the northbound side. I'd say it was a good 25-30 miles of stop and go traffic. Yikes! But I got through that and a couple of other short traffic jambs down through Virginia.

I arrived in Lewiston, NC at the Perdue Farms chicken processing center around 4PM. Once I got there, I discovered what I was hauling. No not chickens, but those yellow Styrofoam trays that the packaged chicken comes in.

As for the chickens, there were about 12-15 semi-trailers with 100's of trays each full of chickens sitting there waiting to be processed. I'd have to say there were about 5,000-10,000 chickens on each trailer! Hot wings anyone? By the time I thought to take a picture, it was already too dark.

So I'm there for 2 HOURS and they finally get me unloaded. At 6PM, I hit the road. US258 west to US64 west to I-440 around Raleigh to I-40 westbound. At 8:30 PM, I finally pulled into a Pilot truck stop near the town of Hawfields to park for the night and grab a bite to eat.

I'm on my way to Charlotte, NC. My next load takes me home to Florida. However it isn't scheduled to ship until 11:00 AM on 12/24. I'm hoping they'll be able to load me early on tomorrow. There's still a chance I may get home for a family gathering on Christmas Eve. It's cutting it way to close!

Thanks for stopping by. Find out tomorrow night if I'm still sitting in Charlotte or on my way home.

Ohio to Florida via New Jersey?

What a day! First I get stuck in the snow. Then I need to get home to Florida from Ohio and they send me to New Jersey. What's up with that?

OK, back to the beginning. I woke up this morning about 7AM to 28 degrees and about an inch of new snow overnight. That doesn't seem like much to me. Look at the photo. Not a lot of snow right? But it doesn't take much to loose traction. I could not budge the truck an inch! The wheels just spun in their place.



So I walked down to the receiving office, checked in, and then told them I was stuck. They told me where to get some rock salt from the shed on the side of the building. So I carried a 50 lb bag of salt 200' up to the truck and spread a little around the drive tires. That did the trick! Pulled out onto the pavement and then carried the salt back.

They got me unloaded around 9:30 AM and I left there and headed a few blocks down the road to a McDonald's which had truck parking behind it. Around 10 AM, they sent me my next load info. Actually they sent me my next few loads which get me down to Florida and home for Christmas. Not quite what I wanted though. Looks like I might be arriving on Christmas day!! NOT GOOD!!

But let's just see how it works out. Let get rolling.

After mapping out the first load, I run inside McD's to grab a quick bite to eat. By 11:00, I'm on I-80 heading eastbound.

A short 30 minutes later, I'm in Lordstown, OH at Con-Way Freight picking up my next load. Non-stop eastbound on I-80 and 4 1/2 hours later I arrive in Hazelton, PA where I relay that trailer with another drive who will take it the rest of the way to Rhode Island. As for me, I hook to his empty and head to New Jersey. But first I fuel up at the Pilot Travel Center there at that exit.

I get to Somerville, NJ at 7:30 PM, check in, drop my empty trailer, hook to loaded, and by 8:30 I'm back on the road. Taking US22 to I-295 to the Jersey Turnpike (I-95) southbound. At 10:00, I pull into the Walt Whitman Service Plaza located on the Jersey side of Philadelphia. That's where I'll be parking for the night.

This load goes down to Lewiston, NC. The delivery time is set for 12/23. Hopefully I can deliver it tomorrow. My next load going to Florida is supposed to pickup on 12/24 in Charlotte, NC. Hopefully it will be ready early too.

Will I make it home for Christmas? Stay tuned...

OH, and that loud squealing noise I was hearing yesterday... Nice and quiet today!! Good News!!

See ya tomorrow.

From Carson, KY to Streetsboro, OH - 323 Miles

Woke up this morning at the Love's Travel Center in Carson, KY around 6AM under a thin layer of snow. Fortunately I was inside the truck where it was warm! Outside it was 29 degrees.

Anyway, after getting dressed with a shirt, sweater, AND jacket, I ventured out into the cold to go inside to the McDonald's. I sat down with a sausage egg and cheese McMuffin and sweet tea at a table. They had Fox News on the large flat screen TV, so I took my time eating.

I got underway at 8 AM, driving north on I-71 through Cincinnati and Columbus. I stopped once at a rest area near Congress, Ohio for a quick walk in the snow for a Geocache. Hey, I was getting bored. By then it was up to 35 degrees, but I wanted a break. Found the Geocache quickly and back to the truck to thaw out!

About 30 miles south of Cleveland, the truck started making a loud squealing sound like a belt noise. Checking the gauges, I knew the belt was still intact. Also the noise seemed to only be above 1100 RPM. So I kept it around 55 MPH or if going down hill, I let it coast faster in neutral so that the RPM's stay low.

I turned east on I-270 and then north on I-77. When I reached the I-80 Turnpike, I was supposed to turn east again. But because I was half focused on the truck problems, I went west instead. I hate when that happens! Especially on a toll road because there are even fewer exits and opportunities for a u-turn. I had to go about 8 miles down, take the exit, go through the toll plaza, make a u-turn, back through a toll plaza again, and then head east now!

Finally I reach the Streetsboro, OH exit. Just a few miles later I reach my destination around 2:30 PM. The place is closed today, but they have overnight parking. So I'll hang out here until morning.

Microwave oriental noodles followed by popcorn for dinner. At least I have some leftover sweet tea. Hmmm, I think it's time to re-stock my groceries!

OH, I checked the engine out and couldn't find any loose pulleys or anything. Couldn't get the noise to re-occur either. Hopefully, it won't hinder me from getting home in time for Christmas!

Stay tuned...

From Arkansas to Kentucky - 633 Miles

I'm Back!! Well after a month without posting, I decided to start up again. I'll try it daily, but I may miss one here or there.

Today I started out in Lake Village, AR. It's a small town in Southeast Arkansas along the Mississippi River. Just a few miles north of Louisiana and west of Mississippi. There was a small truck stop there and that's where I finished up last night with a load coming up from Houston, TX.

A nice cold morning at 34 degrees, but clear skies. The sun was just starting to rise up from beyond the horizon when I crossed the US82 bridge over the muddy river.

Just a few miles into Mississippi, I turned north onto US61 all the way into Memphis, TN. Instead of heading east at Memphis towards Ohio, I crossed the river back into West Memphis, AR. I wanted to stop in to our terminal there and talk to the dispatcher.

I was thinking of swapping this load with another who may be needing to get to Ohio and I would take theirs south towards Florida. Just wanting to make sure that I get home for Christmas! After a brief discussion, she concluded that I shouldn't have a problem getting home in time. We'll see next week!

Back across the Mighty Muddy River into Tennessee and headed east on I-40. I stopped at exit 85 in Jackson, TN to grab a geocache, fuel, and lunch at Denny's. By 2PM, I'm back on the highway.

East on I-40 into Nashville, then north on I-65 to Louisville, KY, and then east on I-71. I finally decided to pull over into a Love's Travel Center near Carson, KY for the night around 8PM.

While the day started out clear and cold, it ended WET and cold! Chance of snow tomorrow in Ohio. YUK! Hopefully it will have passed by the time I get there.

That's it for now. See ya again next time.

Coming Back Soon

OK OK OK, I'll be back soon with updates once again. Sorry for my absence.

Halloween in South Carolina

Another day, another drive. I started out this morning around 7AM. Woke up at sunrise down in Jacksonville, FL. There were two Geocaches there at the small truck stop, so I found those before taking off.

At 8:00 I hit the road northbound. About an hour later, I had to stop at a T/A in Brunswick, GA to have a D.O.T. Inspection performed on the trailer. Today was the last day for it to be legal. It only took them about 30 minutes and while they were doing that, I went next to the Waffle House for breakfast.

By 10:00 I'm again rolling northbound on I-95.

I stopped at a Pilot in Bowman, SC along I-26 for fuel. After that I turned north on I-77 and arrived in Rock Hill, SC at 3:30 PM. There I parked behind the Michael's craft store where I'll make my delivery at 5:00 AM on Monday.

This afternoon I looked up some Geocaches in the area and found 4 of them. The rest of the time I just played on the Internet and listened to old thriller and suspense shows on the XM Satellite Radio Classics channel.

That's about it for today. See you again tomorrow.

Back To Work Again

I'm Back! Hello again everyone. I had a wonderful couple of days off and now sadly it's back to work. I'm already homesick!

Well this is going to be brief today. I drove down to the truck, signed in ready to go back to work this morning at 7AM, and drove back home. The truck is parked about 2 miles from home which is really nice.

I drove the kids to school and made breakfast for my wife and I upon returning. Then we ran out and did a few errands. By the time we finished, we picked up my sons again from school and returned home.

Throughout this whole time I kept checking in either by phone or via the internet to see if I had been assigned a load. It wasn't until about 3PM before I was assigned a load picking up in Jacksonville tonight.

Finally I decided to head out and my wife drove me down to the truck around 5PM. After the pretrip check and all, I was rolling by 6PM and arrived in Jacksonville at 8:45.

I hooked up to the loaded trailer and went just down the street to a small truck stop. The load doesn't deliver in SC until Monday morning, so I got plenty of time to get there!

That's it for now. See ya tomorrow.

Finally Going Home!

Well I finally made it home! I was awakened at 3:30 AM this morning by the driver who brought me my next load. He had brought it down from NJ and now I'm to take it down to Hollywood, FL.

Since my original delivery appointment was tomorrow morning, I still had plenty of time to deliver. So this morning after hooking up to the loaded trailer, I finished up my blog post from yesterday. Then at 5AM, I get rolling.

I-295 south to I-95 south all the way down non-stop to Ft Pierce, FL. There I stop at the Pilot Travel Center for fuel and breakfast at McDonald's.

By 9:30 AM, I'm rolling again heading south.

When I arrived in Hollywood, I checked in with the customer which is one thing you always want to do. Because instead of waiting until morning to unload, they were able to unload me then. So by Noon, I'm empty and waiting to hear where to go next. Do I get to go home finally?

Well after sitting around and waiting all afternoon, at 5PM they FINALLY send me home empty. Just in time for rush hour traffic. Argggg! But hey, at least I'm going home!

Straight home 225 miles non-stop. Two days off so I'll be seeing you back on Friday. Until then, take care.

Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines...

Well not quite in that order, but I did pay a visit to each one of their bases today.

I started out at 6AM this morning in Kings Bay, GA and the Naval Submarine Base. First stop, security office to get a pass and background check. Cleared. Then over to the vehicle inspection bay where they did a full x-ray on the tractor and trailer! Cleared. Drove around a bit and I finally find the right building I'm unloading to. I was hoping to see some subs or something cool. But it was too dark and what I could tell, I wasn't anywhere close.

Next stop, 40 miles south across the Florida border. I arrived at the Blount Island Marine Base around 8:30. First stop, security office to get a pass and background check. Cleared. Then over to the vehicle inspection bay. No x-ray this time, but they did check it over real good. Cleared. Found the building to where I was unloading and a few minutes later, I was rolling again. Nothing worth taking a picture here. Just a lot of green or beige HumVee's.

Next stop was 16 miles away at the Mayport Naval Station. First stop, vehicle inspection bay. Thought I was going to say security off first huh? Nope. Cleared. The I went to the security office to get a pass and background check. Cleared. I had two stops in here. The first was at an Army Depot Supply building. Then a few miles away within the base was another stop to unload a few more pallets. At this 2nd location right across the street were about a dozen ships there in the port. Now that looked pretty cool so I took a few pictures.







After I left there, I circled Jacksonville over to the Jacksonville Naval Complex and Air Force Base. First stop, security office to get a pass and background check. Cleared again. Then over to the vehicle inspection bay. Cleared again. Boy I'm getting tired of this! Good thing it's the last one. I had three different stops in here. There were some pretty cool planes in here, but I wasn't able to get any pictures from my vantage point.

As I exited the base and was waiting for the light on Roosevelt Blvd to turn green, There was a guy standing on the corner with an anti-Obama sign and t-shirt. I then noticed a bunch of other people parked across the street with lawn chairs or standing, most with cameras all looking towards the base. I waved the protester guy over and asked what was going on. He said Obama was getting ready to land there any minute. Well I was already outside security and the light had changed to green. Now I'm NOT an Obama fan, but it would have been cool to get some pics of Air Force One!

By now though, what's most on my mind is food! I haven't eaten a thing all day and it's after 3PM. And I'd like to get a shower. I drive south on I-95 to the truck stops. FULL! No parking was available. So I drive back up into Jacksonville, around the west side I-295 loop, and west on I-10 to Baldwin, FL and the truck stops there. FULL! No parking available.

By now I also got my next load assignment. A relay with another driver in the morning at the Michael's warehouse. So I drive back east on I-10 to just before the I-295 loop in Jacksonville. I park at the Michael's warehouse, drop my trailer, and bobtail 3 miles over to the Holiday Inn. It's 5PM now and they have an excellent buffet and at a reasonable price!

I start with a crisp fresh salad, then sliced ham, stuffed cabbage, beef and peppers, rice, and mashed potatoes. Then a slice of spice cake and pecan pie. I would like to have had 2nds, 3rds, and 4ths on the dessert, but I was already stuffed! SOOOO GOOD!

I picked up 3 Geocaches on the way back to Michael's. Now I sit and wait here until morning. My stomach's plenty full, but still no shower. Maybe it will rain...

See you back tomorrow.

Just When You're About To Have A Good Day...

...something happens to change all that!

I woke up early this morning, about 6:30 AM, because I wanted to get to my stop early in the afternoon. I had barely over 400 miles to drive, so I was expecting maybe around 2PM. I was headed to Kings Bay, GA which is right on the southeast corner along Florida and the Atlantic Ocean. This would have been plenty of time to go for a nice bike ride.

So I headed out of Kenly, NC at 7:15 this morning. Drove for about an hour and a half before making a quick McDonald's stop for breakfast.

Continuing south on I-95 about halfway through South Carolina, another trucker calls me on the CB and tells me that one of my brake chambers is hanging down. A couple miles later, I pull into a rest area to check it out. ARRGGG!! Yep, the mounting studs broke off and it's hanging on by the air lines and the main shaft. Just swell!

I look up in my truck stop guide to see where the nearest T/A to get it fixed. Well I can back track north 20 miles or go south 100 miles. Better play it safe, so I back track to Manning, SC. I pulled into the T/A and see that there is only one other truck in the shop. Great! I can get in and out quickly! NOT!!

The one mechanic there does tires and other lite mechanical stuff. I have to wait for the other mechanic who's out on a road service call. FOUR HOURS LATER, I'm finally done and out of there.

By the time I arrive in Kings Bay, GA, it's 7PM, the sun is setting, and no time to ride my bike and explore the nearby islands. Oh well, it just wasn't meant to be.

After I parked, I go inside the truck stop and had Church's Fried Chicken for dinner. So much for a good afternoon planned.

That's it for today. Tomorrow morning at 6AM, the Naval Sub Base for my delivery! See you back again.

Rain Rain Go Away!

It's been raining almost the entire day today. I started out this morning at the T/A in Harrisburg, PA. After getting up and in between showers, I decided to go inside and have breakfast there. The buffet wasn't too bad, so that's what I choose.

I still had a few hours yet and the rain has gone yet again. There were two Geocaches in the parking lot so I thought I'd go for them. Couldn't find the first one, but found the second one. On the way back to the truck I noticed a Perkins Restaurant across the street. Arrgggg! I suffered through the T/A restaurant when I could have had better. Oh well.

Got back to the truck and drove 17 miles over to New Cumberland, PA where I'm to pickup at noon. There's a tiny truck stop for me to wait at. It's still just 10:45 AM, so I again look up some caches there. Turns out there were 3 just within 1/4 mile and again a break between showers. So I went for a walk and found all three. YEA!

Finally at 11:45, I drive over to the shipper to get my load and checked in a few minutes later. It still wasn't ready yet, but by 1:00 PM I was loaded and rolling. I-76 west to US15 southbound.

US15 was a new route for me and when I crossed over from Pennsylvania into Maryland there was a welcome center there. The rain had let up again, so I pulled in to look up Geocaches. I was in luck, there were two.

The first was a micro just 400' from where I parked. Just as I found it, the rains came back! I stood under the tree for a minute and then walked about 100' to the nearest picnic table with a roof. OK, so now I'm wet. I then decide to just go for the other one since I'm already wet. I walked to the back of the rest area and found the 2nd cache. Then back to the truck. NOW I'M SOAKED!! So I dry off and change into some dry clothes and once again get rolling.

US15 south to I-270 east towards Washington DC. I take the I-495 beltway south to I-95 south. A quick stop at the Pilot in Richmond, VA for fuel and continue on.

Another hour later and I stop at the McDonald's for dinner in Skipper, VA. Again another hour later and it's parking time in Kenly, NC at 9PM. Sitting here at another T/A and I'm done for the night.

Off and on rain all day, some flooded sections of highway causing traffic delays, but I still managed to find 6 caches! So not all was bad!

That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by.

What? I've Been Cancelled?

Well not exactly. Hello again everyone. Yep today is the day the Lord has made and I should be glad and rejoice in it!

I awoke this morning around 6AM I think. Don't remember exactly, it may have been a little later. Read my bible a little bit. Today being the 23rd, it was Proverbs chapter 23 and then a few chapters in Jeremiah.

After getting out of bed around 7AM, I sent in a message over the Qualcomm to dispatch requesting the pickup # for my load this morning. It seems they only sent me part of it last night before I arrived here.

About 10 minutes later, I get a message stating the load was unassigned and canceled! Well that's nice! So I waited for about another hour then decided to go for a walk and find the ONLY Geocache in this little town of Topton, PA. Round trip it was a short 1 mile hike on a cool 58 degree morning. Found the cache quickly too.

By the time I got back to the truck, I had a load assignment message waiting for me. Looks like a short day today. Pickup location is only 80 miles away, but doesn't pickup until noon tomorrow. But for now, breakfast and a shower.

I drove 40 miles west on I-78 to a Pilot in Bethal, PA and pull off there. Parked the truck, grab my shower bag and go in. There's a line of about 8 people at the counter and the clerk was slower than slow. I then remembered coming here a few weeks ago and it was the same way. A few minutes go by and the only part of the line that moved was me walking back out the door.

Continue west on I-78 to I-81 south and 15 minutes later I pull into another Pilot. I park the truck, grab my shower bag, and walk into it. No line at the counter, but the clerk informs me that they do not have any clean showers currently available. Also, that I would be the first in line when one does become available. BUT, she then informs me that the manager and the maintenance person were busy in the parking lot attending to an emergency and didn't know how long it would be before they would be able to clean a shower. So I said never mind and returned to my truck.

I then drove across the street to the T/A, parked the truck, grabbed my shower bag and walked inside. Finally, I was able to get a shower.

By this time it was just after noon and I was really hungry now. After putting my shower bag back in the truck, I was back inside and headed to the T/A's restaurant. The buffet didn't look to bad today, didn't look great either. Just your average truck stop buffet. Where's a Ryan's or Golden Corral when you need one!

This afternoon, I didn't do much of anything. Browsed the internet for a while. It rained for the most part from about 2PM on, so I stayed in the truck.

Tomorrow I go about 20 miles down into Harrisburg to pick up my load at noon. Can't go early so I'll be sitting here until then.

That's it for now. Thanks for stopping by.

You're Sending Me The Wrong Way!!!

What a day! Sometimes you just gotta wonder what some people are thinking.

I woke to the alarm this morning at 4:30 AM. The Michael's store crew was in and began unloading at 5AM and finishing up around 7:30.

Now I'm sitting there in Raleigh, North Carolina and have already requested to go home for the weekend in Central Florida. At 9AM I get my next load assignment... GOING TO PENNSYLVANIA!! That's 400 miles in the wrong direction! You just have to wonder what the so-called "Planners" are thinking sometimes.

I called my fleet manager, but she wasn't much help. Didn't hear any concern in her voice over the phone like she'd be finding out anything from the planners, so I just let it go and accepted the load. That puts the chances of getting home this weekend VERY SLIM!

So I drove for an hour over to Rocky Mount, NC at the QVC warehouse. My trailer was supposed to be ready, but it wasn't. Two hours later, I'm finally hooked up and rolling.

North on I-95 non-stop all the way to Horsham, PA which is just to the north of Philadelphia. I arrived at the UPS distribution center at 8PM due to the rush hour traffic around DC, Baltimore, and Philly! I dropped the loaded trailer and picked up an empty.

After programming my next pickup location in the GPS, I was rolling westbound by 8:45 PM. I arrived in Topton, PA at 10PM where my next load picks up in the morning. It delivers down in Winston-Salem, NC on Monday. So much for my weekend at home.

See ya next time.

From Florida to North Carolina

Last night when I posted my daily blog, I was still in Gainesville waiting to unload at the Sam's store. Well after unloading I decided to go ahead and make the drive to Jacksonville to get ready for my pickup this morning. I still had 2 hours of available driving time and it was only 72 miles away.

So I left Gainesville at 9:30 PM and took SR24 east to US301 north into Baldwin. There I turned east on I-10 into Jacksonville, arriving at the Michael's Distribution Center. They have 2 DC's there in Jacksonville and this was the first time at this particular location. I've been to the other many times.

So as usual upon arriving to a new place, I look up Geocaches. There were several within this office/warehouse complex, but I only program the 2 closest ones within a 1/4 mile. And yep, I'm walking around there at midnight, 54 degrees, wearing shorts and a tshirt, looking for Geocaches! I found the small one, but not the micro. The flashlight just wasn't good enough to find the micro.

After that I get some sleep.

About 6AM, the security guard comes knocking on my door to wake me up. After getting up and checking in, I find out that my loads not ready. Oh well. I dropped my empty and waited just a little while.

It wasn't too much longer and now I'm hooking up to a loaded trailer. Get all my paperwork ready, my GPS up and going, and now I'm rolling northbound on I-95.

I stopped once in Port Wentworth, GA (near Savanna) for fuel and breakfast. Then it's nonstop all the way to Raleigh, NC, arriving about 4:30PM.

A quick check on Geocaches again and I go for another walk. And again I only find 1 of the two I had looked for. But I walked about 3 miles.

Now I sit and wait behind the Michael's store for a 5AM delivery time in the morning.

That's it for now. See you again tomorrow.

Pompano Beach to Gainesville, FL

Woke up this morning to a lite rain in Pompano Beach, FL behind the Pet Meds warehouse around 6AM. Wasn't a whole lot going on until they finally started unloading around 8:30. It didn't take them long and by 10:00 AM I already had my next load and was headed north.

Back tracked the same way I came down here, I-95 north to SR710 to SR70 to US441 north. Once I got to Yeehaw Junction though, I went west on SR60 over to Lakeland, FL. I arrived at the Sam's DC at 1:45 PM.

I dropped my empty trailer there and picked up a 45,000 lb loaded trailer. A quick exchange, but the loaded trailers tandems were slid all the way to the rear. And I could not get them to move at all. After playing with it for 1/2 an hour, I gave up.

I drove a few miles up I-4 to the Love's to scale out. Great! It shows 29,000 lbs on the trailer but 36,000 lbs on the drives! That's 2,000 lbs overweight on the drives and I can't adjust the trailer tandems. That means taking the slow route up US27 into Ocala before jumping onto I-75 north into Gainesville. Oh well, I got plenty of time to get there.

Along the way, I finally stop at a McDonald's on the corner of I-4 and US27 for my first and only meal of the day at 3:45 PM. So would that be called Brunchinner?

Arrived at the Sam's store in Gainesville, FL at 7:15 PM. Now I sit and wait. The night crew comes in at 9PM. That's when I should be able to drop my load and hook to an empty.

That's it for now. See ya tomorrow.

From Georgia to South Florida VIA HOME!

It's always good to get home! Hello again and sorry for the missed post yesterday. When you get a chance to be home, you just don't think about blogging sometimes.

Let's see where was I last. I started out Saturday morning in Patillo, GA around 7:45 AM. Going south on I-75 for just over an hour before stopping in Vienna, GA to fuel up at the Pilot there and grabbing a quick McDonald's breakfast.

Then it was non-stop all the way down to Winter Garden, FL arriving at 2:30 in the afternoon. I parked the truck and called my lovely wife to come and pick me up. A few minutes later and there she was.

It's so good to be home even if just for one night!

Back to work today. I left Winter Garden at noon. South on the Florida Turnpike to Yeehaw Junction where I decided to take a different route this time and save on some tolls. In Yeehaw Junction I went south on US441 down to Okeechobee. There I went east on SR-70 to Hwy 710 to I-95. Not too bad a drive. Once on I-95, I drove another 45 miles south to Pompano Beach.

A few turns off the Interstate and I'm at Pet Meds to make my delivery in the morning. Fortunately they have a large parking lot so I can stay here overnight. I thought I may have to go about a mile or so north of here to the Con-Way Freight yard for the night. I didn't really want to do that because it isn't that big there.

But I arrived down here at 4PM on a cool 74 degree afternoon. So I went for a 3 mile walk to grab a bite to eat and a Geocache (of course!). Ate some spaghetti and Meatballs with a side Italian salad at a place called Bobbie's. I was the only one in there which kinda worried me. But it was a Monday and a little early for the dinner crowd. But it wasn't too bad. Still not as good as MY spaghetti sauce though!

After dinner, I walked over and grabbed the cache still another 1/2 mile away. So it was a good 3 mile walk round trip.

That's it for now. See you again tomorrow. OH, and watch for an announcement soon on a way you can supplement your income during these tough economic times.

From Missouri to Georgia

A long day today. I started out this morning at 8:30 in Wright City, MO after a quick bite to eat at McDonald's. It was east on I-70 into St Louis, then east on I-64 in Illinois, to south on I-57.

I stopped in southern Illinois around 12:15 at a rest area in Metropolis to stretch my legs for 30 minutes. I was going to grab the Geocache there, but there were too many people around.

From there I turned onto I-24 eastbound through Kentucky, Tennessee, and into Georgia.

At 5:30 I pulled off into a truck stop along I-75 in Sugartown, GA. I saw a sign that said BBQ so I thought I'd give it a try. The small restaurant was pretty busy, so I took a seat and sat there for a while. Looking around a bit, I never did see any waitresses. About half the people were eating and most of those were burgers. I didn't really see or smell BBQ. And after about 5 minutes without seeing a waitress anywhere, I finally just got up and left.

I continued south on I-75 for another 45 minutes and just pulled into a T/A in Cartersville and ate there. The buffet looked better than it tasted.

After that I drove a bit further and came to a stop in Patillo, GA about halfway between Atlanta and Macon. That's 665 miles for the day. ONLY 378 miles for tomorrow and I get to see my wife and sleep in my own bed for a change. I'll be passing right by home on the way to Pompano Beach, FL. The load can't deliver until Tuesday morning so I'm taking a HOME day off.

WOHOO!!

Well, that was my day today. See you on the road...

Not Much Happening Today

Woke up around 6:00 AM this morning parked at the consignee. I was the only truck there to get unloaded. They came in and unloaded the trailer around 8:00. Afterwards I swept it out because they left a mess.

I checked to see where I was on the board to help determine how long it might be to receive my next load assignment. Well I was #5 so it was probably going to be a while. Therefore I decided to drive the 5 miles down to the Flying J.

Got to the Flying J around 9:30 and went inside to get a shave and shower. By then I moved up to #4 on the board.

I had been here before and knew there weren't any close Geocaches, but I looked it up anyway. Yep, same as before. The nearest cache was 1.5 miles away. I was probably going to be here for several hours so I decided to take a walk. Plus I was starting to get hungry.

Started walking down towards the cache around 11:15. Found it with ease and headed back. All the restaurants were fast food, so I once again settled for the McDonald's. They got the Monopoly Game going so it's hard to pass up. Plus the sweet tea too!

After the 3 mile round trip walk and lunch I got back to the truck about 1:30. At 2PM, they finally assigned me a load. It didn't pickup until 5PM just across the river in Kansas. So I mapped it all out and then just hung out in the truck.

I left the Flying J at 4:30 and arrived in Shawnee, KS at 5:00. By 6:00, I'm back on the road to I-70 eastbound. This loads going all the way to Pompano Beach, FL. AND it doesn't deliver until Tuesday morning, so I'll get to spend at least one night at home!

I drove as far as Wright City, MO tonight just 228 miles. But it's 9:30 here which 10:30 for my body clock and I'm gettin tired.

So like I said, not much happening today. See you back again tomorrow.

Kansas City Here I Come!

After a long day yesterday, I slept in a bit today until almost 8AM. Well mostly because it was just too cold and I didn't want to get out of bed! I was trying not to idle the truck all night because I can sleep a little better without the noise and shaking. It was about 38-40 degrees outside and probably 50 something inside the truck. I had a sheet, a comforter, and a sleeping bag over me. It was nice and warm as long as a didn't move over a few inches into a cold spot!

Anyway, I finally got up and out. I decided to sit down inside the T/A's restaurant and have a good hot eggs and bacon breakfast. I had 580 miles to go and didn't want to stop unless I had to.

It was 11:00 by the time I got on the road. I-70 westbound through Indiana and Illinois. I didn't stop until 5:30 PM in New Florence, MO when I grabbed a quick bite to eat at the McDonald's. Stretched my legs a little and relaxed too. Drove for another hour and fueled up at a Pilot in Boonville, MO.

I finally arrived in Kansas City, MO at 9:30, well actually 8:30 local time. I'm parked here at the consignee. This one actually had instructions to open the doors and back into a dock. They'll start unloading when they get here in the morning. Sounds good to me.

Thanks for spending another trucker's day with me. See you again tomorrow.

Back in Ohio Again.

It's getting colder out there! Hello everyone and welcome back to my regular visitors. If you haven't already please take a moment at the bottom and post your comments and introduce yourself.

Today started out in Hazelton, PA at the Pilot Truck Stop. It was about 39 degrees when I woke up! Brrrrr! I drove about an hour over to Easton to pick up part of my load. That took almost 2 hours for only 1/4 of the trailer full.

Then I drove just 18 miles over to Allentown, PA for the rest of the load. This took almost 2 hours as well. Although on this stop I didn't mind too much. I have been wanting to get back over to this warehouse for 14 months now.

The last time I was here was in August 2008. There is a Geocache called "Road to Nowhere" that's about a 2 mile round trip walk to. I tried unsuccessfully to find it 14 months ago and have always wanted to come back and try again. Now was my opportunity.

While they were loading me up, I walked over to look for it. After reading the previous finders logs, I knew WHAT I was looking for, I just didn't know which one. There were about 20 of these items here. I just had to figure out which one it was in! I looked into the correct one TWICE and still didn't see it. Then I noticed some scribbling on the outside and took another closer look inside. FINALLY! Now I can sleep well knowing I found this sneaky hide.

Anyway, back to work.

After I returned, they finished loading the trailer. A total of 42,000 lbs of pipe fittings loaded all the way to the doors. Crossing 5 states to Kansas City, I need to get to a CAT Scale to have it weighed to make sure I'm balanced correctly. I looked in my truck stop guide book and it says there's one several miles down on I-78. No problem, I'm not going to hit the first weigh station until I-81.

But when I get off at that exit, I don't see any kind of truck stop there. It looks like your typical shopping center area with stores and restaurants. Great, now I got to figure out how to turn around! Fortunately, there's a shoulder I can pull off onto and check. I get a Google satellite image and follow the street around several blocks and I looks like I can do a big loop around. All businesses and no residential. 20 minutes later and I'm back on I-78.

About 20 more miles in Myerstown, I come to a Pilot. A quick run over the CAT Scales to find I'm 4100 lbs overweight on the trailer and 7,000 lbs under on the drives. I had to slide the tandems ALL THE WAY to the rear of the trailer to balance it correctly. That stretches the trailer out and makes for harder turns. Somebody didn't know how to load a trailer very well.

Anyway, after adjusting the trailer I fuel up and off I go. I-78 to I-81 south to I-76 west to I-70 west. I drive all the way to Buckeye Lake, Ohio just before the Indiana border, 654 miles later.

And I'm tired! See ya tomorrow.

A Long But Short Day. HUH?

What kind of a title is that right? Well after you read today's post you'll understand.

I woke up between 5:30-6:00 this morning. Not sure exactly. The consignee started unloading at 7:30 when the first shift came in. They had me done in about an hour so I just hung out there in their parking area. The nearest truck stop was about 15 miles away and closer to the center of Cleveland.

Finally about 9:45 they assigned me the next load and by 10:15 I was on the way. It was a Con-Way Freight load picking up in Lordstown, OH about an hour away. My appointment time wasn't until 4PM, but I was hoping to eat along the way.

I almost stopped at McDonald's, but decided that's not what I wanted. As it turned out there wasn't much for options either. After getting to Con-Way, I decided on just having a Cup-O-Soup.

Around 2PM, I thought I'd just inquire and see and to my surprise the load was ready! So I hooked up to the loaded trailer and rolled east on I-80. Across Pennsylvania to the Pilot Travel Center in Hazelton. There I relayed with another driver who was finishing the run to Massachusetts.

So the long day was that I was up a little early and the waiting around made it seem longer. The short day was only the 333 miles of driving.

Dinner tonight was the Subway here at the truck stop. Tomorrow I pick up a load in Allentown and haul it all the way to Kansas City.

Thanks for stopping by. See ya tomorrow.

Running On Fumes!

What a long day! Not only was I running on fumes by tonight, but so was the truck earlier today!

It all started back in Shelby, NC where I was parked at the consignee for an 8:00 AM delivery. Well they are a first come first serve unload and it was a good thing I backed into the ONLY dock door yesterday afternoon when I arrived. By 6AM there must have been 8-9 trucks lined up to be unloaded! I knew that because I was awakened at 3AM!

I'm not sure what time the actually started working, but around 3:00 was when I kept hearing things tossed into the nearby dumpster. Then the forklift going around me and across the parking lot. By 4:00 AM, I gave up trying to fall back asleep!

They started unloading my trailer around 6:30. I went ahead and sent in my empty message over the Qualcomm and was surprised to have been assigned a load BEFORE I was actually emptied. I quickly checked and the pickup time was at noon and the shipper was only 60 miles away. That's good, I still had a little while for them to finish!

I mapped out the trip into my laptop while I waited. By 8:00 I was rolling and on my way. While I was planning my route, I checked fuel and it showed I had 1/4 tanks. That should get me at LEAST 200 miles. Now I could have gone east over to Charlotte and fueled up before going to the shipper. That would have taken me the long way and about 20 miles out of route.

Or I could go ahead and pickup the load and continue north on I-77 into Virginia and fueled at out next approved stop there. It was about 180 miles away. Now on full tanks you can go anywhere from 800 to 1200 miles depending upon weight and terrain. So I figured 180 miles on 1/4 tanks no problem right?

Well I start heading north towards the shipper and about halfway there I glance down and notice my fuel now says 1/8! Now if I head back down to Charlotte, I'm making a BIG out of route circle! After the shipper, I get only 100 miles into the run and I am flat on fumes now! So I have to pull into a non-approved fuel stop and pay cash just to get me to our regular fuel stop. Yes, I get reimbursed for it, but the fuel dept REALLY DOESN'T LIKE THAT!

So I stopped in Jonesville, NC and get $40.00 worth of fuel. That's about 16 gallons. Not too bad for a car, but when these trucks usually hold between 180 and 200 gallons of fuel, the cashier tends to look at you funny when you ask for $40! But that's what I put in.

By now it's almost noon too so I eat at the Backyard Burger's that's there too. I think that's the first time eating at one of those. Not too bad actually.

Back on the road for an hour to stop once again for fuel at a Love's Travel Center in Locust Hill, VA.

Now it's north on I-77 for 3 1/2 hours through West Virginia and into Ohio. I stopped at the Ohio Welcome Center in Marietta. There were 2 Geocaches there at opposite ends of the rest area. So by the time I walked to find one and then the other, I walked just over a half mile. Not far but there were some good hills there top climb over too so that made for a nice bit of 30 minute exercise.

Continuing onward up I-77, I arrived in Solon, OH, just east of Cleveland, at 9:00 PM. This time I have a 7 AM appt time so we'll see what time they actually wake me up!

That's it for now. I'm tired and I'm going to bed. See ya tomorrow.

A Short Relaxing Drive to North Carolina

Welcome back to A Trucker's Day, a blog about my life trying to make a buck hauling things back and forth around the country.

This morning started out in Bowman, SC, waking up around 7:00 AM I think. Wasn't much in a hurry as I only had to drive 180 miles and the load doesn't deliver until tomorrow morning. So I did a little reading in my bible before getting up. This was what stuck out the most this morning:

"The LORD is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works. The LORD is near to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him, and hear their cry and save them. The LORD preserves all those who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD, and bless His holy name forever and ever." Psalm 145: 17-21

Once I got up and about, I went inside to the McDonald's and got my usual breakfast. Finally around 9:00 AM I continued up I-26 westbound. Just a few miles up the road, I stopped at the first rest area to find a Geocache.

When I reached I-77, I headed north. Along I-77 I stopped at another rest area for another Geocache hunt. Looped around the west side of Charlotte, NC to I-85, then US74 westbound. Around 1:15 PM I arrived at the consignee, which happened to be closed today. That's OK though, their gate is open and I was able to park here tonight. In the morning I'll be unloading the 11 giant rolls of paper weighing in at 41,000 lbs!

The rest of day the day was just browsing the internet, chatting on Facebook, and listening to a Stephen King audio book. See ya back again tomorrow.

From Georgia to South Carolina via Florida!

What? From Georgia to South Carolina via Florida? What kind of driving is that you say?

Well that pretty much sums it up! I was in North Georgia too! I started out in Patillo, which is about halfway between Atlanta and Macon, around 7AM. Drove for an hour before stopping in Vienna, GA at a truck stop with a McDonald's. You know McDonald's has their Monopoly game going on right now and I had won a FREE breakfast sandwich. WOHOO!! So I used that this morning.

Continuing south on I-75 into Florida, east on I-10 all the way to Jacksonville. I dropped my loaded trailer with the appliances at the Sears warehouse and picked up an empty at 1PM. I quickly received my next load info and after inputting the addresses into my Streets & Trips, I was on the way.

Just 30 miles northeast of Jacksonville, I picked up 11 GIANT rolls of paper weighing in at 41,000 lbs in Fernandina Beach, FL. Now I'm heading north on I-95 back up into Georgia. At 4:30, I stop in Woodbine, GA and make a quick ham & cheese sandwich. While at the truck stop, I weigh the truck on the CAT Scales to make sure I'm balanced OK being that heavy.

Now it's non-stop continuing north on I-95 into South Carolina where I turn west onto I-26. I drove as far as Bowman, when I pulled into a Pilot for the night. It's only 180 miles to my final stop in North Carolina and it doesn't deliver until Monday morning. So I have plenty of time.

A pretty good week this past week. I was dispatched on almost 3200 miles! With the economy the way it is, I haven't seen a 3000+ week in several months.

Anyway, that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by.

A Crazy and Confusing Day!

What a day today! I woke up around 3:00 AM this morning because the truck was idling really rough and I couldn't get back to sleep. Since I was parked at the T/A, at about 3:45 I gave up and drove it over to their shop bays to have them take a look at it. Plus the fuel filters were due to be changed anyway.

Well they changed the filters but the roughness was caused by the primer pump leaking. That problem they are not able to fix. I needed to take it to a Kenworth Dealer. OK, not a problem. I thought my next load wasn't until tonight, so I'll get it fixed this afternoon once I unload this morning.

Now that I'm wide awake and it's only 5AM, I decided to get my laundry washed. I had planned on doing it this afternoon, but now I'll be sitting at Kenworth instead.

Around 9:30, I drive 2 miles down the road to deliver my load. I dropped my loaded trailer and picked up an empty. By 10:15, I'm now driving into Nashville to get the truck fixed.

While I'm driving they send me all the load info for my next assignment. I get to Kenworth, drop my empty trailer in the yard and drive around to the shop entrance. There I check my messages with all the load info. I read that I'm due at the shipper on 10/08 at 2100 which I assume 9PM tonight. Then the last message I get says they changed the appt time to 1300. It's now Noon.

So I send a message back that I like the earlier pickup time, but I'm at Kenworth to get the truck fixed and will get to the shipper as soon as possible. And to please call me on the phone if anything changes because the truck may be inside the shop and the satellite will obviously not work. Then I walk inside the service dept to check in.

Within a few minutes I get a phone call from Joplin, MO. He asks if I was having a problem picking up the load. I explained that it shouldn't be a problem picking it up by the 2100 appt time or sooner depending upon Kenworth. He then says to me; "NO, that was 2100 LAST NIGHT, 10/08!, Today is 10/09! It picks up in two hours and you're 30 miles away."

I hate it when they do that! Send me a pickup time the day before my delivery appt for my current load. That always confuses me! So I said not a problem and left the shop to go and pickup the load of appliances.

I get to the shipper in Springfield at 11:45 and within a few minutes, torrential downpour! By the time I drop my empty and hook to the loaded trailer I am SOAKED! Pull it around to the security gate and it starts to let up. A mile down the road and the rain is over. Figures!

I head south on I-24 for an hour where I stop in Murfreesboro, TN for fuel and food. A quick McDonald's burger, fries, and sweet tea.

Still continuing south on I-24 about 15 miles out from Chattanooga, I encounter a 15 mile bumper to bumper, stop and go traffic jamb caused by several accidents. At least that's what's being reported over the CB by those going westbound. I didn't see anything by the time I got there about an hour later.

Once I get to I-75 southbound, it's all up to speed. Around the I-285 Atlanta bypass and return to I-75 southbound. I finally stopped tonight at 9PM at a truck stop in Patillo, GA, which is about halfway between Atlanta and Macon.

I'm just glad this day is over. Good night and see ya tomorrow!

From Texas to Tennessee in Two Days

Yeah I know I forgot to post yesterday. Last night I was just too tired I guess.

I started out in Brownsville, TX Wednesday morning when I woke up about 4:00 AM local time. Couldn't get back to sleep, so I decided to get out and see if the loaded trailer I was waiting for was on the yard yet. Yep, it was there. So I walked over to the guard shack to get my paperwork. Well the lights were on, the TV was on, the door was open, but no guard inside. Hmmm.

I walk back over to my truck and pulled it around to hook it to the trailer. Turn on the laptop and get my Street & Trips ready. Start a new page for today's logbooks. Then walk back over to the guard shack. Now it's just a few minutes after 5 AM and I see someone get out of the nearby car and walk to the shack. Turns out it was the guard. He must have been taking a nap. I'm glad he decided to wake up now. I get my paperwork for the load and hit the road driving north on US77.

My original plan was to take US77 all the way north until I-10 east, then I-10 to Houston and US59 north there. That would put me at mile marker 674 on I-10 near Shulenburg. Then going east from there, I'll pass through Columbus at mile marker 698 where I can stop at Jerry Mikeska's BBQ for lunch. That was about 305 miles away from Brownsville.

As I was driving though, I was considering my fuel level. I was down to 1/4 tanks which would probably get me to lunch, but going that route my next fuel stop wouldn't be until Houston over 400 miles away. I didn't think it would stretch that far.

I stopped at a Dairy Queen that had some truck parking around back after about an hour to look at the map and reconsider my options. My company does have an approved fuel stop at the T/A in Ganado, which meant turning off US77 in Victoria onto US59 going away from Jerry Mikeska's. Hmmm? But wait... Then I could take State Road 71 north in El Campo and go right into Columbus at mile marker 696! That'll take me about 30 miles out of route, but that's within range on a 1156 mile run right?

OK, so now that's the new plan and I'm again on my way. OH, and I grabbed another Geocache that was hidden at the Dairy Queen while I was there also! Couldn't skip that either!

Now back to driving. After turning onto US59, I stopped at another rest area in Inez around 10:00 to look for another Geocache. There were two at the stop and I only needed one to reach 1200 Geocache finds! I looked for the first one about 15 minutes without success and proceeded to the other. I found it fairly quickly. WOHOO!! #1200 cache finds in 47 states the Canadian Yukon! The only states I'm missing are NH, VT, and HI. One of these days...

A short drive up to Ganado and a quick stop for fuel at the T/A. Still pondering the detour for BBQ and seeing some billboards along US59 advertising BBQ ahead, I decided not to take the detour and go out of route. I would just take the chance and hope that one of those BBQ places ahead had truck parking.

Well, I was getting worried. I passed several and no truck parking was available. Lot's of cars outside them so they must have been good. Finally in Wharton, TX I came across a small fuel stop with only about 3 parking spaces for trucks along the back side. Right next door was Hinze's Bar-B-Que. It was busy and IT WAS GOOD! Smoked beef brisket and sausage, baked beans, green beans, and carrot salad! That made my day!

OK, now that I've found my 1200th Geocache, finally got to eat some Texas BBQ on this visit, I can finally focus on driving!

I continue north on US59, take the I-610 loop around Houston, and continue north again on US59. Non-stop for the next 6 hours and I make it all the way to a rest area in New Colony, TX when my 11 hour clock expired at 6:15 PM. That's about 30 miles shy of Arkansas, 632 miles northeast of Brownsville and I STILL wasn't able to make it out of Texas.

That was yesterday. Today I woke up at 5:30 AM and by 6:15 I'm rolling. No breakfast, just a Little Debbie Nutty Buddy bar. Continuing on US59 to Texarkana and get onto I-30 east, in Little Rock picking up I-40 eastbound. At 10:15 a quick bathroom break at a rest area along I-40 in Arkansas. In Nashville, I picked up I-24 south just a few miles to La Vergne, TN. Here I pulled into a T/A for the night.

My delivery isn't until 10:00 AM tomorrow just 2 miles down the road. And I can't deliver early.

So that was my last two days. I hope you've enjoyed another day in the life of a trucker. See you again tomorrow.

Going As Far South As Texas Can Go!

I didn't get very far today. Just a mere 150 miles. Yuk!

Finished unloading at the first Tractor Supply store in Alice, Texas about 8:15. Then headed down to Kingsville, TX 30 miles away to the second and last stop. They finished unloading around 10:00 AM.

Now comes the sitting and waiting part that we get to deal with all the time. I stayed in the Tractor Supply parking lot at first. There was a Geocache just a 1/4 mile away so I walked over and found it.

After that I started looking up nearby truck stops in my directory. The directory gives you detailed info on the locations along the Interstates concerning what amenities are included at each location. But on other US Highways and local roads, it doesn't. So I went to the first one about 1 1/2 miles away and the only thing it had going for it was a McDonald's. OK, grabbed a sweet tea while I was there!

But the main thing I wanted was a shower! Continuing my research, I found a Love's Travel Stop about 3 miles to the north on US77. Now I know they have showers! So off I went. Now I felt much better.

Continuing yesterdays saga, now it's day 4 in Texas and STILL NO BBQ to eat! A ham and cheese sandwich in the truck again today.

After that, I looked up Geocaches again and there's a rather large cache just a half block away from the Love's store. COOL! So I walked over and grabbed that one too!

Finally at 3PM, they tell me to drive down to Brownsville, TX which is right at the very southern tip along the Mexican border. So I drive on down US77 and grabbed 2 more Geocaches at a rest area along the way.

I arrive at the drop yard in Brownsville around 5:15 PM but the load hasn't made it across the border yet. It's a nice long load going to Tennessee. I map out my trip in the laptop making a few adjustments to the suggested course. Instead of taking US77 to US59 into Houston, I take US77 all the way to I-10 first, then into Houston. That's so I can finally have BBQ brisket before leaving! So, be sure to check back in tomorrow to see if I was successful.

Until then, see you on the highways.

My Third Day in Texas and Still No BBQ!

Well I'm still here in Texas. Woke up at the Flying J in Waco this morning. It was still wet and cloudy. A few lite sprinkles here and there with the temps around 60. My pickup time at the Tractor Supply DC was at noon, but you never know when they may actually have you ready.

They were just 2 miles down the road, so I went over there about 7:30 AM to check in. Nope, not ready. But I did drop my trailer there none the less. There were a few geocaches within a half mile, but the gloomy overcast weather dis-swayed me from finding them. So I bobtailed down to the Pilot Travel Center just another 2 miles down I-35.

There I waited for a while contemplating McDonald's breakfast next door, but decided on the Little Debbie Nutty Butty bars I had in the truck. The gloomy weather really can have an adverse affect on you sometimes!

Finally around 10:00, I went and topped off my fuel tanks before heading back over to Tractor Supply. But still they did not have my load ready. I talked to a few other drivers who were coming and going. One was surprised about my load considering his was ready but wasn't due until 6PM. Sure rub it in!

But it didn't bother me so much because I couldn't deliver until 7AM tomorrow and it was only 300 miles away. No problem! Well they finally got me done right at 12:00 O'clock. I hooked up and I was on my way.

Instead of taking I-35 south to San Antonio, then I-37 over to Corpus Christi, I decided to take a slower but more direct route. It was about 20 miles shorter down US77, but time wise longer due to the small towns along the way. But it was a new route and I had plenty of time to spare.

Another reason to take this new route was to find some geocaches. I pretty much already got those on I-35 having been that way many times. I managed to find 4 today at each of the old picnic areas in which I was able to get the big truck into.

I was also hoping to find a BBQ place to eat at today. My third day in Texas and I still had not yet had any BBQ beef brisket and sausage! THAT'S JUST NOT RIGHT! Where I passed the BBQ restaurants that had truck parking available, it was still breakfast time. During lunch or dinner there were none to be found. Plenty of BBQ places, but nowhere could I park 70' of truck and trailer!

Finally, hunger won me over and I pulled into a Mexican restaurant around 5:30 in Refugio, TX. I should have just made a sandwich instead and saved a few dollars. I ordered the beef enchiladas which were OK, but nothing to brag about.

After eating, I continued south on US77 to Corpus Christi, then west on Hwy 141 to Alice, TX. That's where I sit tonight, behind the Tractor Supply store there for my 7AM deliver. They'll get half the load and then I'll drive down about 40 miles to Kingsville where they'll get the other half. But that's tomorrow and I'm getting ahead of myself.

That's my day today. Thanks for dropping in and keeping me company. Use the comment link below to say hi every once in a while. Till next time...

A Rainy Day In Texas

Welcome back to another one of my tales of a day in the life of a trucker. This trucker in particular.

Today began early. I'm not quite sure what time it was because I had been sleeping. Sometime in the wee hours of the morning it began to rain and that woke me. Fortunately I was able to fall back into sleep.

The next time my alarm awoke me at 6:00 AM. And it was STILL raining! It didn't take long though and I on the road just a couple of miles to the next exit at the Lowe's DC in Mt. Vernon, TX. Dropped the empty, hooked up to the loaded trailer, and I'm heading south by 7:30.

A quick 5 minute stop at 8:30 for a McDonald's sausage egg and cheese McMuffin and sweet tea in Caddo Mills and I'm back on I-30.

At 10:00, I pull into our terminal again in Lancaster for fuel and am now heading south on I-35. From there I continue south to US-190 west and then US-281 south, arriving in Marble Falls, TX at 1:30 PM.

The drop was a Lowe's store. They had three dock doors, but for whatever reason we had to drop our trailer in the middle door. But first, I had to drop my loaded trailer in the parking lot, hook up to the empty and move it out. Then hook back up to the loaded trailer and back it into the middle dock. Unhook again and back to the empty. Finally, I'm done!

On the way down, I had already received my next load assignment for Monday. Therefore, I headed back in the direction of the shipper in Waco, TX. Since I had plenty of time, I made it more enjoyable.

Coming south on US-281, I had noticed quite a few roadside picnic areas. (the old rest stops without facilities) So upon returning northbound, I stopped at 3 of the 4 in which I was able to park the truck at. One was just WAY too small for me to be able to get into it! And of course the reason for stopping at these was to find the Geocaches located there, which I quickly did. Yeah!

By 6:15 PM I'm back up to Waco, TX and parked at the Flying J for the night. The rain has stopped now, but it was a wet day for the most of it. Fortunately it had stopped too while I was caching.

That's it for now. See you on the highways!

A Little Bicycling, A Little Caching, and A Little Driving

Today was an easy day. I started out at our terminal in Lancaster, TX, just southeast of Dallas. While waiting for a load assignment, I decided to go out on the bicycle for some Geocaching. It was just a short trip this time. I only went 9.1 miles today and found 5 caches.

I posted some photos below. This first was a rather large house which was way out of place for the street which it was on. The neighbors houses looked more like the shed off to the right in the photo.

The next set of pics are of the Wheatland Methodist Church built in 1959. The steeple and stained glass windows were added in 1912. The church is still in use to this day, every Sunday.

About the last half mile it began a lite rain so I was peddling fast so not to get the camera wet! I made it just in time.

Before I got even back, I had received my next load assignment so I jumped into the showers real quick. Made a sandwich for lunch while I mapped out my trip info. (More like dinner actually! That was the only thing I ate today come to think of it.)

By 6:00 PM I was on my way. A short drive this evening over to Mt Vernon, TX, about 112 miles away. That is where I'm at now. I have a 7:00 AM pickup tomorrow morning.

So I leave you now with my photos from today. Enjoy and I'll see ya tomorrow.

A Visit With An Old Friend

Welcome back friends. And speaking of friends, one of the advantages of being a truck driver is having an occasion to visit with friends who may have moved on to other parts of the country. Today was one of those occasions.

I woke this morning in Independence, MS, which is about 30 miles east of Jackson. I drove the short distance to Jackson and parked over at the Pilot Travel Center about 7:30 where I was finally able to get a shower. I was hoping to get here last night but my clock ran out.

After my shower I drove across the highway to the Flying J for some breakfast. There I was to meet an old friend whom I hadn't seen in 17-18 years. She showed up around 10:00 and we chatted over coffee and sweet tea. I had the sweet tea of course. It was good catching up, but we both had to get back to work. We said our goodbye's around 11:30 and I continued on I-20 westbound.

A quick stop in Shady Grove, TX at a Pilot with a McDonald's around 4:30 so I can get a sweet tea to go. My intentions were to go back to the truck and make a sandwich, but I couldn't resist the aroma of a burger so I got one of their 1/3 pounder Angus burgers too.

Then by 6:45 I am in downtown Dallas at the Sear's Distribution Center dropping my trailer. Picked up an empty and proceeded down I-35E south 11 miles to Lancaster where we have a terminal. That is where I sit now and will probably be until tomorrow.

So until then, thanks for stopping by and I'll see you out on the highways.

From South Carolina to Mississippi

What a long day! I woke up this morning in Florence, SC and waited about 2 hours for the receiver to start unloading my trailer. After that I quickly received my next load assignment and by 9:00 AM, I'm heading south on I-95.

I get down to US301 westbound over to I-26 west to Orangeburg, SC to pick up my next load. I get there at 10:45 and at 11:30 I'm back heading up I-26 to I-20 westbound. I got me a decent long run this time all the way to Dallas.

At 1:00 PM, I make a quick stop in Augusta, GA for fuel and lunch. I'm trying to eat in a little more, so it's just a ham and cheese sandwich today. By 1:45 it's back on the I-20 heading west. Then it's NON-STOP ALL THE WAY to Independence, MS. I arrived here at a rest area at 9:45, just as my clock expired. And I'm tired!

A good day today, right at about 700 miles. Tomorrow I only have 432 to go to the consignee.

That's it for now. Good night!

On The Road Again...

I'm Baaaaccckkk! Rollin' Rollin' Rollin' Keepin' these wheels rollin'!

Well I actually started back on the road yesterday. Went from West Orlando down to Auburndale to pick up a load and then brought it up to Hampton, GA. I unloaded this morning in Hampton, then up to Cartersville, GA to pick up my next load. Now I am in Florence, SC waiting to unload in the morning. But that's about all I want to say about trucking right now.

What I'd really like to do is to leave you with some photos I took while on vacation last week. My wife and I spent 2 nights in Daytona Beach, FL and then down to the Florida Keys. So here's a few pictures instead.

See ya tomorrow for more trucking stuff.

Last Post Before Vacation

A poor day! Literally! I was planning on working through this weekend and taking my vacation Monday through Monday. However, I woke up here in Tampa this morning. Waited and waited, finally getting a load assigned to me around 10:00 AM. I drove 43 miles to Auburndale, FL picked up a load of bleach and left there at 1PM. I then drove it 11 miles to the Publix DC in Lakeland. They would not accept it early and my appointment time was for 4PM.

I drove 2 blocks over to an old truck stop. The truck stop itself is closed now, but the parking is still available. I really wanted to get a shower and do laundry but that will have to wait still longer. There was a small restaurant that recently opened there so at least I got something to eat!

Finally around 3:30 I drive back over to Publix. It's now 5:30 and they're STILL unloading the trailer!

After several conversations today with my dispatcher, they don't want to send me very far away from home since I want to get home Monday. Hence the short trips. Thinking about the 54 miles today (earned $20, which I ate half of that for lunch), and tomorrows load probably being Lakeland to Gainesville with a late night delivery ($40-$45) I decided that just going home would be better! So I'll be taking off for 10 days instead of 7. As soon as they ever get me unloaded that is...

Anyway, thanks for stopping by and following along. If you've browsed and never left a comment, please click the comments button below and at least say hi. I'd love to know who's following along. See you back on the 29th. That's when I'll be returning.

Getting Closer to Home and Vacation Time!

Woke up this morning sitting in our drop yard in Atlanta, GA around 7:00 AM. I had a great nights sleep. The temperature was in the mid-60's so I slept with the truck off most of the time. Although I did wake up twice; at 1:30 AM and at 4:30 AM with messages being sent to me over the Qualcomm about my load for today. I hate when they do that! But I was able to fall right back to sleep.

After phoning home this morning, I bobtailed down the road to Hardee's. They have THE best sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits anywhere! Then back to the drop yard.

The other driver arrived with my load about 10:15 AM, just AFTER it started to downpour! It's always fun getting out into the rain to hook up to a trailer. :( By 10:45 though I am on the road heading southbound! I jump on the I-675 to I-75 and don't stop until Florida.

Finally around 4:30 PM I stopped at a Pilot Travel Center in Ocala, FL. I wasn't really in the mood for a burger and that Pilot had an Arby's. I was thinking an Arby's chicken sandwich sounded pretty good. But then their sweet tea isn't as good as McDonald's. As it turns out, this exit had a McDonald's right next door also! I parked the truck and was headed over to McD's. The plan was to get the sweet tea first, then go over to the Arby's for the chicken sandwich. Once I was in McDonald's though I just settled for the McD's chicken club. Oh well...

Now back on the road and continuing south on I-75 into Tampa. Just as I entered the city I exit the highway and in just a half mile or so I'm at the Con-Way Freight terminal making my delivery. I checked in, dropped the trailer and hooked up to an empty. Now I wait.

I had asked several times today to see if I could get a pre-assigned load so that I would know where I'm going next. If my next load picked up tomorrow anywhere near the direction of Orlando, I would have gone tonight and slept at home! But not knowing in which direction I'm heading to next I have to stay here in Tampa.

What I don't want to do is go home now to start my vacation. Not until next week anyway. So I'm hoping for the next few days they'll have me running around FL-GA for some short runs. At least I'll get some miles and maybe end with a decent pay check. We shall see right?

Anyway, that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by.

From Paducah, KY to Atlanta, GA

Another day has come and I'm closer to home. Albeit too early, but closer none the less.

I started out the day in Paducah, KY at a truck stop along I-24 right on the Kentucky-Illinois border. I awoke around 6:00 AM and by 6:30 I was on the road. I finally stopped at a Love's Travel Center in Plainview, TN around 9:15 to have breakfast at a McDonald's. You guessed it, a #2 sausage, egg, & cheese McMuffin with an orange juice and sweet tea! The breakfast of champions... right? OK, maybe not but it's good!

Following I-24 eastbound to Chattanooga where I turn south onto I-75. In Georgia I stop at the Pilot Travel Center in Carbondale for fuel at 1:00 PM. A quick stop and go and I'm on my way again. After taking the I-285 loop around Atlanta to the west, I jump onto I-20 to GA70. I arrived at M & W Distributors at 3:00 to deliver the 43,000 lbs of carrot cake and brownie mix I've been hauling. As it turns out, my appointment wasn't until 7PM so it's just a matter of sitting and waiting.

So at 6:30 they finally get me unloaded. I circled the I-285 loop to the southeast corner. There is the Con-Way drop yard where I will be relaying with another driver in the morning. So here is where I'll stay tonight.

That was my day today. Thanks for stopping by.

A Midnight Drive, Sleep, Then Drive Again

These kinda days just wear me out. I don't think I got much of a nap last evening. Maybe a light dozing off and on. I had my alarm set for 10:30 PM and I think I just started going into a deep sleep around 10:15! Figures :(

So I get up and go check in with Sears again and they have my trailer ready. I hook up and go around 11:30 PM. Fortunately from Romeoville, IL to my delivery in Bloomington, IL is about 106 miles! I get to the other Sears warehouse at 1:30 AM. I think it was around 3AM when he finished unloading me, so I pull over to the end of the building out of the way, crawl into bed and crash. I had my next load assignment already, but I didn't have to pick it up until 2PM.

I think I awoke again about 7AM. Drove a couple of miles to a Pilot Travel Center and got a shower. Boy that was much needed and felt good! Then across the street to the T/A for some breakfast. Three eggs over easy, bacon, hash browns, wheat toast, orange juice, and sweet tea.

At 9:45, I'm back in my truck and headed down the highway to St. Elmo, IL. I arrived there at 12:30 PM and by 2:00 I'm loaded and rolling again. My first stop is just a few miles down the road in Effingham. That's the nearest truck stop with a CAT Scale. I have 43,000 of carrot cake and brownie mix and need to make sure I have the trailer balanced out correctly.

Continuing south, I make a stop in Ina, IL to have dinner at a McDonald's. Finally, I come to a stop at 6:15 PM in Paducah, KY. I'm tired. And from here to my delivery in Atlanta is only 398 miles. That should give me plenty of time to get a good nights rest tonight and make my 4PM delivery time. That should also get my body clock back on track again!

That's it for now. See ya tomorrow.