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!