March 1 – 5, 2021

A lot has happened in just a few days! A lot!

Monday, March 1, 2021

It’s hard to plan a day like this, when so much of what happens, when it hapens, and how long it takes is completely out of your control. We knew that they planned to lift each load with two cranes, and they would not start setting up the cranes until they arrived at 7, and that can take up to 4 hours sometimes. We also knew that they had to relocate both cranes to unload the second truck, and that can take up to 6 hours. But OUR plan was to get both trucks unloaded, shrink them both back down to 12′ wide, and be rolling down the road by 2 PM. Any later than that, and we would run into curfew violations, so would have to go check back in for another night, and leave tomorrow.

We all met at the trucks as soon as they opened the gate at 7 AM. We all went right to work taking the tarps off both loads, then waited for the cranes to set up for the first truck. We were surprised that they were ready for the first truck before 10, so we blocked traffic on the road as he backed out into the street in order to have enough room to turn around and back under the crane. Once we loosened all his chains and the cranes lifted his load off,

and after he pulled out, we helped shrink that trailer while they moved the cranes.

That only took a little over an hour, so we duplicated the process with me steering ours out into the street, and then under the crane. We were unloaded in no time, and the other crew helped us shrink ours in about 20 minutes. Our HP was waiting for us, so I steered ours out of the gate, and the other struck followed, and we were on the road before 1 PM.

Once again, I really like the artwork in those TX interchanges! I can’t even imagine the cost to build all those tall bridges! We were the first truck, with the other behind us with it’s two pilot cars.

We were on a mission to make it back to MN by the end of the day Wednesday, and we had mostly highway, which is normal  when we are empty and only 12′ wide. (though we did have a few skinny roads!)

After 206 miles we made it to Hillsboro Texas by sunset curfew, and parked in the only truck stop that I know of that has special parking for Oversize Loads. Extra long and extra wide parking spaces!

I made supper and spent the night in my van there at the truck stop.

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

We left at sunrise, and had a great day with mostly highway, making it to Copan Oklahoma after 463 miles by sunset curfew. We pulled into a small truck stop there, and the only place to park both trucks was in the restaurant parking lot! LOL So we all went in for supper!

It was another wonderful night in my van. I appreciate the nights in my own bed more now because I had to stay in so many hotels during that cold spell.  It was a comfy 60°ppl during the day, and 34° for the night.

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

We  enjoyed supper so much last night that the two drivers and I met at their door when they opened at 6, and had breakfast together! We had done our pre-trip checks already, so when we walked back out, we were still ready to leave on time at 7! Today we were in the rear, because of the way we had parked last night.

Change of plans! LOL Never a dull moment! The office just won the bid on getting a generator from Sioux Falls SD to Des Moines, and it needs to load tomorrow, and be delivered Friday. So they got new permits for us for the change in routes. At about noon, we split up and the other truck continued on by themselves after Omaha.

We made excellent time, because we had to! We did have to stop once for fuel for the front car, but we made it all the way to Sioux Falls SD to the load site by 5 PM. It was a 543 mile day! With about 60 miles left, my warning light came on because of a low tire. These new cars now tell you the actual pressure in each tire, so when the front car got fuel, I put air in my right front tire.

I got a call from dispatch. Change of plans! Instead of going back to MN when we unload in Des Moines, could I leave there and head right over to Omaha so I can be HP for a load going from there to Cheyanne? You know me!  . . . Sure thing!

My driver was more concerned about my slow tire leak than getting the trailer expanded, so told me to quickly go have my tire fixed, and we would deal with the trailer in the morning. I went right to Discount Tire, and arrived 15 minutes before they closed at 6. They are the perfect place for me while on the road! Annalou and I have learned that from experience! That is where I bought my last set of tires on the diesel van. Free pressure tests, and fills, free tire rotation, and the lowest prices on the best tires guaranteed. They have bailed me out several times!

They put me in line, and stayed open an extra hour to repair and rotate my tires for me – free! I had supper, and slept at a truck stop where I could get a shower in the morning.

Thursday, March 4, 2021

After my shower, I turned on my van and the low tire light came on again! Slow leak in a different tire! So I put some air in it, and drove to meet my driver at the site. We expanded the trailer to 14′ wide, and I steered him back into the plant to load.  This was a different building because the generator was a smaller one. But even at just 14′ wide, we only had about 6″ of clearance on each side of the garage door. That is tricky to keep a 154′ truck that straight wile backing it into that tight a spot. We loaded and pulled out onto the street, and my driver told me to go back and get the tire repaired because he didn’t want either of us to worry about it all day. It had already lost 6 lbs. of air.

Do off I went to Discount Tire! They fit me right in, and found it was the valve stem on this tire. They replaced the valve stem, and I was back at the truck within an hour. All free again!

The HP car was there waiting as well, so we pulled right out as soon as I got my flags and signs on. This is the first brown generator I have seen.

As I mentioned, we are only 14′ instead of 16′, but we are also only 14′ 8″ high, and a lot lighter as well.  We made good time, because I did not have to steer any turns, and the route was simple. It was only a 270 mile trip, and the site said we could park there for the night, so we drove right there non-stop, arriving at about 3 PM. It is a wastewater treatment plant, and this will be their new backup generator system. We parked on their little gravel road for the night.

Since we couldn’t stay there, all three of us went to a hotel for the night.

Friday, March 5, 2021

We arrived back at the truck before the crane even arrived on the site. The driver and I wanted to walk the route together into the site where they will unload the generator. It is all a skinny gravel road, with muddy sides, a very tight turn,

vehicles and obsticles, and a tight zig zag. Then a curved back up to unload, and a few very tight turns to get out. We had to plan how we would address each situation, because after that first turn, we only had one shot to do it. No re-takes! Once the crane arrived, we met with the operator to discuss our full plan, to be sure it would all fit into his plan. This video explains that first turn.

I an extremely competitive with myself, and expect very high standards, and I feel it all went flawlessly, and I was very pleased. I think I am getting the hang of this!

Oh, as they were unloading the generator, I turned to my driver and said, “You know, I just realized that the color of the generator is really not that strange at all. In fact, brown seems to me to be the most appropriate color for a wastewater treatment plant!” And we both had a good laugh!

We were unloaded before noon, and I escorted him to the highway, and the front car took my place in the rear as they went on to MN without me. I took my flags and signs off, and headed toward Omaha for my next adventure!