October 12 – 20, 2021

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

It was a pretty good night at the hotel, and I slept well. The other driver slept in his truck at the load site, but wasn’t even up yet when we arrived there just before 5. Eddie went to start up his truck, and I just waited in my van. It’s great that I have a comfy couch for times like this! It was close to 9 AM before they told us we could get inside the building. We helped as the other driver backed in, and although he didn’t need bottom tarps, we helped him get his rolls of felt and top tarps ready.Then it was our turn to go in on the other side of the building. They wanted Eddie to drive straight in, but I still needed to steer the trailer because the door was a little more narrow, and we had to drive in on a curve. They set our building top down on the trailer, and we chained it down.

It took us both a while to get our loads ready. The other driver had the help of another driver and steerman who showed up to load tomorrow. They had to cover it with felt, put the tarps on, chain it down, and put all the bungees on. Because his generator is a lot smaller, he is a lot shorter, at about 100 feet, and so narrow (at 12’6″) that he doesn’t even need any Pilot Cars in Wisconsin, so he pulled out, and left.

Eddie and I had to wait for a man lift so he could go up on top and put the wire runners on, and we finished a little later. Our HP guy was waiting for us, so we left as soon as I was free. That third truck was a full 13 axle, and the steerman was called off to another location, because instead of loading tomorrow, they can not load him until Friday now. So he needed my help to steer his trailer as he backed it off into the corner of the lot, so he would be out of the way. We actually pulled out of the load site just after 1 PM.

We had different routes because of our different widths and lengths, but we met up for a very short time as the other truck turned onto our road. Just a few intersections later, he turned off, and we were on our own again.

It was a pretty simple day, because although we are 15’3″ wide, and over 15′ tall, we are only 105′ long, and weigh almost half what we usually do. I think we were just a little over 100,000 lbs. So we could drive faster up the hills, and maneuver corners quicker.

Our HP guy was pretty good, although I don’t think he has had much experience with Super Loads. He just needs some training as to what a driver needs to know, and how he needs to control traffic in different situations. But, I stayed in the rear, and we let him lead. We made it 290 miles to Forsyth IL. We considered that a very productive day, considering how late we left. We parked in a private grain farmer’s collection yard just as the sun was setting. The office called ahead to ask, and they were very friendly, and we parked out of their way next to their truck scales, as loaded grain trucks were driving through.

Eddie stayed hooked up, so drove with me to a restaurant just a few miles down the street, and then we checked into a hotel there. I’m not sure where the HP guy went, but Eddie did invite him to join us for supper.

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

We were once again up before the sun, and pulled out of that grain yard before they were even coming to work. It was a very productive day, traveling about 450 miles to Horse Cave KY.

Along the way, we went through some construction, where they put those plastic barrels up on the right side, and had concrete barriers on the left. If they had been in sync with the state, they would have known that trucks over 15′ wide would be permitted to come through. But, since they didn’t check, they had the barrels far too close for us. With a long line of single lane traffic behind us, expecting to travel through at 55 mph, we were not about to stop and move the 10 or 15 barrels one by one. Neither were we going to hit the concrete wall on the left side!

When the truck hits those barrels at 45 mph, they go air born off the road. Well, most of them do. This one somehow got run over, and went under the trailer (with only 5″ of clearance on the bottom!) and got stuck between the cross rails. It rode there half the day, until we stopped on a ramp so the HP guy could run and get fuel. I saw it under there as I did my walk around, and Eddie pulled it out as I raised up the trailer. You can see in the pictures below that it was only half a barrel at that point!

Where we parked was a huge rest area there in Horse Cave. When you drive through it during the day, it looks like a big waste of money making all those parking spaces! But drive through at about 11 PM, and it’s a whole different story!! Not only are all the spaces full, but the off ramp is full, the driveways are lined on both sides, and the interior travel lanes are lined with more trucks, and of course the on ramp is lined with them.

Eddie unhooked, and we both drove to the truck stop for fuel, and had supper at a restaurant close by. He checked into  a hotel, and I stayed in my van back at the truck stop.

Thursday, October 14, 2021

I was the first one back at the truck in the morning before dawn, and I could barely fit through all the parked trucks in my van! We would never make it through with our truck! But that is why we park where we do in the rest area. We are the last possible spot, and just have to pull straight out to drive down the on ramp and back on the highway. HOWEVER, since the trucks are packed in so close, and parked along the travel lanes, we no longer fit. It is no fun at all knocking on truck doors of those illegally parked to ask them to move. Many never answer. When they do, they are always very mad about that, and care nothing about the problem they have caused you. Many can not speak English (or pretend not to) and just about all of them yell back at you in either another language, or with so many swears it sounds like a different language! We were all relieved when just before we were ready to pull out and go knock on doors, the key trucks in our way pulled out. We had only one we had to squeeze by with less than 4″ of room on either side.

And, we were on our way!

We were at the site in Gallatin TN, just northeast of Nashville by 9:30. They had wanted us there yesterday, but our other truck carrying the generator still had not been unloaded yet. So, we would have been waiting until now anyway. We waited about 3 hours, and then they unloaded our top shell.

You can see from the bottom that it is just a shell, and is completely empty.

We the picked up the reinforcement steel, and shrink wrap, drove off to the side, shrunk it back down to 13′ wide, and left the site at about 2 PM.

About an hour later, as we were driving along, the dispatcher called me. “Dave, can you do a couple of site surveys on your way back here?” “Ahhhh, how can I do that while steering Eddie back there?” “Oh, he doesn’t need a Pilot Cars once he hits the Illinois line, so you can break off there and drive to Ohio and do the surveys. I’ll let you know for sure if I need you or not.” I called Eddie on the radio. That was a surprise to both of us!

We drove 205 miles, and arrived at a truck stop just over the line past Paducah KY, in Metropolis IL by sunset. Eddie’s truck is on the left of my van, and another driver from this company is in the red truck on the right of my van. He had just pulled in before we got there.

I still hadn’t gotten my call back to know what I’m doing next. So I checked out my situation. . .

I was 800 miles from my next job starting next Wednesday at the shop in MN.

I was about 7 hours in the wrong direction from Annalou at the RV

But if I’m doing the surveys, Annalou might be able to drive up and join me.

I had supper with Eddie, and the dispatcher finally called me back after he finished coaching the youth ball game. The surveys are postponed until next week, so I am cut loose and free until my next job on Wednesday, 800 miles north, at the shop. Hmmm. . . ..

After a call to Annalou, we decided that it was not worth me driving all that way south back for a visit, making my trip back north almost 1,200 miles. Instead, I would drive north part way to Davenport Iowa, where I can stay at my well known campground for $23 a night, and catch up on reports my CPA needs, and start my Pilot Car re-certification class online.

So I drove another 85 miles north to a truck stop, where I stayed for the night.

Friday – Sunday, October 15 – 17, 2021

I slept in until 7 AM and after my shower and a quick breakfast, I was on the road just after 8. It was a comfy 353 miles to the campground, so on the way I stopped to do a little grocery shopping. I drove through the grounds to decide which site I would like. The host at the desk knows me now, so let’s me bend the rules a little, and just tell her which one I want, and since I already know it’s empty, that’s the one I get.

I parked in plenty of time to cook my supper before dark. It was peaceful, with just a few campers there.

I went to bed early, and slept almost 11 hours. Saturday I scheduled to have my brakes done in Becker next week, ordered glass for my slider door (which cracked all the way down several months ago), caught up on several blogs, put my receipts into the computer, recorded deposits, made up my invoice for the last job, and reconciled 2 bank statements, After supper, it was another early night. That book work stuff really wears me out! That’s the only part of being self employed that I really do not like!

Sunday I went to my Iowa church. I enjoy their Sunday class. They always review the Pastor’s sermon from the week before, and encourage discussion. I usually wait until the end to jump in, but this week I jumped in early. I’m amazed at how little most people know the Bible. I have been very blessed to have heard some pretty deep teaching on it over the last 40 years or so. And, I’m so glad I decided to start reading the Bible completely through each year for the past 16 years. That has helped me a lot, and even though I have not had the time to read it for the last 5 years (I am a very slow reader) I have listened to it instead. As HP, I can only listen to it when deadheading on my own, because I’m far too busy in front to concentrate on my job, and comprehend what is being said. However, for the last several years, as steerman, I can easily listen to it each day.

That evening, before the sun set, I went for a long walk around a pond that is being restored.

It has been drained, and is being reclaimed, so it was not in it’s best shape.

But the trails were nice!

Monday, October 18, 2021

I slept in until 7 again, and checked out of the campground by 8 after a nice shower. The bath house is not heated, so at 45* outside, I can see how it could be a little chilly in the coming months. This campground will close sometime next month.

I deadheaded about 400 miles up to Becker, and got there before the office closed at 5, so I could pick up some boxes I had shipped there. Check it out!

I got my AMS Oil for my next 2 oil changes, new blades for my drone, some health products from Melaleuka, ketones, and a care package from Annalou! Keto Granola (my favorite) and some other goodies! So cool! I went out to Pizza Ranch for supper, and when I came back, the moon was rising.

I slept in my van, and it was a quiet night! It was cool enough (42°) that I didn’t even need to run my AC, but not cold enough to need heat!

Tuesday and Wednesday, October 19 & 20, 2021

I got up, had breakfast, and was over at the repair shop by 10. I was scheduled to have my brakes done, and side slider door glass replaced. They told me last week that the glass would not be here in time, so I knew that would not be done today.. These are the original brakes, which now have almost 85,000 miles on them. They kind of moan when I stop. They gave me a loaner, so I drove off and found some shade where I could work on my bank records, and maybe catch up on a blog or two. BUT, they caalled me after just 40 minutes, and said “However you drive, just keep doing it! You still have at least half the wear left on your brakes, and I would not be surprised if you get another 80,000 miles on these!” “Well,” I said, “I drive all day. I mean, I GO, and never STOP!” LOL So I picked up the van, got some groceries, did my laundry, and plugged back in at the shop.

I spent the rest of the day reconciling bank statements. I can hardly wait until they are all done! I also registered for my online class to renew my Colorado Pilot Escort Certificate. So why do I get certified in Colorado and not Massachusetts? Well, MA doesn’t require certification, so doesn’t offer one. But I have to have certification for all the states that do require it. For my first 4 years I got certified in NC. But then I found out that WA, CO, and UT do not accept NC certification. BUT, if I get certified in CO, UT, or WA, every other state accepts theirs, because they are the hardest ones, and include flagging. Annalou did Utah, and I chose CO four years ago.

We were supposed to leave Wednesday to load, but it got delayed for a day. I do not like taking a week off without going home, or at least seeing family – especially Annalou! Today I spent the entire day finishing reconciliations up through August. Once I have the September statement, I can reconcile it, and send my records off to my CPA in MO so she can forcast how many thousands I will owe in taxes, and if I can legally make any changes to mitigate that.

I walked through one of the shops and saw that they were overhauling the last little trailer we took to Nashville. Our list of needed repairs was long enough, that they decided to take it all apart and rebuild it.

Here is the dolly I steered. Isn’t it cute? LOL

Tomorrow, Eddie will meet me at 7 AM aand we will get some things together and leave for Fall River (Madison) Wisconsin to load Friday, and take that generator down to Los Lunas (Albuquerque) New Mexico.