August 20 – 26, 2021

Friday, August 20, 2021

I was up early enough to get a shower at the campground, have some breakfast, pack up, and be at the Ford dealer by 7:20. I was first in line as they opened the parts department at 7:29. They pulled my part off the shelf, and even gave my a 20% discount for some reason! So the pre-collision module came to just under $1,000.

I drove over to the staging yard, and arrived before 8, and met my driver there. We had  plenty of time to get everything in order before we left at 9.

It was just less than an hour, and we were at the Indiana line, and met our Troopers there. After a quick inspection, we were off and running. Based on the route we were given, we knew it would be a stretch to just get through the state by the end of the day. But the troopers were a great help! It’s amazing how people respect blue and red lights more than yellow ones!!!

We had several RR tracks to raise for, and several turns to steer, as well as a round-about. I really enjoyed that! WE were surprised that we actually made it all 310 miles through Indiana to the IL boarder in one day. We were worried that the troopers would want to park us, and finish tomorrow. We parked just across the line at the IL little IL weigh station there, and all went to a hotel in the next town down the road. Watseka is pretty familiar to Annalou and I, because since it is right on the IN/IL line, we have stopped here together on several loads when we were working together. In fact, one time we spent 3 weeks sitting here when we were going the other way, and had to wait for IN permits. We found out later that the permit office had gotten new software, and no one wanted to learn how to use it, so we had to wait 3 weeks until someone finally did. (I guess they never heard of technical support!) When you work for the state, your “customers” can’t go anywhere else, so customer service is not an issue.

Saturday, August 21, 2021

We were up bright and early, since IL only allows us to run from sunrise until noon on Saturdays. Our route was 320 miles to the truck stop, and we wanted to be sure to make it there, because there is no place for us to stop along our route any sooner. We have heard from the site that they may not be ready for us Monday morning, but will not let us know until first thing Monday morning. So we’d much rather spend a few days waiting at the Largest Truck Stop in the World for a few days if need be, rather than a small dirt lot or something.

It was a very low key day, with no steer turns, and only one RR track to raise up for. So we made our 320 miles with almost 30 minutes to spare! We parked at our usual spot at the Iowa 80, and didn’t think to take any pictures because since we have been here so many times, it would look like the same picture you have seen before !! HA HA

However, this time was different. The other steerman drives a company van with seating for 3, so I was not needed to drive my driver to the hotel or to restaurants. So, I found a nice campground for $23/night instead of the $100/night hotels they found to be the cheapest in the area. Not a bad site. . . .

I spent Sunday – Tuesday there while we waited for the site to be ready for us to drive over and get unloaded. So they let the HP cars leave in order to save that expense, and just paid the two of us steermen to sit and wait. It was nice and quiet during the week!

The other truck was scheduled to leave at 6 AM, and unload tomorrow morning, and we were scheduled to unload Thursday morning. I brought out the propane grill, and made some nice meals, including this onion omlet with sausage patties!

And, I brought out the new hot plate that Sara gave me, and cooked inside, making Chicken Fajitas and chili.

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Intending to sleep in yet another day, I woke up at 6:05 AM to my ringing phone!  The other driver (Eddie) was at the truck stop, ready to leave, and just found out that his replacement HP guy just broke down, and will not be there. They asked me if I would be HP for that truck today, and come back to steer my truck in tomorrow. You know me! I LOVE rescue missions, was just wasting time doing nothing so would rather be working, and would LOVE to make some extra money! I packed up, unplugged, drove the 15 miles, was there, filled with fuel, signs up, flags on, HP’s set up, and ready to meet them 45 minutes later as they drove out of the truck stop at 6:50!! Woohoo!

I escorted them in, where we waited 3 hours for them to call us under the crane, helped them unload,

shrink up, and then directed traffic for them as they pulled out on the highway to leave. I took off my signs and flags, and then passed them once we got on the highway, and headed back to Davenport. Eddie will be back at the shop tomorrow morning, and I will leave with him Friday morning from there on my next adventure.

I had told my driver that I’d stay at the hotel where he was tonight, so he’d have a ride to supper tonight, and we could leave the hotel at 5 AM in the morning. As I passed by the truck stop, I could see that two more trucks with loads like ours parked next to us there.

I checked in, and met him there at the hotel by 6, and we went for supper.

Thursday, August 26, 2021

As planned, we met at my van, and left the hotel by 5 AM, got our truck ready, and left the truck stop just before 6 AM. When we began to drive around the north side of Des Moines, it began to lightning and thunder, and poured very heavy as we passed by on the north, and around to the west side. It was still raining hard when we got off the ramp at the exit for the site at 10:30. My driver could not get anyone on the phone, so I drove in to the site. Since I have been here so many times, I know who the movers and shakers are by now! I skipped by all the official people in charge, and drove right over to the crane crew sitting in their trucks, and up to the foreman. Cory is a great guy, and we enjoy each other’s sense of humor. He gave me his cell number, so I could have my driver call him once the site lifted the lightning work-stop. I drove back to the truck, and we waited there. And waited. And waited.

Finally, just after 1 PM, Cory called and said they were going to lift the work-stop within 20 minutes because it stopped raining over an hour ago, and they haven’t seen lightning for a while. So we drove in. We had to move fencing and cones, and still had to make a 3 point turn into the site as I steered him. We got up to the crane – and BAM! Lighting! So they shut the site down again, and we all waited in our vehicles. And waited. And waited. Once they were satisfied that the nearest lightning  was more than 30 miles away (yes THIRTY MILLES) they let us unload.

It was 3 PM by then, so all we had time for was to unload, shrink up to 12′ wide, and beat it back 166 miles back to the MN line, stopping in Albert Lee for the night. The plan was to make it all the way back to the shop today, and for me to leave with another driver from there in the morning. So they will get him a chase car for tomorrow, and I drove back to the shop, will sleep there, and leave in the morning with Eddie.