September 9 – 15, 2021

Thursday,  September 9, 2021

I had called Eddie yesterday to know when to meet up with him this morning. I had driven directly to a truck stop, and stayed in my van for the night. But after I got ready for bed, I found out from one of the dispatchers that I would be the HP guy on this one instead of steerman. That meant I had several hours of homework to do before I could go to bed. I had to read all the permits, put the route into my GPS system, and locate the 10-15 bridges in Indiana and Kansas that we are supposed to deal with in a special way. It could be any combination of the following, or all of them:

• Cross the bridge at 5 mph
• Be the only truck on the bridge
• Be the only vehicle on the bridge
• Cross the bridge in the very center

So I went to bed after 11 Pm, and set the alarm for 4:30 so I could meet them by 6 AM.

I got set up, and since one truck was already at the site getting ready to load by 8 AM, I just needed to push traffic aside on the winding and skinny roads to get this one truck to that same site in order to load before noon.

It was only a 56 mile trip, so we were there by 11, and since the staging lot we have always used has changed ownership, we can no longer park there to expand the trailer and wait to be called over to load. So we had to find a safe spot on the side of a nearby road to do that.

We expanded the trailer, and once our first truck was loaded and secure, tarps were on, and had pulled out, we were called to go over and load.

We were then ready, with tarps on, by 3 PM. I set up my High Poles, and led my truck 58 miles right back to that Harrison weigh station, but on the west side on interstate 71 this time, to meet that first truck and park for the night.

As we pulled out to go get a hotel room, I took these pictures of what that scale house looks like today, just a few days after that semi ran into it.

As I said, it is a very good thing no one was inside that scale house at the time!

I took Eddie in my van to a hotel, where we got rooms with the other crew members, after having supper together.

Friday, September 10, 2021

We were back at the trucks before 7 to meet our Indiana troopers there by 8. We had 2 for each truck, and one was late. They did their inspections, ran a check on everyone’s license, and then we waited. We didn’t  pull out until almost 9 AM.

The other truck went first, and I led the second.

The troopers were a huge help with traffic control as we had to cross most of the special bridges in the center, alone, and at 5 mph. They held all our traffic lights so we never had to stop, and on the highway, they would leap frog and stop all merging traffic entering the highway until both trucks passed by.

As a result, we made it all 204 miles through IN by the end of the day, and parked just across the line at the weigh station in Sheldon, IL. It is a small one, and I didn’t get any shots of both trucks squeezed into it.

Saturday, September 11, 2021

We pulled out with both trucks before the Scale Master even arrived to open the scale house. We had called yesterday to be sure we could park there, because we take up so much room. He was just closing for the day when we arrived, and we assured him we would be gone before he needed to open today. Not everyone does that, and some pay the price for their selfish behavior!

We had a good day, with a much easier route through Illinois this time. Much less back roads, meaning more highway. So we made it to the Iowa 80 Truck Srop by mid afternoon, after only a 225 mile trip this time. The first truck doesn’t unload until Monday, and we don’t unload until Tuesday, so we will stay here until then. They sent to other HP guy on another adventure, so I will lead both trucks in.

I drove to my favorite campground just 11 miles away in Davenport, where I will stay until Tuesday morning.

Sunday, September 12, 2021

It was great to go to church again! I found an Assemblies of God church less than 5 miles away, and went early so I could meet and chat with the Pastor before attending Sunday School.

We had a great class, and a wonderful discussion about several topics. When the leader asked “does anyone have any idea what it means to be ‘led of the Spirit’?”, and it was silent, I spoke right up, which started a really fun exchange! I love that stuff!!

Monday, September 13, 2021

I was up early enough to drive back to the truck stop, fuel up, set up flags, signs, and poles, and meet that first truck by 7 AM. We pulled out just after 8:30, and I led him 187 miles, all highway, to the site in Cummings, IA.

We arrived at the site by 12:30, and since the fuel tank base had not been unloaded yet, we pulled the tarps off out on the road, and folded them up on the grass. Once they were ready for us, I controlled traffic as the steerman backed him into the site and back under the crane.

As HP, I was then free to leave, so I headed back to the campground. I stopped on my way by, and picked up Eddie, and we went to supper. His steerman this trip is very good, but pretty much stays to himself, so Eddie had been walking to fast food for the last few days, and wanted a real meal!

Tuesday,  September 14, 2021

Today was pretty much a repeat of yesterday! We left the truck stop at about 8, drove the 187 highway miles, parked on the side of the road,

removed the tarps, and I directed traffic again as his steerman steered him under the crane.

But from there, it changed. Since a lead car is not needed once Eddie is empty, they sent his steerman off onto another job, and I became his steerman. Once we had him unloaded, we shrank back down to 12 feet wide, and I backed him out of the site and onto the street. We had just enough time to drive the 187 miles back to the Iowa 80 Truck Stop, where we parked him, and had supper. He slept in his truck, and I went back to the campground for the night.

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

We left early, because we didn’t know what the day would bring. It was mostly highway miles up to Fall River, Wisconsin which is just north of Madison. It was just 206 miles, so we were there before noon.

We met the same truck we had worked with on that last load, but his steerman had been called off to another job this morning, so he was now alone. He will have the steerman who left us yesterday,  but he was on a one day job somewhere, and will meet us here tomorrow to load both trucks. Both drivers slept in their trucks at the site, so I went to my favorite campground just 7 miles away, and spent the afternoon and night by the lake.

We will load and tarp both trucks tomorrow, and leave together Friday morning.