One In A Million

Into everyone's life a little rain must fall...

This week I decided it was time to address a few minor issues I was having with the new truck. Minor things really. The rear axle had a gasket that was leaking, typical after removing the axle for the new truck to be towed to its new home. I had also noticed that the truck was not efficiently greased after being built. So, I thought I would stop in and get those items marked off the To Do List. While I was waiting, a nasty little storm was rapidly approaching from the west and for a moment, I almost decided to call it a day. But, with it only being 6 pm and I didn't get started driving until 11am, I decided to proceed towards my destination.

Ohhhhh, how I wish I had stopped early!!!

An hour after leaving the shop, the storm was catching me and I was watching a magnificent display of lightning. In fact, I had a front row seat. Actually I became part of the show....

While traveling north on I-77 through North Carolina, I had a one in a million experience when,  SNAP CRACKLE POP, a blinding light filled the cab. Every hair on my body stood on end as the entire cab of the truck lite up. All lights and gauges glowed for a brief moment, before everything faded to black. I noticed that all the gauges had died, the engine fan was now running, the engine brake no longer worked and my four-way flashers were mysteriously flashing. Mysteriously, because the switch was not engaged.

What the............

The truck continued to run, but with everything in the cab no longer working, I decided I should pull over and check the fuses or relays. I managed to make it into a rest area 10 miles later and proceeded to survey the damages. The only way to cancel the flashers was to shut off the truck. All fuses were good and with no other ideas, I called in for road side assistance. Peterbilt informed me that I would have to be towed in if the truck would no longer crank. Oh, did I mention that? While the truck continued to run after the lightning strike, once I shut it off, it was completely inoperable.

After waiting for what seemed like forever, I was told that I could not get a tow truck until the next day, so in my complacent nature, I decided sleeping in the truck would be easier than raising hell until the wee hours of the morning. Perhaps, I could actually get some sleep. Um, yeah... not so much! But at least the tow truck arrived bright and early. By 6 am, I was enroute to Peterbilt. The driver was actually nice enough to pull off on the side of the highway so I could grab some breakfast.

It is now approaching my 3rd night since the electrifying event and I can honestly say that I am bored out of my mind. The good news is that all the cars seem to remain unscathed. I crawled in a few to make sure they would start. I am still concerned about the 2 on top of the tractor. The truck itself is baffling the shop. They have replaced the Cab Electric Control Unit and there is still no change. The truck is still dead. All the auxiliary power still works such as the PTO. Interior lights function but no gauges and no ignition...  Non of the switches work on the dash, but if you turn the key the four way flashers light up.

Hopefully, tomorrow will bring with it good news. If not, I am heading home because the shop is closed until Tuesday for Memorial Day. Ahhh, the joys of motel living!

Even after living the experience, and writing this post... I still cannot believe it

I got hit by lightning....  What are those odds????????

North Adams, Massachusetts

Finally found me some SNOW!!

The Blizzard of 2011

I got nothing!!

The week started out with my basking in the glow of Sunshine. It was 70 degrees when I left the house. It remained 70 degrees throughout my trek on Sunday. What a time to find out that the truck AC was not functioning properly. What an even more incredibly amazing time to discover that in my haste that morning, I had forgotten to apply deodorant. Oh well, it is much better to find these things out in the middle of winter, rather than sitting in Miami slow roasting in July.

The temperature began to drop as I made my way towards Baltimore. In fact, it was in the low 20s when I awoke Monday morning. While the truck was parked inside, I found myself wandering about outside actually watching the ice begin to melt. Talk about exciting!! But I also noticed it was trying to snow. TRYING... halfheartedly!

I finished up in Baltimore around 10 am, and with only 2 stops left on the trailer it should have been a piece of cake. However, my next 2 stops were Philly and a little town about half way out on Long Island. I could have made the Philly drop and been on my way by 1pm, but that would only leave the 3 hours to make Hauppage. Sounds easy, doesn't it? Less than 100 miles in 3 hours, but this is New York. Expect the unexpected and be grateful if traffic is moving at all. I checked local traffic reports and the George Washington crossing looked to be backed up all the way through the Bronx. The lower crossing into Staten Island looked better but it appeared everyone in Brooklyn was sitting still. I decided to blow past Philly to ensure I had time to make the New York delivery.

Executive decision made, I crossed at the OuterBridge and began the slow crawl towards the Island. It took 2.5 hours to travel 60 miles and construction was mostly to blame. However, I did creep past a Big Truck that had lost two wheels. Yeah, that was the unexpected that I was expecting! Having still felt no fury from Mother Nature myself, I was reminded of her presence by the large amounts of snow pushed into piles at the edges of roadways and parking lots. In fact, my customer had lost nearly half of their lot due to heaps of snow. This makes for a good time when the lot is barely large enough to turn around in during the summer, much less with the encroaching 5' snowbanks.

My decision did pay off, and I was unloaded and back on my merry way to Philadelphia by 6pm. I would have left sooner, but by the time I got unloaded there were 2 more local trucks in the lot, and absolutely no way for me to vacate the premises. And even when I was finally able to exit, I think I brought half the snow bank with me out into the road.

Bedding down for the night just northeast of Philadelphia, I was once again alerted to the storms rapid advancement. Hearing everything up to 12", I was mildly anxious of my return journey home with the empty trailer. But when I awoke in the morning, there was barely a dusting.

As I made my way south, there was a little bit of a flurry for about 100 miles. I made my way through Maryland and DC with no backups or delays. And no snow! By the time I hit Virginia, it was warming up nicely. In fact, while much of the Country was feeling the onslaught of Mother Nature's frigid fury, I was once again basking in the glow of warmth.

The only advisable road conditions I witnessed....

CAUTION: Mowers Ahead

But I am sure my time will come, and until then... I will just keep knock knock knocking on Heaven's Door. Or at least on this here trusty piece of wood.

Mont Eagle, TN

January 26, 2011

She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy...

But what about my trailer?

Last week, after finishing up my first route, I was offered the chance to earn a little extra. Actually, I have been earning a little extra every week since the 3 drivers were terminated. I am not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I am not accustomed to working 6 days a week. However, I just can't seem to say no. So after a quick route through the Carolinas, Virginia and Maryland, I hurried home to grab a load heading to our sister plant in Northern Indiana.

I was a little dismayed to find this trailer waiting for me! Ugh !!!!! Sure, everybody is looking a little grungy lately with all the winter storms, but this is just plain negligence. Looks like it has been sitting in a field for years.

The trip itself went well, I made the delivery on Thursday morning without any incidence of bad weather. I did here reports that on Wednesday morning, the very roads I was traveling on were slicker than owl snot, coated in ice and snow. But once again, I was

running just behind the weather. After making the drop , I then proceeded to Toledo to pick up.

Then next leg of the journey was very scenic, and I loved every mile of it. There is nothing like the solitude of a nice two lane, to keep your spirits high. It wasn't long before the winds picked up and the snow began its assault. But I managed to make it to Toledo and grab the ingots before conditions worsened. In fact, the snow stopped long enough for me to .... make it home. By the time I made hit Kentucky, all hell was breaking loose behind me. I spent the night in Georgetown with a 2-4in forecast for overnight showers. I awoke to find a mere dusting. I was told Jellico was a death trap, once again...nothing.

I should probably quit while I am ahead, I have been warned that Ol Man Winter is going to sneak up behind me and clobber me with a whopper of a snowstorm, but so far. Well, you get the idea! Now, where is that wood I should be knocking on?

Second Verse, Same as the First

Although I made it home virtually unscathed on Tuesday, I had no desire to get out and see the sights until Atlanta was officially reopened. So you can imagine my dismay when the boss called and offered me a local run for Thursday. With reports of roadways still being iced over and many businesses still closed, I was hesitant to volunteer my services. Besides, running local pays next to nothing. But... I am not one to turn down an opportunity to increase my financial well-being, so I took the load.

I was pleasantly surprised to find my route had no delays and the customers parking lot was also salted and ready for action. It took about 15 minutes to unload. However it took over an hour to exit the premises. Grrrrr!!

The driveway is one way. You enter, circle to the back, and continue forward until you reemerge on the far side of the building. There is barely room for the forklifts to unload you, but they manage. There is NO place to turn around. So after unloading, I circle to the far side of the building to find this...



Before driving too far into the ice, I decided to stop and wait, figuring this guy would be out of my way in no time. After 15 minutes, I ventured forth on foot to let him know he was hindering my progress. By this time, 2 additional trucks had pulled into the lot to be unloaded. The driver of the bobtail informed me that his brakes were frozen. After heating the system with a portable torch, he manages to release his brakes, only to find that he is now immobile due to the ice he is sitting on. Another fifteen minutes passes as I watch him spin his tires and getting nowhere fast. Once again, I climb out and slip slide my way to offer assistance. With my tied down bar, I commence to chipping ice from around his drive tires. The driver sits comfortably in his cab. After 15-20 minutes, he finally offers to get his shovel and help me out ?? What the hell, dude.... I ain't the one who is stuck. At this point, I walk back to my truck and let him fend for himself.

An hour into the ordeal, I have finally had enough. The second truck is also empty and this bozo is still in no real hurry to vacate the driveway. I went in search of help. The customer was surprised to find me still wandering about the premises, and quickly offered to help. Within minutes enough salt was spread and the bobtail was able to move. It wasn't my responsibility to get this guy mobile, but he sure was not too motivated to do it himself!! Oh yeah, and I only busted me arse on the ice 4-5 times during all of this.. Thanks again, buddy !!

Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers

I am sure that by now, all of you have heard of the The Big Winter Storm that swept through the South at the beginning of this week. Hold that thought for a second while I go find some wood to knock on, because I may regret my next sentence.

I have an incredible propensity for dodging inclimate weather during winter. And this week was no exception.

I was able to get out of Atlanta before the storm hit. Arriving in Baltimore, in was a balmy 40 degrees with brilliant blue skies. I had a few deliveries in Pennsylvania and was able to make it back to Dublin, Virginia just in time to settle in for the night. The local forecast was calling for somewhere between 1-2" or 4-6" of fresh snow, depending on who you talked to. I was already a little nervous about being so close to home, so early in the week. It was only Monday night and the storm was still actively proceeding east. Lucky for me, I was a tad bit further north than the trajectory of this particular system. However, I also heard tales that Fancy Gap was a nightmare and was only getting worse. Fancy Gap was only 40 miles away, so, with that in mind, I snuggle down for the night. No alarm clocks set, because I was completely resigned to waking up in a winter wonderland and even though I was only 7 hours from home, I fully expected a full days drive in getting there.

I woke up, raring to go. Noticing that there was only about a half inch of snow outside of my windshield, I decided to get the party started.

Still a little anxious, I make my way down Fancy Gap... No problems, no ice, no fresh snow. The roads were immaculate and continued to remain that way, all the way through South Carolina.

That is until.....

I decided to pull into our shop located in Greer, SC for a little fuel and some new wiper blades. The shop is located on a little county road. With the Interstates being so well maintained, it never crossed my mind what the county roads looked like, or that the shop might actually be closed. The county road ended up being coated in about 3" of solid ice.

I slowly make my way down the road, trying to gauge my distance so that I will not have to stop in order to make my left turn. But I suppose my presence on this little county road was too much for the other vehicles. An approaching car decided to stop and watch me, which in turn made me have to apply the brakes so I would not miss my turn into the terminal driveway. Blasted FourWheelers !!

I had no problem stopping. However, after the car passed me, I found that inertia was not on my side. "A tendency for an object at rest, to remain at rest " I locked in my differential and found a superlow gear, but the moment I applied fuel, my ass end decided to slide to the right, straight into the piney perimeter of this little lane. Of course, inertia once again finished me off, dragging the rest of my tractor off the beaten path as well. Grrrrrr!! There was nothing left to do at this point, AND the terminal WAS CLOSED.

Having made it 1500 miles thus far with absolutely no treacherous road conditions, the only thing left to do was laugh at myself for getting stuck so close to home.

Within a matter of minutes, I looked up to see a Big Truck Wrecker ambling towards me. Oh, the sheer luck of it all. He stopped to ask if I was immobile, duh !! , and offered his services. He was on his way to extract 4 other trucks from similar predicaments around town and promised to return as quick as he could, which only turned out to be about an hour.

Disaster averted, I was able to get my fuel, meander back out to the Interstate and commence heading towards the house, hammer down. It wasn't until I reached Commerce, Ga that I first saw signs of trouble on the the Interstate. From this point, travel was reduced to one lane in each direction with quite a few icy patches.

Upon entering the city, I was notified that parts of 285 were still closed and all southbound 85 traffic was to be diverted through downtown. At rush hour, even. But alas, most residents were still safe and snuggled up at home, so there was still very few cars out on the roads. The overpasses were fubar, but I managed to make it home with no more issues.

The 7 hours trip (under normal circumstances) ended up only taking 9 hours and that was with the snafu I experienced in South Carolina. So all is well that ended well.

Here is a little video I found to illustrate a small portion of what I did, in fact, miss out on !! Good Times !

New Year.... New Blog Post

Oh WOW!! Where have I been ?

This seems like a pretty good time to do a new blog post, don't ya think? So, let's get started, shall we.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday Season, if in fact there are any readers still checking in to this seemingly abandoned blog. Hi Dad !!

My year ended with a rush of many, many different emotions. Starting with my return journey from the East Coast the week before Christmas. I was able to spend some time with Geoff just days before Christmas in Elkton, Maryland. However, my trek back to the Southland left much to be desired. I encountered several traffic delays en route, which is common during the Holiday Season. But I can tell you that I never want to spend that much time in Washington DC, ever again. 150 minutes to travel a mere 30 miles. But the most anxious moment of the journey was crossing the Susquehanna River near Perryville, Md. There are warning signs on both sides of the river bridge warning of high wind gusts. I have felt the force of the gusts and tend to get a little nervous on a windy day. That day was exceptionally windy.

Having an empty trailer, I was hoping to find a heavy load to hide beside as I made the crossing. No such luck, but at least the wind was blowing me towards the middle of the bridge and not to the outer wall. To prepare, I slowed and watched as cars began to make erratic maneuvers ahead of me and that is when I noticed the trucks tipping to one side. I slowed even more as I began to fear the worst. I watched as the trailer in front of me lurched and swayed to the left. Then ever so gently, the tires on the right side began to rise into the air... This happened several times and thankfully, he never toppled over.

NO !! That is not the actual truck I witnessed. But how would you like to see that happening in front of you. My experience was with a trailer only rising about a foot off the ground, but that is still 12" too much !!

After all the delays and dastardly daredevilish demonstrations, I finally arrived back at the yard just before midnight, to find that my battery in my car was dead. The plant was closed, only 2 other souls on the premises. Luckily, I was able to get one of them to jump off my battery and I scurried home to bed. Too much excitement for one day. But the next morning held no reprieve. The battery was dead again, a battery just purchased 15 months before. I was able to hitch a ride, battery in hand, to the AutoZone where I had purchased it, and they handed me a brand new one. Once the new battery was nestled snug under the Pony Car's hood, I trotted back over to the store and had the alternator tested. Sure enough, bad diode! And I was expected to be in Bama for the Holidays. There was no way I was going to spend the Holidays at home alone. The dealership did not have one in stock, so my only option was to get a rental.

I did make it home for the Holidays and was pleasantly surprised by about 5" of snow on Christmas morning. We had a blast and a few arguments while we commenced to building the biggest snowman these parts had ever seen. Not really sure about that last statement, but we like to think he was. In the end, our Snowman stood at 8' and made the evening news (on the weather report) !!

So, I think that about wraps up 2010.... Or the best shot I am prepared to give it at this moment. I am really out of practice with this whole blogging thing, sheesh! But it is late, and I have work to do tomorrow....Oh, that reminds me...

Think I will save that for the next post.. Stay Tuned, I promise I will be back !!!

Flirting With Disaster

Finally made it home from this week's journey and it was an exciting week to say the least. Well, there were a few exciting moments, anyways.

After the initial disruption and shock of the morning, Tuesday progressed into a most usual day. I made my Connecticut and Massachusetts deliveries. By lunchtime I was sitting in New Hampshire and waiting for my 4pm appointment to unload my last stop. Knowing that another major snowstorm was on the prowl, I called ahead and asked for one of those special favors. The customer agreed to unload me 4 hours early.

I made it back to Frystown, Pa and with the snow already falling, I knew there was no way I would find a parking spot if I continued south on Interstate 81. Besides, I prefer to face treacherous roads in full daylight.

When I went to bed, there was not quite an inch of fresh snow on the ground. I awoke to a half of a foot.

Deciding that I had better get a move on, I managed to make it out to the truck stop just before a pickup pulling another fourwheeler spun out on the main road and blocked the only way back to the Interstate. I had been watching the vehicle struggle to make it out of the driveway and before reaching the entry ramp, I heard that the road behind me was blocked. Talk about timing !! If you look to the left side of the picture you can see him. Who tows another vehicle in snowy conditions ??

As I merged onto the Interstate, I had a moment of regret that I had not continued further south the previous evening. Roads conditions were barely tolerable but there was no one else to be seen, so I had plenty of room for mistakes, although I had not intentions of making any.

I set a comfortable pace and and found myself in a rather content mood. I love winter, and I would much rather be in my Big Truck, than attempting to maneuver in the little Pony Car. Upon entering Interstate 81, the traffic got thicker and the pace got slower. For the next 90 miles, all motorists were content to play Convoy in the right lane, or wherever the tire tracks were. A few drivers reported over the CB that the Maryland Stateline was closed and we should find a place to park. If you are not aware, most states now implement the 511 Road Condition/ Traffic Report hotline. I called in and the road was opened, so I trudged onward.

Upon reaching the state line, I stumbled upon the reason for the earlier proclaimed closure. Good thing the snow stopped him, because next stop would have been head first into the bridge embankment. We were able to pass, but almost immediately the roads disappeared completely. At about this time, the winds picked up and started driving the already fallen snow into a whirling frenzy.

No visible road surface, and travelling at about 15 mph with little or no visibility, my passenger side windshield wiper decided to give up the ghost. With one last swipe followed by a loud thump, the wiper fell under the edge of the hood and played possum. I was extremely grateful that it was not the driver side. However, I was having to use a common truck driver trick to keep the amount of ice on the remaining blade to a minimum, even with the defrost set on broil.

By the time I made it into West Virginia, I was a little frayed. One more quick flick of the wiper and............. the damn thing flew into the wind and disappeared forever. I guess, it was tired of me beating on it. I grabbed the microphone, alerted the guys behind me that I had to slow down. Luckily for me, the next exit ramp was only 1/2 mile away. I rolled down my window and while leaning out to literally face the brunt of the winter storm, I was able to pull off. After making it to the end of the ramp, I was able to pop the hood and finagle the blade from the useless arm and reattach it to the driver's side. Thank God for duct tape, because I had broken the clip with numb fingers while removing it from the icy clutches of the now deceased wiper arm. During the whole process, a Trooper had pulled in behind me, because it seems I had parked in a 2 foot snow drift. LOL, I really had no choice, other than to block the entire ramp and with limited visibility ( me hanging out like a dog, lapping at the snow) I had been unable to discern how close I was to the right edge. I assured him that I was not stuck, because I had tested the waters twice by pulling forward before actually setting my brakes. He then leaves quietly. What happened to helping a damsel in distress. Oh well, he was a young pup and remarked that he knew nothing about Trucks, even though I was only working with wiper blades, which I am sure most vehicles do have these days.

By the time I made had the necessary repairs, I looked like a 5' snow bunny. I eased back out into traffic with no problem, except I lost a mudflap/hanger in the snowdrift. Another 50 miles and the roads were absolutely beautiful. Blue skies emerged and the snow was blinding as it reflected the brilliance of the Sun.

By this time, Pennsylvania had begun to shut down the Interstates...Those that I had just travelled. I had no more problems the rest of the way home, and I am even more thankful that my NH customer provided that one little favor. Otherwise, I would have spent a lot of time hanging out in Pennsylvania this week...Something I try to avoid doing with an empty trailer.

Looks like Ol Man Winter took me up on my dare last week, as he was throwing some pretty good punches. Stay tuned, I hear I am in for another one next week...

The Blizzard of Ozzzzzz

While the rest of the East Coast was trembling in fear of the approaching storm, I, with my lack of good sense was eagerly anticipating the arrival of 3-4' of snow. I could not wait to see it.I left a day early to allow for any delays that would be forced upon me. I heard the word BLIZZARD so many times while watching the Weather Channel, that I was absolutely stoked!! I had other drivers confirming 39" and 43" inches ...

Thinking that with the weather reports I was hearing, I should be seeing evidence not too long into my journey. Crossing the Virginia State Line....nothing.

And much to my disappointment, this is about all I saw the whole way through. The snowbanks caused by the plows was just barely at 2', so where is all this snow?

Don't get me wrong, there was some treachery involved. The story was that DC had run out of salt, so this is what I had to endure for about 70 miles. Feels just like driving on a cobblestone street. What amazed me was that people were complaining because of the delays, and I am thinking to myself..." I don't think I want to go faster because this is too rough at even 10 mph ! "

But Interstate 95, above and below DC, was immaculate!!

Hauling Snow !!

These guys were hauling off the snow, to help keep the roads from refreezing over night.

Talk about a Rooster Tail !!

New Jersey gets a little upset if you de-ice on the Interstate. This was the only compliant driver I saw.

Of course, some of you had to have known I would pull this little stunt. I am a firm believer that in emergency situations, the left lane is fair game. The officer who past me, never gave me a second glance!! And for the record, I was on the left shoulder more than the left lane!!

So, while the definition of a blizzard is a snowstorm with wind gusts no less than 35mph, visibility decreased to .25 mile or less and lasting at least 3 hours, I just expected accumulation. Am I the only one who thinks that?? As for the inaccurate trucker reports, well, you cant believe everything a truck driver says.

And while I do realize that this was a lot of snow *smirk* and roads were jeopardized, I was immensely disappointed that it appeared to be just another snow storm in my book. Guess I should head out west and hide away in the mountains, if I wanna see real snow!!

Even More Grateful !!

My next load landed me back on the East Coast with stops in NC, VA, MD, PA and NJ. The storm I had just conquered in Tennessee was racing me to the coast. Thankfully, it was a short week, and this weeks post, I present to you in pictures!!

Where I spent the night Sunday. It is not too often you see this much ice in Kenly, North Carolina. Thankfully, I did not have any trouble maneuvering in this mess. It was a solid inch of ice!!

First stop: Winterville, NC. Unloading on ice was my biggest concern. Even if I could get the load to the customer, they HAD to be able to get the forklift to me!!

Youngsville, NC Still in the throes of the winter storm!! Not so efficient as work conditions, but ohhhh, so very invigorating to MY soul!!

Maybe they were not properly equipped for the snow, but I give North Carolina props for a job well done.

HA!! I had a little fun in Richmond, Va. The customer's parking lot was immaculate, but this road leading in/out was still a bit slushy... While listening to "Trapped Under Ice" by Metallica, I got a little crazy. Once all the automobiles had turned off this beauty, I floored the accelerator and sent a rooster tail of this mushy slop back into the trees...I was, ummm, helping make conditions safer by clearing up the road surface...

Patterson, NJ. While it is a little but tight getting through some communities in New Jersey, the perks make it all worthwhile. I got a dinner invitation in Manhattan out of this delivery.

Tuesday Night, the snow started again so it was early to bed for me. Once I awoke and began my trek home, I was enraptured by the brightness of the snow. This was taken well before sunrise.

But daylight offered no reward. Mounds of snow and heavy fog!!

Eventually, the skies cleared off and the seduction of Mother Nature took over. I am sure I have mentioned this before, but I love Winter!!

Good thing, too. I hear there is trouble brewing in Paradise for me next week...Come on, Old Man Winter, let's see what ya got !!

To Err Is Human, To Forgive....

Well, that is just part of the job. My job, at least. With so many things that can and will go wrong, it is almost a requirement to have a forgiving temperament. Otherwise, life would be pretty miserable while out on the road.

This week had so many pitfalls, I should probably do a single post for each day of the journey... But I will try to keep this one relatively in check.

Sunday night was easy enough,only 140 miles to my first customer. Well, except for the fact that the loaders forgot to strap down parts of my load. Plus they also loaded all the palletized material on one side of the trailer. That could be a problem later in the week, but did I ever tell you how much I hate to get dirty before I ever even leave the yard? So, the first chink in my armor was having to work on my load. The second would be the fact that, while I spent a day in Tennessee last week having repairs made, my truck is actually running worse. I went from an average of 7.9 mpg while loaded to a staggering 4.1 miles per gallon.

Monday started out just fine, with the previous ordeal of the straps forgotten...until the removal of some freight left those pallets in a vulnerable position. Later in the day, a small pallet double stacked did in fact do a nose dive off of a larger pallet and onto some other material, but there was nothing I could do about it. The center supports had been left off of the trailer...I was not destined to get much done on Monday, but I knew that before leaving out. So, it was 4 stops in Tennessee. I finished "working" before noon. But the drive left me grumbling, because along with the heavy consumption of fuel, there was also a very noticeable loss of power. Let's just say I climbed out of Dunlap, Tn at a whopping 12 mile per hour, and that was after I dropped off 15,000 pounds of freight. I have never dropped into the low side of my gears for this pull, so I was not looking forward to cruising through Kentucky.

Tuesday morning finds me just south of Indianapolis, In. A quick glance at my gauges alerted me to trouble...Seems I had someone steal some fuel during the course of my overnight stay. Good thing I slept at a fuel stop, because I would not have made it very far with what they left me, now that I was rolling at 4 mpg. I am just happy that they left the fuel cap, although it was not secured.

Upon arriving at the Indy customer, it is now mandatory that I do something with the overturned pallet. Good thing it only weighed about a hundred pounds. I was able to flip it off of the bundles of metal to deliver here, and thankfully, the lift driver then helped me to reorganize the remaining pallets for safer traveling. After delivering Indy, I headed north to drop off a few goodies around the Detroit area. I finished my three stops there and headed west just in time to watch the arrival of the saltshakers (snowplows). Although, I never did witness more than a handful of flakes actually falling from the sky.

Wednesday morning I awoke to the glorious landscape of winter in Kohler, WI. After making my delivery and getting my shortcut planned out, I took off down a two lane heading for Minnesota. You might find this surprising, but I was already needing to look for fuel again. This continued all week, because I was not accustomed to running at 4 MPG !! Sheesh... The route was good. My truck, not so much! I have to regenerate my exhaust every 1800 miles, which also pulls down my towing capacity. Unfortunately, my truck decided it was not going to regen and began to show the telltale signs I was in for an even longer week than originally expected.

Holy Cow, did I even mention this before.. I am going to Minnesota... That will complete my tour of the 48 contiguous United States. I have now driven through all of them and it only took 13 years to do so.

But back to the main event. So, without regenerating, the truck will eventually smother itself because the exhaust filters will become clogged. While it is having a hard time exhaling, it also is struggling to maintain the feeble job it was already performing. But, on top of that, I am now blowing out so much exhaust that it appears my truck has blown a turbo. I like to call this fumigating, and the folks behind me on this two lane stretch of real estate were not happy about it. I managed to get to the fuel stop, and decided to run a manual regen, in hopes that I could delay the inevitable.

It worked, but it took 45 minutes to complete and I was already behind schedule. I needed to make a quick stop in Winona, MN, before heading up to Minneapolis....

...to be continued

Route 23 near Kohler, Wisconsin

Out With The Old...

What can I say... Last week was pretty typical, I suppose. My route took me through Kentucky, Indiana, and Michigan. Having checked the weather (because it is THAT time of year) I knew that I really should not have any weather related worries. However, on Tuesday, each and every customer began to advise me that I might want to get the hell out of dodge. Old Man Winter was strutting his stuff and I was directly in his path.

I surprised myself by finishing on Tuesday. But then again, (AA) always tells me that I underestimate my own skills. My response to that.."If you plan for the worst, then you will always be delighted when things turn out normal, or even exceed your expectations." But I am a glass is half full kind of girl.

I make it into Kentucky that evening after battling monsoon winds and torrential downpours. I swear at times it felt like I only had 9 wheels on the ground. Not a pleasant feeling, and truthfully, I think rough weather is one of the hardest things I trucker has to deal with.

Earlier in the day, I had noticed I was having mechanical issues. I had actually noticed hints of them the week before, but this time I was parked in a dock. A dock that is inside of a building. And I was jutting out of the doorway, so that it could not be closed. And my truck did not want to start. It took almost 5 minutes to get Frankentruck to submit to my endeavors. So when I arrived in Kentucky for the night, I knew I may be down for the count. I opted to stop at truck stop with a service shop, just in case.

The next morning, with even more effort, I coerced Frankentruck into cooperating. By now I had decided no more runs until this issue was resolved, but I was already on the board for a Florida run just as soon as I could get in.

Time to make an executive decision. I had alerted the Stooges and the newest member of our in house dispatch team to my troubles. They were going to get me another truck, and line up the repairs for this one. I did not want to play along, as I do not play well with others. So, I decided to manipulate this situation just a wee bit, for my own sake.

I headed down into Chattanooga and made a beeline for the local shop there. I knew if I showed my poor little truck to the mechanic there, he would pretty much shut me down. He is such a wonderful fella, really! As soon as he inspected my rig, he was on the phone to our Headquarters and got the okay to put me out of my misery. He then called Volvo and had them awaiting my arrival. Next, he loaded me and my gear in the company pick-up and took me to a nicer side of town for room and board. During all of this, our new dispatcher was frantically trying to figure out a way to get me back to Atlanta and in another truck that just did not exist at the moment. He rang my phone just before checking into the room. I convinced him that it would just be better if I stayed and waited on my truck, rather than borrow a daycab. My truck was in a bay within 2 minutes of my arrival and after the initial once over, it was supposed to be repaired and rolling by noon the next day. If I took the daycab, what was I going to drive to Miami? hmmmm?? And then I would have to bring the daycab back to the Nugget (Chattanugget) to retrieve my truck. Only to have just enough time to grab my next trailer and head out on next weeks load...Ugh..No thankyou! Last time I pulled that one, I kind of exceeded my hours just a tiny little bit and forgot about it. Only to be reminded of it later that week.

So while I did convince the new dispatcher to cut me some slack, I know he was fit to be tied..But, this is exactly the results I had intended when I first woke that morning. Sneaky, huh??

Now why would I do this, you may ask yourself. Because in order to pull off his plan of action, I would have had to swap trucks no less than 4 times last week...That would bring my total up to 37 .... Yes, I have jumped trucks 33 times since we got these big beautiful fully ripened LEMONS just over 2 years ago. And I just don't wanna do it no more!!

But, my friends, I do have some exciting news to conclude with. Volvo has decided to reward us for our substantial failure in making lemonade, by giving us 5 NEW ENGINES!! Yep, that's right...I will let you know how that pans out.. Until then.....Truck Em Up!!

For those of you who may be new to my blog. My scheming was not a result of not wanting the extra work. It is because I knew if I took my truck back home, the Stooges would send it to South Atlanta, and it would have been out of commission for at least a week. Also....The Stooges are my mechanics, and aptly named for all of the ridiculous repairs they have made, and the ones they cant seem to figure out.

The Scenic Route

or my new favorite road...

Last week during my trip through Massachusetts, a new location was added to my regulars. Well, it is not necessarily new, but I have only been there one time before and that was during the blizzard-like conditions of 07-08. (I think that is correct, when the New York Upstate was covered 10-12 feet of snowy goodness.) Needless to say, the location was unfamiliar to me. On the previous excursion to North Adams, Mass, I was advised to NOT take Route 2 because of the weather conditions. This trip, however, it is just the beginning of Autumn and the road beckoned to me. I was heading back to New Hampshire, and this was the most direct route back east. Besides , I can never resist a good scenic route.

Without further ado, I will present my findings. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did first hand!!

The customer! Nice little out of the way place!

Route 2 following the river through the Mohawk Trail State Forest.

Lots of curve and twists!!

...A view from the top, if you look closely, you just may see a Moose!!

And finally, the first telltale signs that Mother Nature is ready to strut her stuff!!