Trkrjim, North America's Favorite Trucker

FIVE YEARS!

2012-01-15T08:27:00.001-06:00

Goes fast when you gave as much fun as I do.

Popcorn Run

2011-12-19T11:09:00.001-06:00

Somebody thought it would be a good idea to go out the week before Christmas and deliver to movie theaters. I have four of them on this run and they are all located in shopping malls. Its a major pain in the ass squeezing into them with a big scary truck (bst) like I have.

Down in the Caves

2011-11-17T22:47:00.001-06:00

Finally got to go underground. It wasn't hard to get around at all. I was actually quite surprised that I could turn a 53'r around down there. There was plenty of room to go around the support columns.

New Trucks Finally

2011-11-05T09:14:00.001-05:00

My trusty Columbia will be consigned to the scrap heep soon. New Cascadia's are starting to arrive and its looking like I should have one within the month. Nice interior and equipped with Thermo Kings Tri-Pac Electric apu. I knew we were getting that unit but have never seen any on the road. Hope were not the test fleet!

I miss Andy

2011-10-22T14:39:00.001-05:00

All Maine Points

2011-10-19T18:57:00.001-05:00

I went up to Portland Maine today. Not much to report except it rained most of the day.

And Dunkin wanna be

2011-10-19T18:55:00.001-05:00

The donut was pretty good and they did have truck parking so I shouldn't be to harsh. This chain is based out of Massachusetts and isn't found to far out from Boston.

ANDY AND WINSTON

2011-10-17T19:06:00.001-05:00

The two best dogs ever!

Autumn in Vermont

2011-10-13T17:54:00.001-05:00

If I ever leave Iowa I am moving to Vermont. I lived in New Hampshire for 9 years so I am well familiar with the weather and scenery. It just keeps pulling at me though.

We Serving all North America

2011-09-13T18:05:00.001-05:00

Wouldn't you expect someone to recognize this wasn't correct before it was stuck on?

Damn Air Lines

2011-07-02T22:58:00.001-05:00

What Harm Can 'Ice Road Truckers' Do to Tender Young Minds? < PopMatters

BRAN 31

2011-06-05T15:28:00.001-05:00

Bike Ride Across Nebraska 2011 is underway. Day one had me riding from Brady to Callaway Nebraska. 63 miles today in the heat but no wind. Tomorrow is 71 miles to Burwell. Its forecast to be 95 degrees tomorrow so I will be up and at it early.

New Hood?

2011-06-01T08:48:00.001-05:00

I thought for a second I might need a new hood but this truck managed to miss me.

Bottomed out in Burlington

2011-05-27T13:54:00.001-05:00

My sporty new 53'r with the high speed freight wings bottomed out backing down into this dock. The tandem was about in the middle of its travel. Further back than what would be legal in CA but heck, I'm in Iowa! After sliding the axles up as far as they would go I gained enough clearance (1/4") to make it the rest of the way in without scraping them on the ground.

For Mutsuko

2011-05-19T10:13:00.001-05:00

Watch "Cryin' For Me (Wayman's
Song)" on YouTube

Friday the 13th

2011-05-13T21:10:00.001-05:00

I got in this truck at 0400 and the fuel guage showed 1/2 full. 365 miles later I had run it out of fuel right in front of the Pilot in Altoona, IA. Another 200 feet and 2 right turns and I would have made the fuel island. It took about an hour for road service to bring me 12 gallons of fuel and get me restarted. Shit happens sometimes.

Daycabs suck when you have to wait

2011-05-10T12:27:00.001-05:00

Drove to Muscatine, IA and sat for a few hours to load.

PROSTAR MOMENT

2011-05-09T09:34:00.001-05:00

Finally get to drive a Prostar and it had to be a daycab. Rough riding choppy pos!!! Maybe that's a little harsh, its still 1000% better than the Freightliner Columbia I normally drive.

Chalk The Walk

2011-05-07T17:59:00.001-05:00

Mt. Vernon Iowa's annual sidewalk art festival. I took a leisurely 30 mile bike ride today to check this out and had a good time.

Who said there's nothing free in life

2011-05-06T09:00:00.001-05:00

Complimentary mug from Pilot!!! Almost makes me want to take back all the nasty things i've said about them over the years, almost.

Blogger Mobile

2011-04-30T16:34:00.001-05:00

I just downloaded the Blogger Mobile app to my Droid X. This is a test to see how it all works. I should be back on the road next week in a limited capacity running a daycab around Iowa.

Random Pictures

2011-03-30T22:22:00.003-05:00

What I'm doing nowadays

2011-03-21T12:19:00.003-05:00

watching tv, chatting on the internet and drinking coffee. it's a good life

my e-mail for those that are interested

2011-03-19T23:24:00.001-05:00

trkrjim@gmail.com

Driver dies after being hit by wrong-way semi on I-70 - The Denver Post

2010-12-28T21:09:00.000-06:00

Driver dies after being hit by wrong-way semi on I-70 - The Denver Post

November 2010

2010-11-21T22:42:00.002-06:00

Still trucking. The Columbia is now 3 years and 10 months old and has 497,891 miles on the clock. I probably put another 18,000 on various rentals while this one was in the shop. It will be gone in June, replaced with a Cascadia. I just want quiet. By the time I get a quiet truck I will have lost enough hearing not to notice. The second picture is an Army 915A3 truck tractor with tri-axle trailer. It's a standard Freightliner FLD 120 daycab.

2010-07-06T12:17:00.001-05:00

Middle of nowhere

On The Road Across Nebraska

2010-07-06T11:57:00.003-05:00

Ft Robinson

2010-07-06T11:32:00.002-05:00

Getting to the starting point

2010-07-06T11:26:00.000-05:00

Bike Ride Across Nebraska 2010

2010-07-06T10:54:00.004-05:00

For those of you that have driven across Nebraska just think how long it would take peddling? 7 days is what it took me to travel from Harrison in the northwest corner to Ashland which is just outside of Omaha. Has some wind and rain along the way but also got to experience the solitude of the Sand Hills (vast inland desert in north central Nebraska). I have to say now that the real West is still alive and well out there. It isn't overpopulated or Californicated in the least like Texas and Colorado have been. Next on the cycling to-do list is RAGBRAI ( bike ride across Iowa)

Update

2010-05-30T22:19:00.003-05:00

I had sweat in my eyes here

Week in and week out I have been doing the same old run out East and back. Nothing to report on that front. Its gotten pretty boring but it is consistent and pays well. My other happening is that I have gone all in cycling. I got my feet wet last year and loved it, this year I upgraded my bike and have gotten in over 800 miles so far. I just finished a nice two day getaway to Northeast Iowa and Southeast Minnesota. Next week I am riding across Nebraska in 7 days. 492 miles, camping every night along the way. It's going to be fun and won't rain or be to windy. I got that in writing too.

Winter in Wyoming

2009-12-12T11:39:00.001-06:00

Winter proved to much for this trucker. He wrecked his truck before even getting up and over the first hill in Wyoming.

Ground Blizzard in Wyoming

2009-12-12T11:23:00.002-06:00

I really don't care for driving through Wyoming in the winter. There is no scenery, to many trucks on the roads and the conditions just suck most of the time. This video shows a little of that.

Utah in the Snow

2009-12-12T10:31:00.005-06:00

Here is a little bit of me trucking along I70 in Utah. The scenery through this area is beautiful.

Some Stills from a Couple of Years Ago

2009-12-12T10:02:00.006-06:00

I loved driving the Volvo, it was 1000% better the Freightliner I have now. The dates that show on some of the photos is wrong. These pictures are from 2006 and 2007.

Oregon in the Snow with Chains

2009-12-12T09:09:00.004-06:00

Here i am hanging some chains and running with the big trucks across I84 towards Portland.

Winter Carnage in Iowa

2009-12-12T08:43:00.003-06:00

This video got a lot of complaints on YouTube. A lot of bad drivers didn't like being exposed I guess. Listen people, the snow and ice didn't cause these wrecks. The drivers who were going to fast for the conditions did.

Big Trucks Rolling

2009-12-12T02:13:00.003-06:00

Turnpike Doubles rolling across I90 in New York State

Old YouTube Video's

2009-12-12T01:48:00.003-06:00

I am going to post some video's that I took off of YouTube a little while ago for a variety of reasons. Chiefly YouTube pulling my audio. Many of you have seen these already but maybe some people will find them interesting.

People Net, Its about time

2009-08-01T18:52:00.006-05:00

I can run with the best of em' but my days of trashing through loose leaf log pages are over and yours are probably numbered too. I have been logging with my PeopleNet for about a month now and I have not had one Problem with it. I do have an advantage working for a private fleet that hauls its own product both ways to be sure. The first thing I noticed is how much time I am saving not filling out the paper log. It is also a huge relief to be legal and not worried about what's waiting up ahead. Probably the biggest difference is that for those running the big miles you will never again run the full 11 hours. You have to park some where without running over so that might be after 9 or 10 hours depending on where you are.

For the guys who want to keep pushing it to the limit I have to say "get a life man" 14 hours is long enough for anybody to work. It is such a relief to not have to make up for everyone Else's mediocrity anymore. I just do my job and let everyone else do theirs. If I can't make it there is no pointing of fingers at me. Now the blame falls where it needs to be, on the customer, the warehouse, etc etc etc.

The list of fleets who are switching to this is growing rapidly and will allow the DOT to concentrate on the rule breakers I have to think. What has brought this about is the FMSCA or Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration revising a rule that had prevented their auditors from asking to see satellite tracking data. As many of you know, as long as the fuel receipt was close and any tolls matched the rest was up to you.

My company and many others fearing that their own data will be used against them figured the gig is up. If they have to be accurate to every 15 minutes (the time between peopleNet positioning) then we might as well just go electronic and not worry about it.

I think it's a good deal. After all I need my rest.

RAGBRAI in the Book

2009-07-25T21:40:00.005-05:00

It's been a while folks but I have been busy here in Iowa. I decided that I wanted to be a bicycle rider recently and what better way to test my mettle than to get out and participate in the annual RAGBRAI. That stands for Registers Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. Last day was a nice ride, just 45 miles or so. Can not wait to do it again next year. This is a very social event with plenty of drinking and partying for those that have the energy.

Trkrjim and son. he made it all the way too!

This is a good example of the hills that kicked my ass. 25 miles of these, one right after the next.

Riders on the Road outside of Mount Pleasant, Iowa

Trkrjim at the Mississippi River in Burlington,IA

I am still here

2009-07-14T06:32:00.002-05:00

I know its been a while, its been a busy summer. I started e-logging. No more paper log books for me to falsify. I will have a lot to say about that in a day or two. It should be interesting to hear some opinions from people who have worked with it and now are without. I will save mine until I put together my analysis. This week I am off to Northern Vermont to drop a couple pallets of popcorn of all things.

Blind side backing

2009-06-26T18:38:00.001-05:00

I get to do this a couple of times a month so I have gotten pretty good at judging when to cut my wheels to get it in.

columbia at 324,000 miles

2009-05-31T12:22:00.001-05:00

Here is a little video. For a Freighliner it's holding up ok.

2007 Freightliner Columbia Revisited

2009-05-31T11:59:00.002-05:00

The truck is doing pretty good for the miles, it helps that I am the only driver it has had. No problems with the interior and I have not even had to replace a bulb yet either in the dash or outside.

The bumper seems to want to rust out but I suspect this will be repainted sometime before winter and that should get us through to the end of the lease. We are halfway there already.

Colin Hay playing Land Down Under with Rode NT3

2009-05-27T20:16:00.001-05:00

If you have not heard this song since the 80's you may appreciate a stripped down accoustic version, I know I do.

Trucking can Really Suck

2009-05-23T22:41:00.005-05:00

The week started off well enough. I left on Sunday with 9 stops taking me all the way to Portland Maine, but something went terribly wrong on the way there. I ended up in the Emergency Room in Batavia, New York on Tuesday evening is what. It started with a headache Sunday night and built into an all out nail biting, teeth gnashing, eye popping spectacle. I thought I might just drop dead my head was pounding so bad by the time I got to the Flying J in Corfu at X48A. I had wanted to get a shower but that was a non-starter when I didn't have it in me to get out of the truck. So after 3 Ibuprofen I managed to get in a short nap and awoke to still more pounding and sweating from a fever now as well. It was then that I figured before the pills wear off I had better get this looked at, I was getting worried at this point. Dropped the trailer and bob-tailed it to the Hospital and checked in to the ER. After a short interview they put a mask on me, can't be too careful what with the deadly swine flu about. I did have a fever and other symptoms as well as having traveled recently. In the end after an MRI, much blood work, and nasal swabs for Influenza I was diagnosed with a Sinus Infection. Worst pain I have ever had in my life over a sustained amount of time. I got some medicine and some prescriptions and after about 30 hours the headache lifted but I went nowhere on Wednesday. I just layed in the truck wishing I were somewhere, anywhere else than at the Flying J. Trucking can really suck sometimes. But when your sick and away from home it REALLY SUCKS. I made it home finaly and am staying put until I am feeling fit before heading back out.

Toughest Truck I Have Ever Seen

2009-05-08T18:52:00.002-05:00

This must be the roughest toughest truck I have ever seen. I came across this in Webster City, Iowa. This beast can do it all.

More Skydiving Pictures

2009-05-07T18:39:00.003-05:00

Trkrjim- Into the Wild Blue and Yonder

2009-05-05T19:10:00.004-05:00

This is the video that Doc John made of my skydive. When I get the dvd it will have more footage and a lot of stills so I should be able to make a nice high resolution video from it. I can't even begin to tell you how much fun this was, You're going to have to try it for yourself. Just invite me if you go. I can't wait to get in that door again, and soon.

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Trkrjim!!!

2009-05-03T10:18:00.004-05:00

I will have the video next week to share of my skydiving adventure but in the meantime here are a few pictures. I went out the door at 13,500 ft at Paradise Skydives over Vinton, Iowa on Saturday May 2, 2009. Most intense experience of my life so far, kneeling in the door. You will have to wait for the video to see that. My instructor Ken Reed was awsome in every way. I highly recomend this to anyone, give it a try. But watch that first step.
Didn't do it alone, went with Ken (aka whitelinesblueskies) and his wife and her sister.

Slowpokes Holding up Traffic

2009-04-25T12:46:00.003-05:00

I caught up to these Slowpokes just south of Waterloo Iowa last week. It took a few minutes to work itself out and then I was back operating at the speed limit again. 70MPH

Last of the God's Country Pictures

2009-04-25T12:32:00.003-05:00

I had trouble uploading these last week and then I caught a nasty cold that shut me down for a few days but here they are.

Great Salt Lake Desert near Wendover, UT

100 Miles of Nothing

Elk Mountain Wyoming

It's all down hill from here. From the top of Sherman Pass between Laramie and Cheyenne, Wy

I Remember Being Thrilled to Drive These

2009-04-13T08:53:00.002-05:00

I drove a lot of Cabovers in the early years, mostly Internationals but a few Freighliners along the way. Visability is awful out of these Freightliners. The dash is higher than the windshield on the passenger side so that obscures the view ahead some ontop of pretty small windows to begin with. It's all what your used to though, these trucks were just as safe as the drivers in them. Maybe we will see a come back of the cabover style in the future but I wouldn't count on it. This truck is a 1990's model and is still working around Oakland, California which is where I spotted it last week.

Big Rubber 24.5 size tires

Later Freighliner models (pre Argosy) had the steps in front of the steer axle.

Showing off in Fresno

2009-04-09T13:41:00.002-05:00

A little tight backing in Fresno to start the day does a body good. I don't think you can see in the picture too well but there is a building across from me and I didn't want to block the street either.

Arizona California and Western

2009-04-07T22:58:00.005-05:00

Saturday- Drive all day. North Liberty, Iowa to Meade, Kansas

Sunday- Drive all day. Meade, Kansas to Winslow, Arizona

Monday- 2 Drops in Phoenix and drive to California and make 2 more drops, Foothill Ranch and Anaheim.

Tuesday- Drop Gardena, Bell Gardens and Buena Park. Also make a small pickup in Signal Hill.

As of Tuesday night I am sitting in Fresno. I have a drop here and then up to Stockton and over to Oakland to final out.

Some pictures from the trip out. I have been running east every week for six months straight, I almost missed this scenery.

Welcome to California

Tolleson Arizona

I40 New Mexico

I40

Can you still remember the words to the song?

Andy the Collie at 5 Months

2009-04-03T22:58:00.006-05:00

I have had a nice week off hanging around the house doing absolutely nothing. I have been taking care of my boys, Andy and Winston. We have been going on walks, eating snacks, and even went to the dog park a couple of times.

I have gotten so used to just driving east every week that I started to take it for granted. Well the powers that be thought I should see what "Gods Country" Looks like again, so its off to Phoenix for me to start Monday morning. When it's all said and done I will have gotten off 10 stops. After Phoenix it's into Los Angeles then up to Stockton and finally empty out in Oakland. That's some Truckin'. See you boys when I get back...

Andy and Winston taking a pee break

Taking a Week Off

2009-03-29T21:34:00.002-05:00

I have three weeks vacation a year and it's a use it or lose it deal, so with that in mind I am taking the week off to relax at the house. I am not going anywhere or planning anything. I am going to be sleeping in and staying up late a lot. If any of you are in Iowa give me a shout and maybe save me from that list of things my wife has of things I should be doing.

Andy the Collie

2009-03-21T22:57:00.004-05:00

Andy is over 25 pounds already. Judging by the way he loves eating there is no telling how big he is going to get.

Food Grade Poison

2009-03-12T10:41:00.004-05:00

Don't worry about the skull and crossed bones on the label, this stuff is good for you. If it can

preserve your bologna then what do you think it will do for you. Actually a lot of ingredients are hazardous. Many of the flavorings are Flamable and some are even Caustic while still in bulk.

http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/question233.htm

Here is an explanation from "HOW STUFF WORKS" about the use of Sodium Nitrate.

Sodium nitrate (NaNO3) and its close relative sodium nitrite (NaNO2) are preservatives that you find in lots of processed meats. Stuff like salami, hot dogs, pepperoni, bologna, ham, bacon and SPAM all normally contain sodium nitrate as one of the ingredients. Fresh meats generally do not contain any added chemicals, so the question is, "Why is sodium nitrate added to all of these processed meats?"
There are two reasons for adding these chemicals to processed meats:
They preserve the color of the meat (meaning that it looks pink like SPAM rather than gray like cooked hamburger). You have probably noticed that nearly all meats that contain sodium nitrate or sodium nitrite remain pink or red even though they are cooked during processing.
These chemicals inhibit botulism to some degree.
The jury is out on how harmful these substances are. Sodium nitrite reacts with stomach acid and other chemicals in the stomach to produce nitrosamines, which have been shown to cause cancer in animals when consumed in large quantities. However, there's not much sodium nitrate/nitrite in meats, and we consume sodium nitrate/nitrite from other foods as well, so it is not clear that they are harmful in the quantities we get from meats. Some people recommend that small children and pregnant women avoid these chemicals altogether just to be safe. Since neither canned chicken nor tuna have any redness to protect, they generally do not contain nitrates

This Place has Gone to the Dumps

2009-03-12T10:24:00.002-05:00

This is the back lot of the Travel Centers of America in Gary, Indiana. Not much doesn't get tossed here it looks like. I have to say though that they are at least consistent, the Store and Restaurant are at least as filthy as the parking lot.

Andy on March 8, 2009

2009-03-08T15:19:00.003-05:00

This boy is getting big. He officially past 20 pounds just a few days ago. I am happy to report that he has not had an accident in the house in over a month and we have stopped worrying about that. He also has not chewed anything inappropriate which is amazing considering we leave him in the house for 5 to 6 hours a day unsupervised. Winston is really doing a good just teaching him the ropes I guess.

As for me, I am on my way to Massachsetts again. The same run I have done everyweek since October. This week there are 7 stops on the way out. I have been to them all a number of times so there really is not any mystery involved.

My New Hoopty

2009-03-05T22:11:00.003-06:00

I have a new ride, a 2002 Hyundai Sonata. I could not resist the license plate since it is only an extra $25 a year. So if you see me, be sure to honk and say hi.

Ice is to much for some

2009-02-20T17:12:00.003-06:00

A little ice covered roads on Thursday in NorthWest Indiana was too much for some to handle. It was all ice since the temperature was about 10F

Truckers Welcome Here

2009-02-17T19:30:00.002-06:00

The way things are today with truck restrictions and bans it's good to see that at least some businesses still welcome Truckers with open arms.

Andy and Winston

2009-02-14T23:29:00.004-06:00

Andy is now 13 weeks old and going strong. He has doubled in size in just the past 4 weeks. Winston who is 4 years old tried hard to ignore him for a while, but they are getting along fine now.

New Hampshire

2009-02-13T23:54:00.003-06:00

The only State that does not have a seat belt law (for adults). Commercial vehicle drivers are required by Federal law to buckle up but if you ever find yourself in the Granite State in a personal Vehicle feel free to live Dangerously. Like it says on their license plates "Live Free or Die" now that's a motto I can get behind.

Big Dog Movie

2009-02-13T23:51:00.001-06:00

Trying to keep up with the big dogs and not having much luck.

Random photos from recent weeks

2009-02-13T11:17:00.004-06:00

-10 morning in Randolph,NY

Cold diesel in Austinburg,OH

Fill it up and wash the windows please

Wise Snacks Berwick,PA

Wise Yard dog

Whately Massachusetts

2009-02-13T11:13:00.003-06:00

Just judging by the looks of this place you know it has to be good. It is located at x24 from I91 in Whately,MA. Plenty of truck parking and a big menu too.

Warsaw New York

2009-02-13T11:09:00.002-06:00

this is a pretty steep grade to negotiate in Western, New York on hwy 20A

Snow is nothing to get excited about

2009-02-04T07:44:00.003-06:00

Just a little snow in Massachusetts on I-91 as I drove South.

Drive-By Truckers - 'Never Gonna Change'

2009-01-30T23:12:00.001-06:00

This is a great band that I have known about for a few years but am just starting to get into. They have a great southern rock sound, perfect for rolling down the highway with the window open - stereo blasting. I am ready for spring.

Andy Update

2009-01-28T20:58:00.002-06:00

Andy the Collie is already 12 pounds and growing fast. He will sit for a treat and enjoys barking at the cats.

Connecticut in the Snow

2009-01-28T20:32:00.002-06:00

The Week in Pictures

2009-01-28T20:08:00.006-06:00

I ran back out to Watertown,MA again with a few stops in Ohio and New York or the way again this week. The weather pretty much was cold and snow followed by more cold and snow.

Peacefull place. Piffard,NY

One of my nicer stops. It's an Abbey, The monk's make bread to keep the lights turned on.
http://www.geneseeabbey.org/

It was as cold as it looks

Typical Winter Crap in Iowa

2009-01-21T17:26:00.002-06:00

Meet Andy the Collie

2009-01-21T17:18:00.002-06:00

Many of you know I have a Sheltie named Winston. Now the Wife has allowed me to get a second dog so on January 1st we went out to a farm and picked this little guy out of the lineup. He is growing fast and stands his ground against Winston already.

Winter Update

2009-01-21T16:53:00.005-06:00

I know I have to be more diligent and get some stuff up here for people to see and I promise I am going to work on it. I mentioned a few months ago that I was taking online classes and am now into my third semester. This session I am taking Computer Applications for Business and Intro to Entrepreneurship. It really keeps me busy to have so much reading and writing to do. On the work front I am running East towards Massachusetts every week from Iowa and back. Some weeks I make it all the way and others I run out of freight around Buffalo. It gets me home every weekend and is consistent which both my wife and wallet like very much.

These are from a really crappy customer's lot in Watertown,MA

North Adams Massachusetts

2008-12-25T23:15:00.005-06:00

This is the Mohawk Trail Route 2 Westbound headind down into North Adams. For those that don't think the East has any big hills I present this video as evidence. The hairpin turn is worse coming up the hill because you will need the whole road to make it but you really can't see up the hill as you start to cross onto the wrong side of the road. Fun Fun Fun.

Detroit Michigan

2008-12-25T22:50:00.003-06:00

This is a regular stop for me in Detroit. It's really not that bad of a place to get into, once I learned the truck does actually fit in the alley. I know I need a tripod, Maybe I can get an after Christmas sale. The Video was taken around the first week of December.

A Few More Icy Cold Pictures

2008-12-25T22:42:00.002-06:00

These were all taken in Crete, Nebraska

Winter is Really Here

2008-12-25T22:28:00.004-06:00

Wow, it has been cold lately. I like winter and even I have been caught off guard by it a little. The fireplace that I installed is working well and has not yet burned the house down. Work is busy which is fortunate in this time of economic collapse. I have been running out east every week to Massachusetts which is good for my paycheck because it's consistent. I leave out Sunday morning with a first stop (all my loads have 5 to 10 stops) in Ohio or Michigan and empty out by Wednesday morning and then begin my Pickups that go right back to where I started from in Iowa. Pretty simple but it can get a little boring at times. I will try to post more pictures and sarcastic video as opportunity presents.

Trucking through Nebraska

2008-12-23T21:34:00.001-06:00

My friend Ken came out on a local run with me and made this great video. Hope everyone likes it.

Pilot kiss my @$$

2008-12-03T06:50:00.001-06:00

More of my Handywork

2008-11-27T11:39:00.002-06:00

The siding was a real bitch to get cut and put back on in the cold weather.

Still some more framing to do.

Home Remodeling

2008-11-27T11:10:00.003-06:00

It has been a busy fall, I have been taking classes online which uses up a lot of my free time while out on the road. I have a consistant run now going out east across I-90 into Massachusetts every week too. I leave Sunday and get back Thursday or Friday. It can get a little boring to write about the same thing over and over again, but with the snow already flying we may have some good material soon.

Chester Vermont, October 2008

2008-10-22T20:55:00.002-05:00

Route 11 Vermont

2008-10-22T20:48:00.003-05:00

Fall in Vermont

2008-10-22T20:42:00.002-05:00

Here are some pictures driving through my favorite State, Vermont.

The inspection went well.

Big Rig Rollover

2008-09-18T20:18:00.001-05:00

Here is the news account of this wreck fron the Colfax,CA record.

Second victim pulled from Colfax big rig wreckage
By Jenna Nielsen, Journal Staff Writer

The body of a co-driver was extricated this morning by Cal Fire crews at the scene of Monday's big rig rollover crash near Colfax.
The body of a second man was found underneath debris Tuesday morning at the accident site of a big rig rollover near Colfax Monday, officials reported.
The man, whose name is not being released pending notification of his family, was reportedly a passenger in the big rig, which rolled into a guard rail spilling its load of recylced plastic down the embankment near the Magra Road exit on westbound Interstate 80, California Highway Patrol offi-cials reported.
The driver, who was trapped inside of the truck’s cab and was also killed in the accident, was re-portedly going 70 mph and passing another truck in the fast lane when he lost control and slid down an embankment, said CHP Officer Rich Ruiz.
“This morning, as the investigator was going over log books, (it was) determined there was possi-bly a co-driver involved,” Ruiz said.
Ruiz said investigators also have video footage of the accident, recorded by a device on a Wal-Mart truck, which the driver of the big rig was passing at the time of the accident.
“The driver of the WalMart truck was doing 55 mph, so we estimate the driver (of the big rig) was going 70 mph when he approached a curve and lost control. You see in the video the trailer starts to fishtail. When the driver tries to correct, he is sent over the guardrail.”
Battalion Chief Jeff Brand of Cal Fire said crews located the co-driver under the debris and extri-cated him this morning.
Brand said when the truck was overturned, the cab was torn off and wedged beneath the contents of the trailer and the trailer itself.
All westbound lanes were closed as a result of the accident, which occurred at approximately 2:30 p.m. All lanes were opened by approximately 7:45 p.m., California Highway Patrol officials said.
Ruiz said the driver of big rig had only had his license for nine days.

Cable Median Barriers Work

2008-08-29T22:43:00.002-05:00

New flash for the Iowa D.O.T. these things really work. We have at least one crossover accident a month here in Iowa resulting in fatalities and still they can't get off their asses and install these. Sometimes I wonder about this State. I took these shots o n I85 just outside of Charlotte,NC.

Kentucky

2008-08-24T17:56:00.003-05:00

Taking the Textbook for a Ride

2008-08-20T06:47:00.002-05:00

Welcome Kirkwood Eagles

2008-08-19T22:21:00.002-05:00

I am going to add pictures of my business book crossing state lines. I think if I stand it up against the windshield I can catch the book and the welcome to signs in the same frame. I'm in Attleboro,MA right now and it's 1030 pm so it will have to wait until tomorrow. I am not crazy, I just have way to much free time out here, alone.

Tragedy on the Ohio Turnpike

2008-08-12T07:38:00.002-05:00

Here is the news account of this crash I came across on Sunday afternoon:

3 killed in crash on Ohio Turnpike
Monday, August 11, 2008
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Ohio State Highway Patrol said a Pennsylvania truck driver and his two sons were killed in a semi crash on the Ohio Turnpike near Sandusky.
Troopers at the post in Milan said 33-year-old Dwayne Snyder of Rebersburg, Centre County, was behind the wheel of an eastbound tractor-trailer that drifted off the right side of the highway just before 10 p.m. Saturday. The truck struck a sign and then an overpass.
The patrol said Mr. Snyder was pronounced dead at the scene along with his two sons who were riding with him, 10-year-old Chadwin and 3-year-old Derrick.
The semi was pulling a box trailer loaded with apples, which were strewn about the crash site.

.What looks like a break in the guard rail on my picture is actually a splattered bug.The truck never hit the guard rail, it ran off the road before it started. My camera is so slow I could only get on picture.

Driving my Hoopty in South Dakota

2008-07-19T12:37:00.005-05:00

A real piece of crap Penske rental subbing for my baby that's in the shop.

From the Urban Dictionary: Hoopty

Basically, a piece of shit car. Usually cheap and/or broken down. Can be any size, make or model, but must (or should) be embarrassing to drive for some reason, such as when you bump the stereo all the plastic "effects" you have hot-glued to the exterior rattle, instantly betraying the cheapness of your bling.
http://www.urbandictionary.com

SPAM!!!

2008-07-13T20:50:00.005-05:00

Spam museum is in Austin, Minnesota just off of Interstate 90. Stop in and grab a can for the road. With the economy in the crapper more people than ever are turning to Spam to put off starvation, not kidding. There has been a few pieces in the paper about how sales are really taking off latley. I had my share while in the Army.

Lyndon on the Road in Minnesota

2008-07-09T21:07:00.006-05:00

I am back in Minnesota for the second time this week, running around like mad trying my best to knock 7 stops off my truck when who should call? none other than Lyndon the Cascadian Ranger from Alberta. So I said the heck with my work, and ran off like a schoolgirl to have a coffee with the master blogger himself.

It was a perfect ending for my day as I was a little miffed that I couldn't get my stops off fast enough to make my pick up before they closed. Tomorrow load at 0630 in Litchfield,MN for 1400 delivery in New London,WI 330 miles I believe.

Back to Lyndon, he had to run off to Waterloo,IA I think, so as to keep the fine people of the mid west supplied with fresh beef for their barbeque's. For those of you wondering, Lyndon was fantastic company, even more charming than his blog lets on and can't wait to get invited to the back yard barbecue in Raymond. Just wish it wasn't so far, my wife will sleep all the way there anyway. Cheers Lyndon.