Houston, Tx

Well they sent me right back to the same shipper that was trying to load me too heavy. This time it was a slightly lighter load coming down here to Houston. I left the shipper weighing 79,940...So all is good, turning down that load didnt hurt my miles for the week, I still got a good run, and a legal one. I loaded yesterday around 5pm, made it to West Memphis last night and got up this morning and drove Memphis to Houston and just got unloaded, they needed the aluminum here really bad. They make aluminum cans here. It was a good trip except it rained...um....well...ok, the entire way here. So hopefully I get a good load tomorrow. I will let you know.

Be safe
Jimmy

Russellville, Ky

Howdy, well today started out wonderfully and quickly went sour. Actually it wasnt quickly, it was a great day all day until right there at the end of it, lol. Yesterday I delivered in Charleston, SC and quickly got another load that picked up in Huger, SC (just north of Charleston) and went to Chattanooga. It was only about 450 miles and I delivered it this morning. Once again I quickly got another load, this time it was Russellville, Ky to Ft Worth, Tx by tomorrow. Thats 185 empty miles and about 780 loaded miles. Thats a really good load. Nearly 1000 miles due tomorrow. I was psyched, ready to roll hard with it to get it there on time. The only thing that bothered me about it was that another driver turned this same load down because when he went to pick it up he found that it was too heavy to pull legally. So this bothered me the entire way here, especially since my Peterbilt weighs right at 32,000 empty, thats pretty heavy. So I get here and sure enough it was an extremely heavy load...48, 650 lbs. So I called my company and told them I wasnt going to pull that load. They agreed and the load was taken off of me. I still dont understand why my company would deadhead (no load on the trailer) me 185 miles when they knew I may not be able to pull the load. Thats a lot of fuel to burn. So here I sit. A small part of me wishes I would have pulled the load. I know how to get around the scales and I probably would have made it with no problems, but I worked hard to obtain my CDL and have worked even harder to keep it clean and that means that I take no chances with my livelyhood.

Yall take care
Jimmy

Savannah, Ga

I was informed today that I needed to stop slacking on my blog, and she was right. Thank you Tina for setting me straight. Ok, where was I? Pensacola? Yup....Ok, so I delivered the Miami load, that all went really smooth, but dadgumit its hot down there. I unloaded yesterday morning and it was only about an hour later that i got this load going to Charleston, SC. I picked this one up in Ft Lauderdale, not far from where I delivered. Shes a tarpped load but oh well, a little work does a man good, even in 100 degree temps, lol. I dont deliver until Monday.

Later days
Jimmy

Pensacola, Fla

Long day...Picked up in Pilot Point, Tx (40 miles north of Dallas) and drove here to Pensacola, on my way to Miami. Thats right at a 700 mile day, not bad for a 65 mph truck. I found out today that they will take this load as soon as I can get it there, so daddy mashed on it!!!! A 650 mile day tomorrow and I'm there

Later
Jimmy

Dallas

Dadgumit, I got behind on my blog. Sorry bout that. Yall probably were thinking I have been sitting in Chicago all this time, nope....I picked up in Chicago and brought that load down here to Dallas. Maybe that last blog said that already, not sure....So I delivered here in Dallas this morning and this afternoon I got a load that picks up in Pilot Point, Tx and delivers in Miami, Fla. So actually I am here in Pilot Point now (just north of Dallas) and i pick up here in the am. This is a good load, about 1350 miles. It actually delivers in Boca Raton, just north of Miami. Right on the ocean. I look forward to this load, I havent been to south Florida in over a year.

Be safe
Jimmy

Chicago

Ok, lets see...I made it off of Long Island and then picked up a load in Connecticut going to Rochelle, Illinois. I delivered it this morning and am now in Chicago at the shipper picking up a load of steel going to Dallas. This load isnt due until Monday but I have had a really good week so iz all good.

I got a ticket yesterday!!! I had a blowout and one of Ohios finest gave me an unsafe vehicle ticket because I didnt pull over right away, I was trying to make it to the next exit. I called and its only going to cost $90.00 and O points on my CDL. But still, whata d!ckhead!!! He gave me the ticket for not getting off the road and then he says ok I'm going to follow you to the next exit. Duh!!! Thats where I was headed moron, lol

Okie doke, yall hava goodn
Later days
Jimmy

Long Island, NY

Well today was fun, yeehaw, lol...I delivered this morning in Philly as planned and then headed over here to LI. It went good, lots of traffic of course. One of the bridges going into the Bronx had a fire nearby so it was closed which meant that the eastbound traffic all had to use the Whitestone Bridge. BIG TIME eastbound backup!!!! Like 20 miles worth. Because of the backup, I decided to stay out here on LI until tomorrow morning. I wasnt about to get back out and head into the city in that bridge traffic, no way not me, my momma didn raise no fool. So I am going to get up at about 4am and head back into NJ and park at the first service plaza I come to until I get a load. Right now I am parked in Nesconset at the Smith Haven Mall, I am in Dicks parking lot. It nice here, about 70 degrees, a breeze blowing through the windows, nice area.

Later days
Jimmy

Pittsburgh, Pa

Actually I am just east of Pitt on the PA Turnpike at a Service Plaza. I stopped here because I knew I would have a good laptop signal from Pittsburgh. I have a lot of YouTube catching up to do. I dont have to be in Philly until monday morning and then out on Long Island monday afternoon. I cant wait to leave Long Island in that NYC rushhour traffic, its gonna be GREAT!!!

I met up with Keystrucker (Jim and Janet) yesterday in Ohio and we had another great visit. I love those 2 folks. Janet posted a rather interesting video that involved me...heres the link...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMFsskUSWhA

Later days

Chicago

I delivered this morning in Michigan and then got this load going from Chicago to Philly and then to Long Island, fun fun....I am here at the shipper now waiting to get loaded, it is 11pm

Later days

Perrysburg, Ohio

I almost forgot something, the first part of this blog is below, this is an add on, lol

Today is day 3 with no Mtn Dew, actually no soft drinks at all. Today is also day 3 of nothing fried. I still eat a lot but I am trying to eat healthier. In addition to eating better, I made a can of Skoal last from monday until this afternoon, thats not bad considering I have been a can-a-day dipper for a very long time. I am not going to quit dipping all together until I am completely off of soft drinks. The plan is no soft drinks during this time on the road (5 or 6 weeks) and then quit dipping altogether next road trip. But a wheening process will be underway this time out.

Total savings from quitting Mtn Dew and Skoal? Over $200.00 a month, probably close to $250.00......add eating healthier to that and I am saving about $300.00 or more a month and am a much healthier SillyTrucker

Later days

Perrysburg, Ohio

Hello everyone. I had a busy day and did on not much sleep. I have been fighting a toothache that is going to require some attention one day very soon. I am going to make sure it isnt going to just go away first before I go see a dentist out here on the road. For now, Aleve is holding back the pain.

Today I woke up in Lebanon Jct, Ky and drove onto Louisville to deliver the 1st stop of this 3 stop load. I then drove to Cleveland and got out from under the 2nd stop. This one made me happy because the Cleveland stop wasnt due until tomorrow morning, yay. I then drove here to Perrysburg (Toledo) and will drive up to Jackson, Michigan (an hour north) and deliver stop number 3 in the morning. It was a good day.

The best part? Well, besides getting to unload stop 2 a day early......65 MPH SPEED LIMIT IN OHIO

Later days

Birmingham, Alabama

Today pretty much sucked, lol...I started my day out by delivering a load here in Birmingham. I arrived at US Steel early this morning and found out quickly that they dont allow dogs inside the plant property. A lot of places do this but I usually know about it ahead of time and can tie Jack up in the bunk before arriving. The guard told me that I could tie Jack up outside the gate, and I did. Of course it took me 2 hours to get unloaded, 2 hours that Jack sat in the rain tied to a tree. Once I got unloaded I found one helluva dirty Jackdog. He was filthy muddy and rain soaked. I threw him in the truck and made him sit in the passenger seat on a towel until we got to our Birmingham terminal, about 10 miles away. Once I got there, Jack got a good bathing.

Soon after bathing Jack, I got a load that picked up in Decatur, Ala (90 miles north) that was going to Iowa, a decent load. I got to Decatur and found out that the load was 48,900 lbs. I cant pull 48,900 legally and my company has a strict 48,000 lbs policy that supposedly our shippers are aware of. Worthington Steel wasnt aware of it obviously. So I waited there a few hours only to find out that the load was being cancelled.

So I found a place to park in Decatur and at about 4pm I got a load picking up at our terminal in Birmingham going to Jackson, Michigan. So now I am back in Birmingham, I will leave here in the morning. This load is a 3 stopper, Louisville, somewhere in Ohio, and then to Michigan. Its a light load, 3 industrial air conditioners, no tarp....Rough day, coulda been worse.

Later days

Huntsville, Alabama

Well I am still at home. I have a ton of days accumulated and decided to stay home a few extra. I do however have to be at our Birmingham terminal on Monday to take a load only a few miles away into Birmingham. Another driver dropped this load at the terminal so he could go home. They are making it worth my while financially so I agreed to do it. I will go down there on Sunday since it delivers first thing Monday. So, I'm home for the 4th

Later days