Back from my Most Miles Week

I'm back from a long week for a part timer like me.

Started on Monday with a 220 mile deadhead to WV to pick up an IHC 4300 going to Frederick, MD. That one had the first electrical problem I've had yet since switching to towing. I've been very lucky on that. This truck had one of those utility bodies used to unrole the large spools of cable, and a boom. It's not unusual to see two different electrical hookups on a lot of the trucks I drive, but the hookup that matched my 7-pin connector didn't have any wires going to it. I wasn't up to jury rigging it so I followed the info I had gotten from the VA State Police when I first started towing. They said if the truck had lights on the back that were visible, I didn't have to have lights on my car. I know that's dumb, but that's what they said. I hate to admit I went ahead and towed the 330 miles to Frederick without lights on my car.

From Frederick, I deadheaded 150 miles to Berwyn, PA to pick up a small Ford F550 boom truck for a short 100 mile trip to Plains, PA.

From there, a 150 mile deadhead to Freehold, NJ for an IHC 4300 cable laying truck for a foggy trip back to Frederick,MD. That truck was the exact same model as the one I had in WV and it had the same wiring problem. Not sure why Altec put a second connector with no wiring to it. I haven't had that problem on any of their other trucks.

In Frederick (Wednesday), I picked up a Sterling crane going to Madison, WI. I liked the idea of an 800 mile trip, especially after all the deadheading and short trips I'd done, but wasn't thrilled nursing a crane all that way. It was mentally and physically tiring for a pussy like me, but I made it.

Then Friday, a 199 mile deadhead to Joliet, IL to pick up a truck destined for Jacksonville,FL. Since it was Friday, it was time for me to be heading home, so I took that one 300 miles to Louisville, staged it at the airport, and started the long deadhead home.

Got home this afternoon. That was roughly 1800 paid miles and 1100 miles deadheading. Both,a lot for me in one week. Actually, that's the most miles I've done in one week when counting the deadheading.

I had great luck with the scales. I only entered one scale the entire trip, and that one was with the first truck in MD. The crane was the first one I've had weighed, and it was overweight on the front axle for Wisconsin. I had it weighed because I'd remembered reading in some of my documentation that WI only allows 13,000 lbs on the steer axle, so I ended up getting an overweight permit - a first for me. The scale was closed on I-39 when I went by in WI on Friday morning, so I guess I could have made it, but it would have been a more uncomfortable trip.

Still Truckin'

As you steadfast driveaway blog fans now realize, I'm getting lazier and lazier about keeping this thing up to date.


Last week, 10/29 - 11/1, I did do six trips starting with a tree truck (boom and chipper body) from Forest, VA to Dunmore, PA; deadheaded 140 miles to Swedesboro, NJ (a new haunt for me) where I did two round trips, one to Chantilly, VA and back, and one to Fredericksburg, VA and back. Those trips were big Sterling flatbeds with cranes used by a home supply company. The highlight of those trips was the usual traffic mess around Washington DC, the highlight of which was the two hours it took me to go four miles on the way to Fredericksburg. What a mess that place is and who is the genious who figured it was a good idea to close the beltway down to one lane at exit 177?





From Swedesboro, I deadheaded about 120 miles back up in PA to Plains and picked up a crane for Daleville, VA, which is only 9 miles from home. Most of my days this trip were 12 - 14 hours, much of it due to the ridiculous traffic around DC. The lack of deadheading helped with the pay, but on a per hour basis I didn't do too good.







Probably the main reason I still mess with this log is I like to post pictures of the trucks I drive. Also have all of them posted in the Yahoo Driveaway Lounge at: http://finance.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/Driveaway/photos/browse/5ae1 There, you can see all 119 of them!

My wife will be attending a conference in VA Beach next week, so I'll plan to hit the road again while she's away. I think she's gotten so she misses me more when I'm gone than she used to. May eventually cramp my style a little.

Just called dispatch and they've assigned me a truck Monday leaving from Saint Alban, WV going to Frederick, MD. That's a 202 mile deadhead followed by a 333 mile paid trip - not a great start, but gets me on the road.