Monday, April 19, 2010

Good morning. #VFTC At the split. US 15 N to the left. PA 14 N. to the right. Near Williamsport Pa.

Entering into the climb up to the top of Bloss Mountain and the
Allegheny Summit we turn left into
Rose Valley and then up into the Steam Valley. 

US Route 15 (Future Interstate 99) is under heavy
construction to improve the road way from two lane
to four lane limited access highway.

They sure have been working on it a long time.
Enjoy the ride and be sure to check out Mansfield, Pa.

Lots of PA history in this area.

Enjoy the day.

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Sunday, April 18, 2010

Playing that old time music. The Blues Project/Live at the Cafe Au Go Go. Vinyl lives.

When I'm not driving the Big Truck I like to
archive vinyl LP albums and cassette tape.

Working on a couple of albums from
The Blues Project.

Live at the Cafe Au Go Go
and
Projections

Nice Blues group from the 60's.

Digging those tones.
Enjoy the day y'all.

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Good morning. #VFTC Route 301 Plaza, aka Money's Truck Stop. US Rte 301 Middletown De. A classic.

From Friday, April 16th, 2010


Not a typical "chain" truck stop. 
Has a chrome shop.  :)
Restaurant, Convenience Store and hot food to go.

Not sure how long this place has been here.
But, it's been there as long as I've been driving.

It's good to get off the Interstate system and
check out the little places of Americana.

Remember:
Interstates are for speed, Little roads for sanity.

Peace out and varooom, varooom!

 

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Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Good Morning. Burning off the fog. #VFTC I-476 N (North East Extension of the PA Turnpike) Wilkes Barre, Pa

Heading to Buffalo, NY.

Day has broken and the fog is clearing.

Enjoy the day. 

Laugh a lot
Smile a lot
Breathe a lot.

These things make a day nicer.

later gators.

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Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Good Morning. A Quiz. What is it? When to use it? Why? Hint! Mostly found on North American trucks.

What is it?
When should you use it?
Why would you use one?

These are found on North American trucks.
Unless, it's been stolen....and they usually are.

Post your answers here, on twitter, twitpic or facebook.

No prizes
Just an "attaboy" from Goldie.

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Good Morning for Monday. Through the Delaware Water Gap. I-80E

Just a beautiful day traveling through the "Gap".  Enjoy.

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Thursday, April 08, 2010

Good morning. "Pull" #VFTC I-81 N near Lexington, VA. mm185 After the Buffalo Creek.

Sometimes I just like the way
the light and shadows play.

Btw,  This little hill makes for a hard pull.
Fully loaded I can only get Goldie
to top the hill at 55mph in 9 gear.

I've seen many truckers pull out to
pass a slower truck and get hung out
as gravitational forces beat horsepower
into submission.

If you're heavier then a Class 5 on the Pa Turnpike
this little pull will drag you down.

Enjoy the Light and the Shadows.....
They can't play without one another.

Hugs and all that....
cya!

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Wednesday, April 07, 2010

Good morning The greening of the Trail. #VFTC Trailer truckin' on US 29 in VA

Good morning for Tuesday. #VFTC New Jersey farm on Route 57 Near Washington NJ

New Jersey, the garbage state? 
Not on the "Jersey" roads I travel on.

I hear the gripping all day long on the CB about
New Jersey. 

Get a friggin' life...sheeesh.   All states have
their good and bad places.

If you focus on the bad parts of a trip, you'll have a bad trip.
Focus on the good parts and the trip becomes a wonderful
ride.

People complain because they've never had to really look
for happiness and good within' a hard spot.  'Jersey' has it's moments
without a doubt. 

But, look what I found while on a drive one day. 

Keep you mouth closed
Eye and ears open
You can only gain knowledge if you're
not passing gas.....

lol

I'm back quiet.

toodles all. 

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Monday, April 05, 2010

Good morning. #VFTC Goldie spots a quarry and Tonka toys. Avondale PA.

A Spring has sprung and the construction
season has started!

Please watch out for those
construction workers!

Enjoy the day. 
And, try to remember to keep you eyes
on the road and not looking
down into the car next to you.

lol  oops!  :)

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Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Good morning. Crossing the Commodore Barry Bridge. #VFTC

Heading east across the Delaware River into New Jersey.

There are 5 bridges that cross over the Delaware in
the Philadelphia area.
Starting from the southern most to northern most bridge they are:
The Commodore Barry
The Walt Whitman
The Ben Franklin
The Betsy Ross
and
The Tacony/Palmyra

The local nick names among the toll takers
at these bridges are such...
The Barry
The Walt
The Benny
The Betsy
and
Tacony.

Just some mindless drivel to pass the time.

Enjoy and have a great day!

Walt

I'm back out of here......

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Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Good morning. TLC in the rain. Little trees hate big trucks. Allentown PA.

I'm not a tree hugger by any means.  However, it does anger me to see that a
driver didn't have the patience to wait to back in.

The picture doesn't show that tree at a 45° angle.
Nor does it show the 3 foot scrape of bare wood.
The bark is all gone.

Just another driver...sigh...
I was always taught that you don't hit
anything. Period. 

We all make mistakes and I hope the
driver that did this owned up to his.

However, the object is to hit nothing.
Take your time, wait if you have too.
Don't be a jerk and play nice.

Love and hugs

Walt.

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Good morning. For monday. Tower in the fog. Verazzano-Narrows Bridge.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Found veggies. #VFTC Waiting to load in the dawn.

When it says Libby's Libby's LIbbys on the
label, label, label.  You will like it on your
table, table, table....

Waiting in the dawn.
Have a good day.

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Good Morning. #VFTC Sunrise in the mirror. Westbound on the NY State Thruway. Looking for veggies.

Sunrise in the mirror.  The world awakes and I've been at work.
The masses look at trucks as a hindrance.  A necessary evil.

And yet, many who join our ranks will fail or quit or die
because they believed that you only have to hold the
wheel to make a living at trucking. 

I've stated in the past that this is a life style.  I still
believe that is a true statement.

The greedy and the powerful look at drivers as a commodity.
They try to pigeon hole the character of the driver and in doing
so fail to keep the best in the chair. 

I rant.
Have a good weekend.
Walt.

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Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Good Morning. Crossing the James River. Near Richmond, Va. Center Support. I-295 S.

I've always loved these types of bridges. 

There is this one over the James River in Virginia.
Another that I know of over the Chesapeake Bay/ Delaware River canal.

Good morning at night. 
Time for me shower and a shave and then it's on the road again.

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Monday, March 15, 2010

Good morning. Entering the Thimble Shoals Tunnel on the CBBT. US Rte 13S in VA.

One of two tunnels on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT)  in Southeastern Virginia. 

These tunnels are rated at a 13 feet 6 inch height clearance. 

The tolerance is very close and many times a driver will have to dump the

air out of his suspension to get a "go ahead" from authorities.

Another thing to watch out for is to try to avoid getting to close to the wall if you

leave the air in the suspension.  Quite a few truckers have knocked out lights

inside the tunnels.

 

It's a great little trip out across open water and under the waves over the CBBT.

Enjoy the ride and happy motoring.


btw I had to repost this as I accidentally deleted the picture.  sheeesh...lol

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Good morning. Entering the Thimble Shoals Tunnel on the CBBT. US Rte 13S in VA.

Sunday, March 07, 2010

Good Morning. It's Sunday and that means a clean office desk and Jet.

I've been up since 5am cleaning up an office that doesn't get used
most of the week.  lol

Mostly going through what pieces of paper need to be
shredded or saved. 

A whole lot of dusting too.  Vacuuming and wiping down surfaces was a must.

So, now that I'm done with that.....Boxcar Willie!! 

I think I'll do some vinyl archiving.  yeehaw!

btw. the program running on the center monitor is the "Jet"
visualization plug-in for Winamp.  IMHO the best visualization plug-in
of any media player.

Loves and laters.

Walt.

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Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Good morning. Approaching Wilkes-Barre PA. I-476 S. red light = diff lock.

On a "twin screw" tractor, the differential lock is a God send in the snow. 

Never engage or disengage the lock if  your wheels are spinning and
you're not making traction.. 

Bad things happen.  Lots of banging and breaking of metal parts.

Be safe. Be kind....be cool. 

Later.

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Friday, February 26, 2010

And now, for something completely different. #VFTC I remember a day in May.

Just wanting to post something besides a snow picture. 

Green, Leaves and Blacktop!

I can dream.

lol

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Good Morning. Goldie and I on ice. #VFTC Behr Paint, Allentown, Pa

Waiting, waiting and more waiting.  Have to run to Syracuse, NY. 
My route?

muhahahaha

I-78 to I-81

oh, the joy of it all.

God speed and God bless y'all.

Posted via email from heydriver's posterous

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Good Morning, Add butter and lemon. Viola, Breakfast.

This Coy was bought as a small fish by my stepson and his girl friend.

I'm going to fry this thing on the grill some day. 

It eats any thing.  Loves to eat other fish though. 
lol

More snow pics tomorrow.

btw, did you think I'd forgotten?  lol

Posted via email from heydriver's posterous

Good Morning, Add butter and lemon. Viola, Breakfast.

This Coy was bought as a small fish by my stepson and his girl friend.

I'm going to fry this thing on the grill some day. 

It eats any thing.  Loves to eat other fish though. 
lol

More snow pics tomorrow.

btw, did you think I'd forgotten?  lol

Posted via email from heydriver's posterous

Friday, February 19, 2010

What happened to those wonderful messages on the back of Tractor Trailers? Crystal says......

I remember as a young boy looking forward for my Dad to pull up behind or along side of those
big old tractor trailers.  Many had these great sayings painted the back of them. 

The Crystal girl. (Crystal Motor Express) is one of my favorites.  I also love the Kane Trucking Co.
saying:
(Be kind, Be Careful, Be your best self, Kane is Able)

Or, how about the Bad Bully, Good Bully signs to remind four wheelers to pass on the left of a
big truck?

Tilcon/ Tomasso used to have "Watch that child" painted backwards on their front bumpers
as a reminder to the motoring public.

I'd love to see more of these sayings/reminders again on trucks.
Sigh, I guess they just cost too much.

Love y'all
Later
Walt

Posted via email from heydriver's posterous

Good Morning. Confluence of the Chesapeake Bay and the Susquehanna River.

A view from high on a top of the I-95 S bridge over the lower Susquehanna River.


Posted via email from heydriver's posterous

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Good Morning. From the office at home.

Just a shot of the office at the house.  I'm getting ready to head out to Norfolk, VA for an evening delivery.

Trying to keep posting here so I don't fall behind.

Doesn't it seem harder to get back into blogging after one quits for awhile?

More posts later.

Loves and hugs.

Walt

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Monday, February 15, 2010

Good Morning. Sunrise over the Parkway East. Pittsburgh, Pa

Howdy folks.

I'd thought that this had auto posted earlier today onto Posterous.  Guess not.

Ah, the Steel City.....Pittsburgh.  And the infamous Parkway East in the morning.
I've been listening to the local AM radio traffic reports   since about 4am EST. (KDKA 1020)
Something seems to be happening lately around the Pittsburgh tunnels that not many
truckers seem to be thinking about.

Snow!  ahem.....

Snow on the trailer roof to be specific.  The Pittsburgh tunnels are extremely low clearance and
the tolerances are rather tight.  Maybe an inch or two over the maximum height. 

So,  you have a little snow on the roof of the trailer and the Low Clearance Warning Lights go off. 
The authorities shut down the tunnel to stop the trucker from going through.  There is a bit of a back up
as the truck is turned away from the tunnel entrance.  This requires shutting the tunnel down in both directions for about
5 or so minutes.  And this happens quite a few times a day.  When it happens during rush hour the results are
spectacular.  I'm amazed at just how fast traffic can back up in so few minutes.

The Squirrel Hill Tunnel seems to get the brunt of these closures.  Located on I-376 just east of Pittsburgh, Pa.  This tunnel is a
major link into the city.  During rush hour any tie up at all around it can cause some serious delays.

What's a driver to do.  If you've never been to Pittsburgh in a big rig with a box trailer be aware that any
amount of snow on the roof of your trailer is likely to set off the low clearance sensors.  Plan your trip to avoid all tunnels
in the Pittsburgh area till say.......April!?!   :)  You're going to have to give yourself some extra time and distance to negotiate
the Pittsburgh region without using the tunnels.  It can be done with some ease if you plan ahead.

Love y'all.

God Speed and Good Driving.

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