An old man's career goes flat, Snackbar moves to open deck

That statement could be a euphemism for something very dirty...time for me to get my mind out of the gutter and up on the curb where it belongs.

 

An interesting development has occured. Prior to this afternoon, both permits and dispatch failed to realize that I am 11'6" wide, and AZ doesn't allow loads that big to travel thru their lovely state on the weekend without a pilot car...so, now we're trying to decide how to time this. The reason this came up is, after I deliver in Calexico, I deadhead to Rancho, swap my flatbed for a Conestoga then go back to Calexico and pick up a blanket load and head for WA.

 

After I got time to think about the timing thru Arizona, I realized I wasn't gonna be covering much of Arizona on Sunday anyway., so this won't change too much. So I will deliver Tuesday morning, bust arse up to Rancho and swap trailers and get part way back down then load up 1st thing Wednesday.

 

No, after I deliver this OD load I swap to a conestoga to pick up boxes of blanket insulation for Boeing

 

I got the rest of my permits for my trip. Pretty straight forward, except for TX. In TX I get off I-20 in Abilene go north on US83/277 to west US 180 then south on a state route to a FM road to another state route and back to I-20 in Big Spring. Then jump off I-20 in Pecos TX and take a state route south to I-10 west. One of those WTF route plans which is gonna kinda mess with todays plans. I was gonna stop in Sweetwater, but the 1st detour off I 20 in Abilene make me bypass Sweetwater completely.

 

Texas OD routing sucks!!!! Going across I-20, 15 miles BEFORE I get to this Abilene detour exit, I see a lighted road sign "all loads over 10' must exit"...so I exit and no signs pointing which way to go. So, I stay straight on the frontage path. Finally, 2 miles later, a detour sign, so I follow it. And this is one of those frontage roads that is like a roller coaster going up and down drainage washes that cross it. But we're not talking subtle little whoop-d-dos, some of these looked steeper than roller coasters, and you can see drag marks where lowboys and RGNs have dragged their bellys. Finally I get back to where the detour ends and get back on the interstate...and NONE of this was on my "state provided" route plan.