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

Well, for an OD load it's been a piece of cake. Since it's just under 14', no permits were needed until IA, and since I was under 14' 6", I didn't even have to put my signs and flags on in IA. But (he said with a smirk), now comes IL, and they must be routing me around a low bridge. They have me going 141 miles on I-80 to I-57 north to I-294 to US-6 to IL-1 to 3 surface streets to IL-83 back to I-80 to where it merges with I-94... Oh the joy of OD around Chicago-land.

I did run myself out of ink with all these recent changes with our regular registrations and permits. Had to stop by Wally and get a new one so I could see IN and MI's OD permits...so I'll have that reimbursement added to this load next payday. I swear, it's almost as cheap to buy another printer as it is to buy ink.

 

I am glad I weighed this load. Based on everyone's estimates, I am inclined to agree that this box truck weighs in the 25-27,000 range. The driver that loaded this for me secured it based on the 15,200 lbs from the load info...that amount of securement was insufficient for it's actual weight. I added 2 additional chains(1 would have been enough, but based on what I had to secure to, I wouldn't have been able to get an even pull with just 1). The IA scale west of Des Moines was open this afternoon and everyone was weighing on the big scale. They made me a bit nervous because they pulled me on, then sat me there for a bit before I got the green. My axle weights are balanced, so they may have been checking my chain count to make sure I had enough to hold it on the trailer. Had I not added the extra securement, I may have had some spanin' to do to Arlington after I got a bad boy driving award.(I drive like the load isn't secured, so it wouldn't have fallen off enroute).

 

They use invisible ink...

 

Plans have changed after I get empty tomorrow. Instead of heading to the Toledo yard, I head north of Detroit to pick up (with my RGN) headed to N. Charleston that has to deliver by Fri...and I plan on having it there Thursday. Some kind of aircraft parts that need tarped which is fine by me, only 2 pieces, and this RGN only has a 26' deck (unless they need me to extend it). So it should be a 1 tarp-er. My travel agent called me at 8(their time) with the heads up. Really love it when I know about my tomorrows that far ahead of time.

Update - just spoke to the shipper. He said I will have to get permits for this load. There was another double drop driver picking up there today, and he had to air down his trailers airbags to get out of their 14' door. Another permit load. Chaaaaaa ching $$$$!!!!!

 

Chesterfield.

 

Hopefully MI oversize route planning is better than IL. The routes I had to follow this morning weren't very truck friendly. But the routes weren't routing me around any low bridges, they were routing me around IL toll roads. My permit said that any OS/OD loads must have the permission of the toll road authority in order to be allowed use them. I guess they didn't ask.