Trucking On US Highways And The Back Roads

Just did this run today for the first time, she is a curvy girl. Would of been a lot more enjoyable without 43000 lbs of freezer pops.

 

Just did this today in PA. Rt 41 from cochranville to rt 10 north to rt 896 to Rt 23 to US 30. A crap route for a legal load but I was 11 - 10 wide on a 53. Gotta love PennDOT.

 

I liked US 95 through Nevada and of course 101 in CA/OR/WA.

Dont forget US 1-9 through NJ either. That's a scenic one!

 

They used to have bumperstickers that said "Pray for me I run 44" back when it was 2 lanes and was one of the most dangerous stretches of highway in the nation.

The 4 lanes were thanks to former Gov. Gary Johnson who wanted to make the heavier travelled state and US highways 4 lanes. That's why US70, US62/180, US285, US550 and US491 (still under construction) are 4 lane roads.

I think NM44 was retired in part because of its former reputation but mostly to get funding.

 

I killed Mr. Ed one very dark night up on the divide on 44. We had a customer in Bloomfield, and so ran that way in from ABQ. I had just crested the hill and started down, and here's 2 black horses walking up the centerline at me. I threw out the anchor and hoped they'd pick which way they were going to go far enough out for me to miss them. Just about the time I decided I had to head for the shoulder, they moved that direction. I had slowed quite a bit, and almost got far enough left to miss, but I caught the one in the hind quarter with the right front corner of the 9300 I was driving. Busted the headlight and bucket, but no damage other than that.

Unfortunately for Mr. Ed, the round hinge those 'binders had sticking out in front of the grill did a fine job opening up his hindquarter. Layed open a flap of flesh 4" deep and a foot and half long. His partner in crime scared the crap of me by running up out of the dark to check when I went back with a light to see if there was a carcass in the road. Mr. Ed was standing on the shoulder, in obvious shock and bleeding out quickly. No halter, and he couldn't be encouraged to come any further off the road than the pavement edge. One of those cases where I wished I had a gun to out the poor fellow down. He only lasted a few minutes anyways, but wish he hadn't had to suffer as long as he did.

 

My grandparents talked about the days when 44 didn't even have the truck climbing lanes.