Update on Trip to DFW, 04/06/10

Just as I was getting the last post ready to publish, and I was looking forward to a nice hot shower, Tina, who was driving, yelled and said that we had a tire going down on the tractor. How did she know that? Well, well, well, now. When I purchased this truck, I decided to install a Pressure Pro Tire Pressure Monitoring System.Man was that a good choice. This system,took all of about an hour to install and calibrate and I believe anyone with knowledge enough to install an add on XM radio could do the install themselves.

The system monitors the tire pressure in each tire and displays it upon command. When a tire starts losing pressure, at a given rate and down to a certain point below your "set point", an alarm sounds and continues to sound until the problem is alleviated. This monitor has saved me from replacing 2 tires now. Two of the wide based super single tires that run about $850.00 each. Thank God for technology and for our capitalist society. Without both, this technology would never exist. What a money saver.

We jumped off the interstate at the next exit, I aired the tire back up to a suitable level and found a bolt seal, removed from another trailer and left laying in the terminal yard, that had punctured the tire. Tina was on the phone calling around trying to find someone with a road service truck that would come out and repair the tire. Not only would they not come and repair the tire, but we were told that we were out of their service area and that they didn't carry that size tire anyway.

After a computer search, a couple more phone calls to our shop in Columbus, and a short 16 mile trip down the road we found a place that could, would, and did fix the tire.

Qfix Truck Service in Pendleton KY. What an amazing bunch of folks. These people know what service is all about. Not only could they patch the tire, but if it was bad enough that it couldn't b e patched, they had a replacement tire. After the initial hour of trying to find someone and driving 16 miles to their shop, they had us in and out, tire repaired and on the road in 1 hour. Not only did it only take an hour, but we didn't get raped, pillaged and plundered like many of the shops might have done. $46.98 later they had removed the tire, dismounted it, plugged and patched it, and remounted and re-installed it onto the truck.

This place is at exit 28 on I-71 on the East side of the highway in the Pilot truck stop parking lot. If you are in the area and need any kind of repair and or service work, give these folks the opportunity to show you their professionalism and determination to please. They do about all kinds of work including air conditioning and oil changes as well.

Qfix has 5 locations. They are; Pendleton KY 502-743-0349, Lebanon Junction KY 502-833-4100, Memphis TN 812-294-4581, Corbin KY 606-523-1219, and Evansville IN 812-768-6681. They also have a website at www.qfixtrucks.com. They also have 24 hour emergency and emergency road service.

Finally, I would just like to say thanks to Larry Goodlett, Managaer and to Josh, the tire repair tech who made the repairs on our truck and to the rest of the staff for their kind and helpful attitudes.

In God I Trust
Have a Great Day and a Better Tomorrow
ADW

11/10/09 Location Update

First...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE MARINES, ALL PAST AND PRESENT. NOT THAT ANYTHING I COULD SAY HERE WOULD MATTER A HILL OF BEANS TO YOU, BUT YOU HAVE MY UTMOST SUPPORT IN YOUR EVERY MISSION AND THANKS FOR YOUR EVERY MINUTE OF SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY. LASTLY, I WOULD LIKE TO APOLOGIZE FOR OUR PRESIDENT WHO SEEMS TO BE WORKING TO DESTROY EVERYTHING FOR WHICH YOU ALL HAVE FOUGHT AND DIED. MY HEART HURTS, FOR YOU AND THE GRIEF YOU MUST ENDURE WATCHING THIS HAPPEN TO OUR COUNTRY. INCIDENTALLY, THIS THANKS AND SUPPORT GOES TO EVERY MEMBER OF THE THE MILITARY, PAST, CURRENT AND FUTURE. GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

We had an interesting day in Vegas yesterday. I was sitting in the truck, working on some paperwork and looked out the window. When I did, I seen 2 Police Officers, taking pictures of the truck. I thought, uh oh. I got out of the truck and started talking to them only to find out that they loved the truck, the mission, and the design on the truck. We talked for a few minutes while they got some pictures, I asked them if they cared to sign the truck and they did. I also got some pictures of them during the signing and asked if it would be alright to post them and they said it would be okay. Later in the day though, one of the officers called me and asked if I would forgo publishing the pictures to the site, though they support our mission and everything we are doing, they shouldn't have their picture posted online unless in an official capacity. I chose to comply with the request and NOT post their photos. I do, however,
cherish their support and the photos I have will be prominently displayed in my office at the house. I thank them for their work and their service to our country.

We finally left Las Vegas about 073- this morning. The load was about 4 1/2 hours late. That really is about normal for this facility though. They are very busy here but running the warehouse on a shoestring budget to keep costs in line. This is really a very conservative company. They pay as they go. An all cash company. I like that about them, no debt means no money woes in most cases, and if they have no money woes, that means they can keep paying me and I have no money woes either.

Anyway, we traveled down 93 to 95 and 163 to 68 and back over to 93 as to bypass Hoover Dam. From there we went south to I-40 and are now very close to Albuquerque NM on I-40. We plan on one stop between here Vegas and Columbus OH for fuel. We hope to make it to Tucumcari NM for that stop.

We should be in Tucumcari by about 2030 this evening and then in Columbus OH at approximately 1900 on Wednesday evening.

In God I Trust
Have a Great Day and a Better Tomorrow
adw

ATL to DFW Update

Our load was late again this morning. The load was to be ready at 0100. I woke up and called dispatch at about 0230 and was told that they had about 20000# on the trailer then and that it shouldn't be too much longer. I went back to bed and we were awakened by the annoying sound of the Qualcomm message signal at about 0345. The load was ready. I jumped up, got ready to go and before I could get inside to get my paperwork, the office ringing my telephone to let me know that the load was ready, and then, they sent another message. Another case of, we ran late so you have to hurry, I guess.

Anyway, I ran inside, picked up my paperwork, hooked to the loaded trailer, caught my log book up and off we went. DFW bound. The rain had finally stopped, I thought, we got about 30 miles west of Atlanta and it started again but really didn't last long. We are now about 40 East of Jackson and the weather is actually pretty nice.

Dispatch contacted us a bit ago and asked if we could hook a loaded trailer when we get to Dallas and head straight to Columbus. They want us in Columbus by 1400 tomorrow. That shouldn't be problem if all goes well. That can be a pretty big "if" though, in this industry. Traffic, weather, police, scales, Breakdowns, wildlife on the road, etc.. We should be in Dallas at about 1730 and then that will give us about 20.5 hours to get to Columbus...1075 miles. What we will do out of Columbus is unknown at this time, but my guess is that they have a plan of some kind, in their heads.

I mentioned break downs as a possible delay. I have been introduced to a new website called Find Truck Service. I certainly have no desire to breakdown but I do look forward to using this site if and when I do. As you know if you read this site often, I do most of my own maintenance work, but in the event I should need help on the road, I now know where to go to find help. Be sure and use the site, bookmark the page and refer to it often, or at least as often as needed.

In closing, we hope that you can find it in your budget to help with a small purchase or a donation in support of our mission.
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Thanks for your support.


In God I Trust
Have a Great Day and a Better Tomorrow
ADW