Our load was 27 feet wide.  That means that on a typical two lane road, the load hung over each shoulder.  We ran with four escorts-two up front and two in the back.  The lead escort was out forward about 1/2 mile, while I ran about 200 yards directly in front of the load.  The other two escorts trailed the load, holding off traffic when we were approaching narrow sections, skinny bridges and the like, and advising the driver when traffic got too backed up.

Being the second front escort in a situation like this is VERY stressful.  As vehicles would approach, I weaved into the oncoming lane of traffic to get their attention and then moved back into our lane of travel.  As the vehicles got closer, I waved a bright orange flag out the driver’s door window and waved them to the shoulder.  Some of the bridges we crossed were so tight that there couldn’t have been more than one foot on either side of the load.  In those cases, I raced ahead and then pulled completely into the oncoming lane of traffic and stopped traffic or attempted to do so.

Occasionally, vehicles would go around me but very quickly came to a stop once they saw the load.  In one case, I could see that the woman driver was going to try to go around me, so I inched forward and forced her to stop.  Let’s just say she was QUITE demonstrative in her unhappiness with me, until her daughter pointed out that our load covered the entire bridge.  As I passed her, she was smiling at me and saying “thank you”.

We had one incident in which a little blue haired lady was on her cell phone as she passed me.  She actually drove UNDER the load.  I am not sure she ever saw it.  If her car had been just four inches higher, it would have become and instant convertible.

Then, there are the folks who absolutely hate escorts and oversize loads.  One guy flipped off every escort and the truck driver.  Several miles down the road, we were stopped by a highway patrol officer who said they had reports that our load was travelling without escorts or a permit.  It actually helped us because he provided us with police escort the last 30 miles of the trip and arranged for city/county escort through a couple of small towns along the way.

Tomorrow, we have to drive about 50 miles back to where we left it, and then we take it up into the high mountains southwest of Denver.  That area got some snow today, but according to the radar, it didn’t last long.  Colorado will not let OD loads move if they impose the chain law for trucks.  Hopefully it has not been imposed for the area where we are going.  We should be able to drop tomorrow (Monday).

Incidentally, I hope to have my site repaired soon.  Another family member also is highly talented in software and web hosting.  I am hoping he will be able to resolve these issues so that you and I can have full use of this site.

I picked up a load heading back near my home…supposed to leave today, but didn’t.  Sooo, I got to stay two additional nights here.

I sat all day in the yard with my driver waiting to get him loaded.  The latest word we have is that he will be loaded by about midday on Wednesday.  Then we will head to the OK/CO state line on US 287.

The Green River load has been sitting there for about two weeks, awaiting California permits and state police escort.  I’ve been told that the permits have been issued, but that there are no state police escorts available right now.  We aren’t the only people with that problem.  The permit service told us today that there are at least 7 OD loads in Blythe, CA, awaiting state police escort.  I am wondering if all the wildfires around the state of California are causing part of the problem.

I sprayed the yard with pre-emergent weed killer, and by sunset, the weeds already were beginning to wilt.  I know I probably missed some, so I’m hoping to have a couple of days off so I can spray them again before they bloom out and produce those stickers.

Thursday, I’ve got a medical appointment at the VA in Big Spring, TX.  I am having laser surgery on my eyes.  It is nothing serious…just a preventive measure to prevent my retina from separating from the eyeball.  Without the laser surgery, I could go blind eventually.  Then I wouldn’t be able to see how good looking I am?

This is a new trailer for this driver.  Normally, he pulls trailers with hydraulic necks.  He forgot that this one didn’t have a hydraulic neck, so we dragged flat bottom right across the road at the intersection.  Fortunately, these two roads are not heavily traveled.  In the three hours we worked to free ourselves, we saw maybe six vehicles.  There is a gravel pulloff at that intersection, so traffic was able to get around us.  Finally, my friend and partner Dave Hibbard went into Del Rio to a hardware store and got some big timber.  With that, we were able to get backed up and approached the road from a different angle.  As bad as today was, tomorrow has GOT to be better!

Next up is the issue of how to get through NM.  We have about three options to get from El Paso to Cortez, CO.  The load actually is going to central California, by way of NM, CO, UT, NV and CA.  Unfortunately, I won’t be able to complete this trip.  I have a medical appointment on Thursday in Big Spring, TX.  I will try to get them through the Albuquerque area, providing we can get through there on Tuesday…but I will have to break free after that. It is a shame.  This will wind up being about a 2800 mile trip…PLUS it is going to an area of California where I have never been before.  That’s life!  This is a medical appointment I’ve been waiting for about six weeks for.

We made it to Eldorado, TX.  There is one motel and it certainly is NOT the Fairmont!  We got in too late for the one known restaurant…so I had mystery meat (they called it chicken strips), and some milk.  Now, I’m heading for bed!  We leave at 6:30 AM.

We pulled off at a truck stop and I checked out my truck.  It seems that the differential had lost a bearing and seal.  Unfortunately, I had to quit the load and limp back into Laredo.  The good news is that I was able to find a differential and got it repaired this afternoon.  My driver found another escort relatively quickly, and I was able to get back on my original load, which is scheduled to leave tomorrow, finally.

I have decided that if we don’t see light at the end of the tunnel by noon tomorrow, I probably will start looking for other loads.  If this load had rolled on Wednesday like we expected, I could have completed it and then been back in Texas for a medical appointment late next week.  Even if we leave tomorrow, I will not be able to complete this run before I have to break loose and come back to Texas.

SNAFU–situation normal; all fouled up!