I would go by your cell phone. Another load of copper? :P Good that you will be heading towards home to take some time off.

Dont forget AZ does not switch their clocks...

tootie

Too much Tequila while south-of-the-border, borracho??

Always nice when the authorities take the time to weigh an empty flat, won't be the last time that happens to you. Maybe they heard you had been buscando amor en Mexico, and were jealous. Feminists are the most vocal, angry, anti-foreign-bride group in the country, that I learned while searching for mine, whom I found a little farther south, in Peru.

Maybe not enough Tequila the day before. Not sure what I tripped on or maybe my subconscious did it on purpose because I really wanted a new seat!

I left late yesterday around 6am but I guess it was 3am local time. Something just didn't seem right like my eyesight wasn't that great. I had trouble seeing the speedometer and kept rubbing my eyes. My headlights were not that bright for some reason and then I could see some of my LED lights on the air cleaner were blinking randomly. I looked at my trucks computer display and it was blinking once in a while also. I looked down at the volt meter and it was below 12v.

So now I know the alternator is out the window. I'm trying to read my truckstop directory but not enough light in the cab. I grab my flashlight and see there are no major truckstops for at least 150 miles except for some private place 40 miles down the road. I'm now into conservation mode turning off everything I can. Headlights and trailer lights only, dash lights all the way down, cell phone charger unplugged, inverter off even though nothing plugged in but they still use power.

I pull up the voltmeter on the computer and it's now reading 11.5 volts and dropping slowly. I make it to this truckstop and from the looks of the sign they do tires and oil change only. I pull up and some guy with no teeth comes out. I think the place is call the Savoy or something. I tell him my alternator is probably out but I guess you don't work on trucks here. He says sure we do, got one in stock, take about 45 minutes. You gotta be kidding me!!!

There is a 24 dinner next door so I head over and have the most awesome steak and eggs and a waitress who flirts with all her customers. More tips that way.

I go back to the truck and he's charging my batteries. He said it would be a strain on the alternator to charge the run down batteries. They had an alternator tester there and he said it was completely dead and putting out 0 volts. Looking back now I think it's been dead for a while and those Optima Yellow Top batteries have saved me by recovering every night.

So, back on the road and $300 lighter I feel like I drove all day at 70 but at the end I only went 350 miles. Not sure how that could be until I realized my trip meter on the GPS reset itself with the low voltage. I have about 1800 miles to go and deliver on Monday. I'm hoping to be there in the morning so I can make it home early in the afternoon. It's about 2 hours home from the drop off point.

I'm close to a Walmart here and it's a 24 hour super store so I'm going to stock up now for my next trip out instead of running around at home in the last second.

$300....what a deal. We try to keep spare alternators in the trucks because they never break when we're changing the oil for some reason.

I'm sure they probably cost half that much but at that moment in time I would have paid anything!!! The last time I hauled for TMC I was stuck in Texas for a few days due to the snow storm and I don't want to be delayed a second time for them.

I swear, Texas has some of the longest hills I've ever seen. You would think your on flat ground but your not. I'm in 9th gear and can only do 60mph for at least 5 miles.

No I am serious. $300 is a good deal IMO. You might not get that lucky again so I'd get a spare or rebuild your old one.

The last time it happened to us was at night, in the pouring rain stuck on the side of the road. Cost us about $800 IIRC. Have always carried spares ever since and have never had one fail on the road. Go figure.

There is a hill that we call "Dickens Hill". It's in Dickens,TX.(on HWY 82, out west) You can come out of town at 40mph, and be running 85mph at the bottom.

That $300 was for a new one and they kept my old one. I guess it will be rebuilt. I could have had a rebuilt one for I think under $200. I did give the mechanic $20 also. I like tipping people who aren't complete A-Holes. He was very personable.

I made it 500 miles today with a moving average of 46mph. Going through Dallas and the other cities was a pain and one construction site after another. I got to see something today right in front of me. I was just thinking to myself how close everyone was to each other in heavy traffic. I had about 300 feet between me and the truck in front of me then that little voice went off in my head again so I slowed down. Then it happened. Not sure what was going on ahead but everyone slammed on there brakes. The truck in front of me locked it up in the far right hand lane and went all the way over to the far left hand 3rd lane jack knifed. If I'm not mistaken, he left off the brake before going into the median, straightened out then hit them again. No crash. Pretty F'ing cool though I must say.

Lots of people asking about my load of copper. I would think they see it every day since this is the route from the mines to CT. Good conversations on the CB and everyone being nice.

Had one guy in a pickup towing a big trailer behind him loaded up way over the max with bags of either blown in insulation or vermiculite. For 20 miles I was dodging bags and some trucks hit them and man, what a spectacular explosion. Nothing happened to the trucks but it was impressive. I finally caught up to the guy and other truckers were trying to get him to pull over but he wouldn't. I ended up speeding up pretty good and passed him.

I think I'm in Sulfur Springs TX at the Pilot for like the 5th time. Nice day out. I can tell it's starting to cool off as I get closer to home.

Steve, sent you a PM about your route home. 8)