Tour of Duty 19th September 2017 to 14th October 2017
Part II: 20th September to 25th September

Wednesday the 20th of September I continued to the shipper in rental car. The GPS routed me on some county roads that would be illegal for trucks. I saw some trees just starting to change colour but over 90% of the leaves were still green. I loaded my gear into the truck and did inspection then I staged the truck outside the gate. Afterward I continued in the rental car to Logansport, IN where I got unleaded for 2.399$ per gallon. After I dropped off the rental car I got transport to the truck and headed to the nearest filling station.

Trip: Winamac, IN to New Alexandria, PA 436 miles
Make: 2018 Mack
Model: Roll-off (garbage truck without body)
Transmission: Automatic
Route: US35 to Indiana 14 to US31 to Interstate 69 to Interstate 469 to US30 to Ohio 115 to Ohio 65 to Ohio 81 to Interstate 75 to US30 to Interstate 71 to Interstate 76 Pennsylvania Turnpike to US22
Maximum elevation: unknown but some parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania were over 1,000 feet including the destination.
Highest diesel price USA: 2.859$ per gallon at Pilot Plymouth, IN
Lowest diesel price USA: 2.699$ per gallon at Speedway Ontario, OH (near Mansfield)

I headed to the nearest filling station to get diesel then got underway. There was lots of construction on US30 in Indiana and western Ohio. I diverted to Lima, OH where I spent the night.

Thursday the weather was fair and warm. I got the next trip lined up with dispatch. I saw a sign that Pennsylvania Turnpike was to be shut down between Exit 13 and Exit 28 (Interchange with US19 and Interstate 79) for the upcoming weekend. I took note of that for the next trip. I made it to Delmont, PA where I spent the night.

Friday I made the delivery in New Alexandria, PA. I got transport to LBE Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe where I got into a rental car to Harrisburg, PA. I saw that LBE had one jetway and was served by only one airline: Spirit Airlines. Due to traffic and construction I knew I was not going to make it to Harrisburg before the close of business so I contacted the shipper and the truck was staged for me. Rental car fuel cost 2.899$ on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. I made it to Harrisburg around sunset and loaded my gear into the truck. Then I headed to hotel nearby and got the last room for the night. After that I got transport back to the truck and moved the truck and parked it at the hotel so both the rental car and truck were parked at hotel. I had evening rations at Sheetz and spent the night in Harrisburg, PA.

Trip: Harrisburg, PA to Merrillville, IN 633 miles
Make: 2017 Peterbilt
Model: Vacuum Truck
Transmission Standard Straight 10-speed
Route: Interstate 83 to Interstate 81 to US322 to Interstate 99 to Interstate 80 to Interstate 65 to US30
Maximum elevation: 2,250 feet Interstate 80 10 miles west of Clearfield, PA
Highest diesel price USA: 3.399$ per gallon at Flying J Harrisburg, PA
Lowest diesel price USA: 2.799$ per gallon at Flying J Hubbard, OH

Saturday I turned in the rental car at local office and got a ride back to the truck. I headed to truckstop where I took on fuel which was the highest I saw in a long time and perhaps the highest in the USA as the gas and diesel tax increase for California did not kick in until the first of November. Once out of the Harrisburg area I took a stretch of US322 that I never took before. Much of that was twinned except for the last part before Interstate 99 and the two lane part was quite steep and crooked which meant going slow. I did that to cut to Interstate 80 as I wanted to avoid the Pennsylvania Turnpike due to high tolls and the weekend closure in western Pennsylvania which would have forced a detour in any event. Some areas of US322 had a 20mph truck speed limit due to steep downgrade and that was a two lane road. I made it to Harrisville, PA where I spent the night.

Sunday I continued west into Ohio and took the Ohio Turnpike and Indiana Toll Road. I made it to South Bend, IN where I spent the night.

Monday I stopped at truck wash per instructions from dispatch for a truck wash. Then I headed to receiver and delivered the truck in Merrillville, IN. I accepted another trip and got transport to local rental car office where I got into a rental car headed for Carmel, IN. I stopped and took some pictures of Crown Point, IN then detoured on US52 in Lafayette, IN due to construction on the 65. I spent the night in Indianapolis, IN.

Sassafras leaves starting to change colour in Delmont, Pennsylvania 22nd September 2017


LBE Arnold Palmer Regional Airport Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Statue of Arnold Palmer


Somerset, Pennsylvania


sunset Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 22nd September 2017


My ride from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to Merrillville, Indiana


Crown Point, Indiana