Tachoblog» Goldie Archives – The Tacho Blog

Tachoblog’s View From The Cab – 2.7.10

Tachoblog — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:36:41 +0000

And here we are in July with half the year gone already. But never mind thinking about that says Tachoblog, let’s have a look at the Views that the Tachoblog Tribe have kindly sent in this week.

Over here in the UK it’s been a nice sunny week – as you’ll see from LorryDay’s Views in a moment – but that’s not always the case as we head off around the world.

Anyway, let’s start with LorryDay who starts with this View of Asda vans in all being loaded and checked before going out…

…Then it’s ‘dinner time in Kent. Better than a burger’…

Click below for more from LorryDay and the rest of this week’s Views…

…For his next View he says, ‘This dragstar was parked up complete with rear parachute in the northeast near Sunderland’…

…’The caption says it all! Coming out of Lakeside shopping centre’ in Essex…

…And finally, a ‘better version’. As you can tell from where his Views are taken, LorryDay gets round quite a lot of the UK.

How we head to Springville, New York from where Heydriver’s sent this of ‘a gilded Goldie’ on US Route 219. He says ‘the Sun’s rays cast a golden light through the fog. A beautiful day for a drive. A relaxed ride to Buffalo, New York.’

New Zealand now where it’s certainly not summer weather. Vic H sent in these Views and says that we ‘seemed a bit surprised the other week to see snow in June, so here’s some snow in July!’…

…’These photos were taken while going down Viaduct Hill, part of the National Park road which goes down the western side of Mt Ruapehu, the mountain you can see in the background’…

…’We normally use the Desert Rd which goes down the eastern side of the mountain but when that is closed by snow and ice we use this road if it is open as an alternative route.’

Finally, and in a slightly smaller than usual VFTC (the Tachoblog Tribe must be on their holidays), we welcome Wrightdriver1 who’s View of the beach in Pensecola, Florida shows some of the oil that’s been washed up and still pouring from the oil spill in the Gulf.

That’s all for this week, so all that’s left for Tachoblog to do is thank the Tachoblog Tribe for sending in their Views. Don’t forget that if you’d like to join in, all you have to do is email your Views to vftc@tachoblog.com or send a tweet starting #vftc to @tachoblog

Tachoblog’s View From The Cab – 28.6.10

Tachoblog — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:54:59 +0000

As previously mentioned, Tachoblog couldn’t post View From The Cab last Friday but we can today – and normal service has again been resumed so we’ll be back on Friday with this week’s post too! So forget about the World Cup for a moment (those of us in England would certainly like to today!) and enjoy some Views from around the world thanks to the Tachoblog Tribe.

We start in New Zealand so that means we’re riding with Vic H. Vic’s sent ‘a couple of photos taken on the way back from the South Island this week. In the first one, taken at some roadworks on the way north I saw this rather smart Peterbilt water tanker watering the road; something a bit different from the usual worn-out TK Bedfords and D-Series Fords that are normally used for this type of work’…

…’Then a bit further north, near Matamata, I liked the way the sun was just starting to break through the clouds after a bit of rain.’

Click below for the rest of the Views…

Heydriver and Goldie awoke to ‘the burning fireball. Summer has started and today is going to be a scorcher. Air Conditioning don’t fail me now!’…

…Heydriver’s still in an arty mood (see Tachoblog’s View From The Cab – 11.6.10) as he’s also sent this View which is entitled ‘Peterbilt dahsboard in retro’. Heydriver says this is – unsurprisingly – the ‘main dash panel on Goldie. Reworked in Paint Shop Pro v.9. Aged newspaper set to 67 yrs. Just playing around on a Sunday Morning.’

In Germany, Rainerri1967 says that it’s too hot this week.

Back in America, Amishtrucker sent this ‘typical view of a nice avenue in Laredo with a skyline view of the downtown area of Laredo in the background. And as you peer into the background of this photo, you are looking into Mexico’…

…And also this picture of ‘traffic on a nice summer day rolling north out of Laredo headed to San Antonio. I like the clouds. As you can see in the median, the grass is turning brown and a good rain would be welcome throughout much of south and central Texas’…

…His final View is ‘from IH35 NB looking towards downtown San Antonio. The historical part of the city which includes the Tower of the Americas is just to the right of this photo and didn’t get it in this shot. Another typical day with a typical drive from Laredo to San Antonio and then on to my warehouse north of the city or to my home east of the city’.

Finally this week we catch up with TheNose100 who was Eastbound on I-90 in Ashtabula, Ohio. He says ”Sunshine in my eyeballs makes me… Blind’. Circa – John Denver’.

Tachoblog’s thanks to the Tachoblog Tribe for sending in their Views. Don’t forget that if you’d like to join in, all you have to do is email your Views to vftc@tachoblog.com or send a tweet starting #vftc to @tachoblog

Tachoblog’s View From The Cab – 11.6.10

Tachoblog — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 16:27:52 +0000

You’ve been waiting a couple of weeks, but here’s the post you’ve all been looking forward to, Tachoblog’s window on the world that we call View From The Cab.

In case you don’t know, the idea’s simple…The Tachoblog Tribe send us pictures of what they can see from their cabs, and we’re very grateful for them. You’re welcome to join in too, just have a look at the bottom of this post to find out how.

Despite Tachoblog being away for a bit, the Tachoblog Tribe still sent in their Views, so this post is a collection of all the ones we’ve received since the last View From The Cab.

Now on with the Views and this week we start with SurfingTrucker who’s having a ‘fun-filled Foggy Friday morning here in Boxborough, Massachusetts.

Next up is Amishtrucker who saw this ‘oversize hauler near Corpus Christi, Texas. I passed this truck the other day near Corpus Christi, Texas. I don’t know what this type of rig is designed to haul, but there is a lot of heavy haul and oversize load hauling for the oilfields here in Texas’…

Click below for more from Amishtrucker and the rest of this week’s Views…

Amishtrucker also sent this View of ‘almost Full grown corn near Wharton Texas. I know it is June already and it is ready for corn to be almost full grown, but it seems like the year is going so fast. Hard to believe the harvest is just around the corner. I have been watching this field as I come by about every 2 weeks, and here it is, as tall as it will get and tasseling out.’

While Tachoblog was off the air, TruckerDesiree’s had an accident and says her View ‘is going to look like this for a spell’. Tachoblog’s only just found out about this and we – and you too we’re sure – send her our best regards and hope she’s on the mend and back in action as soon as possible…

…However, there must be an upside as she says ‘woot I get the TodayShow, Yay Yay Yay Hi Hi Hi!’

TruckerDesiree’s loyal companion Karma the Wonderdog sent is this View from Flagstaff, Arizona.

Rainerri1967 first View isn’t from his native Germany, but fromVolgelsheim in France…

…Now he’s checking the oil…

…Then he has some free time and Pinky helps him clean the Truck…

…Today he’s back in Germany in Freiburg im Breisgau.

Heydriver and Goldie have sent in a few Views too. Their first is another shot of the Tappen Zee Bridge spanning the Hudson River in New York. Heydriver says that ‘Goldie’s looking different’ as he ‘decided to dress Goldie up a bit. Handles and a hood ornament. She’s looking spiffy. I can dress her up….and take her out! ’…

…Their second View is called ‘Fog and The Blue Ridge’ from I-66 E, Front Royal, Virginia…

…Heydriver titled this View ‘Sunrise Fireball’ which is from Laural Highlands, Pennsylvania. ‘The Sun rise through nature’s filter. Shot through fog on the PA Turnpike. It overwhelmed the camera on this phone a little’…

…Today they’re at Pilot, Hagerstown, Maryland. Heydriver’s ‘just playing around with the camera settings on the HTC Incredible. Posterization, camera speed set at 1240 and full zoom. Trying something different today.’

From New Zealand Vic H sent us these from his ‘down and back trip from Auckland to Napier, about 800km, and that road is always worth a photo or two. About 3 and a 1/2 hours after leaving Auckland the sun was just coming up as I followed another tanker up the hill at the start of the Napier-Taupo road, with the newly completed Hilton Hotel Apartments in the background’…

…’There was a bit of early morning mist around as I started to climb the winding Tarawera Hill’…

…’and still more mist around as I reached the top, where there was this Kenworth coming up to meet me. This part of the hill that the KW is climbing is very steep, much steeper than it looks in the photo and in my tanker requires changing from 18th gear to 8th gear in the space of about 100 metres. If you miss a gearchange climbing this hill you come to a stop very quickly and it is very difficuly (or impossible) to re-start’…

…’The building at the bottom of the hill is the Tarawera pub, which can be a refuge for motorists in the winter who can’t get up the hill in icy conditions’…

…’On the way home I had to pull over to let this heavy haulage unit past; a 14-axle trailer carrying a transformer being towed by a Scania 144 and pushed (or held back, as necessary) by a Mack Titan’…

…’Then, getting closer to home, the sun has just disappeared below the horizon and in hour or so I will be finished for the day.’

We find Darkstaff all over Texas, starting with this morning View…

…Then this one ‘leaving Brownsville, Texas at dusk’…

…And finally one of a ‘gorgeous morning in Riviera.’

Lastly for this week we hook up with TheNose100 who is delivering ‘to a Dairy in Marietta, Ohio. Have a straight back up to tank’…

…Staying in Marietta there’s a ‘scale (ahead) then back up thru the fray’…

…We started VFTC in rain, now ‘there’s some fog on the way to Marietta.’

…But to finish, there’s more rain when TheNose100 heads to Medina, Ohio…

…This is Exit 222 off of I-71…

…And finally TheNose100 tells us ‘Medina, OH is also the Home of ROOT Candles, here I am going past their factory. Sometimes you can smell the fragrances as they make them.’

That’s all for this Weeks View From The Cab. As we said at the start of this post, if you’d like to join in, all you have to do is email your Views to vftc@tachoblog.com or send a tweet starting #vftc to @tachoblog

Tachoblog’s View From The Cab – 24.5.10

Tachoblog — Mon, 24 May 2010 16:23:33 +0000

Before we get stuck into the Views, a couple of quick things from Tachoblog.

Firstly as you’ll have no doubt noticed, View From The Cab wasn’t up on Friday but it is today. Secondly, don’t worry but Tachoblog is off on a jaunt for the next couple of weeks so there won’t be any new posts from us until Monday 7th June. To make sure we get back into the swing of things, the first post will be a View From The Cab using all of the Views that the Tachoblog Tribe send in between now and then – you will send some won’t you Tachoblog Tribe…

Anyway, let’s get started with the Views that we have, as always Tachoblog is vey grateful to all that have sent them in this week.

We start in Uganda with Jerry B (and the Uganda Crew). Jerry B has sent in this Views of ‘old, bonneted Benz’s are seen on the streets of the capital recently’…

…’In a variety of axle and chassis configurations, and cargo guises’…

Click below for more from Jerry B and the rest of this week’s Views…

…’The youngest of these must be getting on for 30 years old and for machinery in Africa, that really is a lifetime’…

…’They built ‘em proper in them there days!’…

…’And these old girls were progenitors for the spawning of various copies’…

…’Including these Tata 1210SE water tankers, seen here waiting for custom following the effects of the latest water supply shortages around town.’

Over in Amercia, TheNose100 sent in this View of ‘Vineyards along hwy 5 near Portland, New York with their fresh spring leaves’…

…And this View from I-90 EB near Painsville, Ohio

From New Zealand, Vic H says ‘it was round in a big circle on Wednesday and Thursday this week, Auckland to Gisborne to Napier to Auckland. Not all that far, really, about 1100km but with loading and unloading it takes about 20 hours because of lots of hilly and winding roads’…

…’On the way to Gisborne the road goes through the Waioeka Gorge, where the road follows the river for about 60 km’…

…’To Matawai, and there’s this great bit of road between there and Te Karaka’…

…’Just past Gisborne there is this view of Cape Kidnappers, named by Captain Cook who was that Pommy fellow who is said to have discovered New Zealand in 1769. That is rubbish, of course as it is more likely to have been discovered by a fellow called Kupe about 800 years earlier. Kupe didn’t land anywhere near Cape Kidnappers either, his first landing point was in the Hokianga Harbour near the top of the west coast of the North Island’…

…’Anyway, that’s enough NZ history so on to a couple of photos on the road near Wairoa’…

…’Lots of hills and corners as you can see. ‘Then still another winding hill coming down towards Napier’.

Amishtrucker provided this of the colourful main entrance to the Laredo Public Library in (unsurprisingly) Laredo, Texas. He says he ‘shot the pic with my phone through the side window, therefore the images of cars on the building. Hispanic art and construction seen throughout Laredo is usually colorful’…

He also sent this picture of the ‘side street next to the HEB grocery store in south Laredo. Looking down this street you can see the barrier which is there in front of the river and behind it….Mexico. The river at this point is not all that big and around Laredo it has a lot of brush and trees growing all around it.’ He signs off by saying that are his ‘contribution this week to the wonderful VFTC world. Wishing everyone a great week ahead and lots of good coffee! Life is too short to drink bad coffee!’

Darkstaff’s been all over the place (again). His first View is from Arkansas where he’s ‘heading east on I-40 around the 193 mile marker. Going to be a pretty day!’…

…The he shows us Cincinatti, Ohio as seen from Kentucky on I-71/75 going north…

…’And here’s a view of downtown Cincinatti’…

…Lastly he brings us this of the Pennsylvania Welcomes You sign that he sees when ‘crossing the border from Ohio to Pennsylvania on I-90.’

Heydriver and Goldie have been out and about too, they start with ‘a fine ride on US 460 E near Lafayette, Virginia’. Heydriver says ‘why run the Interstates if you don’t have too? Whenever I visit my Mom in Christiansburg, VA, I take US 460 back into Salem, Va for my delivery. On I-81 there is a steep set of hills to drop down on heading into Salem, Va. Many wrecks happen in this area. So, when traveling along I-81 I try to pay attention to the overhead warning signs and use US 460 and US 11 to get around these backups. Something I learned when I was working for UPS many years ago. “Know your route!” I always try to have a plan B. You never know when you’ll need it’…

…Then we find them ‘heading east on I-80 near Clearfield, Pennsylvania. Chasing the front. On a two day run through the Wilds of Pennsylvania. Descending from the highest elevation on I-80 East of the Mississippi River. Just an interesting view of the clouds and forest’…

…Lastly from them this week they’re ‘crossing the Susquehanna River at day break. US Rte 30 W. Near Wrightsville, Pennsylvania. Crossing the Susquehanna on yet another trip to Norfolk area of Virgina. Instead of a front shot, I took one looking up river out the right side of the cab.’

Finally for this week’s Views we catch up with TruckerDesiree and Karma the Wonderdog ‘from the Land of Enchantment’…

…TruckerDesiree says that ‘the Beauty of the Southwest makes my imagination go Wild.’

That’s all from View From The Cab, don’t forget that if you’d like to join in with View From The Cab, all you have to do is email your Views to vftc@tachoblog.com or send a tweet starting #vftc to @tachoblog

Tachoblog’s View From The Cab – 14.5.10

Tachoblog — Fri, 14 May 2010 14:30:58 +0000

Another Friday then and, with the sun just about shining on Tachoblog, it must be time for this week’s View From The Cab.

No clever round the world order this week, we’ve just laid them out in the order we received them. So we start with TruckerDesiree and Karma the wonderdog who are next up at the Fertilizer Doohicky in South Carolina.

Darkstaff’s up next and says ‘Hello to West Virginia. Crossing the Ohio river on US 35. On my way to Chester,Virginia’…

Click below for more from Darkstaff and the rest of the Tachoblog Tribe’s Views for this week…

…Now he’s entering Virginia, his ‘home state, for now at least!’…

…Staying in Virginia, we find him in Richmond ‘driving past the home of Phillip Morris, makers of Marlboro and other cigarettes’…

… Then it’s a View he describes as ‘a Waffle House sunset in Hammond, Louisiana tonight’…

And finally from Darkstaff this week he’s in Texas and says that ‘as is usual, once I get into Texas, I’m usually here a minimum 3 days.’

We find Heydriver (who’s today’s Birthday Boy – so many happy returns of the day to him) and Goldie crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel on US13 S and looking at the north bound side. Heydriver says it’s ‘a bright sunny day in the Tidewater region of Virginia. Moving south and crossing from the Delmarva (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia) Peninsula towards the Tidewater area of the mainland in Virginia. One of my top 10 routes. From the Philadelphia area to the Norfolk, Virginia area on US Route 13 is the best and fastest way to get there from here. No Washington DC or Baltimore traffic. Quiet ride and many, many farms to look at. And then a nice ride out across the Chesapeake Bay’…

…In their second View, we find them ‘descending Afton Mountain in a fog on I-64 W. Near Waynesboro, Virginia’. They’re apparantly visiting Heydriver’s ‘Mom (Mum) in Christiansburg. On the way over Goldie and I had to cross over Afton Mountain in Virginia. Man was it foggy out. You’ll notice the lights embedded into the shoulder of the road, aka Landing Lights. These little lights are on a sensor that activates them when the fog rolls in. It does look pretty when the lights are on. Of course, that is all you can see at times. Drive safe and be kind to yourself.’

We catch up with TheNose10 on his way to a dairy in Pennsylvania, he’s on Highway 305 in Ohio…

…He’s made it to the dairy in Sharpsville in his secondView and is ‘looking into the milk truck bays. I go elswhere with the sugar tanker.’

From Triberg in Germany Rainerri1967 sent in this View, as well as telling us that Triberg is the ‘home of Germany’s highest waterfalls’…

…And ‘also the home of the Cuckoo clock.’

Finally for this week we head return to Texas and meet Amishtrucker. His first View is of ‘a nice truck I passed on Highway 71 near Bastrop, Texas loaded with 2 huge blocks of granite’…

…’Then we go to just north of downtown Laredo, Texas and see some houses in a residential district there’. Amishtrucker says he needs ‘to get some pictures from the really crowded part of town where they have everything behind a fence and the houses are really tight together’…

…’But then, just up the street, is a Taco hut built out of a caboose. Note that everything is painted very colorful, very typical of Mexico and Laredo. By the way, if you are hungry by now, there are plenty of tacos for sale in Laredo, and many little businesses like this one where you can buy them at! Good day and we will see you next week!’

A big thanks from Tachoblog to the Tachoblog Tribe for sending in their Views. If you’d like to become part of the Tachoblog Tribe and View From The Cab, then you’re more than welcome. All you have to do is email your Views to vftc@tachoblog.com, or (for those of you that Twitter) send a tweet starting #vftc to @tachoblog

Tachoblog’s View From The Cab – 7.5.10

Tachoblog — Fri, 07 May 2010 15:31:15 +0000

One week into May already, so hopefully this means none of the Tachoblog Tribe have seen any snow this week – unlike Darkstaff last week – (and no ‘saving the post disasters’ for Tachoblog!) but the only way we’ll find out is by having a look at the Views they’ve sent in.

We start this week in America with Amishtrucker who’s asked that Tachoblog tells ‘everyone that I really enjoy their views every week and to keep them coming. There is enough bad news in the world every day, let’s celebrate by looking at the interesting and good every chance we get!’. Tachoblog should add our thanks to the Tachoblog Tribe for sending in their Views, it’s thanks to you that View From The Cab is as good as it is!

Amishtrucker’s first View is ‘northbound on US288 looking at the Houston skyline. This is just past the Loop 610 interchange’…

…Now her takes us to ‘US 59 near downtown where 59 is sunk down (to eliminate noise in the neighborhoods, I would imagine). Those arch overpasses are unique to this highway, at least in Houston. Haven’t seen a lot of car haulers since the recession but here is one. But it doesn’t look like he has a full load’…

Click below for one more from Amishtrucker and the rest of this week’s Views…

Amishtrucker’s final View is from near Houston, heading north on US288, he says ‘I saw this guy pulling this little, well it looks like a cook shack with the pit on the porch there. He probably goes to cookouts which are very popular in Texas, especially this time of the year. If I had one I could pull it out in the woods near the creek somewhere and just cookout and live there for a while!’

Now we head to Wisconsin to join TruckerDesiree and Karma the wonderdog who sent in this View.

To New Zealand now where Vic H was ‘in the South Island again’…

…’Here are a few photos taken along the Kaikoura coast’…

…’Where State Highway 1′…

…’Together with the railway line, runs very close to the coastline. On windy days spray blows continuously across the road so vehicles get covered with salt and it is difficult to keep the windscreen clean enough to see through so big containers of washer liquid are required!’…

…’Kaikoura means means crayfish meal (kai = food; koura = crayfish) and stalls selling cooked crayfish are common along this coast. In NZ, what we call crayfish, or koura, are also known as NZ rock lobster and they are nothing like the small freshwater crustaceans known as crayfish in many other countries; there is a good meal of absolutely delicious meat in one crayfish.’

We catch up with TheNose100 ‘stopped at the WB rest area on I-90 in Ohio’ he adds that this is an energy efficient designed building…

…Now we find him at Maple Heights in Ohio where he’s on a nice day out and ‘backed in. In spite of the problem dumpster’…

…This is a ‘view from the top’. TheNose100 says it ‘looks funky to back into, but not that hard’…

…All loaded and he (well his trailer of course) is ‘full. Looking for the bottom of the tank’…

…And ‘these are some test / samples of the juice they make here’. TheNose100 signs off by saying ‘ya’ll have a good week!’.

In Germany, Rainerri1967 wasn’t driving today as there was work being done on his truck so he had to ‘stay in the garage at Kehl.’

Did Darkstaff find any snow this week, well there’s none in his first view of early morning Montana. He says that he’d ‘already been driving 4 hours when I took this pic’…

…Here’s a view OF the cab as he takes ‘a break, again in Montana, watching the clouds, a very relaxing way to pass the time’…

…Finally, and from the North Dakota Badlands, he says that they ‘might be hard to see, but the two brown lumps by the horizon are wild bison.’

In England LorryDay saw Cadbury World which is ‘in a Birmingham district called Bourneville.’

Heydriver and Goldie were having a ‘fantastic day’ when they took this first View, ‘Bright sun and a great view of lower Manhattan. Riding along on the BQE (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway). The height markings on the BQE are a bit misleading. Posted as 12′ 4″, the warning signs may cause a newbie driver to freak out. But, New York measures height from the curb and not the road deck. And, also the measurement is from the lowest point above the curbing. So, never fear my fellow travelers. In the State of NY you can hammer right under that 12′ 8″ over pass with nary a thought. Ahem! Unless the warning sign says “ACTUAL” Then slam the binders and wait for the 4 wheelers to start honking their horns’…

Their second View is of ‘the east tower of the Verazzano Narrows Bridge between Staten Island and Brooklyn on I-278 W heading back towards Staten Island.’ Heydriver says that you’re ‘not supposed to take pics on the bridge. But, sometimes I’s can’t help it.’

Lastly for this week we catch up with SurfingTrucker who was ‘In Waltham, Massachusetts heading home for weekend when I spotted DOT hard at work.’

And, all too quickly, that’s all from View From The Cab, don’t forget that if you’d like to join in all you have to do is email your Views to vftc@tachoblog.com, or (for those of you that Twitter) send a tweet starting #vftc to @tachoblog

Tachoblog’s View From The Cab – 30.4.10

Tachoblog — Tue, 04 May 2010 09:17:25 +0000

This View From The Cab was meant to be the last post of last week and last month but, as Tachoblog knows you’ve realised, it wasn’t. Now we all, especially Tachoblog(!), should know how important it is to ‘save’ your work as you go along, but how often do you do that? We don’t, well didn’t (we will from now on), and met with the consequences when, having finished this post, clicked the save button and Tachoblog’s computer said no!

But, with lesson learnt, we bring you this / last week’s View From The Cab – looking on the bright side, Tachoblog thinks there can’t be a better way to start the week.

Thanks to the Tachoblog Tribe sending in their Views, you can join Tachoblog as head off from the United Kingdom to circle the world (with a few hops back to America) to end up back in the UK again. There are loads of Views this week, and this View From The Cab has to be our best yet – Tachoblog thinks so at any rate!

So, let’s start with Rizzo101 who spotted this heavy load on the M6 near Manchester.

Now we head to America to join SurfingTrucker who was getting his truck washed in Milford, Connecticut…

Click below for more from SurfingTrucker and the rest of the Tachoblog Tribe…

…He says it ‘looked good sitting in traffic on the Cross Bronx in New York City’…

…and when he ‘crossed from New York into New Jersey on the George Washington Bridge.’

Back to Europe now to catch up with Rainerri1967 who was loading in Lahr Blackforest, Germany…

…A little while later he was empty and, for him at least, it was the weekend!

Jumping back to the USA, we meet Heydriver and Goldie who were on US Route 30 in Abbotstown, Pennsylvania. Heydriver says that this is ‘a wonderful mural here in Abbotstown. I’ve been wanting to capture this and today was the day!’…

…Now it’s ‘sun and highlights – Sun behind cloud on I-70 E near Triadelphia, West Virginia, approaching the Dallas Pike exit on I-70. This is my view out of my office window and, the view is always changing. For me this beats a suit and tie any day’…

…This is US Cold Storage in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania…

…He didn’t say where this was taken, but the news is that Heydriver’s ‘retiring an old and trusted phone. My LG Voyager will now sit up on the shelf in my office until my wife destroys her phone!’…

…From Near Binghamton, New York they he sent his first pic posted with his new HTC Incredible. Heydriver says, ‘I’m all fumble fingers.Wow! What a difference a new device makes. I’m relearning everything here’.

Staying in America we join TheNose100 who was ‘getting ready to roll out of Cleveland, Ohio. Sun peaking out’…

… Here we find him in Lancaster (Buffalo), New York and ‘looking at another tanker (soy oil) with a bright Reflection while I unload corn syrup. The plant makes cake frostings. Some days you can really smell the lemon or chocolate flavorings’…

…And then a ‘View of Lake Erie from Highway 5 in Sheridan, New York’ TheNose100 is ‘headed back to Ohio’.

Halfway round the world (for Tachoblog anyway) and we’re in New Zealand with Vic H who says, ‘I have spent the last 10 days or so in the South Island without being able to get to a computer, but here are a few photos taken on one of the days of the view from the cab on part of State Highway 1 called ‘the Hundalees”…

…’This stretch of highway is steep and winding’…

…’Always an interesting drive in a truck’…

…’And an even better one on a motorbike!’…

‘The last photo shows an Iveco Stralis B-train which didn’t quite make one of the corners.’ Vic has told Tachoblog that whilst the driver was ok, he suspects that his boss won’t be!

We bounce back to the USA to see Darkstaff who can see ‘snow in Wyoming, just west of Sundance. Seriously, snow. Geez’…

…His second View is from ‘outside the cab. In Rocker, Montana. Very beautiful.’

To Uganda now and that can only mean we’re joining Jerry B (and the Uganda Crew). Jerry says that ‘from the last couple of days or driving around, there seems to have been a significant ‘Indian flavour’ to the lighter, town-based truck transport. Tata 1210SE’s for Africa, from water bowsers quietly waiting for custom’…

…’To 4×4 honey suckers, cargos etc etc’…

…’Including the unfortunately slightly out-of-focus shot of the chap unloading the small SUV using the Series 111 recovery vehicle. I didn’t capture the whole thing regrettably but just after this shot of the vehicle hung up on the tailgate of the Tata was shot, the car fell off quite violently, taking off its chin spoiler. As the strain came off the LR tow rope, it lurched forwards, the rope strained, then broke and flicked backwards breaking the rear window of the little SUV. Whether the car then ran back down the slope into the rear of the truck, I know not as I had already passed by. Not one of his finer moments though methinks, for the LR driver!’…

…’And in a suspiciously quiet shot (where was the usual nightmare traffic this mid-morning?) an Ashok Leyland grinds up the hill ready to disgorge its load of Readymix’.

In America again and McNabbTransport was ‘two-lane truckin, headed out to Charlottesville, Virginia.’

Moving south we arrive in Texas with Amishtrucker who sent this View ‘from the Bay Bridge looking over the south shore just before heading out across the bay on the causeway and away from Corpus Christi, looking towards the bay and Portland’…

…’That’s a nice clean gravel bucket being pulled by a really good looking Pete on US 71 near Smithville. The clouds in the picture, well weather started out cloudy and windy but turned sunny and nice later’.

Finally we arrive back in England and find LorryDay’looking for a human to talk to in this print shop in country life in Wakefield, Yorkshire’…

…He ‘found this in Stan Robinson’s yard in Stafford , they have a collection of older tucks they’ve ran in the past’…

…This is ‘a very crowded very hot , Camden Lock in London’…

…And lastly for this week,’A very colourful trailor always brings a smile to my face. This was on the M5 going north I think.’

Tachoblog’s View From The Cab – 23.4.10

Tachoblog — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 15:52:03 +0000

Outside Tachoblog Towers the sun’s shining and the forecast for the weekend is even better. But what’s it like around the globe? Thankfully, as they do every week, the Tachoblog Tribe have been sending in their pictures of what they can see from their cabs, so we can all see what it’s like where they are.

As you’ll see, there seems to be something of an Ohio theme to this week’s View From The Cab, but we start our journey this week in Australia where we catch up with TwoCrowsDown who was about 2hrs drive north of Newman in the Pilbara, at the start of the Yandicoogina access road.

Click below to see the rest of this week’s Views…

We join Heydriver and Goldie ‘at the split. US 15 N to the left. PA 14 N. to the right. Near Williamsport, Pennsylvania – Entering into the climb up to the top of Bloss Mountain and the Allegheny Summit we turn left into Rose Valley and then up into the Steam Valley. US Route 15 (Future Interstate 99) is under heavy construction to improve the road way from two lane to four lane limited access highway. They sure have been working on it a long time. Enjoy the ride and be sure to check out Mansfield, Pennsylvania’…

…In this View we start our Ohio theme as they cross ‘the Ohio River. Pittsburgh skyline. West End Bridge. – Trying to get across Pittsburgh during rush hour is time consuming at the least. A crawl is perhaps too generous for today’s traffic. Heading east on the Parkway West (I-379 E) the traffic between Green Tree hill and the Ft. Pitt Tunnel was stopped for the most part. Finally made my way down to Route 51 and headed off to the West End Bridge. It is a fine ride that way now that the construction is mostly done. Here we see the Pittsburgh skyline and the confluence of the Monongahela and the Allegheny Rivers. There the Great and Mighty Ohio River begins.’

Darkstaff was ‘crossing the Ohio River on US60′…

…The he was ‘driving through Dayton, Ohio on US35′…

…And finally we join him as he leaves Ohio on I-70.

Not in Ohio, but Aalen Ostalb in Germany Rainerri1967 had only one load and was then going to be driving home.

Amishtrucker sent this ‘quick shot of crops growing along Texas 36 near Guy, Texas’…

…As well as this View of ‘the main rail line into Laredo, Texas and the Mexico border runs along I35. At exit 13, rail traffic blocks access to the Pilot Truck Stop whenever they come by. and often they are moving slow here. You can get out by going around the back way and over the bridge. This view is from the bridge over the railroad looking back towards the Flying J, TA and Pilot at Exit 13. The trailers parked at the right of the picture are in a commercial lot.’

Finally for this week we join TheNose100 who, like last week (see ‘Tachoblog’s View From The Cab – 19.4.10‘) is still in reflective mood at the WB toll booth on I-90, Buffalo, New York. Here he’s on his ‘way back to Cleveland, after making a delivery to a factory that makes frostings for cakes’…

…Now we find him picking up a trailer from the shop, at Superior Tank & Trl Beach City in, wait for it, Ohio!

Tachoblog’s thanks to the Tachoblog Tribe for sending in their Views – without them this would be a very dull post!

Please remember that if you’d like to join in with View From The Cab you’re more than welcome. All you have to do is email your Views to vftc@tachoblog.com or send a tweet starting #vftc to @tachoblog We’ll have another View From The Cab next Friday.

Tachoblog’s View From The Cab – 19.4.10

Tachoblog — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 15:49:41 +0000

What with Tachoblog being away for most of last week, you’d be forgiven for thinking that there’d be no View From The Cab, but you’d be wrong!

The Tachoblog Tribe have ridden (shouldn’t that be driven?) to your rescue and sent Tachoblog their Views as they do every week – and we’re very grateful that they do.

We start in New Zealand with Vic H who says that ‘We are well into autumn here now, the days are getting shorter and colder but the weather is beautiful. The other day I was returning from the South Island and the sun was just breaking through the mist as I drove across the Whirikino Trestle, a very long bridge built across farmland which is prone to flooding’…

…’Then a short time afterwards near Ohingaiti the leaves on the poplar trees are starting to change to their autumn colours’…

Click below for more from Vic H and the other Views the Tachoblog Tribe have sent…

…’It must be getting colder, as Mt Ruapehu which has been bare for the last few months now has some snow near the summit’…

…’Then heading towards Lake Taupo again before heading for Auckland.’

SurfingTrucker was in North Andover, Massachusetts…

…Where he remarks that there ‘seems to be a lot of rail traffic here.’

Jerry B (and the Uganda Crew) sent us these Views starting with two from Jerry ‘Wow, that a thrilling photo I hear you howl, a 40ft box on a flat bed trailer! Don’t see many of those around, after all……..However, as I have told you before, the bus and truck drivers here love a chirpy tag-line on the back of their vehicles and here’s another to add to the burgeoning collection of wit and repartie’…

…’I guess this chap was having a bad day when he added this mix of gangsta-rap and pessimism to the back of his flat bed trailer’…

…Jerry also sent this View in saying, ‘you may remember the pictures taken around Wau in S.Sudan recently over the top of a Nissan Patrol, of the wet/dry or storm/fine weather interfaces as they rolled in. Well, back in Uganda and though the windscreen of a Land Cruiser (with the side windows done up I imagine, as it was taken by one of our managers Paul Volrath!), this was taken today of a monster bit of ill humour in-coming. This is a drill pad being constructed by us for a client in the west of the country. This will make the old MAN water bowser somewhat redundant just now methinks.’

Back to America now and we join Darkstaff who notes that there’s ‘still snow on the ground in Wyoming’…

…Darkstaff’s next View is of The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument over I-80 in Nebraska. He says that he’s ‘been told it’s interesting’…

…For this View, he originally sent this comment ‘The only tunnel (from NJ to CA) on I-80 in Green’ but then later added ‘Correction on the tunnel pic. This is actually one of three sets of tunnels over it’s 2,900 mile length’…

…Next Darkstaff was in ‘Salt Lake City, Utah’…

…And for his final View he shows us the ‘Great Salt Lake in Utah as seen from I-80.’

McNabbTransport was experiencing ‘Northern Virginia traffic in the rain. Double joy.’

Meanwhile his brother Heydriver (along with Goldie) had this View from I-476 N (North East Extension of the PA Turnpike) Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania which he called ‘Burning off the fog’…

…He also sent this from ‘Route 301 Plaza, aka Money’s Truck Stop. US Rte 301 Middletown, Delaware. A classic’.

In Germany, Rainerri1967 was at Lahr in the Blackforest.

To America again to join Amishtrucker who sent this View of ‘Lake Texana along US 59 near Edna, Texas’…

…’Beautiful downtown Edna, Texas. Edna, established 1882, is the gateway to beautiful Lake Texana’…

…’Fishing boats on Lavaca Bay between Port Lavaca and Point Comfort on the Texas coast.’

Finally for this week we join TheNose100 in Wheeling, West Virginia where he was ‘parked on street making a delivery’…

…He was obviously bored as he was ‘feeling a bit reflective. Like a fun house mirror.’

Don’t forget that if you’d like to join in with View From The Cab, all you have to do is email your Views to vftc@tachoblog.com or send a tweet starting #vftc to @tachoblog We’ll have another View From The Cab on Friday.

Tachoblog’s View From The Cab – 9.4.10

Tachoblog — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 16:01:39 +0000

What a lucky lot you are! Only two days since the last View From The Cab and here’s Tachoblog with another one for you.

Ok, we’re overstating things aren’t we as you didn’t get a post last Friday thanks to Easter, but we’re back on track now. Once again the Tachoblog Tribe have been sending in their pictures of what they can see out of their windscreens and Tachoblog’s very grateful that they have. But enough of Tachoblog, let’s get on with the Views…

We start our globetrotting in America this week and catch up with TheNose100 who ‘was done with my first stop in Dunkirk, New York. Its of their water reclamation plant in the foreground, and power plant, in the back, with the pile of coal’…

…Now we find him ‘parked next to this old smokestack. Wassit say? Heinz? Yup. As in ketchup. Smells like it too. Did you know that the American pioneers thought that tomatoes were poisonous? And that ketchup was another term back in the day for ‘sauce’? Yup. Tis true. Do a Wiki on it. This stack is located in Fremont, Ohio.’ Tachoblog likes the ketchup coincidence with our earlier post today ‘Ketchup From Volkswagen – This Is No April Fool Says Tachoblog‘

Click below to continue your journey round the world with Tachoblog…

Rainerri1967 was in Marckolsheim, France.

Back to America from where Amishtrucker sent ‘another view of the I35-Loop 20 interchange in Laredo, Texas. I came though here a couple of days ago. Note the truck on the top there’…

…’Then yesterday I was coming down TX 36 and this is the view of the countryside just past Brazoria. Flat flat flat’

To Australia now and TwoCrowsDown was ‘on the causeway across Lake Lefroy, Kambalda heading to the St Ives gold mine.’

Bouncing back to the States we find Heydriver and Goldie looking at a New Jersey farm on Route 57 Near Washington New Jersey. Heydriver says, ‘New Jersey, the garbage state? Not on the “Jersey” roads I travel on’…

…They’ve called this View ‘The greening of the Trail’ and sent it from US 29 in Virginia. ‘This is my most favorite road to drive on in Virginia. The Good ole Seminole Trail. Spring has arrived on the trail and everything is turning green’…

…Finally there’s this View entitled ‘Pull’ from I-81 N near Lexington, Virginia, after the Buffalo Creek. According to Heydriver, ‘this little hill makes for a hard pull. Fully loaded I can only get Goldie to top the hill at 55mph in 9 gear. I’ve seen many truckers pull out to pass a slower truck and get hung out as gravitational forces beat horsepower into submission.’

Much closer to Tachoblog Towers we find Rizzo101 on the M6 at Lancaster, England.

Back to the USA again and SurfingTrucker’s having ‘a rainy, foggy morning on I-290 in Northboro, Massachusetts’…

…’After a quick turnaround, back through Northboro going the other direction.’

Our last Views for this week come from Jerry B (and the Uganda Crew) which means that we must be in Uganda. Jerry says, ‘following on from last week, after a recent road trip around the west of the country, a locally-fabricated and now slightly weather-beaten sign on the outskirts of a game park warns errant matatus (minibus taxis) about the dangers of picking a fight with elephants on the road. And it does happen’…

…’Last week one of the pix showed how domestic and wild animals are being forced together due to human pressures, this one illustrates how technology also now affects and invades every aspect of our lives and the world at large. Personally, I go to unspoiled game parks to get AWAY from that infernal interwebnet nonsence!’…

…’A bit further up the road and an ancient Fiat wagon and drag gently ticks itself cool, as the driver disappears off for purposes unknown’…

…’To finish off with, a couple of shots of two small boys standing on the equator sign’…

…’And the Congo road junction, near Kasese town in the west of the country, with the cotton wool-like clouds behind shrouding the peaks of fabled Rwenzori Mountains (otherwise known as the Mountains of the Moon), which demarcate the border between Uganda and the Congo.’

And that’s all for this week. Don’t forget that if you’d like to join in with View From The Cab, all you have to do is email your Views to vftc@tachoblog.com or send a tweet starting #vftc to @tachoblog

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