500,000 Miles & the Fourth Year!

Butch & Maverick II

Today marks the Anniversary of Butch's Fourth year driving OTR!  It almost seems surreal it's been that long since the day he left from CFI for his first solo dispatch!

2-28-2025 Delivery, Flesh Company, Parsons, KS

The winter weather was mild for the mid-west.  Dispatching was consistent & the year started off smoothly.  It was a surprise when he started getting dispatches back to the Caves.  The Caves are huge & are used as a warehouse facility for many companies.  There are several entrances in both MO & KS & IL.

3-6-2025 Entrance to the Caves~ Independence, KS

These underground facilities have been put to use store housing treasures from the National Archives.  The more I've read about the area, the more fascinating it is.  It is as safe a storage as any I can imagine for a variety of assets that aren't safe in an area prone to tornadoes.

Butch flew out to Columbus & picked up Maverick II (#2616) March 11th.  The engine had been replaced.  This is the truck he finished off the year with & is still driving.

4-8-2025 Amish Horse & Buggy~

Butch was on his way to Massillon, OH in the photo above.  Can you spot the black horse & buggy waiting on the right - at the light at the upcoming intersection?  Just after he'd finished his time with his trainer, he'd followed a horse & buggy for miles in PA on a two-way road.

5-19-2025 Waiting to pick up at Independence, KS

May, the weather turned stormy with possible tornados in the forecast.  Butch arrived at the Caves late in the afternoon & spent the night just outside the entrance.  I told him if the weather got any worse, to go to Security & ask to go in!  

6-20-2026 Butch arrives home~

June 20th, Butch made an unplanned trip home.  I'd made an unplanned trip to the hospital.  It was such a relief to see him when he walked into my room!  I think my rapid recovery was due to his return!  I went home the following day.  

6-25-2025 Tune-up

At Nationwide in Omaha, it was time for Maverick II's (#2616) tune up.  The VNL 860 has been running perfectly with the new D13 engine.  Its size is impressive.  The semi weighs 18,200 lbs. 

7-3-2025 Love's Service truck arrives ~

An inside tire blew out at 5:37 p.m. on the trailer, 39 miles from Butch's delivery in Kentucky.  After calling Nationwide, he called Love's service.  The service truck made it to his location by 9:57 p.m. & had the new tire on by 11 p.m.  He had 28 min. left to drive on his clock.  He arrived at his destination within minutes of his 1 p.m. delivery time.

7-23-2025 

Butch was returning to Nationwide early in the morning, to pick up a trailer after a few days of home time.  Traffic was light when suddenly, a car came up in the outside lane & hit the side of the semi at the drive tire.  The car was thrown into the bull bar, bounced off from the impact, flew into the air, flipped over & landed on its wheels, on the shoulder.  Butch pulled off & called 911.  He walked toward the car to find a man in a police uniform, who had just gotten out of the car.  Bellevue Police & Emergency vehicles arrived on the scene.  After giving them his information, Butch was told he could leave.  We later found out the driver was a Bellevue PD officer.  

Maverick sustained a few scratches on the fender - each side of the drive tire.  The lug nuts were scratched, but the bull bar protected the front from any further damage.  We were thankful no one was seriously hurt.  Butch turned in his dash camera to Nationwide, who gave it to their insurance company.

8-31-2025

Above is the view inside the Kenosha Visitor Center, WI.  Some of the welcome centers Butch visits are beautiful & very informative.  The Schaefer & Hebior Mammoth's are 14,500 years old.  Kenosha County has two of the six oldest Archaeological sites in North America.  

9-23-2025 Ohio Welcome Center

Looking back at the month of September, Butch made a total of seven pick-ups & twelve deliveries to OH, TX, KY, IL, NE, IN, MO, KS & IA.  Driving the mid-west, after two years now, Butch still prefers to overnight at rest area's when he can.  Many of the rest areas or welcome centers have trails where he can take his evening walks.

10-27-2025 In the Caves~

This year, he made several trips to the Caves, both to deliver & pick up from several different companies.  He'd spent the night at the Ameristar Casino's parking for semis - across from one of the entrances to the Caves.  The following morning, he made his delivery. (Many of the early homes, churches, barns etc. in the Kansas City area were built using limestone block.

11-17-2025 6 a.m. View from the Love's Travel Stop, Bates City, MO

His favorite truck stop is still Iowa-80, but Love's is a second choice when there's a spot open.  He's seen inexperienced drivers cause damage to other trucks, already parked at the overcrowded truck stops.  He also has one or two smaller truck stops where he overnights, especially in KY. 

12-1-2025 - Leaving home~

Butch had been home for a few days.  He helped with the start of the Christmas decorations.  The furnace went out the afternoon before he left.  He called a friend who has a local HVAC company & thankfully the replacement was installed within two days!  Finn & I stayed warm with the fireplace & oil heaters.  Butch managed to stay just ahead of the storm to pick up a loaded trailer & travel east.

1-15-2026 Butch & Juanita

Those of us who crochet ground mats from plastic shopping bags, tell our family & friends to always be on the lookout for colorful plastic bags.  Butch found a truck stop with some bright red bags.  We gave then to Juanita, who makes some of the most beautiful mats of our group.  Juanita gives each completed mat a name.  The one above is the 55th she's finished, christened Hot Rod Hoge! 

2-19-2026 Gateway Rest Area in Mascoutah, IL

This season Butch drove Maverick #2555 from 2/25/25 to 3/11/25 a total of 4,297 miles.  He picked up Maverick II #2616 again 3/11/25 & has driven it for a total of 126,810 miles as of today.  

Total mileage with both trucks for the fourth year is: 125,989.  In the last four years of Over-the-Road driving, he crested the half-million-mile mark with a grand total of 508,869 miles!   

Congratulations to my husband for making his goal, staying safe & covering a LOT of miles at the wheel!

Third Year - OTR