Rolling at 4:45 AM Across the Desert — Aluminum Coils Into Arizona

Welcome back! We're LIVE for Day 2 of the aluminum coils run — September 27, 2026 — and it's an early one. We're rolling out at 4:45 AM to cross the desert Southwest and get into position for tomorrow's delivery. Bodie's riding shotgun (still half asleep). Let's roll! WHERE WE ARE: We spent the night in Vaughn, New Mexico, out in the high desert. We're pulling out before dawn at 4:45 AM to knock out the long desert stretch while it's cool and quiet — one of the best times to drive out here. THE LOAD: For anyone just joining us, we're hauling aluminum coils from JW Aluminum in Russellville, Arkansas out to Super Radiator in Mesa, Arizona, where they'll be turned into radiators and heat exchangers. It's an Amazon 3PL load — we're hauling it for Amazon in an Amazon trailer, but it's regular commercial freight, not Amazon packages. Delivery is Monday morning, September 28th, at 8:00 AM. TODAY'S ROUTE: We head southwest out of Vaughn on US-54, then pick up US-70 across the Tularosa Basin — right past the edge of White Sands — toward Las Cruces. From there we drop onto I-25 south to connect with I-10, then run I-10 west across the boot heel of New Mexico and into Arizona, past Lordsburg, Willcox, and Tucson. We'll shut down for our break in Eloy, Arizona, which sits just southeast of the Phoenix area — that puts us a short, easy drive from the receiver for tomorrow morning's delivery. TODAY'S ROUTE: US-54 → US-70 → I-25 → I-10 This is some of the most spectacular driving in the country. We start under a sky full of stars in the New Mexico high desert, catch the sunrise coming up over the Tularosa Basin, roll past the Organ Mountains at Las Cruces, and then cross into the Sonoran Desert of Arizona — saguaro cactus, red rock, and wide-open desert all the way to Eloy. A gorgeous day behind the wheel. BODIE UPDATE: Our beagle pup Bodie ("Whitehead's Bodacious Bodie") is riding along and supervising as always — though at 4:45 AM he's mostly just sleeping. Thanks to everybody who keeps cheering him on in the chat! If you're a fellow trucker, a dog lover, or just love the open road, hop in and ride along with me and Bodie! Hit that LIKE button and SUBSCRIBE so you never miss a haul. Drop a 👋 in the chat and let us know where you're watching from! 🚛🐶 #trucking #truckdriver #otrtrucking #cdllife #amazonrelay #truckingdog #beagle #arizona #asmr