DATELINE: BERKSHIRE, OH
Miles today: 242 in 5-1/2 hours of driving
Ohio? Wasn't I supposed to be in western Pennsylvania tonight? Well, yes I was. And I had every intention of being there, too. But circumstances that are typical of my life prevented me from completing this load. I woke up this morning with a bad stomach ache, and felt a bit tired, too. But nothing to keep me from hitting the road. However, as the day went on, the stomach ache spread to my back, and my fatigue worsened. All in all, I was feeling pre-flu symptoms. After pushing as far as I could, I finally decided that it would be unsafe for me to continue driving. So I reached the truck stop where I was planning on fueling anyway, parked, and let my dispatcher know that I couldn't continue. (I had sent him a heads-up that I was feeling lousy and stopping was a possibility.) Since my load is time-sensitive, he arranged for another USA driver to swing by and swap his empty trailer for my load.
As relieved as I am to get to sleep off this illness (let's hope it's a 24-hour bug), I really did want to complete that assignment without a hitch. Let's see, that's 3 assignments so far, and (at least) 3 hitches. To recap:
Assignment #1: Milwaukee to KC; Hitch: Had to pick up the load late 'cuz of my overnight bus ride to my truck the previous night.
Assignment #2: KC to Tomah, WI; Hitch 1: Fuel cards not activated AND invalid due to data entry error at corporate office. Hitch 2: After driving all night to get the load to the receiver on time, found out I had to wait past my allowed work time to take the trailer away after unloading.
Assignment #3: Menominee, WI to points east; Hitch: Driver felled by illness.
How long will USA Truck want to keep me on if this kind of track record continues? Anyway, that's normal for me; nothing ever comes without complications, especially the seemingly simple ones, like driving a truck from here to there.
Next, once I get to feeling better (hopefully in the morning), I get to pull this empty trailer to a USA yard in the Chicago area. Let's see, how can I time that to hit the least of the notorious Chicago traffic? Oh well, I'll try it and find out.
Now it's time for recovery sleep, so TTFN. Comments: Keep 'em coming. Truckin': Keep on.
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1 comment:
Another setback... sigh. Take it easy, relax, and let your body do the work of recovery. In the meantime, I'm reminded of the All American Rejects' big hit, "Move Along." If you don't know it - it's got a great tune. Some melancholy lyrics, but it makes you wanna keep moving along anyway.
"Move Along"
Go ahead as you waste your days with thinking
When you fall everyone stands
Another day and you've had your fill of sinking
With the life held in your
Hands are shaking cold
These hands are meant to hold
Speak to me, when all you got to keep is strong
Move along, move along like I know you do
And even when your hope is gone
Move along, move along just to make it through
Move along
Move along
So a day when you've lost yourself completely
Could be a night when your life ends
Such a heart that will lead you to deceiving
All the pain held in your
Hands are shaking cold
Your hands are mine to hold
Speak to me, when all you got to keep is strong
Move along, move along like I know you do
And even when your hope is gone
Move along, move along just to make it through
Move along
(Go on, go on, go on, go on)
When everything is wrong, we move along
(Go on, go on, go on, go on)
When everything is wrong, we move along
Along, along, along
When all you got to keep is strong
Move along, move along like I know you do
And even when your hope is gone
Move along, move along just to make it through
[x3]
(Go on, go on, go on, go on)
Right back what is wrong
We move along
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