Finally Home, and Early, Too!

DATELINE: HOME! 12:52 p.m.

Miles Today: 12
Miles Yesterday: 210

Here's the scoop: After I got my truck fixed Wednesday evening, I didn't get a load assignment 'til Thursday morning. They wanted me to run a load to New Jersey for a Friday morning delivery. Well! Since I had already missed my scheduled home date because of the truck breakdown and had asked to get home on Friday instead, that load was out of the question. It would not have been possible to make it home without violating at least one DOT regulation. Plus the yard where I park my truck when I'm home is closed over the weekends, so waltzing in on Saturday would not have worked. So I objected to the NJ assignment and was instead given one that involved taking a loaded trailer from the Vandalia (Dayton, OH) terminal to Romulus, MI for a Friday morning delivery. That was MUCH better.

The new assignment meant I could take a liesurely lunch in Vandalia, then an easy drive to my "home parking lot", get picked up there by my wife, then spend last night at home before returning to the truck this morning to make the delivery, after which I could begin my official home time for the weekend. So that's where I am now, home recounting the last couple days of work for you.

This morning's delivery went nearly without incident. I had to back my loaded trailer into a dock and drop it there, then pick up another empty trailer to take with me. The problem came with the empty trailer. They had it parked angled on a dirt lot that wasn't very deep and alongside a road. To back under the trailer, I had to back over a curb to get onto the lot. The problem was, when backing at an angle like that, the truck's drive tires don't all make contact with the pavement at the same time, so I (and another trucker trying to accomplish the same feat) spent some time literally spinning our wheels. We finally rocked ourselves free with the help of a railroad tie we found lying nearby to provide some traction, backed under our trailers with a head of steam up to get over the curb, and completed our missions. Just a little bit more "experience" than I needed when trying to get done and get home. But everything did work out just fine.

Thanks again for reading. I probably won't post another update 'til after I get back in the truck and work on Monday, so y'all have a good weekend, and keep on truckin' (even though I won't be for a few days).