DATELINE: WALCOTT, IA, 10:39 p.m. CDT
Miles Today: 374
Corrected Miles Yesterday: 521 (I had mis-read the odometer)
Greetings from the World's Largest Truck Stop! This place, the Iowa 80 Truck Stop, bills itself as such, and if it's wrong, I'd like to see the one that's bigger. It has scads of parking, a food court and an in-house restaurant, shopping, service center...it's a regular Cabela's of truck stops. It's along I-80 in eastern Iowa, just west of Davenport. I stoped here for dinner on my way to my delivery in Davenport, just 15 miles away, then headed back here after completing the delivery (which went fine, although it was another long wait--2 hours from arrival to departure). My next assignment is to head back west a ways, just past Des Moines, to pick up a load at 2:00 p.m., then head east with it. So I'll hit the road around 9:00 in the morning to get there on time. I think I may be back here at Iowa 80 for tomorrow night's respite as well.
So what's this next load's destination? The Buffalo, NY area. The load isn't due for delivery 'til Wednesday, so I'll have plenty of time to get there. Which is good, because I'm going to have limited work hours in the coming days because of the 70-hour-in-8-days regulation. If I can get to western NY early enough, perhaps I can pursuade my bro' and some of his family to zip over from the Rochester area to give me a visit at whatever truck stop I wind up at. (Note to those family members: Hey, are any of you reading this? Or do I need to send an e-mail?)
If you're interested in my poker tournament streak that I mentioned yesterday, well, it did come to an end. I played 4 more sit-n-go tourneys and only finished in the money in 3 of them, third place each time. The one exception was my second attempt, and I crashed and burned early in that one 'cuz of one dumb play--a semi-bluff attempt--I knew I shouldn't have been making when I did it. Oh well, sometimes ya' gotta gamble just to see if you can pull it off. But I do now have a new streak of 2 straight cashes, or 10 of the last 11. I don't think I'll play any tonight 'cuz it is getting late and I am tired. I need to get rested up for tomorrow's predicted lousy driving conditions: Lotsa' rain.
Speaking of rain, this tour of duty, now 17 days old has seen lots of inclement weather. My previous one was almost exclusively perfect weather for the full 2 weeks, with the exception of snow one day in D.C. and Baltimore, of all places. (Being from MI, we think of those towns as southern, beyond the snow belt.) Go figure.
Anyway, I said--er, typed--that I'm tired. So it's time to sign off. Thanks for visiting, please sign the guest register (that is, SEND IN A COMMENT!!!!), and keep on truckin'.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Everything's Up To Date
DATELINE: KANSAS CITY, MO, 4:20 p.m. CDT
Miles Today: 421
Lots of rain today. Well, that's it. Thanks for reading.
No, no, I'll elaborate some more. It wasn't all rain all day. I arose this morning to my watch alarm at 4:00 after finally getting a good, long night's sleep. I hit the hay at around 7:00 last night, worn out from the long day plus several nights of poor sleep. So the 9-ish hours of continuous shut-eye last night were very welcome. I got a shower at the truck stop, grabbed a sandwich from their convenience store for breakfast, and hit the road at 5:00.
As the sun rose, I could see it was rising behind a cloudy sky, and those to my north--where I was headed--were very dark. I didn't encounter any rain for about 2-1/2 hours, when I neared Oklahoma City. Once I hit the highway loop around the city, the skies opened. Funny, that's what was happening when I left the town on Monday, a torrential downpour. So I guess I should talk to the city leaders about some sort of fee to keep me away from their town. I stopped at the Flying J in town--where I had spent Sunday night--to get today's second breakfast. There's a Sonic right across the street, and I just love their SuperSonic Breakfast Burrito. So despite the rain (and lightning) I dashed over for one. Well worth it.
Once back on the road, I was driving through rain of varying intensity for most of the rest of today's trip. The last couple of hours were dry, though, and I arrived here in KC just before 3:00 local time. I'm camped for the night at yet another FJ, this one where I had stayed way back in the first days of my solo career, a night or two before New Year's Eve. Feel free to refer back to those posts to refresh your memory.
That's about all there is to tell about today's happenings. I do get to sleep in tomorrow before I need to head north and east to eastern Iowa for my evening delivery, so perhaps I'll have two nights in a row of real, good rest. Though that may depend on how well tonight's entertainment, a "few" hands of online poker, go. Hey, I'm on a hot streak (which I'm probably jinxing my mentioning). I've entered 7 sit-n-go tournaments (single-table, 9-player games) the last few days and finished "in the money" in all 7; 3 third places, 3 seconds, and I finally won last night. So I'm gonna sign on and try again. But I've strayed from my sign-off.
Have a good night, thanks for checking up on me, keep the comments coming, and keep on truckin'.
Miles Today: 421
Lots of rain today. Well, that's it. Thanks for reading.
No, no, I'll elaborate some more. It wasn't all rain all day. I arose this morning to my watch alarm at 4:00 after finally getting a good, long night's sleep. I hit the hay at around 7:00 last night, worn out from the long day plus several nights of poor sleep. So the 9-ish hours of continuous shut-eye last night were very welcome. I got a shower at the truck stop, grabbed a sandwich from their convenience store for breakfast, and hit the road at 5:00.
As the sun rose, I could see it was rising behind a cloudy sky, and those to my north--where I was headed--were very dark. I didn't encounter any rain for about 2-1/2 hours, when I neared Oklahoma City. Once I hit the highway loop around the city, the skies opened. Funny, that's what was happening when I left the town on Monday, a torrential downpour. So I guess I should talk to the city leaders about some sort of fee to keep me away from their town. I stopped at the Flying J in town--where I had spent Sunday night--to get today's second breakfast. There's a Sonic right across the street, and I just love their SuperSonic Breakfast Burrito. So despite the rain (and lightning) I dashed over for one. Well worth it.
Once back on the road, I was driving through rain of varying intensity for most of the rest of today's trip. The last couple of hours were dry, though, and I arrived here in KC just before 3:00 local time. I'm camped for the night at yet another FJ, this one where I had stayed way back in the first days of my solo career, a night or two before New Year's Eve. Feel free to refer back to those posts to refresh your memory.
That's about all there is to tell about today's happenings. I do get to sleep in tomorrow before I need to head north and east to eastern Iowa for my evening delivery, so perhaps I'll have two nights in a row of real, good rest. Though that may depend on how well tonight's entertainment, a "few" hands of online poker, go. Hey, I'm on a hot streak (which I'm probably jinxing my mentioning). I've entered 7 sit-n-go tournaments (single-table, 9-player games) the last few days and finished "in the money" in all 7; 3 third places, 3 seconds, and I finally won last night. So I'm gonna sign on and try again. But I've strayed from my sign-off.
Have a good night, thanks for checking up on me, keep the comments coming, and keep on truckin'.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Very Interesting, But...
DATELINE: DENTON, TX, 3:28 p.m. CDT
Miles Today: 535
Today was an intersting day, that's for sure. It started out innocently, though early, enough when I hit the road at midnight from West Memphis. My destination: the Dallas area, 450-ish miles away.
I was treated to a light show in the western sky for the first 1/2 hour of the trip before it started to rain a bit. I drove through a few fairly heavy patches of rain, but it wasn't too bad and not for very long. The interesting bit of "weather" was a little ways after I passed into Texas. All of a sudden my windshield was getting bombarded by big, messy insects, the resulting splatters looking like what you'd expect by driving beneath a large flock of birds with stomach flu. EWWW! Of course, my windshield washer picked that time NOT to spray any fluid, so I couldn't keep the thing clean. That pelting only lasted a few miles, and I came across a truck stop and stopped in to clean the windshield off. (On a related note, another USA driver was also at the truck stop cleaning off his windshield, too. We hit the road again almost at the same time and stayed in lock step most of the way into Dallas. Due to road construction, he went off in another direction while I followed my prescribed route to my delivery. Lo and behold, once there, who should pull up behind me but the same driver? Go figure.) My delivery appointment was at 11:00 a.m. (at least that's what USA told me), and I arrived at 9:40. The clerk in the receiving office, however, was under the impression that I was 1:40 late--the paperwork said the delivery was due at 8:00. Oh well, no big deal. USA can deal with that.
The delivery went fine, no problems there (except for the aforementioned appointment time misunderstanding). Once done, I headed up the highway just a few miles to another truck stop--a TA with a Taco Bell--to grab a bite to eat. Upon returning to my truck I had my next assignment: Pick up a load from a recycling yard at noon. It was just about 11:15, and the pickup site was just a few miles away. Awwwwright! I can be early and get back on the road and get a few miles in before my day's allotted hours expire. Right!
Long story short, I arrived at 11:45-ish, and didn't leave 'til 1:45. I had to drop my empty trailer in the customer's trailer yard, then wait for them to produce a full trailer for me to take away. They said that'd take 10-15 minutes. Right! 'Twas more like 100 minutes. Since I had started the day at midnight, my 14-hour driving window would expire at 2:00 p.m. Oh well, I'm a fugitive from the law. I drove beyond 2:00 p.m. so I could reach a place to spend the night. That turned out to be another TA with a Taco Bell, this one just a ways north of Dallas in Denton. Since this place is also on USA's network fuel list, I took the opportunity to fill up my tanks, too, so I'll be all set for a nice long drive tomorrow.
Oh, and where am I headed now? Glad you asked. I'm headed for a Friday evening delivery in beautiful Davenport, Iowa. (Who works on Friday evenings, anyway, and would want to unload trucks then?) There was another USA driver picking up a load at the same place who is also going to the same delivery site, but his delivery is set for 10 minutes before mine. Naturally, his trailer was ready for him on time.
Anyway, enough itching and moaning. With 2 days to go 800-ish miles, I don't have to drive like a hat out of bell. And with the evening delivery Friday, I can sleep in that day, though I'll likely head out early tomorrow, as I like to do. Thanks again for reading, and do step up with the comments. I haven't seen any from anyone but reader nancyr for a few days now. But keep on truckin'.
Miles Today: 535
Today was an intersting day, that's for sure. It started out innocently, though early, enough when I hit the road at midnight from West Memphis. My destination: the Dallas area, 450-ish miles away.
I was treated to a light show in the western sky for the first 1/2 hour of the trip before it started to rain a bit. I drove through a few fairly heavy patches of rain, but it wasn't too bad and not for very long. The interesting bit of "weather" was a little ways after I passed into Texas. All of a sudden my windshield was getting bombarded by big, messy insects, the resulting splatters looking like what you'd expect by driving beneath a large flock of birds with stomach flu. EWWW! Of course, my windshield washer picked that time NOT to spray any fluid, so I couldn't keep the thing clean. That pelting only lasted a few miles, and I came across a truck stop and stopped in to clean the windshield off. (On a related note, another USA driver was also at the truck stop cleaning off his windshield, too. We hit the road again almost at the same time and stayed in lock step most of the way into Dallas. Due to road construction, he went off in another direction while I followed my prescribed route to my delivery. Lo and behold, once there, who should pull up behind me but the same driver? Go figure.) My delivery appointment was at 11:00 a.m. (at least that's what USA told me), and I arrived at 9:40. The clerk in the receiving office, however, was under the impression that I was 1:40 late--the paperwork said the delivery was due at 8:00. Oh well, no big deal. USA can deal with that.
The delivery went fine, no problems there (except for the aforementioned appointment time misunderstanding). Once done, I headed up the highway just a few miles to another truck stop--a TA with a Taco Bell--to grab a bite to eat. Upon returning to my truck I had my next assignment: Pick up a load from a recycling yard at noon. It was just about 11:15, and the pickup site was just a few miles away. Awwwwright! I can be early and get back on the road and get a few miles in before my day's allotted hours expire. Right!
Long story short, I arrived at 11:45-ish, and didn't leave 'til 1:45. I had to drop my empty trailer in the customer's trailer yard, then wait for them to produce a full trailer for me to take away. They said that'd take 10-15 minutes. Right! 'Twas more like 100 minutes. Since I had started the day at midnight, my 14-hour driving window would expire at 2:00 p.m. Oh well, I'm a fugitive from the law. I drove beyond 2:00 p.m. so I could reach a place to spend the night. That turned out to be another TA with a Taco Bell, this one just a ways north of Dallas in Denton. Since this place is also on USA's network fuel list, I took the opportunity to fill up my tanks, too, so I'll be all set for a nice long drive tomorrow.
Oh, and where am I headed now? Glad you asked. I'm headed for a Friday evening delivery in beautiful Davenport, Iowa. (Who works on Friday evenings, anyway, and would want to unload trucks then?) There was another USA driver picking up a load at the same place who is also going to the same delivery site, but his delivery is set for 10 minutes before mine. Naturally, his trailer was ready for him on time.
Anyway, enough itching and moaning. With 2 days to go 800-ish miles, I don't have to drive like a hat out of bell. And with the evening delivery Friday, I can sleep in that day, though I'll likely head out early tomorrow, as I like to do. Thanks again for reading, and do step up with the comments. I haven't seen any from anyone but reader nancyr for a few days now. But keep on truckin'.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Keepin' It Short
DATELINE: WEST MEMPHIS, AR, 3:47 p.m. CDT
Miles Today: 354
As I suspected, dispatch decided to assign someone else to haul my trailer from here (USA's terminal along the Mississip) to Wisconsin in an attempt to get it there on time. (Remember, I couldn't because of DOT hours reg's.) I got here a tad after 10:30 this morning after hitting the road from Checotah a tad after 4:00. 'Twas an uneventful drive--the best kind.
Instead of Wisconsin I get to leave here at midnight and haul another load to the Dallas area. That load needs to be delivered by 11:00 a.m., and it's 455 miles away, hence my early departure. So I'm gonna make this quick and get to sleep soon so I'll be thoroughly rested for that overnight drive.
Thanks for stopping by, hope to see you again soon. And keep on truckin'.
Miles Today: 354
As I suspected, dispatch decided to assign someone else to haul my trailer from here (USA's terminal along the Mississip) to Wisconsin in an attempt to get it there on time. (Remember, I couldn't because of DOT hours reg's.) I got here a tad after 10:30 this morning after hitting the road from Checotah a tad after 4:00. 'Twas an uneventful drive--the best kind.
Instead of Wisconsin I get to leave here at midnight and haul another load to the Dallas area. That load needs to be delivered by 11:00 a.m., and it's 455 miles away, hence my early departure. So I'm gonna make this quick and get to sleep soon so I'll be thoroughly rested for that overnight drive.
Thanks for stopping by, hope to see you again soon. And keep on truckin'.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Short Work Day
DATELINE: CHECOTAH, OK, 2:44 p.m. CDT
Miles Today: 144
Not very many miles tody, but hey, how far can you go when you only have 3-3/4 on-duty hours available? I know you (and I) were expecting today's dateline to read "Oklahoma City", but after I made my delivery this morning, I still had enough time left for a pickup and to start heading down the road a ways. By pure dumb luck, there is yet another Flying J right at the spot on the highway where my hours ran out. (I had planned ahead for that, though.)
Anyway, Checotah is most well-known as the home of Carrie Underwood, a name familiar to you American Idol and/or Country Music fans. It is a small town surrounded by nothingness (if you consider rolling grasslands to be nothingness), but they do have a couple of truck stops, hotels, fast food emporiums (emporia?), and the like.
My pickup was another repeat; a place I'd been in January. 'Twas a mere drop-and-hook, so it didn't take much time at all. What I like about that place is it's on a road by the name of "Wolverine". Must be a great place, eh? ;-) This load is headed to southwestern Wisconsin, but I don't know yet if I'll be taking it all the way there or not. Delivery is set for Wednesday morning, and since my hours are limited by the 70-hour regulation, and because I need to swing by our West Memphis terminal to pick up some truck registration paperwork on the way, I may just have to drop the trailer there for someone else to haul it up north.
So that's what's what for today. I'll be up early again in the morning to head to West Memphis. I probably have about 6 hours to drive to get there. Then I'll contact my fleet manager to see what he wants me to do. So check back in tomorrow to find out the latest in this continuing saga. Thanks for reading and commenting, and KOT.
Miles Today: 144
Not very many miles tody, but hey, how far can you go when you only have 3-3/4 on-duty hours available? I know you (and I) were expecting today's dateline to read "Oklahoma City", but after I made my delivery this morning, I still had enough time left for a pickup and to start heading down the road a ways. By pure dumb luck, there is yet another Flying J right at the spot on the highway where my hours ran out. (I had planned ahead for that, though.)
Anyway, Checotah is most well-known as the home of Carrie Underwood, a name familiar to you American Idol and/or Country Music fans. It is a small town surrounded by nothingness (if you consider rolling grasslands to be nothingness), but they do have a couple of truck stops, hotels, fast food emporiums (emporia?), and the like.
My pickup was another repeat; a place I'd been in January. 'Twas a mere drop-and-hook, so it didn't take much time at all. What I like about that place is it's on a road by the name of "Wolverine". Must be a great place, eh? ;-) This load is headed to southwestern Wisconsin, but I don't know yet if I'll be taking it all the way there or not. Delivery is set for Wednesday morning, and since my hours are limited by the 70-hour regulation, and because I need to swing by our West Memphis terminal to pick up some truck registration paperwork on the way, I may just have to drop the trailer there for someone else to haul it up north.
So that's what's what for today. I'll be up early again in the morning to head to West Memphis. I probably have about 6 hours to drive to get there. Then I'll contact my fleet manager to see what he wants me to do. So check back in tomorrow to find out the latest in this continuing saga. Thanks for reading and commenting, and KOT.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
2 Days' Worth
DATELINE: OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, 6:35 p.m. CDT
Miles Yesterday: 447
Miles Today: 424
My apologies, faithful readers, for not posting an update yesterday. No excuses, I just got wrapped up in other things and before I knew it, it was time for bed with no time to compose an update for you. I'll be sure to post an update for you each day after I finish work before I start anything else that I could get lost in. That is, as long as YOU resolve to read my posts and write a comment back, OK? ;-)
You didn't miss much yesterday, anyway. It, and today, were just cases of same old, same old. Get up early and hit the road well before dawn, then drive 'til early afternoon and stop at a Flying J. Yesterday that was in Sullivan, MO, today it's here in OKC. Sullivan was a re-run; I had spent a night there in January during my mad dash home from Lawton, OK for my first home time on this job. This is my first time stopping here in OK City, but I had driven around it before on that Lawton run.
Tomorrow morning I'll get to sleep in a bit, probably 'til 6:00 (maybe 5:30). My delivery appointment is at 7:00 a.m. The truck stop here is at exit 137 off of I-35; to get to my delivery I need to go A-L-L the way to exit 138D. I hope I don't sneeze while on the highway and miss it. I only have about 3 hours (of my 70-in-8-days) available for tomorrow, so I'll likely just make the delivery then head back here; I won't have enough time to drive anywhere to pick up another load. I will get 10-1/2 hours back on Tuesday.
That's all I can come up with for now to entertain you. Thanks for checking in, and keep on truckin' (and commentin').
Miles Yesterday: 447
Miles Today: 424
My apologies, faithful readers, for not posting an update yesterday. No excuses, I just got wrapped up in other things and before I knew it, it was time for bed with no time to compose an update for you. I'll be sure to post an update for you each day after I finish work before I start anything else that I could get lost in. That is, as long as YOU resolve to read my posts and write a comment back, OK? ;-)
You didn't miss much yesterday, anyway. It, and today, were just cases of same old, same old. Get up early and hit the road well before dawn, then drive 'til early afternoon and stop at a Flying J. Yesterday that was in Sullivan, MO, today it's here in OKC. Sullivan was a re-run; I had spent a night there in January during my mad dash home from Lawton, OK for my first home time on this job. This is my first time stopping here in OK City, but I had driven around it before on that Lawton run.
Tomorrow morning I'll get to sleep in a bit, probably 'til 6:00 (maybe 5:30). My delivery appointment is at 7:00 a.m. The truck stop here is at exit 137 off of I-35; to get to my delivery I need to go A-L-L the way to exit 138D. I hope I don't sneeze while on the highway and miss it. I only have about 3 hours (of my 70-in-8-days) available for tomorrow, so I'll likely just make the delivery then head back here; I won't have enough time to drive anywhere to pick up another load. I will get 10-1/2 hours back on Tuesday.
That's all I can come up with for now to entertain you. Thanks for checking in, and keep on truckin' (and commentin').
Friday, March 23, 2007
Far Too Familiar (and Wet) Ground
DATELINE: VANDALIA, OH, 4:43 p.m. EDT
Miles Today: 242
'Twas an early--and wet--start to the day today. Although it wasn't raining when I woke up at 2:00 and hit the road 1/2 an hour later, the skies opened while I was on my way to my delivery. In the interest of concisity (found in the same dictionary as last year's word of the year, "truthiness"), I'll just tell you that my delivery and subsequent new load pickup were both in Zanesville and both were drop-and-hooks. Which meant I had to get out into the pouring rain several times to crank landing gear and unhook and hook air line and electrical connections. And since I started so early, it was all in the dark, too. At the pickup site for my new load (more on that later), I had to first back my empty trailer into a tight spot. It was oh so much help when the floodlight in the lot turned off just as I was getting started. There were still some lights behind where I was trying to back the trailer, and they were shining right into my eyes, making visibility oh so easy. But I managed finally anyway.
My new load is headed for Oklahoma City, so I'll be on my way there over the weekend to deliver it Monday morning. After picking up my new loaded trailer, I headed west (through more driving rain) and stopped here for fuel and to have the shop fix up my air conditioner. Fortunately, the load was headed this way so I could get that done. The shop finally finished the work on my AC after about 5 hours, about 1/2 an hour before my 14-hour driving window for the day expired. So I'm spending the night here AGAIN. But that's OK. I figure I have just enough of my 70 hours to get to OKC over the weekend and make the delivery on Monday. Had I had the chance to drive more today it still would have been using up the same time against my 70 hours. Whether or not I'll have any time left to pick up another load on Monday is another question. If not, I'll get 10.5 hours back on Tuesday and get a new load. (Remember, the 70-hour restriction is for any consecutive 8 days, so as a day "rolls off", the hours I used that day are available for the next day rolling in.)
I'll be back up and "at 'em" again early tomorrow morning, but not as early as 2:00. I have my alarm set for 4:00, so I can hit the road at about 4:30. That'll get me stopped for the night good 'n early so I can get a choice parking spot. When I'm done composing this I'll have to plot out how far I'm likely to get tomorrow (somewhere in Missouri,most likely) so I can find a good truck stop in the vicinity. So look for a "MO" dateline tomorrow.
That's my story for today and I'm sticking to it. I hope you find some shred of entertainment value in it, but even if not, thanks for reading it anyway. As ever, I'd love to read your comments to my posts, so please leave some. And, also as ever, keep on truckin'
Miles Today: 242
'Twas an early--and wet--start to the day today. Although it wasn't raining when I woke up at 2:00 and hit the road 1/2 an hour later, the skies opened while I was on my way to my delivery. In the interest of concisity (found in the same dictionary as last year's word of the year, "truthiness"), I'll just tell you that my delivery and subsequent new load pickup were both in Zanesville and both were drop-and-hooks. Which meant I had to get out into the pouring rain several times to crank landing gear and unhook and hook air line and electrical connections. And since I started so early, it was all in the dark, too. At the pickup site for my new load (more on that later), I had to first back my empty trailer into a tight spot. It was oh so much help when the floodlight in the lot turned off just as I was getting started. There were still some lights behind where I was trying to back the trailer, and they were shining right into my eyes, making visibility oh so easy. But I managed finally anyway.
My new load is headed for Oklahoma City, so I'll be on my way there over the weekend to deliver it Monday morning. After picking up my new loaded trailer, I headed west (through more driving rain) and stopped here for fuel and to have the shop fix up my air conditioner. Fortunately, the load was headed this way so I could get that done. The shop finally finished the work on my AC after about 5 hours, about 1/2 an hour before my 14-hour driving window for the day expired. So I'm spending the night here AGAIN. But that's OK. I figure I have just enough of my 70 hours to get to OKC over the weekend and make the delivery on Monday. Had I had the chance to drive more today it still would have been using up the same time against my 70 hours. Whether or not I'll have any time left to pick up another load on Monday is another question. If not, I'll get 10.5 hours back on Tuesday and get a new load. (Remember, the 70-hour restriction is for any consecutive 8 days, so as a day "rolls off", the hours I used that day are available for the next day rolling in.)
I'll be back up and "at 'em" again early tomorrow morning, but not as early as 2:00. I have my alarm set for 4:00, so I can hit the road at about 4:30. That'll get me stopped for the night good 'n early so I can get a choice parking spot. When I'm done composing this I'll have to plot out how far I'm likely to get tomorrow (somewhere in Missouri,most likely) so I can find a good truck stop in the vicinity. So look for a "MO" dateline tomorrow.
That's my story for today and I'm sticking to it. I hope you find some shred of entertainment value in it, but even if not, thanks for reading it anyway. As ever, I'd love to read your comments to my posts, so please leave some. And, also as ever, keep on truckin'
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Back Above Mason Dixon
DATELINE: JEFFERSONVILLE, OH, 6:26 p.m. EDT
Miles Today: 586
Well if it ain't Alabama, it's Ohio, I guess. Here I am back in Buckeye land, a mere 35-ish miles from C-bus. Oh well, at least USA pays me the big bucks to tolerate it. (Right!)
Not much of anything to report today, just driving and driving, from 3:30 a.m. CDT to 3:45 p.m. EDT, with stops for fuel and lunch in there, too. I'm at another Flying J for tonight, and took advantage of their shower and laundry facilities. I will be off to bed right away after posting this 'cuz I need to be up at 2:00 a.m. to hit the road. I need to make my delivery by 6:00 in the morning, so I want to be sure I'm there in plenty of time. I have about 1-1/2 to 2 hours of driving to reach the customer site, so I think I'm giving myself enough leeway.
That's all I have to say for today. Catch me again tomorrow when I fill you in on my next destination. Thanks for reading, and keep on truckin'.
Miles Today: 586
Well if it ain't Alabama, it's Ohio, I guess. Here I am back in Buckeye land, a mere 35-ish miles from C-bus. Oh well, at least USA pays me the big bucks to tolerate it. (Right!)
Not much of anything to report today, just driving and driving, from 3:30 a.m. CDT to 3:45 p.m. EDT, with stops for fuel and lunch in there, too. I'm at another Flying J for tonight, and took advantage of their shower and laundry facilities. I will be off to bed right away after posting this 'cuz I need to be up at 2:00 a.m. to hit the road. I need to make my delivery by 6:00 in the morning, so I want to be sure I'm there in plenty of time. I have about 1-1/2 to 2 hours of driving to reach the customer site, so I think I'm giving myself enough leeway.
That's all I have to say for today. Catch me again tomorrow when I fill you in on my next destination. Thanks for reading, and keep on truckin'.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
All AL, All Day
DATELINE: COTTONDALE, AL, 5:44 p.m. CDT
Miles Today: 458
The sun has rose and the sun has set, and I ain't out of 'Bama yet. Well, no, the sun hasn't really set yet, but I'm done driving for the day and it will set before I leave the state. So that's close enough for me to use that saying. (Which actually is a commentary about Texas and its size, but I borrowed it for today. Hope TX doesn't mind.)
I was up early, drove the 200 miles to Montgomery (with a fuel stop en route) and made my delivery. Unloading took about 2-1/4 hours, so I had a little down time to rest up. When that was done, I headed to a TA (Travel Centers of America) truck stop about 5 miles away for a shower and lunch while I awaited my next assignment. That turned out to be to make a pickup on the west edge of the state--just about directly west from Montgomery--at 2:30 p.m. (it was about 11:00 a.m. when I got the assignment) and take it back north to Zanesville, OH. I'll make that delivery Friday morning, so I'll be driving like a madman tomorrow to get as far as I can. Wish me clear traffic.
At least the pickup this afternoon was a simple drop-and-hook, and my new trailer was already waiting for me, so I was in and out of the shipper's site within 30 minutes. With no waiting around, I had 2-1/2 hours left to drive to make a dent in the trip back north. I've stopped for the night outside of Tuscaloosa, at another TA truck stop. The deciding factor to stop here, about 1/2 an hour before my shift expired, was they have a Taco Bell in the truck stop. Cheap, tasty eats sounded appealing to me, so case closed.
It's kinda' hot down here, at least inside the truck with the sun beating down on it, and my next appointment for the shop will be to get my AC checked out. It's not conditioning the air very much. I have the truck running right now just so I can have the blowers going full tilt, otherwise it'd be stifling in here. I'll want to shut it off for the night so I can sleep in relative quiet, but that will have to wait 'til after sundown. The sleeper berth does have a couple screened windows I can open up for some air circulation, but they are high up and kinda' small, so their benefit is limited. Plus, with them open, the noise of the other trucks around mine just comes right in. Sigh.
That's enough complaining for today. Hope you enjoyed it, and I thank you for taking a glance today. Keep those comments coming, and keep on truckin'.
Miles Today: 458
The sun has rose and the sun has set, and I ain't out of 'Bama yet. Well, no, the sun hasn't really set yet, but I'm done driving for the day and it will set before I leave the state. So that's close enough for me to use that saying. (Which actually is a commentary about Texas and its size, but I borrowed it for today. Hope TX doesn't mind.)
I was up early, drove the 200 miles to Montgomery (with a fuel stop en route) and made my delivery. Unloading took about 2-1/4 hours, so I had a little down time to rest up. When that was done, I headed to a TA (Travel Centers of America) truck stop about 5 miles away for a shower and lunch while I awaited my next assignment. That turned out to be to make a pickup on the west edge of the state--just about directly west from Montgomery--at 2:30 p.m. (it was about 11:00 a.m. when I got the assignment) and take it back north to Zanesville, OH. I'll make that delivery Friday morning, so I'll be driving like a madman tomorrow to get as far as I can. Wish me clear traffic.
At least the pickup this afternoon was a simple drop-and-hook, and my new trailer was already waiting for me, so I was in and out of the shipper's site within 30 minutes. With no waiting around, I had 2-1/2 hours left to drive to make a dent in the trip back north. I've stopped for the night outside of Tuscaloosa, at another TA truck stop. The deciding factor to stop here, about 1/2 an hour before my shift expired, was they have a Taco Bell in the truck stop. Cheap, tasty eats sounded appealing to me, so case closed.
It's kinda' hot down here, at least inside the truck with the sun beating down on it, and my next appointment for the shop will be to get my AC checked out. It's not conditioning the air very much. I have the truck running right now just so I can have the blowers going full tilt, otherwise it'd be stifling in here. I'll want to shut it off for the night so I can sleep in relative quiet, but that will have to wait 'til after sundown. The sleeper berth does have a couple screened windows I can open up for some air circulation, but they are high up and kinda' small, so their benefit is limited. Plus, with them open, the noise of the other trucks around mine just comes right in. Sigh.
That's enough complaining for today. Hope you enjoyed it, and I thank you for taking a glance today. Keep those comments coming, and keep on truckin'.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Go...Wait...GO!
DATELINE: SOUTHBOUND I-65, JUST BARELY INTO ALABAMA, 5:41 p.m. CDT
Miles Today: 504
Well, I certainly got a lot further today than I expected. After driving the 1-1/2 hours first thing this morning to get my sick truck to the shop in Vandalia, it only took 'em about 3-1/2 hours to get it diagnosed, fixed, and get me on my way again. So that left my full complement of driving hours available (except for the hour-and-a-half I used to get there), and I hightailed it down here as far as I could get. I have just about exactly 200 miles to go to my delivery at 8:00 tomorrow morning, so I'll be up and rolling good and early again (I prefer it that way, so I can get off the road early in the evening--or late afternoon--each day).
As for what was wrong with the truck, it's a common problem that they know how to deal with. Some sort of valve in the engine and/or exhaust system that goes bad. Tell the people at the shop the symptoms of this malady, and they know right away what the problem is.
In response to reader hrr's question, we do have a maintenance schedule for our trucks. Dispatch sends us a message when the truck nears the mileage thresholds, and we make appointments with the service department to get the maintenance done. Naturally, I had had my truck in for that service just a couple weeks ago, on my last tour of duty.
Another note to reader hrr: Don't get too proud of yourself for being the first commenter so frequently lately. Reader nancyr is having computer problems and can't communicate from the home PC. (I love the current line of MacIntosh ads--making me think we oughta' get one to replace the Windows box that's giving us fits. Anybody with expertise along those lines wanna' weigh in with your informed opinions?)
That's what's happened today--lotsa' driving and a bit of waiting. Thanks again for lending my blog your eyeballs for a few scant moments. Please let your brain and fingers join the fun (?) and add a comment. And keep on truckin'.
Miles Today: 504
Well, I certainly got a lot further today than I expected. After driving the 1-1/2 hours first thing this morning to get my sick truck to the shop in Vandalia, it only took 'em about 3-1/2 hours to get it diagnosed, fixed, and get me on my way again. So that left my full complement of driving hours available (except for the hour-and-a-half I used to get there), and I hightailed it down here as far as I could get. I have just about exactly 200 miles to go to my delivery at 8:00 tomorrow morning, so I'll be up and rolling good and early again (I prefer it that way, so I can get off the road early in the evening--or late afternoon--each day).
As for what was wrong with the truck, it's a common problem that they know how to deal with. Some sort of valve in the engine and/or exhaust system that goes bad. Tell the people at the shop the symptoms of this malady, and they know right away what the problem is.
In response to reader hrr's question, we do have a maintenance schedule for our trucks. Dispatch sends us a message when the truck nears the mileage thresholds, and we make appointments with the service department to get the maintenance done. Naturally, I had had my truck in for that service just a couple weeks ago, on my last tour of duty.
Another note to reader hrr: Don't get too proud of yourself for being the first commenter so frequently lately. Reader nancyr is having computer problems and can't communicate from the home PC. (I love the current line of MacIntosh ads--making me think we oughta' get one to replace the Windows box that's giving us fits. Anybody with expertise along those lines wanna' weigh in with your informed opinions?)
That's what's happened today--lotsa' driving and a bit of waiting. Thanks again for lending my blog your eyeballs for a few scant moments. Please let your brain and fingers join the fun (?) and add a comment. And keep on truckin'.
Monday, March 19, 2007
From Here to There, to There, and Back Again
DATELINE: BEAVERDAM, OH, 6:28 p.m. EDT
Miles Today: 346
Today I managed to use up all of my allotted 14 work hours. Unfortunately, it wasn't all in racking up the miles. A good bit of it was just waiting around.
I started early this morning by going on duty at 3:00 at the Vandalia terminal. After fueling up my truck, I hit the road north to the Toledo area. I stopped en route at a truck stop for a quick bite from the McDonald's inside. Once I reached the delivery customer, I had to wait in line for a dock assignment. That wait was only 45 minutes, so not very bad at all. After docking and unloading, it was off to another truck stop just over the border into MI to await my next assignment.
While at the truck stop I composed a message on my Qualcomm box for dispatch, then went in for Second Breakfast (it was still only 9:00 a.m.). This truck stop also had a McD's. After returning to my truck I noticed my message hadn't been sent yet. (The "home" screen on Qualcomm is a status screen that displays the number of messages waiting to be read and sent.) This sometimes happens, even though the "No Signal" light was not illuminated. The only way to get the messages flowing is to move the truck. So I drove another couple miles up the highway to the Michigan Welcome Center rest area. There I received my next assignment at about 10:00: Pick up a load in Clyde, OH at 2:00 p.m. for delivery in Montgomery, AL Wednesday morning.
I headed to Clyde right away hoping I could pick up the load early and get back to Vandalia today, for reasons I'll explain below. I got to the shipper about 11:45 (after missing the turn into the company the first time by because of faulty directions supplied by USA) and waited in a L-O-N-G line of trucks to check in at the guard shack, which I finally reached at about 1:00. There they informed me that the trailer I was to pick up was still being loaded, and should be ready at the 2:00 appointment time, if not a little early. (This was a drop-and-hook situation.) So I had to park and wait after dropping my empty trailer in their "empties" lot. Shortly before 2:00 I walked back to the guard shack to inquire about my load. It wasn't quite ready, of course. Finally, at 2:20 I got the word to go pick up the trailer from their "loaded" lot. Of course, the trailer wasn't actually in the lot, but still at a dock door. (Fortunately, since I had seen their signs regarding procedures if the trailer is still at a door, I decided that was a distinct probability and checked there first.) That caused another brief wait while I waited for a lot "spotter" to clear the trailer for hookup and takeaway. Long story short (whaddaya mean, "too late"?), I was finally outta' there just before 3:00.
Math time: 2 hours to go on my 14 for the day, 3 hours (or more) to drive to Vandalia. Hmmm. Don't think I'll make it. Fortunately I knew of a Flying J just about at the point my shift would expire. So here I am.
At this point I should mention why I wanted to get to Vandalia. My truck has become ill once more. When I started this morning, the WARN ENGINE light was on; nothing new there, it seems to do that when it's cold. However, once it got light outside, I could see the truck was blowing lots of black smoke out the exhaust whenever I accelerated through the gears. Plus it seems the power is a bit down. So I wanted to get to the shop at the terminal so they chould check it out whilst I was on my required 10-hour break. Alas, because of the delays at the shipper this afternoon, I'll have to get it in first thing in the morning (I have about an hour-and-a-half drive left to Vandalia), and I may have to give up this load in order to get it to its destination in time. Oh well, ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do. At least I'm not on my way home this time. ;-)
I think that's enough rambling for today. Thanks for your patience in reading this far. Let me know if you like this much painful, excruciating detail in my updates. And, as ever, keep on truckin'
Miles Today: 346
Today I managed to use up all of my allotted 14 work hours. Unfortunately, it wasn't all in racking up the miles. A good bit of it was just waiting around.
I started early this morning by going on duty at 3:00 at the Vandalia terminal. After fueling up my truck, I hit the road north to the Toledo area. I stopped en route at a truck stop for a quick bite from the McDonald's inside. Once I reached the delivery customer, I had to wait in line for a dock assignment. That wait was only 45 minutes, so not very bad at all. After docking and unloading, it was off to another truck stop just over the border into MI to await my next assignment.
While at the truck stop I composed a message on my Qualcomm box for dispatch, then went in for Second Breakfast (it was still only 9:00 a.m.). This truck stop also had a McD's. After returning to my truck I noticed my message hadn't been sent yet. (The "home" screen on Qualcomm is a status screen that displays the number of messages waiting to be read and sent.) This sometimes happens, even though the "No Signal" light was not illuminated. The only way to get the messages flowing is to move the truck. So I drove another couple miles up the highway to the Michigan Welcome Center rest area. There I received my next assignment at about 10:00: Pick up a load in Clyde, OH at 2:00 p.m. for delivery in Montgomery, AL Wednesday morning.
I headed to Clyde right away hoping I could pick up the load early and get back to Vandalia today, for reasons I'll explain below. I got to the shipper about 11:45 (after missing the turn into the company the first time by because of faulty directions supplied by USA) and waited in a L-O-N-G line of trucks to check in at the guard shack, which I finally reached at about 1:00. There they informed me that the trailer I was to pick up was still being loaded, and should be ready at the 2:00 appointment time, if not a little early. (This was a drop-and-hook situation.) So I had to park and wait after dropping my empty trailer in their "empties" lot. Shortly before 2:00 I walked back to the guard shack to inquire about my load. It wasn't quite ready, of course. Finally, at 2:20 I got the word to go pick up the trailer from their "loaded" lot. Of course, the trailer wasn't actually in the lot, but still at a dock door. (Fortunately, since I had seen their signs regarding procedures if the trailer is still at a door, I decided that was a distinct probability and checked there first.) That caused another brief wait while I waited for a lot "spotter" to clear the trailer for hookup and takeaway. Long story short (whaddaya mean, "too late"?), I was finally outta' there just before 3:00.
Math time: 2 hours to go on my 14 for the day, 3 hours (or more) to drive to Vandalia. Hmmm. Don't think I'll make it. Fortunately I knew of a Flying J just about at the point my shift would expire. So here I am.
At this point I should mention why I wanted to get to Vandalia. My truck has become ill once more. When I started this morning, the WARN ENGINE light was on; nothing new there, it seems to do that when it's cold. However, once it got light outside, I could see the truck was blowing lots of black smoke out the exhaust whenever I accelerated through the gears. Plus it seems the power is a bit down. So I wanted to get to the shop at the terminal so they chould check it out whilst I was on my required 10-hour break. Alas, because of the delays at the shipper this afternoon, I'll have to get it in first thing in the morning (I have about an hour-and-a-half drive left to Vandalia), and I may have to give up this load in order to get it to its destination in time. Oh well, ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do. At least I'm not on my way home this time. ;-)
I think that's enough rambling for today. Thanks for your patience in reading this far. Let me know if you like this much painful, excruciating detail in my updates. And, as ever, keep on truckin'
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Hum De Dum...
DATELINE: VANDALIA, OH, 7:30 p.m.
Miles Today: 0, zilch, zip, nada, yada yada yada...
Well, I didn't get reassigned to a new load, so I've just been sitting here at USA's terminal. As you recall, my current load's delivery is scheduled for Monday morning. I'll get up early (3:00 a.m.) to make the run up to the Toledo area, then after making the delivery I'll see where they'll send me next. Then I'll be sure to let you know where I'm headed in tomorrow's update. So c'mon back for that news.
That's all to report today. I hope you're having a terrific weekend, at least less boring than mine has been. Thanks for reading and commenting, and keep truckin' on.
Miles Today: 0, zilch, zip, nada, yada yada yada...
Well, I didn't get reassigned to a new load, so I've just been sitting here at USA's terminal. As you recall, my current load's delivery is scheduled for Monday morning. I'll get up early (3:00 a.m.) to make the run up to the Toledo area, then after making the delivery I'll see where they'll send me next. Then I'll be sure to let you know where I'm headed in tomorrow's update. So c'mon back for that news.
That's all to report today. I hope you're having a terrific weekend, at least less boring than mine has been. Thanks for reading and commenting, and keep truckin' on.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Back On the Air
DATELINE: VANDALIA, OH, 9:18 a.m. EDT
My apologies, faithful followers of my trucking storyline, for my lack of updates the last couple of days. It seems western South Carolina must be a bit behind the times. I could not get an internet connection through my Verizon card at the places I stopped, hence I could not put my story out on these airwaves. I'll catch you up today, though.
Let's see, where did I leave off? Oh yes, when last I reported, I was in northern Kentucky for the night, on my way to SC. That night went fine, as did the drive to Spartanburg the next day. I reached USA's terminal in that fair city around noon (after starting the day's drive at 4:00 a.m.). Since my delivery was scheduled for 1:00 a.m. about an hour's drive away, I was in fine shape to take my 10-hour break before I would need to hit the road. The problem was, I wasn't tired enough to sleep much. I tried, and did snooze off-and-on for about 3 hours, but that was it for a while. I spend some time in the terminal's drivers' lounge watching some TV (they have about 16 new, big, soft, leather recliners and a big-screen plasma TV), trying not to use much energy. I also took the opportunity to use a shower there, too. I then tried again to get some sleep, and got a little bit before it was time to go.
The delivery went fine--I had to back my trailer into a dock, unhook it, then find an empty in the customer's lot. After hooking up the empty, I sent in my "empty call" message to dispatch to let them know I was ready for my next pickup assignment. It came at about 1:45 a.m.: Pick up a load about 30-ish miles away at 8:00 a.m. So I had a few hours to kill. I had noted on my atlas a few rest areas along the highway within 20 or so miles of the exit I would need to take to get to the pickup (which, incidentally, was the same exit I had taken to get to the delivery), so I headed out to see it I could find an empy parking space in one. At that time of night, rest areas' truck parking spots are generally full, but in the bigger ones I occasionally find one or two openings. I found a spot in the Georgia Welcome Center just across the border and bedded down for some rest, even though my shift's 14-hour clock was still running. (I wouldn't have enough time for a full 10-hour break before my pickup.)
At the appropriate time, I awoke and headed back up the road to my pickup. Incidentally, I had made a pickup at this location once before, last month sometime, so I was familiar with where I was going. I got there right at 8:00, and discovered a couple other trucks ahead of me in line. So I had to wait for my turn to back into the dock and get my trailer loaded. By the time that was complete a couple hours later, I only had a bit over an hour left of my allotted 14, so I wasn't going to get very far that day (yesterday, a.k.a. Friday). Fortunately, there is a TA (Travel Centers of America) truck stop on USA's network list about an hour up the highway on the route I needed to take. (By the way, this load is destined for the Toledo, OH area.)
I spent my requisite 10 hours at the TA, considering taking some extra time to revert back to a daytime shift, but my dispatcher sent me a message asking for my ETA back to the Vandalia, OH terminal. Seems he'd like me to drop it there since the load isn't due for delivery until Monday morning. That way they could get me on another load and rolling up the paying miles instead of taking 3 days to go the 650 miles for this load. So I had at least one more overnight drive to make. I left that spot (the TA is in Duncan, SC) at 9:30 p.m. and headed north and west, back through parts of both Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and southern Ohio to here in Vandalia (again, that's just north of Dayton). I arrived here just after 8:00 a.m.
And now you're caught up with me. I'm on my (at least) 10-hour break now, waiting to hear if they're reassigning me. If they do, I'm hoping the load's schedule will allow me to take just a bit of extra time here before I have to leave so I can get back on a daytime schedule. I'm finding it hard to sleep much during the daylight hours, even when I am tired. I much prefer to get up early and hit the road around 4:00 a.m., then find a place to spend the night in the mid-afternoon. As I found out during my training period, you can't see much of the countryside driving overnight when it's dark. And that adds to the monotony of the job, which is bad enough when you can see the changing scenery as you move along the road. But that's enough complaining.
Thanks again for indulging me by reading this stuff. I do look forward to your comments, so please keep those coming. And keep on truckin'.
My apologies, faithful followers of my trucking storyline, for my lack of updates the last couple of days. It seems western South Carolina must be a bit behind the times. I could not get an internet connection through my Verizon card at the places I stopped, hence I could not put my story out on these airwaves. I'll catch you up today, though.
Let's see, where did I leave off? Oh yes, when last I reported, I was in northern Kentucky for the night, on my way to SC. That night went fine, as did the drive to Spartanburg the next day. I reached USA's terminal in that fair city around noon (after starting the day's drive at 4:00 a.m.). Since my delivery was scheduled for 1:00 a.m. about an hour's drive away, I was in fine shape to take my 10-hour break before I would need to hit the road. The problem was, I wasn't tired enough to sleep much. I tried, and did snooze off-and-on for about 3 hours, but that was it for a while. I spend some time in the terminal's drivers' lounge watching some TV (they have about 16 new, big, soft, leather recliners and a big-screen plasma TV), trying not to use much energy. I also took the opportunity to use a shower there, too. I then tried again to get some sleep, and got a little bit before it was time to go.
The delivery went fine--I had to back my trailer into a dock, unhook it, then find an empty in the customer's lot. After hooking up the empty, I sent in my "empty call" message to dispatch to let them know I was ready for my next pickup assignment. It came at about 1:45 a.m.: Pick up a load about 30-ish miles away at 8:00 a.m. So I had a few hours to kill. I had noted on my atlas a few rest areas along the highway within 20 or so miles of the exit I would need to take to get to the pickup (which, incidentally, was the same exit I had taken to get to the delivery), so I headed out to see it I could find an empy parking space in one. At that time of night, rest areas' truck parking spots are generally full, but in the bigger ones I occasionally find one or two openings. I found a spot in the Georgia Welcome Center just across the border and bedded down for some rest, even though my shift's 14-hour clock was still running. (I wouldn't have enough time for a full 10-hour break before my pickup.)
At the appropriate time, I awoke and headed back up the road to my pickup. Incidentally, I had made a pickup at this location once before, last month sometime, so I was familiar with where I was going. I got there right at 8:00, and discovered a couple other trucks ahead of me in line. So I had to wait for my turn to back into the dock and get my trailer loaded. By the time that was complete a couple hours later, I only had a bit over an hour left of my allotted 14, so I wasn't going to get very far that day (yesterday, a.k.a. Friday). Fortunately, there is a TA (Travel Centers of America) truck stop on USA's network list about an hour up the highway on the route I needed to take. (By the way, this load is destined for the Toledo, OH area.)
I spent my requisite 10 hours at the TA, considering taking some extra time to revert back to a daytime shift, but my dispatcher sent me a message asking for my ETA back to the Vandalia, OH terminal. Seems he'd like me to drop it there since the load isn't due for delivery until Monday morning. That way they could get me on another load and rolling up the paying miles instead of taking 3 days to go the 650 miles for this load. So I had at least one more overnight drive to make. I left that spot (the TA is in Duncan, SC) at 9:30 p.m. and headed north and west, back through parts of both Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and southern Ohio to here in Vandalia (again, that's just north of Dayton). I arrived here just after 8:00 a.m.
And now you're caught up with me. I'm on my (at least) 10-hour break now, waiting to hear if they're reassigning me. If they do, I'm hoping the load's schedule will allow me to take just a bit of extra time here before I have to leave so I can get back on a daytime schedule. I'm finding it hard to sleep much during the daylight hours, even when I am tired. I much prefer to get up early and hit the road around 4:00 a.m., then find a place to spend the night in the mid-afternoon. As I found out during my training period, you can't see much of the countryside driving overnight when it's dark. And that adds to the monotony of the job, which is bad enough when you can see the changing scenery as you move along the road. But that's enough complaining.
Thanks again for indulging me by reading this stuff. I do look forward to your comments, so please keep those coming. And keep on truckin'.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Southeastbound
DATELINE: FLORENCE, KY, 7:57 p.m. EDT
Miles Today: 402
G'd evening, trucking fans. I'm going to spare you my rambling tonight and just give you a short update because I need to get to sleep, then get up early and on my way.
I returned to my truck this morning (thanks to reader nancyr for the lift) at about 6:45, then had my load assignment at about 7:15. My mission: Pick up a load in Coldwater, MI at 10:00 a.m., then haul it to western South Carolina for delivery on Friday at 1:00 a.m. OK, I can do that. But a delivery scheduled for that time of day (night!) is kinda' strange. Hence my need to get up early; to start shifting my personal schedule to an overnight one for the next couple of days.
In case you're wondering, I'm at the Kentucky Welcome Center/Rest Area on southbound I-75, just a bit south of Cincinnati, for the night. Not quite as far as I wanted to get today, but I do need to work on shiftng my schedule, plus I ran into a bit of a traffic jam going through Cincy, which slowed me up.
That's enough for tonight. Thanks for following my adventures over these airwaves, and keep on truckin' and commentin'.
Miles Today: 402
G'd evening, trucking fans. I'm going to spare you my rambling tonight and just give you a short update because I need to get to sleep, then get up early and on my way.
I returned to my truck this morning (thanks to reader nancyr for the lift) at about 6:45, then had my load assignment at about 7:15. My mission: Pick up a load in Coldwater, MI at 10:00 a.m., then haul it to western South Carolina for delivery on Friday at 1:00 a.m. OK, I can do that. But a delivery scheduled for that time of day (night!) is kinda' strange. Hence my need to get up early; to start shifting my personal schedule to an overnight one for the next couple of days.
In case you're wondering, I'm at the Kentucky Welcome Center/Rest Area on southbound I-75, just a bit south of Cincinnati, for the night. Not quite as far as I wanted to get today, but I do need to work on shiftng my schedule, plus I ran into a bit of a traffic jam going through Cincy, which slowed me up.
That's enough for tonight. Thanks for following my adventures over these airwaves, and keep on truckin' and commentin'.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Heading Back
DATELINE: HOME
Pardon me, dear readers, for my silence the last few days. Since I've been either at or near home, I've been a bit too busy to report to y'all. But tomorrow morning I head back to my truck and get back to work. But first a recap of the first half of this week.
As you recall, on Monday morning I had a delivery to make in Ferndale, MI, after which I would start my home time. Let me tell you about that delivery. The company is alongside a residential neighborhood in town, on a narrow, two-lane street. Their loading dock is just off the street, which meant a tight spot to squeeze my 53-foot trailer into. It took a while, with many pull-up adjustments, but I finally made it. I knew I would, but I also knew it would take a while. All in all, it took about two hours from the time I arrived there 'til they finished unloading the trailer, then it was off to Romulus to park the truck to begin my hometime. Many thanks to reader Jerry for the ride home, by the way.
Being home for a day and a half has been terrific. Well, except for all the work I had--and still have--to do on tax returns and accounting for my home businesses.) I timed it perfectly to be here for nice warm weather. Plus I got to go to the first round NIT basketball game between the Michigan Wolverines (GO BLUE!) and the Utah State Aggies. Michigan won 68-58. More thanks to reader Jerry for the ticket. The missus also made me a batch of seafood chowder, recipe courtesy of The Common Grill cookbook. It's one of my all-time favorite dishes from one of my favorite restaurants. Get out to Chelsea, MI and check it out.
So that's what's been what during my absence from these airwaves. I hope you haven't missed me too much. I'll be back tomorrow to let you know where USA has sent me. Until then, thanks for reading, and keep on truckin'.
Pardon me, dear readers, for my silence the last few days. Since I've been either at or near home, I've been a bit too busy to report to y'all. But tomorrow morning I head back to my truck and get back to work. But first a recap of the first half of this week.
As you recall, on Monday morning I had a delivery to make in Ferndale, MI, after which I would start my home time. Let me tell you about that delivery. The company is alongside a residential neighborhood in town, on a narrow, two-lane street. Their loading dock is just off the street, which meant a tight spot to squeeze my 53-foot trailer into. It took a while, with many pull-up adjustments, but I finally made it. I knew I would, but I also knew it would take a while. All in all, it took about two hours from the time I arrived there 'til they finished unloading the trailer, then it was off to Romulus to park the truck to begin my hometime. Many thanks to reader Jerry for the ride home, by the way.
Being home for a day and a half has been terrific. Well, except for all the work I had--and still have--to do on tax returns and accounting for my home businesses.) I timed it perfectly to be here for nice warm weather. Plus I got to go to the first round NIT basketball game between the Michigan Wolverines (GO BLUE!) and the Utah State Aggies. Michigan won 68-58. More thanks to reader Jerry for the ticket. The missus also made me a batch of seafood chowder, recipe courtesy of The Common Grill cookbook. It's one of my all-time favorite dishes from one of my favorite restaurants. Get out to Chelsea, MI and check it out.
So that's what's been what during my absence from these airwaves. I hope you haven't missed me too much. I'll be back tomorrow to let you know where USA has sent me. Until then, thanks for reading, and keep on truckin'.
Friday, March 9, 2007
Getting There
DATELINE: PORTAGE, OH, 7:05 p.m. EST
Miles Today: 457
Tonight I'm camped at the Portage Service Plaza/Information Center along the Ohio Turnpike. I decided to splurge for the turnpike toll 'cuz I'm on my way home, and it's the most direct route. (Perhaps you recall from a couple of earlier posts that USA Truck does not in most cases reimburse their drivers for tolls on this road.) I plan to get home tomorrow around noon or so, then park at the TA (Travel Centers of America) truck stop by Dexter, MI. Actually, I won't officially be home, because my home time does not start 'til Monday. I just have a couple extra days to get my load to fashionable Ferndale, and since that's so near home, I'll just spend that extra time nearby. (And since the yard where I park my truck when I'm home is closed on the weekends, that's why I'm headed for Dexter.)
I'll still have to spend most of that time near my truck, since I am under a load, so I won't be spending Saturday and Sunday nights at home. :-( But after I deliver the load early Monday morning, it's time to park the truck in Romulus and head for home. (Note to reader Jerry: Thanks for your offer to pick me up. I will e-mail you the relevant info.)
Today's work went smoothly, although I did have some more waiting at the shipper. But I was in and out of there in a relatively short 2 hours. Then it was on to the road and clear sailing from Delaware City to here. Nothing exciting to report, although I do have to hand it to the state of Ohio. The Service Plaza here has a Truckers Lounge and shower rooms. I hadn't seen that at a "public" (state-run) facility before, usually just at truck stops.
And that's the sum of today's newsworthiness. I just have a quick question for any MfM reader out there: Is the group going to have rehearsal Sunday night? As I will be in town, if you do I'd like to be there. If not, y'all have a bang-up show Saturday night. (I do have my dates on that correct, si?)
Thanks once again for following my forum. I do love to get comments from everyone, so do please send 'em in after you read each day's update. And keep on truckin'.
Miles Today: 457
Tonight I'm camped at the Portage Service Plaza/Information Center along the Ohio Turnpike. I decided to splurge for the turnpike toll 'cuz I'm on my way home, and it's the most direct route. (Perhaps you recall from a couple of earlier posts that USA Truck does not in most cases reimburse their drivers for tolls on this road.) I plan to get home tomorrow around noon or so, then park at the TA (Travel Centers of America) truck stop by Dexter, MI. Actually, I won't officially be home, because my home time does not start 'til Monday. I just have a couple extra days to get my load to fashionable Ferndale, and since that's so near home, I'll just spend that extra time nearby. (And since the yard where I park my truck when I'm home is closed on the weekends, that's why I'm headed for Dexter.)
I'll still have to spend most of that time near my truck, since I am under a load, so I won't be spending Saturday and Sunday nights at home. :-( But after I deliver the load early Monday morning, it's time to park the truck in Romulus and head for home. (Note to reader Jerry: Thanks for your offer to pick me up. I will e-mail you the relevant info.)
Today's work went smoothly, although I did have some more waiting at the shipper. But I was in and out of there in a relatively short 2 hours. Then it was on to the road and clear sailing from Delaware City to here. Nothing exciting to report, although I do have to hand it to the state of Ohio. The Service Plaza here has a Truckers Lounge and shower rooms. I hadn't seen that at a "public" (state-run) facility before, usually just at truck stops.
And that's the sum of today's newsworthiness. I just have a quick question for any MfM reader out there: Is the group going to have rehearsal Sunday night? As I will be in town, if you do I'd like to be there. If not, y'all have a bang-up show Saturday night. (I do have my dates on that correct, si?)
Thanks once again for following my forum. I do love to get comments from everyone, so do please send 'em in after you read each day's update. And keep on truckin'.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
There and Back Again
DATELINE: I-95, EAST OF BALTIMORE, MD, 5:42 p.m. EST
Miles Today: 289
Today turned into a "short" workday--only 7-1/2 hours on duty. I started by hitting the road at 5:15 this morning, headed north from Baltimore to Bethel, PA. Somehow that trip took about 3 hours, probably because of a couple traffic jams in Harrisburg, PA, and a stop for some truck stop grub shortly after that. This was my first stop at the Bethel terminal, and I gotta say I'm not impressed. Though many USA drivers have rated it as the company's best garage for truck service, the amenities for the drivers are very scant. I saw just a small, grubby "lounge" which had only a small table and chairs, and some vending machines. The lot being snow-covered didn't help its image any, either. But I don't plan to spend much time there (if I can help it).
At Bethel I just dropped my trailer and headed back to MD to pick up another empty from a company in Aberdeen. On the way I stopped back at the truck stop in Baltimore from which I started the day to fuel up my truck. It's a very busy truck stop, and on USA's network list, so I figured it'd be easiest to negotiate the place with just my cab. I also took time there to visit the food court in the travel center across the street for some lunch (Sbarro Philly Cheesesteak stuffed pizza, yum!). Then on east to Aberdeen to pick up that trailer. I had been in this area once before to pick up a load. I passed that company on the way to today's destination. But I digress.
Once I completed that mission, I came over to this rest area/traveler's information center (and food court!) on I-95, near the exit I took to get to Aberdeen, to await my next assignment. And wait. And wait. I waited for over 3 hours and still hadn't received any word. (Actually, I did call in to my dispatcher to inquire, just in case my message system wasn't working. He said it'd just be a little longer.) While I was waiting, I began to feel severe fatigue, and didn't think I'd be safe driving any more today, 'til I got a good night's sleep. So I messaged in that info and asked to get a pickup assignment in the morning. Besides, I had waited so long that if they did give me a pickup this afternoon, it'd probably leave me scrambling to find a place to park & sleep once I had made it, since my alotted 14-hour work window was dwindling.
I then went inside to get some dinner. (Perhaps the fatigue was from lack of food--I doubt it; it was just 3-1/2 very busy days catching up with me.) The food court here includes a "Phillips Seafood Express", from which I got their seafood sampler, consisting of: crab and shrimp spring rolls; breaded/fried butterflied shrimp, and some fried crab-and-cheese things (I forget what they call them). Plus I got a side of shrimp and crab salad. I haven't had much (if any) seafood for a while, so this was a treat, albeit a bit more than I should have paid. But I'm content for a while.
Naturally, after I returned to the truck and got settled in (jeans off, sweat pants on, laptop computer opened up and turned on), a load assignment came in. Pick up a loaded trailer 150+ miles away in New Jersey at 6:30 p.m., then take it to Bethel. I had to reply that I couldn't get there within my 14 hous for today, and could I pick it up in the morning. Shortly thereafter I got a new assignment: Pick up a load at 8:00 a.m. in Delaware City, DE (a new state for me!), only 36 miles from where I now sit, then take it to Ferndale, MI to deliver it at midnight on Monday morning. Woo Hoo! Now we're talkin'! A load to take to near my old hometown (Royal Oak, Ferndale's neighbor to the north along Woodward Ave.), lots f time to get there, and be home plenty early on the day I asked to be home. Can't get much better than that! Now I just gotta figure out how early on Monday the yard at which I park my truck during my home time opens up. (Hey homies, anybody willing and available to pick me up from Romulus and shuttle me home early Monday morning? Comment here or e-mail me at jfrgoblue@yahoo.com.)
So that's the news from Lake...wait, that's someone else's line. I'll stick with, "That's all the news that fits, so I'll print it." Thanks once more for sticking with this drivel. I look forward to all your scathing commentary. ;-) And, as always, keep on truckin'.
Miles Today: 289
Today turned into a "short" workday--only 7-1/2 hours on duty. I started by hitting the road at 5:15 this morning, headed north from Baltimore to Bethel, PA. Somehow that trip took about 3 hours, probably because of a couple traffic jams in Harrisburg, PA, and a stop for some truck stop grub shortly after that. This was my first stop at the Bethel terminal, and I gotta say I'm not impressed. Though many USA drivers have rated it as the company's best garage for truck service, the amenities for the drivers are very scant. I saw just a small, grubby "lounge" which had only a small table and chairs, and some vending machines. The lot being snow-covered didn't help its image any, either. But I don't plan to spend much time there (if I can help it).
At Bethel I just dropped my trailer and headed back to MD to pick up another empty from a company in Aberdeen. On the way I stopped back at the truck stop in Baltimore from which I started the day to fuel up my truck. It's a very busy truck stop, and on USA's network list, so I figured it'd be easiest to negotiate the place with just my cab. I also took time there to visit the food court in the travel center across the street for some lunch (Sbarro Philly Cheesesteak stuffed pizza, yum!). Then on east to Aberdeen to pick up that trailer. I had been in this area once before to pick up a load. I passed that company on the way to today's destination. But I digress.
Once I completed that mission, I came over to this rest area/traveler's information center (and food court!) on I-95, near the exit I took to get to Aberdeen, to await my next assignment. And wait. And wait. I waited for over 3 hours and still hadn't received any word. (Actually, I did call in to my dispatcher to inquire, just in case my message system wasn't working. He said it'd just be a little longer.) While I was waiting, I began to feel severe fatigue, and didn't think I'd be safe driving any more today, 'til I got a good night's sleep. So I messaged in that info and asked to get a pickup assignment in the morning. Besides, I had waited so long that if they did give me a pickup this afternoon, it'd probably leave me scrambling to find a place to park & sleep once I had made it, since my alotted 14-hour work window was dwindling.
I then went inside to get some dinner. (Perhaps the fatigue was from lack of food--I doubt it; it was just 3-1/2 very busy days catching up with me.) The food court here includes a "Phillips Seafood Express", from which I got their seafood sampler, consisting of: crab and shrimp spring rolls; breaded/fried butterflied shrimp, and some fried crab-and-cheese things (I forget what they call them). Plus I got a side of shrimp and crab salad. I haven't had much (if any) seafood for a while, so this was a treat, albeit a bit more than I should have paid. But I'm content for a while.
Naturally, after I returned to the truck and got settled in (jeans off, sweat pants on, laptop computer opened up and turned on), a load assignment came in. Pick up a loaded trailer 150+ miles away in New Jersey at 6:30 p.m., then take it to Bethel. I had to reply that I couldn't get there within my 14 hous for today, and could I pick it up in the morning. Shortly thereafter I got a new assignment: Pick up a load at 8:00 a.m. in Delaware City, DE (a new state for me!), only 36 miles from where I now sit, then take it to Ferndale, MI to deliver it at midnight on Monday morning. Woo Hoo! Now we're talkin'! A load to take to near my old hometown (Royal Oak, Ferndale's neighbor to the north along Woodward Ave.), lots f time to get there, and be home plenty early on the day I asked to be home. Can't get much better than that! Now I just gotta figure out how early on Monday the yard at which I park my truck during my home time opens up. (Hey homies, anybody willing and available to pick me up from Romulus and shuttle me home early Monday morning? Comment here or e-mail me at jfrgoblue@yahoo.com.)
So that's the news from Lake...wait, that's someone else's line. I'll stick with, "That's all the news that fits, so I'll print it." Thanks once more for sticking with this drivel. I look forward to all your scathing commentary. ;-) And, as always, keep on truckin'.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
The Mad Dash to MD, Part II
DATELINE: BALTIMORE, MD, 6:35 p.m. EST
Miles Today: 507
Well, the mad dash to MD went better than expected. The Appalachians didn't slow me down as much as I thought they would (not very many steep, slow inclines) and I didn't hit any traffic tie-ups circling DC or Baltimore. So I made it to the delivery in only 8-3/4 hours of driving (plus 45 minutes for breaks), after hitting the road at 3:00 a.m. Then, just like at the shipper's end of this trip, I had to wait. When I arrived, one truck was in the one dock the customer uses for receiving, and one more was in line. The first one left fairly soon after my arrival, but the next one was in the dock for over an hour. Once I finally got into the dock and unloaded, I had been there for over 2-1/2 hours. Then I only had 1-1/2 hours left of my 14-hour driving window for the day.
Since my load assignments generally take an hour or more to get to me, I headed for a relatively nearby truck stop to wait for it, and probably to spend the night. Do you recall my tale a few weeks back about my flat tires and my lengthy wait at a truck stop service department to get them fixed? This is that same truck stop, right within Baltimore. Since I started the day so early, I got here pleny early to get an easy parking spot. I did have to back into it, but it was in the midst of many empty spaces, so I had no stress of trying to squeeze between other expensive pieces of machinery.
So now here I sit in Baltimore, not far from the inner harbor area. I was concerned while driving up today that the weather might pose a problem: the radio weather reports were giving snow advisories, and some counties in VA and MD were expecting to get 4-8 inches. When I got to D.C. and Baltimore, that had been revised to only 1-2 inches in this area. The snow did start falling pretty good during my loop around D.C., but it never amounted to much of anything on the highways, and didn't impede anybody's progress.
On to what's next, my assignment for tomorrow is to take my empty trailer to our Bethel, PA terminal, drop it there, then "bobtail" (drive the cab with no trailer) to a company in Aberdeen, MD, and pick up annother empty trailer there. Then I'll get another assignment to go pick up an actual load somewhere else. Don't know where that will be yet. But it had better not be too far from the midwest, as I'm scheduled to head home on Monday for my next brief reunion with my family. (After that one, I don't plan to be home again 'til Good Friday, so in all of March I'm likely to have only 2 (maybe 3) nights at home. Good grief! At least in a couple more weeks I get a raise! Another 1 cent per mile. Woo Hoo! (By the way, I don't get paid for the miles I report each day on this blog. Each trip is assigned a number of miles between the cities involved, and they pay me based on that figure, no matter how many miles I actually drive. And those figures they use tend to be a bit short of actual. Natch.)
Well, it's been another long day, and I am, once again, tired. So it's time to say, "So long". Thanks one more time for reading my rantings, keep those comments heading in, and keep on truckin'.
Miles Today: 507
Well, the mad dash to MD went better than expected. The Appalachians didn't slow me down as much as I thought they would (not very many steep, slow inclines) and I didn't hit any traffic tie-ups circling DC or Baltimore. So I made it to the delivery in only 8-3/4 hours of driving (plus 45 minutes for breaks), after hitting the road at 3:00 a.m. Then, just like at the shipper's end of this trip, I had to wait. When I arrived, one truck was in the one dock the customer uses for receiving, and one more was in line. The first one left fairly soon after my arrival, but the next one was in the dock for over an hour. Once I finally got into the dock and unloaded, I had been there for over 2-1/2 hours. Then I only had 1-1/2 hours left of my 14-hour driving window for the day.
Since my load assignments generally take an hour or more to get to me, I headed for a relatively nearby truck stop to wait for it, and probably to spend the night. Do you recall my tale a few weeks back about my flat tires and my lengthy wait at a truck stop service department to get them fixed? This is that same truck stop, right within Baltimore. Since I started the day so early, I got here pleny early to get an easy parking spot. I did have to back into it, but it was in the midst of many empty spaces, so I had no stress of trying to squeeze between other expensive pieces of machinery.
So now here I sit in Baltimore, not far from the inner harbor area. I was concerned while driving up today that the weather might pose a problem: the radio weather reports were giving snow advisories, and some counties in VA and MD were expecting to get 4-8 inches. When I got to D.C. and Baltimore, that had been revised to only 1-2 inches in this area. The snow did start falling pretty good during my loop around D.C., but it never amounted to much of anything on the highways, and didn't impede anybody's progress.
On to what's next, my assignment for tomorrow is to take my empty trailer to our Bethel, PA terminal, drop it there, then "bobtail" (drive the cab with no trailer) to a company in Aberdeen, MD, and pick up annother empty trailer there. Then I'll get another assignment to go pick up an actual load somewhere else. Don't know where that will be yet. But it had better not be too far from the midwest, as I'm scheduled to head home on Monday for my next brief reunion with my family. (After that one, I don't plan to be home again 'til Good Friday, so in all of March I'm likely to have only 2 (maybe 3) nights at home. Good grief! At least in a couple more weeks I get a raise! Another 1 cent per mile. Woo Hoo! (By the way, I don't get paid for the miles I report each day on this blog. Each trip is assigned a number of miles between the cities involved, and they pay me based on that figure, no matter how many miles I actually drive. And those figures they use tend to be a bit short of actual. Natch.)
Well, it's been another long day, and I am, once again, tired. So it's time to say, "So long". Thanks one more time for reading my rantings, keep those comments heading in, and keep on truckin'.
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
The Mad Dash to MD
DATELINE: GREENVILLE, TN, 5:55 p.m. EST
Miles Today: 596
As you recall from yesterday, today (and tomorrow) are about getting from mid-Arkansas to Maryland as quickly as possible (without violating DOT regulations, of course). Today I made it to eastern Tennessee in just about all of my allotted 11 driving hours, with just a few short stops. I found a non-chain truck stop with a large parking lot here listed in my Pocket Truck Stop Guide while planning my route, and my estimate of the distance I'd cover was dead-on. So here I am. Tomorrow I complete the run to the Baltimore area.
Since that will include 300+ miles of driving along the Appalachians, then another 100+ miles that will include circling both Washington D.C. and Baltimore, that will probably take most of tomorrow's driving time, so I could well not have to make another pickup after the delivery. I'll letcha' know in my update at the end of the day.
That's about it. Nothing exciting to report from today's activities. It has been another long, tiring day, and I need to get up and running promptly as my 10-hour break finishes up at 3:00 a.m., so I'd better wrap up here and get to sleep. Thanks for reading and commenting, and keep on truckin'.
Miles Today: 596
As you recall from yesterday, today (and tomorrow) are about getting from mid-Arkansas to Maryland as quickly as possible (without violating DOT regulations, of course). Today I made it to eastern Tennessee in just about all of my allotted 11 driving hours, with just a few short stops. I found a non-chain truck stop with a large parking lot here listed in my Pocket Truck Stop Guide while planning my route, and my estimate of the distance I'd cover was dead-on. So here I am. Tomorrow I complete the run to the Baltimore area.
Since that will include 300+ miles of driving along the Appalachians, then another 100+ miles that will include circling both Washington D.C. and Baltimore, that will probably take most of tomorrow's driving time, so I could well not have to make another pickup after the delivery. I'll letcha' know in my update at the end of the day.
That's about it. Nothing exciting to report from today's activities. It has been another long, tiring day, and I need to get up and running promptly as my 10-hour break finishes up at 3:00 a.m., so I'd better wrap up here and get to sleep. Thanks for reading and commenting, and keep on truckin'.
Monday, March 5, 2007
Back After the Respite
DATELINE: NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR, 6:00 p.m. CST
Miles Today: 386
The mileage is down, but boy was it a long day today. I woke up at 2:00 a.m. and hit the road before 3:00 in order to make my delivery appointment 220+ miles away at 8:00 a.m. I made it and was, in fact, a little early. So it was a good start to the day. Then things bogged down.
I got my next load assignment soon after leaving my delivery, and headed right there, about an hour's drive away. (Well, after a quick stop for a bite to eat.) I arrived at the new shipper just after 10:30 a.m., then waited. I waited about an hour in their first lot, waiting to be sent back to their shipping docks. Once directed back there, I waited over an hour for a dock slot to open up (musta' been lunch time for the dock workers). Once I finally got into a dock, I waited for more than an hour again to get loaded. All in all, I was at that site for 4-1/2 hours. That really dug into my work day, because I only had 1 hour remaining of my 14-hour driving window for the day. That was just enough time to get here, at an exit with a choice of 3 truck stops. I chose the one with the biggest parking lot (Petro) to get the best chance to find a pull-through parking space--and I found one. Hallelujah! (I hate having to back into a space when there's lots of traffic waiting to do the same.)
With the delay at this shipper, I'll be hard pressed to make the delivery on time, because it's going to Maryland and it's due on Wednesday morning. I still have over 1000 miles to go to get there, I have a very heavy load, and I'll be going through the mountains of Tennessee and Virginia, which will slow me down quite a bit. Hopefully that delivery appointment can be extended a bit.
As I mentioned at the top, it's been a long day (after a short night of sleep) and I am very tired. Time to pop off to Dreamland, so I'll cut your entertainment off here. Thanks as ever for your patronage and entertaining comments, and keep on truckin'.
Miles Today: 386
The mileage is down, but boy was it a long day today. I woke up at 2:00 a.m. and hit the road before 3:00 in order to make my delivery appointment 220+ miles away at 8:00 a.m. I made it and was, in fact, a little early. So it was a good start to the day. Then things bogged down.
I got my next load assignment soon after leaving my delivery, and headed right there, about an hour's drive away. (Well, after a quick stop for a bite to eat.) I arrived at the new shipper just after 10:30 a.m., then waited. I waited about an hour in their first lot, waiting to be sent back to their shipping docks. Once directed back there, I waited over an hour for a dock slot to open up (musta' been lunch time for the dock workers). Once I finally got into a dock, I waited for more than an hour again to get loaded. All in all, I was at that site for 4-1/2 hours. That really dug into my work day, because I only had 1 hour remaining of my 14-hour driving window for the day. That was just enough time to get here, at an exit with a choice of 3 truck stops. I chose the one with the biggest parking lot (Petro) to get the best chance to find a pull-through parking space--and I found one. Hallelujah! (I hate having to back into a space when there's lots of traffic waiting to do the same.)
With the delay at this shipper, I'll be hard pressed to make the delivery on time, because it's going to Maryland and it's due on Wednesday morning. I still have over 1000 miles to go to get there, I have a very heavy load, and I'll be going through the mountains of Tennessee and Virginia, which will slow me down quite a bit. Hopefully that delivery appointment can be extended a bit.
As I mentioned at the top, it's been a long day (after a short night of sleep) and I am very tired. Time to pop off to Dreamland, so I'll cut your entertainment off here. Thanks as ever for your patronage and entertaining comments, and keep on truckin'.
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Wrapup of a Long Week
DATELINE: WEST MEMPHIS, AR, 5:00 p.m., CST
Miles Today: 545
The drive this morning, starting at 12:45 a.m. just north of Houston, TX, went just fine. Lots of no traffic, which is always the bonus of driving in the morning's wee hours. I'm glad I know the route, though, because I hate driving to/through new places in the dark. Many signs are nearly obscured or a bit small to comprehend with much lead time when you're driving at highway speeds. And since the route up through eastern TX is not a limited-access interstate, you gotta' watch for many signs sending you in new directions. But that all went well today.
Once I hit the interstate at Texarkana, which is about the midway point of the drive, I took a break at the Arkansas Visitor Information Center/Rest Area. It felt good to break up the monotony of the drive with a 45-minute nap. After that, it was clear sailing here to the USA Truck terminal. I got here at about 11:30, and have been relaxing and doing some computer-based work and play since. I also just got back from a quick jaunt to a Pilot truck stop down the road for dinner at the Wendy's there.
So now I'm ensconsed in a 34-hour rest break since I've just about used up my 70 hours. My truck also has an appointment tomorrow for routine maintenance service, so I'm killing 2 birds with one stone during my stay here. My next assignment is to take a loaded trailer from here to a town on the other side of the state on Monday morning. That should be no problem, unless the service department here has trouble getting to my truck as scheduled.
That catches you up on today's activities. Have a good weekend and enjoy tonight's lunar eclipse (here's wishing you clear skies for optimal viewing). I plan to stay up to see it, so think of me as you're doing the same. Thanks yet again for reading, keep the comments flowing in, and keep on truckin'.
Miles Today: 545
The drive this morning, starting at 12:45 a.m. just north of Houston, TX, went just fine. Lots of no traffic, which is always the bonus of driving in the morning's wee hours. I'm glad I know the route, though, because I hate driving to/through new places in the dark. Many signs are nearly obscured or a bit small to comprehend with much lead time when you're driving at highway speeds. And since the route up through eastern TX is not a limited-access interstate, you gotta' watch for many signs sending you in new directions. But that all went well today.
Once I hit the interstate at Texarkana, which is about the midway point of the drive, I took a break at the Arkansas Visitor Information Center/Rest Area. It felt good to break up the monotony of the drive with a 45-minute nap. After that, it was clear sailing here to the USA Truck terminal. I got here at about 11:30, and have been relaxing and doing some computer-based work and play since. I also just got back from a quick jaunt to a Pilot truck stop down the road for dinner at the Wendy's there.
So now I'm ensconsed in a 34-hour rest break since I've just about used up my 70 hours. My truck also has an appointment tomorrow for routine maintenance service, so I'm killing 2 birds with one stone during my stay here. My next assignment is to take a loaded trailer from here to a town on the other side of the state on Monday morning. That should be no problem, unless the service department here has trouble getting to my truck as scheduled.
That catches you up on today's activities. Have a good weekend and enjoy tonight's lunar eclipse (here's wishing you clear skies for optimal viewing). I plan to stay up to see it, so think of me as you're doing the same. Thanks yet again for reading, keep the comments flowing in, and keep on truckin'.
Friday, March 2, 2007
Taking a "Break"
DATELINE: NEW CANEY, TX, 6:23 p.m. CST
Miles Today: 324
I've decided to make today a short work day, even though it consisted of 6.25 nearly continuous hours of driving (2 quick stops: for breakfast and a "bio break" as a friend of mine calls them). My route was familiar, yet new. I headed up US-77 and US-59 in eastern Texas, the route Bruce, my trainer, and I always took for our regular runs down this-a-way. Hence the familiarity. What was new was that: A) I was driving this stretch northbound, and B) it was daylight. During my training period I always drove the night shift, and southbound during that interminable stretch between Houston and the Rio Grande area. (During the daylight northbound trips back, I was always sleeping while Bruce drove.)
Anyway, I stopped at the Flying J in this town for lunch, then decided that I may as well stay here for my 10-hour break. Reasoning:
1. I had worked 4 straight L-O-N-G days and needed the rest,
2. I'll be taking this load to our West Memphis terminal since I can't make the entire trip to its destination without violating my 70-hours-in-8-days limit (right now I have 18.5 hours left for the next 3 days), and I can reach West Memphis from here in one 10-to-11-hour drive,
3. If I drove my entire 11 hours today, I'd get about to Texarkana, at about 8:00 p.m., when it would be difficult to find a spot to park for the night. Since I stopped here shortly after 2:00, that was not a problem,
4. I was going to stop here regardless to use their shower facilities (as well as fuel up the truck), so if I was going to have an extended stop here anyway, I figured I might as well make it count,
5. If I drive to West Memphis overnight (I'll leave here precisely at 1:00-ish a.m.), I'll have very little traffic to contend with, always a plus,
6. I have driven the stretch from here to West Memphis overnight several times, so I know what to expect. Heck, I can do it in my sleep (and probably will). ;-)
7. Whether I take the 10-hour break now or later, I'll still get to West Memphis at the same time,
8. On the downside, I still haven't seen the stretch from here to Texarkana in the daylight. That'll have to wait for another trip, I guess.
Good enough reasons? Worked for me--but I'm good at rationalizing my way into or out of things.
So today was a short work day, and tonight may be tough since it's hard to get much sleep so early after last night's good night of sleep. But I am a bit weary, so I'll give it a go, anyway. I'll have a bit of downtime in West Memphis, so I can rest there. As for now, first a quick bite to eat so I'm not going to bed hungry. Have a good night yourselves, dear readers. Thanks for your readership and commentatorship, and keep up your truckin'ship.
Miles Today: 324
I've decided to make today a short work day, even though it consisted of 6.25 nearly continuous hours of driving (2 quick stops: for breakfast and a "bio break" as a friend of mine calls them). My route was familiar, yet new. I headed up US-77 and US-59 in eastern Texas, the route Bruce, my trainer, and I always took for our regular runs down this-a-way. Hence the familiarity. What was new was that: A) I was driving this stretch northbound, and B) it was daylight. During my training period I always drove the night shift, and southbound during that interminable stretch between Houston and the Rio Grande area. (During the daylight northbound trips back, I was always sleeping while Bruce drove.)
Anyway, I stopped at the Flying J in this town for lunch, then decided that I may as well stay here for my 10-hour break. Reasoning:
1. I had worked 4 straight L-O-N-G days and needed the rest,
2. I'll be taking this load to our West Memphis terminal since I can't make the entire trip to its destination without violating my 70-hours-in-8-days limit (right now I have 18.5 hours left for the next 3 days), and I can reach West Memphis from here in one 10-to-11-hour drive,
3. If I drove my entire 11 hours today, I'd get about to Texarkana, at about 8:00 p.m., when it would be difficult to find a spot to park for the night. Since I stopped here shortly after 2:00, that was not a problem,
4. I was going to stop here regardless to use their shower facilities (as well as fuel up the truck), so if I was going to have an extended stop here anyway, I figured I might as well make it count,
5. If I drive to West Memphis overnight (I'll leave here precisely at 1:00-ish a.m.), I'll have very little traffic to contend with, always a plus,
6. I have driven the stretch from here to West Memphis overnight several times, so I know what to expect. Heck, I can do it in my sleep (and probably will). ;-)
7. Whether I take the 10-hour break now or later, I'll still get to West Memphis at the same time,
8. On the downside, I still haven't seen the stretch from here to Texarkana in the daylight. That'll have to wait for another trip, I guess.
Good enough reasons? Worked for me--but I'm good at rationalizing my way into or out of things.
So today was a short work day, and tonight may be tough since it's hard to get much sleep so early after last night's good night of sleep. But I am a bit weary, so I'll give it a go, anyway. I'll have a bit of downtime in West Memphis, so I can rest there. As for now, first a quick bite to eat so I'm not going to bed hungry. Have a good night yourselves, dear readers. Thanks for your readership and commentatorship, and keep up your truckin'ship.
A Long One
DATELINE: US-77, SOMEWHERE NORTH OF RAYMONDVILLE, TX, 8:00 a.m. CST
Miles Yesterday: 367
Pardon the lack of update last night, but 'twas a L-O-O-O-N-G day, and in this instance I really was too tired to blog when I finished my work day, which started with one BIG glitch. Here's the recap:
I woke up at 1:30 a.m. so I could get underway at 2:00 to make my first delivery in Laredo, then get to McAllen (150-ish miles away by U.S. highway) for my last stop on this load by the 7:00 a.m. appointment. I reached that first stop at 2:30, and promptly found out that they don't even open 'til 8:30. Sheesh! That'd be good information for dispatch to pass along to the drivers, eh? I haven't been to any distribution centers that weren't round-the-clock operations before. So that was a surprise, and I had to park in the street out front of the place for 6 hours before I could make that delivery. At least that gave me the chance to get bit more sleep.
When I got up the next time (at 6:45, still a bit early, but I had had enough sleep and wasn't going to fall back asleep), the street was full of trucks waiting to get into businesses not yet open. It had been empty when I first arrived. Fortunately, they weren't all waiting for the place I was going; this was in the middle of an industrial park. Anyway, to finish up this part of the story, I finally got in at 8:45, backed into the dock at 9:00, then waitied a LONG time for them to even start unloading, then longer for them to let me know they were done, which they did just before 11:00.
Away from that place at long last, I needed to fuel up my truck before heading into deepest, darkest Texas. One of USA's approved fuel stops is at the north end of Laredo, so I headed that way. Of course, the exit I needed to take from the highway was closed for construction, so I had to take the next one, 5 miles further up the road, and double back. Then when I got to the truck stop, the place and street out front were a zoo! LOTS of trucks and other sundry traffic made for an hour-long fuel stop and battle to get back on the road. Please note that I had previously let dispatch know that I was going to be late for that 7:00 a.m. delivery in McAllen. They had informed me that I really had a window in which to get there, so all was still cool.
The drive to McAllen was mainly dull. It was along a US highway (US 83), which meant no rest areas or truck stops, and many towns to drive through with lower speed limits and stop lights. Although it was only about 150 miles, it took 3-1/2 hours. I found the delivery site easily (for once USA's directions were spot-on)and took care of the docking-and-wait-for-unloading process. Once done with that, I sent in my "empty call" to dispatch so they could send my next pickup assignment.
One of my biggest problems with this job is what to do while waiting for the next assignment. It usually takes over an hour for them to come through. We can't wait at the customer's site at which we've just finished up. If there's a truck stop nearby, I usually head there. But that was not the case here. So I just drove around the city, circling from the industrial park where this customer is to the highway service drive and back. I didn't want to get on the highway headed in either direction because I would surely get a pickup assignment in the other direction. Finally the assignment came (at about 6:30 p.m.): pick up a load in Brownsville at 8:00 p.m. for delivery to some town in Ohio 3 days hence.
Brownsville is the city I had been to several times with my trainer on his regular route. It's about 60 miles southeast of McAllen, so I knew how to get there well enough. My main concern during the drive--and indeed for the whole day--was, "Where will I spend the night?" Having been to deepest darkest Texas regularly with my trainer, I knew that it had very few good, large truck stops and rest areas along my route.
To make this increasingly lengthy post come to a quick conclusion, after my pickup I headed up my familiar route, US-77 north. About an hour into the drive, I--thankfully, as I was getting quite weary by this point, which was 10:00 p.m.--came across a "parking area" alongside the highway. AND it was wide open! No struggling to fit the truck into a tight parking space. I just pulled in, parked, finished my paperwork for the day, and climbed into my bed. OY, what a day!
So now I've had a really good night's sleep, feel good and refreshed, and had an hour to fill you in on yesterday's travails. It's just about time to hit the road again, so I'll leave you with the usual: Thanks for reading, keep those cards and letters (in the form of comments to the blog) coming, and keep on truckin'.
Miles Yesterday: 367
Pardon the lack of update last night, but 'twas a L-O-O-O-N-G day, and in this instance I really was too tired to blog when I finished my work day, which started with one BIG glitch. Here's the recap:
I woke up at 1:30 a.m. so I could get underway at 2:00 to make my first delivery in Laredo, then get to McAllen (150-ish miles away by U.S. highway) for my last stop on this load by the 7:00 a.m. appointment. I reached that first stop at 2:30, and promptly found out that they don't even open 'til 8:30. Sheesh! That'd be good information for dispatch to pass along to the drivers, eh? I haven't been to any distribution centers that weren't round-the-clock operations before. So that was a surprise, and I had to park in the street out front of the place for 6 hours before I could make that delivery. At least that gave me the chance to get bit more sleep.
When I got up the next time (at 6:45, still a bit early, but I had had enough sleep and wasn't going to fall back asleep), the street was full of trucks waiting to get into businesses not yet open. It had been empty when I first arrived. Fortunately, they weren't all waiting for the place I was going; this was in the middle of an industrial park. Anyway, to finish up this part of the story, I finally got in at 8:45, backed into the dock at 9:00, then waitied a LONG time for them to even start unloading, then longer for them to let me know they were done, which they did just before 11:00.
Away from that place at long last, I needed to fuel up my truck before heading into deepest, darkest Texas. One of USA's approved fuel stops is at the north end of Laredo, so I headed that way. Of course, the exit I needed to take from the highway was closed for construction, so I had to take the next one, 5 miles further up the road, and double back. Then when I got to the truck stop, the place and street out front were a zoo! LOTS of trucks and other sundry traffic made for an hour-long fuel stop and battle to get back on the road. Please note that I had previously let dispatch know that I was going to be late for that 7:00 a.m. delivery in McAllen. They had informed me that I really had a window in which to get there, so all was still cool.
The drive to McAllen was mainly dull. It was along a US highway (US 83), which meant no rest areas or truck stops, and many towns to drive through with lower speed limits and stop lights. Although it was only about 150 miles, it took 3-1/2 hours. I found the delivery site easily (for once USA's directions were spot-on)and took care of the docking-and-wait-for-unloading process. Once done with that, I sent in my "empty call" to dispatch so they could send my next pickup assignment.
One of my biggest problems with this job is what to do while waiting for the next assignment. It usually takes over an hour for them to come through. We can't wait at the customer's site at which we've just finished up. If there's a truck stop nearby, I usually head there. But that was not the case here. So I just drove around the city, circling from the industrial park where this customer is to the highway service drive and back. I didn't want to get on the highway headed in either direction because I would surely get a pickup assignment in the other direction. Finally the assignment came (at about 6:30 p.m.): pick up a load in Brownsville at 8:00 p.m. for delivery to some town in Ohio 3 days hence.
Brownsville is the city I had been to several times with my trainer on his regular route. It's about 60 miles southeast of McAllen, so I knew how to get there well enough. My main concern during the drive--and indeed for the whole day--was, "Where will I spend the night?" Having been to deepest darkest Texas regularly with my trainer, I knew that it had very few good, large truck stops and rest areas along my route.
To make this increasingly lengthy post come to a quick conclusion, after my pickup I headed up my familiar route, US-77 north. About an hour into the drive, I--thankfully, as I was getting quite weary by this point, which was 10:00 p.m.--came across a "parking area" alongside the highway. AND it was wide open! No struggling to fit the truck into a tight parking space. I just pulled in, parked, finished my paperwork for the day, and climbed into my bed. OY, what a day!
So now I've had a really good night's sleep, feel good and refreshed, and had an hour to fill you in on yesterday's travails. It's just about time to hit the road again, so I'll leave you with the usual: Thanks for reading, keep those cards and letters (in the form of comments to the blog) coming, and keep on truckin'.
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