Sunshine State Sit

DATELINE: MARIANNA, FL, 7:00 p.m. EDT

Miles Today: 429
Miles Yesterday: 591

Looks like it's time for another 2-day update. Here's what I've been up to.

Yesterday was just a long jaunt--using all of my allotted 11 driving hours for the day--from Bethel, PA to Spartanburg, SC, the starting and ending points both being USA Truck terminals. I would have blogged when I reached S'burg, as I wasn't overly tired at that time. However, I decided to take advantage of the free laundry facilities at that terminal (they don't all have 'em), so I was stuck inside keeping an eye on my laundry's progress. By the time it was done, fatigue from the long day was setting in. Besides, it was getting late and I would have to get up early in the morning to get down here to FLA for my delivery. So no blogging last night. Sorry, fans.

Today was another long jaunt, though not as long as yesterday. Some of it was via US highways (as opposed to Interstates), so that added the joy of stoplights through towns and the gear shifting that goes along with them. But I made it to my delivery without incident after 8-1/2 hours of driving (plus another hour for fueling and food). The delivery was a simple drop and hook, after which I boogied on over to a nearby rest area along the highway to await my next assignment. And here I still sit, 3+ hours later, with no word from dispatch. That's given me the opportunity to half-doze for a while, catch up on several days' worth of e-mail, and now blog away.

There, I've just now sent a message to dispatch asking about a load assignment for the morning, since my 14-hour window for today is just about over. Let's see if they respond in a timely fashion....Wait! There's the response already! "As of right now nothing." Weekends are usually kinda' slow for freight. So I guess I'll be here overnight, then check again. Then again, I can guarantee that the assignment message will come in when I'm fast asleep, the alert beep waking me up. (And it beeps every 5 minutes 'til I read the message, so there's no sleeping through it.)

Well, it's been 2 long days, but this hasn't been a very long update. There just isn't very much to tell. On my way down here I did get to traverse some stretches of highway that I haven't seen before, so that added some interest. What keeps the drives from being totally interminable are the books on tape that I've borrowed from my father-in-law. Getting involved with the storylines makes the miles just roll away, so I'll be raiding his audio library every time I get home.

Thanks again for checking in. I look forward to reading your comments, so do please submit some. And do keep on truckin'.