2 More Long Days

DATELINE: VANDALIA, OH (again!), 8:00 p.m. EDT

Miles Today: 568
Miles Yesterday: 438

Looks like I owe you another double-dip after shirking my reporting duties yesterday. 'Twas a long, busy day after a short night's sleep and I was just bushed when I parked for the night. (Idle thought to my fellow dem's: Can we use that term for the sorry state of affairs in this country: We're all "Bushed"? But I digress.) Here's the story.

I woke up early in MO and headed up the road from my truck stop to my delivery appointment. I had a choice there between waiting for a "live unload" or a drop-and-hook. I chose the D&H, but I had to swap my loaded trailer for an empty one in the required dock door, so that meant 3 sets of unhooking and hooking up the trailers, such as I did in NJ a couple weeks ago. So that was just a bit of extra work, but I need the exercise.

After finishing the swap, I waited in that company's parking lot for my next assignment, which came rather quickly (in record time even). I was to make a pickup a bit north of where I was at the time, in Red Oak, IA, so I set off on my way. That drive took just about 2 hours. At the shipper I had to wait for a dock opening, but I was in and out of there in about 1-1/2 hours. The load's destination was a company just west of Toledo to which I had delivered once before. However, I had just 25-1/2 hours to get there according to the delivery time on the load assignment. So no lollygagging on this run.

I spent the rest of my work day driving across Iowa, ending at the World's Largest Truck Stop, the "Iowa 80" in Walcott. You regular readers know I've been there before. I parked, had some dinner (Taco Bell in their small food court), then hit the sack, tired out from the long day.

This morning I woke up good and refreshed, even 1/2 hour before my watch alarm was to do the job. But it was still early--4:00 CDT. That gave me time for a leisurely shower and shave (as opposed to a rushed one had I woken up when I had planned) before I hit the road at 5:30. I calculated it would take between 7 and 8 hours for the day's trip, and I nailed it. I reached the recipient customer just five minutes before 2:00, 35 minutes ahead of my "appointment". Which was a good thing, because the guard told me that had I been 5 minutes later, he would have sent me away. They have new receiving hours that end at 2:00 each afternoon. Whew! So he sent me back to the dock for unloading, which went nice 'n quick. I was done there at 2:30 and headed up the highway to a truck stop to wait for my next assignment. (As I was leaving that company, another USA truck was just pulling in on the other side of the divided driveway. I'd hate to have been in his shoes when he learned about the new hours there.)

The assignment message actually came in as I was driving to the truck stop. But since we can't read the messages while the truck is in motion, I just finished driving there anyway. The assignment: drive down to the Vandalia terminal to pick up a loaded trailer there, then deliver it in Livonia, MI Thursday at noon. Well that's easy enough. So I made the drive down here and am spending the night. I'll get to sleep in 'til the relatively late hour of 6:00, take my time getting ready for the road, then meander up to Livonia in plenty of time to be a bit early.

And that's where things stand for me right now. I've had my dinner and checked my e-mail. Now I'm feeling bushed once more (and "Bushed" constantly) and I think I'll get to sleep early again. Another good night's sleep ought to do me wonders. So here's wishing you a good night's sleep. Thanks for looking in, and keep on truckin'.