The Great Unknown

DATELINE: WEST MEMPHIS, AR, 5:45 a.m. CDT

Miles Yesterday: 432

Long day yesterday. Not as a work day, but because I woke up around 1:30 a.m. and could not get back to sleep. So I spent a couple hours figuring out what would and what wouldn't work (mostly what wouldn't) against online poker foes before it was time to get dressed, get some breakfast, and hit the road, which I did at 4:45.

The drive was one I've done many times now, from just east of Dallas to West Memphis, and took 7 hours of driving. I took one hour-long break at a rest stop in western AR, a bit past the midway point of the trip, for a quick nap. 'Twas much needed and beneficial.

I arrived at the West Memphis terminal at 2:00 and unhooked my trailer. (Remember, the load is headed for a Monday afternoon delivery in Tennessee; I'm headed homeward to start some time off on Monday.) I sent in my "empty call" message to dispatch so they could assign me a loaded trailer from here to haul to Vandalia, OH today. (More reminder background: The drive from here to Vandalia--and vice versa--takes a full shift, so I need to stop there for a night before finishing the trip home. Because of that, I set up an appointment for regular maintenance service on my truck Monday morning at the Vandalia terminal.) Right now (6:00 a.m.) I'm still waiting for a load assignment. Maybe there just aren't any loads here headed that way, but you'd think somebody would at least let me know that. But no, I haven't heard anything back from dispatch. Sheesh. Hence the time right now to blog away at you.

I woke up this morning just after 4:30 (I'm used to that schedule right now), hit the showers here at the terminal, and grabbed some breakfast (a Buffalo Chicken sandwich from the vending machine in the drivers' lounge--yum!). So I'm ready to roll; I just don't know what to take with me yet. I've sent in yet another message to dispatch to see if they have a load for me yet, but still no word. While I'm waiting, I'll take the time to answer reader Jim's query.

Jim wants to know, "Who enforces all of the rules about how many hours a day you can spend on the road? Is there a DOT police car out there checking on you?"

Well, Jim, the DOT is the enforcement agency for the hours of service regulations. They do indeed perform spot checks, but don't (that I know of) pull trucks over just to take a look at a driver's log books. When they pull a truck over for an inspection, usually at a weigh station or rest area, they'll look at the driver's logs in the course of their inspection. It hasn't happened to me yet, but that's what they told us in trucker school. I also don't know what penalties they will impose for violations. I know they can impose fines and suspend or revoke licenses. I'm sure the penalty they choose depends on the level of infraction.

So that's yesterday's story. I'll sign off here and continue my waiting game. I hope to get some news soon; I'm ready and want to get rolling. Thanks again for your patronage, questions and comments, and keep on truckin'.