Another New One

DATELINE: SPARTANBURG, SC, 10:00 a.m. EDT

Miles Yesterday: 505

Actually, add another 50-ish miles that I drove past midnight (CDT) last night, and you'll have how many miles I drove during yesterday's shift. 'Twas another long day with yet another new wrinkle regarding load assignments.

I woke up a little after 6:00 a.m., a bit earlier than I would have liked, but could not get back to sleep. So after freshening up and grabbing some breakfast, I returned to my truck and tried my hand at some more online poker, again with mixed results. I played 3 more sit-n-go tournaments, crashed and burned in the first 2, but won the third! I also played a while at a very low-stakes cash game and came out a couple buck$ ahead there, too (I was getting the good cards there that I didn't get in those first 2 tournaments). So overall the session was a plus. Then it was time to get to work for real.

At noon I did my pre-trip inspection, fueled up, and hit the road for my pickup. That drive took 2 hours (including the time to check in at the gate indicated by a big sign along the road for the Shipping Department's truck entrance--the way I had entered when I had been to this site once before--being directed to another gate, following the guard's directions and finding a gate closed and locked across a road she had included in her directions, turning around to exit the way I had originally come in, and reaching the proper entrance). Checking in at the new gate's guardhouse, pulling around to the loading docks, checking in at the shipping department (where I had to wait a few minutes for someone to return to the office), docking, sweeping out my trailer, and waiting through the load took another 1-1/2 hours or so.

When I was signing the paperwork and getting ready to leave, the shipping clerk mentioned that this load had a stopoff; that it was a split load for 2 destinations (both in VA, about 100 miles apart). My load assignment hadn't specified that, but the load number and final destination matched exactly. I had a brief Qualcomm discussion with dispatch about this new development, and they obviously weren't aware of the split load, either. They told me to take the load and get underway, anyway. (Note, this is the 2nd straight load they've messed up on for me.) I'm still waiting for word about a delivery time for the 1st stop--the last stop is tomorrow at 5:30 p.m., so my guess is I'll make the first delivery on the way, early tomorrow afternoon. I'm also trying to get directions to the surprise site, but its address doesn't show up on Yahoo! Maps or Mapquest. If USA doesn't provide some, I'll have to call the company myself.

Today I'm going to drive up to near that first stop; I have about 350-400 miles to go, depending on which truck stop I decide to patronize for the night. I arrived here in Spartanburg last night at about 1:45 EDT, so I can't go anywhere 'til around noon, when I will have had a full 10-hour break. Once again I woke up this morning far too early (around 7:45) after too little sleep (about 5 hours), and still unable to get back to sleep. So I've been up doing my online research into finding that first stopoff, having some breakfast, watching some SportsCenter in the drivers' lounge, and now blogging for you. In another little while I'll head inside for a shower and shave, prepping for my workday.

And that's yesterday's tale. Thanks for dropping by. The readers' questions and comments have been pretty scarce for a while now, so please let me know you're still out there. And, as ever, keep on truckin'.