Movin' East, Then South a Bit

DATELINE: SOMEWHERE ALONG I-77 IN OHIO, 7:15 p.m. EDT

Miles Today: 573

Hopefully I can keep this short today. It's been another long day, driving through rain most of the way (my 4th straight gloomy, rainy day). The load I was hauling turned out to be due for a drop at its destination (rather than a live unload), so I was able to just take it there right away upon arrival this afternoon instead of waiting for the 1:00 a.m. delivery appointment.

After making the drop and grabbing a new empty trailer there, I got my next assignment: head down to Willow Island, WV to grab a new load. Pickup is set for 6:00 a.m. tomorrow, so I started heading that way. I only had less than 2 more hours available to drive after dropping the load, so I've had to stop at a rest area along the highway for the night. I'll have to get up early (4:00 a.m.) to complete the trip to the pickup, but even so I'm going to be just a bit late. This is another one of those assignments in which the drive time plus the requisite rest break time add up to slightly more than the time allotted between assignment notification and the pickup appointment. Oh well, I don't want to break any DOT hours of service regulations now, do I?

Anyway, once I gather up the new load in the morning, my task will be to take it to its destination just west of Indianapolis. Delivery is scheduled for 9:00 Thursday morning. It's just over 300 miles for the trip, so I expect I'll get to the Indy area tomorrow afternoon. Then I'll have time for a good rest and get to sleep in Thursday morning. Then again, I may elect to stop for the night at our Vandalia, OH terminal, which is on the way. Check back tomorrow to see what I decided.

That's enough for today. I'm tired and my dinner's ready, so I bid you "Keep on truckin'". (And thanks for looking in.)