Life Rescheduled

DATELINE: FAIRBURN, GA, 9:00 p.m. EST

Boy, this week sure hasn't ended like I had planned. And I have more catchin' up to do, so let's get right to it.

WEDNESDAY, 303 Miles
I did compose a brilliant report about the day's activities when I reached my resting spot for the night. But a computer glitch just as I was preparing to post it made it all disappear. (GLITCH: Good Luck Is Totally, Completely History.) That was the capper to a lousy day, so I was in no mood (and too tired) to rewrite it. Hence no update that day. But here's what happened during the day.

I started out at the Flying J in Beaverdam, OH. I got up at 5:00 so I could get all cleaned up and grab some breakfast before hitting the road at 6:00. My day would be all I-75, all the time as the load was headed for Albany, GA for a Thursday morning delivery.

Things were going well and I was making good time, having just made quick stops for fuel (at our Vandalia, OH terminal) and lunch (at a truck stop in central KY). Then I came across a weigh station in southern KY, just 33 miles from the TN state line. I passed the preliminary scale test on the entrance ramp and was directed to the bypass lane, bypassing the "real" scale. As I passed the building, the officer(s) inside must have noticed the hazmat placards on my trailer and decided that they needed to do an inspection of my truck. (That's the 3rd time that's happened when I've been hauling a hazmat load.) So they activated the "PARK -->" light at the end of the bypass lane as I approached it, sending me around the back to the parking area.

I parked, grabbed all my paperwork, and went inside. Yadda, yadda, long story short, the officer found a bunch of things wrong with the trailer (and a couple minor ones with my truck). I knew when I picked up that trailer that it would be trouble--it was an older one, and I wrote about the brake problems in my last update. Fortunately, he didn't put me out of service, but when I reported in to USA, they directed me to head to a nearby shop to get the laundry list of violations fixed.

The shop was just 4 more miles down the highway, and was conveniently situated right next door to a Love's truck stop. The repair work took about 3 hours. Because of the delay, dispatch had gotten my delivery appointment rescheduled until Friday morning. That allowed me to park at the Love's (it was evening now, around 7:00) for the night instead of having to hustle for as many miles as I could. It also, however, meant that I would not be able to get home on Friday as I had planned. So I rescheduled that for Monday instead. (The place where I park my truck when I'm home is closed on weekends.)

THURSDAY, 444 Miles
Up 'n at 'em early again to roll southward. Not much to report about Thursday since about all I did was drive, save for a fuel, lunch, and rest stops. I stopped for the night at a TA in Cordele, GA (I've stayed there once before), and I was just plumb tuckered out when I go there. I was too tired to string words together, so I opted to leave my laptop stowed and hit the sack (well, after getting some dinner first). And I got a good, long night's sleep for a change, 10-1/2 or 11 hours.

FRIDAY (Today), 318 Miles
Since my delivery was set for 8:00 a.m. and I was about 35 to 40 miles away (via state highways), my plan was to get underway at 6:30. So I got up in plenty of time to shower and shave before starting my work day.

I'd taken this route once before when I had another load bound for Albany, although to another company. However, it turns out that the company I was headed for today is on the same road as that other one, just a bit further down the road. So it was familiar ground.

I arrived about 15 minutes early and was assigned a dock door straight away. This was a live unload, so it took almost an hour after I docked before they were done. Not too bad at all, to be in and out of a live unload within 75 minutes (check-in and docking took 15). Afterwards, I headed back to a Pilot truck stop on the edge of town to await my next load assignment.

It took a little while, but when I got the assignment, I got another message almost immediately from my Fleet Manager to disregard that one, another load would follow. It was another little while before my "real" assignment came in: Head up to Macon and pick up a load there at noon. So away I went.

Because I got the assignment just after 10:00, and Macon was over 100 miles away, I was perhaps 10 minutes "late" getting to the pickup. Whoopdee-doo. 'Twas a drop-and-hook pickup, so I wasn't keeping anybody waiting. But all went well there.

That load is headed for Rhode Island, but I won't be taking it there since it delivers on Monday, the day I'm now supposed to be getting home. So my FM had me schlep it to a drop yard the company uses just south of Atlanta and leave it there for another driver to grab and resume its journey. I, meanwhile, got another assignment, followed immediately again by another message to disregard that one. (That's becoming a habit.)

After another wait, my FM sent me a message to head to Peachtree City, GA. They were putting together a load, getting the info into the system, and the actual assignment message would come in while I was en route. I had to ask twice for the specific location in Peachtree (and directions to it) before I could set out; it's not like I can pull over anywhere with my big rig to check a message and plot routes. Anyway, Peachtree City is just a short ways southeast of Atlanta, and I made the drive in about 45 minutes.

I pulled up to the gate, checked in with the guard there, and proceeded to the Shipping Office. There I gave the clerk the pickup number of the load I was to get. After looking around some for paperwork and checking her computer, she let me know that I was early; the load's pickup time was 5:00 on Saturday (but would be ready around 9:00 tonight). Because 9:00 was beyond my 14-hour window from when I started work today, I couldn't just wait around and grab it then I would need a mandatory 10-hour break before starting my next work day and picking up the load. So I headed back up the road (GA highway 74) to a truck stop by the junction with I-85. I found a spot to park and am encamped for the night.

I'll get another early start tomorrow to go get that load and head back north. This load is headed for 2 stops in Ohio, the first in Loveland, the second in Columbus. I don't know yet what day(s) they expect delivery, so I also don't know how hard I'll have to push to get up there. Check back tomorrow when I'll (hopefully) let you know.

Thanks for looking in today. Do please drop me a line so I know you're out there. Especially those readers who do not know me personally; let me know how you happened across my blog. And, as always, keep on truckin'.