Mad Westerly Dash

DATELINE: O'HARE OASIS, I-294, CHICAGOLAND, IL, 6:30 p.m. CST

Miles Today: 659

Finally just a day of all-out, pedal-to-the-metal driving. No pickups or deliveries. No weather problems. No waits for customs clearance at an international border. Just wake up and drive. Which I did.

I woke up on my own around 3:30 this morning, an hour before the time for which I had set my alarm. Of course, I couldn't fall back asleep, so at 4:10 I gave up the attempt and got up to get ready to start my work day. I hit the road at just after 4:30.

At 7:15 I reached Brookeville, PA and a Flying J there that's on the company's fuel network. I pulled in, topped up my tanks, then parked in the lot. I hadn't had an opportunity to take a shower the last couple of days (the ones at last night's TA were undergoing renovation), so I was ready for one of those and a shave. Besides, since I started earlier than planned, I figured I could take the time to clean up. Especially since I didn't know if I'd be someplace to have a shower tomorrow (Friday) morning.

My early wild-a** guess calculations had me thinking that I'd wind up somewhere around the OH-IN border; therefore I'd likely be spending the night at a Service Plaza along one of those states' turnpikes. Closer inspection of the mileages involved led me to believe that in 11 hours of driving I'd wind up around Gary, IN and the slew of TAs, Flying Js, and Pilots in that area. But I must have caught a favorable tail wind today, 'cuz I made it all the way into Chicagoland. As you can see by today's Dateline, I'm at the Oasis along I-294 by O'Hare airport. If you know these Oases, you know they're like turnpike Service Plazas, so I won't have a shower available first thing in the morning. So it's a good thing I took the shower break back in PA.

I do believe the 659 miles I covered today are a personal daily best, but I must confess that I did go overtime on my driving hours--by 15 minutes. I intended to stop at one of the earlier Oases coming up 294, but their truck parking areas were full already. (That's the one BIG drawback to these places--their very limited truck parking.) So I had to keep going 'til I found an opening. I almost had another 5-state day. Had I not found a spot at one if these Oases, I was ready to head for the Welcome Center across the WI state line. But I was fortunate to pull into this Oasis just as I saw another driver climbing into his cab to pull out. He, however, took his sweet time about it, and another truck two spots over pulled out first. So I backed up just a bit so I could swing into that spot. SWEET!

So here I am. I dined on a Gyros pizza from one of the establishments inside the Oasis. Pretty tasty, but a little bigger than I expected. (Urp! 'Scuse me.) Since I don't have a working 'fridge anymore, I had to eat the whole thing. (I can't believe I....oh, never mind.)

I've heard from Dispatch that I can make my delivery early tomorrow--I don't have to wait 'til noon. So I figger I'll sleep in 'til after 6:00 and get rolling at 7:00. That should get me to the customer in Milwaukee around 9:00, maybe a little sooner if traffic cooperates. Later if it doesn't. After that, I don't know yet if Dispatch will have me pick up another load to haul on my way towards home or if they'll just let me boogie straight home. The latter will get me home all the earlier, but the former will get me more paying miles. I could use the extra on my paycheck, but I also can do without the extra stress of worrying about getting back to park my truck before a) my hours run out, or b) the yard where I park closes for the weekend. So we'll see what they do. Check back to find out, though I can't promise an update tomorrow after I get home--I may be busy reconnecting with my family.

Thanks for looking in today. Send me your cards and letters--er, your comments and questions--and keep on truckin'.