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...My Life as 'Drive away' driver
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Trip 20 - New International - Refer Used International - Refer... to Viena, IL (guess I was working too many hours ... I can't remember much of anything from this trip) (5/15/04 - just found a tape I had recorded on this trip ... so this was 'live' not from memory) 11/4/03 I finally got new batteries (for my tape recorder) and a new tape, because I haven't listened to the others yet ... On the ride up in the shuttle ... three new guys who had only been there less than a month ... so they're bringing in a new crew. There were about sixty units sitting there (at our depot) waiting to be moved. This run is about 650 miles ... it shows 10 hours, because IL is only 55 instead of 65, which our computer doesn't understand ... plus I've already logged two hours (moving a used vehical from our depot to the customer) ... so I'm going to be two hours behind today, which means I'll be two hours behind tomorrow, which means I'll be sitting just shy of (the depot) on my way home ... unless I end up somewhere else. This is November 4th, on trip to Viena, IL and back ... it's dark by five ... ... last trip ... small refer to Hudson (Albany) NY ... somewhere out by Albany or Saracuse there is a huge RV dealer with maybe as many as 500 full sized RV's. WH Transportation ... this is the first truck I've seen today since I've had the tape recording going that is advertising drivers on the back it has an 800 number but I didn't have the tape recording going so I'll have to grab the info next time ... I'm putting the tape down for today the 4th. 11/5/2003 The only other truck I saw last night with an ad on it was Transport America out of Egan, MN ... it had an 800 number ... it said 'Work for the leader.' Shell has a few truck stop in IL (on I-39) that are just 'Shell' ... not TA / Petro ... TA in Mount Vernon ... not a place I will stop ... ever again ... The other truck stop at that exit is 'Hucks' (exit 95) ... farmer down here has both the old IH 2x2 and the much newer version with four tracks (where the tires should be) ... a die hard IH farmer. Just saw a Caas baler, a few minutes ago on a trailer I saw a Chalenger, the CAT version of a big round baler ... so as the old companies go out (of business or merge), there are new companies, foreign or local, that are taking their place ... lot's of abandon railroads in IL ... some seem to be trails, or at least being used by people ... hasn't been turned back into farmland / business land. ... the sign on the right side of the highway says "Thru traffic left lane" ... and the sign on the left side says "Left lane ends ..." ... so I guess if you are 'thru traffic,' you are out of luck. 11/6/03 Just met a flat bed with three chasis and a extra 'refer box ... haven't seen that before. ... not used to these 'new' saftey features ... this thing has been using quite a bit of oil and water (about a gallon of each for every hundred miles) ... and when the oil or water lite comes on it only gives you a couple of minutes and then the engine shuts off. I PASSED SOMEBODY ... I PASSED SOMEBODY ... first time in 800 miles ... it was an old truck with a big concrete sewage type tank ... so he was loaded down ... but I still passed him. POP ! ! ! goes that bubble, that guy just passed me, he must have just gotten on the highway and I hadn't noticed ... |