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...My Life as 'Drive away' driver
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Trip 73 - New Freightliner - Cement
Truck ... to Dayton, OH After I had accepted the run, dispatch called back and said they were going to match me up with another driver to share a rental car on the way home. First thing I do Wednesday AM is put an end to that. I no longer do overnight trips in rental cars ... and this would be an overnight. Dispatch seems a little confused and says "I was just trying to save you some money." 'And I'm trying to save something else.' (my life) I know I'm not a safe driver after 24 hours ... studies have shown that after 24 hours a persons reaction time is the same as a drunk's ... and our insurance says we shouldn't have the trucks on the highway between 11 and 4 ... all points to the same answer. (an average of 114 people die on US highways ever day.) 2/2/05 Only one other person shows up at the office this AM, haven't seen it this quiet for a while ... when I got in from my last run there were only four cars in the drivers area. Usually there are a dozen or more. Usually dispatch has another driver give us a ride to our customer, today its one of the dispatchers ... it's that slow. When dispatch told me this was a 'pumper,' my first question was how big, most of the pumpers need to have permits ... 2-3 steer axles. Surprise, this one is not much more than a 'pick-up' we are told ... well it was more than a pickup, basically a truck chassis with a pump on the back end, but no tank, none of the heavy pipe and hydraulic systems ... not sure what it would be used for. A couple of items of good news ... the first one I knew before taking the run, we fill our own fuel tanks before leaving this customer which helps on any run, really helps on these short runs. Second good news, instead of the 40 gallon tanks like the Pete's have, this Freightliner has two 50 gallon tanks ... 100 gallons of free fuel for a 700 mile trip, this run might pay after all. Andy I'm rolling before 9 AM, another plus. Not much knew in WI this trip, seen this section of I-90 / I-94 at least once a month. Did see a spot where the snowmobilers had helped out the turkeys. Not a lot of snow in the fields and with a little snow melt the grass was showing where the snowmobiles had run. Now the turkeys don't have to peck through the snow. On the south end of Madison I meet six little new Budget trucks, they look like they are in transport ... an hour later at the WI/IL line six little Budget trucks pass me ... somebody lost? On a good day I am south of Janesville, WI by 4:30 ... today it's only 3:30, and the cruise is set at 52. $1.50 every toll ... and today they are coming out of my pocket ... travel time was about average ... 2-1/2 hours from Beloit to Gary. Did stop at an Oasis in IL, needed to eat something today and didn't want to waste the time exiting the interstate ... McD's regualar hamberger is $1.10. This trip is just under 700 miles, but it was the 'only' trip available ... If I had pushed the speed limit I could have logged it in one day. Was hoping to stop just short of the OH/IN border but its been a long day with only one break and I'm ready to shut down in Lebanon just north of Indy ... that way I can do my inspection and fuel in one 15 minute section. Had coupons for Layfette, but no cheap places ... nothing cheap in Lebanon either, was watching for motel's so close I missed the billboard which had the price of diesel at the Flying J. The exit does have both a Super 8 and a Days Inn, the Days Inn is closer to food. $42 with a CDL discount ... $3 more than I was expecting to pay. Not a $29 in site ... need to get 'cheep sleep' done. Not a busy night, only two cars and and one truck in transport ... another cement pumper. Supper was at the Stake and Shake ... and crash. 2/2/05 Logged off at 6 PM so I could roll at 4 AM ... if I could get out of bed. Rolling at 4:30 ... fuel across the street, diesel for $1.77. This is where I should have looked at the Flying J sign last night ... same price and don't have to pay extra for credit at the J. Have estimated I'll need about 15 gallons of fuel ... less than $30 on fuel for a 700 mile trip. Now I see the signs for cheap motels, and more truck stops ... guess it's I-76 to Cinci where the truck stops are scarce. Computer says I'll save miles by getting off I-70 and taking the back roads ... two lane, less than 50 mph highways. I had looked at a map last night so I know the general layout of the town, now a have a map which only shows I-75, but no intersections ... This Middletown turns out to be a bigger town than I had thought. Took a guess that my drop was on the south end of town and I'm right. I had hoped to drop between 6-8, by the time I find the drop it's 9 AM ... which is what dispatch had told them. They are standing there waiting and open the garage door for me to drive in. I'm wanting to get going and they are busy inspecting and talking about the truck. They sign and talk some more ... dispatch had talked them into giving me a ride to the bus station 30 miles away. But since then I've found an Avis location about 3 miles from my customer. I do get the ride to Avis and am on my way. Decided I didn't want to travel the back roads home, so I take I-75 to Dayton and then west on I-70. With the cruise set at 69 I should be home in 10 hours ... which will put me home a little after 7 PM. Then I get a phone call which I have to pull off and take, another delay. Am listening to the radio today, off and on. There has been an accident near LaFayett on the southbound lanes of I-65. The interstate will be closed 'until further notice.' A DOT worker was walking along the highway when a car passing the location switched lanes to give him more room ... but in doing so, another car went out of control and struck the DOT worker. I get to the location and the road is vacant except for those reconstructing the accident seen. A couple of miles past the site our lane comes to a stop ... here's where someone did something a little stupid. They made a U-turn on the Interstate ... heading right into the accident investigation site. Our lanes were slowed due to a 'gawkers' slowdown. The southbound lane now has another accident, a pickup has rear-ended a semi ... all lanes closed. Am an hour later going through Chicago than I wanted, but traffic isn't too bad at 1 PM ... stop at exit 36 on the tollway for some food and fuel, only other stop of the trip. Had thought I could stop and get some cheap fuel in IN, but wasn't over half way home and that would have added another stop. Just about to the IL / WI border ... I see the six Budget trucks again, heading south. Is this a promo? or are these guys really lost? Ends up being closer to 8 PM by the time I get home ... will have to return the car tomorrow and take the bus back to the office to pickup my car. Dispatch has me on an Omaha truck for Friday ... (Got the flu and had to bail on the Omaha trip.) "A penny saved is a government oversite" |