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11/15/10 - Monday
6am dispatch.
1st six hours today are easy, it's a shuttle ride. 1st three hours are a little
cramped, seven drivers in a seven passenger van. A few second of panic as I
slide into the back seat, but I've got the end spot and room to stretch my
legs. (A few months ago I got into the back seat of a two door car with two
other guys and 300# person in front of me, I couldn't even put my legs
straight. Since then I have started to become claustrophobic.)
Once we
drop the first four drivers I can stretch out and try to sleep. Talk on the
second leg is mostly of computers and school. The other two drivers are a
generation apart but both went to the same high school and did some
programming.
When I wasn't napping I did notice a couple of interesting
names for bars … one was the 'Ulterior Motives" bar and motel in
Rhinelander and the other was "I don't know" but can't remember which town that
was in. It does seem like every town in WI has at least one bar for every 100
people.
The GPS gets us lost and it's been years since I've been to
this location but I know about where the building is, just not exactly. 2nd
time through I'm paying closer attention and see where the GPS routed us
wrong.
Now we are here right at lunch, the customer is more interested
in talking football than getting us out of there. The other driver is much
better at this type of PR than I am and keeps us in good standing.
Surprise! These are right hand drive trucks, the other driver calls dispatch
and gets us another $50 for the run. We do a very complete inspection, as will
the customer on the other end, these units will be re-sold so they still want
them to look like new. No problems but it does take an hour before we are ready
to roll.
That hour is really going to put the crunch on things, I want
to be past Chicago yet tonight … now we'll see. I had looked at going
north over the Mackinac Bridge but that would add an extra 2 hours / 120 miles.
The other driver calls to see if he can bypass Chicago and is told no, it adds
about 40 extra miles.
As we pull out the other driver turns left, I
turn right, not sure where he's going, both fuel stops I know of are my
direction. I fuel, the gauge is on 'E' but still had 7 gallons left, not sure
how much was usable. Finally, really rolling. A couple of miles down the road I
see the other driver on the side of the road, but he pulls in before I get to
him. He tells me later that he's driven right hand drives before but it's sure
taking him a while to catch on this time. Even though I was in a truck behind
him, this is about as scared as I've been on a highway watching him. My
business or not, I call him WHILE DRIVING and tell him to stay on his own side
of the road, we are on two lane roads and the oncoming traffic is having to
drive on the shoulder … after that he seems to get the hang of it.
I follow him for a couple more hours until he pulls into a rest area. He calls
dispatch again to see if he can bypass Chicago ... while he is on hold,
dispatch calls me to see what is going on. I tell dispatch if this guy does not
feel safe driving it Chicago, he shouldn't be driving in Chicago ... this time
dispatch tells the driver say OK. We hadn't really discussed bunking together,
just bunking in general. So far I've still been running solo but sounded like
he's been bunking with anyone/everyone. But by this point I've talked to
dispatch a few times about other trips and even if I don't get a trip I'm
planning on delivering on the 3rd day, not the 4th day and paying extra to get
home early again.
So we part our ways, I do follow him until dark, that
is when he pulls off, I plan on another 4 hours. Still not sure if I can make
it past Chicago. I decide I need a minimum of two hours when I hit the WI/IL
border or I'll stop before Chicago. Milwaukee was fun, rush hour, rain, dark,
road construction, right hand drive. But I made it.
I get to the
border with only an hour and ¾ to go but decide to make a run for it.
Right hand drive, need to stop before every toll booth, get out and walk over
and pay … yes it's a pain but doesn't compare to running an extra 40 miles
out of route. Luck is on my side, except for the tool booths, I make it through
Chicago at the posted speed limit … and I have enough fuel to get to
tonight's motel.
I've got my eye on some motels just south of Gary, IN
but not sure how far down I-65 those motels are so I keep right … Right
behind someone going 45, this gets me off the interstate two minutes over my
14.
Motel 6, with real customer service. By the time I get checked in,
I have less than a half hour before Bob Evan's closes. Bacon burger with salad,
didn't realize it was 1/3 or a ½ pound burger, way more than I could or
did eat. Before walking the two blocks over to Bob Evan's I did ask the motel
clerk if this was 'safe area.' And it was. In Gary, I'm not sure it's safe to
walk from the truck to the motel. Sign said no trucks but I asked if I could
park by the other two trucks and it was OK.
11/16/10 - Tuesday
6am - I could have been rolling by now, but I stayed up too late on
the computer/internet last night bidding on toys. I found a new website over
the weekend so I had to see how my bids were doing. And I try to always set my
alarm for eight hours from the time I go to bed. So I'm running a ½ hour
late this AM.
A few miles down the road the low fuel light is on and I
pull off. I try to pull into the Flying J but end up on a service road instead,
that's when I realize it doesn't make any difference where I ended up. The
diesel pumps don't seem to be open. This looks like a Petro being converted to
a Flying J. I didn't know that they were going to keep adding Flying J's, so I
guess the name is not going anywhere anytime soon. (doing a google search, I
did find that yes, this did used to be a Petro. I found it on a 'where to buy'
a product website, listing that Petro location)
As always, good thing
I kept legal last night, I passed a scale this AM between the motel and the
fuel stop.
Motels and truck stops always seem to be changing their
names, a few are 'permanent fixtures' but many seem to change names with the
wind.
Road work ahead, expect delays … coming into Indianapolis,
so I decide to make my own detour. I just looked now and I was pretty close to
correct, it didn't add very many more miles going the way I did. Not bad for
not having looked at a map or been in Indy for four plus years.
Looking at a map, it looks like going through Cincinnati would be closer than
going through Nashville, but the computer says Nashville and I haven't played
with the miles. Sometimes it has to do with the speed limit, where going 30
miles out of route is still faster … at 70mph. And we can only do 62.
I do a rare 'break stop' just to get out and walk around, and actually
go for a walk in the rain to stretch my legs, something I should do every day
and don't. And my reward? I get back to my truck and find I've locked my keys
in my truck, and the truck is running.
Panic.
Today was the
first time this trip I locked my passenger door and on most trips I never lock
it. I think I did it because when I read the paper work last night it said
'Unsafe area, no deliveries after dark' so I didn't expect it to be a whole lot
safer during the daytime.
I go into the rest area building to ask for
a coat hanger, at first they can't find one but then someone finds one that
looks like it has been used for this a few times before. I work on it a while
then two guys come over, one has a couple of huge key rings but nothing even
fits in the lock.
Wait … the other driver, the one who picked up
at the same location … sometimes these keys are interchangeable. So I call
him to see how far behind he is now. About the time he tells me where he is,
and I remember that he took a different route so he will NOT be coming through
this way, someone yells 'He got it.' The door is open.
"Thank you,
thank you." And I give the guy $20 for his trouble, and it was only 15 minutes
from when I found what I had done. I was expecting to pay big bucks and wait
for hours.
In Nashville I got behind a CR England truck driver that
was going about 40 mph and kept hitting the breaks. If he can't handle the
traffic in Nashville, he ain't going to make it. Other than that, traffic
wasn't too bad, Nashville hasn't changed much. The TA next to the stadium is
closed. There was a motel in front of the TA offering 'day rates' for <>
$20, guess at that price there isn't a reason to have an 'hourly rate.'
Running this time of year is not as fun as the summer, we no longer
have 11 hours of daylight so I'm either leaving in the dark or stopping in the
dark or both. By the time I'm leaving Nashville the sun is setting and I again
have hours to go.
These hills are not fun in good daylight weather,
and I'm running them in the dark, rain and with a right hand drive. Going up
the hill isn't bad, I'm able to pass a few trucks but there is one big hill
with a 'mandatory break check stop' at the top of the hill for all trucks.
'From there on down it wasn't real pretty' (CW McCall) … that is likely
the slowest I've gone down that hill. Seems I'm taking safetly a little more
seriously these days.
I've seen the sign for Ruby Falls/Rock City
where you are SUPPOSED to be able to see Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia, even if you can't see them
all, it still makes for a good tourist trap. Also a couple of huge fireworks
stores in that area.
Chattanooga is uneventful, the clock is ticking
but I find time to stop at the GA welcome center and pick up coupons. Welcome
center is not very 'welcome' after dark. The rest rooms are locked, and it took
a couple trips around to find the coupons.
Dalton, GA is just short of
my max miles for the day. I've stayed in this town before but not at the Motel
6, it doesn't look like there is any truck parking so I go past and make
U-turn, then park on the street and ask where I can park. I can back in and
block their dumpster.
$29 at the Motel 6 with the coupon I had just
picked up so that stop paid off. (One time we stayed at the 'Guest Inn' next
door, and the clerk gave us a key to a room someone was already in, surprised
both of us, they hadn't deadbolted the door.) The closest food was the 'Hot
Spot Lounge' bar at the Best Western behind the Motel 6. Interesting place.
Other times I've eaten at the Los Pablo's but I wasn't in the mood for Mexican
tonight.
The 'Hot Spot' wasn't exactly that, there were two guys at
the next table, a couple of guys at the bar and two more playing pool. The only
female in the bar was the lone bartender, who was spending more time texting on
her cell phone than tending bar. I ordered a 'French Dip' and salad and a guy
came from somewhere to make my sandwich and then was gone again. Sandwich was
good, salad was in a paper bowl. The place was all set up for a DJ, karaoke and
dancing but nothing tonight.
11/17/10 - Wednesday
Only 10
hours off tonight, rolling at 6 (?)
If I end up back in Dalton, I need
to look closer at the highways signs. I read the sign out of town to say "I-75
South ahead (up arrow), and I-75 North, ahead and left (arrow)." So I kept
going thinking the angled highway was a frontage road. Nope. That was where I
was supposed to have turned. Hard to explain without a picture, but there
shouldn't have been an up arrow for an exit.
This AM I'm regretting
that extra half hour I took yesterday AM. I'm going to be hitting Atlanta right
at the start of rush hour. I do get into a little of the backup but once I'm on
the bypass the traffic is sailing again. Sun up is right as I'm heading east on
the south end of town. It does help to know the roads, which lanes will exit
and which ones are left exits.
A couple hours later and I need fuel,
another Pilot, this one small and cramped. One person behind the counter to
start with until she locks up her computer. One driver will now have to come
back in for the third time to try and get his pump turned on. A second gal
comes out to help and I offer the now frustrated driver to go ahead of me.
Nope, it was the 1st gals problem, she needs to handle it. I'm in and out
quickly but have to have them page the driver of the truck ahead of me to get
them to move.
I keep forgetting to read all my paperwork when I get
it, I was supposed to call 24 hours before delivery again and didn't read it
until last night, after hours. So as soon as the customer opens this AM I call
and ask if it's OK to deliver yet today, tomorrow is not an issue, either way
will work. No problem, deliver when you get here.
Most of the scales
have been closed this trip and the few that have been open haven't given me any
problems. In addition to the scales, FL has 'fruit inspection' stations but
they too just give me the wave.
Closing in on my drop, when I'm two
hours out I give them another call, I'll be able to make delivery today. I have
two maps that show where my drop is and I've looked online so I have a visual,
but that doesn't always mean I know the best way in. I should have asked.
The exit I take off the freeway starts out as a four lane then narrows
to barely a two lane. As soon as it does, I stop at the next light and put the
truck in park so I can re-lock the passenger door. Not the best area of town. I
remember hearing that one of these coastal towns moved their police station
because the neighborhood got too rough.
I'm still off my detailed map
and get confused, I'm looking for street signs that I'm still a few miles from.
Finally I work my way over to Hwy 1 and follow it like I should have to start
with. 3PM and I'm at my drop, this doesn't look like a bad area. OK the
businesses are boarded up, but the houses have grass and no rolled barbwire. My
drop has a fence with rolled barbwire, but the windows don't have bars and the
trucks are left outside.
Right away two guys come out to inspect my
truck, over, under, inside, out. They make two notes on the bill of lading. A
cut seat belt and a scraped door panel. I've never pulled a seat belt all the
way out to inspect it, but I'm guessing if I have to pay for this one I will be
doing that. And the scrape could have come from the seatbelt … or …
Good news, this customer is willing to give me a ride to my next truck
(for most drivers it's the airport)
Sometime in the last three days
dispatch offered me a few different trucks. No, I do not want to go to Canada
(I'm guessing it was a cement pumper - big, ugly), nor do I want to go to
Boston. This time I ask, yes, big, ugly and well used. Then it was quiet. No
calls, then they offered me this trip, I'd be picking up three miles from my
drop here in Daytona Beach and heading to Austin, TX. And then when I get back
from TX, doing a round trip to Denver.
It takes a while for the
inspection, and the paperwork, and getting the paperwork for my next truck, and
the ride (I gave him $5, cab would have been $10+) and then finding the truck.
All I knew was it was in public parking at the Daytona Beach Hilton
and it had a tank on it. The driver drops me at the front door and I walk to
the parking. I see a red pickup with a tank. After a few minutes looking for
the key I see a VIN (vehicle ID number) in the window and it does not match
what I have. That's when I finally look around and see a second truck, on this
one I find the key right way and the VIN on the key matches … but I never
do check the door jam for the VIN something I will regret later. Even after I
realize that I would have taken the red truck if I had found the key, I still
don't think of looking for an actual VIN on the truck ???
Then I'm not
sure how to get out of the parking lot, last time I did one of these remote
pickups they told me I owed $600+. It was after hours last time and I ended up
sleeping in the car until dispatch got in the office the next morning and said
yeh, $600 … details that would be nice to know ahead of time. This time I
call before I get to the gate, first dispatch and then the owner. Owner says
the truck was here for a show and I should be able to get out just by buzzing
the front desk. I do, they do, no questions asked.
(Blahhh! I just
lost two pages of write up and have to start over)
Not much for people
on the beach this time of year, I stayed down here once before when a co-driver
visited his sister and I only met a couple of people on the beach. This time I
did see a couple of people out riding the waves and some fishing but no
swimming.
Motels were as low as $39 on the beach, less than that
across street. It had crossed my mind to stay at the Hilton as long as I was
already parked, but decided I would rather put a couple more hours driving
behind me. I did check now and the Hilton is $139 for their cheap rooms and
$144 for the rooms that have 'complimentary high speed internet' … How
come we have to pay $5 for 'complimentary high speed internet?'
Two
hours and almost 140 miles later I'm pulling off the highway in Lake City, FL
at the Days Inn. Looks like there is a lot of motels in the Lake City 'area'
but by looking at a map they aren't all close to the Interstate, so I picked
one that was. The Days Inn comes to $46 after tax, the Huddle House next door
will come to about $10 for a 'Philly Cheese Steak Omelet,' not bad food but not
my mix for an omelet.
Place was packed when I got there, between the
people and the still not cleared tables. But by the time I was done eating the
place and the tables had cleared leaving only one couple who had just walked
in. Not sure how these places can make a go of it with a cook and a waiter and
only a few tables.
11/18/10 - Thursday
6 AM
Not
ready to roll but up and getting ready. Once ready I start on my computer work
that I had hoped to do last Sunday before I left but the data wasn't available
from the carriers. I spend a little over an hour doing this, I had thought it
was going to take much longer but I keep forgetting how little work is left
after the companies I work for each lost about ½ their customer base
when the economy went south.
By 8:30 I'm fueled and ready to roll, as
I look at the Schawan's trucks next to me at the pump I remember that we always
had to log those … but still nothing clicks.
Hoping to get close
to 770 miles today, and I have a vehicle that will do it. Not too much
excitement on this leg, do have a working radio but in this part of the country
it's mostly religious radio. Radio formats very greatly based on the part of
the country you are in.
Lots of police, seven in one spot, five in
another, doesn't seem to matter what state I'm in. And it doesn't seem to slow
the amount of people who pass me. I've got my cruise set right on the 70 mph
line for the whole trip.
At Pensacola I decide to stop for a break,
something other than a burger and fries. I see a sign for a Fazoli's, but once
I see the store I remember that I don't like eating Italian on the road, it
doesn't always agree with me. Then I see a HoneyBaked Ham so I get out of my
turn lane and back on to the street. Good stuff, didn't realize how much food
they had besides just ham, sort of like a Schwans retail store or a Simek's ( a
midwestern frozen food vendor).
I hadn't looked at a map but thought
I'd be on I-10 all the way from Jacksonville, FL to Houston, TX but when I
start seeing signs saying 'New Orleans' I know I should have looked at a map.
When I get to the split with I-12 and I-10 turns south I decide it's time to
stop. And time to stop for fuel, I'm on 'E,' it's been about 500 miles. While I
was stopped I called dispatch to check in, after hanging up I remember I was
going to ask how they want me log this trip, but after a few seconds decide to
deal with it later.
I-10 is the highway of bridges, of the almost 700
miles I'll drive today it seems like 100 of those miles are on bridges the
longest being about 18 miles?? One plus of all the bridges, not a lot of road
kill, just looking at a lot of tree tops. Also go through one tunnel in Mobil,
AL. The 'George Wallace Tunnel' under the Mobile River, the tunnel is deep
enough to that ships can travel in the river above it. Wasn't sure what I was
going under at the time, but between Google and WiKi I found out what it was.
I'm not going to make my 770 today, it'll come in just under 700.
Beaumont, TX had been my goal but Orange, TX is where I'll make it to. My motel
tonight is again a Motel 6, $40 after tax. Asked the motel clerk where the
local food was other than the Waffle House and Gary's Café that I just
passed. "Back at the last exit." So that is where I headed, didn't find
anything there except a Pizza Hut and a deli in a grocery store, so back to
Gary's.
Gary's didn't close until 9 PM so I have time to eat, but they
do have the door locked by the time I leave. A 'French Dip' and some potato
soup, thought with a sub for fries I'd get a cup, but I got a bowl. Good soup,
French Dip not bad. The place was well worn, the seats and tables were showing
their age.
This is a rare trip that I was able drive to look for food,
usually once my truck or bus is parked I don't move it, and this time I can and
did drive but ended up back two blocks from the motel. In the three times I
pass the Waffle House tonight, there has only been one customer in the place.
I check my emails, I'm shutting down my computer and remember thinking
I should really do my logs now so I don't have to do it at the office. Either
way it's going to have to be done. Not sure what thought was next, but I didn't
do the logs and went to bed … a big Opps for tomorrow.
11/19/10 - Friday
6 AM
Now I'm wishing that I had been on the
road at 6 AM yesterday instead of 8:30, now I'm going to hit Houston during
rush hour. It doesn't end up being too bad only a few miles of below the speed
limit and I'm off the main Interstate and onto a state highway heading out of
town.
About 3 hours into the trip I see a highway patrol in the
median, he pulls in behind me, then along side of me, then back behind me with
lights on.
The first thing he asks where my license plate is, as it's
not on the back or front, so I hand it to him. When transporting we keep them
in the front dash. Then he asks for my driver's license and log book.
"The pickup is under 10,000# so I'm not running a log." I said.
He
opens the door and looks in the door jam and says "18,000#."
Opps
… big opps. I give him the logs I do have, then he starts to measure the
tank on the back of the pickup and I help him, holding the tape measure. Then
he starts looking for the ID plate and I realize why he's looking … "I do
have tanker permit." I told him. I had just gotten it and only have the paper
copy so it doesn't show on my actual license. That was ended his interest in
the tank.
I bring him my tanker endorsement and he asks for other
items, each time apologizing for not having asked for everything at once. Once
when I go back I see that he has found my receipts that were in the page
protector and he is taking pictures of them. Receipts showing that I was
driving legal (just not logging it).
I must not have realized how deep
I was in as I didn't scramble to get the logs done, I did do them as I waited
but by that time he was not interested in them, didn't want to look at them. He
said he would have had to give me time to bring my logs up to date if it was
within 24 hours but mine were 48 hours since the last entry, when I fueled my
1st truck for the last time, he didn't 'have to' give me time, and he didn't.
I did have to call the office as I did not know the owner of the
vehicle, they were not happy as this ticket will go against them also.
I was driving legal and have/had the receipts to show it.
1st day (not
logged) - I have a receipt showing I was in the motel 14 hours (our max) from
when I started the day, and a second receipt for my meal in the same time
frame. And I had run under 660 miles, meaning I averaged less than 60 mph for
my 11 hours driving.
2nd day - I fueled across the street from my
motel 12 hours from when I shut down (10 is our minimum), had driven less than
700 miles which is well under the 770 I could have driven in 11 hours at 70
mph. And another receipt showing I was in the motel 12 hours from my morning
fuel stop. And again a 2nd receipt for my meal.
3rd day - I had no
receipts, but at the time I was pulled over my miles would show that I had (or
could have) been down for my 10 hours off and still averaged under the speed
limit to be where I was at 9 AM.
But this was NOT on my written log
…
He shuts me down for 10 hours and I will also be getting a
fine, amount unknown and the violation will be on my record for the next five
years. So much for my squeaky clean record. He does let me drive to the next
town but no further.
I first pull into a gas station but it's not a
truck stop so I pull across the street to the Walmart parking lot where the
truck will sit for 10 hours. I make a few phone calls, walk into Walmart to use
the restroom then walk uptown to get some food.
I'm guessing it's
about three miles into downtown, I walk past deli's and Mexican restaurants,
Mel's Diner and other places but nothing looks good to me. Finally in downtown
I decide to cross the street so I'm still facing traffic walking back. Then I
see a downtown café, but I can't get the walk light to change so I walk
another block to where there isn't a stop light. Not my lucking day today,
don't want to be caught crossing on a 'do not walk' light.
While I'm
waiting at the stoplight, someone comes up to me and asks where some deli is, I
say I don't know, but I did pass a few deli's between here and Walmart as I
point to the water tower a couple of miles away.
At the café, I
open the door and see table clothes and glass glasses on the tables, doesn't
look like my kind of place, today. So I take a step back out and close the
door, I'm sure that brought a comment or two from their clientele.
After this AM I'm not in the mood for anything I guess, I even walk past the
John Deere dealer and their 'toy sale' sign without stopping even though I
still had eight hours to kill. I do see the deli the person was looking for but
still or no longer interested in eating. Back at the lot I sit on a grassy
knoll as I'm not allowed in my truck during my 10 hours off.
Lucky for
me it's nice enough to sit outside today without a jacket as long as I'm in the
sun and out of the wind. So I spend the day watching the pigeons jockey for
position on the Walmart light poles. Knowing that once the sun starts to set it
will be to cool to sit outside. Once I finally get a chill, I decide to go for
another walk, this time in the other direction, down to where I see a Tractors
Supply, they should have some toys that I can spend/kill some time looking at.
About 15 minutes walking I lose interest and/or get cold, should have
grabbed my jacket, and decide to head back. That's when I see the crash, didn't
hear a thing. It was right in front of Walmart, both cars will end up being
towed. I need some time to kill so I join the other gawkers and watch the
police and ambulance arrive and later the tow trucks. Luckily no one was hurt,
one person did spend an hour in the ambulance but walked out and to the strip
mall to go shopping …
This did sort of put it in perspective for
me … In my case no one / nothing was damaged but my ego.
It's now
dark and cool/cold, I first go to General Dollar but I'm not one who can just
stand and shop, I see nothing of interest and walk to Walmart. There is more to
look at but how long can you wander the food isles? Then the two rows of toys
… small town. Then the electronics, and music … I was surprised I did
not find a single Willie Nelson CD even though we are only an hour from his
'hometown.'
I had thought I'd be in Austin tonight listening to some
southern country instead of a Walmart parking lot. Finally I decide it's time
to get something to eat, so I head to Mc Donalds. A now rare occasion for me,
but I'm hoping they have WiFi, they do. So if I had been in the mood I could
have spent the day here. The seat I choice has an outlet so I'm set … oh
yeah, great seat. Every time someone opens the door the women's restroom I can
see legs under the stall doors, lucky for them (and me) that no one opened the
door before they were presentable.
A $.99 McDouble and a bottle of
water and I'm set for the last hour of my sentence.
Sometime during
the day dispatch was able to get the customer to accept the truck yet tonight
at his house instead of the company lot. So I'm still going to be on my plane
tomorrow. When they first offered me this run they wanted to make sure I could
deliver by Saturday noon, I would have been there before Friday noon if not for
my OPPS! Because I'm delivering to a home and not to an office I decide it is
best if I get an extra copy made now so we won't need to stop after it's
signed/delivered.
At 8:15 I'm ready to roll, I may have been able to
leave at 8 PM as that was 10 hour from when I signed the ticket but I wasn't
taking any chances. Now I need to fuel … later I'll see that the time on
the fuel receipt is wrong, oh well. I call the customer at home to make sure
they haven't changed their mind yet. At first I have my doubts, as it sounds
like the party is in full swing, but they want to get it done tonight. Even
though it is going to be 11 by the time I'm there and parked, midnight by the
time I'm at the motel and 1 AM by the time they are back home … on a
Friday night. All this because of my Opps is now their problem. Yes, after all
this they still take me to the airport motel an hour away.
Because I
was on the road when I took this trip I didn't get all the maps/directions we
usually get. But thanks to McD's I was able to find out about where it was, the
house is in a new development so it's not an exact. The mapping software I have
on my computer was way off but after looking at Mapquest, Bing, Google and
Yahooo I guessed I knew where I was going. Had thought I was going to bypass
the toll road but then decided if it saves a couple of minutes at this time of
night it was worth it. And it meant fewer directions to remember.
Once
off the Interstate I missed my first turn and I knew it as soon as I missed it.
The street sign listed a highway number instead of a street name, but as soon
as I realized there were no other roads that must be the correct one, it was.
Another two miles of city streets and I was there.
When the paperwork
was signed and we were in the car I was cautious when I asked if he knew WHICH
airport I was going to, as there was a regional airport right at his exit.
Thankfully he had agreed to the hour trip to the correct airport, two hours for
him.
Once we were rolling I became more at ease that this was not
going to cost our company this account. He had been working for this same
company in my hometown for most of 20 years and had just moved to TX a few
months ago. A company I used to work for had hauled his freight when I was
working for an LTL (Less than Truckload) carrier for a few years. We did talk a
little about driveaway but mostly about freight, not interesting to most but a
common topic for the two of us. And then we were there, thank you. Thank you.
Thanks to CLC tonights motel is $65 and the last straw for CLC. I've
now emailed them to change my account so I know EXACTLY what I am going to be
charged.
Room was great, it was not an overpriced $40 room, Quality
Inn Airport in Austin, TX
11/20/10 - Saturday
No the
story isn't over yet.
I have a late AM flight that lays over in MSP
where I will get off and the flight will continue to MLW. It's sometimes
cheaper that way. No earlier flights to try to get on so I'm stuck. Didn't get
into bed until midnight last night so I'm in no rush to get up.
I do
get up in time to check out the complementary breakfast, waffles, biscuits and
gravy, cereal, toast, rolls. I was looking for yogurt but they only had one cup
left. I think they had hard boiled eggs too.
When it was time to go I
found out that the desk clerk was also our driver to the airport, another perk
of the motel. Even after we were in the van a cleaning lady comes out and is
trying to tell the driver in her limited English that someone was waiting at
the counter. (And I don't think English was the clerks first or even second
language)
At the airport no real surprises. I get my ticket from the
kiosk, and in the security line it takes the usual four buckets to get all my
items through the scanner. I need to have my computer alone in one bucket, all
my paperwork with binders go in another bucket, then a bucket for my liquids
and tools and one for my shoes and jacket. I never check my bags and this time
I don't have a choice as I'm getting off 'mid-trip.' Nothing special here, they
look at my ticket at the beginning of the line but not at the scanner like they
used to do. No questions asked.
I still have an hour, I find my gate.
I see a sign that says there is a Schlotzsky's. The first sign it says it's to
the East, the next sign says it's to the West. I finally realize that one of
the signs is wrong and DO find the stand. I had thought about waiting for
Charley's at MSP but by then I'd have someone waiting … and I was getting
hungry. Schlotzskys in Austin now has a self checkout, you walk up to a touch
screen and start tapping. If you pay with a credit card the only person you see
is the one who hands you your food.
Our plane is going to a few
minutes late, it gets to the gate when we are to be leaving so it ends up being
more than just a 'few' minutes. But it gives me enough time to eat before
boarding but that was about all. For the only time I can remember the ticket
taker asked me if I was OK with sitting in the exit row. What now? I don't look
competent enough to open a door?
The plane was four seats across, as
soon as I sit down, my seatmate offers me a drink ticket. This could be an
interesting flight, and it was. Turns out that this gal has been a police
constable for eight years in a town near where I got my ticket today. She's the
one who had gave me these quotes …
"With the DPS, there is no
gray." "The DPS would give their own mother a ticket." "The judge knows the
DPS, you are an outsider. It's the good ole boys network." "Take it as a lesson
learned and move on."
We ended up talking most of the trip, it does
make the hours go faster.
Once in MSP we are still running late, then
our gate is full so they have to find us another gate … finally off. There
is no curbside parking so my wife is on her fourth trip around the airport when
I get outside, where I saw something I hadn't seen in a while. A car pulls up,
the cops turn on their lights and they check they driver out.
Safe at
home … (soon to be) a little poorer … a little wiser.
EDIT
TO ADD: Once I had a court date set for my driving ticket, I tried to call to
disscuss the ticket. I was told I could not do that over the phone. So when my
court date came up, I drove the 1,000 miles down (and the another 1,000 back)
to be at my court date. This was about a four car rental, plus three motels,
plus the loss of work. $$$
Once I was able to talk to the county attorney,
he told me all of this could have been done over the phone ... Grrr.
This
person was very easy to work with, listened to my story and changed the ticket
from a log book to an 'overweight' violation. There was still a fine to pay but
no record of my TX driving record.
HOWEVER the Federal DOT would not update
my US driving record to the 'corrected' charge. So the Federal DOT seems to be
the sherif, jury and judge ... and that violation stayed on my record for the
next three years.
Since that time, I now know the driving regulations better
than any of the companies I have worked for. |
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