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11/21/10 - Sunday
AM
Dispatch
had wanted me to 'get going early,' then a driver who wanted to run with me
wanted me to 'get going early.'
Didn't happen. 1st I had to wait for
my 34 hour restart, then we got freezing rain. So I waited as long as I felt I
could and still make it. So about 9 AM I head out of the house … Zip
…. Thump. I landed on the top step. Yes I knew it was icy, just not that
icy. Then a slow drive to work, finally get going at almost 10 AM.
Our
lot is full of trucks waiting to go, and looking back I should have moved
trucks instead of trying to fit between them. I made it, but by luck not skill.
The first twenty miles I keep it well under the speed limit but once
I'm out of the city limits the traffic all seems to be going the posted speed
plus so I kick it down. The truck had enough fuel to get me to the first truck
stop but by then the warning light was on. Big Steer, now an AmBest station. I
keep forgetting they are AmBest and haven't tried getting my points when I
fuel. Here I notice that there are scrapes on the hood of the truck. Didn't see
them before because of all the ice. Too late to note it at pickup so I don't
bother to call dispatch.
The road from MN to Omaha is a road I've
traveled many times, so not much new for me. For some reason I thought that the
'new' truck stop on I-35 in Iowa at Exit 159 was a Pilot at one time, nope. I
found the news story from two years ago and it was built as the Dow Travel
Center.
This is the roughest riding truck I've had of this kind, it's
as bad as a cab over. My stuff is bouncing out of the cup holders, my head is
hitting the roof. New Year, different truck I guess. At the last rest area
north of Des Moines I stop for motel coupons, I have forgotten mine again. I
could have looked online but don't think of that.
Three hundred miles
later the fuel is down to 'E' again and I won't make it too Omaha so no 'Pilot
points' this stop. I make it to the Wings America Travel Center in Avoca, IA.
Exit 40. Fueling is not an issue, and I'm soon rolling again.
Back on
the highway a check engine light comes on so I pull off at the next exit,
Shelby, IA. I check the fluids, they all look good. I call dispatch and left a
message "I'll keep rolling unless you call." As soon as I start the truck again
the light goes off and stays off the rest of the trip. Not sure what the issue
was.
I still have plenty of fuel when I go through Omaha and Lincoln
and enough to get to my motel. I pull off in Lexington, NE and check my motel
coupons. Nothing cheap, so I chance it and go to the Super 8 and ask their rate
… cash is best, but I don't have enough that I feel safe spending any so I
go the CLC route. The truck stop next door has a restaurant where I order
another 'French Dip' and salad. Salad bar is still open for one trip so get to
make my own.
Before I check into the motel I get stuck in the parking
lot. I try to pull through a mud puddle and the front tires of the tandem just
start to spin. I try rocking it and that doesn't work so I decide to just hold
down the pedal until the tires melt the ice, it works and I find a better place
to park.
The other driver canceled on me so I'm running solo. I plan
on getting this run done in three days so I checked the mileage so that I know
the min/max I need to do each day. Lexington is the minimum, not the way I like
to run but it how this trip will go.
11/21/10 - Monday
AM
11 hours off and I'm rolling. Ice on my truck and on the sidewalk but
didn't slip this AM. As I'm pulling on the Interstate I see a 1st Inn motel. I
had looked online for them last weekend but their website is gone. But this
location is still open and would have likely been $10-$15 cheaper than what I
paid last night.
North Platte is my first fuel stop of the day, 300
miles from my last fuel stop. Flying J, double points Oct-Nov. The Motel 6 in
Cozad is now a Rodeway Inn, not sure if the motel coupons are still good or
not. This AM I emailed dispatch pictures of the scratches on my truck, now
they've called back and want someone to look at them. They say they've found a
place in North Platte and give me a phone number. I call and the guy is
confused, he said he likely won't be able to do anything but I still stop by.
I find the body shop and the guy comes out and see's my truck and says
he can't get that in his shop, I try to show him where the scratches are and he
really has no interest. This truck is just passing through and he knows he's
not going to get the business. For him to do it he would have to take the hood
off, then buff and repaint it. Trying to back out of their lot the tires start
to spin again. Just from the height of the curb, not even the curb, just the
slant of the road.
The former Country Inn in Ogallala, then Grey Goose
motel has changed its name again, as did the adjacent restaurant. That used to
be a Country Kitchen and is now a Denny's. The Flying J in Julesburg, CO is
closed. It closed July 9, 2010 according to these articles.
Flying J - To
close
Flying J - Final Day
The first 50 miles of CO were scattered
with rolled cars and trucks along I-76. Must have had a lot of ice, but the
roads are clear now. Hard to ID the trucks when they are laying on their sides.
I hear later that at least one person died, a 14 year old on his way to school.
I keep trying in my mind to figure out why the tires are spinning, I
finally stop to see if only one axle is a drive axle. No, both are drives but
there is only about 2 inches clearance between the tires and the box but no
sign rubbing.
I had called the drop from North Platte with an ETA,
then later I remembered that CO was in a different time zone, so I had to call
them back and let them know I'd be an hour earlier. Even with heading out late
and my hour delay, I'll still to the drop in their four hour window.
I
knew it was going to be close but I if I make it too my drop I will be leaving
it with fuel on 'E,' not something I want to do. I know there is a Shell
station just before Denver but before I get there I see a 'new' Loves' so I put
in enough fuel to keep it over ¼ until I've dropped. The drop is only a
couple of blocks off of I-70 so it's easy to find.
OK, it won't be
quite as fast a switch as I thought. 'We' need to load the freight from the
truck I'm taking to the truck I just brought. Right away as soon as I see the
trucks in the lot I realize that something is wrong with my truck. The other
trucks all have closer to a foot clearance between the tires and box, mine is
empty theirs are full.
With the driver, the manager and me throwing
boxes it takes less than an hour and I'm back on the road. By the time I've
done my inspection the customer already has a shop there looking at the
suspension of the truck I brought in. Part of me wanted to know what was wrong,
another part wanted out of there as fast as possible. I was out of there.
3 PM and a little rush hour but I am right on the edge of Denver and
no major back-ups. I have enough fuel to get back to Loves and then some. But I
fuel at Loves not wanting to be stopping at little stores all the way home too.
Heading back it is dark early, can't tell how many cars and trucks are
still in the ditches on I-76, at least one truck is still on it is side. I know
I can make it home from North Platte so that is where I'll stop. I don't want
to be driving all night. I could drive farther but don't.
I stop at
the Hospitality Inn, I thought they had a coupon for $29 but the first one I
find is $34 and the clerk writes it up, not waiting for me to find the $33
coupons in the other book. I find it but don't argue. I've stayed here before,
old Holiday Inn or something. I forget to turn the heat on before I go to eat
and I have it on high all night and I still don't get too warm. They charge me
$1.25 to fax the paperwork for my prior truck, the cheap coupon crosses my mind
again but I don't say anything.
I do find a cheaper place in North
Platte, says they have truck parking $28. I might try it next time depending on
how close they are to food. The only thing the place I'm staying offers that
the other location does not is breakfast which I seldom /never eat anyhow.
I walk next door to Penny's Diner, they have signs on every booth
saying 'Two person minimum' so I had to sit at the counter. (It's the last meal
on the road I had and can't remember what it was).
11/22/10 -
Tuesday
AM - Rolling again after 10 hours. I look at their breakfast
but way to early for me. Lucky for me there isn't frost on my windows, but
there seems to be on most of the cars. 1st fuel stop is the Flying J in North
Platte, not worried about time I've got 14 hours and then I'm done for the
week.
Somewhere after Lexington I meet another driver that was
supposed to have been running close to my schedule. I knew he was running a day
late but based on where I met him he's not going to make his trip in three days
so he'll still be on the road on Thanksgiving.
2nd fuel stop, Omaha
Flying J
3rd fuel stop, Clear Lake Pilot
Then I remember it is
winter, I'll need to make one more fuel stop, they want the trucks left full
and with additive in the wintertime.
4th fuel stop, Lakeville Holiday
Wow, that was close. I pull into our parking lot with five minutes to
spare or I'd have been over my 11 hours. Just another reason I like to max out
my hours and miles every day at the start of my trip. This trip I was doing the
minimum every day.
Home again … four days off. Still seven
driver's cars in the lot and now eight trucks here and eight trucks at another
lot in town all waiting for drivers.
The reason I took 11
hours off Sunday night is that I had gone over my 70 hours by one hour, but I
needed to do that to make the trip in three days. IMO, the 70 should not have
been an issue as I had done my 34 hour restart on Saturday. BUT, I'm not sure
everyone would agree that you can travel as part of your restart so I wasn't
taking any chances.
The last three trips could become quite expensive.
On the trip to FL, the customer noted damage to the seatbelt and door
jam.
On the trip to TX, I got a log violation ticket.
On the trip to
CO, I did not note damage to the hood at time of pickup.
IF I end up
paying for all three, I could be working a month for 'nothing.' |
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