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11/29/10 - Monday
First we were
going to leave Sunday, then it was changed to Monday (Found out later that one
of us five would not run on Sunday and they couldn't find anyone else. Didn't
know we were that short on drivers). Because there were five they wanted to
stager us because only one driver can fuel at a time, but the units were
supposed to be fueled for us so we wouldn't need to stop before leaving town.
Then we find out on Saturday that whoever fueled them didn't put enough in, so
we were going to have to fuel before leaving town.
I had a choice of
when to leave but didn't care, and end up with the 8:30 AM slot. I should have
cared. By Monday AM I realize that that time slot puts me in rush hour. I think
I'm leaving an hour early but there is an accident this AM so me and half the
other traffic decided to 'make a move.' Wouldn't have made any difference if I
had gotten to the pumps earlier, someone was still ahead of me so I had to
wait.
Once he's done it only takes me about 15 minutes to take on
enough fuel to get me to the next stop. I didn't think I needed to stop but no
reason to risk it. One of the drivers doesn't get the phone message and takes
off without fueling, he thought he had enough fuel and does.
I hadn't
headed out on a trip from our fuel stop before and don't know the new route,
I'll still need to check what it is. I end up taking the city streets for a few
miles which slows me down. To make this trip in two days we need to max miles
both days, every minute is going to count.
When I started driving we
were often slept in the trucks, once we started sleeping in motels we usually
bunked with another driver. This will be the first trip since I've started
driving again where I share a room. I call a driver I used to run with and he's
game. I did run with him on an earlier trip this year but he wasn't interested
that trip in bunking.
(I need a new battery for my laptop. The above
was all I wrote before it went dead)
A little over an hour down the
road, I pass my first co-driver, he's stopped at McDonalds at a truck stop, I
thought I'd have passed the first guy out this AM at Cabelas, but either he
didn't stop or didn't stop long. I'm guessing he didn't stop, didn't want to
lose his spot in line.
Got a good look at the IA scale I wasn't sure
if I missed last trip. I was on the phone talking and the next thing I know I'm
along side the scale, didn't remember seeing any signs (warning) it was coming
up or if it was open or closed. Now I know the reason, all the signs have been
removed, the scale is no longer in used but has not been blocked off yet. Good
to know I'm not losing it.
Highway to Des Moines looks the same as it
did last week (and likely the same as it will next week). Doesn't matter how
many times I travel this stretch of highway, lots of memories.
Drove
in some rain but no snow, somewhere about the Iowa / Missouri line the sky's
clear and I can see a row of thunderheads for as far as I can see to the north
and to the south, stacked a mile (?) high. Forecast in MN had been for six
inches of snow … didn't happen (from that storm.)
About an hour
north of Kansas City I get the news. The KC fuel pump is down, everyone will
need to go out of route 50 miles and fuel in Topeka. I've never been there
before so I call a few times to ask directions. Kansas City, reason #2 for
leaving early. Leaving at 8-9 AM gets us into KC at rush hour, but today isn't
bad. Still road construction on I-35 just north of the I-70.
By the
time I'm west of KC it's getting dark, then is dark. The guy who gave me
directions doesn't know the exit number, only the street name. I have to call
back to find out if it's an exit from the toll road or after I exit the toll
road. It's about 2 miles on I-70 after I exit the toll road.
I find
the place on the first try, but another driver is still there, the #2 driver.
He's been there 'for hours' and is still fueling. He uses my phone to call the
driver I passed and tells him to go directly to a motel. I still plan on trying
to fuel, I told the 1st driver (the one I'm going to bunk with) not to stay in
Topeka, but keep going to Emporia so now I need to be able to make it.
The driver ahead of me finally shuts the fuel off at 1,800#. I'm not sure
that's enough so I call driver #1 who says he was able to get 2,000#. Pump says
we should be able to get 3,000#.
We use anywhere from 300 to 500# for
each hundred miles. I've been using 300# so the 1,800# I put in is going to be
just under the 'safe' range of 1,000# for the 300 miles I need to go. Anything
under a thousand and the engine doesn't run as well. It takes me over an hour
to get the 1,800# and it looks like it would take another hour for each 100#
which would put me over my hours.
A couple of other people come in to
fuel their pickups. One gives up completely, the other gets the minimum they
need before leaving. One of them tells me that ATT just bought a fleet of
natural gas trucks so we'll be competing with them. I heard the same story in
Kansas City. HOPEFULLY with more people using natural gas the pumps will be
kept up better.
Partly because we had nothing else to do, partly
because we like to TRY and plan ahead, I called the #5 driver who no one had
talked to yet today.
ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!
The boss decided he
was the (only???) best driver to do a five hour errand for him before leaving
town. WHAT? The five of us are supposed to be running together and one is doing
errands so the others of us will have to wait for him? … without pay of
course.
Instead of being a half hour behind us as planned, he is five
hours behind us and needs to shut down because … well that's another
story. One I don't agree with, but it's not my call. IF we have to wait for him
this will add an extra day to our trip and bump us from heading back out over
the weekend. I had turned down one trip leaving Sunday and opted out of a
second even if it didn't have to leave until Sunday. Both were going west but
not long enough trips to make enough money for me.
As I'm watching the
pump add the last few fractions of a gallon before I shut it off, the driver
that went to the motel shows up. He's had his dinner and thought I'd be gone by
now … so did I.
I've got 50+ miles to go to my motel and I get
there with about a minute to spare. By now it's 9 PM and Bruffs is done serving
food so it'll be Burger King tonight, first fast food on a trip in a while. By
the time I get to the room the other driver already has the lights out. He's
been here for two hours and will be back up and on the road in eight hours from
now. He had told me which room he was in but when I knock and no one answers I
second guess my hand writing and then call him. "It's open." He'd left the door
ajar so I wouldn't have to wake him but I hadn't tried it, just knocked.
Email check will have to wait until the AM.
11/30/10 -
Tuesday
5 AM - Ugh. The other driver is up, the down side of bunking
with someone.
I've got two more hours so I try to go back to sleep,
staying up late is easy. Getting up before I need to go is not so easy. No
internet for this location, free or fee. I try to tap into the Guest House next
door but the signal isn't strong enough, oh well, the world will keep turning.
>>>>>>>> TRIP ADVISOR - Motel 6, Emporia, KS
<<<<<<<<<<<<<
This was the
Motel 6 in Emporia, KS. It's the first write-up I do for 'Trip Advisors.'
http://www.tripadvisor.com
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g38694-d244088-r88799775-Motel_6_Emporia-Emporia_Kansas.html#UR88799775
1st review for Trip Advisor. The other person checked in for us, so no
comment on the front desk. Two issues with the room. The metal supports in the
ceiling in the bathroom were rusty, don't ever remember seeing that before
(Wish I would have taken a picture) On my bed I could feel the springs as I ran
my hand across the bed, but still somehow slept OK. Big plus for this location
is being able to walk across the parking lot to Bruff's Bar & Grill. But
this time I got into town too late. I've stayed at this location before and
will likely too again, better value than the (now) Guest House next door.
* My ratings for this hotel
o 4 of 5 stars Value
o 3 of 5
stars Rooms
o 4 of 5 stars Location
o 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
o 3
of 5 stars Service
o 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
* Date of stay
December 2010
* Visit was for Business
* Traveled with With
Colleagues
* Member since November 28, 2010
* Would you recommend this
hotel to a friend? Yes
>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
7 AM - by now it is light out. Not sure the issue, but this unit
doesn't always want to start. Sometimes the starter has no response, then it
goes.
Back on the KS toll road, I've got about two and a half hours
until my first fuel stop in Oklahoma City. When I pull into the stop I see two
red cones in front of the pumps, but not sure why. No notes. I try one of the
pumps five times and get almost nothing each time … guess that's why the
red cones. I try a different pump and it works fine. But by then it was another
15 minutes wasted.
I check in with the other drivers, the two that
stayed in Topeka have almost caught up to me, the other driver is still almost
two hours ahead of me. He likes to go where he's been so he opts out of the
suggested pump in Garland, TX and goes out of route to Fort Worth instead so I
should gain a bit of time on him also.
Somewhere in the south, OK or
TX, I see trucks moving two of the big windmill blades at once. Not sure if
they are a different size or …
Traffic is never 'good' in Dallas,
today is no exception. Again another reason to have gotten going earlier, its
now the start of rush hour and will be in the heart of it by the time I'm
leaving. That's going to make it a little hard to get to Shreveport yet
tonight. I-35E north of Dallas is not a 'state of the art' road. The road is
two lanes wide, that's it. No shoulder on either side, but that doesn't slow
the traffic down.
Traffic isn't toooo bad until I get to I-635 where
it pretty much stops, this is about three in the afternoon. Stop and go for the
next 10 plus miles, those 'do not cross double white line' signs for the HOV
lane must just be 'make work' for the sign companies because they don't seem to
mean anything. Neither do the little flexible posts they have down the double
white line, they are made to bend over when driven over. Oh, and the 'two plus
people' per car? More 'make work' for the sign companies. One time I counted
five cars with only one person in it before seeing a car with more than one,
didn't think of counting if that was the same ratio as the rest of traffic or
not.
At some point you get used to just moving into the next lane when
you have to, regardless if there are cars there. Blinkers don't seem to mean
much either, might be why they aren't used much. I have to move over five lanes
when I see my exit coming up, once I do I see that that lane isn't moving,
much.
Finally off the freeway and about 10 city blocks and I'm at my
last fuel stop. I've looked online so I have a general idea of what the area
looks like from the air. Yahoo 360 hasn't done that side street, but I can see
the fuel canopy from a highway they have done.
The first 500# fills
fast and then almost stops. By now it's almost quitting time for dispatch so I
call and ask how much fuel we need at delivery. 2,000# and that is still 200
miles away. Not sure why I didn't think of it right away, new pump location for
me I guess. I finally switch pumps and the 2nd one keeps pumping up to 3,000#,
the stated capacity of the pump. I shut the pump off when gets there.
By now the guys behind me are only a few minutes away … so they think. A
few miles, yes, minutes, no.
Like last night, I've cut my hours too
close, but someone elses bad luck is my good luck. When I get to the freeway
first I see the back up, then the accident and then open road. Right at my
entrance, someone tried to cut from the main lanes to the HOV and didn't make
it (un-harmed). Their spare tire is laying in my lane, but once past that I
have the road to myself. Wow, looks like I'm back on schedule. Traffic is clear
to US-80 then no real backup until we get to where someone lost a couple of
chairs, and then open road again. The other drivers were stuck on the backside
of the accident and finally got off and took the back roads to the fuel.
I'm reminded how old I am again tonight, I call my oldest son and wish
him a happy 30th birthday (And tell him I've found a toy truck with his
companies logo on it online for him).
It's dark by the time I get to
I-20 and I've got about an hour left when I get to Shreveport. Hopefully enough
time to wash and scale, don't need to do it tonight but want to. No line at the
wash, no line at the scale, but it still all takes time and I by the time I'm
done with those two items, I don't have enough time to order a sandwich at the
Iron Skillet so I have to grab something off the shelf. Had to wait three times
in line at the fuel desk and it took a while, one guy wouldn't accept that the
truck stop wasn't going to cash a $1,000 check. I think English was his first
language but that didn't make him any easier to understand. Sandwich was a
chicken with cheese, not much better than the Whopper I had last night, not the
best trip for food. Haven't eaten during the day yet this trip.
I pull
into the motel lot with one minute to spare on my 14 hours. The other driver is
a little spooked, he had taken a wrong turn out of the truckstop, not sure how
far he got before realizing his mistake, but doing something like that makes
one second guess if we are losing it.
I had found this Days Inn on
line, price looked right and I could tell by the aerial maps that they had
plenty of truck parking. (Oh, I had called ahead to the other driver, who had
already checked in, and found there was no food close by which is why I picked
something up at the truckstop). I did see a Motel 6 by the truckstop but don't
know if they had truck parking.
He did the check in and out so I
didn't talk to the front desk but the room was much nicer than the Motel 6,
nicer bed. Big issue was it never got warm, we had the heat set at 80 but do to
a large crack around the door it couldn't keep up. Made use of the free
internet but only briefly, the other driver has been here for an hour plus so
he's ready for lights out. Down side of rooming with someone you aren't on the
same timetable with.
>>>> TRIP ADVISOR - Days Inn,
Shreveport, LA <<<<<<<< 2nd review for Trip Advisor.
Again I did not check in (the other person did) so I have no comment on the
front desk.
Place was definitely nicer than last night's Motel 6,
comfy bed, more pillows, more room. I was surprised that as a room for two with
two beds that it only had one bottle of shampoo and the usual two bars of soap,
nothing more. The other guy did go down to check out their breakfast and said
it 'wasn't much.' One up and down side was that it was close to the airport,
less than a mile I think. The down side is that you get the plane noise.
The other downside of our room was the attached picture, with the temp
set at 80, it still never got warm in the room. I didn't get there until after
dark and didn't realize how wide a gap there was between the door and the
casing until I noticed the cars in the morning. This is with the door shut and
dead bolted.
>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<
12/1/10 - Wednesday
7 AM - I'm surprised that all four
(not five, we've lost the other guy) drivers agree not pickup our trucks until
the next morning. We do have hours where we could pickup yet tonight and get
about an hour down the road …
In the early AM, before it's time
to go is when I notice the gap by the door and can see the cars through the
crack in the motel door so I take a picture, should have done that the night
before at the '6' to show the rust.
Because we aren't going to be
turning in our rental car until after 8 AM tomorrow, we can't pick it up until
after 8 today. Rentals run on a 24 hour basis. And that works out OK as I get a
call from the other two drivers that they are now in town at the wash. Plan is
for me to use my unit and take the other driver to the airport and then drop
mine at the customer, come back and pick his unit up. That way we aren't
putting any extra miles on the customer's vehicle.
I thought the map I
had looked at showed that we are right by the airport but neither one of us saw
any signs. I head to where I think the airport is and it's there, no signs
until the one on the property. Then the always fun part, how close can you get
with a 40 foot rig? I take it slow, I don't see any signs for departures, so I
follow the rental car signs. Then I see a bus in front of the airport so I know
I'll be OK, I pull right up to the front door, the other driver hops out and
I'm on my way. Airport security doesn't like anyone sitting especially not big
rigs.
On the way out I see that both Avis and Hertz have their cars
'off site,' but today we have National so the main airport it was. I had looked
online and saw that our drop is only a couple of blocks from the downtown
airport but that one doesn't rental cars, seems to be just for private planes.
Not a big deal, our motel was less than a mile from the airport and our drop is
about 10 miles from the motel.
Again I've looked online at the aerial
maps so I have a good idea where I'm going, but didn't ask when I called ahead
how to get in. By the time I see the name on the building I can't make the
turn, I would have had to turn for the left lane and it would still be tight. I
make it partway in before realize I won't make it. As I'm backing out I see
someone waving at me to not come in this way, it's the guy who will sign for
these units.
He's glad to see us, he hops in and directs me around to
the back entrance. Much easier, need to get the paperwork changed. I do call
the next two drivers to let them know, but forget about driver five, hope he
made it OK. Once parked there is a dozen people looking at the unit that is
when I should have taken a picture. Some places are really glad to see new
stuff and for others it's no big deal. This is this locations first natural gas
units so they have a learning curve. They have also ID'ed six routes that they
cannot use these units on because of their height and the trees on the city
streets.
I had hoped that the company rep would be there so I'd feel
more comfortable leaving before the unit was signed for. But after talking to
the guys for a few minutes I don't see an issue and we ask if it's OK for us to
leave. It is. By now we have been there most of an hour.
As we are
heading back to the motel we meet the other two drivers, so there is only about
10 minutes when there isn't any of us on the property. Back at the motel it
only takes a few minutes and we are rolling again. Back at the property there
are still a dozen people looking at all the units. It sounds like the other
drivers were answering a few questions. After spending some more time chatting
with those that were less interested in the mechanics of the units, we finally
ask if we can get someone to sign off. We've now been there for over two hours.
Before we leave, the customer asks again about the fifth driver, I try to dodge
the question but finally admit that he likely won't be delivering today, he was
still 300 miles out and needed to fuel, wash and scale in under six hours to
make it, ain't going to happen. (we got the OK to leave him behind.)
They locate the guy who signs the checks, he signs off and directs us to where
we can make copies and send our faxes to dispatch. Finally the fun part, 550
miles in a car with three other drivers. Lots time to tell tales and swap lies.
I call our next pickup and let them know we will not be there tonight,
the paperwork says they are open 8 AM, which is why we got the car when we did.
The guy first wants to meet us at 8:30 but I tell him we need to have our car
back by then so he says he'll change his plans and meet us at 8, guess I should
have called before picking up the car. But the earlier we can leave the better.
The driver who picked up the car drives the first 200, I drive the
next 200 and someone else takes over after that. The fourth driver gets by with
no driving, no problem. The guy who gets the last shift gets it after dark, not
sure he should have. He didn't seem comfortable which made me not comfortable.
I try to start my write-up but only get as far as noted above before the
battery goes dead.
Shortly after noon we stop and eat, someone asks
where and another driver says "Subway" right away. They aren't too hard to find
and we stop. I try their steak and cheese, pretty good. I don't like to drink
anything from a machine so I walk to the store part of the gas station and look
for some juice. All I see is glass bottles, I usually don't like those but the
flavor is right. Blueberry something. So I grab a bottle, sort of and CRASH. I
drop it, Ahhh that's the reason I don't like glass bottles. I still take
another one but HOLD ON TIGHT.
Good bunch of drivers, get the wrong
group together and it can make for a very long day. Some of the drivers I get
along the best with I would not want to be in a car with them driving.
I had found a Days Inn online close to the airport and pickup in Huntsville,
AL, but the price wasn't that good. We do stop once in AL and pickup a coupon
book, nothing great in there either so one of the drivers calls. Days Inn is
$52 and the Motel 6 is $37, we go for the '6.'
The other driver has
paid twice for motels so it's my turn to pay. Another clerk that actually
greets everyone as they come in, even if they are already helping a customer.
And has them start filling out their info ahead of time, but like the last I
time I saw customer service this good at a Motel 6 … they forgot to give
me my 'internet card.' At some of the Motel 6's, you need to pay for internet
service. You pay <> $3 and they give you a scratch off card that is good
for 24 hours.
My maping software says there is a Waffle House and a
Schlotzsky's next door, and they are still there but across the street we see a
'China Buffet.' One of the drivers want's Schlotzsky's but as much as I like
them I want 'real' food, that makes three so all four go to the Buffet. Big
spread, lots of fish, crab legs, oysters. $12 with a drink.
>>>>>>>> TRIP ADVISOR - Motel 6, Huntsville, AL
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
3rd review for Trip Advisor. This time I am the one to check
in and pay the bill (I'm traveling with someone else). We and everyone who
comes in behind us is greeted as soon as we walk in the door and the clerk has
people start to fill out their info before he can wait on them to keep things
moving. Kind of rare these days.
Room was large for a Motel 6, there
looked like there was room between the one bed and the window for a table and
chairs, so not just the cramped three feet between the beds like some Motel
6's.
The bathroom actually had a fan, which may be the reason I
couldn't find any rust in the bathroom. The shower/tub was also one piece
including the ceiling so no soggy walls.
The beds were still the usual
Motel 6, not much padding between you and the springs. And like last night,
being next to the airport means you get airport noise. Small airport so not
much noise, but some. Internet is available, but at a cost. Today I was without
a truck or this location wouldn't have been an option. I didn't see any
truck/RV parking.
China Buffet across the street is good food and lots
of it.
>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
12/2/10 - Thursday
6 AM - This trip I've given myself 45
minutes in the AM instead of the old 30 minutes to get ready for the day. Don't
want anyone waiting for me. Actually today is the only day anyone would be
waiting as it's the only day we only have one car.
I had looked online
for a place to fuel the car before returning it and found one next to our
pickup, but when we get there it's gone so we'll have to fuel by the airport.
We get to our pickup a little before 8 and the first thing I see is the 'For
Sale' sign. This place is empty, no wonder the guy 'had to change his plans' to
be here at 8, our paperwork gave the hours they used to be open.
8 AM
and the guy is there, lets us in, the trucks are inside the building, and
that's about it. All the offices are empty, the warehouse is empty except for
the rack. Then I notice a few things behind one of the trucks, that will have
to be moved. That's when I notice there is freight on my truck (and the
others). I tell the customer that we can't haul freight and he calls his end
and I call dispatch. Seems that after I had the customer unload their freight
last time that things have changed. So the new 'rules' are that we can move
freight as long as the freight is on the truck when we pick it up and is on the
truck when we deliver the truck. So we can't pick or drop anything in route. In
the two cases I've been involved with it has been 'inter-company' moves, so I
don't know if it will be the same if the truck is going to a customer. I know
we've had issues even hauling parts from the pickup to the drop because they
were not 'spare parts' for the truck being moved.
With that cleared up
we get the trucks outdoors, inspected and signed off. We add "includes load of
office furniture and supplies" to the Bill of Lading that we have signed.
Two drivers are good to go. We, me and my rooming buddy, need to get
the car back to the airport. We are already past 8:30 because of the phone
calls about the freight on the trucks. This is a bigger airport and I stay away
from the rental area and the driver has to walk a little ways. Our pickup is
about 10 miles from the airport so it takes us less than an hour to fuel and
make the round trip. Trucks are used, a 98, 01 and two 03's. Mine has a puddle
under it but all the fluids check OK, this guy doesn't know what it is, just
says "It just came back from the shop yesterday." Plates are expired, but we
are still within the '15 day' grace period, and we run on our own plates so
that's not an issue.
I had looked at a map a few days ago on how to
get out of this town, but once you get into the cities they don't always show
the highway numbers, just the street names. So traveling back from the airport
I'm looking for highway AL-53, I know that these other road will cross it at
some point as it runs at an angle. Then I see it, finally. It's the road by our
pickup, this is the third time I've been on this road today but the other times
I wasn't looking for the highway number. That makes it easier.
I have
enough fuel to get to the interstate and the other driver has a lot more. I
don't want to fuel where the other drivers did, it only had one pump and was a
busy place, too many cars, looking for an accident. AL-53 takes us from city
streets to a two lane highway but likely cuts off 15+ miles vs going the
Interstate. Not even a 'welcome sign' when we get to TN, so not sure if we are
welcome … wait, we'll meet the 'welcoming committee' later. I just notice
the cross highways have changed shapes. Then finally a sign, 'I-65' ahead.
Once on the freeway I see a sign for a Pilot about 20 miles ahead,
works for me. We fuel, the other driver must not have inspected his truck too
well, he doesn't realize there are two fuel tanks until I ask him why he's only
filling one. Pilot now seems to be my truckstop of choice, they no longer want
to keep your credit card or license. But we do have to go in and get approval
for a higher dollar amount than we are going to purchase and then go back in
for the receipts.
The other driver is ready to eat already so I head
to the Subway back across the highway. As we are eating we get a call that one
of the drivers ahead of us has been stopped by the DOT and is getting a 'level
1' inspection. That means logs and truck. The driver I'm with is nervous and
1st looks at a map to see how to get around it, as his truck has issues that
might not pass. We can't find the scale on the map so we 'assume' it was a
random, not at a scale. The driver had to go before we could ask and hasn't
answered his phone since. But we both double check our logs before rolling.
We head back out and about 20 miles down the road we find it, it's not
a scale. It's a roadside inspection area. This must be the TN 'welcoming
committee.' It's just a paved area, no scale, no building. Just a guy standing
military style waiting for each truck. When I get about 10 feet from him he
motions slightly that I'm cleared to go. Trained well in intimidation.
When I finally hear back from the other driver he is still a half hour ahead of
us, that's the only message he leaves so I don't hear the inspection details
until later. Closing in on Nashville I decide to tune the radio to WSM, home of
the Grand Ol' Opry.
http://www.wsmonline.com
Haven't thought about it
before but it looks like you can listen to the Grand Ol' Opry online, if I
remember I'll try that tonight. I listen as long as the signal holds and then I
shut it off. The controls on the radio don't want to work and I don't feel like
messing with it.
Three plus hours from our fuel stop and we have
cleared AL, TN and KY and are now in IL. Metropolis, IL, home of Superman. We
stop at a rest area, I try to stop every 2-3 hours when traveling with someone,
I seem to be more concerned with their health than mine. I had hoped that this
was the ½ way point on the fuel but lately the top half of the tank
seems to have the top ¾ of the fuel and we stop for fuel in less than
two hours.
We have been on I-24 since Nashville but that ends a few
miles into IL and as soon as we are on I-57 we meet the 'IL welcoming
committee.' Because of the angle, I don't see to count the squads at our scale,
but there is one in the median and nine squad cars at the scale across the
highway, plus a few personal or unmarked ones. Out in full force today. We
clear.
I had hoped to make it to Effingham but that's another hour and
my fuel gauge is dropping fast so I pull off at the Pilot in Mt Vernon. What a
zoo. There is a Hucks, TA and Pilot all on the west side of they highway
http://www.martinandbayley.com/
Looks like Hucks has locations in five
states, not sure if they are all truckstops or not. I've never been in one
… yet.
The other driver doesn't need fuel yet so is waiting on
me. My steering has been getting louder so I check while I'm stopped. Yep,
that's where the leak was. I pour in two cartons of power steering fluid and
save the third one. The other driver asks if I want to stop and eat (again -
already). I usually don't eat until I'm off the clock but I didn't sleep well
last night because of eating so late so I'm game. But it's only 4 pm and still
light so I suggest that we at least drive until dark, the more daylight hours
driving the better.
An hour gets us to the Flying J in Effingham and
what is now a Denny's. Lots of choices, Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon, Iron
Skillet, Cracker Barrel, TA, Ruby Tuesday, Ryan's Buffet. Yep, that's what we
need, another buffet. I decide to go the safe route and we go to the Denny's at
the Flying J. Plenty of parking, at least I thought so. Some guy tried to fit
in a spot close to the building and didn't take his turn right. He couldn't go
forward or back ??, was there the whole time we went around the lot and walked
in. There was a driver in one of the trucks he was stuck between but that drive
wasn't about to move. I think this was the first time I had seen handicapped
spots in a truck parking lot. Two of them, closest to the building of course.
I order the Prime Rib Philly Melt with a sub of soup for the fries. I
was expecting a cup and I get a bowl. That alone would have been enough, I
tried to eat the whole sandwich but I couldn't, could have just as well gone to
a buffet, I wouldn't have been any fuller. Waitress complains that I didn't eat
all my food. I ask, this Dennys has been open for about a month and a half and
is doing 'OK.' Based on the vacant space it isn't quite as big as the prior
restaurant. Another hour behind us.
Should only have 150 miles to go,
2-1/2 hours. Barely back on the road and one of the other two drivers call
wondering where we are and why we are so far behind. Doesn't sound happy that
that hour will delay us getting to our drop. By now we know that a storm is
closing in, so we debate if we should push past the Motel 6 in Minok but no one
has stayed anywhere else in the area and we don't have enough drive hours to
get all the way to Rockford. One good thing about these trucks is they go 70
mph … in AL, TN and KY. Now it will be 65 mph the rest of the way …
and my cruise works so I've set it right on the line. No pushing the limits.
It's been years since I was down in this area but I remember the
freeways without looking at a map. IL does not have as many highways signs as
some. We are quite a ways on I-74 before there are any signs for
Bloomington-Normal. Looks like my fuel will hold until I get to the motel and
can fuel in the AM.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> TRIP
ADVISOR - Motel 6, Minonk, IL
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
4th review for Trip Advisor. I had also stayed at this motel in
November, so yes I have, and will return. Checked in and out without an issue,
I never make reservations anywhere so not sure how they are for that. It is the
typical Motel 6 room with two beds and about three feet between the beds. The
place is clean and is one of those that has the bathtub at an angle in the
corner of the bathroom. But like a lot of motels, it doesn't have a fan in the
bathroom so there is some rust. Bed is good, didn't notice the springs on this
one. Free Wi-Fi, a rare perk for a Motel 6, Truck parking is on the grass, I
almost got stuck last time so both times I've parked on the street. The family
restaurant is our usual place to eat, did last time, this time I was running
late and ate before I got there.
>>>>>>>>>>>>.<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
12/2/10 - Friday
6 AM - We started watching the weather
yesterday, it looks like we shouldn't hit it until we are back in our hometown.
Very slow moving storms so starting any earlier today wouldn't have helped.
Found out last night that the driver who got stopped in TN got stopped
AGAIN in IL and this time cited for not logging his DOT stop in TN … and
for running with two plates. Those expired plates are still on the trucks. I've
moved dozens of trucks, maybe 100+ with the customer's plates on them and never
had an issue. Guess that still doesn't make it legal. So we all pull the old
plates off before we leave.
When I get to my truck I notice not one,
but two big leaks. The one is the power steering but it is still in the 'safe'
area, not sure what the other one is, can't see through the plastic coolant
tank anymore but I buy some coolant just in case. Then the truck goes …
click, click, click when I try to start it. Twice. Then I put it in gear so it
won't start, then try it gain … Vrooom. Whew. There is a reason I never
shut off a truck once I start it, it runs all day.
The other two
drivers don't need fuel so they are ready to roll at 7 am, they've been here
for over 10 hours so they could have left earlier but we all need to meet up at
the drop tonight. The guy who seemed a little miffed last night that we had
stopped to eat didn't want to leave until 8 AM. So not sure what the big deal
was. I suggest 7 as that's when I'm legal and that there is still a storm
coming in.
420 miles to go, 65 mph. Three more scales to cross, we get
the 'closed' sign at the WI/IL border even though there are trucks still
crossing the scale. At the next two we have to exit but get the bypass lane on
both. Decide to only stop once for fuel so push it to where I know I can make
it the rest of the way and still be over a ¼ on fuel. That puts us at
the Kwik Trip in Mauston, WI. I see one of the other drivers with his truck by
the front door and find out later that the other driver is across the highway
at the Pilot.
I know the other driver I'm with likes the Kwik Trip
food so that's why I choose here instead of going for my points at the Pilot. I
do get points at Kwik Trip too and I don't remember ever redeeming any of them.
Which reminds me, I've been trying for a month to get a perks card from
Wyndham, (Days Inn, Super 8) and no reply to any emails and I'm still staying
at the places.
We get into town about 2:30, no issues for any of us,
we are all within about 15 minutes of each other. Less than 20 miles from our
drop it starts to snow, by the time our shuttle driver gets there the roads are
a parking lot. Interesting place we drop at, a liquor warehouse. The warehouse
is a ¼ mile long, skids are stacked 6 (?) high. Just a few dollars worth
of inventory. We had to walk the length to get from where they wanted the
trucks to where the office was.
Unlike our last drop where we had a
dozen people swarming the units, here the only reason the guy looks out the
door is to see why we are taking so long to park. Doesn't look at the trucks or
to see if the padlocks are still on, just signs and we are free to go.
Back at the lot the cars are covered with snow and my locks have frozen shut
again, two of them. I do have a can of de-icer in my trunk just in case, but I
think I need to put on in by my fuel cap just in case everything freezes up. I
end up spending more time scraping the insides of my windows than I do the
outside.
Over the last few days I turned down trips to Spokane and
Billings, good thing based on the weather foreecast. And took a trip for CA,
first leaving out Monday and then Tuesday. First I told them I was NA to pick
the unit up on Monday because of hours but re-did the math in my head and
decided I could. Good thing as they called back and said if I couldn't get it
on Monday I couldn't leave on Tuesday, they couldn't find anyone else. So now
I'm on another six day run (first night will be at home).
Because I'll
be heading right back out, I decide I'd better do my paperwork at the office
yet tonight, and because my car doesn't like to start I leave it run, about an
hour. I come back out and there is another two inches of snow on it. Huh? I had
the heater going … but it's cold air. So I add the coolant that I never
used (nor billed the customer for) in the truck and soon I've got heat. Still
not enough to keep the windows clear but finally I'm home again … the last
30 miles being the worse of the trip. |
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