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...My Life as 'Drive away' driver
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1 - New Bus 20180423 - CA-CO Good news, Bad news. Jumping ahead, good news, I got a bus, bad news, it didn't pass my inspection so we are still sitting in Livermore. We decided not to go to any National Parks, but instead went to a few cemeteries. I had good luck, finding all but one grave for the day. Most are very well marked and helpful people at the desk. I need to look before I go to had any married names and also don't have them look up both husband and wife. This is when we went back to Brookfield for lunch, another good meal. Next we headed down CA-99 to a Lodi cemetery. This is the place where they couldn't find the person I was looking for on their computer and called to have someone meet me before I could look up any more info. Someone gave me a ride around looking for the three names I did have but that seemed to be too much help from them for one day so we moved on. Sacramento was the next and last cemetery. Not sure what we will do next time we are in town :) This is the worst kept cemetery we have seen. First person buried here about 1860, thousands of graves. The person looking up the info looked it up in a book. The interior of the building looked like it hadn't changed since 1900. We first noticed that the area around some graves looked dug up. Then realized that the grounds keeper had only been mowing between the rows, not between in the graves nor what the riding mower couldn't get. If the tall markers were too close together the weeds and grass was left un-cut. Got back to Livermore at 5 PM, called and he had a bus. Grand Jct CNG. He was glad to hear I had driven them before. Two other drivers were already picking up two other buses going to the same place. Both BB and I walked around it, but we didn't catch that one signal was not working until we checked the blinkers. The left front one was not working. Later we noticed that the side marker wasn't blinking either. Someone came out and looked at it but couldn't find the issue so we had to leave it. :( Drove about 10 miles out of route to eat at a Black Bear Diner. Great food, couldn't eat it all. Actually took some with me to the motel, hope I remember to eat it tomorrow. Down to 77 RV's out of IA. We should deliver on Thursday AM if we get going tomorrow AM. Rental cars are well under $100 (but not the $15 they are in Phoenix.) out of Grand Junction. If they had been too much we had looked at getting one out of Las Vegas. This will cut two days off of our car rental. If we hadn't waited four days for the run it would have been a good paying run. I don't think we will wait over the weekend again for work, but we didn't want to head back to MN. Things changed over the weekend so we will be staying home when we get home this weekend. No long trip until after the first of the May. 20180424 - CA-CO 55 We were up before 6 AM, finally at 6:30 BB suggested that we go eat so we are ready when/if the bus company calls. That is when I looked at the phone and saw that they had already texted me to say the bus is ready. By the time we showered, ate, go going and there it was 8 AM. Still took 45 minutes to get checked out even though we had done the same thing yesterday. Took a minute to talk to another driver going to NC. Called the boss to let him know I was rolling. Got to the rental car place and someone had their tow truck parked cross ways in the parking lot so I just sat there waiting. The finally moved the truck long enough for me to get past. He wasn't getting out of his truck so I'm guessing he was waiting the owner of the car to arrive before he loaded. BB thought she was being helpful and was waiting at the bus stop on a side street (where I couldn't see her) A little cafe we had eaten at in Welsey a few months ago now has graffiti roof to sidewalk, not sure how long it has been closed. It's just a few feet from the road at a very busy intersection. We could smell flowers a few times today. Sometimes almost like a person wearing too much perfume. In some places the hills are already brown, spring has come and gone. Also noticed 100's of acres of dead trees. I'm guessing they lost their water rights and let the crop go. Also saw a dead cow in the median, not sure if it was just hit or just being picked up. Looked like they were going to try to move it with a tow truck. :) Someplace today I noticed a semi coming over on me but I first though his lane was just getting to narrow with the road construction. By the time I realized he kept coming over he only missed my mirror by inches. No reason for him to come into my lane. The next truck ahead of him was a block or two ahead of him. First stop was a rest area in Firebaugh. The two of us finished the 2nd half of my sandwich from last night. It was still good. Lost Hills is where we stopped for lunch, Arbey's had gyro's. Called for my NV permit, thought I was all ready until I had them on the phone. I had where I was exiting wrong, she had my name wrong, I guessed the time wrong. Next stop was Tehachapi at Flying J for a quick break. Then a CNG station in Bastow for fuel. No receipt so hope that is OK. Still no word from dispatch as to where the last fuel stop should be. They don't want them delivered on full. Barstow is only a 400 mile day so we keep going, but that is going to make it a 550 mile day. 14 hours, 11 driving, right to the legal max. We stop in Baker for food. Only a couple of places listed on the blue highway sign but this town has just about every fast food other than McD's. We finally stopped at Jack's because it had a big lot. Half hour and we were back on the road, two long hours ahead of us. It is getting dark. LV traffic was mostly not bad until someone's car stopped in the center lane. Then with road construction and temp signs, I didn't see that the 2 right lanes exited until it was too late. So we did a quick in and out of downtown with a bus and back on the freeway. Comfort Inn is tonight. Nice big lot. Wasn't sure so I had parked on the street. Nice thing about this bus is I was able to make a U-turn on the side street without backing up. :) Load board is back up to 130, Indiana is back up over 20. Don't think I mentioned yesterday going through Stockton we saw homeless camps, 10-20 in a group. Under bridges, next to the railroad, little corners. 20180425 - CA-CO Ring ... Shortly before 6 AM local my cell phone rings, it's a number I have programed but I thought it was a dispatcher. Nope, it was they guy I have been helping farm. He said last year that it was his last year. Guess not. Timing might work out, sort of. We'd like to stay close to home for the next few weeks ... but shortly after this call we got an email 'begging' for drivers who can go to Canada. They have 125 units that require passports. Within a couple of hours the total RV's out of IA was up around 200. Another month end dump. First stop was at the POE in AZ. ALL dispatchers have been forcing us to put our plates on the rear of what we are moving. I ran 15+ years with it in the front window and it was never an issue, but now they must be mounted on the rear. SO ... when I go in to get my permit, they are complaining that they couldn't see my plate because it was not in the front window ... and one of them walked out to make sure it was mounted on the rear. While I was stopped I called the wash, good there. Called the drop, only got machines. Called dispatch, never did call me back. I finally called him again from the next stop. Stopped in Beaver for lunch at Wendy's. Got one large chili, don't need a large. One small is enough. No I am past all but the last CNG stop in UT, but that last one is where dispatch says I should stop. And now I have stopped there and never left. The pump had been down, but was up and running when I pulled in. One truck ahead of me, he moved his truck (mistake) and drove across the block to Arbey's. While he was gone, four cars/pickups came and fueled. Each one got about 5 gallon, but I wasn't going to fuel until the truck did. The truck only got 5 gallon and left. Over the course of the next FOUR HOURS we filled a total of five times and still are not full. I will try one last time in the AM before we leave. I did call dispatch and asked if I couldn't do a partial fuel in Grand Junction. Nope, it has to be in UT. Plan had been to be at the wash at 8 AM, that is what I told the guy when I called. Then we would pickup the car and then drop before noon. Now we are still in Richfield, four hours from the drop. We had thought we were going to be dropping early enough that we could make it home before dark Friday night. Not any more. This leg of the trip is turning into a 'paid vacation.' But will we remember to not stay over the weekend waiting for work? Weather is nice, sights are beautiful. 20180426 - CA-CO ... one more delay. Got going by 7 AM, first stop was back to the CNG pump to top it off. We could hear the CNG compressor running from our room. We got just about 3,000# pressure and that is all that station is set up for. 16 hours after we first got to the station. About two hours to Green River. BB had a rest area picked out but all I heard was 'Green River,' didn't hear that it was 15 miles before Green River. So we stopped at a Pilot (sort of) for break. Shortly after I was back on the road I got a call from the drop wondering if I was still going to make it this AM. I had to stop and call them back and say it would be this afternoon. Then I got a call from corp that just said call them. Got near the truck wash and took a detour through a church parking lot. Didn't see the round-about had five streets. We were three hours late to the wash, but all they asked is if I had talked to the boss. I had, yesterday. These guys wanted to do a good job, I had to tell them a few times 'Just clean enough for inspection.' Next stop was the airport, easy in and out. I got in the wrong lane a couple of times trying to find the drop but never made a wrong turn. Could see the other buses sitting there when I got near, someone stopped me and told me where to park and called the person who would check me in. Did have issues getting the bus started twice today, had to start it from the rear. So when I got to the drop I put it on high idle so it wouldn't stop. Inspector got there just when BB did. Very quick once over, they signed and I was gone. They currently only have one bus running in town. Plus one spare and one in the shop. We brought them three so that doubles there fleet. Now to the delay. When I was at the wash I called corp back and was told I would have to take a random drug test. I started drinking then. Thought I would be good. It was about two hours later when we got to the clinic and I still barely had enough for a legal sample. But now that is done too. First one for them. When I was in the office at the other company I had three 'random's' in four months. ??? Lunch today was Jimmy Johns because they are freaky fast and we wanted to get going. We decided not to to any work heading home so I didn't call. Airport didn't have the car we reserved so we got a small SUV. Mileage is not that good but it is comfy. Stopped at a No Name rest area near Glenwood Springs. Still lots of snow up around Vale. Chain laws are still in effect in CO starting at MM 131, but I dropped near exit 31 so no issue there. Other than a stall in the fast lane, no slow downs in Denver. We did stop at a Country Pride in Wheat Ridge for food, had the salad bar. Even when we don't have a truck we still are stopping at truck stops. Stick with what we know. Fort Morgan was as far as we got. about 14 hours to home, likely won't make it until Saturday AM. Looks like we will likely stay close to home for the next two weeks, either farming or doing very local work. Dispatch is calling drivers about the Canada runs, haven't called them back. Board is back up to 200 loads again today. No shortage of work. 20180427 - CA-CO Quiet. It's so quiet now that I am out of the bus. The protective plastic on the bus was howling in the wind for the last two days. I don't expect any long term hearing damage. We were greeted with a very strong odor was we walked out the door of the motel this AM. I remember it from every I have gone through this town. Just looked it up, there is a beet plant in town. Not much for excitement today. Roads are good, skies are clear. Only a few clouds for a short time otherwise not a cloud in the sky. Got to Ogallala with a range of about 20 miles left. Stopped for fuel at the Casey's as they likely have the cleanest restrooms in town. Another two hours down the road we stop at a Runza in Kearney. Runza, it is like a wrap and the meat is loose like a sloopy joe, but cooked with cabbage and onions. We've eaten at one a couple of times, but this might be the last. The food is not 'bad,' it's just not to our liking. Also and fries and a shake. Ho hum. First time in a long time that I haven't finished my fast food meal. Two more hours and we stopped at a DQ :) (much better than the Runza) I had my usual Oreo Blizzard and BB had her Hot Fudge Sunday. Traffic not bad for rush hour in Omaha. Two more hours and we were near Des Moines. The range goes to dashes under 20 miles. So we were likely down to about 10 by the time we got to the Pilot in Clive. Fuel is not cheap. $2.59. One last hour and we are in Ames IA for the night. First we stop at a Mexican place called El Azteca, same name as a place we eat in Omaha but it doesn't look like they are related. Food was good. Looks like an old Happy Chief building. People waiting by the time we left. Sleep Inn, another motel near $100. Four / five hours home from here. Over the last few days dispatch had been calling drivers about the high number of Canadian runs there were on the board. After close of business today, dispatched pulled <> 100 Canadian runs off the board and replaced them with 50 new, non-Canadian orders. Lots of work everywhere. I've seen our total USA board under 100 units. Right now it is between 400-500 and that does not include the special driver items like buses. Buses, we are NOT making a lot of money on this trip, but we also didn't work for three out of the last 13 days. Still coming home with money in the bank. Hope there is still a ton of work out there when we come back, new work. 20180428 - CA-CO Awake before the alarm. No stops before picking up our car in IA. Lot is mostly full but we can see 100's of RV's lined up in the park and various other places. Big change, we had to gun it to get out of our parking spots when we left and now the dirt lot is dry. Dropped the car at the airport, stopped and ate. Stopped and looked at a used car before coming home. Load board is down to 123, only 6 are over two weeks old. That is good. Plan now is to be off at least for two weeks maybe longer. Didn't get paid yet, but likely delayed because of down time. |
