 |
|
|
|
|
...My Life as 'Drive away' driver
|
GOT A TRIP to Indiana :) via I-40 more later Hung out at the motel until check out time. Then we headed down the road to the next exit to the Black Oak to eat. Good food, I did dare to try a chicken salad sandwich again but they suggested we double check before I start eating it. Good sandwich, but they didn't have croissants. BB had a BLT, really good bacon. We had planned on going to one of the zoo's. Oakland was $30+ and Sacramento was $16. As we are heading to the Sacramento zoo, we pass one of the cemeteries we have stopped at before. That got the conversation started, there are less people at the cemeteries ... so that is where we headed. Just before we get to the cemetery, we notice some glass bottles rolling across the street. Not sure, but they looked to be coming from someone who goes around picking up glass and plastic and turning them in for income. Not sure if he was able to get these again before they got crushed. Woodland Cemetery. Office open by appointment only due to budget cuts, but by looking online I could see what the grave marker looked like and it was easy to find. Then to get our walk in, we walked through the cemetery. No restrooms at the cemetery so we stopped at Walmart before leaving town. Computer had us going more miles, saying it was faster. I decided to go the shorter route and missed our exit because traffic in those lanes were backed up for miles before there were signs for the exit. It was still early in the day and we didn't have work so we were heading to a second cemetery. We find the second cemetery and I go in and ask for the location of the graves. Wrong cemetery ... so we sit in our car deciding if we want to head away from work, sit here or head closer to work. Finally realized we WERE at the correct cemetery. This is ELK Grove and I had asked for people buried in OAK Grove. So back in I go and give them the correct name ... as soon as I do I realize that is their maiden, by the time they are looking it up I have the married name and they are able to give me the location. Wow. Interesting mausoleum. Most of the area is small, <> 12 x 12, with pictures and personals along with their ashes, all behind glass. We didn't have any luck finding the people we were looking for. I called work and got a run. I can pick it up in 1 hour. We are an hour and a half away. We are going to Fort Wayne. It takes closer to two hours because of the traffic. It was taking those going the other direction longer. One place all three lanes were closed due to something. Fire trucks were there. Traffic backed up for miles. Took a bit to find my bus this time, boss is already gone. No number on the outside of my bus, no other buses like it so didn't know which one was mine until I saw my paperwork in the window. Talked to a few other drivers while we were looking. Got everything checked out, fluids, lights and then I noticed a problem with one of the gauges. Called the after hours bus number and they said leave it. Called my dispatch, they said leave it. But I decided I wanted a picture showing it wasn't working so I restarted the bus ... and the gauge worked. So the trip is back on. With all the delays, it takes a little over a half hour to do the inspection, still a lot shorter than the hour we take with the RV's. BB gets the car dropped, I pick her up and we are on our way ... to the I-580 parking lot. Lots of slow and go for the first 20 miles. After that traffic opens up and we head down to Santa Nella. Back to the Quality Inn. This time it only takes a couple of tries to back into where I like to park. We check in and head to eat. If we are sitting in Livermore when we get work, we grab something quick from the outlet center. Tonight we walk a few blocks to Andersons ... Split Pea Soup. On the way we pass a street vendor selling pillows. BB has their soup, plus salad. I order the Swedish Meatballs, but I want it on noodles. It comes on rice? After we were done, the server asked how it was on noodles ... I'm only the 2nd person he has had who ordered it that way. It was good. I ate half and took the other half to go. Interesting place, looks of 'stuff' and deserts to go. 190412 - CA-IN Problems all day, but made it as far as we planned. Two other buses were here when we got in last night, and still here when we leave in the AM. And we aren't too speedy either. I did go down and get an egg patty to go with my meatballs from last night. Didn't eat the noodles. Still a lot more food than I usually eat for breakfast. And before we go, I call to get my NM permit emailed to me. Early on the guy asks if it is another garbage truck. "No, it's a bus." After a few more questions he asks if this email is still correct "Dennis..." NO. Then I tell him that "I should have been ticked off, " I couldn't think of the word TIPPED off ... I should have been tipped off when he said garbage truck, I've never driven a garbage truck for this company. After we got that straighten out, all was OK. Because I had backed the bus in so nice, I was going to be able to swing around the corner and out. Or not. I pull up and then someone is coming, they wave for me to go but I'm not sure I can make it without backing up. So I wave for them to go, and they do ... until they realize if they go past me they will be on the street, they want the front desk. So they back up, I back up and let them past ... then I get to drive out, without backing up again. We aren't too far south when I notice that those green hills are not green anymore. At first only the south side of the hills have turned brown, but after more miles the whole hills are brown already ... and it's April, spring is over. First stop is at Avelon at a rest area. When we come back I notice something dripping near the rear of the bus. First thought is the AC. But, I pull ahead so I can look at the puddle. No smell, but doesn't quite feel like water. It is dripping enough that it is running from the puddle. I crawl under. We have a leak. No biggie, I have tools and tighten it and we are on our way. Just south of here we have to take a two lane highway to get from I-5 to US-99. This is about the only two lane for the whole trip. Right through the orchard fields. Right as we are turning on 99, the low coolant light comes on. Ahhhggg. The light is orange, not red, so I keep going. There is a Flying J three miles down. I go in and buy water and hose clamps. After a half hour non-planned stop, we are rolling. When I was in line for the register, the person behind me asked me for change. No. Then I heard them as the person behind them, No. They didn't have any items, just looking for money. Lots of that here, there and everywhere. We stop in Tehachapi at the Pilot to eat at PJ Fresh. Not as good as I remember but it's food and it's fast. I tighten down the clamps again and add more water. Before we get to Barstow the light is back on. So off to a truck stop with a shop. I call the bus company but on Friday's it's already after hours. So I have to call the after hours number. Have a shop fix it they say. I plan on that, but then realize all they will do is the same thing I have been doing, tighten and send me on my way. OR want to replace something that they don't have and I will be stuck here until next week. So instead I get a bigger wrench. Doesn't work as good as the small one. I buy more water as we are heading across the desert where there are only 2-3 service stations before then next town two hours away. No problems, we do 140 miles to the next town non-stop. In Needles we eat at the Wagon Wheel, we've eaten here before, good food and some truck parking. I had the french dip again and BB ordered a burrito. She was almost done with it before she questioned she had gotten the right food. In rare event, BB asked the server about it. After looking at the menu, BB had gotten the wrong food. It was still good. Earlier our server had came over to our table and just stood there, before asking if everything was OK. But we don't think she knew at the time there was an issue. Back at the bus we added more coolant. 15 miles down the road there is a scale ... but before we get there I had passed a truck. I pass lots of trucks. Within a few minutes that same truck passes me ... with his right blinker on, right tires in my lane, and then pulls in front of me with about three feet to spare. I'm only three feet from my front bumper so I'm pretty sure that is how close he was. Don't know it that is how he drives for if I had upset him. At the POE I go in and get my permit. I've done it enough I have all the right stuff when they ask for it. One hour to Kingman and the sun is just about to set. Opps, back when we were eating BB was going to make a reservation for tonight's hotel and noticed the prices had gone up. Later she realized the prices had not gone up. She made the reservation on her phone and our discount did not get picked up. So tonight we paid an extra $10 for our room. Lots of room in the larger truck parking area. Nice guy at the desk, I think he's been there every time we've stayed here. And almost every time he has to print my NM permit for me. 190413 - CA-IN Saturday the 13th, not Friday Breakfast is good, real eggs, real hash browns. Sausage is good too. As we are carrying our stuff out to the bus, the couple we talked to when we picked up the bus is getting ready to leave ... to go to the truckstop buffet for breakfast. They had lots of 'hints,' but we all get to do things our own way :) Couldn't see where it had leaked but we were able to add more water this AM. Fueled just down the street at the Flying J. BB got most of yesterdays bugs off the window. As we were ready to leave, some semi decided they wanted the 1st lane so they parked so they were blocking the entry, even though there were other lanes that were empty but no one could get past to get to them ... ??? 1st stop at the Loves in Williams, just the rest rooms and rolling. Snow on the ground but a clear day so far. But it is getting colder. Finally at some point I turn the heat on. 10 miles short of our lunch stop the light comes on again. We fill it and leave the heat off. The water level holds. Lunch is fast food today. There is truck parking next to the McDonalds in Holbrook so it's our go to spot. At the NM POE we get waved through. Jamestown NM is our next stop for the rest room. Water level is holding. Another panhandler. The Loves in ABQ is always full, an RV was just pulling out of a spot when we pulled in so we got that one. It was the only one open. We need to find a different stop if we don't need fuel, and even if we do need fuel. Water level is holding. Once the sun started going down it was getting cold. Finally with 30 miles left to go I turned on the heat. 20 minutes later the light is back on. Not much question of what the cause is, just don't know where the issue is, it is not leaking ... at least not where we can see it. It rained/snowed enough today that the windows finally got clean. Lots and lots of transporters today. 50 maybe. RV's, bucket trucks, trash trucks, mixers, stacks of chassis. Board is at -0- for the weekend. Not sure if there was anything on by the end of the day or they just wanted the weekend off. I had thought of calling the dispatcher who has buses in IN but because of the water issue I forgot. 580 miles today. It would have been 640 to get to a cheaper motel, thought about it but not only would it be a long day it would have meant driving an hour in the dark. Could be done, but doesn't need to. Tonight is the Comfort Inn in Santa Rosa. Had thought of walking to Annie's for food. That is where we ate last trip. But after BB looked at the online reviews we went to the Silver Moon instead. They were asking people to wait until tables could be cleared because they were so busy. Two blocks away at Annies there were only a couple of cars. From the reviews it looks like it HAD been a good place, so may good reviews that these last terrible ones haven't effected the over all rating. 190414 - CA-IN A few notes from recent days. The morning after we picked up this bus, IA put two return RV's coming from just south of where we dropped ours, right back to their lot in IA. If we hadn't gotten this bus, we might have gotten a round trip. At one of our stops at a truck stop, somehow BB got involved with a lady who said she had alzheimer's in the restroom. The lady wasn't sure about a few things in the big stall so BB explained what everything was and how to lock the door. We didn't stick around until she was done, she said she had family waiting outside the area. Today, Sunday morning. They are remodeling this motel so breakfast is in the hall and in a suite. (Our room Sunday night was bigger than the whole breakfast area.) Food was good, I had both eggs and yogurt again. Got going at 7:30 local. 1st stop is at the Flying J in Tucumcari. Lots of trucks. I had hoped it would be slow and I could come through the fuel island backwards. Nope. I guess I could have if I had backed into my lane, but I was afraid I would loose the spot if I spent the time and turned around. Only one person ahead of me and at least I can see that he is working on filling his truck. And then he pulls ahead, just far enough for me. Sometimes they don't/can't pull far enough ahead. My fuel tank is in the back of the bus so I need more room than most. They guy next to me is not so lucking. He is 2nd in line when we get there. No one is around the truck at the pump ahead of him, finally after I am done fueling the guy at the pump comes back out and starts washing his windows. Then he pulls ahead ... by the time I leave he is still setting there, blocking the guy behind him. Thought we might have an issue. As I was ready to leave, someone tried to get in a parking spot ahead of me, that didn't work so he backed up ... blind side facing the trucks and me. He did that twice before someone moved so he could pull ahead. One of the few times it has taken us a half hour fueling. I also had to add a gallon of DEF from a jug because I couldn't get into the pump backwards. Rest break is in Amarillo at a rest area across from the Flying J. No scales open in TX. When we get to OK, the scale sign says 'Closed' in red ... until I am a block from the sign and it changes to 'Open' in green. And the next signs flash 'Truck must exit to scale.' So in I go and wait. Trucks are backed up out onto the freeway by the time the line starts moving. They come on over the speaker and clear me before I get stopped on the scale. A few miles down the road we stop for lunch at the Subway in Loves. I thought I would try to add DEF if the line at the pumps were short. They aren't and they are longer by the time we leave, trucks are even pulling out of line to leave as we leave. I had the steak and cheese ... without the garlic. They no longer have the garlic. Next stop is at the Loves in OKC. This time there are open pumps so I swing around and come in backwards and get a good fill on DEF. By the time I get turned around and parked the pumps are full. I park long enough to go in and get my receipt and we are rolling again. Another two hours and we are in Tulsa. We stay at a new Comfort Inn on the east end of town so we don't have to fit morning rush hour. If there is a morning rush hour in Tulsa. When we had looked last night at motels we saw there were two diners close to the motel. When BB looked today at the reviews, one is only open until 2 PM and the other isn't open on Sundays. So it had looked like we'd walk to Sonic. But when we checked in, the desk clerk said they could call us a free shuttle to the Hard Rock across the freeway. We took them up on the offer and got the free ride. First thing we see when we walk in is Toby Keiths Grill ... so that is where we ate. BB had her BLT with avocado and I had a meat loaf sandwich. I asked if the beans were spicy, didn't ask about the meat loaf. A little too spicy, not sure I'd get it again. After eating we walked and looked around. BB had mentioned they had a buffet but I didn't see it when we walked in the door so it was forgotten. Maybe next time. We didn't walk inside too much so when we left we walked back to the motel instead of taking the shuttle. Did see where two people were 'hiding' under the bridge, likely for the night. When we came there was a car stalled in the travel lane that some people were trying to push out of the way. It looked like the homeless 'guy with the sign' was the guy in charge ??? Our room is huge ... There is more than enough room to put six beds in this room, with the existing furniture and still be able to walk between them. We ran with no heat today. The up side is we did not have to add any water all day. So that is where the problem is. Tomorrow I get to call and see what, if anything, they want to do about it. It would be nice to come home for a couple of days after this run, but with nothing on the board we have no way to get back on the road. We'll see what the next two days brings. 190415 - CA-IN Same person checked us out in the AM as checked us in the PM. Breakfast was the usual. Local news was on in the breakfast area, they mentioned something about fires in OK. Yesterday it looked like we were driving through the southern edge of some smoke for a few miles. Looking online now it says that 40,000 acres have burned and 60 houses have been destroyed. Not getting nearly the press as the west coast fires. We had gotten past the downtown so no issues with traffic heading out of town. Lots of backups heading into town. One toll again today, one yesterday. First stop is 50 miles down the road at the Flying J in Joplin. From here I call the shipper and let them know the issues I have been having so they can deal with them on their end. While we are fueling another driveaway driver stops to ask questions a couple of times. He lives in CA and looking for work from there, good luck. But later today our company has for units heading from CA to VA, but we are no longer there. We stop in St Robert at a Cracker Barrel for lunch. Could have been in and out in a half hour if we had wanted. Fast service. BB had her usual fish and I had the meat loaf. Before we left I called the drop and said we'd be there after noon tomorrow. They didn't have any other questions. Had talked about calling about any buses in IN, but as of now both of us are ready to head home. Part of the issue with calling about the buses is they might try to talk us into something we don't want or haven't looked at the plus / minus of the run. With anything on the board we know exactly what we want before we call. Relying on dispatch is why we left company #2. Next stop was at a rest area in St Clair. I let a truck in front of me right before we pulled off. He couldn't find a place to park so he just blocked the exit for anyone leaving. Because I was behind him, I was far enough back that I saw someone pull out and I took that spot. So no way to exit while we were there. But it didn't block things up, lots of open spots by those pulling forward and leaving. We were in and out in about five minutes. This had been a change of stops. We had not planned on stopping until we got into IL but that was too far for BB so we added an extra stop. Six Flags has a sign they are opening this week in St Louis. The amusement park in OKC was open already yesterday when we went past. Signs of spring. Not much for field work being done, but the calves are getting big and the grass is getting green. We stop again in Effingham at the Iron Skillet at the Petro. I didn't know how to get into their non-truck parking so I ended up parking with the big rigs. Buffet. $9.99 on Monday evenings. I did have a little lettuce, we'll see if that effects my tests in a couple of days. Almost thought I was going to have a throat issue, but this time sucking on an ice cube cleared it. Or it wasn't really happening. Another hour and we are at the Quality Inn in Terra Haute. 200 miles to go. There are three RV's in IN right now, two heading west that could work if we wanted to stay out. Only two in IA and they are both going to BC Canada. One of the drivers that has been calling be recently, called again today and left a message. He's driving for a new company already. I think that is less than a week from his first phone call to them ... and he was already a few miles into his run. Still meaning lots of transporters. 190416 - CA-IN Last day in this unit :) I woke up a little before the alarm went off, even on the east coast. Been in all four time zones this trip. Breakfast, I want to be rid of this bus today so I'm a little more on edge than usual so I settle for two cups of yogurt instead of eggs and sausage. Something in our hallway on the 2nd floor smells really bad. Like a very toxic cleaner or something. We had come up to our floor last night in the elevator so that time we walked the hall. Since that every trip up and down has been using the stairs so we don't have to walk down the hall. Room is fine, but nearly the size of last nights. Today we don't have our stop/stops lined up. BB picks one once we are going. Traffic is not bad at all around Indy. Computer says to take I-70 through down town, I take the beltway. Overhead signs say there will be a slow down, but by the time we get there it has cleared. Just north of Indy I'm behind a pickup with a trailer and I see one rock fall off, then another. I back off but not quick enough. I hear it ding so I'm pretty sure it is not the window. When we are stopped both BB and I look at it and can't find a ding anywhere. I look again later at the truck wash and can't find anything ... before it's washed. Our one and only stop today is at a Love's in Pendelton. No designed right, to get there you are almost taking a U-turn to get on the side street ??? Quick in and out. As we walk back to the bus, I am parked between two semi's and I compare the height. Last night I had looked at the online images of the airport and wasn't sure I wanted to drive past the front of the airport not knowing how tall the bus was. I still don't, but it is three feet shorter than the semi's and they are <> 13.6. Next stop was the airport. Roadwork so very narrow lane one way to get there. Once we are at the airport, people are parked on both sides of the street where no one is supposed to be parking ... and this airport curves in the middle so I had to be watching all corners as I weaved my bus between them. After I stopped to drop BB off, I looked in my mirror and no one was coming ... because someone had stopped in the middle lane to let someone and their luggage off. With the roadwork I missed my turn to head back to the freeway. Just as well, the route I took had stoplights, the one I had planned on taking did not. Six trucks ahead of me at the wash. 1st truck took over a half hour. I was in line about two hours. The guy behind me had shut his truck off when he first got there and it almost didn't restart. He wanted to leave it running while they washed him but that is a no-no. So after a two hour wait, he drove through the wash and headed back home. There is no way out of line once you are in it. I had put an extra clamp on the leak a few days ago and I wanted it off before I delivered it so I was underneath working on that when I felt my leg getting wet. By the time I got out from under I was thoroughly soaked in the crotch ... now I had to go to the customer :) I decided to add more fuel. We are supposed to deliver with 3/8. Gauge had been showing 1/2 until I stopped at the wash, then it dropped to 1/4 which should have been closer to right if I'm getting 8 mpg. So I added what I thought would be an 1/8th of a tank of fuel. Drove three miles and delivered it over 1/2 full. ??? I think I always watch close when I'm moving, but BB was right behind me at the pump with the rental car and she thought I was going to hit the yellow post. That would have been a big ouch in the income. Pull into the customer and the person I need to see is walking out to see me as I am calling them. They did notice the leak and they found the ding. A lot easier to see once the bugs have been washed off. They didn't note either on my BL so I should be good. I called the shipper and left a message about the leak. I really don't like dropping things that have a known issue. An hour later the shipper calls me back and writes up a report for the call in I had made on Monday. I felt much better about it after that. While we were at the wash BB had walked over to McD's and got food. I had a small burger, that was enough. We head out to home on US-30. Four lane highway across the center of the state, stop lights in every small town. Nice to be off the freeway but it takes longer. We stop in Plymouth at a Pilot for the rest rooms. Once we got to I-65 south of Gary we head up to I-80. Must be a lot of stop lights as the computer wouldn't give us a route staying on US-30. Computer said I-80 had been closed since yesterday, then later the computer was saying there was a huge delay east of Chicago. So we stopped at the Oasis in South Holland and ate at the Panda Express. This place has eight food choices and the Oasis in IN have one, no-name place. I don't understand. I got the orange chicken and noodles. BB got something and veggie's. By the time we were done eating, the computer did not show a delay. And by the time we past Joliet, it was the same time as the computer said we would get there ... without the stop to eat. Good planning for once on our part. To shorten the day tomorrow, we drove for another hour after we ate. Comfort Inn in Ottawa for the night. Wish I would have gotten a picture of the RV being transported we past a couple of times. We are supposed to have our plates on the rear and the placards/ID's on both sides. This person had all three, top to bottom in his left front window. No only placed wrong, but obstructing their view. We were within 15 minutes of where we pick up the buses in IN but we didn't stop. I'll look at the pictures online instead. RV's out of IN are still on the board, down to -0- out of IA tonight. One day, Thursday, home and then ??? We'll see. 190417 - CA-IN Back to both eggs and yogurt and bacon. Head out at 7:30 AM as usual. Not too much exciting this AM. No one is working the fields yet. Traffic is light. River in the Quad Cities has finally gone down enough so that the people living along the river can get to their houses. Our 1st stop is in Walcott, cheapest gas we'll find. Pilot. My fuel card still doesn't work so I use BB's instead to get the discount. I guess I will have to figure out how to get the system to think I have the app on my phone. From here BB will drive. I have to make phone calls. 1st one is to my eye doctor, they can't get me in today but can tomorrow. (That's good, because I am still not in town today) It takes 15 minutes to get this appointment set up. I am used to places with one Dr and it taking one minute to get an appointment. Next call is to my med Dr, this one takes 10 minutes, but it didn't seem to take that long, I don't think I was on hold as long. But I got both appointments set up for tomorrow. Hopefully the first one is on time so I can get to my second appointment. They are both in the morning and are about 10 miles apart. BB drives for the next two hours. I check the board. Either nothing at all or nothing good. I do get a call from Company #1 wanting to know if I can work today. Nope. I ask about Friday, customer is closed because of it being Good Friday. I also call Corp at Company #3. Usually when we send in paperwork it shows up on their site right away. Today it still hadn't shown up after four hours. Couldn't find the right person to talk to, finally left a message with someone I was forwarded to and never got a call back. At the end of the day the paperwork still hadn't shown up so I didn't get paid today. Even back in IL we are starting to see a little snow, where the drifts were. See more in IA and also in MN. At some point it starts to rain. Faribault is talking about flash flood warnings. Rain most of the way home, driving below the speed limit in places because of the heavy rain. We stop at The Other Place in Clear Lake to eat. No more soup until fall :( I order the Philly and BB the BLT. Very good, also the potato salad and coleslaw are good. After a couple of bites of my slaw, I remember I am getting my blood tested yet today. So I end up with the potato salad and BB gets my slaw. We stop and fuel at the Kwik Trip in Garner, gas is $.10 cheaper than in MN ... and E15 is another $.10 cheaper than that so that is what I put in. Also mail my paperwork back to CA from Garner. We can see the RV's lined up before we get to Forest City. They seem to be parked everywhere ... but our lot. Most of the day our board was showing -0-. It did end the day with 10. A few people were checking out their RV's while we were there. Car started and we were in and out of the lot in a few minutes. I headed to the clinic. That only took a few minutes. BB stopped twice, once at the rest area and again for fuel. And when she dropped the car, the receipt had the wrong price on it so she had to get that corrected. Not sure the last time we rented with Avis and didn't have a problem with Avis. I didn't used to like Enterprise but we haven't had any problems with them recently. But it mostly comes down to the price, there is only a couple of companies we won't rent from unless there is a <> $50 difference in price. And we stop at Tinucci's to get to go food. They will no longer be open on Tuesday evenings starting the end of the month. Not sure how this week/weekend will play out. We had talked about staying in town ... but then we looked at all the days we aren't going to be working this summer for sure. Now we may head out as early as Friday if there is work. People were not taking too much of what got put out today. Looks like most people want to be in town for Easter weekend. Looks like we will likely only get in one trip ... two weeks each ... the next three months. |
