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...My Life as 'Drive away' driver
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Finally. We are back, ready to go on the road. We thought we had finished up on the last of things we had to do Thursday so I didn't work local on Friday. But sometimes the wheels turn slow and everything didn't clear the necessary hurdles until 4:30 and the offices close at 5. Not enough time to make sure that everything is in fact correct so we took the weekend off and called in today, Monday morning, for a trip leaving Tuesday. Everything did go smoothly and we got our trip. Five minutes of the busy signal with both of us hitting re-dial on our phones. Then another 5 minutes on hold waiting for someone to complete the dispatch. THEN a call back to corporate to get us back on active duty, and a final call back to dispatch. Could have still worked local and been OK on my hours but had other things to get cleared and cleaned up. Don't assume everything is always going to slide along without any bumps ... 191105 IA-CA Off to Davis, CA ... just west of Sacramento on I-80. Had to stop at the clinic before we left town so we weren't in any hurry to get going in the AM. We also aren't delivering until Monday so we don't even have to do 500 miles a day and we will still have a res-set day. We get to the office about 11 AM, pretty quiet. We get our paperwork in under 15 minutes and are out to inspect. Lots of 'news' on the new Mercedes. New keys, no key just a FOB. Lots of changes to the dash. Both of us have Mercedes but the dashes are not the same. I notice I have a low coolant light on even though it looks like it's OK. I let someone know. An hour and a half later, I'm finally topped off and ready to go ... just to add a half a quart of coolant. BUT that was not all bad, BB had plenty of time to look at the dash ... and read the notes in the office ... which included reminders to get updated paperwork. Two sets of documents had expired while we have been off the road and were not included in our original pack. We had to ask for them. Likely would have cost us some money, the paperwork for one state they look at every trip so they would have noticed. Sometimes we leave the lot on fumes when we pick up, this time I have a half a tank of fuel and BB has 3/4. But we still top off at the first fuel station just to keep us on our routine. Opps ... my cruise doesn't work. Not sure if it's me or it's broken. I know the Hino I moved Friday the cruise wouldn't work unless you turned off the exhaust retarder. Half hour later we are at Clear Lake at the Other Place. We were going to eat light but we wanted two different items. So we both only ate half our bun, but all the stuffings. Good food. But eating at 2 PM instead of noon. Back to our trip down, I think today was the first time in 16 years of driving that I have ever seen the southbound scale by Albert Lea open. Lot's of DOT and lots of trucks. Using portable scales, the new scale on the northbound lanes was closed again. On truck must have decided not to stop, they got him a few feet past the end of the ramp. Not much new from Clear Lake to Ankeny. We are running too late to make it to Omaha with the delays. Dark at 5:15, we get to Ankeny at 4:30 ... it would been closer to 7 to Omaha. And we have no reason to push it. We are at the Sleep Inn, most expensive, nicest one we stay at in the area. Only food nearby is the Outback ... and the Waterfront ... but I don't eat fish so only one choice. Talked to my bus dispatcher at noon, he will be gone Mon/Tues next week. We'll see how this goes. Last time he was gone the person didn't return my call so I finally stopped in in person and was told I was not on the list they were given. Glad we grabbed when we did, lots of misc but few doubles anywhere we'd want to go. We don't need to stay home until the week of Thanksgiving, we also have dentist appointments that week. But we are free to go right after. Ogallala maybe tomorrow ? 191106 IA-CA More from yesterday ... when we left Clear Lake there were 2 mixers / transporters at the Kum and Go, across the street at the Pilot there were a few RVs. Did see a few others on the highway, no more of our RV's though. After we checked into the motel we went for a half hour walk. Saw a couple of DOT cops head to our motel, was watching to see if they were looking for us, they weren't. At the Outback, I had two kinds of soup and BB had veggies and fish. We turned down a free desert, not sure why it was offered. TODAY From Ankeny to Ogallala on our way to Davis. Down for breakfast right after it opened. The food area looked awful bare today. This is a new place, just opened a year or so ago, always nice but maybe not much traffic. Ready to roll at daybreak, cops stayed the night and still at the motel when we left. Des Moines rush hour traffic is three lanes each way going the speed limit. No issues. Just west of town there is an east bound scale, lots of trucks getting inspected, might have been why 'our' cops were in town. Still no cruise, but the other 'assist's' stuff was driving me nuts so I found out how to shut most of it off. Still can't get the 'wind' one shut off. If the wind hit's me coming out from under a bridge, the computer applies the brakes, 10 mph slower, and it sounds like something is falling off the RV. So now not only do I need to deal with weather and crazy drivers, I also need to fight with the computer. Before I got things shut off, the computer would try to get me back in my lane if I got near the solid white line. Sometimes I am TRYING to go over the white line to give wide loads more room. Not much new in IA, other than the towns are expanding and the fields are shrinking. 1st stop was Adair at the rest area. It would have been 150 or so miles to Omaha without the stop and we have lots of time. The last scale west bound on I-80 was open, first time ever that I think it's been open for me, but the light stayed green so we didn't even stop on the scale. 2nd stop, new stop, just west of Omaha for fuel, at the Quick Trip (not a Kwik Trip.) We had been stopping at the Pilot in Council Bluffs but last time we had to add extra miles to get out of there because of the road construction. Road construction is done west bound. Nice, extra lanes. Ramp to I-29 south was closing at noon today for about a month but I'm not sure I have ever used that ramp. Our other fuel stop had been a BP by the Sapp's in West Omaha, but we decided to try the new QT. Fuel islands are about the same size but it might be a little easier to get in and out of. This location also have truck islands. AND hot dogs, I counted about 150 hot dogs on the rollers when we were there, more than 150 other roller food items too. I think the roller food area is about as big at the QT in north Des Moines too. Both west bound scales in Nebraska were open but they are 'Exit only if directed' and we don't even weight enough to trip the scales so we kept sailing on by. New Perkins by our Quality Inn in Lincoln so that will be nice. 3rd stop was the Iron Skillet in York. We got there right at 11 and that seems to be when the breakfast food is gone and the noon food doesn't get out until 11:30. It's getting harder to eat at the buffets. I can't eat fish and now I am trying to stay away from salad until my blood gets back where it is supposed to me. So I ate lots of deserts ... and was really tired later ... any connection? After York we had our longest stretch of the day. Two and a quarter hours. 4th stop is at a Casey's in Cozad, Fuel was the same price there as Ogallala and we are bucking a cross wind so the mileage has not been great. I am really getting tired of the computers on this rig. NOT the relaxing trips I am used to. Can't top off these rigs, I like to round it to even money, nope, $.10 and I was running it on the ground. 5th and final stop at Ogallala. Quality Inn. This time the heater would only run on high ... or off. So we had to switch rooms. This place used to be a Country Inn among other things. Now half of it sits empty. There also used to be a Country Kitchen attached, that got replaced by a Denny's and now that is gone too. So we have to walk a few blocks to Urban Farmer. It's cold outside. Food is good but we need to stop eating such a big meal after a buffet. We will likely have a buffet again tomorrow :) I had Swedish meatballs and soup, BB had fish and soup. We both took half of it to go. It is supposed to be our food for tomorrow night. I hope it stays cold enough. No walk tonight. Looks like we will keep it under 500 miles each day. 191107 IA-CA Ogallala, NE to Rock Springs, WY ... with 2 RV's Just a few issues with last nights motel. Last night we had to change rooms because the heater was stuck on high ... or off. This morning at breakfast both kinds of juice didn't taste right so I passed, then I went for yogurt and it was all expired and they didn't have any more. At least this place took them all and threw them. There was one place that when I told them everything was expired they just re-organized them. Then when I got the bill I had to have them take off the safe charge. There are still a few motels that charge $1.50 plus tax for a safe that we have never used. Small change but last year we stayed in almost 200 motels. First stop was across the freeway to buy fuel at Walmart, it was $.01 cheaper than anywhere else. That saved us $.14 and cost us about 10 minutes travel time :) Just getting light out at 6:30. It looks like they are completely redoing the intersection where I-76 splits off of I-80 for Denver. First stop was to be the rest area before Sidney. CLOSED. Not signs ahead of time, just cones and gated. A mile down the road is Sidney and we go to Love's. Sapps is also at the exit but it is more congested. Love's used to have an IHOP Express, closed, coming soon a Taco Johns. No news on the IHOP site, their last news was from two years ago. We've seen snow on the ground today, don't remember if we had seen any yesterday or not. As soon as we got into WY there were two cars smashed and in the ditch. 20 miles later there was a semi trailer on it's side and split open. Later on there were drifts and snow on the 'dark side.' Snow fence is doing it's job already. 2nd stop is at the WY POE, Port of Entry. No issues, the lot was full so I thought the line would be long. Nope, BB walked right to the counter and another one opened up a few seconds later. I was 2nd using the restroom and by the time I got outside, BB was talking to another transporter that was there. We've driven rigs like he was driving but not from his location. He works for a few different companies but the companies that pay the best don't have much work. He does work for our company and has had some issues with dispatch. Hasn't stopped him from working, just more cautious. One of his side stories was he had had to have surgery ... and the Doc told him it had to be before a specific date ... because after that he'd be dead. Still not having fun with the driving. BB had found out how to uses somethings by accident, she leaned on something and things on the dash changed. Still doesn't help me. Wide loads, people over the line in my lane ... the computer still wants me to stay in my lane. 3rd stop is Laramie for fuel and food. We get there right at 11 am again so we go and fuel first. I was in the left turn lane when I remembered that Love's changes the same price cash or credit at the car pumps. So I take a right from the left turn lane. This time we we saved $2.00. If we'd have gone to the truck islands and one of the ancient truck stops we could have saved about $.30 a gallon. We've looked at it, not worth it. Back across the freeway to the Iron Skillet. Today this place is set up by 11:15. But mostly spicy food. Then I saw the deserts :) I almost went for some lettuce but decided not to stuff myself. Even when there is little I like I don't go away hungry. No soups I wanted two days in a row. No Iron Skillet tomorrow, maybe Country Pride. We are too far away to make it to the casino buffets in NV. 4th stop is just for a bathroom break at the Flying J in Rawlins. It is easy in and out, for us. Some guy got about half way into the car area with is 53 foot horse trailer and decided to back out. Saw the guy/his truck from the POE again. He'd pass us a few miles later. Saw the big digger east of Rock Springs. Best view of it I've seen except the time it was next to the road. Looks so little from the distance. Today I was thinking about the buses we might, or might not, get Monday. This time we are on no time limit so we could go anywhere ... like Portland, ME. And today we meet only one of our buses ... going to Bangor, ME :) so there is hope :) It was only 3:30 when we got to Rock Springs but no reason to push it, we aren't delivering until Monday and we don't have any better motels we'd like to stay at. This one is a Clarion, with a Mexican food attached. But we have our food from last night. About a half hour before we got to Rock Springs I thought that I SHOULD have frozen some water last night to keep the food cold. We ate it later and I'm still typing. If I'm not tomorrow, you'll know why. As soon as we checked in we went for a walk. We are doing about a half hour every other night. Maybe we'll get two walks in on my reset day. Looks like tomorrow we'll get to NV ... Elko most likely. Then spend two nights in Roseville, just because we know where the motel is. Not a lot of motels with truck parking in CA. ... and tomorrow I need to call for NV permits and to let the customer know we will be there on Monday. The bus guy I will be dealing with won't be working until Monday so no reason to call anyone tomorrow. 191108 IA-CA Rock Springs, WY to Elko, NV Well I guess the food that sat out all day didn't kill me ... not really a guess :) ... seeing I'm still here. Breakfast at this place is good. They must have huge crowds some days but not today. Huge pan's of eggs, bacon/sausage and hash browns. Also, made to order omelette. Not sure what they do different, but this one was really good. BB and I split it, way too much food this early in the AM. No issues at this motel, but when I checked out the person asked how my stay was ... and then went back to talking to their co-worker before I had a chance to answer. Left out just as the sun was coming up. One other transporter had pulled in behind us and was still there when we left. We still had enough fuel to get Evanston ... we think. Lots of hills between here and there, my low fuel light came up 50 miles out just before we pass the last fuel stop. We keep going. Later I will finally find out where my 'miles to E' and other functions are. 1st stop is Evanston at a Mavrick, fuels is $.30 cheaper than the truckstops. Looked good online, but it's the size of the old 7-11's. There was one island open, but I had to get to the store front and then come in facing the highway. I had less than a foot to spare past the first car, to get past the 2nd car I had to back up. By the time I got to the lane someone came in from the other direction and someone else on-coming was trying to turn there also. BB never did try to get in. We opted for the truckstop. Flying J was also full but by the time there was a pump open for BB, it was only her and I left at the station. Next was where most of the excitement was. First there was a pickup pulling a trailer who was mostly in the other lane but kept coming into my lane as they approached me, including when they were a few feet from my rear bumper ... so I hit the brakes and pulled to the shoulder to let them go past. They didn't seem to be doing much better once they were in front of me. Sometime later there was a semi pulling a tanker with about 8 or 10 axles and when he went around the corners, his front tires would be on the center line and the back tires would be over the white shoulder line. Can't find what that is called. But he was fine going straight. Coming into Salt Lake City was smog, couldn't even see the hills out in the lake. 2nd stop was the Dennys/Flying J on Lake Point just west of SLC. First thing we did was call for permits. Had the person confused today, I've talked to her a few times and she commented she hadn't heard from me for a while. I think she was the first one who commented that my GMA plate number was 'Good Morning America.' Today I told her I needed to NV permits and she started asking strange questions. I finally asked her why and she thought I meant I would be moving one truck into NV then a second one out of NV. No, I needed to for the same time, date, route. Then we called the drop, both names on our paperwork are gone so we need to get dispatch updated on that. Then food, BB had fish and I had another omelette both off the senior menu. 90 miles to our 1st stop, 90 miles to the second stop, 100 miles to the third stop, 100 miles to our final stop. 3rd stop would be a little Sinclear truck stop just before Wendover. Sometimes it has the cheapest fuel today it didn't. Cheapest fuel was at a grocery store and the bathroom is in the store. We paid the extra, it was also closer to the free way. 4th stop should have been our motel ... but we got flagged into a checkpoint. Both of us, the guy looked like he was laughing as it look at the gravy inspection I get to do. He asked a few questions including if my log was up to date. Not sure what I did but he said "that sure was a strange look." Yes, my log book was up to date and he didn't ask to see it. Later he did ask if another officer could look at the inside so he did, then they asked how much it cost ... $162,000. One of them said that was more than their house. Then the guy did the same routine with BB and took both sets of paperwork to his squad to print up the report. Mine was good, but when he gave BB her's she noticed she had the report with my name on it. Turns out the officer didn't clear all the info and had to re-do BB's. We were there a half hour but both got clear reports. Another 10 miles and we were at the motel. Comfort Inn in Elko. As soon as we checked in we walked to look for food ... and walked ... and walked. Past a dozen places before BB decided she wanted BK. I didn't, so I watched her eat. Then we walked to the Pizza Barn and I got a mini to go. That was enough of a walk today. Another 400 mile day. Should be another one tomorrow then one day off. Almost 70 degree's here tonight. ... the trip continues from HERE |
