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...My Life as 'Drive away' driver
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201009 NC-WI 1 tree truck to Waukesha WI ... spending the night at London KY Alarm did go off at 7 AM local. Breakfast was yogurt and juice. 1st stop - About a 45 minute drive to the customer. We've been here before so that makes it a lot easier. We know where to park, what is locked, where the keys and paperwork are. 1st the bad news. I look at my fuel gauge shows 'E.' And when I turn the truck on, it shows I have a range of 7 miles. Other than that, all is good. I leave the truck off except when I need it on until I am ready to leave. This truck is called a split dump. No idea where the name comes from. It is the same as any of these type of trucks except that there is a bench seat outside of the cab, behind the cab with a door only on one side. Works for us in that we have room for our luggage. Because I was watching my fuel so close, BB closed and locked the gate behind me so I wouldn't sit and idle the truck. But I did have to sit and idle the truck at the stop light. The stop light down the road switched three times before this one did. But good news. They are building a Murphy Express just a couple of blocks from the pickup location on the same side of the road. It should be done by the time we come back next time. I headed that couple of blocks but had to cross the street at the light. Valero, it is where we always have stopped. There is a station about a mile down the road the other direction ... the direction I would be going, but we have never stopped there. 2nd stop - Valero for fuel. No waiting but the pump kicked me off at $75. Tank wasn't full but I thought I would get cheaper fuel somewhere else later. I paid $1.99. Now to backtrack about 40 miles because we didn't know we were going to end up in Shelby. Closest drop for Avis is 40 miles the wrong direction (80 round trip) Enterprise is a mile away in the right direction. I hadn't looked at a map to the airport so I was just following the airport signs. That worked. 3rd stop - At the airport, I found the cell phone lot, if I hadn't, I would have just circled until BB called me. A few minutes later, BB does call and I am on my way. This lot has sharp U-turns in and out but low curbs and no obstructions so not a big deal. I pick BB up and we start to back truck. An hour and a half after we left the lot we are looking at it again from the highway. 4th stop - Wendy's in Asheville. The closest truckstop had only sit down food and we have been in this area before so it is not an unknown. Plus she looked at a map. She ordered a chicken sandwich and I ordered a son of baconator. I thought. When I got it, it looked awful big. Then I remembered how much the bill was. Not sure what I ordered, but I got the double of it. Too much, threw part of it away. When we are stopped, I call the drop in WI. Monday works, there will be someone there. 5th stop was Pilot in Dandridge. We had thought we would be past Knoxville when we stopped but fuel was cheaper before Knoxville. We had picked a station and then saw this one was two cents cheaper. Paid $1.90 after the discount. Left with a range of about 420. Lots of screens I can click thru but none give me my MPG. Range is always showing above the fuel gauge. I guess I had forgot to tell my local company that I was NA again for the rest of the month. They had a good local run for Monday but we won't be back. 6th and final stop was at the Comfort Inn in London. As we turn down their street we remember being here to this motel. Not sure when or with what, but we were here. Last time we likely walked to Fazoli's a few blocks down. This time we walked across the street to a Mexican place to get food to go. BB salad was not that good, by enchiladas were really good, except there were almost cold by the time we started eating so really cooled off by the time I was done. We have been having that problem lately with togo Mexican food. Cold by the time we start eating it. It doesn't look like it at all on the map this time, but we are following the same route back as we did down from Columbus NC to Indy. Scales. Had to exit for a scale almost right way this AM but got the bypass lane. Then a few miles later a 2nd scale that was closed. Then after I pick up BB we pass another scale that the sign said closed but trucks were still crossing. Likely closed because it had back up out into traffic. So by having to backtrack to drop the rental car, I had to pass three more scales. I don't remember how many more scales we passed today. Did have to exit for another one but again got the bypass lane. Yesterday we missed the run going from NC to CA. Tonight there is still one of the trucks I have driven going from NC to WA, 2,700 miles. That would have paid good, but I didn't want to wait and miss a sure thing. There had been more than the one earlier. And the other truck I can asked about yesterday was going to Selina KS. Today there are trucks or buses out of Selina KS going to CA. I don't remember that much stuff going to CA as there is right now. Not sure we have enough time to get there after I drop Monday. We still don't know if we will head right back out, but we did get a rental car going to Mason City instead of our home town airport. So it will only take an hour to drop the rental car instead of five hours. Load board US - 190 IA - 21 MN - 8 WI -0- 201010 NC-WI 1 tree truck to Waukesha WI ... spending the night at Merrillville IN Breakfast was Cheerio like cereal. They were out of yogurt. They did have frozen breakfast sandwiches but I wasn't in the mood for biscuits and sausage. Rain. And my IFTA stickers were put on my placards with Scotch tape, house hold grade. I wasn't sure what to do, everything was wet. I didn't want to put BB's magnets on without also taping them and the tape was not going to stick. I left them as is but watched very closely all morning. 1st stop was Simpsonville Pilot for fuel. Forgot I was going to get fuel so was looking for a place to park when BB remembered. I am hoping this is my final fuel. Almost. This is about 400 miles from my drop and my range when full is about 400 miles. I could be coming in with the same range as I picked this up. No, I won't do that. But I didn't want to overfill. Before we left BB remembered that I was going to put up my I-Pass. We got that put in place. We still have not gotten billed for our last trip so we sent in our paperwork and got paid for the rest of our prior trip yesterday. We will just eat the <> $5 toll. 2nd stop was in Whiteland at a Loves / Arby's. Our choices were Denny's, McD's or Arby's. Three truckstops at this exit. We park in the car area along the curb. Order and eat outside on the curb next to our truck. Later saw the fourth corner was a huge Amazon warehouse. No problems getting through Indy on a Saturday. Some road construction but that was about it. 3rd stop was at a rest area near Wolcott for a quick break. Somewhere on I-65 I was passing a truck and saw a car come up behind me. When I thought I should be past the other truck I looked over to see if I could get over and there was a car beside me. They showed me their bird and were on their way. I was still trying to figure out how the car could get past and beside me before I could even get over. Then that car caught up to the next two cars ... and past them on the right. That explains that. I've thought about getting bumper stickers that say 'pass me on the shoulder, it's illegal but so it speeding.' 4th and final stop - Supper was going to be the Honey Baked Ham but then we saw a billboard for McAlister's Deli. Plans changed. When we got to the exit, we took a wrong turn and ended up behind a huge vacant mall. Small town so not an issue, just a little spooky. The buildings are mostly vacant, some have been removed. The parking lot is in very bad shape, but there are not vacant buildings on the perimeter, all are filled an open. We found McAlister's. No one was eating inside at 4:30 but a few waiting for to-go. The wait wasn't long. BB had a salad, it was good. I had a half a French Dip and a cup of potato soup. They were good. Our motel was the Quality Inn. No breakfast. It was cheaper than the Comfort Inn next door, about half the price. So we are off the road by 4 PM today. Another short day tomorrow. Nothing great on the board right now. Two sets of no-tows that would keep us busy but we will likely wait until Monday and see what new is loaded. They have been putting some RV's daily. And now we are watching the board for what may make a good two or three legged run. Loadboard US - 178 IA - 18 MN - 5 WI -0- 201011 NC-WI 1 tree truck to Waukesha WI ... spending the night at Waukesha WI No breakfast from the motel. I ate a poptart that I had gotten from a prior motel. BB had something similar. Got going at 10 AM. Traffic was not too bad being a Sunday morning. Actually paced with some other traffic going the speed limit for a while. Then I got being a slower car and I didn't see anyone going the speed limit after that. A couple going under that I had to pass but most going 10, 20, 30 over. Even where the signs say 'photo enforced, minimum $250 fine.' If they actually would fine people, they likely could pay for these roads without a gas tax. We went past a couple of swap meets, places where lots of people come every week to sell their junk and buy someone else's. We could see some masks, but also saw lots of people shoulder to shoulder. We took I-294 even though it was about 4 miles further. Kept us out of downtown. 1st stop was at the Kwik Trip in Pleasant Prairie for fuel. I thought I was going to have enough when I filled last time. By this AM I could tell that I was loosing range. I would have come up about 30 miles short if we went direct to the customer. I added another nine gallons and still may want to put more in if it keeps dropping. There is a station part way between our motel and the drop seven miles away. 2nd and final stop was at the Comfort Inn in Waukesha. 149 miles today. Later, we walked over to the Texas Roadhouse to get our to-go food. BB ordered a salad and I ordered to appetizers. Ribs and potato skins. Each one was twice what I needed. The ribs came with fries. I didn't eat any of the fries, all of the ribs and half the skins. I saved the skins for breakfast, maybe. They are very good but one or two would be good, but there were eight in the order. We are about 7 miles from the drop including the stop at the rental car place. As of now the plan is to take the fastest way back to IA, it is 55 miles further but takes almost an hour less time. Then return the car yet on Monday and ... Wait. Stay the night in IA and watch the load board. BB did laundry today. One washer wasn't working so she had to do that load twice. Now we are out of soap and quarters. Not sure where to get more quarters? Or maybe we have a stockpile at home if we look. Long afternoon sitting in the motel. Doing laundry earlier and too full later. 201012 NC-WI 1 tree truck to Waukesha WI, delivered ... spending the night at Albert Lea MN Breakfast? I had two cups of yogurt and BB had a bowl of cereal and fruit. They also had muffins and packaged rolls. We had made the rental car reservation for 9 AM so we didn't get going until after 8:30. Opps, computer routed us on a no-truck route. 1st stop - Dropped BB off to pick up the rental car. Another Opps. Seeing I was not to be on the no-truck route that I had planned, I had to find another route. The one I found had fewer turns but more miles and I had not looked on line at it. The opps was that when I got to an intersection I had a red light but I was making a right turn. There was a truck coming with it's right blinker on and it had slowed enough to make the turn onto my street so I pulled out. Once I am in my lane I look in the mirror and that truck is RIGHT behind me. It had not turned so I had pulled out in front of it. I guess I need to wait until they are turned. 2nd stop was at Kwik Trip for one gallon of fuel. That would/should get me back above a range of 50 miles. I forgot. A lot of the trucks and RV's will not re-set the range unless you fill the tank to at least a quarter or a half. So I put in a gallon of fuel and my range did not go up. Then I missed my turn and went miles out of route. So my range ended up showing 38 miles instead of over 50. 3rd stop was at the drop. I could see the trucks from the street so I knew I was at the right place. I started packing up as BB wasn't there yet and I didn't want to leave our stuff sitting in an unlocked truck. When BB shows up with the car we get everything moved and then I go to find someone to sign. No need to worry about the fuel. The guy signs the paperwork in his office and never sees the truck. Two other new trucks were sitting there and two more trucks to come. Nothing on the board so we are heading back. A half hour later there was a truck from Milwaukee to Des Moines, but we were gone and decided not to go back. It is still on the board tonight. An hour earlier and we likely would have at least called on it. A few times this AM the rain was so hard that people were either pulling over or driving with their four way flashers on. Somewhere the AM the cruise quit working because the radar quit working. I do not understand, I drove cars for 40 years that had cruse but no radar. 4th stop was in Mauston for fuel and Wendy's. Pulled up to a pump and when I got out I realized the fuel fill was on the other side. That was OK because I wanted to move anyway. The speaker was right over our car and it was LOUD. So I pulled to another pump and the fuel fill was still on the wrong side :) Third times the charm. I ordered a small burger as I still had three potato skins left to eat. Kind of a trick to eat those in the car but I did it. Found out why I got the big burgers last time at Wendy's. The #2 is the Baconator AND/OR the Son of Baconator. So don't order by number. Also there are three different ways to get a burger with bacon and three different prices. Now that I know that I won't be getting the Baconator anymore. Not sure how many miles down the road and the cruise quit working again. 5th stop was in Le Crescent to reset the cruise and BB used the rest room. It seems all it takes to re-set is to shut off and re-start the car. 6th stop was at Marion MN to reset the cruise. A half hour down the road it quit again and I drove the rest of the way without it on. BB had wanted to stop to use the restroom before we got to Forest City but we got talking about something else and I forgot. Opps. 7th stop - the first business with an open restroom was the Kwik Star (Kwik Trip) on Forest City. Did see two new RV's filling, we didn't talk to the drivers. 8th stop was the office/lot in Forest City. I dropped off the paperwork and then we moved our stuff from the rental car to our van. A few RV's in the lot getting ready to pull out but we didn't talk to any of them. 9th stop was in Clear Lake for fuel for the rental car and van. I had the van and hadn't planned on stopping but I had to stop for the light and BB seemed to be having an issue at the pump. So I stopped also. Seems her issue was that she had forgot to open the fuel cap from the inside of the car. 10th stop was the rental car place in Mason City. 11th stop was at the Culvers back in Clear Lake. Place was mostly empty and not much of a line at the drive thru. I did get a malt that I didn't need. Also did get a sandwich. 12th stop was at Walmart in Albert Lea for water and a few other things. 13th and final stop was at the Comfort Inn in Albert Lea. Plan had been to stay in Mason City but the rooms were $20 more for a lesser motel. We are now 15 miles further from Forest City than we would have been in Mason City but that much closer to home if we head there. Plan is not to head home before another trip. They did put a lot of good things on the board today but not two good things at the same time. There were runs to CA, OR, WA, AZ, TX, FL. But none that worked for us. There are still too going to OR and we used to be able to get cheap cars out of OR. W have gotten them for as little as $100 for the trip home. Today there are $800. No money in that. Every time dispatch would start putting RV's on the board, BB would hit refresh every few seconds until they seemed to have stopped. No matches. There are two going to IN that we would do OK on but then we would be dead heading back. Nothing good out of IN right now. Plat is to watch the board tomorrow, first from the hotel and then ?? Load board is at US - 164 IA - 14 MN - 1 WI - 1 |
