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...My Life as 'Drive away' driver
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210702 IA-IL 1 RV heading to Rockford IL (delivered) ... spending the night at home BB went down for breakfast and got an omelette, I ate the Italian leftovers from last night. I thought we might get going by 7 AM but it was a ways after. 1st stop was the RV lot to pick up my RV. Dispatcher commented that they had opened early for me, thinking I would be sitting in the lot waiting. I may have been the only one picking up today. I had grabbed the only short run. Anyone else would have to be taking something to deliver on Tuesday. With only one RV to check we were in and out in a half hour. 2nd stop was for fuel at the Flying J in Clear Lake. BB had done the math and I put in 12 gallons to get to final fuel. When I walk in, I walk past a car with one of our companies toy trucks in the dash. When I walk out of my stall, the driver is at the sink. We talk a bit, he is off work right now because of his back. In the 20 miles between the shipper and the fuel, one of the other dispatches had called. So once I am done fueling I call them back. They have a truck in WI going to IL. There had been at least six short runs out of that location and I had looked at them. I told the dispatcher I would need to look at things and if it works I would call her back. But don't hold it for me. I did find out it is a tractor, didn't ask which kind. As I am talking to them, my phone is ringing with a 2nd call. As soon as I have them off the phone I pick up the other call, it is my local dispatch. The ones who I already told I was available. They have a truck going to Kansas City. Next week, they don't care when. At this point I am still thinking about moving the WI truck so I ask if I can move it Weds-Thurs. That is OK. Then as we are talking, I realize that it might be few miles to do the KC truck first. So I ask if I can pick it up on Monday. Sure. And if I want to work Monday, but can't deliver Monday because of the holiday, do I want to do a metro one in the AM first. I say maybe and leave it at that. My two minute fuel stop has now turned into a 15+ minute break. 3rd stop is Independence at McD's for food. There isn't much else on this highway between Waterloo and Dubuque. We park in the Walmart parking lot where it isn't so crowded and walk to McDonalds. Then back to the car to eat. We both get Mc Doubles. By this time a third dispatcher has called and wants me to move a truck from Madison back to WI. Pay is good but I am 90% sure it is a chassis. So not worth it for me. But plenty of work. Just past Dubuque the four lane ends and we have a lot of hills and turns and two lane for the last 150 miles. BB had the last RV going to this location and she and the paperwork say the final fill is a Pilot but I say no. Finally about 20 miles before the station I remember. It is not a Pilot, it is a Roadranger and they used to carry Pilot fuel. And the Mobil I thought it may have been is across the street as a second option. And BB had been close on her math. I had put in 12 gallons of fuel in Clear Lake and was 70 miles range short of final fuel. On a 250 mile trip, I went from 70 short to 30 over. Or at least some over. The range stops showing at 30 or 35 and I still have about five miles to the station. Not close enough to 'E' to stop for more fuel, but I wouldn't have wanted to come in any emptier. 4th stop is the Road Ranger in Winnebago. I fuel, BB shows me the map of the last few miles. I mostly remember but it doesn't hurt to get a quick re-fresh. 5th stop is the drop. I have forgot again to take pictures of my RV when we stop on these short trips. So I take a couple once I am at deliver before parking for inspection. Then I do take a couple more while it is being inspected. This is a very small location, instead of 100's of RV's they have had about five this time and last that we were here. Easy to find people and quick to respond. They do a 15 minute inspection, sign and we are ready to go. While BB is sending in my paperwork I called the local dispatch back. I'm still good for the KC trip but sometimes things change. That part didn't change but they found someone that could move the metro truck so they did it today. Kind of. It made it a few miles and is now stilling on the side of the road in a pool of oil waiting for a tow truck. Whew. Glad it wasn't mine. Within 10 minutes of sending in my paperwork, I was paid. :) ... and I had forgotten a couple of other things. I can't do the KC trip Weds-Thurs. We will be on vacation Thursday. And I can't do the KC trip on Mon-Tues. I need to be in town on Monday. Most of Monday anyway. And doing the math, I would have to leave by noon Monday to get enough miles to only have one hotel. Otherwise we would end up with two hotels on a short trip. So Tuesday, Wednesday it is and no time for a 2nd leg unless it is coming right back to IA or MN. We have been watching the maps and travel times for heading home and when we are finally ready to leave the RV lot, taking the back roads is finally two minutes faster than taking the freeway. And we expect it to get worse. It is Friday night of a holiday weekend and Wisconsin Dells and northern Wisconsin are popular vacation spots. So the 1st 150 miles will be back roads and we will get on the freeway at the Dells. 6th stop is at a Kwik Trip in Oregon WI for fuel. We were not on 'E' but we have gone 20-30 miles at a time without seeing a gas station so we didn't want to take any chances. From here we were close to Madison and there was some freeway / four lane. I had looked at my map suggestions but BB uses hers once we start driving. One of my choices would have kept us 50 miles from Madison so when the first roads we took matched mine I was surprised we were still that close to Madison. But BB hadn't gotten that option so a little confusing. 7th stop was the Culvers in Sauk City for treats and food. BB doesn't like that all condiments are extra and you need to ASK. We forget until we are miles down the road and the sandwich is dry. I don't have that issue as I usually get a reuben. From here to Wisconsin Dells we were back on the two lane. Another 30 miles or so. Freeway, and not much traffic. It had taken us about a half hour longer than the computer had said this route would take, but that included the stops for food and fuel. At least we were moving, and the scenery was something we hadn't seen before. Once place we saw an Amish mowing their lawn with a gas powered lawnmower. Just a few miles later there was a dairy where the sheds were 100's of feet long. Variety. 8th stop was the rest area near Black River Falls. 9th and final stop was home. We had gotten home in just under a 14 hour day and it was still daylight. It seemed a lot shorter than the Monday trip but it was less than an hours difference. Load board US - 360 IA - 107 MN - 7 WI - 15 We are now off for three days :) Then drive to KC and back, then another six days of vacation before heading back on the road. Right now there isn't much for short stuff on the long haul load board but hopefully between the two companies we find some work. |
