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...My Life as 'Drive away' driver
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221114 MN-MN 1 Chassis to Plymouth MN (delivered) 1 Tanker to Lake Elmo MN (staged) ... spending the night at home Our plan over the weekend had been to line up a MN to MN trip at 7 AM local. Once that call was made, I was going to call the rental truck dispatcher and line up some IA to MN work or IA-IA work or both. But by this AM we decided to wait to call the rental dispatcher until after our IA dispatchers were working to see if they were going to start dumping RV trips today. I did call at 7 AM ... at is the only thing that went as planned. By 8 AM, IA had not added new trips and we had time to look at the weather. It is snowing and travel is slow and sometimes no-go. We had hoped to get going this AM at 7:30. Dispatch never sent me my paperwork without my calling them a 2nd time. By then it was 9:30 and travel times were shortening. GPS insisted we did not want to to stay on the freeway. With as bad as the roads were, I did not want to get off the freeway. At first we were traveling about 40-45 mph for about 20 miles. Then for the next 15 miles we were mostly traveling at about 5 mph but rarely stopped. After that we were back up to 40 mph. 1st stop was the rest area in Ramsey MN. Because of the snow we were not sure where to turn but we found it. By then we were only a few miles from the shipper. I had called the shipper from the house and left a voicemail. By the time we stopped at the rest area we were an hour later than guesstimate and I had remembered something. This is a chassis and I hadn't asked about lights and mudflaps. This time someone answered the phone, no the truck does not have either and they had expected the truck to be hauled out, just as it was hauled in. 2nd stop - Elk River MN - When we got to the shipper there were a couple of people ahead of me so I had to wait. Once he got my info, they started working on my truck. Within 15 minutes they were done. And done right. Only one issue ... this was the first truck I was not able to find a opening for the fuel tank. I had to go back in and ask. Very helpful. Before the chassis is completed, there is only a rubber plug over an opening on the tank. And I found out why the chassis was there. This location is one of three places in the nation that with shorten that kind of chassis. 3rd stop is a Holiday station a couple of miles away in Otsego. The truck is almost on 'E,' so I but in $15 of fuel. A small fraction of what I am getting paid for fuel on this truck. 20 miles to the drop. 3rd stop - Plymounth - The guy I need to talk to was not at his desk and I had to wait. I did not recognize him when he did say hi ... and when I told him what I had he was not happy. He did not know anything about it. We went into the sales office and the did not know anything about it. But back at the shipper we had talked about how the truck had come from Portland, came here, now to a 2nd company and it was being handled my a company in FL ... and being moved by a company in GA by a driver from MN. During that conversation he had mentioned the '5th parties' name. As I related that story, without the name, the sales people started putting the pieces together. They made a phone call and got a VIN of the truck in question. Same as what I was driving. Whew ... Back to my contact who still wasn't happy ... he was trying to warm up his lunch at 2 in the afternoon. While he wasn't happy, it seemed to be partly an act. Before I can leave, he needs to come out and inspect the truck. He brings a 'new guy' with him. They check the basics and I am ready to go. While I was waiting here, my other company called but it was while I was talking to people so I had not picked up. I do call back but it goes to voicemail. We do our paperwork and get paid within the hour. Still in Plymouth, we head to Firehouse Subs. I had wanted a Charlies Cheesestake but they have closed. They seemed to have closed a few in MN. There is still one in Maplewood Mall, a once 2nd rate mall that is now doing as good as any. And the only other metro location is in Northtown Mall that once had two department store anchors but hasn't had any one the last 5-10 years but still remains open. We each ordered a small sandwich and I ordered a small soup. I was on the phone when they called out our order. I was almost done eating when I remembered my soup. This time I had taken the receipt so I had proof. The person who helped me wanted to make sure which size I ordered so he even looked at my receipt. Back at the table I realize that they have given me chicken dumpling soup instead of potato soup. But I didn't want to deal with it ... yech. I had my wife try it. I should have taken it back but we didn't. Something was very wrong with it. Chemical taste. The Firehouse was less than a mile from us, once we order my dispatcher calls back. They now DO have a truck at that shipper that needs to be moved. I can be there in five minutes but they give me a new contact person to talk to. Back at the drop/shipper, I ask for that person by name and I get walked into their office. They have my paperwork and the truck is ready. Hmmm ... the truck has 75 miles on it ... and a jug of coolant. This truck is also on 'E' but here the station is just across the street. No issues so I go back in, try to go back in to get my paperwork signed. The door I came out is locked, as is the next one and the next one is the main entrance with the receptionist ... who follows the rules and won't let me past. The person has to come to me. I usually just walk in and out of the back door and no one cares. I know where all the people are that I need to talk to and I used to know a lot of the staff. But they now have a lot more staff and some of the old timers are gone. Across to the gas station, still in Plymouth. This company pays all fuel so my plan is to fill it as long as I need to stop. But the pump stops at $175 and now there is a line for the one diesel pump so this will be enough. 4th city, but not the 4th stop - The office / lot of my local carrier. But before I get there ... just a few miles down the road the check engine light comes on, along with the word 'check' ... and a pop-up message 'Add coolant at your next stop.' That helps, I know why the check engine light is on. The tank was full at pickup and the temp is where it should be. Once I am at the lot I call my dispatcher, they will deal with it tomorrow. I do actually look at the paperwork before I turn it in, this truck is going to WI. But they haven't asked me to move it beyond here. The reason that dispatch had called earlier was not to move this truck, they had two other trucks in mind. BB and I talked about it and decided no. The roads are supposed to be just as bad tomorrow. When I tell dispatch they can give the trips away ... they say they don't have any other drivers ... I am the last one they call. That sounds bad, but it is because I tell them I am NA. Trip #2 paid about 1/10th of what trip #1 paid. We were only paid for 62 miles today ... but the total pay was good. Load board US - 129 IA - 15/13 MN - 6 WI - 3 Tomorrow we will watch the weather. If either of the trips look like they will work, we will head out and knock off a few hours. Otherwise, if the trips are still there, we will do them on Wednesday if no good RV trips show up. Good RV trips did show up today, back to MN but someone was more interested in driving in the snow that we were. At this point we likely will not leave the mid-west before Thanksgiving ... but we could head somewhere Saturday. Two days out, two days home.
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