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...My Life as 'Drive away' driver
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2024 01 10 IA-FL 2 RV's to Tampa FL ... spending the night at Cedar Falls IA We are up and watching the load board at 8 AM. And we watch them drop, one at a time. Until finally they are all gone. Sometime about 9 AM the RV dispatcher calls us. At our last safety meeting they had forgotten to get company t-shirts for us so we had all written our names down. Dispatch had come across the list and couldn't remember if they had ever sent them. ... and while talking, I ask if they have a full lot of RV's waiting to be put on the load board. 'No, but we MAY have some going to a show.' They were supposed to have already shipped but were not ready when they should have been. BB and I had been talking about just renting a car and heading south if there was no work. And we had looked at taking one of the trips and then getting a car from there to head south. If we don't get out of town today, it could be another week before the weather is good enough that we want to leave. So after more talk, we decide to take our car and head in the direction of the RV's ... if they put out anything in the next four hours we will still be closer than we are now. As we are just about ready to go, BB asks why I look so confused ... 'because I feel like I'm forgetting something.' We pull out about 10 AM, fuel and the closest station and head out. ... about 20 miles later, I glance down at the center console in the car ... I forgot my phone. So we head back home ... So at about 11 AM we are heading out ... again. Just before we got back to my phone, someone had called. So I call them back. Local dispatch, they have work for me today. Sorry, we have <> committed to something else already. (I need to change the name on that phone number to 'Various.' They are going through dispatchers more often than I am driving for them) About noon we get a call from dispatch. 'Do you still want to work? How soon can you be here?' ... we are already on our way. BB's RV is already at the lot, mine should be within the hour. First stop is in Albert Lea for food at Wendy's. Before we get to the shipper, BB gets notice of her paperwork and her advance on the trip. 2nd stop is the shipper. BB's gets her actual paperwork but 'mine has an issue.' We both inspect BB's ... and then she realizes the RV has died ... or she shut it off, which she usually does not do. So she restarts ... it runs, and then dies. Sometimes it runs for seconds, other times it runs for 10 minutes. Finally after about a half dozen times, it won't start. Time to let dispatch know. We need to take all of our stuff out of the RV, it is going back to the shop. About an hour and a half after we first got there, dispatch says they have two RV's for us. So we get the keys and go out to inspect. Hmmm ... BB's RV was sitting there when we got here. It was one of only two in that part of the lot. Mine was also sitting there, right next to BB's first RV ... it was the same one. It had the show sticker mostly ripped off the window. By the time we are done inspecting, our paperwork is ready to go. By that time, two other drivers have come and gone with their RV's. As we were sitting in the office earlier waiting for paperwork, BB could hear the dispatchers calling drivers for still more RV's going to this show. So they did really need drivers, it wasn't JUST that dispatch happened to call us for something else. We did ask when they wanted these delivered ... Friday (!?!?) That's 750 miles a day depending on what time we were going to get out of here today ... or Saturday and they will blame it on the weather. But once we heard that there were going to be more drivers leaving 'sometime tomorrow' I was less worried about not making it on Friday. We think / thought we could be there by noon on Saturday. And now we lost an hour plus at the shipper (plus the hour we lost going back to get my phone) At 3:30 we finally pull out. Last light is before 5:30 so we have less than two hours drive time today. That doesn't put much of a dent in the miles. For the last few years, since BB's eye surgery, it has been mostly me that hasn't wanted to drive at night. My reasons are because of the people I know that have killed someone or had major crashes driving at night. And maybe a little of the claustrophobic thing. I like to be able to see a mile in every direction when I drive. But just recently again, BB seems to be really spooked about driving at night again. So we will be driving even less after dark than before. Today we both have almost a full tank of fuel so no fuel stop needed today. And more money in our pockets. It is dark before we get to the hotel and we have never been to this hotel before ... and I never looked it up to see the exit number or street name. Last light is about 10 minutes before we get off the freeway. I guess ... and guess right. No hotel sign before the exit but the hotel is right at the bottom of the ramp but we couldn't see it before the exit. Country Inn in Cedar Falls. $20 less than the Comfort Inn tonight. Food is left overs from last night. Lien Chin's. Temps have been below freezing all day and we kept the food either in the trunk or in the lower storage on the RV. Load board US - 99 IA - 1/0 MN - 1 WI - 3 We have tomorrow all mapped out. This time of the year it is hard to get more than 500 miles during daylight hours. But we should be in KY tomorrow night and in GA on Friday night. That would leave about 300 miles for Saturday. Not sure if it will be before noon. BB is looking at the weather and it is supposed to be below -0- in KY on Sunday. It looks like it will be in the 60's-low 70's in FL WHILE we are there. This Friday before we get there it should be almost 80 degrees. 2024 01 11 IA-FL 2 RV's to Tampa FL ... spending the night at Calvert City KY 5:30 alarm :( But we want to get delivered Saturday by noon. (We'd rather do things at our own speed) Good breakfast for a Country Inn. Bacon, eggs, biscuits and gravy, hot cereal, Pop-tarts, cheese sticks, water ... It snowed ... when our RV's were still warm. So ice on the windows. All this takes longer to get going in the AM. And it is still dark. ?? These Mercedes do not have dip sticks but instead have a gauge that shows on the dash every time it is started. We've driven 100's over the last few years. They have always been almost full. As was this one yesterday. Today it has dropped to just above the minimum. Safe to run, but I am checking it often. 1st stop is the next exit at the Loves for fuel. Lots, 100 <> cars in the ditch in the next two hours. Not sure if they were all from last night or from the prior storm. When the storms are bad, IA does not allow anything to be towed until the weather is good and the roads are cleared. Neither of us felt any slick spots, but traffic was rarely moving at the posted and we didn't spend much time in the passing lane. We just went with the flow of traffic, less accidents that way. Finally about 15 miles from our next stop I put on the cruise control. 2nd stop is the Pilot in Mount Pleasant for a break. From there I call dispatch on a few things. There is still snow until just about St Louis, but the roads are dry so we use the cruise until it shuts off. BB's comes back on, my does not until the unit is re-started. 3rd stop is for fuel at Loves and food at Hardee's in New London. Both BB and I ordered something that would take a few minutes. So we were not in and out in 30 minutes, close to 45 minutes. Saint Louis was not bad today ... 4th stop was east of St Louis at Lebanon at a rest area. From there we decide to do the next 150 miles without a break AND drive over 65 mph. We want to fuel yet tonight because it will start raining overnight. IF we had stopped at our planned stop, we likely would have gotten a hotel there. We are 15 minutes past last light when we get to the truck stop. 5th stop is Calvert City. First at Loves for fuel, then Arby's for to go food. then back across the freeway to the Quality Inn for the night. NOW BB looks a the hotel reviews, not so good. But our choice is this hotel or drive more miles. We get the hotel. Load board US - 100 IA - 2/0 MN - 5 WI - 3 Forecast is high winds and rain tomorrow. Rain starts at midnight. We should hit the winds after about two hours driving. Somewhere about Nashville. If the forecast proves to be correct we will be shutting down somewhere near Nashville and not making Saturday delivery. 2024 01 12 IA-FL 2 RV's to Tampa FL ... spending the night at Forsyth GA Long day, short night. (the rest is written two days later) ... don't remember breakfast ... We spent last night at the Quality Inn in Calvert City. Glad we fueled last night, today it is raining. And lightening. So right off the bat, we hit the trifecta. Rain, dark, and road construction. The plus on this road construction is that it was not very long and was well marked with reflectors. We do not like running in the dark, but we are trying to get 500 miles today so we can deliver by noon on Saturday. Not our choice, that is what dispatch wants and we thought we could do it. ... and we wanted to get in at least a 100 miles before shutting down because of the wind, or forecasted wind. 1st stop is the welcome center in Clarksville TN. The rain lets up a little while we are there. BB checks the weather and we are still OK to run. 2nd stop is in Christiana at a Loves for fuel. Crowded when we get there, empty when we leave. We drove around the fuel area a couple of times before we found an open island, with diesel. The first one I pulled into was gas only. Today will be a day where we can't park across from each other to fuel. Instead one fuels, lays the hose down and then the next one pulls up. 3rd stop is in Chattanooga at Buddy's BBQ. This whole area is new, I don't think anything was here five years ago. Last exit before GA. Coming up to Calhoun, I see flashing lights IN the right lane so we move over. A whole bunch of squad cars and one Fedex trailer. Pup, nose down. There were a couple of cars stopped passed where the trailer was so it didn't look like anyone hit it. A mile plus down the road was the tractor and other trailer. It either took him that long to notice or that long for someone to chase him down. (10 months ago I chased down an RV that lost the car they were towing ... they didn't know that had lost it. Same stretch of highway) 4th stop was at Emmerson at a Loves for a break. i had texted the drop at noon but they haven't gotten back to me so I call from here. "Yeah ... no problem. We will be working into the evening hours." 5th stop is a Loves in Jackson for fuel. It is close to dark and we are done. We do not HAVE to deliver by noon. From here we make reservations. 6th and final stop is the Comfort Inn in Forsyth. Food is next door at the Shoney's buffet. But tonight is Friday night. It's a fish buffet. I should have just gone with it, there were a couple of things that were not fish. I would have been done sooner and likely not eaten as much. BB was almost done eating by the time I got my food. From before daylight until after daylight and we only were able to make 425 miles today. Rare that traffic was moving the posted. Rare that my wipers were no on. And it wasn't until after noon that the wind died down. We were hoping for another 525+ mile day today. That is two more hours we will need to drive tomorrow. Load board US - 97 IA - 2/0 MN -2 WI - 2 2024 01 13 IA-FL 2 RV's to Tampa FL (delivered) ... spending the night at Palm River FL Another day of waking up to the alarm clock, another night of lousy sleep. Spent last night at the Comfort Inn in Forsyth. Breakfast was ok ... Yogurt was all diet, eggs were cold, link sausage was ok, juice was ok. Headed out at 7 AM their time. I had parked closer to the branches last night than I had planned so I was careful leaving this AM. Traffic was six lanes most or all of the way today. Saw lots of cops, saw one in action but not sure if he got the right car. I though it was smaller than the one he pulled over. Did pass one of our drivers this AM, also met a lot of driveaway drivers in traffic this AM. 1st stop was the rest are near Sycamore at a rest area. 2nd stop was for fuel and lunch at the Loves/Hardee's in Ellisville. Plan was to stop later today in Wildwood to see if we might need more fuel. We both had enough to get to our drop when we fueled last night. But these things don't like the speed we are driving them. For my first 100 miles I used 150 miles range of fuel. So we fuel here. Today we split a 5 piece chicken sticks. There is a firetruck that pulled in behind us, but no where to park something that big in the car spots so he just parked it out of the way. 3rd stop is first at the Pilot in Wildwood, but their car parking area fits about three cars, so we decide neither of us needs fuel after this AM's fuel so we head south. 4th stop is the rest area near Bushnell. Lots of parking here, new parking. Somewhere along the route today there was a semi on the shoulder that was smoking. Something was burning. Mentioned it to BB, and she had smelled hot brakes for miles before that. But by the time she got to the truck it was not a brake smell. 5th stop is the Brandon Mall for the rental car agency. This location is inside the mall. We are early and they do not have our car ready. As BB sits there, she can hear the help calling drivers who have not returned their cars yet. Then there is a walk in, they want to rent a car today. Sorry no cars. Not sure what was going on at this mall. It's like the 70's-80's all over again. The parking lot is full except where we parked. The old Sears (?) is still empty so the park area is mostly empty also. But the mall is packed. Almost no vacant store fronts. I had noticed when we came in there was a line to exit and when BB pegged the drop in the GPS it gave her a different route to leave. I came back out the way I came in, because that is what I had looked at. Somewhere else may have cost me more time that I saved. 15 minutes from my parking stop <> 3 blocks back to the main street. It did take about 45 minutes for them to get us a car so glad I didn't call the drop until I was leaving. We arrange to park my first RV and come back to get BB's and drop them both at the same time. Next stop is the SpeedeWay for fuel. BB gets there five minutes before I do going her route. We find the entrance to the fair grounds OK and park one RV. Then head back to get BB's RV. It's only about 5 miles, 10 round trip but takes us about an hour. I get back first with the car, BB has to fuel hers. By the time I walk from my car to the RV and take my plate off, BB is there. So I call my contact on site and he sends someone to meet us. Instead of us following them all the way, they followed us to our car and then did the paperwork and took the RV's from there ??? Fine with us. For a minute we thought we'd have to wait as the inspector at the fair said we didn't have the needed paperwork. That paperwork was for RV's coming from dealers ... we did have the paperwork needed for new units. No plan for where to go next so we sat in our car. Something we could have thought about ahead of time. BB's limits are ... no long road trips (so no FL Keys,) and to stay at least two nights in one place. We finally picked a cheaper hotel in the area for tonight just to get off the road. It has been long, stressful days and short nights. But we made it. We hadn't sat there after dropping the RV's that long but the route we came in is now gated, then we follow the GPS ... gated. Then we shut the GPS off until we could get off the grounds. We found a gate that would let us out but not people in. Comfort Inn in Brandon. BB is glad we did not pick this one for two nights. Over kill on the 'clean' smell that her eyes water. It is Saturday night and it's been hours since lunch so we wanted fast food fast. The closest Walmart has a Charlies. So that was food. We ate there so we could eat 15 minutes sooner than taking food back to the hotel. Load Board US - 92 IA 2/0 MN - 2 WI - 2 No plans yet for tomorrow, other than check out. It is supposed to be in the 70's and sunny. Monday it is supposed to be 60's and rain. So outdoor stuff tomorrow. Not heading down to Naples this year, not enough difference in weather. ... the trip continues HERE |
