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...My Life as 'Drive away' driver
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2024 10 28 MN-ND 1 trash truck to Grand Forks ND (Tuesday) 1 tool truck to Burlington WI (Wednesday) spending the night at home Last Friday we hadn't committed to anything as it was past my '6 hour window,' :) We were spending a few days with family and didn't know how that might turn out. Good thing we had not committed. Some ones flight was delayed and they got back on Monday instead of Sunday so no work for us today. But there were a couple of good trips still on the load board. We had been leaning to do the one going to NE because it is closer to the RV shipper. But then this AM a trip near the ND trip drop showed up so that makes that one a sure thing. Once we both got home closer to noon, I called on and got both trips. The 2nd trip is a tool truck and I had to wait until I got a call back before committing to that trip. While I was waiting, the dispatcher called me. That was an interesting call. She thought she was calling me back, I hadn't called her ... no, it wasn't a accidental redial ... my cell phone was on the charger in one room and I was in a different room ... and I had called someone else in between. My paperwork had a local phone number for the first drop so I called it. It rolls to a main switch board with AI only. My only choices are to set up an account or change my account. No option to talk to a real person. I was able to print out the paperwork for the second truck here at home and I will pick up the paperwork for the first truck at the 'office' before going to the shipper tomorrow. Looking at the load board now, I see there are also two trucks in the metro going to Shakopee, that would have been a good days pay also. And now there is a truck in WI coming back to MN but the carrier will not let me commit to more than two trips at a time. I had looked earlier in the day at where my drop is in ND. Easy. Exit from the freeway unto a US Hwy, take the first right and follow the road to the drop. Later BB is looking at the route and her computer will not route her that way. So I finally zoomed in. The road I wanted to take is a dirt road, wider where water sits. Guess I will come in from a different direction. From the drop it is about an hour and a half back to Fargo where we will spend the night. I have told the 2nd shipper that we will pick up around 8 AM on Wednesday. Not likely to drop the 2nd truck the same day. I've dropped there before and they close mid-afternoon so we will likely get a hotel in Janesville. But we will be working, not hitting re-fresh. ... and I needed to work. Wednesday it would have been 30 days since I worked for this carrier last. Load board US - 197 IA - 2/0 MN - 4 WI - 8 2024 10 29 MN-ND 1 trash truck to Grand Forks ND (Delivered) 1 tool truck to Burlington WI (Wednesday) spending the night at Fargo ND BB is up at 5:30, I finally wake up at 6:30. Both of us slept better being home last night than the prior few nights. Made to order breakfast and some packing and we are ready to go. 7:30 we are backing out of the garage, right on time. By the time we are half way to the freeway, BB looks at the traffic map and the freeway is not our best route. We end up taking the back roads and only being on the four lane for less than five miles. Still made it to Dodge Center in the same amount of time. Might try this route again. But with this carrier we have to stop at the office first and pick up paperwork so that delays us about 15 minutes. We pick up the paperwork from a mail box mounted on the edge of his deck. He has now added a door bell/intercom to the box. At the shipper there are five other sets of keys in the box, but there had only been one other set of paper work in the box at the carrier office. Truck was easy to find, only two today for that customer based on paint color. When I get to the truck, I turn on the battery and then walk to the right side to throw my back pack inside. It looks different, then I realize this is a right hand drive. I need to throw my bag on the left side. This truck has little windows by my feet so my placards will go there. Easier than putting them in the corner windows in the back. All checks good. Today it only took about a half hour to do the inspection and paperwork. We had done the math last night and knew that we needed to be out of the shippers lot by 10 AM to make it to the drop by 5 PM. That was the time we assumed they closed. ... 55 mph. I was not expecting that. Actually 58 mph but still slower than we had done the math for. I was hoping 70 mph seeing it is going to ND where the speed limit is 75 mph. The only thing I can do now is make less stops. The trip is less than eight hours so I don't need a half hour break so all I need to stop for is fuel. I did eat breakfast with the idea that I may not eat again until after I drop. ... and as soon as I got over 45 mph something started beeping at me ... for the next 400 miles. I need to just carry my earplugs every time I get into one of these trucks. Once upon a time, I had gotten a phone number for an area manager for this trash company in MN. I was hopeful that I had put it into my phone as now I <> know I will not be to the drop before 5 PM. I look when I stop and I do not have it ... going in blind. It's been a while since I have driven a right hand drive and it shows. I don't remember it being such an issue. I do fine as long as I focus but as soon as I look for something or at something, I am riding the center white line. BB commented later on that, she passed me a few times today. At 55 mph, no major slow downs for me, no traffic back ups. The radar on this thing would try to slow me down but I could over ride it and still not catch up to what was in front of me. 1st and only stop was at the Pilot in Alexandria for fuel. That is the halfway point and I am almost down to 1/8. And I need to leave it on 1/4. The truck wasn't topped off at pick up but I am hoping that I can gain enough range to not have to stop again before dropping. I'm stopped so I go in to use the rest room and grab some food. I had hoped a chicken roller. Nope. All they had on the roller was one hot dog, jalapeno. So I look at the sandwiches, they have corn dogs ... jalapeno. And nothing else I can eat in a few minutes. I finally grab a Klondike sandwich as I can't find cookies or any small sandwichs here. One bite of the sandwich and I have to look at the wrapper. It does not say Oreo, I can taste the difference. I can't find online if they now carry both or if they have dropped the Oreos. I may want to stock up on them at home, but they don't last that long before the ice cream looses it's taste. Roads have changed by this station. They have taken out the traffic lights and put in a roundabout and also added a new exit from the truck parking lot. Somewhere before the fuel stop, there was road construction. Less than a mile into the two lane, I hear thump, thump, thump. I'm guessing I was hitting those orange posts on the center line. I had been on the center line a few times before so that was likely what I did. I looked at the truckstop and there were not any marks on the truck. And I had looked in my mirror when I would have hit them and none were missing so I must not have taken them down. Don't think I have ever done that before. Four, almost, more hours to the drop. It is 5:02 when I exit the freeway, I still need to get to the drop. This road is better, but it still isn't paved. The other street has a 'minimum maintenance' sign on it. Did meet one vehicle that came off that street. I did not meet any cars on the way to the drop and only one car in the lot. (so not sure what time they closed) And everything is locked up. One large door is open to where they dump the trash. I walk in there and this may have been the first time I have seen rats running in the wild. Lots of them. I say Hello, no one answers. I check all the doors on both buildings, everything is locked. I recheck all area's for a phone number, none. So I go back to the truck and start looking for hotels. Then I see BB pulling in ... ... and see someone getting in the one car in the lot. I hop out and yell. They don't reply or get back out of their pickup. They do roll down their window once I get there. I ask who can sign and how close they life. No one close ... then they guy asks if he can sign, it is likely going to be his truck. ?? Please ... sign. I don't care who signs. That quickly went from where are we going to spend the night to ... I'm dropping it now. It takes him a few minutes to look and then sign for the truck and we are gone. Back at the main road there is a Walmart so BB wants to stop there. I try to find food as I have not really eaten for a while. I end up with a chicken salad sandwich. Ham and swiss sliders would have been easier to eat but didn't include mayo. One hour back to Fargo. It is dark by the time we get there. Then I realize BB hasn't eaten yet. We could have stopped at a truck stop to nuke her food but she didn't say anything. Sleep Inn in Fargo for the night. Work. There had been a truck back to MN from WI but that was gone within a few minuts of 8 AM. Then there was a truck from Janesville to Janesville but that also went quickly. Now there is one in IN coming back to MN. That is about 200 miles deadhead to get to the truck. We'll see. It is the best option right now. Load board US - 143 IA - 1/0 MN - 3 WI - 4 ... the trip continues HERE |
