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INTERNATIONAL - NEW - TO RAPID CITY, SD
REFER ON A HINO - USED - FROM RAPID CITY, SD
Monday -
2/7/11
(as I write this it is now one week later, but it already seems
like a year later)
Because of a family weekend, I wasn't sure if I was
going to be leaving yet Sunday night or wait and get an early start on Monday.
I finally opted for 4 AM Monday. I had had the option of taking a long run, but
that would have meant leaving earlier on Sunday.
Turns out that not
taking the long run was a good call. I've talked to the driver who did and he
was not even able to make 600 miles because of the weather. The trip didn't get
any better for him, by Tuesday he was off the Interstate and onto secondary
roads, and when he got to the customer he had to wait as the local driver was
running late due to the secondary roads. Weather was fine for me by Monday but
the roads were still hard packed with snow.
To cut off an hour of
driving, I spent the first 3-4 hours off the Interstate. Mostly four-lane, but
some two lane. At four in the morning the traffic wasn't too bad, and I kept
thinking that as soon as I got to the freeway the roads would get better. They
didn't. I only had about an hour where the roads were clear enough that I dared
to use the cruise all day.
First stop of the day was the SD scale. In
my new role as playing it 'really safe,' I bought the permits for both trucks.
In the past I usually had not boughten permits for trucks leaving the state as
we don't cross any scales. Did get into a conversation there with the scale
master. He didn't like it that I hadn't signed my credit card "Not valid until
signed." He read from the back. I thought he was going to make me sign it
before I could get the permits but he didn't. I didn't have to sign anything
because the amount was under ? $50.
Back in my truck I realize that I
will have enough fuel to make it the last 20 miles to Sioux Falls … and
hoping that there is something before that. There is, a Sinclair station with a
couple of diesel pumps but no perk points.
This is the road less
traveled, for me. I've spent very little time on I-90 west of Chicago. Not much
to see today, not much traffic, not much snow as compared to the rest of the
midwest. I can still see the mowed grass sticking through the snow in the
ditches. Spend lots of time weaving from one lane to the other trying to keep
one set of tires on pavement.
Truck was not full of fuel when I picked
it up, they are supposed to be. But doubt that would have made a difference, I
still would have stopped at Sioux Falls and not been able to make it to Rapid
City on one tank. The only 'name branded' fuel I see between Sioux Falls and
Rapid City is an I-90 truckstop co-branded as a Pilot. My second fuel stop is
an hour or two from Rapid City, another Sinclair station.
By now it
has started to snow. From here on I will be watching for cheap motels, just in
case I make it back this far yet tonight. But if it keeps snowing I might just
stay in Rapid City. Trucks must be full at delivery so I stop one last time in
Rapid City at the Flying J, boy I will be glad when I can 'pre-pay' at the pump
again, lots of wasted time inside.
We have a map from dispatch but it
is old, roads have changed. And I missed where they had changed, but one stop
to look at the map again and I guessed correctly where I was and got to the
drop just as the customer was calling.
Oh, he wasn't a happy camper
this AM when I called. I told him I'd be there in six hours … which was
right when a bunch of other things were going on. As he mumbled a few more
things I realized he thought it was already noon, it wasn't. It was only 8 AM
so then he was fine.
Somewhere in the last hour it started to snow,
heavy fluffy snow. Enough so that we went inside to do the paperwork so that
the papers wouldn't get wet. It only took about 15 minutes to drop, inspect and
be rolling again.
I am able to make it about an hour back before
stopping for the night, could have made it further but at Wall there is a Motel
6 that I've stayed at before and now it has 'free' WiFi.'
It is
supposed to be cold tonight so I top off the fuel tank and add some anti-gel,
and washer fluid. Then head across the street to the Motel 6. The price is
right so I'm off the road and it's not even 6 PM. The road is drifted where I'm
supposed to park so I gun it a few times back and forth so that I don't get
stuck in the AM.
Off for food. I see a place a block away and ask the
desk clerk if I can walk between the buildings or if I have to go around on the
street to get there. I can walk, but they don't tell me the place is …
closed. Subway tonight instead. And it is cold just walking two blocks,
something that will register more in the AM.
>>>>>>>> TRIP ADVISOR - Motel 6, Wall, SD
<<<<<<<<<<<<<
"This one is at
the top of the heap for a Motel 6" 4 of 5 stars Date of review: Feb 14, 2011
From the time I checked in this place was A-OK. Helpful at the front
desk, free WiFi (hard to find at a Motel 6), the heat was already on, large
flat screen TV and 'new?' rooms. I've been in maybe a hundred different Motel 6
rooms and have never seen one like this before.
A picture is worth a 1,000
words so I've posted a couple of pictures of this one. Hard floor (instead of
carpet), new colors, different sink layout.
And then something happened
that hasn't happened at a motel of any price for a long time. The front desk
called to see if everything was OK.
* Reviewer ratings for this hotel:
o 4 of 5 stars Value
o 3 of 5 stars Rooms
o 4 of 5 stars
Location
o 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
o 4 of 5 stars Service
o 3 of 5
stars Sleep Quality
* Date of stay: February 2011
* Visit was for:
Business
* Solo Traveler
* Member since: November 28, 2010
*
Recommended by this reviewer? Yes
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tuesday - 2/8/11
I sleep in, no reason to get going
again at 4 AM, yesterday was so that I could do the swap when the customer
wanted. This AM it is 7:30, and it's a good thing I waited as dispatch doesn't
open until 8 AM … and my truck won't start. Lots of battery power, no fire
power. Finally the battery goes almost dead so I stop, I try once more an hour
later when roadside service calls and but by then the battery is totally dead.
16 below, guess I should have plugged it in last night, or at least this AM
when I got up. I can see a hardware store a couple of blocks away.
Service is there at 11 AM, and they start charging the truck and working on
changing the fuel filter. This takes most of an hour, fuel filter is empty and
starting fluid doesn't help, finally after I've called dispatch and told them
nothing is working (and they've said to send him on his way) the guy starts to
prime the fuel filter as I crank the starter. This works.
So not sure
if I had plugged the truck in last night if that would have helped ??? But by
this AM there is no way I would have gotten it started alone.
This guy
from the shop says I need to return to Rapid City to take care of the paper
work ?? What? We have never had to do that before. A few more phone calls and
I'm on my way … home.
No, I don't take time to go see the famous
'Wall Drug,' maybe next time.
Now it is noon and meaning I won't be
back until 10 PM tonight, oh well. Roads are good, better and it's sunny.
Nope, no open scales this direction, so a good thing I bought my
permit yesterday. One fuel stop in Sioux Falls at the Loves ?? It has a Grandma
Maxx's and a Boss Pro Stop so it looks like it used to be a Pilot.
By
now it's getting dark, and I don't remember which highway to exit from I-90. I
take the wrong one a couple of miles before doing a U-turn. It was the next
exit. Highway is still snow packed, not fun after dark on the two lane.
Interesting. I took this same highway yesterday and was thinking that I didn't
remember there being this many miles of two lane highway. Now today I keep
looking for the road to narrow back to two lanes because yesterday it seemed
like there was more two lane highway … maybe there is more two lane on the
southbound ??? :
I am able to make it back to town with the one fuel
stop today, I top the tank off five miles from our lot and I'm home again. One
fast trip. The other trip I didn't take has turned into a four day trip instead
of a two plus day trip. |
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