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CITY BUS TO GRAND CANYRON, AZ
Monday
My wife and I had plans late on Sunday so I
had asked for the day off, dispatch had asked if I could fuel the buses but I
didn't want to commit. Wouldn't have been an issue, we were back home around
noon on Monday. Someone else must have picked them up on Friday. Dispatch had
asked what time I wanted to leave, I said 6:30 and didn't ask when anyone else
was leaving. (some days I DO let them do their own dispatching without my
input)
Tuesday - 3/1/11
6:30 AM, I'm at the lot
… along with three other drivers. Four of us all leaving at the same time
and I'm the last one there. Some are standing talking but I want to get rolling
so I stay away and only answer questions when someone comes to ask. But I'm too
late, the others are all rolling before I get done with my inspection. And I
found three 'little' opps …
1) We should have been staggered
about an hour apart
2) My unit does not have enough fuel, I will need to
top it off (and I'm last)
3) Paperwork shows going via PHX, that adds 300+
miles to a 3 day trip. OUCH.
The first fueling station is a half hour
from our lot, the first unit is still fueling when I get there. It's an hour
and 15 minutes before I'm fueled and rolling … delay one for today. After
doing the math over the weekend I found that if nothing goes wrong that I
should be able to be at the Grand Canyon late Thursday and my flight is not
until Friday PM. Motel/lodge on the grounds for $65. Sounded good to me, but
that was before I found I had to go via PHX to fuel.
After last trip,
I am stopping every two hours and checking the fuel. CNG, fuel guage is at the
rear of the unit. I got a good fill this AM, so no issues with fuel today.
Dispatch calls and asks if I can re-route via Tulsa and move some
trucks ??? Ahhh … No.
Maybe if they hadn't added 300 miles to
this trip, but no. And I'm already the last driver out of six. We may get a
rental car and shuttle back to avoid a taxi, I don't want to be the solo one in
the taxi for $150 that would kind of cut into my profits.
I think
about calling the driver ahead of me or one of the others to see how it's going
at the 2nd fueling station but don't. Should have. Four of the other five
trucks are sitting waiting to fuel, and one just accidently hit the 'emergency
off' button and we have to wait for someone to come and re-set it. As soon as I
hear that, I check my fuel and I'm rolling. I have enough fuel to get to the
'alternate stop' in Topeka … and back (if it's not working.) I call the
only driver that was not ahead of me, he stopped for a 'one hour lunch break,'
seemed to think that was a requirement. It's not. I re-route him to Topeka
also.
EDIT TO ADD: When the driver accidently hit the stop button, he
called into dispatch to let them know. But he must have phrased it something
like ... "I backed into the stop button ..." So dispatched wanted to know how
much damage was done :) Only damage was to that drivers pride ;)
By now
it is rush hour in Kansas City, thanks to my hour delay this AM. That was why I
wanted to get going early, avoid the rush hours. I didn't check it, but one of
the drivers said this fuel stop is 45 miles out of the way. Maybe by stopping
at KC to check the pump first. Either way it makes it likely that I will not
make Wichita tonight.
Fuel pumps great to start with but slows as the
pressure gets higher. I have to re-start it a few times and am still fueling
when the next driver gets there. This is his first trip with CNG so we spent
some time at the 1st stop giving him hints, I spend another ½ hour here
to make sure he gets the pump started twice before I leave.
I now have
an hour and a half left against my 14 hours, Emporia is an hour away. I had
planned on stopping at the Budget Host, but that would have added another 10
minutes each way. That motel is en-route from KC but not Topeka. I ended up at
the Guest House again. Bruffs again for food, chicken bacon wrap with a salad,
no good soups tonight.
Another driver likes to plan ahead, for days
like today he makes two reservations. He had one at the Best Western here in
Emporia and a second one in Wichita … said he'd do the same for the next
night, one reservation in Tucumcari and one in Santa Rosa.
>>>>>>>> TRIP ADVISOR - Guesthouse Inn, Emporia, KS
<<<<<<<<<<<<<
"Some area's of
this motel are showing their age, this room is not."
3 of 5 stars
1
more review of GuestHouse Inn by Jim-OnTheWayHome:
"Nice but showing
it's age"
3 of 5 stars December 15, 2010
Date of review: Mar
27, 2011
I've stayed at this place a number of times before. Tonight
it's because I'm coming in on, and leaving again on, the toll road and this is
one of the closest motels. I've been making it a point to ask at all motels to
be close to the WiFi. So for the first time since I've started staying here I
got a room that faces the pool / indoors. All other rooms I've been in have
opened to the outside.
This room looks like a suite and has been well
kept up. My last review commented that this motel is showing its age. The motel
is, this room is not. It seems larger than the others and has doors that could
open in to both adjacent rooms. I don't think I have ever seen that before,
anywhere.
The door to the sink area is double glass doors, when
another door that goes into the toilet / shower area. Everything is clean, room
is warm and quiet. It's all I need. I've also posted pictures.
*
Reviewer ratings for this hotel:
o 3 of 5 stars Value
o 3 of 5 stars
Rooms
o 3 of 5 stars Location
o 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
o 3 of 5
stars Service
o 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
* Date of stay: March
2011
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Wednesday - 3/2/11
When I got rolling in the AM, another
driver was parked next door at the Motel 6. Not sure how he got there, he
started before me and I arrived with only a ½ hour to spare.
Found out today that it was a good thing that I / we didn't stay in KC for
fuel. Only two drivers fueled, the third ran out of hours and fueled Wednesday
morning. That mess did spread us out a little.
This is how we were
supposed to be spread out. One driver left on Monday, another left at five AM,
two drivers were to leave at 7 AM fueled, with the last two having to fuel
before leaving. By the time we got to KC, the driver who left fueled at 7 AM (I
needed to re-fuel) came in first, then the guy who left at 5 AM, then the guy
who had to fuel at 7 AM. Fourth was the guy who left Monday, then me.
That changed by fuel station three, the guy who was first at station two was in
the shop and the 5 AM was at the OKC station before me but having issues. I
wasn't wanting to wait so I told him I was leaving to go to a different
station, I get in my unit and start backing out … then I make a mistake, I
have a 'second thought.' I decide to try the pump myself. It works, so I turn
the pump back over to the other driver. He fuels and leaves. I start fueling
again, but can't get a full tank (pressure). Another driver comes in and starts
fueling and gets less than I. By now the driver I had gotten ahead of has
stopped at the other fueling station and was rolling again within his ½
hour tire cooldown. Two plus hours later I still don't have a good fill. That
is what my second thought cost me, almost two hours.
I call the 800
number for help, he asks me to move to another pump at the station and try it.
He wants me to stay on the line … I ask if he wants to hear a big BOOM (as
I've heard this stuff is explosive). He claims it will only explode with an
open flame. So I stayed on the phone, and the pump he sent me too leaked bad,
when I tried to find the leak it whistled between my fingers. Another pump was
no better. Four pumps, none working correctly, only one working at all.
I call dispatch and get the OK to roll to the next fuel stop, I've
called and it's working. Two hours down the road and I have a fill in about 15
minutes, new pump since last time I was here and that time got one gallon in
one hour. I take the rest of my ½ hour cool down and I'm rolling.
Another two hours and I stop for a fuel check.
I've been keeping in
touch with a driver from another company and he left Lawrence, KS last night
and was parked at the first Oasis / Rest Area south of Emporia overnight. I
went through the lot but not knowing what I was looking for I missed him. He
called a half hour later and was about 15 minutes behind me. But he was not
running CNG so he gets to cut off at Wichita and take US-54 so he'll be ahead
of me. But he's in no hurry so he stops in Santa Rosa and it looks like I can /
may make it.
It stays looking 'iffy' if I can make Santa Rosa with my
fuel delay in OKC so I have to play it by ear. Later in the day it looks like
it will depend on how long it takes at the NM scale house getting my permit. If
it's in and out, it's Santa Rosa. If there is a line, it's Tucumcari.
When I get to the NM scale it has a 'GO' sign in the window, I'd like to, but I
need a permit. One guy just leaving so it was in and out, but I don't commit
until I'm at Tucumcari and see I have an hour left on my 14, I keep rolling.
The driver from the other company has checked into the Travelodge that
a co-driver had suggested to me, but can't get the price I quoted. I pull into
the same place, have the unit parked and am walking to the motel when I look at
the time. 8:01. That was close.
I can't get the $37 rate either and
someone new has come on with a shift change, this person says I can get a
coupon at the local store for $39, $3 less than the other driver had to pay. I
throw my bag in his room and we walk down to get the coupon … I remember
the clerk saying "It's only $4 off."
"Only?" $4 a night for even two
nights a week is $400 a year … money in my pocket.
I check in and
we walk down to the Santa Fe Grill, the Route 66 Restaurant was right in our
parking lot but the other guy thought the Santa Fe looked more to his liking.
We ate and talked for an hour and then back to the motel. I'm up against the
clock and can't afford to take more than 10 hours off. Two 14 hour days so far
with another one coming up.
>>>>>>>> TRIP
ADVISOR - Travelodge, Santa Rose, NM
<<<<<<<<<<<<<
"With a coupon,
this is a much better deal than the '6"
3 of 5 stars
Date of review:
Mar 11, 2011
I've been trying to find a good cheap motel in this town
instead of cutting my day short staying in Tucumcari the king of cheap. Someone
had told me that this place was $37 but they said no, but with a coupon it is
$39 (which is the same price as the '6) And here you don't have pay extra for
WiFi, their website says they have breakfast but I was gone at 5 AM so I can't
comment on that. They do have large vehicle parking and food next door. I'll
let my pictures say the rest. The shower shot shows the soap containers which I
am surprised more locations don't use. Also that the shower walls don't have
many places for mold to start, much easier to keep clean ... and it was clean.
* Reviewer ratings for this hotel:
o 3 of 5 stars Value
o 3
of 5 stars Rooms
o 3 of 5 stars Location
o 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
o 3 of 5 stars Service
o 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
* Date of
stay: March 2011
* Visit was for: Business
* Solo Traveler
* Member
since: November 28, 2010
* Recommended by this reviewer? Yes
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> TRIP ADVISOR - Santa Fe Grill,
Santa Rose, NM <<<<<<<<<<<<<
"Good food, good service"
4 of 5 stars
Date of review: Mar 11, 2011
I ordered a sandwich and salad, and that was the only problem. The
person I was with ordered a sandwich with salad instead of fries and I said I'd
do the same, but I got fries and salad. We ate them so not a real problem.
Food was all good, fast pleasant service, clean.
We walked past a few
other places to get here and would do the same again.
* Reviewer
ratings for this restaurant:
o 3 of 5 stars Value
o 3 of 5 stars
Service
* Date of visit: March 2011
* Member since: November 28, 2010
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Thursday - 3/3/11
Rolling at ??
Two hours
later I'm pulling in to fuel in ABQ, I have to wait briefly for one driver and
before I'm done fueling another driver calls and asks where I am. He is on the
other side of the airport, I give him directions and then walk out the main
drag to wait for him. I hop in and direct him the last quarter mile. Even with
my directions, the driver ahead of me missed it the first time and had to
circle around. The driver in the lead saw him go past but didn't wait for him
to come around again.
Someone else stops in and gets a few gallons and
comments that if we waited between units for the system to refill/recharge, it
wouldn't take us as long. I know we used to have pumps that this was a real
issue but don't see the value in the ones we are using now. Fuel time on this
pump was about 15 minutes and we need a ½ hour cool down.
Pulling out of ABQ, the lead driver is calling about plans to get out of the
Canyon. I don't have any, I just know my options. But he likes to have
everything confirmed a day ahead of time so he does his own checking. Just like
the shuttle routes in the Canyon, the ones TO/FROM the Canyon change on March
1. There is now an afternoon shuttle that will get us to the airport an hour
before flight, but only by reservation. He's made his. I'm watching the clock
so I don't want to make any extra stops so I wait a ½ hour until I get
to the scale house. I've caught up to another driver again, I ask if he as made
his reservation, he hasn't, says he'll do it later.
I make my
reservation before I go in to purchase my permit, I expect to get asked why it
took so long to come in but they don't say anything. I see a sign that says
I'll get charged extra if I use my credit card, I've since checked and can't
find where I've been charged.
Next cooldown is in Holbrook, McDonalds,
I order a chicken wrap. I didn't write it down, but I think I could see the
Flagstaff mountain about 70 miles out today … snow covered.
I do
my fuel check at the Flagstaff airport exit, and plan on checking at the same
exit on the way back tomorrow. Just to see what this PHX detour was worth.
Clear sailing down … the lead driver checks in and says that he
is shutting down. He'll fuel, scale and wash in the AM … like 2 AM. So
there aren't any lines.
No problem with traffic on the inbound route,
I get to the airport and fuel. By the time I leave the driver who had left the
scale house when I pulled in is just getting there. Now I find out why he
wasn't making shuttle plans with the rest of us … he is on a different
flight than us. I tell him where the nearest motel is, EZ 8, the next exit west
on I-17.
Traffic heading back into town is not quite as good. Slow but
moving. I had looked at a map online to see where the Flying J was and it said
Exit 142 (and yes, I've checked the site again) but I didn't remember seeing it
there. Could be though, as the interstate sits below street level.
I
get off there, no Flying J … and nowhere to turn around. So I head south
until I find what looks to be the first through cross street, it is. I guess at
the next street back to the interstate, right again. I go past tonight's motel
… I should have stopped now while I was still ahead.
But, I want
to wash and scale yet tonight so tomorrow I can just go, go directly to the
Canyon. I get back on the freeway and off at the next exit, no J so I just
cross the highway and back onto the interstate … and the same thing at the
next exit. This is easy on this stretch of highway as there is an extra lane
between exits, no reason to merge into traffic. Nothing at the second exit, so
I decide I will just go past the exits and make a U-turn when needed. Yep, I go
past the next exit and it was the one I wanted. Not sure how much time I've
killed … or do I?
I get to the wash and only one truck ahead of
me plus the one in the wash, no problem. I can wait, so I pay and wait.
And wait.
And wait.
As I'm sitting, waiting, I get a call from
the forth driver, he's still an hour out of town … I cover where I fuel,
scale, wash and stay.
I end up being at the wash close to two hours.
These guys do a complete job. I'm used to 15 minutes a truck. Never thought
about going over my hours when I got in line, never thought two trucks would
take two hours. I thought this was going to be the only short day on the trip
but now three 14 hour days in a row … they finish washing right as my 14
is up, lucky I my motel is only a mile away or I might have left my unit and
taken a taxi. As I'm leaving a guy asks if I want it hand / towel dried …
I had planned on scaling here too but that would put me over hours.
My usual place at the motel is roped off for re-sealing the parking
lot so I have to park on the other end of the building. This is the second time
I've been put on the opposite end of the motel as where I parked. When I walk
to the Ihop to eat, I see another bus parked at the next motel … hmmmm. I
think of calling the driver to see if they want to eat but don't.
No
Ihop review, I've done one before. Full crew tonight. Ordered their soup and
their French Dip. Good.
No motel review, I've done that before
Friday - 3/4/11
Zzzzzzzzzzz
Long week. But after
10 hours off, I'm up and rolling. The bus I saw last night is gone, short night
for someone.
Now back to scale, what a mess. 12 people in line and
only one cashier, another ½ hour wait that shouldn't have been. Now I
see that the scale ticket doesn't have a time on it, so there wouldn't have
been a (direct) paper trail if I had scaled last night.
Finally
rolling, two hours later than I thought I'd be this AM. Traffic is still light
Maybe I'll do the math to see how much fuel I used up and down the
hill from Flagstaff, but I do know that when I got back to the same exit I
stopped at on the way down … I had 100# more fuel than before I went to
PHX. (that equals about 33 miles worth). For that I drove 300+ miles and spent
about seven extra hours.
A few more miles down the road and I get a
call from driver four. He wants to know where the wash is in Flagstaff …
the one everyone was supposed to have washed at. Hmm. I don't know, I washed in
PHX. So at this point he is about a ½ hour behind me. That reminds me we
are supposed to call two hours ahead, it's now less than that. I pull over and
call, actually I guess I had pulled over when driver four called so I could
look at the maps for the wash.
The drop tells me one driver has
already delivered and another has called, I tell him I'll be there in an hour
and the last driver will be there in two … He asks, but I'm evasive about
the last two drivers, only saying they are not with us.
I did talk to
both of them last night from the wash. The guy in Wichita called and asked
directions / info to the pumps. He finally got going about 5 PM on Thursday
after sitting for two days. Knowing him, he was going to still put in his 11
driving tonight. He's only going as far as ABQ, as his mother is ill and he
needs to get home.
From ABQ the other driver will take over his trip,
as another unit is now in the shop in ABQ.
60+ miles of non-freeway
into the Canyon. I start looking at street signs as soon as I get off the
freeway … forgetting I've got 60 miles to go.
I find out at the
entrance I don't have to pay admission, that was something I had forgot to ask.
The people at the gate saw me coming and opened up a 'non-covered' gate for
clearance. Someone in a car pulls in front of me, then tries to make a U-turn
into coming traffic only to make another U-turn to go into a different gate.
The person at the gate tells me it's about three miles down, can't
miss it. But I almost do because it's only two miles down and I almost didn't
look at the street sign … the fourth driver called and he was told it was
'six miles past the gate' so he did miss it and ended up in the visitor area of
the park, then missed it again and made a U-turn on the highway so he was not
greeted very well when he got there. For someone who has driven truck all his
life he has some adjusting to do to fit in with driveway work.
I pull
into the shop yard, go in and ask where to park, when I come back out the
driver who had been in the lead all day yesterday is now parked behind me. We
pull around back where we find the person who is checking us in. No issues and
he's ready to give us a ride to the main visitor's area by the time we are done
packing up our stuff.
The driver I'm with now with asks about
helicopter rides and I think would have gone on ride if I had said yes. I
couldn't see spending $165 … I'm still working for the money, this is not
R&R for me. And I've never been up in one of those things.
The
other topic was the number of people who 'disappear' in the park, seems another
person did just in the last couple of weeks. It is a big place, over one
million acres.
http://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm
We get
dropped off at the same lodge that our shuttle will pick us up, they also have
a place to store our bags so we drop them and start walking. He's hungry so
that'll be our first stop … or so I thought. We walk along the rim looking
until we get to the restaurant, the prices aren't too bad so we stay. I would
have just as soon grabbed a sandwich and kept moving but …
They
wanted sit us at a table in the middle of the place but I asked for a booth by
the window. The place was still empty as it wasn't lunch time yet, so why not
get a view while we eat. I had a French Dip and the other guy had a salad. We
talked. I think we both started about the same time and ran together back then.
Now we each get our own rooms. He left for a while, first to a different
company and then to do Over the Road / OTR. He didn't like the OTR because when
he had to sit, he had to sit in his truck (money wise). With driveaway, he's
either in a motel or home. He also enjoys his trips, taking extra days at the
end and taking in the sites.
When we were done, the other driver
decided he wanted some 'alone time.' ??? We each had just spent the last 3-1/2
days alone in our units and our motels. ???
By now the last driver had
made it in, he was still at the shop when he called asking where we were. To
start with I didn't know that and was telling him how to get to where we were
… but he hadn't gotten the ride into the visitor's area yet. We did meet
up and he had no plans so we hopped on a shuttle bus and went for a ride along
the south rim. We got out a twice, but only had an hour and a half left and the
round trip was about an hour so we took two 15 minute stops. Didn't want to
miss that last shuttle.
And unless you are going to sit and look at
the landscape the pictures I was taking started to all look the same. Pictures
don't do it justice. Neither of us wanted to walk directly up the railing when
we got to the edge, we noticed that with a few other people, would make great
video, people scared to even touch the railing.
Did talk to the
drivers of the shuttles, one had some questions for me after everyone else was
off. Found out what we brought in was replacing units put into service in 2002.
Back at the lodge we still had a ½ hour before our shuttle was
to leave, I didn't want to just sit and talk then but there wasn't really any
place to walk with a view that I hadn't been. So when 15 minutes was up I just
turned around.
The three drivers were all standing and talking and
finally about 10 minutes before shuttle time I asked someone what type of bus
we were looking for … "the one that called for you five minutes ago?" They
asked.
Opps, too busy talking. Driver one is really getting nervous,
as the shuttle driver will not 'guarantee' that will will be to the airport in
one, as in one hour before flight time. Finally one of the passengers asks
"Have you ever been to the Flagstaff airport?" I got the message, not sure he
did. (it is likely small)
To make things more interesting, the shuttle
driver said she may have to stop and pick up another passenger, then we got
behind a driver who was going under the speed limit … except when someone
was passing them. But the shuttle company has a rule of no passing … no
exceptions. She also let us know that it was distracting to be asking her
questions (she is not a tour guide), but yet talked to the regular passenger in
the front seat the whole trip.
On this leg the boss called and asked
if, he said 'Please,' if I would back out of the Denver trip and go to Seattle.
I started to tell him they didn't pay enough and then I lost him … and
didn't have cell service again until the airport. By the time I called back the
run was covered and he was gone. (dispatch had already called the other two
drivers and they had turned them down.)
We got to the airport with
minutes to spare, I told the shuttle person that driver one wasn't really that
nervous, he just likes to keep the conversation going …
I was
surprised that the shuttle driver didn't ask which airline we wanted, until I
got inside and saw there was only one airline. And the security gate is only
open ½ hour before boarding time. The airport did have wireless though
… and the other drivers had time for drinks and a burger. I spent my time
on the computer, one of the software guys needed some work done and I couldn't
do it while I was running 14 hour days so now I'll do it on the planes.
The plane, the only one on the tarmac, twin prop, guessed it was ours.
It was ours.
The plane was not full and I got a seat right behind the
propeller, got to see it start, got to think about what would happen if it came
off, where would it hit. I moved to the window seat as soon as the door closed,
thought I could take pictures but I couldn't see around the propeller/wing
other than straight down.
We get dropped on the opposite end of the
PHX airport and have to walk, driver one is gone, I don't try to keep up. He's
ex-military and keeps in shape, I go at my pace and the third driver is huffing
to keep up. After we find our gate, I go and find the California Kitchen place
and get the chicken salad sandwich I had seen last week, it wasn't bad. Except
for the price, $9 for a cold sandwich, another $3 for water. Haven't found any
juice in this place in the last two weeks.
This place is full, so we
stand near the gate, driver one must have gone to find more solitude, we don't
see him again until we are ready to board. This flight is not full either, I
don't get anyone's attention before we take off so I have to wait for the
beverage cart to ask if I can move to a row that doesn't have three people in
it. I can. I move a couple of rows back and have a row to myself, then I see
that the last two rows / 12 seats have no one in them.
Later in the
flight someone comes on the speaker and says that we have a new stewardess
tonight and to welcome her as she comes through. It's a <> 9 year old
girl who's traveling alone, I had seen her early when she boarded.
When we land driver one is gone, but the third driver (as he's always bringing
up the rear) has offered to drop me off at my car, my other option was a rental
car again this week. His son will pick us up … he does, then we have to
drop the son off, then me off, then the other driver has another 1-1/2 hours to
home.
2 PM, "home again, safe at last …"
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From: Berenstain Bears & the Spooky Old Tree |
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