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NEW FORD TANKER TO MB
USED
INTERNATIONAL REFER FROM FARGO
I took this run while still coming back
from my prior run, not sure why I didn't try to hold out for a longer run.
Mileage says this is about a eight hour run. Guess I just wanted to work.
7/5/2011 - Tuesday
7 AM … turns out there are three
of us, so we don't get going right on time. Waiting on drivers and then the
shuttle is low on gas. What shows as a ½ hour trip takes us 1-1/2 by the
time we are at the customer for PU.
One other driver and me are
leaving from here. He's new(er), about a month with our company and he's going
to Midland TX. Sounds like there is no easy way out of there so he's heading
blind just like me.
No issue with the truck, customer comments about
me not getting the delivery location their 'Form 1' on the last truck. Not much
I can do about that, border told me to go, so I went. My paperwork shows I am
to call dispatch before leaving … I call, I wait. 15 minutes … tick,
tick, tick.
I'm cleared to go. And have enough fuel to get to the
first Pilot. This paperwork shows that I am supposed to leave ¼ full, so
I'll have to stop somewhere and guesstimate.
Hmmmm, I think I have
seen this road before, last week, the week before. I set the cruise at the
speed limit and roll.
Lots of water, still / again. Thought I heard
somewhere not too far away got eight inches of rain. Rivers are still up, water
between the rows of crops, lots of area in fields where the crops had died from
past high water marks.
1100 am, the FLAG. Radio station in Fargo.
Interesting, they go from Rush to Ed Shultz, adding a little balance I guess.
Later the other driver told me that he had just started, and whoever was in
that time slot before got kicked midair. So I've looked it up. The prior guy
was on his last day and a few minutes into his last show they shut his mike
off, his website doesn't give a good answer as to why.
Stamark in
Grand Forks is my other fuel stop. I do have to call in to get the pump turned
on but do not have to go inside. The truck has been getting 10 mph plus, easy
math. This truck needs DEF but does not have a gauge so I bought a jug back at
Pilot but only got in less than a gallon before it was full. So I put the rest
in a side panel for the customer, they are paying for it.
Opps …
Dispatch had said they were going to get me a MB permit. I forgot to call back
about it. Turns out I do not need one. Whewwwww. There was only one more
truckstop before the border.
Border, only one gate open and only the
truck I followed in is the only one in line. First time ever (I think) that
dispatch did not give me any paperwork, just a PARS. (barcoded tracking number
for border crossing). Agent only asks the three basic questions
1) Where
do you live?
2) Do you have any tobacco, alcohol or firearms?
3)
Where are you going?
I've never stopped at this location before,
crossed, but never had to stop. I go into the building but don't see the
brokers, customs asks for my paperwork, stamps them and sends me a quarter of
mile away to the broker. Agents didn't think my broker was at their crossing
(must be new) but one of the brokers was standing there doing paperwork and
give me directions.
My paperwork was on the door ???, I missed that
and went inside. Turns out they had to do a bunch more work anyway. Not sure
what I'd have done with just the paperwork, came back I guess. Back at customs
it only takes a few minutes. Get talking to an LTL trucker who is having his
load un-loaded. Sounds like fun.
Trucker asked about my line of work
and I told him what town I was going to … and another driver said the name
of my delivery. That's a good sign, it must be visible from the highway.
I didn't remember it taking this long from the border to WPG. Only
been here a couple of times but I remember the basic layout. Beltway is
waaaaaay out from the city. Customer is supposed to be eight miles off the
beltway. I find the town and go to the address and … FINALLY REALIZE that
this is a map of the town, not street address. Hasn't been an issue for so many
months that I haven't been looking ahead of time. I always used to check at
pickup because the maps were so often bad.
But this is a small town,
only six streets so I drive … Nope, then I try to call, no cell service,
then no answer. No answer from my tag driver either. I call again, customer
answers … I passed the customer five miles ago. Oh, the map was wrong too
… I try to come in on a road that isn't there anymore, it's been 'dead
ended.' All of this likely took an extra ½ hour.
Customer is
easy to find … now. No other driver, still no answer. Then he calls, he's
sitting at the same place I was … lost.
Customer wants to show me
all the changes they had to make on the last truck, and like the last location,
they have no idea what DEF is. Delivery had been told by our customer that they
need to give the driver a ride to transportation. In this case the airport.
Guess no one called them after plans changed.
Last week dispatch had
told me they had gotten plans done as far as 'to the airport.' "Airport" I
asked, "Why not have someone follow me and I can pick up another local unit?"
Turns out that is what they did, not sure what they would have done if I hadn't
broken down last Friday, that's the truck I'm picking up.
I did check
on other ways out. Bus doesn't run anymore (I knew that), flight was $350+ and
a one way rental car was $1,100+. So a tag car was the cheapest, likely a tag
car across the border to the local bus service if I hadn't had a truck waiting.
Seemed to take forever to get back out of Canada, back to the border.
No waiting at the border. Only one lane open, but as we stopped the car at the
booth pulled out. A few more questions this time and a quick look in the trunk
and we were on our way.
Not sure what they were up to but now the US
was stopping everyone heading into CN. Other driver says that happens a lot at
this crossing. I've never seen it before. ???
Lots of chat on the four
hour trip, guy used to be a farmer, drives a lot of buses, tags a lot for other
drivers going into CN, heart issues, general talk.
I had debated
picking up the next truck yet tonight but decided Fargo had the cheapest motels
… turned out not to me an issue. I'm an hour over to start driving again
so straight to the motel. Motel 6 again.
I ask about other close food,
Country Kitchen is just across the freeway, but I don't remember where and
can't see it so I just walk across to the Subway at Love's. And order a
foot-long to go, I need to stop doing that. Too much food.
I do stop
at the shop and ask if the truck is ready, it is. And they will be open before
I am OK to roll so I leave the keys for tomorrow.
Did a review on the
'6 last trip so none this week. No issues, hard to believe my last two rooms
have been right next to the driveway for the truck stop and I don't hear a
thing at night.
7/6/2011 - Wednesday
8 AM almost …
Truck is ready, it starts. AC works, I shut it off. I check out of the
motel and roll. Only one fuel stop today, Pilot. Once I'm fueled I call
dispatch … they have a truck to Bismarck. I say … ok but will need to
know how I'm getting out of there. Four hours to home total, short day.
Bismarck is going to be a 'tow' trip. I pass … and pass on two east trips
too, do call back on those later but by then they are gone … Thought I was
going to step right into my next trip … didn't happen. Home I go. |
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