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...My Life as 'Drive away' driver
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Left out in a shuttle at nine AM, our first stop is Alexandria. Actually ate a breakfast of chili before getting to work, knowing that would be my last home cooked meal for a couple of weeks. Worked a little on the computer on the five hour ride to Crookston. My bus is one that broke down last week and got towed back to Crookston, so they are giving me an extra day to get it to CA ... just in case. (not sure if the pay got adjusted) Everything is ready at Crookston and I am in and out in fifteen minutes. First stop is Flying J in Fargo. There are not any fuel gauges on the buses so I like to make sure I'm not on the side of the road, for that reason anyways. It's been so long since I've bought fuel at Flying J / Pilot that I now have to pre-pay inside again. IF I buy enough fuel, I can start the fuel pumps with a perks card and when I'm done, I can get a receipt from a machine. No signature required. A 'fault' warning light has come on and off a few times, I left a message with the office but they have never shut me down before because of it. Eight hours on duty and I need a break, Tower City, ND. I haven't stopped here since it was a hole in the wall a dozen years ago. New building, nice sized restaurant. In and out in 45 minutes. Just before I was ready to leave a driver started asking me about my job, he's looking to get out of his 18 wheeler. Sounds like one of his grandson's works there and we were interrupted by him ... as I walked away I heard him say something about "Winger, MN." We have family there but it was time to get going. I was waiting for my check or I could have been out in 30 minutes. Hadn't seen my server, found him talking to the cashier. At soon point I thought the steering was getting a little sticky but it's hard to tell on the freeway going 60. Then when I turned at the top of the exit ramp I heard something gurgling. A block later it was hard to turn and two blocks later it was all arm power. Luckily there was a parking spot right by the entrance ... I could see I was leaving a trail of fluids. There is not really any 'truck parking' if the place had been anywhere full. Signs all around saying no truck parking. May not be staying here again with a truck/RV. Left a message with dispatch that I was down until repaired. 1st stop at Alexandria at Holiday (no Wendy's today) 2nd stop at Crookston to PU bus 3rd stop at Fargo at Flying J to fuel 4th stop at Tower at Tower Travel Center ... not sure if the restaurant has a name or not 5th stop at Dickeson at Quality Inn 170928 - MN to CA - Day 2 Early AM call from dispatch ... I maybe could drive it but I don't think it would be good for the pump. By the time roadside gets there it is almost the end of my 10 hours off, by the time he comes back with power steering fluid I'm 'On Duty.' He spends a long time looking for a leak but no luck. Dispatch has another bus down with the same issue. The other one gets fixed first and dispatch is able to tell this guy were to look. Same spot. Nine quarts of fluid and I'm ready to go again. The reason he could not find it is that the buses have an electric motor that runs the power steering and they run at low RPM's / low pressure. A normal pump runs off the engine at high pressure. Finally knowing where to look, he was able to see the hose actually move when I put it under pressure. IF I had been trying to get to CA for delivery in four days I would have made it to Beach another hour down the road ... If I would have made it without sitting on the side of the road. This repair took about an hour, then I went back in to pack and eat ... I wasn't going anywhere until he was paid. First stop, Wibaux scale and talk to Officer Johnson. After asking to see my permit he if I had been driving for quite a long time ... I haven't seen him in at least a couple of years. He started 12 years ago at that scale and I have talked to him at different times. Then he was asking about our former dispatcher that ran afoul of the law, then about different Bennett (RV) drivers that he knows, thinks he knows about 400 of them. Another driver and another officer in the office today so no long conversations. Miles City, fuel and lunch. 4B's tomato soup and another slice of pie. Three hours down the road I take a rare half hour break, usually it is combined with eating or fuel. It was after six so I could have eaten but I wasn't up for a McD's and that and shelf food is all at this exit. I had to 'pre-pay' again at Miles City and I thought $200 would be more than enough ... it wasn't but I didn't want to go through getting the pumps set up again so I left without the tank being full or knowing what kind of mileage I was getting. Now I wanted to make sure I was full so I stopped again before going to the motel. 42 gallons added to a 125 gallon tank, no danger of running out. The Quality Inn is just another couple of blocks down the street with a large truck lot in the back. NOT happy with the Quality Inn, they no longer have a printer nor a way for the desk clerks to print anything out for me and I need a permit for tomorrow. Delay - helping roadside fix my bus 1st stop is Wibaux at POE so they can check my permit 2nd stop Miles City, MT at Pilot for fuel then walk next door 3rd stop Miles City, MT at 4B's for tomato soup 4th stop is Columbus at Pilot for a break 5th stop is Belgrade at Flying J for fuel 6th stop is Belgrade at ... the Mexican place next door 7th stop is Belgrade at the Quality Inn 170929 - MN to CA - Day 3 Rolling by 8:30 ... no internet for two nights in a row and I still wasn't getting to bed until after 11. Suns just coming up ... and there is no heat in this bus, that is one of the things that we are supposed to check before we leave. I just zip my jacket up tight and hope it's a warm day. No short cut this trip, dispatch as faxed my ID permit to Butte. It's a short stop but it restarts my four hour drive. We are supposed to stop for a half hour every four hours for a tire cool down. These city bus tires aren't built for running at high speeds. Today is going to be a 600 mile day (not the 500 like we do with RV's) so break will be a short half hour. Subway at the Pilot in Idaho Falls. Then a couple of hours later I get flagged in at the ID scale, they didn't see my permit in the window ... right where it is supposed to be. Then they asked for something I hadn't put in the right place in my book. I still had the 2016 page there ... opps. But I found it and was on my way. That was also when I made a quick call to delivery telling them I'd be in before noon Monday. Lake Point, UT. Pre-paying, putting in fuel and DEF and washing the windows ... and talking to my travel agent about tonight's motel took up a half hour so that was my tire cool down and I was ready to drive ... 90 miles of looking into the setting sun across the UT salt flats. Get to the motel just after dark, I need to turn the bus around in there lot. Lots of reflection and I realize that it is much easier with the window open so I can see the mirror without the reflection. There is a taco truck in the parking lot and another one on the street corner but I walk to the casino. Line for the buffet is about 100 people lot so I go to the grill. As I sit there I feel like the seat and table are vibrating and ask to be moved. It's coming from the signage ??? outside is what I'm told. Food was good and it's still warm when I walk back ... at 11 o'clock at night. Long days. 1st stop Butte at Flying J to PU permit 2nd stop Idaho Falls at Pilot for Subway 3rd stop Inkom at POE 4th stop Lake Point at Flying J for fuel 5th stop Wendover at grill 6th stop Wendover at Quality Inn 170930 - MN to CA - Day 4 Stay up late and get going late ... it is nice to have an extra day, no alarm clock. Almost nine when I get rolling, four hours later I'm in Winnemucca at Pilot for a Subway and my first break. Two hours later I stop again at Fernly for fuel. I won't make it to Lodi on the fuel I have so this is my best break. With all the pre-pay it takes me a half hour again before I'm rolling. The Denny's at this location used to have a buffet, but I can see they remodeled and that is gone. Did go through a NV inspection station today but they were all in there trucks and not looking for me. Being day four on I-80 I've seen some of the rigs I pass and that pass me a few times. Bus does pretty good on the hills, 45 mph is my low and that has only been a few times. Sacramento at rush hour ... I don't have a map, just a rough memory of where I turn. It's seven o'clock by the time I get to Lodi to fuel, wash and scale. The wash is what takes a while, first a like and then they take there time. But it needs a wash, looks like an old Greyhound with soot around the back tires from when it was leaking power steering fluid. Couldn't see threw the windows either. 1st place I've ever scaled that had a button where I could reach it. Usually there are up so the drivers can reach them sitting in their cabs. Close ... it's going to be close. I need another half hour break in a half hour and I've got 20 miles to go, but I make it and I am done until Monday. Sunday will be an 'off' day. While I'm waiting for my wash I start reading the reviews of the place I'm staying tonight. So far this year four reviews. 2-ones and 2-twos ... out of a possible five. But it's been fine, I might have to do a review so they have one a little better. Wasn't sure what part of town it was in but it seems OK. The food is a bar with a few pool tables and a very loud juke box. I got it to go. By now it was 11 o'clock again and weather it was the food or the time of day, the food didn't taste that great. Also go orange juice and something didn't seem quite right about it so I didn't drink much of it. When I went to pour the rest out Sunday morning I could hear it fizz as I dumped it in the sink. 1st stop Winnemucca at Pilot for Subway 2nd stop Fernly at Flying J for fuel 3rd stop at Lodi at Flying J for fuel, wash and scale 4th stop at Stockton at bar (no drinks) 5th stop at Sockton at Clarion 590 miles 171001 - MN to CA - Day 5 Today is an off day ... the bus is not going to move. Breakfast here is 'different.' Three warmers for hot food, tea and coffee and not much else. No toast, cereal, yogert, etc. Food was good and lots of it. This place was likely a Best Western or ??? back in it's day. Now it's holding on. There was an event with food going on last night and a lot of people here today all dressed up for another event so they still have a following. After getting all my paperwork done I finally went to eat again. Was planning on walking across the street to Denny's but as I was waiting for traffic I saw a Perko's Cafe so I ended up there instead. Good meatloaf and I will soon know if the apple crisp is any good. They didn't have much left for pies because '... she only bakes them on Monday's.' So I guess they are locally made. Crossing the street to come back I had been standing a while and then standing in the turn lane for a while when I noticed a pickup that I was waiting for had slowed, then noticed the flashers on so I ran .. they gunned it as soon as I was clear. They took pity on this old guy. The bar at the motel is closed on Sundays and Mondays, that's OK, I wasn't ready for another one of their meals Tomorrow I drop and then almost two weeks before we work again. A few days out here with family, then most of a week to drive home via a couple of parks and then a family meeting and back to work about the 15th-16th. Need to do that more than we are. 171002 - MN to CA - Day 6 Late morning, had looked at the traffic early and the route was mostly red. Went down for breakfast but all the 'buffet' area when it opened and everything was covered up so I went back to the room and took a shower. Came back a while later and same thing, looked around and couldn't find anyone so I went to the front desk and asked. They had seen the help come in so they should be there, one from the front desk walked back with me and walked into the kitchen area. M-F it is made to order breakfast not the buffet style. More than enough eggs and bacon, I passed on the toast. Still no juice, water, coffee or tea. Very empty lot when I left this AM, asked the front desk about it and they changed the subject. By then Las Vegas was all over the news. Traffic wasn't too bad other than a couple of places. I've been this route before so I knew what to expect. Last night the map said it would take an hour and a half to go 90 miles. This AM it had said two and a half hours and I did it in about two hours. Biggest back up was the toll booth for the bridge. Dispatch called me a few times while I was driving and the shop told me to call dispatch as soon as I arrived ... I guess I should have called before I left the motel. Got to the drop and called and asked where to go in ... he said I should have directions. Guess I didn't make myself clear. Then I said I was on the street, which driveway to I go in. They have added many buildings since I was here last about two years ago. The guy I was looking for found me as soon as I parked, then he drove it across the street to do the inspection. I was out of there in about a half hour, no issues found. Now I had to wait. BB and BIL were flying in at 11 am and the other drivers had already left for the airport so I waited. I sat down on a ledge for a while until I was an ant on my shirt sleeve, and then one on the other sleeve. Not sure where they came from, didn't see any more and none came with to the motel on my luggage. My ride arrived and we were on our way. We didn't head into downtown but back to where our motel would be. Started on I-280 but realized the food was on US-101 so we got over on that and stopped at a In-and-Out. Timing was good, a bus arrived shortly after us. BIL hadn't been to one of these for years. Then to the motels and get checked in, them at the Double Tree and us and the Quality Inn. This Quality Inn was old school. All doors open to the outside and you have to drive until the 2nd floor to get to parking. A bus would not fit. Nice enough, only issue was the squeaky from up stairs. Off to a brew house. The first one was closed Monday, but they directed us to the next one. When we were done there they directed us to another one (Who directed us to one of the places we will go on Wednesday.) Hermatige was the one that wasn't open, Santa Clara Valley was the next one and we ate at the Uproar. Then back to the Double Tree. By now SIL was on her way back from VT with a plane switch in MSP. MSP flight was delayed because of the weather a few hours ... If we had gone to VT this year she wouldn't have spent an extra 10-12 hours on a plane Monday. BB and I finally headed back to the motel. We are now on vacation. Leg 2 - Vacation .... |
