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...My Life as 'Drive away' driver
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210903 MN Local dispatch had called today to see if I would take a trip to IN. Too far I said. 'So then one to OH is too far also?' "Yes" Load board US - 274 IA - 145 MN - 14 WI - 2 210907 IA-IL 1 RV to Huntley IL ... spending the night at Rockford IL For some reason I hadn't slept well in the middle of the night but I was out when the light went on at 7 AM. We had an hour to get ready, plan was to leave as soon as we called for our trip. When it was almost 8 AM, I asked BB 'it the trip was hers.' She said it was too early to call, but I had been meaning the trip was hers vs it being mine. I usually do the calling and wanted to know before I called, but she was going to call this time. I didn't know ... She called and got the run, we were out of the house in 10 minutes instead of the planned 5 minutes. 1st stop was the IA Welcome Center in Northwood. 2nd stop was the lot to pick up the RV. Dispatch asked again if we could take more runs. Not, now. We did five other drivers picking up RV's today. One was heading to New Brunswick, another was heading back to the Hershey RV show for the (?) time. I didn't hear where the others were going. As we left town we saw the Casey's was dark again, no customers. Not sure what is going on there. 3rd stop is the Pilot in Clear Lake for fuel and food. No line today at Subway, good thing as they were training in two new employee's. I think they might have been last time too. Lots of corn 'lodged' both north and east of Waterloo. Some of it is like oat fields where huge parts of the fields are laying down, other fields look like maybe one out of 50 stalks are still standing. Lots of patrols out today, all the way from home. Saw one place in IA where a car had recently rolled. Two patrols were on the scene but no one else. 4th stop was Independence at the Walmart for a break. Not much for rest area's or truck stops on Hwy 20. I did see one east of Dubuque, I just need to remember it is there. It may be a viewing area without restrooms so I better look again. Somewhere later in the day, a dispatcher sends me a message. They have two trucks near Duluth that they would like me to move. Too many miles for right now, but any other time it would work nice. Pick up the truck, drop our car at home and then no car in IA when we come back. 5th stop is at a Stockton travel center for food. They have a Mc'D's. While we were there eating, I was looking up to see where food was near our hotel. I didn't realize until later that was a waste of time, this WAS our supper. But it did help know where our hotel would be. From here BB makes our hotel reservation. When she first tries there are no rooms, after checking another nearby hotel she logs out and then back in and there are rooms. This hotel costs half the hotel points as the other hotel we were looking at. 6th and final stop. The Sleep Inn. At this exit in Rockford there are 10+ hotels right next to each other, most are higher end but there is also a former Motel 6 and a Super 8. After checking in we went for our evening walk. No sidewalk so we walked in a few parking lots to get to a sidewalk a few blocks away. BB had looked before we picked up her RV and the car rental price for last weeks trip had dropped from $300 to $100 for a one day one way. Things are getting back to normal. And the cash price for our hotel tonight was back in the $50 range instead of the $100 range. Load board US - 235 IA - 125/124 MN - 15 WI - 2 210908 IA-IL 1 RV to Huntley IL (delivered) ... spending the night at home Either no alarm or we were up before it went off. Breakfast was same as the old days. Except they were out of eggs and I didn't want to wait until the next batch was ready. I waited while BB toasted her bread but then I grabbed two yogurt and called that and juice breakfast. 8 AM we pulled out. We had looked at staying off the toll road but something was happening on the shortest route so the computer would not take us on that route no matter what I did. Some semi that was passing BB came over on her. He passed her and then before he was passed, turned on his blinker and started coming over. Talking to BB later she said that she had been watching him so she noticed as soon as he got closer. The way she hit the shoulder of the road it didn't look like she saw it coming. BB went to fuel and I went directly to the drop. 1st stop - (for me) the drop in Huntley. BB arrived a few minutes later and parked in the travel lane of the drop area. Within a few minutes someone came and parked ahead of her and asked if it was OK to park there. I said it was actually a travel lane. Not sure if BB realized it or not as I asked BB if she wanted me to move the RV. She didn't, so she got back in to move it and I walked away ... they she yelled ... that she couldn't see to back up. I'm not sure why the car was waiting for her to back up, but they were. So I went back and walked her back far enough so the car could get past. The street was one way so she didn't want to get out onto the street ... Inspection took about 15 minutes. And I got another call about the trucks near Duluth. I was going to message them but I don't have a cell number, but now that that they have called twice I did call them back. I am NA. (stop calling and asking ...) 2nd stop was the Belvidere Oasis. BB went in, I did not. Mask required. Glad I had fueled in IA. Fuel at the TA truckstop was $3.47 BB gets a text message to re-send her paperwork if she wants to get paid. She hasn't sent it the first time. She needs to send all paperwork in at the same time to get paid for everything. And she can not figure out how to get a copy of the tolls on her cell phone. That did take up a good part of the trip home for her. I finally did it on my computer after we were home after 3 PM. 3rd stop was for fuel in Wisconsin Dells. Kwik Trip for $2.87. BB hasn't had much luck with looking things up on GasBuddy lately but today she was able to tell me there was a Kwik Trip at that price 'some where close.' This was the first station I saw about 10 miles later. I had planned on fueling and eating in Mauston but BB looked up fuel prices there and they were over $3. And the exit with the Kwik Trip didn't have any food so it will be two stops. We had just spent the night in Mauston last week so we knew they had just about every fast food. But a few miles before Mauston I saw a billboard for a non-chain ... 4th stop is in Mauston at the Log Cabin Deli and Cheese. As we walk in, two officers are walking out. Before we leave another one walks in. They eat out every day and they pick here ... it might be good. I chose the chicken salad sandwich, BB had a smoked turkey BLT. Mine was very good. I also had a cookie. Our state fair cookies that are now a week old are still better than the cookie was. Sandwich was much better than another burger or Subway. 5th stop was the rest area in Menomonie. 6th stop was the Culvers in Hudson. Trip is complete, time for a treat. Home again. Load board US - 242 IA - 127 MN - 24 WI - 3 Not sure if we will work tomorrow or not yet. Otherwise I will be working in the yard or garden. Today I received a thank you driver letter from my local company. I listed all the drivers. The most senior driver has been there 22 years. I am at 18 years. There are five of us who have been there over 10 years. One I know has been there longer than me, I know because he had been a terminal manager for a location that was shut down before I started. One other driver started the same year I did, but I don't know his start date. He has been off for months at a time because of 'green card' issues, but when he drives, he drives hard. The other two I know have not been here as long as I have. ... and looking through the list I hardly know anyone who has been there less than 10 years. |
