Easy Weekend

I'm sitting in Gary, IN at the Roehl terminal. I knocked out 405 miles today and I have only about 3 1/2 hours to go to get to the customer. My delivery isn't scheduled until 0900 Monday, so I have plenty of time. I drove for about 4 hours and stopped in central IL and got my afternoon nap, then I drove about 2 more hours and got to Gary.

I washed the truck and trailer and got a shower. The trailer I picked up at Denver Mattress was really dirty. I think it had been sitting in their dirt lot for months.

Time to surf the internet for a while and then read a few chapters one of my books.

I think I'll sleep in tomorrow, if I can. The older I get, the less sleep I need. Oh well.

Rolling East

I left the house yesterday morning and picked up a load at Denver Mattress and took it to the BNSF rail yard about 10 minutes away. When I got to the rail yard I couldn't get in because the planners hadn't yet "billed" the load. So I called my FM and he said he would see what he could do. About 20 minutes later I got into the rail yard and didn't know where to drop my trailer. Why didn't I know where to drop my trailer? Because the guy in at the rail yard gate didn't tell me where to drop it. I asked. I asked again. He just pointed out the window and said, "over there". Whatever. I figured if he didn't care, I didn't care. I dropped the trailer and got the next load assignment.

My next load assignment was to get a load right there at the rail yard and take it 60 miles north to the Walmart Dist. Center in Loveland, CO. I found the trailer, but I couldn't leave the rail yard because the planners didn't send me the PickUp number. The guy at the gate wouldn't let me out with our that special number. Over an hour later, I got the number and headed north to Loveland.

I got dropped at Walmart in Loveland easily and my next load was back at Denver Mattress in Denver. I drove back to Denver and got that load and headed East on I76. I stopped last night in Big Springs, NE at the old Bosselman truck stop. The Bosselman is now a Flying J. There is a good restaurant there called Sam Bass Saloon. 

Today I drove east stopping in Aurora, NE for fuel. I caught a nap a little later and finished my driving day a little west of Des Moines, IA.

Tomorrow I should make it to the Gary terminal in mid afternoon. I'll get the truck and trailer washed and catch a shower. Sunday I will have about three and a half hours drive to get to Toledo for my Monday delivery.

Hometime!

I got rolling Sunday morning around 0600 and made it to the Walmart Dist. Center in Loveland, CO around 1430. The time change worked in my favor. On the way I stopped for fuel in North Platte, NE and for a quick bite to eat in Ogallala, NE.

I did the easy drop + hook at the Walmart and spent 35 minutes waiting on hold with the weekend dispatch crew. I needed them to tell me to roll home. I didn't want to just go because the one time I do that, they would have something else planned. I only had 1:35 hours left on my 70 for the week and I wasn't getting any back until Tuesday, but I always make contact with the company before doing anything. Just how I roll.

Anyway, got the go ahead to drive to the house and within an hour or so I had my trailer dropped at the Home Depot parking lot near my house and the king-pin lock and trailer locks installed. 3 minute drive to the house and I was home.

I'm leaving out again on Thursday sometime. I told the company I would be available at 0600.

I got some shopping done and changed the oil on both the family cars, spending time playing with my 9 year old boy and relaxing. One more day and back on the road. I should probably think about what I need grocery-wise for my next two week time on the road. I'll do that shopping tomorrow. I might even drag the shop-vac out to the drive way and give the cab a good cleaning. Depends on how I feel tomorrow. For now, the laundry is in and it's time to play some Call Of Duty on the Xbox.