Trans Am Still

Ya gotta remember one thing about the Polk City Loves Pete, They are the only truck stop along the I4 corridor that is not packed with the Florida Tourist anywere near Olrando, or past the scales in Tampa. So I can understand that they do get packed quick, though one would wonder if they are thinking of expansion to make the place a little bigger.

 

Update. While I was sliding my tandems, had new messages waiting on my TREQ. Now swapping in Jasper FL at the Loves going to MacClenny FL. Yeah, I lose miles, but avoid the swap in ATL, and still have a chance for something else later in the day. I will gamble it works out better. Deuces.

 

In Boonville, Mo. had 2 hours to drive but was getting very sleepy so pulled into rest area. Pretty crowded so parked on entrance ramp, do not like to do it. have less than 770 to go should be less than 100 by midnight.

Dennisroc you are going to have to come out here and drive to learn a lot of the stuff you ask. You can only learn so much on here and rest you will have to gain knowledge by doing it. There are many different ways to skin a cat. We each do what works best for us. What works best for me may not be what works best for you. I do not like to park in most truck stops in Ms. as my experience there(outside of New Albany) is the lot lizards knocking on my door all night and asking for money for all sorts of crazy things. I do not mind parking in Detroit, Memphis, Atlanta but I grew up in NYC in a day and age where you could get killed for what you were wearing. There were over 2,200 murders a year there. NYC deserved the dirtbag reputation it got for being so criminal. Now its different but you have to do what you feel comfortable with and you will only get that when you get experience. Some here don't feel comfortable in places you might feel well at home.

Surprised these guys aren't panicking and trying to swap me. I won't, finally getting well into the 7s in fuel mpg. Might even make this trip in 1 fill up, had about a 1/4 when started. Love water heater loads.

Where is our Queen?

Be safe out there

 

^I park in Detroit, Memphis and Atlanta ... not sure if I would be as comfortable doing so if I had my wife with me.

Still sitting around broken down time to think of goffy ideas. How about a sticking a wireless cam to the right side of your trailer when you are backing so you can monitor the blind side. Keep some extra little squares of the Velcro like stuff that holds our pre-pass to stick it to the trailer. Use a Bluetooth app to get the image from the cam to play on your phone.

Like a baby monitor stuck to the side of your trailer, view the image with your phone mounted on the dash. This would have been more useful to me when I first started out, I now feel more comfortable backing, even in fairly tight places. I do wonder how well this would work.





(shhhhhhh ... Cranky Pete is sleeping)

 

This way I could see what I was hitting. LOL

 

George a while back we got a message basically saying GPS sometimes has a stupid and it's ultimately driver responsibility to ensure safe legal route. Once they stopped giving us route solutions they lost that set in stone path. As long as you still hit your fuel stops you're ok. In this particular case the difference in mileage is no more than making a wrong turn near a shipper really. It saves you the headache of all the lights and traffic going up 27 and ultimately the alternate route puts you back on 27 right before you get on the turnpike.

Macclenny isn't too bad. Closest major truck stop is the TA in Baldwin, 12 miles east. That weigh station in North Florida is another spot I like to shut down. It's always quiet and FL DOT isn't going to harass you on your break. Bathrooms and snack machines are out by the parking.

 

^ I would add the advice of getting your trailer washed out, at the place just across the street from the TA, the one with the redneck sign of shaky, handwritten, black spray paint on the side of the garage door, after you make your delivery. Washouts can be few depending on where they send you for your next pick up.

 

Well swap to MacClenney cancelled waiting here for another swap at midnight headed for Pompano, and other destinations in S Florida. Meanwhile the guy picking up my trailer, is hooked up to his own empty. He has a trainee and TA wants them to team load I picked up (after waiting 8 hours for) to get it Denver on time, but he says no go. He's not teaming and training too. Sound familiar Abileenees?? Move the appt back a day and he will take it. Ball is in planners court. Meanwhile I sit and wait just like yesterday. Do not like whats going on here. If things don't change soon.............