Post Gordon ~ Thoughts, Commentary & Reflections

Hi, Goldenfan. No, not if this new outfit works out. Does have a run up to Sparta and depending on how soon they need truck back could come back through Prairie. If I get that run...

Tonight I've been making my list and checking it off, yeah, 2x, too. Much easier to plan for a day run, but you bring along enough gear for a layover just in case. Tomorrow Frank and I run down to Fort Campbell in separate trucks; same Sunday with another driver--at least I think it's FC, not positive. Have been told that Dispatch here is a lot like the Haz outfit was, very brief, informal. Would promise to leave a map in my cubby and was never there.

Most important was the driver list, because that's who you called to find out how to get to a particular customer. You always asked who'd been there before. One time was told to head up to northwest Chicago.

"Got an address?" I asked.

"No," came the reply, "Won't help you. Got your driver list? When you get close, call... he's ahead of you and will talk you in." Oh, sure, cool. When I got close, saw one of the customer's trucks and followed it in while the driver waiting for me and I laughed on the phone about it.

 

Food Kit for 11-12 Hour Day Run

Really, I probably don't need much in the way of a Food Kit, will get coffee--which I detest drinking but like the smell of--just a necessity to have along as a driver--on the way to the yard and could get breakfast and a take along for lunch, too. We fuel at end of first leg of the turn and can buy there as well. Even the Subway at Pilot is pricey, though.

Well, I'm bringing a Food Kit along anyway. It's a good habit.

My Food Kit carrier is one of Wal-Mart's $9-$12 soft-sided coolers with washable plastic insert. Mine's kinda dirty and I'm not bothering to clean it up tonight. Here's what I'm carrying:

Large Front Pocket
Good can opener
Good small fork (a real one)
Plastic spoons (I like the ones from China Wok in Spencer)
Good paring knife (misplaced the one I like, looking for it)
3 Stok creamers (cup of coffee's worth of caffeine in each)
Flavored creamers (to get the Stok creamer down, you mix them)
3 Emergen-C powder packets (vitamins and vitamin C)
Small cinnamon and celery seed seasoning bottles

Side Pocket
Magnesium liquid antacid/Immodium (Can't find the Immodium)
Brush/comb
$5 battery-powered toothbrush

Side Pocket
Eyeglasses spray cleaner/cloth wipes
2 prescription bottles w/enough for 2 days
Dental floss

Main Compartment (Varies trip to trip)
Can sweet potatoes (puncture and drink liquid first)
Can chunk pineapple (puncture and drink liquid first)
2 cans beans (these are veggie beans, low sodium)
Orange, 2 tangerines
Bag of chocolate chip cookies
3 small apple sauce cups
Banana

This is overkill, but overkill is good. Yes, too much sugar. Could probably stretch this food out over 3 days if snowed in and had to, doesn't take up much room, small foot print. Wal-Mart black beans have fewest chemicals, sardines and a can of salmon often come along, yada yada. The Food Kit carrier has both a shoulder strap and a hand-carry strap. What you buy also depends on what's convenient. On the Prairie-run, I always stopped by the Wal-Mart up in Crawfordsville before taking I-74 west and spent the night at Wal-Mart in Prairie du Chien, so I'd pick up a Wal-Mart seafood salad, if available, at both.

That's not possible on the way to the new yard but I pass 2 MacDonald's, various convenience stores with food and coffee, Arby's and Taco Bell without going out of my way. I'll also bring some of my own excellent well water, but if you sip, you pee later. Dunnawannabeuncomfortable.

That's why truckers end up dehydrated, after all. Long hours. Coffee and abstinence (liquid abstinence--well, the other kind, too, too often). Oh, yeah.

Some of those places on the way to yard will be open all times of the day...

 

Hi, Bright One. We know whatever else, Vic isn't going to starve this trip. But can I get to the yard? Overnight we got a dusting of powder that turned very slick. Thought it was great when saw only a single car at the MacDonald's drive-thru. Got my coffee. Now sitting, not moving as the sky slowly turns light due to a wreck ahead. Two-lane highway. A mile from here I could turn south, take the slippery backroads around. Even the road up ahead with the flashing intersection yellow light would get me around but it's blocked. Got the old 'can't get there from here'. Yet...

Frank's patiently waiting at the yard. Wants to pull out by 8 if possible. 7:45 now. Doesn't look good.


//Not a wreck. Cars could not make hill, stuck there with salt truck behind. Tow truck trying to pull cars up hill so can salt and sand the hill. This being the main east-west highway between Bloomington and Terre Haute, it's the best road we've got! Broken Bronco going back home, taken off hill on a roll-off.

So much for 4WD...

 

New York/New Jersey Shrug

Once moving this morning, called Frank. Since I was about 15 minutes away, he logged in. I got about 3 miles and saw a quarter mile of more stopped cars for no good reason. Went around until just before I got to the front car a big, cop-looking guy flies out of an F150, steps in front of my right fender and gives me this New York/New Jersey two arms up, elbows down hands back and forth shrug like what do I think I'm doing and he's coming if I don't stop.

I stopped, gave him the same shrug back and gave him the back-and-forth hands shush, fool, get back in your truck. Funny, he did and I went around (two-lane highway so I'm in the opposing traffic lane but there's no oncoming traffic), wondering whether the front car was law enforcement holding everyone back (couldn't see it yet around his big pickup). Nope.

It wasn't law enforcement, just some sad sack too scared to go. Went around and got the right side in the powder on the shoulder. Just let the car idle forward. Too slick to give it any gas. When I looked back, a group of 5 or 6 followed me at respectful distance to see if I made it. Then the fool pulls out with his F150, he's about 100 yards back when suddenly he's sideways in the road, facing north.

Well, I wasn't unhappy, tell you. We all made it through (those that followed me except for fool) but a half-hour trip took 2 hours. Frank did my DVIR, logged me in, hooked my truck (for today). We left out about 9 am and got about 30 miles when traffic stopped again. Stuck on Indiana Hwy 45 for another 1-1/2 hours or so apparently for a red pickup that went ditch slumming. Ate a large part of the munchies in my Food Kit. Ate about half the chocolate chip cookies.

Going back again tomorrow. Counting on a better morning, though...

 

Hi, Blu! This powder hit in a very narrow band I'm told, along either side of SR 46 for sure and up here on North US Hwy 231. First driver out said was clear down on I-69 and it was clear and dry coming back. How was it on 74? Maybe far enough north to miss it all...