Good Night From II

A little Marathon ts in OH, I-75 x99.

I got a pplan along with the usual suggested trip plan.
81 mt and 240 loaded, and I'll only have 7.5 hours on my 70 tomorrow. Only 3.5 coming in the next day.
The trip plan had me delivering at Costco in Morris with 00:02 minutes left on my clock. I got a good laugh, considering how that stupid program calculates things.
Then I turned it down.

The next thing is, I get a PTA update of 02/27 0600, and another message from a planner asking if I'm taking a 34.
So I said, yes, I am.
Sounded like a decent idea so they wouldn't keep hounding me with loads that could only be done in better than ideal conditions.

Plus, it was nice that he set my PTA to 0600, instead of 0200 when the actual 34 would end. I hate having to get up at midnight - in ANY time zone!

I stopped at a Walmart just before coming here, so I am well stocked for a 34.

 

The teens sound really nice.

It should get down to around 8 here tonight, and the other night it was -8.
An hour after I began to drive the next morning I hit a spot that was -22 in PA! Yup, MINUS 22, actual - not wind chill.

I don't even put gloves or a sweater on for the teens anymore.

 

Woke up in Lamar at 10:00 am and it was almost 50ºF, sunny with almost no wind. Made my delivery to the Target DC in Pueblo early afternoon, shopped at Walmart, then back to Target to see if my trailer is ready to go. They said they would "cut it early" because of the incoming storm, but I'm going to wait an hour before going in. The last thing I want to do is drive through Denver in rush hour in a storm.

From the time I went into Walmart to shop to the time I came out the temperatures had plummeted from 50ºF down below 40ºF with a hard blowing wind from the north. MyRadar shows a massive band of snow hammering Denver right now and coming south. Other bands are up in Cheyenne and in the Black Hills, basically on my route to Rapid City.

Since I don't have to make delivery and sweep until tomorrow evening I can manage my schedule easily, even with the storm. Likely I'll hole up in a truck stop somewhere to get a shower and do much needed laundry.

 

I spoke to my ex a couple hours ago in Denver and she mentioned it was snowing.
Good luck. They've had some really good storms this year.

I was hoping for a shower tonight, and now it'll be a couple more days.
I don't know if there are showers here, but after smelling the men's room I wouldn't dare risk it.

 

Funny day. Got the Church & Dwight heavy load to Wally World DC in Cullman AL. Cloudy but nothing falling. Asked guys in guard shack if they'd heard a forecast. One guy says we're clear nothing coming. Started to sleet on me before I got back to Cassie. Started to snow as I did the u turn to set up to drop. Snowing hard huge flakes by the time I did mt call and got out to hook up. An inch and half accumulated by the time I closed the door outbound at guard shack. LOL Of course Mr. "Nothing coming" disappeared.

Had pulled off on way in to accept next. Short run to pallet lumber yard and a t-call in Memphis. Dispatch hit before I got off property. No tcall??? Say what?? Three free forms, three phone calls and an hour fifteen later I was back rolling.

Shut down at TA off I 20/I 59. Hope weather clears in morning. Once I got about 15 miles from Cullman snow turned to rain. Just now turned to snow here. I need to get a three or four am start, tcall this one in Elvis town and see if they can get me headed to Rock Hill. I'm thinking Friday will be travel home day at best.

 

Snowing in Charlotte, we'll see on how much. We've been told if its crappy in the morning send in a text if you aren't coming in. I have two local preplans, if its bad I'll just sit the day.

 

Yesterday ran up to Sweetgrass and then down to great falls MT, where I ran out of hours. I awoke today to snow, and drove down the 15 into Idaho. It was icy into Butte, but fine all the way from Butte to Boise. I have been loving the 50 degree temps so far in Idaho. Looks like a low of 36 tonight.

 

The "hole-up-in-a-truck-stop-and-do-my-laundry" plan didn't quite work out. By the time my load was ready at the Target Pueblo DC snow was coming down hard sideways with the temperature hovering just above freezing. They brought out the trailer and dropped it in the middle of the yard for me, a quick hook, get the paperwork, do a loaded call, and a quick check of MyRadar (gulp!) and out into the storm I go. 180 miles to the Love's in Hudson on I-76 (exit 31) took almost four hours.

Chaining was a consideration, but for some reason the chaining areas were closed off just before the pass heading up into Denver on I-25. I really wanted to use it to clean the ice off the windshield wipers. A few spin outs and wrecks along the way, snow up to 6-8" thick and starting to drift across the road.

Even after rush hour the minimal traffic was a challenge at times. Frequently had to slow to 15-25 mph behind some 4 wheeler straddling lanes, then wait while traffic worked around him/her, then take my turn and get back up to 40-50 mph.

When I arrived at the Love's the snow was about 8-10" deep and coming down hard. Fuel islands were open, the fuel desk wasn't busy, but all the parking spots were taken to overflowing. Well, they don't have laundry at Love's anyway. I still had about 2.5 hours on my 14, I checked MyRadar and saw that I was almost out of the storm and there looked to be a rest area and small truck stop at exit 66A in Wiggins.

Within five miles of leaving Hudson it cleared up. Bone dry roads and hammer down, but a heck of a wind. When I arrived in Wiggins I was surprised. No snow at all and of the dozen or so parking spaces in the nice rest area only two other trucks. The Sinclair was only half full. Apparently everyone is holed up back in the snow and didn't make it this far.

330 miles to get to my delivery and sweep in Rapid City. Hopefully the roads will be fairly clear and I can get up there and back down a good ways tomorrow, then bring the sweep trailer back to Pueblo the next day.

 

I've run that way to the Target DC (which is a few miles north of where you hit 81) a number of times when coming back from Church & Dwight. My only complaint is that the route takes you up over Blue Ridge Summit. Not a lot of fun with 40K in the box.

Even so, it's probably faster than heading up 83 when heading south on 81.

 

Waking up at the rest area at exit 66A on I-76 in Wiggins, CO. I have to give this rest area five stars. There's parking for two dozen trucks, nicely laid out; there's two private "family" bathrooms, the men's room has plenty of stalls and urinals and sinks and it's CLEAN. If I cared to walk a hundred yards over to the Sinclair truck stop to get anything it's right there, but no need.

Water's on to boil to make my first cup of coffee in my French coffee press. I have to say it makes a nice cup. I'll back that up with another cup for the thermos by the time I go. Woke up with three hours to go on my 10.

The temperature dropped from 18ºF when I went to bed around midnight to 12ºF this morning. I checked the weather in Rapid City, SD and it's -2ºF. Might be time to crack out the long johns. Haven't worn them since October.

The route from here up to Rapid City is all US routes with not many good places to stop. I'll try to hammer down and make it in one push. I'll have about six hours to run 330 miles and make my appointment, so I'm thinking a Mac-22 to push that appointment time by about an hour might be right.