Good Night From II

I left Dove Creek, CO at midnight to make my live unload in Albuquerque this morning. When I woke up it was snowing hard and about 3-5" had accumulated. Not much in the way of snow plows on side roads like US-491. I went inside to see if any truckers had come from the east and an old hand had just arrived and said if I'm headed east it should clear up "in a few miles".

A "few miles" turned into 50 miles with snow depths up to 6" on the road and at times snowing so hard it was difficult to see the road. The good news there wasn't much traffic!

Had to drop to low range and engage the inter axle lock (it disengages in high range) in order to climb some of the hills. Would have been nice if they hadn't had the disengage feature on this truck, but the T680 plowed through nicely. South of Cortez it finally cleared up and the roads were bone dry with stars out. After that only a few patches of greasy stuff on the higher passes on US-550 from Bloomfield, NM to Albuquerque.

Live unload went quickly, then picked up a t-call in the terminal and headed west toward City of Industry, CA. I shut down early, just after noon, in Gallup at the TA. Nice to be in solid sunshine again.

If all goes well I'll be in Jurupa Valley for a 10 tomorrow, then make a live unload delivery Friday morning.

 

Worland, WY at the little truck stop.

I hate not being able to fuel at Pilot/J anymore.
My last fuel stop on my last load was Ogallala, NE. I then went to Denver and up to Sheridan, WY for the final.
My next load picked up here in Worland.
So I had level 2 when I completed the last load, and no 'authorized' fuel stops for several hundred miles.
I called for fuel at I-25/US16 at a small truck stop, but the computer wouldn't let my DM open me up for fuel. So I continued here to pick up.
I stopped at this little place and called again. It seems the Comdata code for this place has been deleted from the system. It wouldn't authorize it. I've run into this problem before, but only after we stopped fueling at Pilot/J.
My DM spent 40 minutes on hold with on-road to see if they could do it, then gave up. He finally put $125 on my Comdata card so I could get 40 or so gallons.

How stupid is this???!!!
The computer knows how much fuel I have but can't find a TA/Petro/Loves on my route, so it give no fuel route and sends a message to get it from my DM.
Then it won't let my DM simply use a Comdata station ID to open me for fuel.

I waited so long trying to get fuel I decided to shut down here for the night. There are few places to stop until I get down to I-80, and I won't try to find parking that late at night at any of those.

No real hardship, except the frustration.
This load is going down to Commerce, CA for a 3/6 1700 live unload.
I got it t-called in Salt Lake so I could put my truck in the shop with several issues, the worst being an air compressor that isn't working correctly.
I told my DM I would have it there by 1300 tomorrow and the t-call message gives me until 2245.

I also will be due for a b-service, have a coolant leak somewhere, a bad battery or two, and a check engine light.
I foresee an interesting time for the shop.

 

I absolutely love running in the Rockies, from Montana on down to New Mexico. However, not having P/FJ is a real pain. However, since there is NO Love's, Petro/TA up in Montana I had a Flying J on my fuel route. Again in Utah, when I realized I didn't have enough fuel to make it to Albuquerque I was allowed to fuel at the Pilot in Green River, UT.

At least we no longer have the idiocy of being opened for fueling only 45 gallons. No shower credit? Really? Now they seem to have gone WAY over to only topping off the tanks and getting very few shower credits.

Which is all why I try to reopt my fuel on a regular basis, to score shower credits and avoid oddball fuel stops.

 

I avoid terminals for that reason... no points and no shower credit.
Even then, when I am opened for 50 gallons the pump stops at 49 - so no shower credit. They should make it 51 gallons.

I have yet to experience the system giving me a Pilot/J fuel stop, even when it is the only option.
Like this time when it won't allow ANYTHING, even a small TS that accepts Comdata.

 

Loves in Baxter TN. Easy day. Conditions rapidly deteriorated as sun set. Memphis already has freezing rain. Was 77 degrees tween Ashville and Knoxville. 36 degrees when I pulled in here. Drivers on cb saying don't go any more west it gets ugly. I'll get up usual time, grab a shower then see what Mommy Dearest Nature has in store

 

TA in Albuquerque

 

I fuel at pilot flying j all the time. Anytime I pick up or deliver in Montana I get routed to the peelot in billings, or the one in rocker. Yesterday I drove past a TA in missoula and fueled 50 miles down the road at the pilot in superior.

 

However, that seems to only be Montana. Maybe I'm lucking out because missoula is the only non flying j/peelot truck stop, and my miles hit just right that the computer allows it. I'm not sure.

 

Still at home, though I tried to leave two hours ago.

Remember those mid-40s and rain I mentioned? Followed by six inches of snow in the past 24 hours? Yep; frozen brakes on the passenger side steer. Got that free, backed up ~30 feet or so until I had to stop for those 13'0 high phone/cable wires. Lifted those up onto the truck, and found I was stuck.

The truck to winch me out should be here by noon. My pickup is 12:30... three hours away. Fortunately, I have a nine hour drop window, though I really don't want to be running that late.

 

r u stuck on ice?kinda late but if you are at home with truck, pour hot water around the drives and engage interlock. or try cat litter.