Good Night From II

Today nears Graham St. on I-85 (about 2 miles north of where I-85/I-77 connect) busy traffic area a motorcycle flies by me doing 100+ miles an hour weaving through traffic in all 4 lanes including going between cars a couple times. I was doing 62 so I am not exaggerating the 100+ mph. We'll be reading about him someday. I was amazed at the stupidity, like I said that's a busy area.

 

Smooth sailing this morning from Battle Mountain, NV over Donner Pass and down to Tracy, CA. Getting my live unload now, and confirmed to deadhead to Lathrop to start my home time. It's been three months since I've seen my wife and kids, going through machinations about whether to move to OKC and get into the oil pipe delivery thing or not, let alone that trainee from Hades I had December and January. Time to get a nice bottle of wine and clear my head.

 

I suggest a nice chilled bottle of MD 20-20.

 

Edwardsville, IL. Woke this morning to a pplan already. Pick No. Kansas city to Memphis. Then this afternoon another already picking up in Byhalia going to Sante Fe Springs, CA. All of 12K. The only problem is no delivery appointment yet. It is showing my PTA for the 30th. Might still pick up and t-call it in PHX. Still have the same DM. now she is watching out for me. She sent a message tonight that she will still look in the morning for something better out of Memphis. She knows that when it is getting close to home time I like to be as far away from home as I can be and still get home in 5 days. Get the miles going west and then have to get back to Ohio. Normally when I get in this area is when all of the crap freight and short hauls start.

I wonder if anyone here can read. Watched 5 bob tails back up in front of the porch and the fence where nice signs. No parking anytime. One backed up in front of the fence and blocked in 2 that are parked legally. I guess back to only care about oneself. The heck with others. From the truck decal, I would say that he was a Star driver.

 

Sitting in the mess on I 85 north bound just past ex 129 in Georgia. Some furniture hauler box truck chose today to flip on his side and block ALL lanes of traffic. What a farggin mess!!

 

Halfway through a nice bottle of merlot. Daughter got dinner reservations and is keeping it a secret. Thought I'd "prime the pump" and make sure the fuel rail pressure doesn't become an issue. Weather's nice in Fremont, CA. PTA set for Monday comfortable morning.

 

After 3 days in the shop I'm finally back on the road.

The good news is that the crew in the Inver Grove shop fixed everything, be it from error codes or my own comments.
I got none of the run around and comments that I've received from several other shops. They simply fixed the problems.
For the first time in several months I have a completely functional truck. No air leaks, no problems with the compressor or regen systems, etc.
My truck is even happier than I am.
Once again, that shop took good care of me and my truck.

I reset my PTA for 0800 this morning, after the last little fix, and sent Mac 30.
Only 2 load offerings, both the same. PU and del at the same place in Faribault, MN. The MoM there had 2 rejected trailers they needed swapped out.
Not a real choice selection, but I took one. And I found an mt at the terminal that was in shop status, which may be why it was the last remaining decent mt.
I went to the shop to inquire and was told it was put in for the landing gear. A mechanic came out to check it, and promptly took it out of shop status so I could have it.
A Coke shipper rejected it because of a couple dents, and that's all.

The trailer I swapped for was rejected because of a wet spot on the floor at the nose, and they were afraid it was leaking. It turned out to only be a patch of oil from the last delivery, and the trailer was good.

I got a pplan even before I sent the loaded/empty calls.
A nice Bush Bros. load out of Augusta, WI. 150 mt and 1725 loaded miles to AZ.
I guess my taking a lousy load got me a good one.

I got to Bush Bros. about 2 hours before the load assignment pick up time and was told by the guy at the window that they didn't expect it to be picked up until tomorrow - but, they had just completed loading and the trailer was ready to go.
Cool!
In and out in 30 minutes or so, after scaling the load there.

I worked my way out onto I-90 and am now holed up at the Amish place.
I have a lot of time on this load, and I'm hoping to be able to deliver it a day sooner than scheduled.

 

I spent many of my childhood years in Fremont, CA.
Our house was at the back of a cull-de-sac along the freeway, in view of the Fremont raceway.

 

That's generally been my experience. I'll jump on most anything they give me, and if I "scratch their back" by taking care of a local on their load board, the planners will turn around and give me a nice long haul out.

I've never had the pleasure of going into the Inver Grover terminal. Might need to make a point of checking that one out, especially if I've got assorted issues with the truck.

The only real issue I have with my truck (during my extended home time) is all the cracked panels on the battery cover driver's side, left steer fender, and cab fender behind the batteries from the deer strike my last trainee so perfectly nailed. I've been told that I need to take care of that at Phoenix, as all other terminals aren't body shops and only Phoenix stocks panels like that. In Edwardsville they said if I wanted all those panels replaced they would need a week to get the panels and do the work, but they did a great job of bolting the loose bits in place.

 

The Atlanta Daily Destruction Derby ... I went through there Tuesday. Fortunately I was clockwise on the 285 ... counterclockwise was jammed all the way from southbound 85 to past northbound 85 ...