Post Gordon ~ Thoughts, Commentary & Reflections

Hi ducebigg! Hi rachi! Hi OceanDan! Thx for visiting!




//Looks like TQL lost Plainfield~Maquoketa as two other brokers are advertising same load. See? There is justice in the Universe after all. Pepsi Logic's 8K Plainfield~Cedar Rapids hasn't moved either. Scott offered $800 for 380 mlles. Told him needed $3/loaded mile. He said, "Okay, fine, you'll come crawling back on your knees... "

Not likely unless he ups the rate. But... it is light at 8K. $800 rate's light, too. And it'd be a load I'm interested in because it's to Cedar Rapids. Think that's my outlier, far end for now to bring Prairie back. But this trip, time's tight, won't have any cushion to get Prairie if something went wrong, like a flat or other delay.

 

What a view over the Mississippi as you pull over that Guttenberg hill!

Just awesome.

And can't avoid via 20 or 52. 20 nails you right in town with the light up on the hill on west side of town. Literally, a killer and drive shaft breaker if you're heavy. Think it took two lights and only got it going on the 3rd.

1st bucked and killed; 2nd, forced cars behind to go around so had some room; 3rd light, pulled trolley back, gave some pedal and it heaved, heaved, heaved but finally started to pull. Sheesh!!

Both times through there with 44K, light caught me right up towards top of the hill. Truck just does not have the nuts under the hood to pull it and the ceramic clutch... wouldn't want to get stopped on the Guttenberg hill, either.

Next time through took 52 out of Dubuque, again, there's Guttenberg. Best is run up 61 to Prairie and cross back over into IA. Had DEL to Postville. It is no farther, maybe 1 mile up 61 through Prairie to Postville.

Other way that I like even better, I-74 to I-39 at Bloomington/Normal, take WI 18 straight across to Prairie and on over the bridge, up the hill and to Postville. But a crap load, pays $700 from near Danville so loaded heavy most all way.

Many better loads out there, $3/mile for 200 miles, DEL and hit hills empty.

Fairly easy $600.

 

Never heard of it... where is it?

 

Took TH, my 'guest' on 4 lots in town that has one of
--Official Spencer on warpath against him and others support
--Like a 60-year-old 5-year-old with very bad teeth
--Had mail at Shalom Center, voter registration and food stamp appt
--Left him there to go get my hair cut
--When got back, hadn't showered as discussed
--Didn't (now, next stop is Volunteers In Medicine) sign himself up
--Someone else did sign him up so he got the shower anyway
--When he learned he was taking Rural Transit home
--Suddenly 'remembered' he'd done the Rural Transit thing before
--He gets to do it again, no excuse not get to appts on own
--Didn't spend much time on boards, talked to a few brokers
--Most either required PU today or too tight for same day DEL tomorrow
--Have to be in Prairie du Chien tomorrow no matter
--More brokers posting good rates on board to try get loads moved
--Now that's a good thing! Usually no rate posted.
--One posted $1,000 Plainfield IN~Savanna IL 323 miles
--Nice starting offer of $3/mile. Too tight to do tomorrow, though
--Savanna receiving closes 3:30 pm and can't get loaded early enough
--Well, could have loaded today and run it if not ferrying TH around
Oh, well! Can't catch 'em all, can we.

 

PM from Goldenfan (only TTR member I've met so far, too):

Figure Goldenfan would give permission, so posted his helpful PM.

Guy who ran this before me said take 129; if he said anything about County K, it went right out the other ear. Did that at first but followed marked route up to Fennimore and it's about 10 miles farther than right through Lancaster. That is, went up 129 to a 'T', then turned right, instead of left. So seemed like straight through Lancaster made more 'sense' and have been doing that way 'since'.

On another trip did turn left, went right back into Lancaster (actually followed another truck to a local delivery), was ugly, convoluted and time wasted, ended up on 35 to Bloomington/Patch Grove after all!

Did not know about County K!

I figure explore like this when run's not tight that day and a small 'oops' won't hurt much.

129 to County K looks faster and shorter and I certainly wouldn't miss the street construction going on in Patch Grove right now. On Google maps, County K does not look like truck route. But if not too hilly might just save time and travel.

Thanks, Goldenfan!! I'll try it.