We ran 5 runs this week. We worked all five days, finally. It felt good to have a busy week. Let me tell you a little about it. It wasn't all that exciting really.
On Monday we got a load that picked up in eastern PA. So we had to deadhead from Columbus, Oh.
It was a drab and dreary day but no snow yet. By the time we got to the PA turnpike at New Stanton, we started to have snow. Of course it continued through the Laurel Highlands region of Somerset County.
After getting through the snow and down off the mountains we drug our feet. We didn't pick up until the next morning.
We got to our pickup early and slept a little before we got loaded. Once they did load us though we got moving. We headed up Interstate 95 through New Jersey and alongside New York City. We crossed the George Washington Bridge which crosses the Hudson River. Then we drove the cross Bronx expressway and into Connecticut.
The weather was drab and cold but no rain or snow. We drove along the southern rim of Connecticut with Long Island Sound off to our right.
Then we entered Rhode Island. It is a small state and you can get through it in no time.
We got to our destination and the load was off in minutes.
After that, we were on our way into Massachusetts for a new load. This load was eventually going to end up near Baltimore. It was a highly secure load and we were to have another truck riding behind us as an escort.
When we got to the pickup location the other truck was already there and the product had been loaded onto their vehicle. So we were now the escort vehicle. We were handed paperwork with minimal information, however it did include a specific route plan.
When I made the call into our company just before departing they ask why we did not have the load on our truck. I told them that it had already been loaded onto theirs and sealed. I did ask about the route plan because it was taking us 100 miles more than the shortest route that Fedex suggested. I was told to run their route no matter what and we would be compensated for additional miles. I was then asked to scan the route plan into the company. She wanted to know why the other truck had not mentioned this.
The team in the other truck did not communicate with us at all. We had given them our phone numbers in case we somehow got separated but they didn't give us theirs. They wouldn't talk to us at all at the pickup, I thought maybe because of the high security. I did think it strange.
But then they missed a route. They were not following the route plan! I had no way to question them, so I called the company and asked if there had been a change. I was put on hold. When the representative came back on line I could tell that she was very upset. She instructed us to follow the truck no matter what and not leave until they were unloaded.
So, back down through Connecticut, across the Bronx, alongside NYC, through New Jersey and close to Baltimore by morning.
Pops was following, I slept. By the time I woke up, we were done with that and off to our next load.
We had to drive to Harrisburg, PA. I was driving now. We got the load on easily and now we were headed to Evansville, IN. So it was the PA turnpike up and over all the Allegheny Mountains. It was a mix of rain/snow and cold. It was messy and hard to keep the windshield clean. I love the liquid salt because it not only melts ice and snow, it dries the roads. But it sprays up onto your windshield and makes it really hard to keep clean.
I drove to New Stanton, PA. We were about to get on Route 70 that would take us into Ohio.
We stopped there and got our supper than Pops took the wheel and I slept.
I woke up at our destination. We had to deliver there but then were being reloaded and going to Louisville, KY. Unloading and reloading went quickly and smoothly. Then the run to Louisville was pretty fast. We got unloaded and then headed to the truckstop.
It was snowing hard in Louisville and it was cold.
On Friday we ran a short run that just picked up north of Louisville and went to south Louisville. It was a less than seventy five mile run which elevates your truck status to top of seniority. That was good strategy since there were 9-10 trucks here already. So after completing that short run, we were #1 truck. Our chances for a good Monday load looked good.
It was Valentines Day weekend so I looked for a hotel room, just for a change and a chance to stretch out and have space. Every hotel around Louisville was totally booked! What?
Well it turns out that the State Farm show was being held in Louisville that weekend. Oh well.
So we vegetated in the truck, relaxing, watching movies, eating at Taco Bell on Saturday, then Waffle House on Sunday after church.
We got our truck cleaned, laundry done, cooked a big crockpot of soup, and restocked our groceries.
It did snow off and on all weekend so California is going to be great.
I love my Valentine so very much. I don't care where are as long as we are together.
We got a Monday dispatch. It picks up in Louisville and goes to Oceanside California for Wednesday delivery.
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