No alarm this AM. Finally got going by 8:30.

Breakfast was a little different. Very small breakfast area. First thing I noticed was no hot food. Instead they had omelette and sandwich’s in the fridge and a microwave. Upside with that is you know the food will be hot. I was still stuffed from last night so I just wanted yogurt.

Headed down the road and got about an hour to the Love’s in Covington to fuel. Then dispatch started putting stuff on the board shipping out of VA. Finally we decided this is what we wanted, we just didn’t jump at it right away. It looked like there was a non-CDL so we would have two. And it would only be seven more miles to go via AZ than Donners Pass.

So I called … no they are all CDL and someone has one of them on hold.

We get a little way down the freeway and we decide to take just one. I call back … we can’t go the southern route because we need to stop in Des Moines and pick up a trailer. On Monday because they aren’t open over the weekend.

I still take it and we make a U-turn and head to the shipper. We take the shortest way. BB is trying to call the rental car place but we are too deep in the hills. Not sure how many miles or how long we were on those first roads, but they seemed to have blacktopped an old cow path. Wish we’d have had a video going.

No center line, turns, up and down. NO SEMI’s. Some places you could see straight for a ways, but the road turned every time there was a tree.

We do a quick stop to fill the rental and grab a bite to eat. We hadn’t seen any fast food for a while so BB got a chicken salad sandwich off the shelf and I got a hotdog off the roller.

Another few miles and we were at the lot. We had never been there before and couldn’t find the lock box for the paperwork. Had to ask someone. Once we had that covered we were on to our next issue.

We had a code for the box, but couldn’t get it to work. I started calling dispatch a couple of times but then we’d try something else … finally we saw the instructions on the wall … and it worked.

Only to find an empty box. Then we went and looked for my truck. No truck. One close but the last two numbers transposed. Called dispatch a couple of times on that and then the customer and got voicemail.

Finally someone brought over another truck and I started asking him questions … and BB looks at the newest truck and it’s mine. Still no paperwork. Another few calls and I find out it’s OK if I just run on what I hand write up.

It takes about our usual hour to do the inspection and get our stuff in the truck. Can’t get most of the storage doors to open. Finally get two to open, and there are locks on those so that is where our stuff will ride.

First time in a long time, or ever for this company. I tape my placards to the outside of my truck.

By the time I get going BB has gotten to the airport, returned the car and is waiting. 10 miles later I am there. I have enough fuel to get the 40 miles back to the freeway where fuel is cheaper. The road is mostly four lane divided, but most of the time the white line is mine. There is less than a foot from the solid yellow line to the dirt and sometimes the drop off.

When we get to fuel, I first call the place in IA where I need to pick up my trailer. I have been told I don’t need a 2nd plate. The truck is under 26,000# so it alone is a non-CDL. But because they are adding the trailer it is now a CDL, but not a class A. I can pickup at 7 am on Monday.

We have a 1,000 miles to go in the next two days and I don’t think we’d do much better than that so no reason for someone to come in on the weekend.

We are VERY un-likely to do much better than that. This thing is as gutless as a Hino. Lots of time running at 40 mph going up the hills ... we won't hit the mountains until we get out in WY and west. To start with I was holding on with both hands but that part got easier. This thing has a huge frame over the cab so I have to watch how close I am getting to things. I can't go by the front bumper.

We get about 20 miles of freeway before another 70 of four lane divided. Some places the road was so close to the rock I think I would have taken off my mirror if I had been on the yellow line. I was following a semi so I let him set the pace. There were a few times when he was using both lanes because of the corners and the rock.

We made it before dark. No reason to push it. Sleep Inn in Princeton, WV. From there we walked to Chili’s. BB had a chicken salad. I had four sliders and a cup of soup.

No good runs out of IA so we’d be sitting if we had headed back. CA is still putting good runs on the board. I should deliver on Thursday. A lot can change by then.

If there is still trucks out of CA we will both take one, otherwise we will try get a bus and head back to IA.

I do not like towing. But I know how these are connected and someone will be there to make sure it gets done and I do not have to un-hook it. I will just be dragging it behind me (where I can’t see it because of the truck box) for another almost 2,000 miles.

Not sure when we will be home.