After getting up this AM we decided to take one of the runs out of FL. The ones to TN were about two hours further so I took the AL run so that we could easily make delivery on Friday.

A few minutes after 8 AM we called dispatch and got the run, as soon as they emailed my paperwork we went down to the computer, printed out the paperwork and checked out. I also called the pickup location and said we would be there in about two hours. They didn't know anyone was coming and didn't have anyone close.

We got to the pickup in about an hour and a half so we waited for a half hour thinking someone would show up. Nope. So I called and then they told me now to get into the gate (They couldn't have told me that earlier?) The trucks were being stored in someone's pasture so we needed to make sure we closed the gate. :)

Three trucks way in the back of a 10 (?) acre wooded lot. Good news is it started. Bad news was that it was hooked up to a wood chipper without a jack. After spending lots of time trying to decide what to do or how to do it, I found a 2x6 and lifted while BB pulled the truck ahead. Then I let it drop.

Oh yeah, lots of kids around but they were just curious. As were Billy and mama. A couple nibbled on my pants where I was checking the fluids but they soon lost interest and grazed elsewhere.

Once we were in the pasture, we were in and out in a half hour. BB took off to find something to eat and I headed down the road, I wouldn't need fuel for an hour or so.

An hour down the road the check engine light came on and stayed on. So I stopped and called dispatch who called the shipper. After an hour no one had gotten back to me so I called again. Finally someone called me back and found a location who could check the computer today. The first place they were going to send me could check it next week. The shipper also mentioned that this model truck needed to be full of coolant or it could throw an error code. It wasn't quite full so I walked to Napa and bought coolant. Sure enough, after adding the coolant the light went off.

So I called dispatch and told them I was not going to stop and a dealer to get checked. Less than an hour down the road, the check engine light was back on. I called dispatch back and said I was heading to the dealer. By now it was more miles to the dealer than if I had headed there to start with. Also needed to stop for fuel, I was down below 1/8. RaceTrak in Lakeland was my fuel stop. I hadn't really done the math on the time as I thought I had plenty of it. I did when I first called, hours ago.

I had looked at a map so I knew about where the dealer was, but I turned one street too soon. By the time I got to the dealer they were locked up and dispatch had been leaving me messages. One shop guy saw me and told me where to park and drop the keys, but about that time someone walked out of the office and offered to check it right then. As soon as they were done checking they were headed home. That was a much needed, and appreciated, act of kindness on their part. No charge.

The code says a part isn't working properly, but it's ok to run it as is for a while. Also those calls from dispatch said I didn't need to stop and have it looked at because it was going to be after 5 when I got to the shop. Grrrrr....

Now it's going to be dark shortly and we need to go out of route to drop off the rental car AND we have 550 mile to tomorrows drop. We got 60 miles today, all day.

We are back at the same motel in Lakeland, FL. But tonight we went to Applebee's instead of Cracker Barrel.

I now noticed that dispatch called after we were to the motel. Didn't leave a message and it's the office number so could have been anyone there.

Nothing good new on the board so we may just head home tomorrow after we drop. We will likely be dropping after hours but it may be dark by then so we may be dropping on Saturday. We'll see. Coming from the south, we will likely get a rental car in Mobil, about an hour from the drop. From there it is about two days back home.

Long day for little progress.