1 tree truck to Waukesha WI

... spending the night at London KY

Alarm did go off at 7 AM local. Breakfast was yogurt and juice.

1st stop - About a 45 minute drive to the customer. We've been here before so that makes it a lot easier. We know where to park, what is locked, where the keys and paperwork are.

1st the bad news. I look at my fuel gauge shows 'E.' And when I turn the truck on, it shows I have a range of 7 miles. Other than that, all is good. I leave the truck off except when I need it on until I am ready to leave. This truck is called a split dump. No idea where the name comes from. It is the same as any of these type of trucks except that there is a bench seat outside of the cab, behind the cab with a door only on one side. Works for us in that we have room for our luggage.

Because I was watching my fuel so close, BB closed and locked the gate behind me so I wouldn't sit and idle the truck. But I did have to sit and idle the truck at the stop light. The stop light down the road switched three times before this one did.

But good news. They are building a Murphy Express just a couple of blocks from the pickup location on the same side of the road. It should be done by the time we come back next time.

I headed that couple of blocks but had to cross the street at the light. Valero, it is where we always have stopped. There is a station about a mile down the road the other direction ... the direction I would be going, but we have never stopped there.

2nd stop - Valero for fuel. No waiting but the pump kicked me off at $75. Tank wasn't full but I thought I would get cheaper fuel somewhere else later. I paid $1.99.

Now to backtrack about 40 miles because we didn't know we were going to end up in Shelby. Closest drop for Avis is 40 miles the wrong direction (80 round trip) Enterprise is a mile away in the right direction. I hadn't looked at a map to the airport so I was just following the airport signs. That worked.

3rd stop - At the airport, I found the cell phone lot, if I hadn't, I would have just circled until BB called me. A few minutes later, BB does call and I am on my way. This lot has sharp U-turns in and out but low curbs and no obstructions so not a big deal.

I pick BB up and we start to back truck. An hour and a half after we left the lot we are looking at it again from the highway.

4th stop - Wendy's in Asheville. The closest truckstop had only sit down food and we have been in this area before so it is not an unknown. Plus she looked at a map. She ordered a chicken sandwich and I ordered a son of baconator. I thought. When I got it, it looked awful big. Then I remembered how much the bill was. Not sure what I ordered, but I got the double of it. Too much, threw part of it away.

When we are stopped, I call the drop in WI. Monday works, there will be someone there.

5th stop was Pilot in Dandridge. We had thought we would be past Knoxville when we stopped but fuel was cheaper before Knoxville. We had picked a station and then saw this one was two cents cheaper. Paid $1.90 after the discount. Left with a range of about 420. Lots of screens I can click thru but none give me my MPG. Range is always showing above the fuel gauge.

I guess I had forgot to tell my local company that I was NA again for the rest of the month. They had a good local run for Monday but we won't be back.

6th and final stop was at the Comfort Inn in London. As we turn down their street we remember being here to this motel. Not sure when or with what, but we were here. Last time we likely walked to Fazoli's a few blocks down. This time we walked across the street to a Mexican place to get food to go. BB salad was not that good, by enchiladas were really good, except there were almost cold by the time we started eating so really cooled off by the time I was done. We have been having that problem lately with togo Mexican food. Cold by the time we start eating it.

It doesn't look like it at all on the map this time, but we are following the same route back as we did down from Columbus NC to Indy.

Scales. Had to exit for a scale almost right way this AM but got the bypass lane. Then a few miles later a 2nd scale that was closed. Then after I pick up BB we pass another scale that the sign said closed but trucks were still crossing. Likely closed because it had back up out into traffic. So by having to backtrack to drop the rental car, I had to pass three more scales.

I don't remember how many more scales we passed today. Did have to exit for another one but again got the bypass lane.

Yesterday we missed the run going from NC to CA. Tonight there is still one of the trucks I have driven going from NC to WA, 2,700 miles. That would have paid good, but I didn't want to wait and miss a sure thing. There had been more than the one earlier.

And the other truck I can asked about yesterday was going to Selina KS. Today there are trucks or buses out of Selina KS going to CA. I don't remember that much stuff going to CA as there is right now. Not sure we have enough time to get there after I drop Monday.

We still don't know if we will head right back out, but we did get a rental car going to Mason City instead of our home town airport. So it will only take an hour to drop the rental car instead of five hours.

Load board

US - 190

IA - 21

MN - 8

WI -0-