1 truck heading to Houston TX

... spending the night at Lordsburg NM

Went to bed last night at 10:15 so I stay in bed until after 6:15 to get my eight hours bed time. I'm awake at 4:30. My system is still on home time. Those 1st six hours were the best sleep I have had in a few days.

Last night when we checked in, we were told that breakfast was a 'grab bag' so we didn't go down as we have plenty of left overs from prior days grab bags. But when I go back in to check out before we leave, I see that breakfast is everything. And they put it in a bag for you. But by then we have the truck running in the parking lot. I just grab one pack of cookies for later.

We head out at 7:30 local. It's been light out for quite a while. I'll pay for that tonight.

Yesterday we threw our luggage in the back of the truck but then locked in inside the cab for the overnight. This AM we were able to get everything but the case of water inside the cab. But that means that BB is sitting next to me in the middle instead of next to the door. Not sure we've ever ridden like this before :)

1st stop is the AZ side of the border, Ehrendbrug, for fuel at the Flying J. Gas is $2.05 which is much better than anything has been in CA. And I got there with a range of 40 miles to spare.

Our NC dispatcher had put a tanker on the load board this AM out of TX, just a couple of hours from where we will be dropping. It was going from Jacksonville TX to Jacksonville FL. I was calling to see if it was new and when I could put my name on it. Most dispatchers arrange for Monday pickups on Saturday.

Truck was new, and will not be ready until Monday ... but. It is going to a port for export and the driver has to have clearance. I don't. But a driver can do a one time clearance but that cost is on the driver. No thanks. That is why I never got that clearance. I think there was a time when my local company would have paid for it. Nope. Just like why I am in no hurry to renew my passport. Those trips are not worth the hassle.

I couldn't take the trip and a little while later it was gone from the loadboard.

2nd stop was lunch at the QT (Quick Trip) in Buckeye. Plan had been to go to the Loves. We drove though and there was no place to park without backing. Also the Burger King has no place to turn around. The Burger King even had a sign at the entrance stating that. So we ended up at the new QT across the street. Parked along the curb and bought shelf food and ate at a table outside. The table was a plus the other two didn't have, we would have eaten by our truck. I had two pieces of pizza and BB had a salad. Not a bad salad for shelf food.

Not a lot out in this part of AZ so the next two legs of the trip are 150 miles each instead of three 100 mile legs.

3rd stop is at the Pilot in Tucson for fuel. This time the lowest price we see in all AZ, $1.88. While fueling I watch a guy filling gallon jugs of water from a remote faucet, then he put all the jugs in to his two wheel part on the back of his bike. Then walked his bike where ever it was he was going. Homeless person I'm guessing.

Yep, dark again before we shut down. Need to, or want to get going earlier tomorrow.

4th and final stop is the Comfort Inn in Lordsburg NM just a quarter mile before the scale. Food was going to be next door at the McDonalds but they are closed. Rumor is that they were not following Covid guidelines. So we have to walk under the freeway and get food to go. Not bad food but I would get something different next time. We both got Mexican and that seems to get cold by the time we walk back. Mine was too spicy ... and when I set down the to-go back the chips dumped all over. We threw the half the bag that spilled on the floor and were only able to eat half of the remaining half. That is how much food we got.

During our little walk I was reminded how much the desert cools off after dark and when we got back I decided to grab a jacket from the truck. As I was doing that, a black cat ran across my path ... fitting way to end Friday the 13th.

We've stayed at this hotel before. It has a Greyhound building between the motel and McD's. One of the few Greyhound buildings that I know of that are not in major cities.

Late again, I'll have to write-up yesterdays trip some other day.

Load board

US - 171

IA - 12

MN - 3

WI - 8

TX - 18 but only one over 700 miles and the rest are under 500 miles. The last three days there has been something out of TX that looked good, we'll hope they put one more out Monday.

We aren't in any rush to come home and if we do we will likely leave again within a day or two. We do not plan on being in town for Thanksgiving (or Christmas/New Years)

Covid - for those reading this later. When I started mentioning Covid the deaths in MN were around 10 per day and we were under 'lock down.' Now they are almost 50 a day and it is business as usual. ???