1 bus heading to Pittsburg PA

... spending the night in Santa Nella CA

We will be sitting in the motel for part of the day so I will watch the load board even though we are 1,000 miles away (today I am using the total out of IA, not just RV's)

8:00 - 87

8:30 - 82

9:00 - 79

9:30 - 76

10:00 - 76

10:30 - 76

11:00 - 75

11:30 - 73

11:45 - 84 - 3 Davis, 2 1,000 Oaks, NV 3 AZ

12:00 - 83

12:30 - 89

1:30 - 105

END - 144

Breakfast was a nuked sandwich. No microwave in our room so they had to nuke it before giving it to us. They had more but we weren't going to be stocking up.

We were down at 6 AM, likely the first ones. Looked like maybe 10 cars in a 40 room hotel.

From 6 AM local until 10:30 we hit refresh on the load board to just to see what was happening. Not much in the AM.

Checkout was 11 AM so we got out before that. Headed to Manteca to the In-n-Out Burger. And dropped off our paperwork at a mailbox in route. Today I only had a single instead of a double double at In-n-Out. And no malt. They have a few tables outside so we ate there. Saw a few others eating in their car in the parking lot. No indoor eating in CA. Not sure for how long.

We were heading to Senora CA to a cemetery. We wanted a walk but are kind of gun shy about leaving all of our stuff in parking lots anywhere in the Bay area. Even the reviews of the local parks have comments about break ins. I had a list of cemeteries we could stop at, Senora was the furthest.

Once we got to Senora we just followed the computer directions. Wow. A street wide enough that you might be able to meet a person, walking between the buildings. Then at the four way stop where you can't see past the parked cars, other cars are blowing through the stop sign. We'd go for the length of the building, then turn, go past two buildings turn again. When we left the cemetery it was just a couple of turns on a wide road and we were back on the express way. But it was part of a mile further.

We walked for about 45 minutes at the cemetery before BB wanted to head back. We did not find what we were looking for, but at least it wasn't a cemetery we had already been too and I forgotten about.

Quick stop at a gas station in Jamestown for the restroom.

By the time we got back to Escalon, it was time to call dispatch. "I need you, meet me at 5 PM, I don't know where you are going yet."

Timing was about right. We got back to Livermore a little after 4 PM. We stopped for fuel and then food. Gas station was a nice place, but there was someone going through the garbage cans looking for cans and bottles. Then when I was ready to leave someone pulled up to the opposite islands and first stood by his door and then went to fuel leaving his door open. So I just about could not get past. There was a few inches on each side. :(

Across the street to the Wienerschnitzel. Something different. BB got a Krout Dog and I got a Chicago dog. Good change of taste. Not something that was easy to eat in the car so I waited until I got to the bus place. I thought I would have a half hour to eat while I waited for the dispatcher. Nope. He was already there. But the gate was locked. No problem. Security was there early today to open it for us.

I found the dispatcher. We are going to Pittsburg. Deliver full of fuel, deliver on Tuesday and do not enter the state until you are ready to deliver. And he finally gave me a fuel dipper. None of the buses used to have fuel gauges and we are supposed to leave them with 5 or 8 inches of fuel so I have just been guessing and no one has ever questioned me on delivery. This time I have no gauge and the shipper is paying for the last tank of fuel so I want to come in close to empty, but not run out.

We check out the bus, all is good. But we have to decide how we are getting to Pittsburg. I-80 or I-40? I-80 is shorter, but I-40 has cheaper fuel, motels and tolls than I-80.

By the time we are done inspecting and get back to the office, the dispatcher is done with his paperwork and packing to leave.

BB leaves, I take my pictures and drop my paperwork.

Follow the trail to the rental car drop, pick up BB from the side of the road and we are rolling.

Traffic is the usual stop and go for the first 10 miles heading out of town. We have talked and we are heading south. It also works that the bus wash is on the south end of town so the total mileage is not that much different.

Once we are past the traffic we make a reservation in Santa Nella. This bus goes 68 and the speed limit here is 65 so I actually have to watch my speed, but I do have power to pass trucks going 64-1/2 mph.

??? No one parked on the street across from the hotel. I park and go inside and ask if it is still OK to park there. It is. So I leave the bus on the street, until I think about it and then go out and move it to 'my spot.' My spot was empty when I looked before moving the bus but when I got there, there were two cars making my parking more difficult. By the time I was parked, they were both gone. I also remembered when I was moving the bus that I bottomed out when I left last time. Got to watch that.

Another Pittsburg bus is parked behind the motel. I prefer to have a clear shot for leaving. If someone parks the wrong way near the corners, it would be hard to get out of there.

Load board

US - 300

IA - 144

MN - 10

WI - 3