1 bus to La Crosse WI

... spending the night at Livermore CA

Breakfast. We point, they pick. I picked bacon and omelette plus two juice. BB had toast and an egg. They had to do the toast so no one was touching any common surfaces.

Rolling at 7:30 local. A few miles down the road I remembered we needed gas. The hotel was right between In-n-Out Burger and a gas station.

1st stop. About an hour down the road at Temecula at a Shell for fuel.

Computer is saying that going the route we want to take will take 10-20 minutes longer so we re-route to nearer LA. Computer now wants to take us almost in to down town LA but we opt for a route that will have us meet up with I-5 just north of down town. Some slow and go but not bad.

The mpg setting on this car re-sets every time we fill. On this tank the mileage was up to 51 mpg before dropping. It does start out in the 20's and then worked it's way up. Once we got to the mountains it started going down. Almost 500 miles later it finally dropped to 44 mpg. Not bad.

2nd stop is at a Pilot in Santa Clarita for a rest room break. It is the 1st on-route truckstop we have seen. When we walked in, an officer walked in right ahead of us but I hadn't seen a squad. Then he walked out about the time we did and got into an un-marked van. And a 2nd officer got out. Ahhh. Transporting convicts. The drivers get to use the restroom but not the convicts.

While I was stopped the terminal manager from IA called looking for drivers. Sorry, I am still in CA. But he did mention that there are ONLY 15O loads on the board. But he has over 400 trips waiting, he just doesn't want to over load the board. Yikes. We will likely be leaving out again as soon as we get back.

Thanks to Covid we will likely be leaving as soon as we get back. Today is the due date for our next grandchild, but we will not be visiting even if we are home. Not right now.

Watch your speed. Coming down the pass north of LA the car would quickly get up to 80 mph if I was not riding the break. Speed limit is 65 mph for cars. 35 mph for trucks. We could see the smoke around one truck going down the hill. And smell the breaks. No fire, yet.

3rd stop was in Lost Hills for food and the Arbey's in Loves. Miss the Philly. The reuben is now my go to. Trying to get used to eating out of the side of my mouth.

4th stop was in Patterson. BB couldn't wait. Flying J for restroom ... and fuel. As soon as I got out of the car someone was there asking for money. 1st time this trip. I topped the fuel tank off. BB reminded me later that the car needed to be returned at 13/16, not full.

5th stop, 15 minutes down the road at the rest area near Westley. I called the dispatcher ... 'Too early, call back in 15 minutes.'

6th stop at a Arco near Tracy to use the phone from a parking lot vs the shoulder of the road.

We are going to La Crosse WI, bus will be ready about 4:30.

When I call be are still about a half hour from the shipper. We head to the shipper to try and see the bus. It helps that it says La Crosse on the side of the bus :) I had pulled into a part of their parking lot when we were looking at the bus, but when I pulled back on the street BB asks 'Why are you on the wrong side of the street?' ??? This street is only a few blocks long and does have trees in the median a few places, but not here. Not sure what I was / wasn't thinking. -0- other traffic on the road.

7th stop - Then we head to the outlet mall to wait. We do some figuring and then I call a driver that I've been keeping in contact with recently. I don't watch the time and it is soon 4:30. Time to go.

... and BB is hungry.

8th stop, Carl's Jr (Hardee's) for BB

9th stop is the bus lot. While I'm getting the bus checked out, BB looks at the other buses. Only two other buses have paperwork in them today. Both going to Kansas City. Glad I got one.

We check out the bus and BB heads to drop the car. After I am off the lot I try to turn the heat on. No heat. That is a problem. I will be calling first thing in the AM.

10th and final stop is the Best Western in Livermore. Glad we aren't going any further so we don't have far to go back in the AM if they can not walk me though it.

Someone has backed into the light pole behind the truck parking since we were here last time. But this time no one else is in the truck spots. Some times it is full so we don't often stay here.

We still are not sure which way we are going. I am getting paid the miles to take I-80 to Des Moines and up. It is 300 miles more to go via NM and up. Fuel and hotels are cheaper on the southern route so money is about a wash. All that we loose is the time.

Load board

US - 450

IA - 177

MN - 3

WI - 7

45 - NC

Five RV's going to NC right now, four trucks coming back to MN. Almost a round trip. Earlier today there were a few no tow RV's going down there so even more money.

The Portland trip was mostly a break even trip. We were going to stay in town and have motels and a rental either way so at least this way we broke even, covered our expenses. Pay. Sometimes we get paid within the hour. Today I never did get paid, paperwork was sent in last night. By tomorrow afternoon I will have to call.

Weather for this trip still looks ok ??? We should be following a minor storm. If we get out of town tomorrow AM.