2 RV's heading to Greer SC

... spending the night in Durham NC

First a couple of older items.

... there was a third dispatcher in the office when we picked up on Monday. First time since the new terminal manager has been there.

... when I tried to start my RV yesterday afternoon, it wouldn't. On these RV's they are just push button but there has to be a key nearby. And the RV wouldn't 'see' my key. Finally I clicked the locks open and closed and then it saw my key. I haven't looked yet to see what one is supposed to do when the unit won't see a key.

Alarm went off at 6 AM, 5 AM local. Very slow getting up. We could have just slept in, We were late getting going.

Hot breakfast, eggs and bacon, yogurt and juice.

1st stop is Candler / Asheville at the TA for BB's fuel. Those sleeping in the parking lot are just getting up. Besides the RV, I was a guy crawl out of the back of covered pickup and someone else climbing out of their mini van. Also a converted van. Parking lot was smaller than expected.

BB put in two gallons and the fuel only went up by 15 miles. She hoped it would go up more and it do. Her low fuel light didn't come on until we were almost to the fuel stop. I had had 70 miles range beyond my drop, that dropped to 40 beyond and then was back up to 65 miles beyond when I fueled. So pretty close filling almost 400 miles back.

Lots of road construction after Candler. I finally decided to pass a truck in front of me and then he speeded back up so I wanted to get in behind him. Then he slowed down again so I had to slow even more to get behind him. I'm guessing the people behind me wanted me to speed up instead. When I finally could see his rear bumper, I could see his blinker ... There were not any exits coming up ... but there was a scale. I quickly got in behind him and crossed the scale. Not sure if I needed to, there was only one temp sign for the scale because of the road construction. We went through on the empty side.

Earlier in the day one of the semi's that I was playing 'tag' with had gotten ahead of me. At the last minute he cut across the last of the pavement to get to a different scale. Sign had said CLOSED but he must not have been looking at the sign and when he saw trucks in line ...

Just before the fuel station there was a semi coming down a closed ramp and I had to quickly get over. The car behind me had decided to get over at the same time and I wasn't sure they were going to let me in. ... as someone on FB has said "When I turn on my blinker, I am not asking permission. I am giving you notice."

2nd stop is the Spinx in Greer for final dealer fuel. We fuel and BB parks her RV, I move most of my stuff to her RV.

Then we head the mile to the airport for BB to pick up our rental car.

3rd stop is the drop. I call as soon as I arrive, someone is there almost right away. It takes him about 15 minutes to do the inspection. I had asked if I could leave to get the car when BB got there. They want someone with the unit until they sign for it. But he was done by the time BB got there.

Opps, I had forgotten my screw driver in the bags that ended up in the rental car which BB left at the gas station. I couldn't get my plate off. It is a special head and we bought the first one we could find a year ago. I have never looked for a smaller one that would fit in my back pack with the rest of my tools.

It takes me about 10 minutes to walk back to the gas station and another five to drive back to the lot. We have done this a few times now and SO FAR I have always remembered to get the keys from BB before I walk to the station.

By the time I get back her RV has been inspected. I grab my plate and we are ready to leave.

Nothing new on the load board that we want so we head to eat.

4th stop - Schlotzsky's, about two miles in the wrong direction. Traffic is backed up out onto the street and we are having to make a left turn. And the way people are turning in, there is no way to get past the line if you wanted to park and go in. We usually do, but didn't this time. We order and go.

Plan is to be on our way before that something new gets put on the load board.

5th stop is at a rest area near Concord.

6th and final stop is at a Comfort Inn in Durham. We sat in their parking lot until 5 PM when dispatch closes. No work. The only thing the dispatcher I was interested in put out three for FL. She did put out two semi tractors going up to Elk Hart IN but there are -0- one way cars in that area. I had moved one of those type semi's a few weeks ago up to Indy. Nice ride, plenty of room.

Once we were checked in, we walked across the street to an Italian place to eat. We were the only ones eating outside tonight. When we left we saw another table that only had drinks on a different side of the building. Good food, BB ate all of hers and I ate half of mine. Then we split a desert. Too much food and sun, sitting out that long. BB wasn't feeling so well on the walk home.

Loadboard

US - 379

IA - 135

MN - 16

WI - 7

NC - 20

In the past one of the dispatchers had made comments about me 'having more time for Facebook' if I broke down. So I had guessed they were reading but not posting. Tonight I had posted an old picture that showed shuttle drivers numbers. Within a few minutes the dispatcher had posted an updated copy of that picture. So now I know for sure I am being watched :)

Unless NC dispatch puts something out first thing in the AM, we will be taking a truck to Detroit. From there we can get a car home. The trip from here to Detroit will cover the cost of the car. Cars in Detroit are over $200 a day for local. We used to be able to get them for $50 or under local per day. One way is more than that, but it is the only place we can get a car. Other area's are not letting cars go one way. Otherwise Elkhart or Effingham would have been better runs, but no -0- cars at any price.

Cars - we will be watching rental cars closely. I am afraid that the locations that have been letting cars go will realize they are not getting cars back and soon no one will be letting cars go one way. This trip works because we could do a local between leg one and leg two. Same with the CA trip, we can do a local between leg one and leg two. The problem with both locations is getting home from leg two.

I wasn't watching, we may have missed the FL 'spring break' cheap cars. Right now none of the major rental places are allowing one ways out of FL. Dollar and Thrifty are at over $200 a day (they are the bargain cars,) another chain has them for $600 a day.

One thought is for us to do 'local only' for both companies and just use our car as a chase car when it pays. Another issue we are coming up against is Memorial day and hotels being booked. If we are running over Memorial day we most likely will have our hotels booked a day or two in advance over that weekend.