1 pickup to Shakopee (delivered)

... spending the night at Worthington MN

To bed at 9 PM last night so we were up by 5:30 AM

Breakfast was eggs, sausage and cherry yogurt. Rolling at 7 AM.

1st stop is the drop in Shakopee. Mileage wasn't as good as yesterday so I delivered it with a range of 68 miles. My goal is just over 50 miles range because that is when the low fuel light comes on. So I left one gallon more than I wanted.

Last night there were over a dozen trips coming out of this shipper in ND and now todays list has -0-. Not sure what happened and neither does dispatch.

:( Dispatch had to call me, we are supposed to call them from the drop and I forgot so he had to call me. I've done this too many times and am now slacking off.

We had talked about stopping at Honey Baked to pick up food for tomorrow but the temps are too warm for it to ride in the car for 24 hours, even in the trunk.

2nd stop is the rest area in Northwood.

3rd stop is the lot in Forest City. There are a few RV's sitting in the employee lot waiting to be brought to our lot. Plus there are about 200 in our lot based on the load board. We quickly move our stuff from the rental car to our car and BB heads to the Sioux Falls Airport. I drop off our paperwork and make a phone call before leaving.

Sioux Falls airport, our rental car from Bozeman was $900 less than dropping at our home terminal in St Paul. It does add six hours and one hotel to our trip but otherwise we would not have done this trip.

4th stop was the rest area near Blue Earth just after we get on the freeway. I tried a different way that is five minutes and a half a mile shorter. OK with the car but I think with the RV's we will stick to the more traveled roads.

5th stop was the Loves in Sioux Falls for fuel before BB drops the rental car at the airport. The pumps are running very slowly. As we are pumping I notice someone using the windshield squeegee on the side of their car. A few minutes later I realize why. The pumps are running so slowly that they do not shut off when the tank is full so gas runs down the side of the car. (As it did with our rental)

I also fuel there as it is cheaper than anywhere before I will need fuel. $3.09. But when I leave I see the next station down the street is $2.99 ... and their pumps might have worked better also.

When BB drops she has to tell them about the chip in the windshield and at some point I will have to tell my insurance company. They should cover it no charge. When she is done, BB lets me know she's ready to be picked up ... and then says 'no.' She has left the rental agreement on the counter at the rental car company. She goes back in and they are not very helpful. Finally when BB doesn't walk away the have to open up the 'to be shredded' box and get her agreement out ... and our fuel receipts we need for taxes. But we got them.

Still in town we stop at Arby's for BB, she is hungry but it is only a little after 3 PM so I don't eat.

Our plan ... last week ... was to be back home today so BB could get food ready for tomorrow. As of now that would be a late night and then lots of quick work in the AM. Texts and emails have been going back and forth and now BB is off the hook for any food. And after four long days we are ready to shut down 'early' like we normally do.

We end up staying in Worthington which leaves quite a few miles for the AM but it is the nicest, (and most costly) hotel for the next couple of hours. Then next nicest is two more hours down the road and most of that time would be in the dark, but the room would have been half as much. There are a couple of other 'lesser' motels between these two, but here is good.

6th and final stop is in Worthington at the Comfort Inn for the night. But first we stop at this Arby's for food for me and then across the street to the DQ, there isn't a Culvers in town. The Arby's brisket is good. I looked at the Ground Round but I don't know their current menu and we just wanted to get off the road.

Ahh ... maybe the reason this hotel is twice as much is because they offer free drinks in the evening. Free is rarely free.

Load board

US - 475

IA - 257/253

MN - 7

WI - 5

We are done for the next couple of days, likely through Monday.

At one point early this AM the load board was down 30 trips, so lots of trips getting loaded on the board and lots coming off the board. Not likely all 250+ are going to be gone by Monday AM when we can call in for Tuesday work.

We are looking at heading west again. Weather looks like it will be good. Lots of trips heading that way. Rental car prices are back down.

(after what we made on our trips this week, we would only have to work a couple of days next month and we would be good.)