1 Bus to Salt Lake City UT

... spending the night at Livermore CA

Breakfast ? (it's been a long day) eggs and sausage.

We left out of the Las Vegas hotel at 7:30 local. We didn't think of looking to see the prices of a non-Choice hotel. Some of them have pretty cheap rates online but we don't know what the 'conditions' were.

Traffic is still a little heavy but it never seems lite in Las Vegas, day or night.

1st stop is a rest area in Yermo CA.

2nd stop is in Tehachapi for fuel and lunch. I wanted something different. There had been pizza at the gas station across the street from the Flying J so we stopped there. No pizza listed on the building, just Mexican and chicken. We decided to try the Mexican, Bobby Salazar. It was good and huge, a little messy to eat in the car but good food and lots of it. When we were leaving I asked about the pizza. They were still using empty pizza boxes as Christmas decorations and I could still see the pizza oven. They said they dropped the pizza because of Covid, there are new regulations and they did not have enough space to meet the regulations and keep all three. And pizza was the slowest mover for the space it took.

Shortly after we left Tehachapi there was a mobile sign that said 'slippery when wet.' And there was a cop with their lights flashing parked next to it. And another cop a mile or two later with its lights on. It got foggy and traffic slowed, some to about 25 mph until we got below the fog. No accidents, that we could see anyways.

The computer wanted to take us some back route to I-5 but we took our usual through Bakersfield and Wesco.

I had called dispatch from Tehachapi and now called back at 3 pm. We are going back to SLC, that is the best he can do. I had thought of waiting to leave Livermore until Friday but then we are less likely to get between storms in WY.

3rd stop was to be the Avenal rest area but there was a sign just before the prior exit that said the rest area was closed. So we exited and went to the truck stop. Our first 1nine. Now I am trying to figure out what it used to be. The 1nine's are new, they are a private labeled part of the Pilot/Flying network. This one was a nice place. Opps this is not our 1st 1nine, we have stopped at others before and after they became 1nine's so I don't think of them as a 1nine.

4th stop is Livermore at the Chevron to fill the rental before dropping it.

Then we go to the shipper, the dispatcher is already there and it is already dark. I talk very briefly to the dispatcher and then to one driver. He makes copies of my placards in hopes they will get him through this trip. I should have suggested he talk to dispatch, he used to carry extras. I had extra's be the driver didn't want to take them.

The buses are now in the employee lot, by the time we are ready to go there are two more drivers picking up. They are going to Charlotte NC. That would have been nice, but the 'dedicated bus drivers' get first pick I guess.

My bus was brushed up against tree branches so I took a picture of it before I moved it. I don't need someone else's damage blamed on me.

When I went be to check out with security, in the distance they looked like both of them were on the ground. It took them a couple of minutes to beep open the gate and when I got closer one was still on the ground with his shoes off. My guess is they were doing their evening prayers.

BB got about a five minute head start, tonight at the rental car place there is a pedestrian trying to j-walk right by where I stop so I had to keep an eye on him as well as the traffic.

After I picked up BB we finally decided to stay in Livermore and not get to Rocklin tonight. That was a split second decision and I picked the wrong side street. It took a little longer but we got there. On the way there were two semi drivers parked in the middle of the road in different places. Lost I presume.

Final, final stop is the Best Western in Livermore. There are three truck spots. A semi tractor is parked in one, it would have fit in a car spot. And a fifth wheel travel trailer with it's slide outs is taking up the other two spots. So we take up five car spots. And then we make a reservation from the parking lot.

The person at the desk was doing their share of hacking tonight. Good reason as any for us to keep our masks on.

BB wasn't hungry at the hotel so I just ate Pop Tart pieces, they become pieces after a few weeks in the back pack. No food close other than two gas stations.

Load board

US - 295

IA - 114/113

MN - 2

WI - 10

My paperwork says M-F delivery in SLC. Dispatch said that is wrong. We will find out in the AM.