1 pickup to Williamsburg IA (delivered)

1 RV to Ocala FL

... spending the night at Cedar Falls IA

No 'hot food' for breakfast, only some nuke food as main course and the usual other stuff. I had yogurt, juice and a rare (for me) pastry.

While we were out, I talked to the person at the front desk. We have no internet this AM, he wants me to bring my laptop down so he can show me how ... Ahhh ... we stay at hotels 200 nights a year. We know how to access the internet if it is working, (do you know how to re-set the server?) Sorry, we are on a schedule and do not have time for that.

Frost on the windows this AM, I got mine cleaned off with a credit card as fast as BB got hers cleaned off with an ice scraper.

When we pull out from the stoplight the car ahead of me does some fishtailing. I slightly gun it a couple of times and tap the breaks to see my 'brake assist' come on.

Today I run without my cruise for the next 100 miles, to delivery.

Lots of cars and debris in the ditches. Most looked to be after the roads had been plowed clear but long enough ago that none were still active.

1st stop was Williamsburg IA at the drop. I walk in, someone asks if they can help. I say I need a couple of signatures. They sign at their desk and say I'm good to go.

BB stopped for fuel when I went to the drop and I am standing there waiting when she gets there. Most of the drops for the auction trucks are easy like this.

It is now after 9 AM and sunny so I set the cruise once I get in our chase car.

Nothing new on the RV loadboard. BB watches it close. It is close to noon when they start putting trips on the board. Two RV's to IA but they are too far out of route to run with what we have. If they are still there later we will talk to dispatch and see if we can get permission to run out of route. Those two would have worked running together, but I already have a trip and they do not like switching once we have commited.

2nd stop in the rest area near Ankeny.

3rd stop is Culver's in Clear Lake. A sign in front of the door says 'DRIVE THRU' and this place has been drive thru only for months so that is what we do. Once we are in line we see someone walk in and then see a new sign on the order window with the 'dine in' hours.

Today BB and I split a reuben and fries, no treats today.

4th stop is the shipper. I pick up new IFTA stickers and my paperwork. It looks like five new contractors are getting their training today. Inspection took about a half hour today, weather is in the mid-30's.

Then we took an hour break sitting in our RV. We are waiting for a 2nd RV for BB going in the same direction. We could see the RV's coming over, getting inspected, see them when they hit the load board. But none are the right ones.

At 3 PM we leave. Finally at 4:30 when we are an hour plus away they finally put something on the load board that would have been a good match. Too late. (And BB looks like she is enjoying ... 'being along for the ride' again) :)

5th stop is in Floyd at Loves. To get our discount I need to pre-pay. As soon as the person asks how much fuel I wanted I cut them off. They have never done this before. Neither has the 2nd person and she has been there 2-1/2 years. Then they get a supervisor who does the training.

When I come back in the one person tells me my license has expired. I know, that is the card I leave with the desk. But they are the 1st person in two years that has noticed that.

6th stop is in Cedar Falls at the Comfort Inn. Food is from the Rice House a mile away. It is enough for the next 3-4 meals. Good, but not sure I want to eat it every meal.

Tonight we received a new offer from Choice Hotels to stay two nights and get a $50 gas card. Easy money.

Load board

US - 296

IA - 89/82

They put about 20 RV's on the board in the last half hour. Lots of local work on and off the load board if we had wanted to stay in MN. Some of it may still be there when we get back in two weeks.

I was messaging someone on FB so I was looking closer at the loadboard. Tonight we have semi-tractors that have been on the loadboard for two months. I think usually the oldest is one month. These are in southern OR going up to Seattle. Not sure why no one wants them.

LOG

7:45 - Waukee IA - leave Comfort Inn

9:15 - Willamsburg IA - drop pickup

11:00 - Ankeny IA - rest area

12:45 - Clear Lake IA - Culvers

1:30 - Forest City IA - inspect RV

2:00 - rest break, waiting for possible 2nd RV (none came)

3:00 - leave shipper

4:00 - Floyd IA - Loves for fuel

5:00 - Cedar Falls IA - Comfort Inn and Rice House for food