1 tree truck to Springfield IL

... spending the night at Decatur IL

Breakfast was cheesy eggs and fried apples from the hotel, and cheesy hash browns and more fried apples from last night.

My truck does not have any frost, likely because of the large overhang. But BB had a lot of frost to scrape.

We head out right about 7:30

Great way to start the AM. As I am pulling up to the stoplight, the car ahead of me is taking a left ... so the on coming car also takes a left ... as does every car behind it. I had to stop on a green because they wouldn't yield. Then I pull into traffic and the next un-coming person parks in front of me, partly in the on coming traffic ???

1st stop is the Pilot at Nitro. No line today, which made it easy to back out and go to the next pump. The first pump would not ready my fuel card.

Wow, US-35 is now done between Nitro and Gallipolis. Four lane all the way now. When I first started doing this job it was two lane all the way. BB said she was all the way past Gallipolis before she realized that she hadn't seen the river like you could from the two lane.

Coming into Dayton, there is a car that flies up on my left, hangs there for a few seconds and then passes three lanes of traffic by driving on the shoulder. This area has a concrete barrier next to the shoulder because there is more traffic to the left of us. There is also debris on the shoulder and I thought that car was going to hit some of the wood just right and send it flying.

Just a couple miles down the road the right lane comes to a stop. These breaks are like stepping on a pillow, so far they get me stopped but not quickly and there is plenty of cushion. Once I am closer to the why, I see that the exit ramp to get onto my next freeway is closed. They are routing traffic onto the southbound exit and I want to go north.

So I revert to my old ways. Prior to BB running with me I used to get on the highway I am on without going through Dayton. So I just stay on the road I am on until it mergers with I-70 west of town. Lots of stop lights and low speed limits but I know it goes where I want to go.

When we get to the IN scale, I am one of the few that has to exit and cross the scale. One truck ahead of me and it is sitting on the scale with the scale sign saying 'back up.' So I stayed way back. Finally the trucks behind me are getting close to backing up unto the freeway so I pull ahead so I can no longer see the sign. When the driver pulls ahead off the scale the sign is saying 'proceed to inspection shed.' For me? It stayed that way until I was half way onto the scale. The other truck pulled off the scale and turned to the inspection shed but then stopped there. It was still sitting there when I left. And I sat there a bit before I got the OK to go.

While I was having fun at the scale, BB was trying to get the hood open on the car. No washer fluid this AM. She finally gave up and washed the windows at the gas station.

2nd stop is the rest area in Greens Fork IN

Local dispatch dispatch has emailed by the time I get here. They want us to do a repeat of our last trip to MO. I reply that I will let them know in the AM. But by the next stop I have had enough time to think about it. No time right now and we have plans for Tuesday. IF anything doesn't go as planned, Tuesday's plans will have to move to Wednesday or Thursday so I do not want to plan anything beyond Tuesday until Tuesday is complete. Kind of why I live by the six hour rule. I do not commit myself ahead of time.

From here I realize I can not make it to Crawfordsville without fueling, I will not even be able to make it to Lebanon like I had texted BB a few minutes ago.

3rd stop is the Pilot in Greenfield for fuel and food.

At the fuel pumps I pick the wrong line, all islands are full. But one opens up and no one is close so I jump lanes. And then when I am done I back out instead of wait. I'm in a small truck so I decide to park in front with the cars. Not a great idea, no real parking at this location. BB actually went to the Speedway across the street because she couldn't see gas pumps at this station.

I do find a place to park and I go inside to get my receipt. Today I need to take a half hour break so my plan was to eat while I was here. GodFather's is the only hot food and they are closed. So I look at the roller food, all that they have are jalapeno hot dogs. Nope, that does not work either. By now most of my half hour has been used up so I head out without eating.

There are a few different ways we take going through Indy. Lately we have been going around the north end of town up to Lebanon and taking a two lane highway over to Crawfordsville. But it is snowing off and on and I prefer to stay on the main roads where all the traffic is at least going the same direction. So I decide to take the side streets through town instead.

This has it's own issue as roadwork signs say the freeway is closed, but it doesn't say where. BB is following her GPS and doesn't trust that we can get through downtown so she goes all the way around the beltway until she is back to the freeway leaving town.

The freeway is open to the exit we need so no issue there. But when I get on the city street I get next to a driver who keeps leaning sideways in their seat. Not sure if they are reaching for something or passing out. Whatever they are doing they are also coming over the white line when they are driving. So as soon as I can I get one lane between me and the.

4th stop was the Pilot in Crawfordsville. Here is where we had planned to stop for me to fuel and us to eat. Now I see that BB has texted me that her wiper fluid isn't working. Somehow BB has gotten a half hour behind me so now I have take two half hour breaks today. When she gets here we buy more washer fluid and pour in a very little bit and it is full. So it looks like it is frozen.

From here I call the drop. 8:30 AM tomorrow will work.

Before we get to the hotel the temps are close to 30, the washers work :)

5th and final stop is the Sleep Inn in Decatur IL

McCallister's Deli for food. About half the items on their website say 'not available at this store' including both the sandwich that BB and I wanted.

Load board

US - 315

IA - 104/102

We will have six hours back to our car. Nothing on the load board that works for us right now without getting an OK for Saturday delivery. Or by picking something up on Sunday for a Monday delivery.

LOG

6:30 - Leave Sleep Inn in Cross Lanes WV

11:00 - Greens Fork IN - rest area

12:00 - Greenfield IN - Pilot - Fuel and break

1:30 - Crawfordsville IN - Pilot - break

4:00 - Decatur IL - Sleep Inn

4:30 - Decatur IL - McCallister's Deli