1 tree truck to Olathe KS (delivered)
2 RV's to El Cajon CA (Saturday)
... spending the night at Albert Lea MN
Breakfast - not the same spread as yesterday so I just had yogurt and juice.
Today both of us called in to try to get the trips we wanted. We got them, but because they are not 'no-two' we will be getting $300 less than if we had gotten the two trips that were available yesterday. We are going to El Cajon and we are going the southern route.
We had talked about leaving out early this AM, we could get the car at 7 AM and the drop was also open at 7 AM but BB is watching the traffic cams and the roads are still not great.
We have the rental car for 10 AM so we head out to pick it up at that time. The sun is up and the snow is melting in places.
Streets are still bad. Unless the hard pack has started to break up so the blacktop is heating the snow, the roads are still bad. The couple of miles to the rental car are slow, it is hard to tell where the roads are. The plan had been to pull in the back driveway and drive thru the parking lot at the rental car place.
1st stop - drop BB off at the rental car - Not everything is plowed so I just parked on the street and let her off. Then I had to take a longer route because trucks are not supposed to be here first of all. And if they are here they are not supposed to take the u-turn needed to get on the next street. And at this point I did not want to as it was hard pack and up hill from a stop sign.
Coming up the wider street it was still up hill, but there was a clear spot in the center lane so that is where I headed. Then a car was coming up on my right so I wasn't sure how it would play out but then I got a green arrow so I took a right from the center lane before the car got there and before I came to a stop. Whew.
Cross country streets were bad, barely plowed. When I get near the gas station I see another 'no trucks' sign. I'm under 26,000# so I am a 'pickup.'
2nd stop is the Phillips 66 in Olathe. I put in two gallons to keep the low fuel light from coming on. Then I pulled to a clearer part of the parking lot and we moved the luggage from the truck to the rental car.
On the way to the drop there was one place where there was a 'truck bugger' that was about knee high on the street. No one was taking it on and then a snow plow came behind me and took care of it.
3rd stop was the drop. I have been here before so I knew the layout. Most of the lot is not plowed so I call my contact. Park it anywhere and bring in the keys. When I went in, he was in a meeting so someone else signed, sight unseen again.
Heading home it looks like we missed the 1st sign. We had planned on taking I-435 East but we never saw the sign and BB did not have the GPS on. That would have been a little quicker as I-35 still had some slow downs.
4th stop was at McAlister's Deli in Liberty. BB had ordered ahead so it was grab and go. Good thing as there was a line to order food.
By Liberty the roads are clear but wet, we used a lot of washer fluid those first miles.
At some point we pass a local cop that is doing under the speed limit. There is one car ahead of me and a pickup behind me when we pass. The car ahead of me slows to the cops speed as soon as he is passed. I know what the speed limit is and I know I am doing it so I keep going. Not too far down the road I see the flashing lights in my rear view.
But within seconds I see that he is after the pickup, not me. The pickup wasn't speeding, it was holding with me before we caught up to the police car so they either did something else improper or their plate flagged the cop for some reason. Whew for me :)
5th stop was Osceola for a rest area
6th stop was the WalMart in Ankeny for fuel. Enough cheaper to get off the freeway a ways to get some fuel.
From here I called dispatch to get copies of our paperwork so we can get permits. They aren't sure what I am asking so I finally just agree to what they want to do.
7th stop - Dows - rest area - to call for permits. The lines are busy and when I do get someone they take my number to have someone call me back. We realize that is not going to work with me driving and BB does not like taking or making phone calls so she decides to drive.
No one calls back so I call again and get a live person. (they are amused by my email address ?? ) So now we are set.
7th stop - Forest City at the shipper to pick up our car. We had thought we would be here before 5 but it is now 5:30. And six office cars are still here, they are still adding trips and even the office extra's are working late. We just grab the car and go.
8th and final stop is Albert Lea at the Comfort Inn. BB starts laundry and I run to get food at the Main Street Family Restaurant. We had ordered ahead online. While there I asked how long they had been open. Three years, minus two shut downs during Covid. That must have been when we had stayed at the attached Quality Inn because the Comfort Inn was closed.
Load board
US - 567
IA - 300/297
LOG
9:45 - Olathe KS - Leave Holiday Inn
10:00 - Olathe KS - Avis - drop BB
10:30 Olathe KS - Phillips 66 - fuel
10:45 - Olathe KS - drop
12:00 - Liberty MO - McAlister's Deli
2:15 - Osceola IA - rest area
3:15 - Ankeny IA - Murphy Express - fuel
4:15 - Dows IA - rest area
5:15 - Forest City IA - shipper - pickup car
6:15 - Albert Lea MN - Comfort Inn
7:00 - Albert Lea MN - Main St Family Restaurant