1 trash truck heading to Carol Stream IL (breakdown)
1 trash truck heading to Carol Stream IL (delivered)
1 tanker heading to Bridgeton MO (Wednesday)
... spending the night at Black River Falls WI
Breakfast - Very vocal man was in charge of the breakfast area, diligent in cleaning every table after each use. I had a small sausage, some eggs, yogurt and juice ... and the guy asked us if that was all we were going to eat today.
Before heading out, I called the Kwik Trip to see if they could send me a copy of my missing receipt. They could, and did, within a few questions. But they could only fax or snail mail it. I had it faxed to the office.
Plan was for me to stop for fuel in Janesville. But I did not see any 'services ahead' signs and don't know the highway numbers so I missed the exit. This area has a mile plus long entrance / exit lane that runs parallel to the freeway and I missed it.
Before we get to Beloit one lane is closed. There had been a fire, they are now cleaning up the trailer with a boom and a skid loader. Four fire trucks are still on the scene as are dozens of other vehicles.
1st stop is the Flying J in South Beloit. It looks packed, for a second I thought that I would be waiting in line on the street not able to get in. Then I realized that trucks had been parked everywhere overnight and there were only 1-2 trucks in each line for fuel.
From here I called dispatch back about the check engine light that was on on this truck. I am to take this truck to the same shop as truck #2 is at and leave it. Change of plans.
That means I need to take back roads from here to the drop. I write down the main roads and other details.
... weight limits
... low bridges
... 'no trucks'
I ended up taking a greatly different route than I set out to take. I also got cross a scale along a country road. I stopped a few times to 're-route' my trip. But eventually I found road names I had written down and found the drop.
BB was there ahead of me, she had not been at the Flying J and had taken a different route and didn't have to worry about restrictions.
2nd stop was the dealer in Grayslake. I pulled out my 2nd truck so I had a place to park my 1st truck. I had BB look at my 2nd truck and take pictures because it looked to me to be really scratched up. BB thought so to ... at first. Then she wiped off the scratches, it was just streaks of mud.
I knew I would be traveling the road from here but the plan was to be doing it in a car after we dropped my first truck. So I had not looked at the directions. Again I wrote down the main roads. But I didn't get them in the correct order (?) and had one 'right' that should have been a 'left.' I did a couple of u-turns and then I had written down 'exit 28' off of I-290. But the exits started at one and I knew I only had four more miles to go. As I-355 splits off of I-290 I see where exit 28 will be. But it was too late to adjust and I-355 is a toll road and my route said no tolls. It is a long way on I-290 before the first exit.
I get off at the first exit and pull off at the first place I can. I am in luck. I am at the intersection of a road that goes a few blocks south of my drop instead of coming in a few blocks from the north. But now I have burnt off extra fuel so I stop at a place with truck islands in the city. Those are hard to find.
BB texts and asks where I am ... I don't really know.
3rd stop is Thorton's for fuel
4th stop is the drop.
BB had gotten here before me and was facing the street so she could see me. She had looked down and then saw 'me' coming in ... or so she thought. So she waved a big wave, and the guy waved back, with a confused look on his face :)
I was there a couple of trucks later.
Another clean inspection. It is now after 1 PM, we head for food.
5th stop is Jimmy Johns in Roselle about 10 minutes from the drop.
From here we do my paperwork and I call dispatch. I call the bus dispatcher. The bus I tried to pick up is still not ready, so she puts me through to the person who is doing the IN trips. But he has one for MO instead. We decide to take it. He starts asking questions and I soon tell him ... 'talk to the other dispatchers on how <> you deal with me.' (I do my own travel, I don't think any other driver does anymore)
6th stop was the welcome center in WI near Beloit
7th stop was the Fleet Farm in Windsor for fuel. BB had stopped here this AM also, cheapest fuel we have found. Mileage is less today but still good. We are almost saving the price of the rental because of the mileage of this car over our personal car.
8th stop is Culvers in Tomah because BB wanted their flavor of the day.
9th and final stop is the Comfort Inn in Black River Falls. If we wanted to be cheap would could have made it home. But it has been an 11 hour day already and we are working again tomorrow.
When we get in the hotel is when we realize that our food order was wrong. We never looked. BB had ordered soup and I had ordered chili. There was on chili. So I drove across the freeway and got my chili from the Culver's here.
Right next to the Culvers is a Burger King. Lot was empty so I drove up to the door. 'New hours - 11 AM - 7 PM' It was six and it was all locked up.
Load board
US - 584
IA - 361/359
Tomorrow we plan on getting most of the way to St Louis with a tanker. We will deliver Thursday AM. But that will get us back too late to deliver anything else for this company this week so we MAY switch to the other company if they have work. Then leave out again with the local company over the weekend for one more trip before heading out on a long trip again.
LOG
7:30 - DeForest WI - Comfort Inn - leave hotel
9:00 - South Beloit IL - Flying J - fuel
11:00 - Grayslake IL - CIT Mack - drop/pickup trucks
12:45 - Lombard IL - Quik Trip - fuel
1:00 - Carol Stream IL - drop
1:30 - Roselle IL - Jimmy John's - eat
3:00 - Beloit WI - rest area
5:00 - Tomah WI - Culvers - food
5:30 - Black River Falls - Comfort Inn
5:45 - Black River Falls - Culvers - food