1 trash truck heading to Lake Elmo (staged)

1 straight truck heading to IL

... spending the night at Janesville WI

12 hour day today ... more later

At 8 AM the paperwork was ready for me to go to IN, by 10 AM I was changed to go to IL.

At noon, dispatch wanted me to go to Rock Island IL with a bus on Thursday. By 4 PM I got an email that they wanted me to head back to Elk Grove Village with another trash truck. So far I have committed to nothing.

Load board

US - 579

IA - 377/375

(the rest is written days later)

We arrive at the shipper and my paperwork is not in the box so I have to ask our contact. At first they seem perturbed, but when I mentioned who sent it their demeanor changed. All was good. Yes, they had gotten it, but couldn't find it. So they re-printed it.

I found the truck right away but it had a warning light on. A manifold gauge was laying on zero and the light was on. So I called dispatch who calls the company. They send someone over who plugs in their computer to see what the issue is. No warning codes so they call their boss. As the boss is on the way over the mechanic realized the build date of the truck. They will not touch it.

So I ask if they want to bring the key to the office or if they want me to. They want me to so I do ...

When I had the keys back to the person in the office they ask why. At that point I should have said nothing and let things go through there proper channels. But I mentioned some of the things I had heard ...

Also my dispatch did not want me to do anything with this truck. As soon as I move it, it is ours to deal with. I had not put it in gear yet so I sit and head to sit and wait.

But before I can get to the car someone yells after me. The mechanics will not work on the truck, but that does not mean it is not going anywhere ... everyone (else) assumes it is a computer issue not a mechanical issue so I am good to go. Dispatch is on board so I am heading out after all. This all took two plus hours on a trip that is already not paying enough to cover last nights hotel.

Also during my delay, dispatch has decided that I am now going back to Chicago instead of Indiana. It is a good thing I did not commit to a second leg for the other company before I was in my truck.

No issues from here.

2nd stop was the office lot in Lake Elmo. Here I grab my other paperwork and we head back to Dodge Center.

3rd stop was the Chik-fil-A in Woodbury. It is only 11 AM so it is not too busy yet.

4th stop is back at the shipper in Dodge Center to pick up our next truck. Looking through my paperwork I realize that I do not have a 'routing guide' for my CNG stops. So I call dispatch, this is not a CNG truck they tell me. So they call the shipper ... the shipper, who by now should no me, tells dispatch that 'the driver must be in the wrong truck.' My dispatcher does not take that lightly and says the shipper needs to check further ... but they also have me send pictures :) of the VIN, etc.

Opps, shipper mistake. Six months ago this truck was changed from a diesel to a CNG (?) and the main paperwork was never changed, but they did find a copy of the work order. That all took most of an hour.

5th stop is Kasson at the Kwik Trip to get scaled. 1,000's of pounds under again on the CNG. Not sure why they are not more focused on which trucks need to be weighed and which do not.

6th stop is Rochester at a Kwik Trip for fuel.

7th stop is West Salem at a Kwik Trip for fuel.

8th stop is in DeForest at a Kwik Trip for fuel. Credit card denied so I use our backup card.

9th and final stop is the Quality Inn in Janesville for the night. We get parked and check in, then we are told that I must park on the street. BB has already picked up food from Arby's. It has been another 12 hour day and we have not eaten yet.

(below was written as that day)

yesterdays forecast

8 AM - pick up at Dodge Center (YES)

12 noon - pick up at Lake Elmo (NO - picked up in Dodge Center at 2 PM)

5 PM - shut down at Rockford (NO - shut down in Janesville at 7:30 PM, 60 miles short of Rockford)

tomorrows forecast

10 AM drop in Chicago

6 PM shut down at home or Rochester MN