1 trash truck heading to Elk Grove Village IL

1 trash truck heading to Carol Stream IL

... spending the night at Rochester MN

We are both up early, eat a light breakfast and are ready to go. Every minute we can cut leaves more time for our next leg of the trip, and for things to go wrong.

For coming in to town during 'rush hour,' traffic was very light. I had looked at the map and written down our turns but I was expecting a bigger road. I almost passed on taking our first turn once we were off the freeway, but I could see it was a through road so we took it. At first it was a winding road past the sewage treatment plant, then it became an industrial street.

1st stop - CNG station in Des Plains at a cement plant. Two trucks using two pumps so I had to wait. When we were leaving I noticed the 'authorized cars only' road no longer existed. The sign was still there but not the road. Good thing we didn't try to take that road. The road was a couple of blocks long from the oasis to this street.

I had written down the streets but BB starting turning before I wanted to so I did also. Then I realized that her way was about one block different than what I had written down.

2nd stop was the drop - I parked in the middle of the lot and I met the person I needed to sign off in the doorway. Quick sign off and we were gone.

We were just getting back on the freeway when dispatch called, BB had the directions going so we had to shut that off so I could talk. They want me to pick up my truck that I left at the shop last week. We are about two miles from having to turn off the freeway again.

I balk at the idea, I tell dispatch that right now we can make it home tonight. If we do this trip it will be another nights motel. At first they say it is only 40 miles ... 40 miles paid, correct, but on city streets and with inspections and travel both ways it will take about three hours.

... but dispatch doesn't want me to head home ... so that was kind of a mute point.

This is what I had planned on doing last time and I wouldn't have gotten lost. Taking the trip backwards first, then doing it with a truck.

3rd stop was the shop. I go in and say I am looking for 'Carol,' without a word they had me my paperwork. They do not want to sign anything so I'm free to go.

Not sure why, but I was feeling a little light headed so I went to the car, sat and ate a brownie before doing my pre-trip.

Pre-trip was quick, I had thought I had left the truck with a half a tank of fuel and now it is at 3/8ths. I thought I had taken a picture, but I looked now and I had not.

This time I make all the correct turns. Good thing as it is raining hard and hard to see at some points.

That missing (??) 1/8th of a tank of fuel has come back to haunt. I need to drop this truck with 1/4 of a tank of fuel and it is now closer to 1/8th. As I am passing the first gas station off the freeway I notice it has diesel, I should have stopped there. I had looked online before we left the shop to see that there was fuel but I had picked a different station.

We got to that station, no diesel. BB looks online and finds a Shell station about a mile away. Each island has one pump and the islands run from the street to the building. Luckily there are very few cars and I am able to get to the outside pump. When I get out to fuel I remember that the fuel tank is on the other side of the truck. So I need to get turned around. The lot is so small that I am having to back up at each corner.

As I am trying to maneuver around the lot, BB calls to tell me how to exit. I am not trying to exit, I am still trying to fuel.

It takes a few more backwards and forwards to get near the pump the 2nd time.

After fueling I was still having turning issues trying to get onto the street, wide turning radius.

From here I find the way easily.

4th stop is the drop, I know where to park and where to find someone to sign. Different person, but it was the first person I saw. Before I had my copies someone was moving the truck so I did not get drop pictures.

5th stop is a McCallisters just down the road in Bloomingdale.

At some point today my next trip got changed from a trash truck to CGO to being a cement mixer to IN. I had wanted to do this next trash truck because it was a new Freightliner cabover. New, as in Freightliner didn't have a cabover before this one, at least not recently. But the mixer is hotter so I agree ... later dispatch tells me I can have one of the trash trucks, on Monday. Sorry, Monday I will be NA.

Clear sailing, limited stops.

6th stop is at the Kwik Trip in DeForest, BB thinks she has stopped there every day for a week now. Cheapest fuel around. When we stop, I see that dispatch now has a truck heading back to MN. So I call to see if it was back from this trip, or back from the next trip.

From the next trip, good, because we are hours past that shipper now. And we were not planning on heading home, on the next trip we are. But now we are looking at cutting it close for our Saturday drop of the rental car. Dispatch has kept us busy for two weeks, busier than anytime in the last six years since I have started with the other companies.

Shortly before 5 PM we get a call from the newest dispatcher, he seems surprised that we will not be picking up our next truck tonight and not picking up the one heading home until Friday. From the first mention of this trip, dispatch has said it was OK to drop in the lot (... and it will be delivered by someone else on Monday)

7th stop is the welcome center in MN in Le Center.

8th stop is in Rochester at Five West for food. The parking lot is packed and they are not using the outside seating, Not sure where those people will be parking.

Next door is the Sleep Inn for the night.

yesterdays forecast

10 AM drop in Chicago (YES)

6 PM shut down at home or Rochester MN (YES, Rochester MN)

tomorrows forecast

8 AM pick up Dodge Center MN

5 PM hotel Merrilleville IN

Load board

US - 563

IA - 365/357

BB is watching the weather next week and we may not head west due to the weather. Lots of other directions to go. Lots to think about in the next few days.

If we pick up tomorrow at 8 AM without an issue, we should be able to be at/near our drop by 5 PM. But we have not seen or talked about our paperwork so we do not know what hours the drop will accept delivery. We are assuming that we will be dropping in the AM and heading 100 miles to our next pickup from there. IF, IF we make it home it will be one long day. We have no idea what our second truck is, only that it is.

LOG