1 sleeper tractor Faribault MN

... spending the night at Emporia KS

We will be running later today so we were not up at the crack of dawn.

Breakfast ?? The scrambled eggs were quiet dry, I took the last link of sausage, the apples were bruised and soft and both orange juice's were water (I left the cups of water under each so others could see)

I call my dispatch for today to confirm a couple of things now that I have seen the paperwork.

We leave the hotel at 9:30.

When Google's Siri said we have arrived we were across from Bay and Bay and from there the road became someone's driveway. So I did a U-turn and went back to Bay and Bay. We had to wait for new trucks to pull in their drive and then we followed. We started looking at all of the semi tractors and drove around the lot. On the far end of the building there were the 'stacks' of tractors. But we never saw the lock box to get my keys so we drove around the building again.

Coming around one of the corners there we met a semi, he looked like he was going to make a wide turn so I pulled into their 'washout bay.' And the driver sat there ... Opps, that is where he was going to go so I quickly got out of the way and parked somewhere else. We are still looking for the lock box ...

Then I asked BB what the name of the company was at the end of the street. Opps, we are in the wrong lot. So we head to the correct one. There are a few drivers hooking up so we ask one of them where the lock boxes are. Right behind us, they are sunken into a stone wall. There is also some one parked there from 8 AM to 4 PM who will find your keys and tell you where your truck is.

Mine was easy. It was the 2nd truck we came too ... right in the middle of a huge pond. I'm guessing my truck has been setting there for a few days. I had BB drive and back up along side of the truck so I could step from one to the other without standing in water.

I pulled it out of the water, luckily everything is concrete here. Then we did my inspection and loaded our luggage before BB headed to the airport a couple of blocks away.

It wasn't until after I had moved the truck the first time that I realized it was a stick. I usually don't even think about it, but there are a couple of people on FaceBook that can not drive a stick and they have gotten stranded more times in a few months because they do not know how than I have ever had stick shifts since I have been with this company.

Up shifting is no problem. I still am having an issue with the downshifting.

The rental car place is in a tin shed at the edge of the airport on a dead end street. It took a couple of back ups to get turned around.

Then off to get fuel.

3rd stop of the day was the TA for fuel. As I pulled into the pump the low fuel light came on. So no 'free fuel,' I can not leave the truck with the low fuel light on. But at least it was not on fumes. Plan was to put in 75 gallons as I have no idea what mileage I will get and this is the cheapest fuel we will see.

I only started the pump on one side of the truck and I could only get 72 gallons in that side. Close enough.

I thought the mileage would go up but it is staying right about 7 mpg. Truck is governed at 62 mph. Not much difference than the bus.

4th stop was Loves in Ardmoor for DEF and food. But the trucks were backed up out onto the street to fuel and I did not need DEF yet. So we parked by McD's and walked over to Loves. No where to sit and eat so we got a GodFather's Pizza and stood in the parking lot. From the time we got there until we pulled out there was a younger man walking around with his hand on his head, sometimes like it hurt, other times like someone would hold a phone. He was walking all over the parking lot first at Loves and then at McDonalds. Just aimlessly. He did not look like he was out for a walk. Clean cut, but he acted like a street person.

5th stop was a Conoco in OKC for DEF. This place will not take my credit card at the pump either so I could have just as well stopped at a major truckstop. A lot of the private places will start the pumps without going inside. I only need a couple of gallons to get to the drop so that comes to under $10.

But there was some entertainment here. The only other vehicle here was a pickup waiting for a pump. Or parked where he would have been waiting for a pump if they were in use. Then I saw the person with a funnel. He was using a pop bottle and a funnel to put fuel in his truck. He had gotten that close :(

Then after a few bottles he starts his truck and drives away ??? My guess is that the station would not let him use a gas can so he got upset and took his business elsewhere.

6th stop was a Loves in Tonkawa for more fuel. I do not need it yet but we are stopping and it is cheaper than further down the road. And my mileage is not changing.

7th stop is an Oasis in Towanda at the Dunkin Donuts :)

... for food. They serve breakfast all day. Good food. No sweets today so we can have double tomorrow.

8th and final stop was the Comfort Inn in Emporia. Small lot but I found a spot.

... for a while. Then the front desk calls and says I have to move. When I go out someone has parked in front of me, leaving me only about six inches between my front bumper and the side of their truck. Not sure that was not on purpose.

... I was told to move my truck across the street to Pizza Ranch. After I park I go inside to me sure it is OK. Not really but it can stay. Sounds like they have put up 'no truck' signs before when the hotels send trucks over.

There are a couple of other trucks taking up more than their share of room but they are still sitting here.

Load board

US - 681

IA - 267/268

Plan is to pick up our car tomorrow and be in Albert Lea for the night. Deliver before noon on Thursday and them be home for a few days, maybe two weeks?

Lots to do, our weeks fill up fast once we set a time we will be home.

Yesterday they added four more trucks going to the same place as I am. All four were gone right away. Today they added three more, they are still there.