1 trash truck to Des Moines IA (delivered)

... spending the night at home

Breakfast. Western omelettes, bacon and juice ... and then we threw away last nights leftovers. (We need to get a cooler back in our car)

Not sure why but we got out of the hotel later than planned.

Got to the dispatch office a little after 8 AM and had to call dispatch ... their building was gone, just a hole in the ground now. Dispatch says my paperwork is 'at the office.'

Two miles down the road we are at the office ... the first thing I see is the shuttle driver for my other company so we talk briefly.

Then I go in the office, dispatch had said my keys would be in the 'top lock box.' No paperwork so I do not know which keys. We are not supposed to talk to/bother the office staff but instead of calling dispatch again I asked where my paper work might be ...

They asked which company ... I tilted my had so the could see the company name and I said ... 'today' ... she knows me from my other company better I think. She had moved my paperwork to the lower box because the key boxes were getting to full. They do not seem to be too happy with the paperwork being left in the box so we will see how long that lasts. Our bus dispatcher puts the paperwork in each bus.

Before I get to my truck someone is calling for me across the parking lot. One of the drivers for my other company, I have never seen them before but maybe they saw me talking to the now gone shuttle driver. This driver can't get their headlights to go on. I looked and told them to watch as I flipped the lights on and off. They were working, some of the new headlights are very hard to see with the sunlight shining on them. They also wanted to know where their cigarette lighter was ... sorry, not one on this truck. And they also wanted to know how to get to the freeway ... first trip maybe?

So now I have talked to three people this AM and haven't gotten to my truck yet. Good think I have all day to get 200 miles.

I was told this truck was used, and it was. 212,000 miles. And it was a CNG ... I wasn't told it was a right hand drive but I that I had assumed.

It also has two warning lights on. Dispatch gives me the OK to go as is.

It looks like a full tank of fuel but I decide to 'never pass a CNG station' and stop in Austin at the Kwik trip. I add 17 gallons.

When we leave the shipper heading this way, we have about 30 miles of two lane highway before getting to the freeway. There is another way that is all four-lane but that route does not have CNG. Going down the two lane I ran at 55 mph as that is as fast as the truck wanted to go. But one time it did go faster so I knew it was not governed at 55 mph. Once on the freeway it would not go over 55 mph.

... Going past Con-Tech in Dodge Center I see that they now do trash trucks also ... Pac-Tech. Did not know they had gotten into that also. The people who own this company had also started McNeilus. When they sold McNeilus they had a non-compete clause ... for a few years.

After fueling in Austin and back on the freeway I still can not get the truck to go over 55 mph. Then I see that I am running in 5th, of 6, gear. That is going to burn up my fuel before I get to the next station ...

I slow, the tranny drops into 6th ... I slowly speed up and at some point get up to 65 mph. But every hill, every overpass, every slow truck ... I have to get my speed up to 55 mph, back off quickly so that it drops into 6th and then slowly speed up. All this while the back-up type alarm is going off in my cab. A day later my ears still hurt.

No ... other stops. This trip is less than 200 miles.

Next stop is for final fuel. A CNG station in north Des Moines. I did make it here with plenty of fuel but I'm glad I did stop the first time.

From here the last seven miles are on city streets. The fuel station is one block off of US-69 and the drop is about six blocks off US-69 ... and the alarm does not go off if I stay under 47 mph :)

I've been to this drop before so I know the routine. I find my contact in the office and they will be out in a couple of minutes. Long enough for me to get my things together. They sign and I am on my way.

About an hour ago I had gotten a call, now I return the call and have my 'work' cut out for me for Friday.

I had also gotten a call and email about more driving work ... dispatch can see that I am in Des Moines and they want me to head to OH next. Nope. Somehow what dispatch wants never seems to work for ME.

It is 2 PM and we need to eat. There was food closer, if I had taken the shortest route. I thought I knew my way out of here but ended up adding a few miles before BB turned on the GPS. Culvers in Ankeny will be our food. It has been a while.

... not impressed, my malt was grainy instead of smooth and no blueberries on the bottom when I was done. At some places there are a couple of spoonful's of blueberries that will not go up the straw. Rueben was good. BB was not happy with her 'scoop of the day' either.

Our next stop is the rest area at the MN border.

Then a Holiday in Lakeville for fuel.

Before we get home we stop at a 'Herbert and Erbert's.' They are out of my sandwich ... again. So I get one ham and cheese for today and one for tomorrow. Nothing special but it is food.

Once home, I head out to cut the grass and BB comes out to pick up sticks. After a while she stops me, she has lost her glasses ... so we walk the yard again and again but no luck. Later when our grand-daughter gets home she goes out, it is now dark, with her flash light and finds them in two minutes. The glass reflects from the flashlight ...

(off until Monday)

Load board

US - 444

IA - 239/235