1 'Mixer'/Chassis to Granite Falls MN

... spending the night at Grand Island NE

I was barely up when dispatch called this AM. I had emailed them last night saying they could call anytime after 7 AM their time/6 AM my time and they did.

I got the trip, CO to MN. They emailed my paperwork but this hotel's business center is NA so I have to forward the email to the hotel and they print it out.

Breakfast - Stomach was not sitting well so today it is two yogurts. I had been rotating for a while but not when there is bacon :)

The shipper needs/wants a 1 hour call before pickup so we wait at the hotel until 8 AM when they open. After that it takes us a while to get out of our room and it turns out to be a little over an hour drive time.

1st stop is the shipper in Ault. They found an issue when they were pulling the truck out this AM for me so they are working on that. That takes about an hour ... and it is not a mixer, it is a chassis ... and it is not new, it is used. Not something I would have taken or even looked at if it was listed as a used tractor/chassis.

Good news? It does have a half a tank of fuel so I can get to Brush to fuel instead of fueling at a convenience store in town here.

Sometime during the night I remembered that if we go north from the pickup, we will end up in WY and need a permit for that, so that is a no go. I had also looked at heading straight east from the shipper but I looked online and the road is narrow and later found out there is also road construction delays. IF I had had a full tank of fuel I may have tried that route.

It isn't until we are on the chosen route that I remember there may be a scale depending on where this road meets the highway.

The scale is not often open, but today it is. AND I can see two pickups in inspection mode. One is busy the other is waiting ... and standing out in the lane when I cross the scale ... yup, they flag me over.

As soon as I stop and open the door, the officer gives me his name and says that they are going to do a Level 1 Inspection today. That is the most thorough and could likely take an hour plus repairs if they find any are needed.

He askes for my registration, I say we run on a Bill of Lading and hand my to him. Then he askes when the last time I had a level one ... I say I just picked this truck up on Ault (an hour way.) He then asks if I am a transporter (My placards and Bill of Lading should have given that way.

He steps back towards the rear of my truck where I can't see him, so I don't know if there is someone else there or ...

... but then he comes back to my door and says he is giving me a pass today. I told him I would not argue with that and I was on my way ... Whew. This is a used truck, 120,000 miles and was in the shop when I got to the pickup this AM. Not sure what they might have found.

2nd stop is the Loves in Brush. I still have over 1/4 of a tank of fuel when I get there. I fill and then go in and eat at Carl's Jr.

The fuel stops don't match my range so I decide to fuel again in North Platte and make that my next stop. BB will stop as needed.

3rd stop ... is not North Platte, it is Julesburg on the shoulder of the ramp. I have warning lights on. I make a few calls and am cleared to keep going but I forget to get a name of who I talked to. But I do know they asked the 'shop foreman' for the OK to keep going so good enough for me.

4th stop for fuel at the Loves in North Platte. It is already 4:30 PM so as far as we are getting tonight is Grand Island. I had hoped for Lincoln but that would be between 8-9 PM. Not worth it, I have not called the drop yet.

In the 100 <> miles between North Platte and Grand Island there are three grass fires. No flames but the trucks are still moving and spraying water on the hot spots. The first one included a car that was being loaded on a flat bed. The next two were just grass.

5th stop is the Quality Inn in Grand Island ... but they do not have our reservation. AFTER BB reads them the confirmation number, she realized she made the reservation for the Comfort Inn. $30 more and 10 miles away. It is too late to cancel online and I don't want to make calls again so I pay a $3 parking fee and leave my truck there and we drive into town.

On the way we stop at Arby's. Most times we go to the truck stop in hopes of seeing something good but end up with shelve food. We are in a rush so we go ... try to go ... through the drive-thru but it is closed. This place is short staffed so they only have the lobby open.

Then the real final stop for the night is the Comfort Inn, and they do have truck parking. Lots of it, semi's lined up outside our window.

Long day, it was after 7 when we got to the first hotel, after 8 by the time we got to the 2nd hotel.

Load board

US - 223

IA - 70

I'd like to deliver the truck tomorrow but having not talked to the drop I do not want to get going at 6 AM and find out they close at 2 PM. So we are planning on leaving the hotel by our usual 7:30 and hope they are open until 5 PM. Or we will just deliver on Thursday instead of Wednesday.

Should only be one fuel stop tomorrow unless I need to add a gallon near the drop. And a 2nd stop to eat, likely in Sioux City. Hopefully no issues.