1 trash truck to Carol Stream IL (delivered)

1 tanker to Eagan MN

3 trucks to Lake Elmo MN (Wednesday)

... spending the night at Eagan MN

At breakfast this AM we had a choice of sausage or ham. Another difference, today for juice they had OJ, cranberry and lemonade. Usually there is apple juice.

Because we are doing short trips this week, BB is not lugging her big suitcase so we both took the stairs this AM. After doing my inspection, I start the truck ... BEEP !!! BEEP !!! BEEP !!! BEEP !!! BEEP !!!

I handed BB the room keys and let her do the checkout this AM. I'm not sure everyone was ready for all the noise, luckily it was 7:30 and not 5:30.

When BB comes back out, she sees 'me' in a nearby lot and heads that way with the car ... at some point she realizes it is someone else picking up garbage ... :)

30 minutes to the drop and it is beeping all the way, both inside and out.

When I get to the drop, the first thing they ask is if I can shut off the beeping ... I can. :) By shutting off the truck. They do try a few things to get it to stop but can't either. Something broke. Noise can wear on the nerves.

Not sure what is going on with dispatch for this last truck. They didn't have my paperwork ready when I got to the office. They never dispatched me, never gave me my advance (to pay for fuel etc.) Drivers are supposed to be able to release ourselves from the trip when our paperwork is signed, but only if we are still on the property. Today we couldn't because of the things dispatch didn't do.

One half hour just about straight east of my drop is my next pickup. A few blocks to the main east road, then a few blocks off to the shipper.

The shop has to bring my truck around for me. I hadn't looked at a map again but BB had, there was a much easier route out than how I came in. Left out of the shipper, at the 1st stop light take a right and then in a few feet take another right and we are on the freeway ...

Today the truck finds all the tolls, not sure why it only picked up a few last time.

There had been almost a quarter of a tank of fuel when I picked this truck up, but taking it to the shop added 40 miles so less free fuel for me. I do make it to Janesville but the low fuel light has come on 30 miles before that. At some point I realize that I never did check the VIN today, I just took the truck they brought me. And I would only think about that when I was driving. Not when I was stopped.

When I get to Janesville, the truck shows I am getting 10.3 mpg. I have 300 miles to go and I'm guessing the mileage will improve. Easy math. I add 30 gallons.

Bad news. No one will be at the drop at 5 PM tonight. That is what we had planned for the 1st try. Today he will only be there until 4 PM and there is no way we will make that. So we set it up for tomorrow AM. Someone will be there at 5:30 ... AM. We won't.

Knowing I am not in a rush, I call local dispatch but they don't having anything yet that works for us.

Plan was to stop at the Mauston rest area, by then BB has caught up to me so I pull in and tell her that I need to to to the town of Mauston for DEF. The one gallon I had added last trip is not holding up.

I usually stop at non-truckstops for DEF. Partly because with a bus I have to come in backwards and partly because I like to keep the small places in business ... if it isn't coming out of my pocket. And at the small places I can usually start the pump with my personal credit card and don't have to go inside to do it. Today that stop was the BP in Mauston. They place shares a large lot with a couple of hotels and a former Country Kitchen. Now the lot will be smaller. They are adding a Dunkin in part of the lot.

Local dispatch has been calling. I'm not sure it is them as I don't have all of those numbers in my phone so I have to look it up before calling them back. They have three local moves and I agree to take them without talking to BB about it. We had talked in general and no reason not to. They don't pay great but I want to pay back the money they over paid me and I want to do a few moves so I won't fell too bad if we don't get back for quarter end.

Did see a bus and two dump trucks that could have been from our local company in transit.

Yesterday and again today I saw the Amish at work. Today they had just started planting corn (?) Small planter that they had put steel wheels on and left the fertilizer boxes on. Not sure if they use them ...

The hay fields close by were partially cut.

Today the farmer was on the first round next to the freeway so I got a good look at them.

For a while I was thinking I would be adding fuel at Osseo so I didn't stop in Black River Falls as planned. Then I realized that BB may have been waiting for me so I pulled off in Hixon to text her. And I picked a ramp that wasn't the normal down one side and up the other.

The more I thought about it, I decided I could make it to Hudson where fuel was cheaper and I would have a much better idea of how much fuel I would need. Should have stopped as planned. Every two hours. Instead this was a 3+ hour leg.

Shortly before I get to Hudson, the drop is calling me.

... maybe

... maybe they will take the truck yet tonight. (?)

Luckily I get to the TA in Hudson without the low fuel light coming on. We only need to leave 1/8th of a tank of fuel at the drop ... but we can't have the low fuel light on. And on these new Peterbilts, the low fuel light comes on at 1/8th of a tank, but won't go off until the gauge reaches 1/4. So an extra 10 gallons if the light comes on.

Once fueled I call the drop. He just want's to know the truck number ... that is all. :(

For a while we had thought about parking the truck at the TA or Walmart for the night and then driving home. But the drop would like us there by 8 AM so their drivers can get on the road. So we decided to pay the big bucks and stay at the Best Western two miles from the drop. I really didn't like the idea of leaving my truck somewhere I am not. But that is $100 less that we will take home.

BB agrees to go get tomorrows paperwork so that will get us going earlier in the AM. I head direct to the hotel. I get there a little after 5 PM so if I had driving 70 mph and not taken as long on the phone we could have made delivery today ...

I get to the hotel and check in, by the time I am back downstairs BB is calling, she has picked up the paperwork and is here also.

We looked at a lot of food nearby but ended up at Zee's. There is one in Woodbury we have eaten at a few times. Little 50's style cafe. Good food. We eat there. Something other than fast food.

Loadboard

US - 157

IA - 4/3

MN - 4

WI - 5

One of the trucks I am picking up is a chassis. They have asked me both days about taking it. I move it 20 miles but not 200. The other two are from known locations. Not sure what we will be doing Thursday and Friday. No good RV trips and only one trash truck going short. Omaha.