1 tanker to Eagan MN (delivered)

3 trucks to Lake Elmo MN (delivered)

... spending the night at home

We had breakfast and were ready to head out at our usual time. I hadn't looked at a map yet so BB showed me our choices. Down the main street we are on and turn when I see the dead end sign. We are two miles from the drop.

At the drop I luck out, someone is pulling in the gate so I am able to follow, and the person who will sign for my truck is walking across the parking lot. He directs me to my parking spot. While I am cleaning out my truck, the guy is looking over the truck. It seems a recent 'new' truck was built differently and a lot of the wiring corroded from the winter salt because of how it was built. This guy also tells me that the trucks I am moving are 're-builts.' The tank will be re-used many times, the chassis and other equipment is all new.

Done here, and off to our next truck. Almost no traffic in the 'burb's at this time of the AM. BB puts on the GPS as we have not been to this location before.

When we get to the next shipper, I find out that it is a new branch of a current shipper. They have gotten a new contract and don't have room in the old location.

What I am getting here is a four door chassis. Good news, it has dip sticks that can be reached from standing on the ground, unlike the pickups where we have to stand on something and then half crawl under the hood to reach them. And this truck has real mud flaps and taillights.

And a very rough ride. When BB was behind me, she could see the air between the tires and the highway. My <> limit on chassis is 20 miles, this trip was 40. Someone else is going to move it the other 400.

We drop at our office and we are off again. Seems there are two new dispatchers that I haven't seem before. Didn't talk to them today.

Second shipper is the original location of my first pickup. This truck is a Dodge Ram with a lift bucket. No issue picking this up. Not sure why, but for this location I take I-494 to the location and I-394 from the location. Today that was a good choice as when we left we could see that I-394 was backed up in the other direction. It would have taken us a lot longer.

Again, drop at the office and head out.

It's getting close to noon so we stop at Chick-fil-A in Woodbury. It seems strangely empty. Only one drive thru lane open and only one family ahead of us and it is almost noon. But by the time we got our food there was a line inside and the drive thru line was out onto the highway. Today it was good timing for us.

I had a chicken sandwich. Much easier to eat while driving than their nuggets and dipping sauce.

Final pickup is at dealer in Inver Grove Heights. I get a copy of the repair order when I pick up but don't look at it. This is a used truck, parked way out in the back. Another driver must have picked it up and dropped it here because of how the paperwork is done. I tell BB someone else has inspected it so she doesn't come with me.

I find the truck, it is a 2014 but only has 5,000 miles on it ??? Not sure if that is correct or not. It does look like it has sat but is not worn.

I pull up to the main lot and BB looks the truck over as I finish my paperwork. This truck is a much better ride than the chassis. But I am careful on it, I just want to get it the 20 miles to the office without it breaking down.

At the office I park it and talk to dispatch. No more work today.

When I am at home doing my paperwork, that is when I finally read why the last truck was at the shop. It did not have a backup alarm. Mmmmm. I don't know if it did or not when I took it. Most times BB is the one standing at the rear when I do my check but for this one I told her she didn't have to. And it is one of those things that go un-noticed if they are working. Opps.

No great trips on our long haul load board.

Much later tonight I wanted to look at my flip phone for something. I don't have it. It was the only phone I was carrying with today so I know I had it right up to getting out of my last truck because I was using it to keep track of my paperwork time. So that is on my list for early tomorrow. Hopefully the driver hasn't taken off with it.

Loadboard

US - 165

IA - 3/2

MN - 5

WI - 6

Only plans for tomorrow is stopping at the phone stores if we don't have work.