1 trash truck to Burnsville MN (delivered)

1 PU to Shakopee MN (Monday)

1 box truck to Orange City IA (Monday)

... spending the night at home

Breakfast, plenty of breakfast. Looks like there was a sports team or two that had stayed the night so they had plenty of food.

We hadn't really done the math on today. Now we realize that we need to be going by 11 AM just to get the rental car dropped by 4 PM. We finally get going at 9:30. Actually we were both zapped last night. Both in bed by 9 PM and not up until 7 AM.

First stop was for rental car fuel at the Pilot in Clear Lake because it was cheaper than anywhere else and it was about two hours from the hotel.

I had started earlier calling on a trip out of Grand Rapids MN, the 1st dispatcher said to call one of the other two. I called the 3rd one but no answer so I called the 2nd who told me to text the 3rd one. Finally after two hours, I called the 1st one again and they got the 3rd one of the phone with the both of us. BUT the 1st dispatcher said they needed to call the owner before I could move it. Never did hear back from him, sent a text later. Nothing yet.

Then I called our central dispatch and got lined up on a truck from Burnsville to IA for after we drop the first one. We should be able to get both of them dropped on Monday.

Later, our MN terminal put up a really short trip, almost on our way ... so why not. Easy money.

I call and get the trip. Paperwork is not ready when I get there so I need to call so they can bring it out (that's how it works there). Then we get to the shipper and no keys. We aren't supposed to talk to the office people but we were standing there long enough they asked if everything was OK. Turns out they still had my keys on there desk.

This place is getting their yard paved :) It has been a mud lot and gets to be a real mess. Now the trucks are parked 'other places.'

Mine was easy to find and with the first near freezing day and with a wind, the inspection didn't take long.

As we were ready to leave, a semi pulled in with a chassis. By the time I get into the office for the last time, security is there. They are not letting this guy deliver, partly because he had not called ahead and it didn't look like they had a place to do it with the construction.

When I am ready to pull out, BB pulls around the other side of his semi blocking the only lane that direction. Another truck pulls in and waves for BB to come past but BB is watching me so she doesn't see this. Finally that person throws their hands in the air and goes around a different side of the building. He had been blocking me so I had no way out and BB wasn't leaving until I did.

A mile or so down the road warning lights start flashing and it starts beeping. It's not the load beep and I know that it is only the sensor's not an issue so I keep going. It's only an hour.

Plan was to fill fuel near the drop and today I had plenty of fuel to get there. But when I get just past a fuel stop, I get a 'low fuel pressure, stop now' message. I pull to the shoulder and call dispatch. No answer.

So I back down the on ramp and head to the fuel station. Now the truck will only go 9 mph and then it cuts out until it drops to 5 mph and then kicks in again. I got to the fuel station but all pumps are full. I pick one of the two CNG lanes and wait. After a while someone comes back out and try's to get their credit card to work. Then they got in their truck and I thought 'good, they are moving until they get this figured out.' Nope, they got back out and went inside and pre-paid their fuel.

Then I had to wait for them to fuel. At this point I didn't want to start my truck again until I could get to the closest pump. The inside gauge still showed I had 67% full and the other gauge showed over 2,000# (3,600# is max.) But something is wrong somewhere.

When I filled, I could only get in 16 gallons. ??? Don't drive enough CNG's to remember how much I should be putting in. At 5 mpg that is enough to get me to my drop but we are supposed to deliver full.

I call dispatch again to see if they know what the issue is. No answer. So I leave ... or try too. I thought the truck was running rough because of lack of fuel, but it is still running rough. So I drive around the parking lot a couple of times. Beeping all the way.

BB realized I should get on the freeway that way, I was thinking it might 'clear.' But I call dispatch again. I finally get them and the shippers yard man is at their office so we walks be through a couple of things that should clear it. I'm to drive for 10 minutes and then call him back. I've had enough of beeping in the lot so I go down the road.

10 minutes later I am back with only one burst of speed so I'm thinking they will be calling a tow. But he now has a couple of other things to try. So my plan was to do the 10 minute loop again but I have full speed every time so I stop and call BB and head out.

We have now lost an hour and a half of down time.

A half hour down the road and the 'low fuel pressure, pull over and stop now' message comes on. So I do. And I call dispatch, the yard man is still there and I am told to keep going. As soon as I pull back on the road, the message is gone.

Final fuel is supposed to be at the Holiday in Lakeville. Pumps are bagged off so I go inside ... they no longer sell CNG. So one more call to dispatch. I get the OK to drop as is, check engine light and all.

We had made all these plans for this trip while driving and I had never looked at a map. So I missed a turn that I didn't know was supposed to be there. But we had discussed everything enough that I knew about where the drop should be and two blocks later I stop and finally look at a map. Can't (hardly) get there from here.

I take a u-turn through one gas station only to find out I can't take a left so I have to go up to the next gas station and make another u-turn and that was a very small lot. Two gas pumps and lots of U-hauls.

I get back to the drop and find someone who will sign. Then other show up and they all look it over. I get a clear bill, they never look at the fuel level.

We have dropped before 5 PM. I tried to call but that number was long gone so I had no idea how late they were open, still don't.

NOW we are scrambling on what to do with the car. One of our house guests is already gone for the weekend. The other works until 6 PM so we'd be waiting outside for 30-60 minutes depending on traffic.

Or we could keep the car for another $100 for the next day. Or we could drop it at the airport and only pay for a couple of extra hours and get home by 8 PM.

Finally we realize the cheapest way was to get to the rental place and switch from a one way to a local. We have time enough to do that, just not time enough to get our car first. And we can keep the same car so we don't need to stop and fuel it first. But we do need to stop in. And we will use rewards point so all we are paying is <> $10 tax for the extra day. Or extra hours as we will be dropping it off tomorrow AM before our family stuff.

Once we are done with that, the closest food is Taco Bell. We haven't eaten since breakfast ... two days in a row.

And home again.

Load board

US - 150

IA - 16/12

MN - 2

WI - 1

As of now, our plan is to head out on Sunday assuming we can pick up Monday AM. I'll try again tomorrow to reach the dispatcher.