1 tank truck to Sparks NV
... spending the night at Wendover UT
Breakfast, we each have one slice of leftover pizza. Last night we each had three pieces. We didn't walk down for breakfast until the truck was started and I was dropping off the keys. They used to have cheese sticks and PopTarts and other grab and go food but not today.
We pull out at 7 AM local. We spent last night at the Comfort Inn in Laramie.
We only saw where one truck had been in the ditch recently. Not sure how recently.
Today the winds were ONLY gusting to 40 mph instead of the 60+ yesterday. BB was watching the wind map as we went past the hot spots and the winds were less than 40 when we passed. Makes for better fuel mileage also. Not sure how you'd do the math to compare. Mileage on this truck changes pretty quickly. So it is showing the average for the last minute or five minutes.
1st stop is for fuel in Rawlins at the TA. There is not supposed to be any wind here but there is and it has a bite too it. In Sinclair a few miles back, there are two wind sockets on the freeway. One has a huge hole in it and the other just has a few threads left where it anchors to the metal ring. Not sure how often they have to replace them out here.
2nd stop is for lunch. Our Mexican place does not open until 11 AM so we go to Quiznos. We park in the Walmart parking lot and it is in a strip mall in the corner.
Not much has changed in the two weeks and a few hours since we passed this way with our RV's.
3rd stop is at the Evanston rest area. From there I planned on calling my drop and ordering my permit. I call the number I have. They don't have a truck coming, but with the information I have they can see where it is going and they give me a phone number.
The number they give me goes to an answering machine that says "... I will be back on Dec 4 ..." but it also lists a number to call for help now.
So I try the 3rd number and it also goes to voicemail without any greeting. Not a professional or personal greeting. Then I try to call the corp number for that customer. "Press 1 if you are a new customer, press 2 if you are a current customer." Them were my choices. I finally got someone who passed me off to a 2nd person who gave me yet another 800 # that said "Press 1 if you are a new customer ..." I didn't.
Scale was closed in Utah today when we went past. It looked like someone was working on the ramp.
Another couple of miles down the road and my phone is ringing, one of the numbers I called is calling me back. They don't leave a message, they call me again so by now I am at the rest area and can talk to them.
The person who was on vacation was in NM, this person calling is in Las Vegas. And they don't know about a new truck either. But they are helpful and say they will find someone who can help me and send me a text to follow up.
As we are leaving, a semi can't get out of it's parking spot and we all have to wait for another semi to back up so the first one can make it's turn. Don't remember seeing that before.
My mileage at the top of UT by the WY line was 9 mpg. We guessed it may be 12 when we got to Salt Lake City but it was back to 9 mpg again. But before we left SLC it was up to 13 mpg. Slower speeds, no wind. It all helps.
5th stop was the TA in Tooele for final (?) fuel. From here I call for my NV permit. I still haven't heard back from my drop but I need the permit to run in the AM.
Crossing the exit weigh scale out of UT there is someone getting inspected today. This is usually just an empty scale that the scale house across the freeway keeps an eye on. Sort of. Finally got to see how much I weigh, almost 33,000#.
6th and final stop is the Quality Inn in Wendover. As usual, we walk to the closest food truck. Today there is not one in the parking lot so we walk another two blocks down the street. Good food.
While I ate, I read some of the reviews of this place. Not all good. But we have been staying here forever and not had an issue.
By now I had both gotten my permit and a message back from the drop customer. They may want to change the drop location but no one has followed up on that. Yet.
BB was watching the load board today. There was a truck from CA to FL and an RV from CA to NJ. Both were too far away for us to pick up after dropping tomorrow so not within our / the carriers 24 hour window.
There is one truck from CA to CA that we might do or at least call on tomorrow.
Load board
US - 143
IA - 2/1
MN - 2
WI - 7
CA - 5
Tomorrow, 2-3 more stops before the drop. MAY not have to add anymore fuel. But will need to get an OK from the carrier if the customer wants me to drop somewhere else. Then we will decide what we are doing next.
There is a truck in AZ going back to NC :) it's only 600 miles from our drop. Home is 1,800 from our drop.