I trash truck to Berlin WI

... spending the night at Plover WI

Up before 6 without an alarm, this place was not serving breakfast today (we were at home)

Pulled out at 7:30, got to the shipper in Dodge Center at 9 AM. This is the first time we have been here since the paved the lot. No more slip sliding the the clay mud.

Our lock box still has a half dozen keys in it. I'm assuming they are for longer trips and we are coming up on a three day weekend.

Not too many trucks and the weather is <> warm so it did not take us long to find my truck. CNG. That was not listed on my paperwork, no issue other than I need more info from dispatch.

... and the truck has a check engine and a wrench light on. I call dispatch, when they call back they say to go to an in-town shop. Not their own shop, I'm not sure the plant is working today.

Shop clears the code and says it has a 50-50 chance of coming back on. By the time I get to the bottom of the freeway ramp, the lights are back on. I call dispatch and get the OK to get the truck scaled while they decide what to do with my truck.

It is now 'our problem,' as we have left the shipper. So dispatch calls the manufacture ... take it to their closest shop. Dispatch calls the shipper and the shipper says no, take it back to the in town shop. ??? I was confused about that one so I called dispatch back before dropping the keys at the in town shop. But that is where they want it ...

The in town shop has dozens of trucks waiting to get worked on, so I go inside to find out where to park it ... they want to look at it right now. So I have to call dispatch back to get the OK to stay with it.

While I am waiting, the other carrier puts out two RV's to CA. I call BB ... she doesn't believe me and by the time she looks at it ... one of them is gone. I COULD HAVE called on the RV's before calling BB. But ... not knowing when or if this truck is going to be done we really don't like committing to other trips. And then they were both gone. :(

That would have been a great trip for over New Years.

The shop decides it is not what the computer says it is the issue and find something else to fix. This takes about two hours. Then they ask if I am OK with doing the test drive, if it is fixed ... I keep going. If not, I return.

I make it to the bottom of the ramp again and the warning lights are one. Back to the shop. But ... something is different. When I get to the shop, the repair man wants to know how it acted ... mmm ... He clears the code one more time and I pull out again. No more issues today.

Usually we stop at Rochester first, today I go another hour to West Salem before fueling. And eating lunch. No rush now. The drop closes at 4 PM and we won't even get to the next fueling station before 4 PM.

See a few eagles today, flying, sitting, eating. And a few turkeys.

Had to cross two scales today, no issues. The first place had me sit for a couple of minutes before I got the OK to go sign. The second one put up the OK to go sign ... But ... there is a stop sign before the scale and the OK to go sign is after I am on the scale. I stopped at the stop sign and I can see him inside the scalehouse waving at me to keep moving.

2nd fuel stop was in Plover. It adds another 30 miles to my trip. Plus the <> three hours down time is why this isn't a one day trip today. I usually use the small nozzle but today neither small nozzle would fit on my truck. So I had to use the large one, not a big deal, you get a slightly better fill with a small nozzle but that isn't an issue today. Only when the pumps are far apart.

We decide to stay at the Best Western across the street from the fuel stop. Both fuels were Kwik Trips today. There was a family restaurant at a third corner but they close a 2 PM daily. Kwik Trip was handing out samples and BB took some so she was no longer hungry. I got something different for a sample but still I wanted food. So we split a chicken tender box and I also had some soup.

Load board

US - 159

IA -0-

MN -0-

WI - 11

Tomorrow we plan on delivering by 9 AM. Could be back home by 1 PM. We need to get drugs before we head out for too long. We'll keep looking for work. There is some in WI that could keep us busy but won't pay because tomorrow is Friday and the trips would get us further from home with no work that can deliver over the weekend.