1 bus to Beloit WI (delivered)

1 tanker to Eagan MN (Wednesday)

... spending the night at Elgin IL

We pulled out at 7:30, still thinking that the drop closed at 7 PM based my paperwork.

First stop was a rest area in Tiffin.

BANG ! ! !

A pickup pulling a boat, blew their right front tire just as the tire was at my front bumper. Being the driver in a city bus means that tire blew less than six feet from where I was sitting. Glad my window was closed. Rubber and ??? was flying everywhere. And as soon as the tire blew, the driver hit the shoulder, my shoulder. Luckily I had locked the brakes when the tire blew and I was able to avoid hitting him. I guess I assumed that no one was right behind him as I then passed him before parking in front of him.

The bus was OK and he had a phone to call for help. That's all I found out and then we were rolling again.

Because we are running earlier than originally planned, BB had to change the rental reservations. No height restrictions at this airport except don't get too close to the building. Not sure if you could hit the overhang without being on the sidewalk or not, didn't try it.

Scales open, they weighed me and let me go.

Early in the AM BB was watching the wait times at the truck wash. It doesn't give time, but does say busier than usual, ect. At first it was saying 1/3 as busy as usual so we were hopeful. But by the time I dropped BB at the airport they were busy.

And there was a line almost out to the street when I got there. But I went and put in DEF first. This TA has half their pumps selling BIO diesel. Which was nice for me, as no one today wanted BIO so I was able to pull in backwards to get my DEF.

But their pumps would not process my card because I wouldn't say I wanted truck diesel. So after a few tries I had to go inside. Inside, and wait for a guy that was trying to get cash and the desk was having an issue. So that took a while. Then they finally got me turned on. Then when I went back inside, someone else was trying to pay with a card that had been shut off. After a while the desk clerk just handed me my receipt without me having to ask.

Then ... I was in the long line for the wash. And it was slow. Don't know what the issue was if there was one. They had two wash bays open plus the washout bay. Then when the one line becomes two. I get in the line that the person ahead of me didn't get in. Wrong choice. By the time we get to the door, the truck that had been behind me was washed and gone before I got into the building. One of the trucks ahead of me got both a wash and a washout. Or the crew was just slow. Either way I was there for just about two hours.

I had tried a few times to call the phone numbers on my paperwork but no answer so I finally looked up the location and called them. Glad I did, they are only open until 4 PM. It is going to be close.

... and my low fuel light came on when I stopped at the wash. The gauge had been over 1/4 when I got here ... and went back up again later. But when I tried to stick my tank it was down to an inch or two of fuel. So I'm not sure how the tank is shaped.

As soon as I had pulled into the wash, BB had called. There is a truck in CGO going to MN. Interesting because this AM I had asked BB what would need to be on the load board to not head directly home tonight after I drop the bus ... and I had given CGO to MN as the example. :)

I call and get the trip.

Plan had been to fuel in WI where fuel was cheaper but I need to be able to get there. Here, the Road Ranger is the cheapest of the three so I fuel there. I start with 15 gallons. It shows five inches of fuel. I put in seven more gallons and it still shows five inches. I put in a second seven gallons and it now shows seven inches of fuel. I still have 45 miles to go so I put in a third seven gallons and leave.

I get to the drop at 3:45, quick check in at the front door and then pull around and into a bay so they can look at the bus. This person didn't even know the bus was coming now. They just knew they were getting one this year and one next year.

We made it.

Next stop is Jason's Deli in Rockford. Too bad we couldn't have gotten a car in Rockford. We could have now switched it to a local and BB could have ridden with me. Now we will have the car for two days. Most likely would have anyways by the time we went through Forest City to get our car.

I had called the shipper as soon as I got the trip. But forgot to ask what time they opened. I also called the drop but had to leave a voice message. The drop did call back and BB did answer. The drop closes at 5 PM so we have just over eight hours to get 36 miles. Six hours driving and two hours fueling, inspecting. No road delays, no slow traffic ... no two hour delays in Mauston like we have seen. :(

7:30 - Waukee IA - Sleep Inn - leave

10 AM - Tiffin IA - rest area

Noon - Moline IL - PU rental car

1 PM - Rochelle IL - Blue Beacon - bus wash

4PM - Beloit IL - drop

5 PM - Rockford IL - Jason's Deli

6 PM - Elgin IL - Comfort Inn

Loadboard

US - 195

IA - 22

MN - 5

WI - 1

Tomorrow ?

... at some point we will be home for part of the weekend.