1 tractor to Stockton CA (delivered)

1 bus to Grand Junction CO

... spending the night at Santa Nella CA

(the following is written almost 2 weeks later, so likely missing some details)

This AM we are thinking that getting closer to the drop last night would have been a good idea. At one point, the center lane of traffic was stopped. When we got up there, we saw that there were pallets in that lane ... and then a mile ahead we saw a semi on the shoulder re-tying down his remaining load of pallets.

At the pick up, we stop at the right address, I go up to a locked door. Finally someone comes to the door and says I need to go into the fenced parking lot and follow it around until I get to an office.

Turns out it was the other door for the same building and I was talking to the same person. I was the only driver there right then so it didn't take long and then they went and found my truck and brought it up to the office for me.

When I do my inspections, I notice that the rear wheels are all dirty but no oil is pooling and they are all just as dirty so I don't pay it a lot of attention.

Truck is near 'E,' and I need to drive it 50 miles AND leave it with over 1/4 tank of fuel. So we picked out a couple of stations between the shipper and the freeway. One was tapped off and the other was on the wrong side of the street. Then our 3rd choice didn't really have diesel.

Now we are at the freeway. Big tanks, so I keep going. Finally after a few exits I saw one with a sign before we got to it. But once at the exit, I realized that it would be faster to go back to the prior station than cross the freeway. That was at Galt, Velaro I think.

I put in $100 before the pump stopped and my gauge hadn't moved. This truck has two tanks so I decided to try putting fuel in the other one. Luckily it was slow right then and I was able to get turned around before the place filled up. As soon as I started filling the other tank the gauge started going up. I put in another $50.

Back on the freeway I see a huge cloud of black smoke. Before I figure out what it was, it was gone. Then again, this time I was able to figure out that it was from a car, not for a fire. It was thick enough smoke that the pickup and travel trailer ahead of me were slowing down ....

The drop is a big dealer, easy to find, just off the freeway at a major interchange. I guessed right and still have enough fuel so I didn't need to stop again.

When I get there I stop at service ... nope. I need to go around back to the collision center. There were three rows of vehicles waiting to be moved from the check in area. Luckily I was able to get between them to get past them.

At the correct door I go inside to check in ... they know nothing. And at the moment they can not log into the manufactures computer. So after doing some checking they decide to inspect the truck and deal with it later *

Then the person doing the inspection finds paperwork saying the truck was to go somewhere else. I choose to remain silent. They are taking the truck at the location on my paperwork. Changing that could take hours.

When we are done, BB decides we are not doing a 2nd truck today. She doesn't like CA-99 and doesn't want to do it twice in one day. We finally decide to head the opposite direction to a Black Bear restaurant. But first we go back to the office for the rest room ... and ask about closing times.

Dispatch had told me yesterday that a drive had just been here and closing time was 7 PM. Nope. The stop taking trucks at 2 PM. No way we could have gotten both of them here today. We'd have been spending the night and been late for any bus.

It finally comes out that BB had not slept well last night, likely because of her back. That is why she is not up to taking a 2nd trip today.

Next stop was the Black Bear in Modesto. We still have time so we head to a cemetery in Manteca. When we get there, it all looks like we have been here before. It's a big place so I have to ask directions. I notice a picture on the wall from 100 years ago. The mausoleum

was already there.

Most of the way to food, food trucks come up. But they are the other direction and BB is hungry now. That would have been a good way to spend a few hours. Maybe tonight?

At the cemetery, the marker we were looking for was right next to the street so easy to find. Finally I look at my other notes. We have been here. But on the other notes I have this location listed as Stockton.

We call the bus dispatcher and we have a bus but won't have the paperwork for a few hours.

We head to our parking spot at the outlet center and wait until closer to when we can pick up the bus.

Once it is 'close enough,' we head to the shipper to do our inspection and wait for paperwork. Oh ... we got a bus to Grand Junction. Right direction but I was hoping for a longer trip so we'd be set for the rest of the month and part of the following.

At the shipper, there are other drivers. And we can not find my bus. I look, BB looks, other drivers look. Finally we are all standing around talking and someone hand me their phone ... I have no idea who I am talking to. They ask which bus I need and confirm it has to be there. Later I realize that half the drivers today are shipper drivers, not transporters. And one of them had called their contact in the office and that is who I was talking to on the phone.

Because of all the drivers, we had not gone to look at the prior parking spot. We did now, with the help of security. No bus. I finally call dispatch. He also says it is there. But we will wait for my paperwork. Then BB decides she needs to use the restroom ... as she walks to the building, she sees my bus. It is the center bus where buses are three wide. It is here, but lots of service panels still open. I get the OK to take it. And am able to get out of there without moving other buses.

No time lost. I have it moved by the time the paperwork gets there.

Off to drop the rental car. This is a short bus but the rental lot is full so I end up backing around instead of driving completely around the lot. Back at the bus lot, with the sun shining just the right way and being able to look at the car from a distance ... we see door damage. This is the first time we haven't been parked between cars or came up to it from that angle. More things to worry about.

We head to Santa Nella, the Quality Inn there.

it's an hour and a half at this time of day. See a couple of places where there are major washouts on the side roads. Must have gotten some rain at some point.

At the hotel, we walk across the street to a food truck. There are now two. We've been going to a Mexican. Now there is a Indian one right behind it and the Subway.

What ever the possible next trips were then ... I don't know anymore.

No travel trailers parked on the city streets anymore. I parked in the hotel lot, easier to do with a 30 foot instead of a 40 foot.

Load board

US - 169

IA - 45/44

MN - 3

WI - 1