1 RV heading to Burns Harbor IN (delivered)

1 trash truck to Minnesota City MN

... spending the night at De Forest WI

Breakfast was fridge items, nothing hot.

This AM there were a dozen or so cars so not quite as slow as it looked last night.

BB had been up before the alarm went off so we were ready to go before 7:30.

1st stop - Pilot in Burns Harbor. Google said it should take 90 min, I said 120. It took 105 min today so not bad for just about 90 miles heading through the south burbs of Chicago in the AM rush hour.

Next driveway down the street on the right and we are at BB's drop.

2nd stop - RV dealer in Burns Harbor.

This time we were in and out in less than a half hour. So we left early, got here quicker and less time at the drop. We are now two hours ahead of schedule.

While they inspect, I make some calls and get put on hold. Nothing accomplished. Left a couple of messages including one at my next pick up.

90 miles of non-freeway across Indiana.

3rd stop is McD's in Winamac. Before we go in, I call the shipper again. Just come to the shipping office ... (but they hadn't called back to tell me that. We take a half hour to eat in the car. All the staff at this location and a couple of customers were wearing masks ...

4th stop was my pickup in Winamac. I'd been here 10 years ago but nothing looks even close to what I remember.

Someone started helping me right away but the whole thing took about 45 minutes to do paperwork and the inspection. I supposed that isn't too bad for a place and truck I haven't dealt with before.

There are two easy ways to get to the freeway, but Google says there is a shorter way and BB will lead. We didn't see any 'no trucks' signs but I don't think any trucks will use this route ... twice. Roads are straight and mostly flat but they are narrow with no center line so we didn't drive 55 mph for very much of the trip.

Not likely to take that route again if we remember.

When we get to the freeway there is a Loves and a TA. But we had said we would each be stopping at Pilot/Flying J

Just as I am pulling off I see a pickup with a boat and trailer on the on coming traffic. The trailer break is smoking. Not sure if they get hot enough to start fires or not.

5th stop is in Hebron at Pilot/Flying J. First I turn into the Flying J, but I end up at the auto pumps, so I pull back out on the street and see that the fuel islands at Pilot are empty so I cross the street. BB stops at the Flying J. We hadn't planned on seeing each other again until WI.

I wasn't sure if I would need fuel, I had a half a tank at pickup, but when I started my mpg was .4. It went up fast but had only gotten to 6 mpg my the time I got to the Pilot. If it had made it to 8 mpg I wouldn't have stopped. There isn't a good place to stop once we are into Chicago on the toll road so I needed enough fuel to get past.

I am barely back on the freeway when I move over a lane because there is a car on the shoulder. As I am just past it, I realize it is the same kind of car as ours. It could be ours.

So I stop on the shoulder and check emails and texts. Nothing from BB so I pull back on the road.

Then I get a phone call from BB so I pull back off the road. Now she had seen me on the side of the road and thought something was wrong so she has pulled off. Both of us are fine so we can keep going. As long as I am stopped I look at the route. It has been a while since I went through Chicago. 80-294-290-90. BB just follows Google talking to her and it takes her a different route as it is three minutes shorter. Right now.

Just a usual day for traffic going around Chicago. Truck speed limit is 60 mph, I forgot about that. Cars are 70 mph.

BB stops at the Belvidere Oasis so she is behind me when we got to the IL-WI state line.

6th stop is at the welcome center near Beloit. BB pulls in behind me. It is 4 PM, I had guessed 6 PM so we are staying two hours ahead of schedule. She is tired and hungry. So we decide to stop in an hour for the night. We pick DeForrest as it is the cheapest, rewards point wise, in the area. And they have truck parking and food close. We have never stopped there before now.

At the rest area I was going to call about a trip from MN to ND but it was gone. It had been there a couple of days and would have been 'interesting' to try to work out with someone needing to be in town tomorrow night to pick up a person at the airport. Now that is out of the equation.

At this point I tell BB that I should only need another 10 gallons based on the top half of the fuel tank.

Wrong. By the time we are still 20 miles from the hotel the low fuel light is on. I am going to need another 20 gallons and I am going to add 2 gallons at a convenience store next door just to get to a truck stop. The gauge dropped fast.

The hotel has the back parking lot roped off, from one of three entrances. Others are parked back there so I do also. Lots of room.

7th and final stop is the Comfort Inn in De Forrest. We drive across the freeway to a Culvers and go through the drive through.

Load board

US - 100

IA - 14

MN - 2

WI - 7

Now we have no work lined up for Wednesday. I may call tomorrow AM to my local company.

Tomorrow. I have about 2-1/2 hours to the drop. I will stop twice for fuel in the first 10 miles and then do the rest non-stop. There is a Kwik Trip a block from the drop so I will add fuel is the low fuel light is on or about to come on.