So after running the "extra" mile I got some brownie points. Also a recent D.O.T. inspection where I got 100 percent helped on top of being in the top three for fuel mileage was helping too.
Or so I thought. I asked to be in this weekend (Jan 23-24)for two reasons. There was a show I wanted to see and my DOT medical card expires on the 23rd. My plan was to be home saturday see the show, watch football on sunday and get my physical done on monday. That is a good plan in a perfect world. Throw that dream out the window.
I was rewarded with a load going to Auburn, NY with a second stop in Foxborro, MA. A good run with good miles and plenty of time to do it. Weather was gonna cooperate as well. I was told "we will find a clinic to get your DOT medical card done somewhere on the road." Great.
Thursday delivered the loads no problem. I was told to dead head to Maine and that load goes to Hagerstown, MD. I was set up with a place in Portland, ME to do my physical that supposedly had parking for my truck.
The word supposedly means hell no in Maine. I pulled up to the clinic and stopped before going in their lot because of the size. I called the clinic to confirm my fears as I blocked traffic in the left hand lane. "There is room in the back to swing around. You should be ok." Hmmm I sat for a moment. Then I went for it. I approached the back my worst fears were confirmed. THERE WAS NO ROOM for even a schoolbus to turn around. So I took a deep breath, backed, maneuvered, wiggled, and squeezed my way through the obstacle course of trees, land islands, and cars. This apparently amused the other CDL holders that were there for the same reason I was except they got to bring their cars.
After performing my small miracle I find what I thought was a good spot. At this point my feeling of accomplishment was wiped away with a building person saying I can't park there because the ambulances can't get through. I assured the nervous woman that the ambulance parking was not blocked but she argued. I guess ambulances are really big in Maine. Then she points to a parking area which was hidden to me because of snow that was way off in the distance. "That's where you need to park." So I moved my truck to the area she told me. Luckily it was just a straight back so my little miracle didn't have to be performed twice. Not only that but this area was big enough for a truck barely but a lot better than where I had gone. This whole adventure took a whole hour.
I got my physical done and my card was granted 2 years and all is well now. Or is it?
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Dont ya just love it when they tell you that there is plenty of room. We have a few customers in Maryland with PLENTY of room, so much in fact that we have to rapidly hand unload while Frankentruck blocks an entire lane of a 2 lane road. The locals are not impressed!! Good Job!! Driver.
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