One for the record books.

This was my absolute worst week in miles as a truck driver.

Monday morning I make a phone call. I have a load going to Madison, WI. An easy 597 miles. The catch, it wasn't due until 12:30pm Tuesday and to expect an 8 HR UNLOAD TIME. Sure enough it was true and tuesday went into the crapper.

Wednesday my next load assignment had me deadheading to Morrison, IL. Appointment time was 12:30pm and delivery was two drops. One in Buffalo, MO and the second in Gainesville, MO with open window appointments on Thursday. I just had to be in Gainsville by 4pm. No big deal right?

That's where things get really screwed up. The directions to this place and my GPS had me going down roads with signs saying "10 Ton limit". I finally get around that mess and show up only ten minutes to spare from my appointment time. I am given my papers and told to get in the line of trucks. I was third in line so I thought that things might go well. Wrong. Several hours later I finally get my turn. I felt really sorry for the trucks that were behind me. Fifteen was the count when I got to the dock.

Now thanks to the elogs my 14 hours were ticking away. I wouldn't make buffalo, MO tonight. the other catch was if I took a full ten hour break I wasn't gonna make it to the second stop before they closed. Add rain, backwoods roads at night, a fuel stop ten miles out of the way to the mix as well. I got fuel In Walcott, IA and shut it down. If I did the eight hour split sleeper birth move This could be done. As long as Buffalo didn't take their time to unload their 9 pallets.

So on thursday at 3am I was off. I made it to Buffalo an hour ahead of schedule. BUT by the time they got there stuff I only had 90 minutes left of my 14. The next stop was 120 miles away. Not gonna happen. So I drive the 30 miles to the yard and was told to deliver friday am. Since I had an appointment with the tax people I had to be in this weekend. Giving me a total of 1200 miles for the week.

Two other things happened this week. We don't have the off Duty driving feature on our logs anymore. AND I was given a new dispatcher this week.

There is a bright side to this. My son was on Spring break this week so he got to ride in the truck with me all week. Even though we sat a lot he was thrilled to be out there on the road with me. And he pretty much kept my sanity in check because all my phone friends were on vacation so he was good to talk to. If the Government doesn't outlaw trucking in 15 years I expect to see him out here. Shuttting down in Walcott got us a long time to hang out at the infamous Iowa 80 truckstop. My son was the kid in the candy store and got a hat for a souvenir. So now Monday am at school he will have some good stories to tell. He also got to see the Arch in St. Louis and got to see a bunch of windmills in Illinois. He brought his video camera and we will be working on a video soon.



Sunday I head out to Illinois for hopefully a better week.

Let's see what next week brings.