I finally got that unstable load of utility trailers delivered Thursday. I was never so glad to be rid of a load in my life. Sure enough there were some minor damages (less than I had expected). Mostly just scratches in the paint. Luckily the guy said he was used to that and expected to have to touch them up anyway so my perfect no damage claims record remains intact.
After unloaded I started heading for the yard. On the way I stopped at a truck wash to have the dust, dirt, and bugs removed from my truck. I like to arrive at the yard with a shiny clean truck. The truck wash was a new experience for Socrates. As we pulled into the bay the guys began with the light bug remover prespray. Socrates was very curious about all of this and got onto the dash so he could watch what was going on.
As the guy was spraying the windshield and windows with the prespray Socrates followed him around looking out the windows. Then came the heavy wash spray. The second that high pressure spray hit the windshield Socrates dove off the dash, onto my lap, and under my arm for protection.
It took him a few minutes to get the idea that everything was cool and nothing was going to get him. He then went back to being curious and watching what was going on. 30 minutes and $46 later we pulled out of the truck wash and continued towards the yard.
We ran into rain about 10 miles down the road from the truck wash. Figures.
On the way to the yard dispatch called and said one of the Bushmasters needed to be moved again and as usual the customer had requested me for it. It was going to Phoenix, AZ. I reminded him that it's approaching the end of the month and it's time for me to be heading back to Florida. I've had enough fun for this month. He said he figured as much but as the customer had requested me and it pays so well he thought he'd ask. I thanked him and told him to offer it to someone else this time.
After spending Thursday night at the yard I had to be in Milwaukee at 6:00am to pick up one of the pieces I'm taking to Florida. I was told that it was a large crate and to take a 26" step deck to get it. I got to the place at 10 minutes before 6:00. Unfortunately, the guy who I was waiting for didn't bother to show up until 7:00 claiming his alarm clock didn't go off. Yeah, right. I dearly hate getting out of bed at 5:00 am to be some place, and hate it even more when I get to just to sit around and wait.
But it gets better. It turned out what I was actually picking up was a tractor with some special concrete cutter going to a naval air field in Florida. No way to load it on a step, it needs a double drop RGN so it can be driven on. Some miscommunication there.
So I drive back to the yard, switch trailers, and start back to Milwaukee. Since I'd wasted an hour waiting for the guy to show up I wasn't in any hurry to get back so I stopped for a nice breakfast. Let him wait a while.
I finally got the tractor loaded and secured, and headed back to the yard for the rest of my load which, it turns out wasn't all at the yard yet. *sigh*
I dropped my trailer, hooked to the aforementioned step deck, and headed for Oshkosh to get the rest of my load as well as some pieces for someone else's load. I was to pick up a generator on a trailer that's part of my load as well as some racks going to NY.
Well, the generator turned out to not be on a trailer, another miscommunication, but a much larger unit on a base. Yikes! How is this gonna fit on the trailer with the tractor? Oh well, just get it and go, worry about it later.
I then went to the truck plant for the racks. Oh goody! Nobody seems to know anything about it. Great. I wander around asking anyone and everyone until I finally wander into an office and chat with a lady in a cubicle. She happened to know about it and had the paperwork for it. Unfortunately she couldn't tell me exactly where I needed to go to actually load the damned things. Nothing like a well run organization.
After another hour of asking around I find out that loading these racks is a "second shift thing", and would have to wait another hour or so until the second shift came on. Gimme a break already!
I resign myself to waiting and return to my truck to nuke myself some lunch while I wait. The second shift finally arrives, a yard man comes out and tells me I'm parked exactly where he needs me (I get lucky sometimes), and he'll load them up.
Once I get these pieces of rusty junk secured I head back to the yard yet again. I drop the step deck, reattach to my own RGN, and wait for our people to transfer everything around to build my load. By 6:00PM my load is all on my trailer, a stop in GA, two stops in Florida, and then home for me. At this point I am too tired to secure everything and just park it in the lower lot. I can secure it in the morning.
I let Rodney know that I was heading to get a cold beer or three, he could leave the paperwork in my side box, and wished him a good evening as I started walking towards the little tavern at the bottom of the hill.
I left the tavern around 9:00 and returned to my truck to get some sleep. This morning I secured my load and headed out, stopping here, South of Milwaukee, to eat breakfast and get online for a bit. It's only about 14 hours to my GA stop, so I'm not pressed for time. My last stop, the generator, has a 7:30am crane appointment Wednesday morning so this is going to be a pretty leisurely trip. I could easily have all three stops off my Tuesday evening if not for the crane appointment.
If everything goes well (it could happen), I should be home again by Wednesday afternoon. I'm looking forward to a few days of doing as little as I can get away with.