Well, I finally got out of here on wednesday of last week and headed for Scranton, PA. I made it as far as Carlisle, PA and the road started getting iced up. I stopped in Carlisle (there just happens to be a trucker bar there) and spent the night. Had a few jack n cokes and some conversation, then a good night's sleep.
Made it to Scranton on thursday morning and delivered the load. Then I picked up a load going to two Big Lots stores over in WV. What a trip that was!
I got to the first store, in Oak Hill WV Thursday night and got some sleep. Easy trip, no problems, the roads were dry. When I woke up that morning, everything was covered with snow. Didn't bode well for the day. Took about two and a half hours to get that store unloaded and then it was off to the second store. That's when it got interesting. I talked to a coal hauler on the way and told him where I was going. He said he wouldn't wish that road on his worst enemy. And that was from a WV coal hauler!
The second store was in Lyburn WV. This is a very small town in extreme southern WV on a very very small mountain road. Going in it was a sheer cliff rising on the left side of the road with parts about nine feet up hanging out over the road. My truck is thirteen and a half feet high. Get the picture? On the right side of the road is no shoulder and a sheer drop to the river. A very narrow road. Not a good road for a truck that is 13 1/2 ft high and approx 75 ft long.
I made it to the store and backed into the dock. While they were unloading me, I went to the steak house located in the shopping center for a much needed lunch.
Now it was off to KY to pick up a load of printed materials going to Columbus OH. No good direct route from where I was in nowhere WV to nowhere KY so was a long winding ride to get there. ALong the way I saw a couple of wrecks.
Well, I got loaded and ran up to Columbus. Got there Saturday morning. The load didn't deliver until Monday so they had me drop the trailer at the yard in Columbus.
I sat there for a couple of hours, went up to the truckstop to transmit my paperwork into the office via transflow. (Scans and transmits all paperwork via computer, much faster than mail). Then went back and waiting a couple more hours, Still no load. At this point I started getting mad (I hate to sit) and let them know that I wanted another load, NOW! I don't get paid if I ain't moving.
They sent me to Indianapolis to pick up a Fed Ex load going to PA. That was a tough run. Those have a set time limit on how long you have to get it there, and if late the company gets fined $3000. I made it with an hour to spare, but didn't even have time to stop and eat.
After that was a Big Lots load to VA Beach. Ah, a load to the beach! Love it. Good run, no problems. First store was scheduled for 8 am. I got there the night before and went to bed. At 7am the lady was knocking on the door asking if I was ready. Well, ok, lemme get my pants on and I'll be right with you.
After unloading these stores I had to run up to Seaford, DE to pick up a load of nylon bales used to make yarn. Was going down to a twon just south of Charlotte NC. Paid the $30 toll to run the bridge tunnel across the chesapeake bay and up the VA eastern shore. Along the way I noticed a pull to the left in my steering. When I stopped to check it out I saw that my left steer tire was going flat. Oh crap! I am in the middle of nowhere, have to be in DE before midnight to pickup my load, and I have a flat steer tire.
Well, after calling it in, eating a crappy convenience store chicken dinner, and getting about three hours sleep, the road service guy finally decides to grace me with his presence. I figured I must have run over a nail or something. I am driving a new truck, had less than 5000 miles on it at the time. Turns out the factory didn't install the valve stem correctly and it had come loose and let the air out.
Didn't make that pick up until the following day. Was a day late making the delivery.
Picked up yesterday. Two stops to pick up the load. A load of socks. The load was going to Columbus OH, but I was due home for the weekend. Dispatch told me to take the load to our yard in Mosheim TN. I ran up through Winston Salem and Mt Airy (Mayberry)NC and up I77 into VA. Well, at the top of Fancy Gap things got real ugly real fast. Freezing rain and black ice. Wrecked cars, pickups, and big trucks everywhere. Loooked like a war zone.
I made it through and down to our yard, dropped the load and went to bed. I was exhausted from driving through that icy mess of wrecked vehicles and scared-to-death drivers. I trust my own driving skills, but not those of the idiots around me.
Well, I made it home safe and sound today. Been a heck of a week.