And this is where I will be all weekend. I was unable to pick up my next load until Monday morning, so this weekend I am basically stuck not working. So three nights here in Allentown, but fortunately I am near a lot of things within walking distance, and even more when I drop my trailer. Usually I don't do that, but I refuse to be stuck in one spot if I don't have to be.
Today I have had a nice brunch, well lunch but it was 10:30 so brunch is more appropriate. It was at a Friendly's restaurant in front of the hotel. I got the special, mix and match meal that came with a sundae for $9.99. Which is a lot better value than getting something off the regular menu and adding a drink. I did add a cup of clam chowder to my ginger chicken salad, so it was a little more, but still good value. All of it was really good, but when one gets the ginger chicken salad, start with only half of the dressing, when you use the entire thing it gets way to gingery by the end of the salad.
I then dropped my trailer and headed to the Autozone that was down the street. I needed a new headlight and I had my best chance of picking up a sealed light there. They actually had three of them, all with a slightly different model number than what I was looking for, but the $8.99 one worked just fine. I can't figure out what made the $19.99 one so much better, but I am guessing it is one of the ones that has the blue tint to the light. Looking at their website, it appears that the twenty dollar light is worth it, but since I would have two different lights, it just doesn't seem worth it. When I have to replace the headlights in my car, I may upgrade to the Silverstar lights, but not for the truck. I do get reimbursed for buying the light, I don't get paid for replacing it, but not replacing it can cost me a nice amount of money in a ticket.
I did find a laundry mat down by the Autozone and may do some laundry tomorrow morning. I just don't feel like it today, that and I will need to locate a Huntington ATM soon to replenish my cash supply. I could always get a cash advance, but have never liked borrowing from future paychecks, that is how drivers get behind. Once you take a cash advance, a lot of times you will have to do it again to cover that money you took out of next weeks check.
The rest of today will be spent watching TV, reading, playing games on my computer, or watching TV on the computer. Basically wasting time, while getting paid a little bit to do it.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Still here
Still waiting, though I am finally in a dock, now it is just a matter of getting unloaded. I called to find out what my next load was, and the first surprise was that they had one. The second surprise was that it doesn't pick up until Monday morning, in Carlisle. So nothing to do for the next three nights but sit in a hotel, how thrilling.
The worst part is that I knew this was going to happen, and I have just about had it with going East and then sitting for a couple of days. I think I will either start splitting these loads off so I sit closer to home or just refuse them. Because now all I will do is sit and spend money to eat at a hotel. If I am lucky there will be something like an Applebees nearby, if not, fast food all weekend.
The worst part is that I knew this was going to happen, and I have just about had it with going East and then sitting for a couple of days. I think I will either start splitting these loads off so I sit closer to home or just refuse them. Because now all I will do is sit and spend money to eat at a hotel. If I am lucky there will be something like an Applebees nearby, if not, fast food all weekend.
Breinigsville, Pennsylvania
I made it here about when I planned to, unfortunately they are unable to take me until my appointment time. Which basically means that I am seven hours early. Fortunately I can check in a bit later to see it they can take me a bit earlier, thought at this point it may only be a few hours earlier.
From the size of the lot I seems that I could have come straight here and slept, but I don't think that would have gotten me in any sooner. So staying where I did and getting a good shower and decent breakfast seems worth while. The only good thing is that I have a decent signal, and a fast connection, so will be able to game or watch some video while waiting, rather than being stuck browsing news articles.
The late unload is bad in another way, it will make getting reloaded today a real difficulty. So we will just have to wait and see what the day brings.
From the size of the lot I seems that I could have come straight here and slept, but I don't think that would have gotten me in any sooner. So staying where I did and getting a good shower and decent breakfast seems worth while. The only good thing is that I have a decent signal, and a fast connection, so will be able to game or watch some video while waiting, rather than being stuck browsing news articles.
The late unload is bad in another way, it will make getting reloaded today a real difficulty. So we will just have to wait and see what the day brings.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: TA
I am about an hour away from where I deliver tomorrow, hopefully earlier than scheduled. The appointment time is for five in the afternoon, but then I was supposed to pick this load up at four today. Since the pick-up was flexible I am hoping to get rid of it early at the consignee. Then it will just be a matter of waiting to see what is next. They say I will have a load, I hope they are right. Otherwise it will be three nights in a hotel this weekend while I get paid for a layover.
LockBourne, Ohio
It was almost like a miracle, I was almost back to the truck stop in Sonora when the Qualcomm beeped and had a load for me. It picks up here and heads back East to deliver tomorrow in Breinigsville, Pennsylvania. Before I did anything else I looked up where these two places were and then called my dispatcher. My experiences the past two weeks on getting out of that area have been extremely bad, so I let her know how upset I would be if I got stuck there over the weekend.
Though if I do get stuck over the weekend, I can always get a hotel room for the three nights, and get paid layover pay. It just would be really annoying to not be doing anything and be away from home. I don't mind driving and being away, but this sitting has got to stop.
This load doesn't deliver until five tomorrow afternoon, but like the pick-up scheduled for four this afternoon, I plan on getting rid of it early.
Though if I do get stuck over the weekend, I can always get a hotel room for the three nights, and get paid layover pay. It just would be really annoying to not be doing anything and be away from home. I don't mind driving and being away, but this sitting has got to stop.
This load doesn't deliver until five tomorrow afternoon, but like the pick-up scheduled for four this afternoon, I plan on getting rid of it early.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Sonora, Ohio: Love's Travel Stop
I am now within fifteen minutes of where I will be delivering tomorrow morning. Which is the way I prefer to be positioned with a load typically. This way I can unload and get on with the next one, though I won't hold my breath on there being a next one right away. I would be willing to bet that I am right back here at the truck stop by noon waiting for a load. Though I could be wrong, I did get a load to Texas a while back out of here.
Now I did make one small mistake on the way here, I missed the exit for the detour around the Pennsylvania turnpike. I have two excuses, the sun was in my eyes and when I realized that I needed to get over, there were two cars going straight rather than exiting. Which was really odd since this meant they were riding next to me on the side of the road where break downs usually sit. Now neither of these excuses really hold much water, but they are both true and they really did happen. I hate driving West in the afternoon, especially in the winter, the sun just hangs in the driver's door window. Now taking the turnpike saved me at least half an hour, perhaps even forty-five minutes, and with the amount of time of mine they have wasted this week, I am not really feeling to bad about it.
Now I did make one small mistake on the way here, I missed the exit for the detour around the Pennsylvania turnpike. I have two excuses, the sun was in my eyes and when I realized that I needed to get over, there were two cars going straight rather than exiting. Which was really odd since this meant they were riding next to me on the side of the road where break downs usually sit. Now neither of these excuses really hold much water, but they are both true and they really did happen. I hate driving West in the afternoon, especially in the winter, the sun just hangs in the driver's door window. Now taking the turnpike saved me at least half an hour, perhaps even forty-five minutes, and with the amount of time of mine they have wasted this week, I am not really feeling to bad about it.
Trenton, New Jersey
Just before eight this morning I got a call telling me that I had a load, finally. This is apparently a load we have picked up before, so I am half wondering if this wasn't what they had planned all along, and just didn't want to tell me.
It is a load of pallets going to the Colgate-Palmolive plant in New Concord, Ohio. A fairly easy run and the dodges they want me to make to avoid the Pennsylvania turnpike aren't all that extreme. According to Google maps I will only add four miles to the trip by taking a slightly southerly route to Harrisburg.
Now I am just waiting to get into a dock at this pallet place. Hopefully it doesn't take to long, because I want to drive almost the entire way before stopping tonight. If they kill my fourteen by holding me to long to load this, then I will simply be late tomorrow morning delivering.
It is a load of pallets going to the Colgate-Palmolive plant in New Concord, Ohio. A fairly easy run and the dodges they want me to make to avoid the Pennsylvania turnpike aren't all that extreme. According to Google maps I will only add four miles to the trip by taking a slightly southerly route to Harrisburg.
Now I am just waiting to get into a dock at this pallet place. Hopefully it doesn't take to long, because I want to drive almost the entire way before stopping tonight. If they kill my fourteen by holding me to long to load this, then I will simply be late tomorrow morning delivering.
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