Headin’ for Sunny Southern California
I had a wonderful 4.5 days off work. But I was so ready to get back out on the road and see the country some more. Little did I know I was actually going to get to go westward! When I got to my truck on the 29th I had one message waiting for me on the Qualcomm apologizing for not having a load ready for me and another message instructing me to head up to Ohio to pick up an empty trailer and await further instruction.
After I settled into the truck and sent N8 off to work, I hit the open road to Ohio. It was a nice trip and I made really good time and found the place pretty easily. But even after I got there and sent in the message confirming that I had the empty trailer, I sat empty handed waiting for a load assignment. After about 30 minutes my patience wore thin enough for me to use minutes to call and talk to my Dispatch Planner (DP) about getting a load.
At first he was going to send me to our Seville terminal to pick up a relay load bound for Rhode Island. Not really what I was hoping for but at that point I was willing to take whatever he could give me to get me rolling. Sitting still doesn't pay the bills! After he had decided to throw that one on me something happened and it turned out that another DP had put the load on someone else. Woo hoo! I didn't wanna go to the Northeast anywho!
So he started searching the system for something else. I subtly hinted at "big f'n miles" and as it turned out he had found the perfect load. Delaware Ohio to Perris California!
Woo hoo! I headed up to Delaware to pick up the preloaded trailer. Once I got hooked up to it I hit the road, westward bound. I made it as far as our Indy terminal.... on the way to which I survived I-70 and it's tornado sirens, high winds, hail, rain that I swear was being blown in such a way that it looked like it was raining UP from the ground and all the insanity that goes along with a freak severe thunderstorm.
Although, honestly I'm starting to think January severe thunderstorms are going to become less freak and more frequent in the coming years. (yeah that's almost an admittance to the existance of the whole global warming BS scam the government is blowing up our arses...but I digress.)
Anywho. So I parked it at Indy that night. When I arrived it was still raining and it was about 48 degress. I parked, checked over my trailer to make sure it was okay and then headed into the terminal with dinner. I cooked my Easy Mac and my soup and ate and enjoyed and then went to the restroom and brushed my teeth and was ready for bed. I was in the terminal for about 30 minutes total.
In that 30 minutes, the weather outside had changed drastically. From 48 to 22 degrees, from rain to blowing snow, and from water puddles to an ice skating rink. NUTZ!
I got to my truck, stuffed and satisfied and ready for bed. I was freezing and as I approached my truck I could see that she too was freezing. Icicles hanging from everywhere water had once dripped.
I got out my keys and unlocked the door only to be annoyed when it wouldn't open. Frozen shut. Damnit! I walked around and tried the passenger side door... it too was frozen, but not as solidly as the drivers side. After a wee bit of a struggle, I got 'er open and was safe inside.
I idled all night as it temp dropped to a brisk 9 degrees, with a wind chill of -15. It was a long night, but thankfully I was warm and snug in my truck. Unfortunately, the precipitation continued out of doors and by morning I was trapped inside my truck thanks to frozen doors. I managed to get the drivers side door open, but then it didn't want to close.... it was way too much ado for that early with that cold of temperatures. But I survived.... I got in and out and in again and was on my way further west.
I had a minor hang up as I was leaving the terminal, however, as one set of my drive tires wouldn't roll thanks to frozen brakes. I thought they were all working but apparently they weren't as I left a trail of black steaks behind me as I exited the facility. Luckily there was a median turn lane on the road leading out of the terminal into which I could pull and find the source of the problem. And additional luck landed a knowledgable (sp?) driver exiting behind me by my passenger side window where he was able to give me a little advice on how to get it unstuck. It worked like butter and I was finally on my way!
The second night of my journey landed me in Strafford, Missouri. After a stop off for lunch, tire replacement and a tinkle break at our St. Louis terminal, I made slow progress towards the TA I'd planned to stop at for the night. I was running a little further behind than I'd anticipated because I'd had to get the two tires that I dragged that morning replaced at the terminal. They had dragged only for about 100 yards or so, but that was enough to give them a hellacious flat spot that would not have passed a DOT inspection.
But I settled in just before sundown in Strafford and enjoyed the evening. It was much warmer than it had been the night before, low 30's all night long. I woke up refreshed and ready to roll.
And roll I did....
Right into a frickin' snow storm to beat all I've seen yet this year. The conditions deteriorated quickly going from light snowfall to heavy, almost blizzard like conditions and roads caked with inches of ice. It was insane, but again I survived. The key to survival in any severe weather is common sense and good training. Lucky for me, I believe I have the best of both. Yes... I'm bragging. So there.
But seriously here are some common sense tips for winter driving:
Give yourself plenty of space between you and the idiot in front of you, life will be much easier.
Don't hit the brakes unless absolutely necessary.
If the road looks icy, it probably is and it's OKAY not to go the speed limit, don't let other people drive you down the road.
Listen to your gut instinct, if you feel like it's a bad idea to drive... don't!
After many miles of icy, crummy conditions and going a mere 35-45 mph I made it past the worst of the snow storm and into less severe weather. It was still snowing for much of my drive across Oklahoma, but it wasn't as bad as it had been at the beginning. I made good time and ended up ahead of schedule in getting to my scheduled destination. Plus, once I got about 20 miles away from my current location in Sayre, OK.. the skies cleared up, the sun came out and the roads were dry! I was a much more relaxed driver when I pulled in for my break.
Tomorrow I will cross the northern panhandle of Texas, perhaps making a stop for some Texas BBQ in Amarillo then on to New Mexico. I am hoping to stop just east of Albuquerque (did I butcher that too... I'm too lazy to look in the atlas to check the spelling) for the night tomorrow. Then on day four I'm off to Arizona, where I will spent at least 24 hours visiting my dearest missed friends, Levi & Missy who are along the way to Cali.
I don't deliver my load until Monday and no specific time is required except "by midnight". So I am going to enjoy what little time I get with my friends as much as I can.
I'm also looking forward to seeing the desert southwest and also the upper portion of NM which I never had the pleasure of seeing when I lived in the southern part of the state. This trip is gonna rock... now that the worst of the weather is behind me, pummeling the east coast. Enjoy it easterners... I sure did! haha
Well... till next time... Drive safe and remember to watch for ice on bridges!
After I settled into the truck and sent N8 off to work, I hit the open road to Ohio. It was a nice trip and I made really good time and found the place pretty easily. But even after I got there and sent in the message confirming that I had the empty trailer, I sat empty handed waiting for a load assignment. After about 30 minutes my patience wore thin enough for me to use minutes to call and talk to my Dispatch Planner (DP) about getting a load.
At first he was going to send me to our Seville terminal to pick up a relay load bound for Rhode Island. Not really what I was hoping for but at that point I was willing to take whatever he could give me to get me rolling. Sitting still doesn't pay the bills! After he had decided to throw that one on me something happened and it turned out that another DP had put the load on someone else. Woo hoo! I didn't wanna go to the Northeast anywho!
So he started searching the system for something else. I subtly hinted at "big f'n miles" and as it turned out he had found the perfect load. Delaware Ohio to Perris California!
Woo hoo! I headed up to Delaware to pick up the preloaded trailer. Once I got hooked up to it I hit the road, westward bound. I made it as far as our Indy terminal.... on the way to which I survived I-70 and it's tornado sirens, high winds, hail, rain that I swear was being blown in such a way that it looked like it was raining UP from the ground and all the insanity that goes along with a freak severe thunderstorm.
Although, honestly I'm starting to think January severe thunderstorms are going to become less freak and more frequent in the coming years. (yeah that's almost an admittance to the existance of the whole global warming BS scam the government is blowing up our arses...but I digress.)
Anywho. So I parked it at Indy that night. When I arrived it was still raining and it was about 48 degress. I parked, checked over my trailer to make sure it was okay and then headed into the terminal with dinner. I cooked my Easy Mac and my soup and ate and enjoyed and then went to the restroom and brushed my teeth and was ready for bed. I was in the terminal for about 30 minutes total.
In that 30 minutes, the weather outside had changed drastically. From 48 to 22 degrees, from rain to blowing snow, and from water puddles to an ice skating rink. NUTZ!
I got to my truck, stuffed and satisfied and ready for bed. I was freezing and as I approached my truck I could see that she too was freezing. Icicles hanging from everywhere water had once dripped.
I got out my keys and unlocked the door only to be annoyed when it wouldn't open. Frozen shut. Damnit! I walked around and tried the passenger side door... it too was frozen, but not as solidly as the drivers side. After a wee bit of a struggle, I got 'er open and was safe inside.
I idled all night as it temp dropped to a brisk 9 degrees, with a wind chill of -15. It was a long night, but thankfully I was warm and snug in my truck. Unfortunately, the precipitation continued out of doors and by morning I was trapped inside my truck thanks to frozen doors. I managed to get the drivers side door open, but then it didn't want to close.... it was way too much ado for that early with that cold of temperatures. But I survived.... I got in and out and in again and was on my way further west.
I had a minor hang up as I was leaving the terminal, however, as one set of my drive tires wouldn't roll thanks to frozen brakes. I thought they were all working but apparently they weren't as I left a trail of black steaks behind me as I exited the facility. Luckily there was a median turn lane on the road leading out of the terminal into which I could pull and find the source of the problem. And additional luck landed a knowledgable (sp?) driver exiting behind me by my passenger side window where he was able to give me a little advice on how to get it unstuck. It worked like butter and I was finally on my way!
The second night of my journey landed me in Strafford, Missouri. After a stop off for lunch, tire replacement and a tinkle break at our St. Louis terminal, I made slow progress towards the TA I'd planned to stop at for the night. I was running a little further behind than I'd anticipated because I'd had to get the two tires that I dragged that morning replaced at the terminal. They had dragged only for about 100 yards or so, but that was enough to give them a hellacious flat spot that would not have passed a DOT inspection.
But I settled in just before sundown in Strafford and enjoyed the evening. It was much warmer than it had been the night before, low 30's all night long. I woke up refreshed and ready to roll.
And roll I did....
Right into a frickin' snow storm to beat all I've seen yet this year. The conditions deteriorated quickly going from light snowfall to heavy, almost blizzard like conditions and roads caked with inches of ice. It was insane, but again I survived. The key to survival in any severe weather is common sense and good training. Lucky for me, I believe I have the best of both. Yes... I'm bragging. So there.
But seriously here are some common sense tips for winter driving:
Give yourself plenty of space between you and the idiot in front of you, life will be much easier.
Don't hit the brakes unless absolutely necessary.
If the road looks icy, it probably is and it's OKAY not to go the speed limit, don't let other people drive you down the road.
Listen to your gut instinct, if you feel like it's a bad idea to drive... don't!
After many miles of icy, crummy conditions and going a mere 35-45 mph I made it past the worst of the snow storm and into less severe weather. It was still snowing for much of my drive across Oklahoma, but it wasn't as bad as it had been at the beginning. I made good time and ended up ahead of schedule in getting to my scheduled destination. Plus, once I got about 20 miles away from my current location in Sayre, OK.. the skies cleared up, the sun came out and the roads were dry! I was a much more relaxed driver when I pulled in for my break.
Tomorrow I will cross the northern panhandle of Texas, perhaps making a stop for some Texas BBQ in Amarillo then on to New Mexico. I am hoping to stop just east of Albuquerque (did I butcher that too... I'm too lazy to look in the atlas to check the spelling) for the night tomorrow. Then on day four I'm off to Arizona, where I will spent at least 24 hours visiting my dearest missed friends, Levi & Missy who are along the way to Cali.
I don't deliver my load until Monday and no specific time is required except "by midnight". So I am going to enjoy what little time I get with my friends as much as I can.
I'm also looking forward to seeing the desert southwest and also the upper portion of NM which I never had the pleasure of seeing when I lived in the southern part of the state. This trip is gonna rock... now that the worst of the weather is behind me, pummeling the east coast. Enjoy it easterners... I sure did! haha
Well... till next time... Drive safe and remember to watch for ice on bridges!
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