Caldwell,OH

I was really tired yesterday and had planned on blogging this morning while I was getting loaded. Of course, I get there and it is a pre-loaded trailer, so alas, no time to blog! But I will catch you up now.

Yesterday morning I headed out from Mason,TN and finished my journey to Gaffney,SC. I had about 542 miles to go and I knew it would be a long day. I got up and had a quick shower and was on the road by 0415. I made a few stops and finally pulled into the receiver around 1645 hours. It was a drop and hook so that was nice. I dropped my loaded trailer, went and picked up my empty, took Smokey out and then headed back to the Pilot for the night. I got back to the Pilot at 1800 with just 15 minutes left on my 14 hour clock. That was close! I even managed to find a pull through facing the fuel pumps so I was right up front.

After taking Smokey out again, because he wouldn't do his business at the receivers, I decided I was hungry. When I was walking him, I noticed a mexican food restaurant right next door. Hmm I love mexican food so I decided to give it a try. I don't remember the name of it, but it was really good. It is at x90 on I-85 right next door to the Pilot in the little strip shopping center. I contemplated having a beer but knew I would be up all night going to the restroom if I did, so I had to pass. But it was tempting!

Once I got back to the truck, I talked to J for a while and we were trying to figure some things out on the boat. Finally it was time to go to bed. I had lucked out and already had my next load to be picked up at 0700 today at Nestle which was right across the street from where I delivered. So I set my alarm for o545 and started to crawl into bed. Then it hit me. I was on the east coast which meant east cost time not central time. Oops! At least I remembered it before it was too late. So I had to reset my alarm for 0445 so that I could be there at 0600 my time!

0445 came entirely too early this morning, but the show must go on. So I got up got ready and headed out. Boy was it foggy this morning. Some of the worst morning fog I have seen in quite a while. I couldn't see but maybe half a truck length in front of me. As I said earlier, Nestle was right across the street from where I had delivered the night before, so I knew where I was going. I just couldn't see far enough in front of me to see where the turn was. I was going about 15-20 mph and there happened to be a sign stating Nestle Shipping/Receiving Next Right. Awesome! I turned in and checked with the guard shack. Good news is that I had a pre-loaded trailer! Bad news is that it was across the street at Millard, where I delivered the night before.

Ok, I head in and turn around and then come back out the gate. Now my problem is seeing to cross the 2 south bound lanes, the center turn lane and the 2 north bound lanes without hitting anyone and without anyone hitting me since visibility was about 50 feet. It looked clear to the left so I pulled out across the south bound lanes and pulled into the turn lane. A minivan about had to slam on its brakes so it wouldn't hit my trailer as it came across those lanes. I figure if she had to hit her brakes that hard then she was going way too fast in that fog.

Now my next challenge is to get across the two north bound lanes so I could make my turn into Millard. It looked clear, and Smokey was helping me look, so I had to convince him to get off the seat so that I could see for myself that it was clear. He was just trying to be helpful. I finally make my move and made it without incident across those two lanes and into Millard. I checked with the guard, dropped my empty, picked up my loaded and was off!

I headed down to the Pilot to scale first. When I picked up the loaded trailer the tandems were slid all the way back so I had to move them before I hit the scale. I slid them before I left the shipper and I lucked out and got them in the right hole before I scaled. So once I did scale, I was legal and good to go.

This load is going up to Streetsboro,OH and I would be taking I-85 up about 25 miles and then hitting I-77 all the way up. Best I can remember, I have only been on one part of I-77 before and never the whole stretch. It is an absoultely beautiful drive! But I NEVER want to drive it again! The road winds around, long grades and it seems like I spent more time in 7th gear climbing than I did in 10th. And when I was in 10th, I usually had the engine brake on because I was coming down the backside of the hill I just climbed. It was an exhausting day. I was hoping to make it all the way to Streetsboro today, but it wasn't meant to be. It is only 533 miles and I would have had the time, but it was slow going through VA and WV. So I decided to call it a night here at the Pilot in Caldwell,OH.

Tomorrow morning I will get up and grab a shower and be on the road around 0500. It is only 125 miles to the receiver. I should make it in there around 0900 local time and then I will play the waiting game and see if I can get a load out of Ohio on the weekend. Who knows if I will be stuck here or if they will end up and deadhead me somewhere. We shall see...