Grand Rapids,MI

Well, no, I didn't forget to post the last two days. See! I actually remembered, I just didn't post! You know we team drive and work 12 hour shifts. The past two days I have went to bed pretty much as soon as my shift was over. They have been LONG days, and I managed to barely cover a combined 640 miles. Slacking you say? Nay I say! It all has to do with the weather.

Now, I know this is May, because I have consulted my trusty calendar on my dash and double checked my BlackBerry and both are saying that it is indeed May. I am beginning to think that somehow Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Wyoming have all somehow misplaced the memo, that I am sure they have received, stating that it is Spring and not winter. Or as another driver calls that part of the country, Southern Canada.

We enjoyed a nice night off in a hotel to reset our hours and when we were available Monday afternoon, we got our next dispatch. We headed out to Yakima,WA to pick up a load of frozen french fries for Buffalo Wild Wings that was headed to Grand Rapids,MI. Wouldn't you know it that when I woke up that morning I saw on the local news that Snoqualmie Pass, just outside of Seattle on I-90, had received 7 inches of snow and they chain law was in effect. Now keep in mind, this was Tuesday, MAY 4th. Luckily by the time we got there, they had removed the chain restriction and it was just wet and slushie. Thank you Lord! From there J makes it to Yakima,WA and gets us loaded with no problems. He woke me up around 0430 and I signed the paperwork and headed out.

My route for that day was to take I-82 down to I-84 and head across Oregon and Idaho. Of course it started snowing in Oregon and that made for slooow going and I only managed to make it to Boise,ID a mere 311 miles from where I started. Not one of my best days out here, but hey, I can't control Mother Nature. I wake J up and he jokingly gives me a hard time about how I suck at this job :) and he heads out.

J did great and got across Idaho, through the top part of Utah and picked up I-80 and got me to Rawlins,WY. It was raining, but I figured if it was raining, that is better than snow. I take off and about 30 miles down the road it turns to snow. That is what I get for figuring, huh? I hit the rest area at Wagonhound (Yes, I couldn't make that name up) and decide to take a nap for an hour until the sun comes up so I can see better.

A short 50 minutes later I wake up and see that it is getting light outside so I take off again. The roads are mainly wet, with a little slush, but the important thing is that I can actually see the road now. I make it a short 100 miles further and stop at the Petro in Laramie for Smokey and I to both take a restroom break. Got that done and on the road again and before I get out of Laramie I start seeing a bunch of brake lights. Hmm Time to turn the CB on. About that time I see one of the WY DOT overhead signs advising that I-80 is shut down. Sure enough, I get another 1/4 mile up and they have the arms across the road shutting it down and traffic is turning around. Sheesh! There is a pass between Laramie and Cheyenne and aparently it was snowing pretty bad up on the hill and trucks couldn't make it up. They were spinning out and coming to a stop either blocking the lanes or actually wrecking. So, I turn around with the other traffic and head back to find a place to park.

Luckily they had just shut it down and there was plenty of room to park. When I took the exit I saw that the Pilot had a ton of room so I pulled in there instead. I talked to my mom on the phone for a few and checked the map to see if there was a way around. I was planning on taking US287 down around the south way but there was a guy on the CB that had just came that way and he said that way was completely ice covered. Okay then.

At that point I ran into the Wendy's to grab something to eat to kill some time. Finally we get word that they have opened the road. I was surprised to hear that they weren't advising chains. I guess once they got the trucks and wrecks removed that gave the salt shakers (plows with sand or salt) room to get up the hill and get the road in better condition. It worked because it was mainly slushie when I went over along with a convoy of other trucks that were waiting for it to open.

That was Thursday and I managed to get to Big Springs,NE. That was right at another 300 miles. I woke J up and he REALLY gave me a hard time about sucking at driving, in a joking manner of course, and then he headed out. When I was on my way to Big Springs I called our FM to see if we could get more time to deliver since we had been held up by the weather and the road closure. He got us until 1300 today and that worked good. I got there around noon which was still later than the original appointment of 1000 but earlier than the new appt time.

Today all I had to deal with was rain across Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Rain isn't so bad as long as it isn't a torrential downpour. The only thing I really hate about driving in the rain is when other trucks pass and they get back in the lane right in front of me. There is so much spray coming up from the back of their truck it makes it difficult to see. I usually slow down and let them get some distance on me. I just wish they would give me at least a truck length before coming back over, any little bit would help. When I pass someone, if no one is behind me, I give them probably two truck lenghts before I get over. They probably don't know why, but it is just my way of being nice so that it is easier to see.

Anywho, I delivered and am now sitting at the 76 St Auto/Truck Plaza on US131 at x75 here in Grand Rapids. Our next load picks up tomorrow morning at 0730 in Flint,MI and it is going to Rancho Cucamonga,CA (I probably spelled that wrong). It is a FedEx load. Doesn't pay great, but at least gets us in a good freight area for produce and it is a dry load so I won't have to pay for reefer fuel.

That is my happenings for today! What are all of you doing??