ROUTE: Salem, MA to Chambersburg, PA: 509 miles (454 loaded + 55 deadhead)
This assignment was brutal. It wasn’t the distance but driving small country roads going through towns where cars are parked on the side of the road with barely enough room to get by. Sharp turns at night where it’s hard to see where the trailer ends and avoiding man-made obstacles, i.e. street signs and poles.
I started Monday 11/03 at 08:00 with a bacon, egg and cheese McGriddle at the Service Plaza where I spent Sunday night. I drove four hours to the delivery and then an hour-and-half to the shipper of this assignment. They were located in Salem, MA, a suburb of Boston so I hit some rush-hour traffic and the last 10-15 on Route 1-A was treacherous which took over 30 minutes. This is not an industrial town and it was a small outfit. I had to back into their dock from the street, which fortunately was not busy but there were cars parked all over the place. It took me four tries to make the maneuvers to make sure I did not cause any damage. The exit was even more nerve racking and it took me 45 minutes to travel just five miles.
I was low on fuel and instructed to go to the TA in Willington, CT which took two-and-half hours driving. I arrived at 19:30 haven driven a total of eight hours that day but used 11.5 hours of my 14 clock. I was going to spend the night there and because I fueled over 60 gallons I had a free shower and didn’t have to pay the $25 parking fee.
I had a chicken parm over spaghetti which was OK for a diner, but a far cry of what they make in New York. I showered which was long overdue since it had been four days since my last one. I made it into bed well past midnight.
I started my day on 11/04 at 08:00 at Dunkin Donuts in the truck stop with a toasted everything bagel with butter, a chocolate frosted donut and a large coffee. My delivery was still seven hours away and my appointment was for 12:00 but I had a window until 15:30. I drove the seven hours without a break as I had taken an extra hour of sleep. The Fall foliage is still in its splendor but quickly fading. I barely made arriving at 15:20.
The consignee was in another small town and the gate entrance where my GPS took me was probably two feet too narrow for a truck to make the entrance. I tried three times and could not manage it without causing damage to the trailer or the fence posts. Fortunately, the company’s personnel came out and told me about another entrance in the back more suited for 53 feet trailers. The problem is that the backing into the dock door was now a blind side backing. Fortunately, there was ample room to maneuver but again I had to be careful of the employees parked cars.
BOOK REVIEW: A Man Called Ove, A Novel by Frederik Backman (2014), FICTION – RATING (*****)
Forest Gump with a death-wish meets How The Grinch Stole Christmas.
Masterfully written as the story is a narrative of a plain simple-minded hard working man with strong principals and nothing more. There’s no murder mystery, high intensity situations or new takes on modern technology. There’s obviously small side stories to keep the narrative alive. The main character is very likable as everyone has or knows a grumpy older relative/friend. The other characters are well described and the pregnant neighbor is lovable.
The underlying theme of depression from grieving a lost loved one is dealt with respect though the situations the main character, Ove, undergoes can be seen as funny.
I was wondering how I was not going to lose interest but I didn’t though the chapter comparing cars almost managed it.
Overall, very entertaining.
