ROUTE: Maumee, OH to Newington, CT: 703 miles + HAZMAT (656 loaded + 47 deadhead)
I requested home time for Monday 01/07 so this assignment was intended to get me back. Most of the loads out of this shipper are HAZMAT loads and heavy. A trucker must have a CDL and a hazmat endorsement in order to transport these loads. For that a written test must be passed at the DMV and a background check by the FBI is required. These loads pay an extra $100. The weight of the truck was 75,560lbs out of the maximum of 80,000lbs.
The previous assignment was an appointment scheduled for Wednesday 01/07 at 11:30. I arrived at the terminal on Sunday night at 00:30, so technically I could not start my day before 10:30 due to the DOT Regulation requiring a minimum ten hours break between workdays. The previous day I had checked with my dentist to see if they had an early morning availability to get some work done that I was due for. I was given at 09:30 appointment. When I arrived I was told that the procedure would take two hours but I only had one hour free. I had x-rays performed, prescribed antibiotics for an infection and made an appointment for the 19th to take care of the issue.
I made the delivery on time. The docks were inside a building that was easy to get into but once inside the space was limited which made lining up to the dock very difficult. The next load was ready but scheduled to be delivered on Friday at 09:00, so there was no need to rush. There was an truck stop nearby with an IHOP Diner so I decided to stop there for a late breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage links and pancakes with strawberries and bananas.
I arrived at the shipper at 16:00 and once set I drove to a nearby truck stop to scale the load. Ohio is one of three states that mandates all hazmat loads to enter Weight Stations unless they are closed. I had a day and half to drive 703 miles so easy to breakdown with my favorite rest stops. The first night I would shut it down at the Petro in Girard, OH that was three hours away and has an Indian food truck opened late that serves a delicious Chicken Tikka Masala. The second day I would drive seven hours to the I-84 Diner in Fishkill, NY that has room for five trucks and the food is great. I had to stop for fuel beforehand, not because I needed it, but the fuel station at the Pilot in Milford, CT, my home base, is under reconstruction.
The last leg of the trip I did on Friday morning as the I-84 Diner was a mere of 90 minutes away from the consignee. The final miles were very tricky as there were some very tight turns. I had been to the consignee before and their docks have a funny layout but I knew how to maneuver into it.
After completing the delivery I had the green light to go to my home base and shut down until Tuesday 01/13. Since I arrived early I managed to find a free parking spot and saved the $100 it would have cost me to park there for four days.
BOOK REVIEW: The Coronation by Boris Akunin (2019), HISTORICAL FICTION – RATING (****)
Well written with enough twist-and-turns to keep it interesting and suspenseful. The pace is extremely slow and would have benefited by cutting out 50 pages or so of superfluous descriptions.
A young member of the Czar’s family is kidnapped a week before the the coronation of the new Czar. The 200 carat diamond, The Orlov, adorning the Czar’s scepter is demanded as ransom or the boy’s body parts would be distributed around town. News of the kidnapping or the tragic death of a Royal would bring an end to the monarchy. A keen cat-and-mouse game follows between Detective Fandorin and the villain ensures.
The Russian butler, which he gives it a fancy name which adds to the superfluous descriptions, is the main character. Fandorin comes in and out of the story. He’s an expert in disguise and even has a Japanese side-kick, much like Inspector Clouseau, but with the brilliance of Sherlock Holmes or Columbo. The butler is more annoying than likable with his strict conduct according to his role and admiration for the royal family.
The ending is surprising though highly improbable.
