ROUTE: Columbia, SC to Bernstad, KY to Westfield, IN: 721 miles (670 loaded + 81 deadhead + $75)
The original assignment was to take a load from Columbia, SC to Wyandotte, MI. The assignment picked up on Friday and delivered on Monday. I could arrive to our terminal on Saturday and possibly pass the load to Local Driver and start a new assignment on Sunday. Even if I had to deliver the load myself on Monday at least I would spend the weekend at the terminal with the use of the truck to run errands.
On Friday I received a call from the Head of Dispatchers asking if I didn’t mind swapping loads with another driver that was in the Atlanta area and needed to be home in Michigan for the weekend. This is a family owned business and even management asks politely if drivers don’t mind doing another one a favor. Though it was inconvenient I didn’t have a strong reason to refuse it but I managed to get the company to add an extra $75 which is the equivalent of an additional 125 miles, so the trip would be 846 instead of 721 miles. However, I was now going to Indiana and had three days to make a trip that only took a day-and-half, so I would be spending the weekend at some truck stop along the way.
Friday 03/06 I started my day at 10:00am and drove two hours to the shipper. The other driver was coming from Atlanta but both of us would be traveling north on I-75 so I was given the option of picking the place for the exchange. Initially it was suggested to meet at Knoxville, TN for the exchange but I’m not familiar with the area. I suggested 49er Fuel Center in Bernstadt, KY. I know that truck stop. It’s a mom-and-pop place with a 24/7 diner and ample parking. We agreed to do the exchange on Saturday morning because the other driver was low on hours and had to stop for the night earlier than me. Since I had time to kill, needed to scale the load because it was heavy and in desperate need for a shower, I stopped at a TA truck stop near the shipper to take care of those things. The total weight came out to 76,620lbs just shy of the maximum 80,000lbs allowed by DOT Regulations. Since the stop took over two hours then I managed a Split which would allow me to legally surpass the fourteen-hour DOT Regulation. I arrived at the 49er Fuel Center at 12:30am, a workday of 14.5 hours. I had a bacon cheeseburger and fries for dinner. Latinos are used to having late dinners.
Saturday 03/07 the other driver arrived at the truck stop at 8:00am and we did the exchange then I went into the diner for a Western Omelet and grits for breakfast. I stopped for fuel along the way and shut it down for the rest of the weekend after driving four hours at a Pilot truck stop in Shelbyville, IN. Fortunately, there was a McDonalds there. plus the customary Pilot pizza which is not half-bad, though far from great.
Monday 03/09 I started my day at 9:30am and drove thirty minutes to the consignee where I had a 10:00am appointment for a live unload.
BOOK REVIEW: Guess Again by Charlie Donlea (2025), FICTION – RATING (***)
The start of the book is repulsive and I came close to DNF after a few pages but I stuck with it. The writing is good but the story’s twists-and-turns are contrite and on various moments they lack logic which lowered my rating. The ending is absurd and merely forced to create shock value.
Kelly Jones, a high school Senior went missing ten-years earlier and her father, the newly elected governor reopens the case. Ethan Hall, a retired police detective turned ER Doctor is brought in to lead the investigation. His father was murdered by a suspected serial killer who’s been in prision on manslaughter charges and becomes an unexpected ally to solve this cold case, but he has a hidden agenda. Obviously! There’s a slew of secondary characters that also play a pivotal role though over sensationalized in the narrative.
Mildy entertaining but the lack of logic to hold up the main pieces of the narrative made it hard to enjoy.
