ROUTE: Ypsilanti, MI to Martinsburg, WV: 475 miles (462 loaded + 13 loaded)
The last assignment ended in Canton, MI, where our terminal is located. So after the delivery I stopped by the terminal to fuel, shower, get food at Walmart, wash the truck, have a Mexican traditional breakfast and then go pick up the new load. There was a load at the terminal to be delivered at the shipper I was going to so it made sense for me to take it instead of taking an empty. I would have preferred that a Local Driver deliver the load at our terminal and come back with the load I was taking to West Virginia. It was easier for me and I could head out to the consignee directly from our terminal. However, it was not meant to be so I was stuck taking the load to the shipper. To make matters worse when I went to pick up the new trailer the mud-flap had been torn out when parking the trailer. This is not a major damage and easy to fix but it forced me to come back to the terminal and delay my start to the next day. It needed to be fixed as without the mud-flap it is a DOT Violation so I would be subject to a fine if stopped by a police officer.
I could make it to the consignee in one day as the trip can be done in seven-eight-hours without traffic. The problem is that I would be low in hours once I get there and it would be nighttime. It was Friday so difficult to get another load at that hour and there are few shippers that are opened on Saturday. I did not want to spend the weekend at a truck stop so worse case I could do a reset at our terminal, head out on Sunday and deliver it on Monday. A reset is 34 hours off-duty which returns all the driver’s clock to its original state. I was assured I would get a load on Friday after delivery.
Friday March 20th, I started my day at 9:30am and drove seven-and-half hours with a short 30 minute break to take a nap as I was still tired from the Denver-Michigan trip. In trucking school they drill into our minds that the only thing that overcomes fatigue is rest. Coffee, energy drinks or fresh air do not work. Safety first. I arrived at the consignee at 6:45pm and made the delivery which was a simple drop-and-hook.
My next assignment was 150 miles away which required two-and-half hours but since I already driven seven-and-half I only had an hour of wiggle room to deal with traffic or any other eventuality.
BOOK REVIEW: Murder at the Abbey by Irina Shapiro (2020), FICTION – RATING (****)
Irina Shapiro excels in delivering a suspenseful closed door murder case. She lays out the facts in plain sight for Captain/Lord Redmond and Constable Haze to piece together. This is the second book in the series.
Elizabeth “Lizzy/Beth” Barret, a loving wife, sister and friend, is found dead at an old abandoned abbey by a local merchant. Constable Haze and Captain Redmond are summoned and the the captain quickly determines that she was poisoned by cyanide. Her expensive engagement ring is missing but the rest of her jewelry was left behind. Who would want such a loving person dead and how did they administer the poison? A quick examination reveals that she was four months pregnant. Was she killed by a scorned husband, a lover, a thief or someone else?
