CARTERSVILLE, GA to MAUMEE, OH: 650 miles + TANKER (615 loaded + 35 deadhead +$0)
Monday August 10th, I arrived at the shipper at 11:30am passing a scene of two pickups crash on a city street. The dock was somewhat unconventional but I managed to line up the truck in place after several pull-ups. This load was large containers of some sort of liquid. It required a tankers endorsement on the CDL to transport because the containers had a capacity exceeding 119 gallons each. Unfortunately, I didn’t get paid a bonus as is the case when transporting hazmat materials because there isn’t a surcharge imposed to the shipper. The load was heavy so I had to scale it and it weighed 71,460lbs. There was a Mexican restaurant next to the truck stop so I stopped in for lunch. I drove a couple of hours and stopped for fuel and took a nap as my day had started at 4:30am and I was tired. Safety first. I drove some more and shut it down for the night at 10:00pm. I drove a total of eight hours but my day lasted seventeen-and-a-half hours that I legally managed because the unload at the consignee of the previous assignment took three-and-a-half hours. It surpassed the required two hours of off-duty time to be eligible for a Split.
Tuesday August 11th, I started my day at 8:30am with the pre-trip inspection of the truck after the DOT Regulation Ten Hour Break minimum required after each workday. Breakfast was a fresh made bacon, egg and cheese sandwich that are so good at the truck stop I chose to spend the night. I drove five hours and arrived at the consignee at 3:00pm on a rainy day. Trucking is a rain or shine job and less fun when getting wet.
BOOK REVIEW: When She Escaped by Jenifer Ruff (2025), THRILLER – RATING (*****)
A psychological thriller with an original premise that never stopped surprising with unexpected twists and turns.
Zipporah “Zipp” Bazile, a succesful thriller author decides to spend a week at a luxurious resort, Raven’s Hollow Lodge, to finish her latest novel. The story focuses on a woman abducted from a North Carolina rest area and kept captive for five months. Zipp becomes paranoid that she’s being followed or that the handsome widower she met might not be who he pretends to be. Is she in danger and is life imitating art?
Very entertaining. The final twists are so unpredictable and addresses important issues in a subtle matter.
