LONG ISLAND, NY to JACKSON, MI: 680 miles (440 loaded + 240 deadhead)
Friday September 25th, the last consignee was in Westbury, NY, and the closest next assignment was in Lock Haven, PA, 240 miles away. Normally, that portion of the trip should take four hours but it took five because going over the GW Bridge is a nightmare. Not only is there’s always traffic but the lanes are tight so it’s important to keep an eye out because another truck side-swapping a mirror is a common occurrence. Leaving Long Island I went over the Throggs Neck Bridge which has beautiful views on Manhattan.
On my way to the shipper I stopped for dinner at one of my favorite spots, Kavkaz Restaurant, in Loganton, PA. As I got there I got a glimpse of a beautiful sunset highlighting the silhouette of the trees on the hills surrounding the area. I arrived at the shipper at 7:45pm. This facility is a drop-and-hook so I was able to get in-and-out fairly quick. The unload at the last consignee took two hours so I managed to do a Split which extended my fourteen-hour DOT Regulation clock but I had been working for fifteen-hours so I was tired. I shut it down for the night at 8:30pm at a truck stop down the street from the shipper.
Saturday September 26th, the delivery appointment was at 9:00pm so I could take my time. I started my day with a delicious burger at Wayback. Afterwards I did the pre-trip inspection of the truck and headed out at 1:00pm. I drove just under eight hours to the consignee arriving at 9:00pm punctually with a quick stop for fuel. After completing the unload I drove an hour to our terminal in Canton and shut it down for the night at 1:00am.
BOOK REVIEW: Choke Point by Brad Thor (2026), THRILLER – RATING (*****)
A non-stop action heart-pounding thriller with the backdrop of terrorist bombings in Bangkok.
The US government sends the FBI’s Evidence Response Team to assist the Thai authorities. The CIA sends their top operative, Scott Harvath, and his team to unofficially dig deeper. Scott uncovers that the bomber is a former SEAL, now mercenary, selling his services to the highest bidder. It becomes a race against the clock as there is a more sinister plan behind the bombings. Will Scott be able to foil the next bomb attempt? There’s a sub-plot involving a former Marine that has unconventional ideas about China’s plans in the region. Could they be related to what is happening in Bangkok?
Very entertaining. In addition to the action narrative the banter between Scott and the Bangkok based CIA operative, Rick Morrell, is very funny.
