LYNDHURST, NJ to EAU CLAIRE, WI: 1,230 miles + breakdown pay (1,100 loaded + 130 deadhead + $125)
Monday October 5th, I had requested home time for the October 3rd weekend and this is the next assignment afterwards. I started my day at 10:00am with the pre-trip inspection of the truck. The drive to the shipper took three-and-a-half hours arriving at 1:00pm even though it was only 120 miles. It was a life load but it went fairly quick and I left at 2:30pm. Caught a nice glimpse of the New York City skyline from the New Jersey side. This was a heavy load with a total weight of the truck at 76,300lbs of the maximum 80,000 DOT Regulations allowed. I drove eight hours and shut it down at midnight with a stop for lunch at a Russian restaurant in Pennsylvania.
Tuesday October 6th, I started my day at 10:00am with the pre-trip inspection of the truck after the minimum ten-hour DOT Regulation break and an Italian sausage hero for breakfast. I drove seven hours with short stops for fuel and dinner. As I was driving by Chicago a steer tire blew and fortunately I was only going 55mpg on the five lane loop around the city. Had I been driving at 70mph on the right lane of a smaller highway with a tight shoulder I probably would have ended in a ditch by the side of the road, especially with such a heavy load. It took five-hours to fix the tire because the brake line was damaged when the tire blew. I drove for two-and-a-half hours afterwards and shut it down for the night at 3:30am.
Wednesday October 7th, I started my day at 11:30am with the pre-trip inspection of the truck after eight-hours since I had eligibility for a split because of the idle time spent waiting for the tire to get fixed. I drove three hours to the consignee arriving at 3:00pm. The delivery time was rescheduled because of the breakdown but I needed to arrive before they closed at 4:00pm and I got paid $125 for the wasted time.
BOOK REVIEW: Only the Dead by Jack Carr (2023), THRILLER – RATING (****).
Lt. Commander James Reece is back at what he does best, hunt down bad guys defying the greatest odds. Book 6 of the Terminal List series but it can be read as a stand-alone.
Commander Reece this time around needs to get himself out of solitary confinement from a maximum security prison. He wrestles to understand why he’s there. His enemies want him dead, preferably, or locked up and the key thrown away. Tom Reece, James’s dad has left him breadcrumb clues that go back forty-years which include the assassination of a prominent congressman and his wealthy wife in Rhode Island. James needs to figure out the puzzle before the bad guys get to him or their sinister plans come to fruition. Will he be able to do it or is he jeopardizing the lives of his friends and loved ones in the meantime?
Very entertaining with non-stop adrenaline filled action.
