ROUTE: Sparrow Point, MD to Elkhart, IN: 711 miles (608 loaded + 103 deadhead)
I completed the previous assignment on Monday night so I would not have the pressure of delivering the load early and then having to wait for the next assignment. Instead I made the delivery at 21:30, arrived at the truck stop at 22:00 and then could take a break longer than the minimum ten hour DOT rest.
Tuesday 01/20 I started my day at 10:00 and had a 103 mile drive to the outskirts of Baltimore that took me two hours to get there. It took about an hour to load the truck with sheets of plywood. The BOL indicated to weight close to 40,000lbs so I had to scale it to make sure I was not over the legal limit and both axles were compliant as well. I needed to add fuel and was given a Pilot in Hagerstown, MD, so I would scale it there too. I know that truck stop and it has a McDonalds but parking can be tricky. When I arrived at the Pilot I spotted an easy parking space and I decided to go in head first to save time and not deal with excessive maneuvering. I went inside for a Big Mac meal. Afterwards I fueled and then scaled the load. The truck scaled out at 72,120lbs with the weight perfectly distributed between the axles.
The delivery was scheduled for Wednesday at 06:00, but that was impossible to achieve as the distance required around twelve hours drive. The delivery window was until 14:00 and I was four-and-half hours away. I started my day at 08:30, after the minimum ten-hour DOT break and arrived at the consignee at 13:30.
BOOK REVIEW (1): The Gallagher Place by Julie Doar (2025), FICTION – RATING (**)
Interesting story at the beginning but excessive descriptions slowed the pace too much. Well written but 50 pages less would have been better suited. Toward the middle of the book a major flaw in the plot put me on edge of utter dislike for the story. Things only got worse from there as more irrational behavior emerged until the final twist is absurd.
The protagonist, Marlowe, is the middle child with two brothers. Her father is a well-off lawyer. The family lives in New York City and has a weekend home upstate New York. They spend their summers there. Marlowe becomes BFF with a local girl that spends most of her time with their family. Odd, but OK. The caretaker of the house is the most likable character in the book, an old fashion Italian man, Enzo. Another book where the police incompetent investigation is key to the story and where personal morals are highly questionable.
Entertaining at first but then I couldn’t wait to have it finish. I was thinking three-stars until the final outcome which outraged me. I should have cut ties halfway through as it was a disappointing plot.
BOOK REVIEW (2): The Maid by Nita Prose (2022), FICTION – RATING (****)
Started well as a narrative of a simple woman’s life who takes enormous pride as a maid in an elegant boutique hotel. She lives with her grandmother and has a peaceful life. She seems to be on the spectrum but is a functioning individual just naive and takes everything very literally.
Initially entertaining but hard to keep it going for a long time without a side story. The introduction of the evil Wilbut didn’t really fit the narrative and I started losing interest with that subplot and the slow pace developing. A third of the way I jumped onto another book and later came back to this one. Halfway through I was about to give up and let it become another DNF.
Fortunately, soon after, the story introduces the death of a prominent business man in his suite that the protagonist services. He is a regular at the hotel and the police investigation gives the book the jolt that it required. The good nature qualities of the maid, Molly, starts to become endearing. Some fun twists to catch the killer as the maid suddenly becomes the main suspect.
It has a Hollywood happy ending. How could it not? The epilogue adds a new twist that’s corny but since the story was over it did not add or subtract much.
Overall entertaining.
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