Back to Work

I have been very busy since the last entry. I delivered my load on Friday morning in Medford, OR and then was given a load to pick up at Cascade wood products in White City just down the road. It was not ready yet, so I had to set and wait until they were finished. It was around 4pm by the time I got on the road and I returned the same route that I came over by going up and around Crater Lake. Of course I took pictures again which are attached. I have got to get them labeled where they are before I forget them, but no time this morning.

I had to run very hard every day in order to deliver the load in Knoxville, TN on Wednesday the 23rd. There was no time to stop and eat much less stretch my legs. The problem was my hours to work each week and the distance. I pushed hard to get to Grand Island, NE by Sunday afternoon so I could set and restart my hours over 34 hours. That allowed me to start out Tuesday morning at 3am, run hard that day, and then get up at 2am on Wednesday morning and run the last 7 hours to the customer. I had until 2pm to deliver that day. Good thing I pushed hard because I got a message that morning that they would not take the load after 12 noon. I got in there by 10:30am.

Next I was given a hot load just down the street that had to be delivered in Vineland, NJ the next day by noon. I let them know I could not make that time. It was already 2pm and would be 3pm by the time I picked the load up and got going. It was a 630 mile trip which is a good 10 1/2 to 11 hours driving plus had to take a 10 hour break in there. They said go with it anyway. So another hard drive. Only had 3 hours to drive when got load, so I had to drive the last 8 1/2 hours the next morning starting at 3:30am. Other than a drag down going around Washington, DC, I did pretty good and actually got in there by 12:30pm.

I next got a load out of the same plant going to Social Circle, GA. It was not supposed to be ready until Friday morning, but I actually got it that night after I got my 10 hour break in. I drove all night stopping in Duncan, SC Friday morning. The load did not deliver until 1am Sunday morning but I was able to deliver it Saturday morning since it was a drop and hook at General Mills warehouse. I ran a shuttle load for them from their plant down the road back to the warehouse, and then got a load of insulation in Winder, GA going to Olive Branch, MS outside Memphis. The load was supposed to be ready at 6pm Saturday, but I did not get it until Sunday morning at 8am. Then drove all day delivering the load at 3pm Sunday, I had to get it in there before 5pm. It was another drop and hook.

Next load was out of Kelloggs in Memphis going to Garland, TX. They offered me one that had to be there at 3am the next morning and I had to tell them I couldn't do that load in 12 hours since it was a 7 hour drive and I had to have a 10 hour break since I drove all day already. They gave me another load out of same plant to same warehouse but it delivered at 7pm Monday night. That worked better.

All of this late pickup and rush rush has happened because warehouses ran their inventories down. My company quit replacing drivers that quit and had over 500 trucks setting. They kept their customers, but when they started filling up their warehouses again there weren't enough trucks and drivers. Now they are pushing everyone until they get those trucks with drivers in them again. Then what? Another slow down and too many drivers?

I made it over to North Little Rock, AR and spent the night. I am now waiting until about 11am to 12 noon before I leave. That way can drive in, drop the load and have some hours left to move. Which won't be far since I don't pick up any hours at midnight and will only have 4 hours to work over 2 days. Confusing?? Log books are a pain and some people can't get a handle on them. I have been doing them since 1975.

New Sites

Ever now and then, after 34 years of doing this, I actually see something new and exciting.

After unloading in Wilsonville, OR they sent me to Hood River, OR to pick up a load of imported Rum/Vodka/Whiskey etc. and I delivered it to the Utah Alcohol and Beverage Control warehouse in Salt Lake City Wednesday morning. In Utah all liquor sales are strictly controlled by the state. After unloading they sent me about 2 miles away to pickup a loaded trailer going to Medford, OR.

What was neat about this load was the routing. There is no easy way to get to Medford from the east. It is located 30 miles north of the California border on I-5 and has mountains on the east and west sides. North and South to actually. My good friend with the 76th Division, Jay Hamilton Ltc-Ret. lived in Medford. I have wanted a load up here for 10 years to visit with him, but sadly he passed away in 2008.

From Salt Lake City I came back in to southern Idaho and across to Boise on I-84 again. From Boise over to the Oregon state line and then picked up US-20 over to Bend, OR. The entire trip of 255 miles has only one town on it by the name of Burns. There is one stretch of 99 miles with no gas stations between Burns and Bend. The first 70 miles or so there is no cell service and it follows a river through valleys most of the way. One poor deer like to have bought the farm and my bumper. She decided to change direction in the middle of the highway and her hoofs were like ice skates. Luckily I had seen her in time to get slowed way down. Didn't have to worry about traffic, wasn't any. I saw another vehicle that first 125 miles about every half hour.

Bend, OR has a population of 80,000 and is kind of like a tourist trap city at the edge of the mountain range. Mt. Hood and 3 Sisters peaks are to the north and northwest. There are state and national parks and camp grounds and trout streams everywhere. Seventy miles south of Bend is Crater Lake. My route took me down and around the north side of Crater Lake and talk about beautiful scenery.

Normal states wouldn't let trucks that close to a National Park, but up here there just aren't any other routes through there. There is a highway on the south side of Yellowstone in Wyoming that swings down by Grand Tetons National Park that is the same way. Very close but just not into the park.

The pictures I have added I haven't labeled yet but will try to later. I have been up a long time and got to hit the hay. Basically the first 17 pictures are leaving Portland going along the Columbia River again, over Cabbage Pass at Pendelton, OR and the rain showers in the distance are around Baker City, OR. Last of these is at truck stop in Salt Lake City.

From there I have a couple in southern Idaho again. Then they pickup with the early morning shots beginning just outside Ontario, OR all the way to Medford, OR. All of the pics of basically vigin ranch land is the 255 miles to Bend. The city pics in middle of shots is one coming in to Bend on US-20. Then I pick up US-97 going south toward Klamath Falls, OR and this is where it starts to get pretty. Stopped at the truck stop for a quick shower in Chemoth, OR.

Leaving there, I went 10 miles south and picked up Oregon hwy 138 west to Oregon hwy 230 south and then picked up Oregon hwy 62 that comes out of Crater Lake National Park.

The last two pics are my sitting in the truck stop on south side of Medford looking at the mountains on west side of I-5 and 2 para-sails. I used my telephoto lens fully extended to catch them. All morning was 35 to 40 degrees until I came down into Medford. Here in Medford they had a high of 70 today. Like it up here.

Oregon Trail Again

I go a little crazy with the camera when I come out this way. Probably because I seldom get out here, and every where else I go I see all the time. The northwest is unique and at certain parts of the year very beautiful. This is one of those times.

End of spring and all of the winter snows have melted, still getting some spring rains and everything is very green. By next month it will start turning brown all over. There's some snow on some of the peaks from recent snow, because they still have a bit of cold weather out here in the mountains.

I drove hard coming out this way and have been able to relax last couple of days since I have the hardest part behind me. I was able to stop a time or two to get some pictures I normally wouldn't stop to do.

I came on into Troutdale, OR this morning. Fueled and parked and I am 35 miles from my delivery at 6am tomorrow. I hope you enjoy the pictures, not exactly like seeing it in person, but better than nothing I guess.

Beautiful drive out this time, and I haven't been out this way this time of year in very long time...over 15 years anyway.

Evanston, WY

Made it in to Evanston this evening. They had a high of 44 degrees today and now is raining. The trip across I-80 today was stunning. With the recent rains and melting snow from the winter, the ground is unusually green all the way across the state. The low temperatures coupled with the beautiful mostly cloudy skies was breath taking. Everything fell in to place to make it a nice trip. It is getting down to around 39 degrees tonight, danged wonder it don't snow. I don't care for that after the winter just went through. Snow in middle of June would just about cap it.

Every year during the first or second week of June, the U. S. Department of Transportation has a 72 hour Blitzkrieg. They have every state set up inspections across the country to inspect trucks for 72 hours straight. It will start at midnight on a Monday night and go through Thursday midnight. I left home Tuesday as it was kicking off, went from Tyler down to New Orleans, to Slidell, LA and all the way to Evanston and passed 14 scale houses and only crossed 4 scales that were open and none of them were doing inspections. I guess they were concentrating somewhere else. Didn't bother me any. It is over for another year and things are back to abnormal.

I will leave here early in the morning and make it to Pendleton, OR tomorrow afternoon and then on in to Portland Sunday morning.

Home and Gone

Made it to the house on the 3rd for 4 days off. Worked in the pasture cleaning up old trash. Has been very dry over the last month at home and all of the grass as just about turned brown. Got some rain as I was leaving out and so far have about 1" which has really helped.

Picked up a load of water on Tuesday that had to be delivered to a Sam's Club in New Orleans that night. Where ever there is a disaster brewing then everyone stocks up on bottled water. Last month I took load to Oklahoma City after the tornadoes had hit. This month it is the oil spill and all of the workers on the beaches near New Orleans.

Really snared a good load this morning. Picked up a load of imported coffee going to Wilsonville, OR. Won't turn down 2700 mile loads if I can help it. Management keeps telling us that loads over 500 miles are a rarity now because the industry is changing. Longer loads are supposedly going by rail. I guess this one was needed quicker. Shipping a load by rail takes 2+ weeks. You know how those people in the north west need their coffee.

Stopped by terminal in Wilmer, TX to get truck serviced before heading out. Thought would be here most of tomorrow getting that done and then would have to rush to get there, but they got me in tonight and now I can leave at a decent hour in the morning.