Recovery

The mid-day recovery after my last post went off with no problem, this other company driver, Kim, was routed by the small town and we set up a relay.  I took the empty she hade had and she took my trailer on its way to Toledo, where if I did the math right couldn’t have been more than a couple hours late by the time she got there.  Satisfied that my truck could limp with an empty trailer, dispatch had me backtrack to SC to get repaired at a dealership, rather than have me continue over the Appalachians to the next one in front of me.  That would have been ugly.  It was only an hour back and I didn’t even have to touch the gas for the first 15 miles.

I can’t think of any place I’d rather get auto repairs done than one like Triad Freightliner in Greensboro, NC.  Though there is something to be said about getting repairs done on day 3, I’m not yet sure what it is.  All I know is I got some local diner food, talked with some cool drivers, got to watch the debate on a massive TV, and though at 7 hours I was the last horse out of the lounge, I was the only one getting repairs that didn’t have to get a hotel.  Turned out it was the EGR valve, like HQ had suggested.  Only a 3 hour job once it was my turn.  Ironic because my order the following morning took me on a very flat road and once again, Matti went down to Georgia.

Hard Rain- Remember that level from Left 4 Dead 2?  Yea, that’s where I had to do a drop and hook last night.  Funny enough I’m near Savannah, Georgia in the dark- but at a massive paper mill and distro center that has some areas lit better than others.  And in the whole place it was 2 guards at the gate, and a few yard dogs rolling around, and me.  Once I stepped out of the truck I might as well have been on the moon.  The empty trailer I picked up was backed right up where the dirt lot 15 meets the swamp, about 200 yards from the nearest light pole in the place.  The worst part was it being in the mid 60’s at the time.  I was sweating my ass off running around this place.  The only difference between this and the game was that there were no witches anywhere, and it actually wasn’t even raining.  I would have heard the witches from a mile away though, it was so quiet.

When I finally checked out, I took a ride down to the local Wal-Mart and did some shopping, finally got a microwave, a wrench so I can actually change a fuel filter now, and floor mat to catch all the dirt- I’ve only visited a paved yard once, that was on day one and it was an ice rink at the time.  I shut down there after I loaded all my stuff and by the time all was said and done it was about 2 in the morning.  I got up at 10 and got my next assignment.  

What are the odds?  It’s a trailer from the paper mill.  BACK up the hill I went, got in and out quickly (though the place was no longer a ghost town and more like a grocery store the day before thanksgiving)  Now with the sun up and no wind it was easily 70 degrees.  I was almost sad to leave.

Where to?  Kansas City; Just a pinch over 1000 miles away.  Luckily I have until Tuesday morning to get there.

I took I-16 west to get over to Atlanta from I-95.  You know what I-16 is?  It’s a hurricane evacuation artery that has the ramps configured to sometimes have the eastbound side reversed.   More importantly, its 150+ miles through the woods with no rest areas, hills, or sometimes even curves in the road.  What few towns the ramps lead to don’t seem to have more than a few trailers worth of inhabitants.  I literally had the cruise control on for 3 hours, until the sky got black and I drove through another hour of “45mph on the highway” rain.  I used my semi-obnoxious flatbed strobes in addition to my 4-ways so nobody would hit me, it was kind of fun.  I have to do an inspection of the truck every 3 hours, but I’m not supposed to stop on ramps.  Funny, because every on and off ramp on Georgia interstates are plastered with no parking signs every 10 feet.  I mean, even the obvious ones.  Imagine the entire I-93 tunnel in Boston lined with no parking signs, even where you can’t fit a Prius.  That’s what it’s like.  I guess they want us trucks to keep driving until either our wheels fall off because we can’t stop and make sure the lug nuts are still there, or we fall asleep because there’s no safe haven to shut down for 100+ miles.

Now I’m almost out of peach land, and managed to get a shower after the sticky mess last night.  For me it’s the ultimate motivation boost out here on the road.  I’ll punch as far as I can tomorrow, and with any luck have half a day to kill once I get near KC.  I get to go right by the Arch in St. Louis the way I’m going.  Haven’t been by there in a few… Damn, has it been that long?