July 4, Happy Birthday America

I made my way through the miles and miles of construction in Chicago and arrivred at the customer in Oconto Falls by 1130 for my 1200 appointment. I was told that I could drop the load but found out that there was no empty to take out. After telling them that I had to leave with an empty I was told that they had problems at the dock and it would be best for me to just drop the load. I sent a message to dispatch explaining and the said they would have someone call them and tell them to unload me. The dock man finally told me to back in so I set up and started backing when a woman came out to my truck and told me “there was no way that I would be unloaded” and that I was in the way and needed to move on.

It’s times like these when this job gets to me. A customer wants a product delivered from over 900 miles away at a specific appointment. For some reason it becomes inconvenient at that time they think they can just send you away and you can come back another time. This was the day before a holiday and if I couldn’t get unloaded soon I won’t make it to my next load in time and that means that I’m facing a long weekend with no load.

I moved to the far end on the customer’s lot where it would be to far for her to want to walk and waited for my instructions. Finally I was told to wait until after 1600 and then go back to the dock and I would be unloaded. Apparently they were able to talk to someone oriented toward getting things done rather that being a bit control freak. I assume the control freak goes home at 1600 after which productive activity could resume.

The back to the dock was interesting. It is a long, narrow, down hill back that turns to the blind side at the bottom.



It's down there some where..

Still going back...



This is what it looked like fron the seat after getting down there.

The freight was interesting as well. It was virgin eucalyptus pulp from Brazil.

Finally empty, I was able to dead head over to Green Bay and drop and hook a load going to Cherokee AL. It doesn’t deliver until Monday though. I stopped in Richfield for the night and Friday morning the shop was willing to install my inverter. Now I can cook in my Micro wave and make coffee.

I drove just 50 miles to Kenosha WI and parked at the Woodman’s Food Market, a giant grocery store and did some shopping then I walked over to the Texas Road House and enjoyed a rib eye, potato and green salad.

This morning I drove to Paducah KY, in driving rain all of the way. Will stay here tonight and fuel in the morning before driving the remaining 220 more or less remaining miles to Cherokee. I'm going to see if they will take this tomorrow so I can try to get a load for Monday. I'm short of the 3000 miles that I want to get for the pay period.

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