From Iowa to Tenneessee

Today was pretty much an uneventful day. Woke up this morning around 6:00 AM and drove around to the side of the Wapsie Valley Creamery in Independence, IA. Shortly after I backed into the loading dock, someone came out to say they were going to start loading. It didn't take too long, about 30 minutes, and I was inside the office signing the paperwork.

A short way down the road and I saw a small truck stop with a McDonald's where I just had to pull over for my usual breakfast and sweet tea.

About 6 more hours, I stop for fuel at a Pilot in Okawville, IL. Next door to the Pilot was a family restaurant called The Hen House. So I decided to go ahead and have some lunch too. Fried catfish, coleslaw, fries, and a salad. Wasn't too bad. I'll have to stop there again next time through.

Then it was non-stop all the way to Murfreesboro, TN and another Pilot truck stop. Here is where I'm staying for the night. That's about it for today. Like I said it was pretty uneventful. See you back again tomorrow.

Finally Fixed and On The Road

Well when I left you last night, I was still waiting to get the truck into the shop. Shorty after I wrote last nights blog, I decided to just go ahead and get to sleep. That was about 11:00 PM. I'm not quite sure but I think it was around 2:00 AM when they came knocking on my door and told me they were ready. I pulled the truck into the shop and tried to lay down again, but it was just too noisy inside there to sleep. They finished up around 4:00 AM, replacing the windshield, brakes on the front drive axles, and a few other minor things.

After pulling the truck out I walked over to the dispatch window to tell them my truck was out of the shop and to put me in line for a load. I was expecting to be put in line and I'd be going back to sleep for a few more hours. But instead, there wasn't a line, I was now first, and there was a load that needed to get to NE Iowa by 4:00 PM. Okey Dokey!

I grab the paperwork and headed for the truck. When I got to the truck, I put the paperwork in and grabbed my shower bag and some clean clothes. After a shower to help wake me up, I hooked up to the loaded trailer, went to fuel up, and headed north on US71. About 45 minutes later, I saw a McDonald's at a truck stop. Grabbed a #2 meal (sausage egg cheese muffin) with an orange juice, AND a large sweet tea.

Then 7 1/2 hours straight through to Ridgeway, Iowa where I unloaded at 3:15 PM! I had 45 minutes to spare! I asked the guy who unloaded if there were any restaurants in this little town; and I mean little! He says nope but go on down the road further about 10 miles to the next and there's Sue Z Q's Family Restaurant and they have enough room around back to park the truck. So I drove on over to Sue Z Q's and ordered a bacon cheeseburger with everything on it, fries, and a sweet tea. I should have known right then I was in trouble when she asked if I wanted my tea warm or iced. I said iced and she brought me back the worst sweet tea ever. It tasted like unsweetened instant tea, not brewed sweet tea. I even added 6 packs of sugar and it was still nasty! Atleast the burger and fries were good.

When I finished I had my next load assignment waiting in the truck on the Quallcom. I map it out real quick and head down south 76 miles to Independence, IA. Here's where I now sit until the morning waiting to load at 7:00 AM. This load will be going all the way down to Georgia.

So thanks for stopping by and I'll see you out on the highways.