Trip 7,8 and 9 - Shelby, Houston, Creedmoor

10/23/05 - Sunday

I'm currently back in Houston's Hobby airport, but not under as adverse circumstances as the last time, about two weeks ago. This time, rather than having been on a bus from Baton Rouge, arriving Houston at 2:00 am, no hotels available, and sleeping in the airport, I've arrived with a good night's sleep at a local Super 8 motel. I was very lucky to get it. When I called Friday night to make reservations for Houston, I first called Days Inn and was told they had no availability within 100 miles of Houston due to the hurricane. Maybe it's the World Series also since Houston made it. All's well except for a nasty cold that I'm developing making me all the more wanting to get home fast, but that's not the current plan.

Trip 7

10/20/05 - Thursday

This trip started at Forestry Equipment in Forest, VA where I picked up a boom/chipper truck for delivery to Shelby, NC - about 230 miles. Truck was staged and ready to go and I got on the road by about 7:45 am. Truck was a new GMC 7500, 6-speed, no A/C or radio, with 71 miles on it. Other than the day being hot in VA and NC, and working up a sweat by the time I arrived Forestry Equipment in Shelby at around 2:00 pm, all went well. I was able to get a ride to my next pick-up in Shelby, which was only about 2 miles away.

Trip 8

This truck was to be taken to Houston, TX and was a bit different. It was a chipper truck (no boom) with a chipper to be pulled. That's the first time I've done that, and had some concerns about whether it could be a problem for the 1000 mile trip. I was concerned how it would react in a tight braking situation and what would happened if I needed to back it up, but turned out that wasn't a problem. I did have to back it up several times, but it was much like backing my boat with my pickup truck. I found it was a lot easier to back around a turn, since then you could see the chipper. The truck was an International 7300, 6-speed, only 11 miles, and again, no A/C or radio.

I had to wait for the better part of an hour before the chipper was ready. Truck was ready, but it took them a long time at Southco to find the chipper and get it out for hook-up. But the guys that brought it out were nice about getting it hooked up and ready, testing the lights and the brakes. Only thing they didn't do was point out to me that there were keys in its ignition, which were in there for the whole 2 day trip. I guess someone could have started that thing up in the middle of the night and chipped a few things, but as luck would have it, the keys stayed in and I found them on delivery when asked where the chipper keys were.

I stopped in Norcross, GA for the night around 7:00 pm in time to catch the Va. Tech/Maryland football game. Stayed at a Knights Inn, which I'm finding to be a bit sketchy. Room was OK, but some pretty rough clientele. Desk clerks were helpful in helping me find a place to park the truck in very tight quarters and that's where I had to do my first backing of the chipper the next morning.

10/21/05 - Trip 8 (Cont.) - Friday

Was on the road about 7:45 am, a bit of a mistake given Atlanta traffic, but lucked out since not too much traffic was heading around I-285 south at that time of day. I've found that all cities have concrete roads, which make driving empty trucks more like riding broncos. I managed to bounce my way around the southern edge of Atlanta and headed out towards Montgomery, AL on I-85. That became the first minor mistake as I approached Montgomery.

When I called my dispatcher, I asked her to check on several things for me - if I went as planned (their recommendation using PCmiler), I was to proceed via I-65 to Mobile, AL, then pick up I-10 to Houston. I had wanted to do that, if for no other reason than to be a good voyuer and check out the hurricane damage. But I wanted my dispatcher to verify that I-10 was passable through AL, MS, and LA. I also wanted her to verify that I could find lodging down there in that area for the night - my major concern based on my last trip experience. She implied she would check, but I had the sinking feeling she really wasn't.

As I got to Montgomery, I called dispatch again to see status on road conditions and lodging. Naturally, they had been "too busy". I pressed the issue and they finally came back with the advice that I'd better take route 80 across AL from Montgomery, pick up I-20 and take it into Texas. That cost me some time, since I could have picked up I-20 in Atlanta. However, it did give me the chance to drive route 80, which is the famous Selma to Montgomery historic highway. Turns out it is a right beautiful drive, but I didn't take the time to stop by any of the historic markers.

One of the more notable sites on this trip was the crossing of the Mississippi at Vicksburg. I'd like to go back and visit that area sometime when I'm not pushing a truck.

I drove to Monroe, LA, which was quite a trip for the day. I arrived around 8:30 pm, fearful that I might have trouble finding a hotel at a company approved ($50) rate - and I was tired. I drove by what I figured would have been the best exit after I saw the motel signs on both sides, but lots of construction and traffic and I was too late to make the turn, so pulled off on the next exit. This was a very busy exit, but a Super 8 was on the first road, just past a Wal-Mart with tons of traffic. I pulled in figuring if they had a room, I was staying no matter what the price was. Turned out it was $47 including taxes, and I bunked down for the night. Even had a really authentic Mexican restaurant next door where I could down a Dos Aquis beer while waiting for my order to go.

10/22/05 - Trip 8 (Cont.) - Saturday

Had a reasonable night's sleep, but woke up knowing I was coming down with a cold, the first I've had in a long time. Didn't know it at the time, but the hypochondriac in me was about to come out. As the day went on, and I bounced my way further and further from home, knowing I was getting sick, I started having mild panic attacks that kept saying "don't go any further - especially to Houston; turn around and go home". But I didn't listen to my panic and I kept on truckin' across I-20.

I saw Shreveport for the first time, and because I like Vegas, it did have a certain attraction for me. Didn't know that Shreveport was a gamblin' town. Crossed a big river there, but still trying to figure out what it was. That took me immediately into Texas, where I stopped at their welcome center just as they were opening at 8:00 am. Since I didn't have any Texas maps, I picked up a map of Texas and Houston, both, like Texas, were gigantic - much too big to be able to deal with in a truck while bumping along in traffic. I hung a left at Marshall off I-20 to 59 and headed straight south towards Houston.

As I approached Houston, around noon, the concrete got bumpier and bumpier. I guess like they say, everything is bigger in Texas including the bumps in the concrete - which I don't understand why they don't go ahead and outlaw - but that's another discussion.

Arrived at the delivery point at ABC Tree Experts around 2:00 pm. I don't know if they are tree experts, but there were a bunch of them there, none of which were willing to take me about a mile to my motel. I made this reservation the previous night, knowing Houston likely would be a lodging problem. I called Days Inn first, who told me they didn't have anything available witin 100 miles of Houston - probably still due to the Hurricane relief effort going on. I lucked out when I called Super 8 and got a room about a mile from my delivery, which also turned out to be about a mile from Hobby airport, where I had slept on my previous visit.

Shared a cab ride with a fellow Spirit Miller driver, who was delivering at the same time I arrived. He needed to get straight to the airport to catch his flight out - mine was to be the next (Sunday) morning. The first cab didn't come, or said they came but no one was there. The other driver was about to miss his flight when our cab came but it didn't stop him from filling me in on his tails of shooting store robbers (while in the presence of his wife and child), slapping cabbies in Seattle, and other very macho, manly stories. I was completely enthralled and couldn't get away fast enough. Luckily, the cabbie dropped me off at my Super 8 rather than take that nut directly to the airport. I can't imagine that he caught his flight, but at least I was out of his range.

Had time to catch up on my paperwork, some internet activity, an oriental food meal, and fully begin to enjoy my building head cold. Had a long night's sleep and got up planning how to get to the airport (I don't yet trust cabs and am always looking for a free ride).

10/23/05 - Sunday

The desk clerk at the motel the previous night had said he'd take me to the airport if he was on duty Sunday morning. Unfortunately, he wasn't there, and the guy that was on duty didn't offer, or said he didn't have the key or something. He did call me a cab, which actually showed up early, and a very nice cabbie took me the most direct way to Hobby Airport.

Trip 9

So this brings me to where this log started. But now I know the rest of the story.

This would be my second trip on Southwest Airlines, and I'm starting to become impressed. Both flights so far have been on time, very efficiently run, and their staff shows good humor. The stewardess, as we were landing in Birmingham, sang a hilarious original song, drawing the applause of all. Also met a very interesting retired school teacher, who has taught art and English, is an entrepreneur, and her husband had worked in the Apollo space program - one of my most intense interests. So I had an interesting flight.

Arriving in Birmingham, got my bags, and a cab that took me directly (I'm always expecting to get the scenic tour) to the Altec plant, which might not be on the best side of Birmingham, but not knowing that town, I don't know. Had a little trouble, along with the guard (I don't think he really does any guarding) finding my truck. But I did, and it was a 4-wheel drive International 7300 chassis only. Little did I know that bouncing in an empty chipper truck was like riding a bronco, but a chassis only truck must be a bull, alligator, and wild cat combined. It's one high boy, too, because I could actually look down at the 18 wheelers as they rolled by.

Pre-tripped the truck, and found no fire extinguisher or warning triangles, which gave me stuff to think about as I left. Since it was Sunday, and dispatch was not available, I had to make the call. Was on the road by about 2:45 pm. I-20 out of Birmingham gave the first indication what I was in for in trying to ride this bucking bronco. Was hoping my head wouldn't leave dents in the ceiling and my butt dents on the floor. I found I could sort of brace myself if I saw the bump coming, but that's impossible on a concrete road. Was hoping it wouldn't tear the truck apart or tear the temporary mudflaps that were sure to come off sooner or later.

Bounced up I-20 to Atlanta, picked up I-85 and made it into SC. It was about 8:30 pm, decided I'd had enough for the day, so stopped in Anderson at a Days Inn for the night. Couldn't get the under $50 rate, but took it anyway.

10/24/05 - Trip 9 (Cont.) - Monday

Up early and on the road long before dawn. Those last 100 to 200 miles, after 1700 miles, seem to go on forever. Talked to dispatch about the missing fire extinguisher and warning triangles. They said no problem with the fire extinguisher, but to buy a set of triangles. So the search began. Two stops later, I'd found a set for $25. About an hour from my destination, Creedmoor NC, naturally the temporary flaps started coming apart. So, a duct tape job turned out to be good for the final 45 miles. Delivered to Altec at 12:30 pm. Dispatch agreed to let me come home (I was coming anyway), and lined up a rental car from RDU. A $60 cab trip, with a cabbie lady who told me all about having to take her mom to the federal prison to visit her brother for 30 years, the grief of her death, etc., and I was on the road to Lynchburg. Delivered the rental car at the airport, another $25 cab ride to Forest, and I was almost home, finally in my own car.

As far as I know, the company has approved the return costs, but admittedly I'm concerned about the roughly $200 it took to get me from Creedmoor.

I'm beginning to think that if I stay with driveaway work, I may be more of a 2 to 3 day trip guy rather than 5 or more days. I also need to learn to slow down a bit and enjoy the scenery, although admitedly there hasn't been outstanding views on these first trips.

As you veterans know, this work provides a lot of think time. I find that even if I have a radio, I tend to turn it off right often and just let the ole brain burn. Constantly thinking of questions to get answers to: where the next stop should be, when/where to refuel, where to sleep, which turn to take, etc., etc. I'm planning to post sometime some of the questions I have, like: Do all drivers pee right in the truck parking area, or do some walk over into the restroom; and, are 2 out of 3 driveaway drivers nuts or have I just run into an unusual group at the beginning; and....well, you get the idea.