Trips 37-40 - Before Vacation

Monday, April 10, 2006

Since I need a vacation from retirement, my wife and I will be heading out to the great American Southwest desert early Saturday. So, I'm playing catch-up after taking 3 days this week doing driveaway, and don't have time to adequately log the quick trips I took, but wanted to get my truck pictures posted, so here goes:

The first picture is an IHC 4300 6-sp I took from Forest, Va to Shelby, NC. While making the trip, dispatch called to ask if I'd deliver one that was staged at the Charlotte airport. That one was a Sterling beast, 10-sp high-low. The third Sterling I've driven and the first to NOT blow up on me. I had to park my truck from Forest in the Charlotte airport parking lot Z, pick up the beast, drive it to Troutman, NC, about 40 miles, then find a ride back to the airport to continue my original trip on to Shelby. This involved first finding the correct parking lot (CLT is BIG), taking my placards and license plate off the original truck, installing on the beast, pre-tripping the beast, getting to know it while driving out of the airport and through Charlotte traffic, finding the Contractor Yard it was to be delivered to - all at the .30/mile rate which will net me a big $12 unless the company throws in some extra. I guess I'm just a soft touch and/or a really nice guy.

When I arrived at the Contractor Yard in Troutman, they all gathered 'round the beast exclaiming "man, now that's a truck! Is that a 5 story?" Since I didn't really know what a 5 story is, I just told them I just drive them with no questions asked if possible. I assume 5 story must refer to how far the crane will extend. I'd guess 10 stories minimum after seeing it.

I needed a 40 mile ride back to the airport and all agreed a cab would get expensive, but there was an 18 wheeler loaded and ready to make a delivery near Charlotte. The driver, being an exceptionally nice guy and taking pity on a fellow driver (not sure a driveaway driver counts) offered to take me to the airport. First time I'd actually been in the cab of an 18 wheeler, and it had the same look, feel, and transmission as the beast I just delivered. He took the loaded truck right into the airport and dropped me off at my parking lot. He was an interesting fellow. Said he works a minimum 12 hour days, usually 6 days/week. Likes the overtime and only asks that he get Sunday off to go to church and Wednesday nights off for the same reason (no kidding).

I put my tags and placards back on the original truck and headed on to Shelby. I wanted to get to Forestry Equipment for delivery before they closed, but I arrived at 5:05 PM and they were all locked up. So had to find a cab for the 2 miles trip over to Southco. I actually found a cab company in Shelby and they were there to pick me up within about 20 minutes. During that time, I managed to throw the extra set of keys for the truck into the pigion hole, not realizing at the time they were not the extra set, but my own keys including house key, car keys, etc. It was the next day before I realized this little error.

The cabbie arrived and took me straight over to Southco, evangelizing me the entire way. I sat through the longest red light I've ever experienced while he explained to me that, according to the gospel, Nuclear War will begin 9/12/06. This according to the newletter from the House of Yahweh. I was quite enthralled to say the least.

Picked up the third truck for this trip at Shelby, NC for delivery to Decatur, GA. It was a nice little Ford F650 automatic. Drove to Spartanburg, SC and bedded down for the night, still not knowing my keys were in Shelby.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

I delivered to the City of Decatur around 10:00 AM. A guy there was kind enough to haul me to downtown Atlanta where I was to pick up my next truck at the World Congress Center where it was on the display floor for a Propane Gas Show.

I'd been in the huge facility several years ago to attend the Comdex technology conference along with 80,000 others. This time, I went onto the show floor, still covered with carpet, to pick up this little Ford. I suspect it is an Izuzu with the Ford name on it. It was at pickup time that I realized the keys in my left pocket, where I normally keep my personal keys, were the keys to the truck I had delivered in Shelby. I instantly realized that when I delivered the truck I absent mindedly threw my keys into the pigeon hole. I called the facility, and luckily, the guy there who has helped me before had the keys and FedExed them to me overnight. Nice guy.

Drove straight to Louisville to stage the truck at the airport for another Spirit Miller driver to pick up to take on to upper Ohio. I needed to get back home, so picked up a rental car at the airport and was heading home about 9:30 PM. It had been a long day and I was basically out of service hours when I finally got the truck staged.

I stayed in Lexington, KY for the evening and on home the next morning.