Trip #75 and the Hound

My first trip for 07 was my 75th trip doing driveaway. It's amazing how time flies when you are having so much fun.

Dick Williams, the driveaway guru, who has taught me about all I know about driveaway, got stuck over the weekend in Roanoke because of Greyhound foulups with his bags. He was coming from delivering a truck in MS via the Hound on his way to pick up a truck in Daleville Altec bound back to his home base of Kansas City. He had to spend an extra day in and around Roanoke waiting to see if his bags would ever show up. He finally gave up, had his company fax me the info he needed for his truck, which I took to him and gladly took him out to Daleville on Saturday to pick up his truck. I was glad to do that, not only to help him, but I also was to pick up a truck there on Monday, so I wanted to check out which one it was.

Monday, January 8, 2007

My wife dropped me off on her way to work. Luckily, I had found my truck on Saturday and it was the very first one parked on the road in to the plant. Altec is now having to park trucks in every nook and cranny in order to keep the folks who have big homes on the golf course across the road from complaining about the beautiful new trucks spoiling their views of the mountains. In addition, there appear to be hundreds of trucks awaiting delivery, and it could become difficult to find your truck in the dark, and in this case, the rain.

This truck was a nice IHC automatic. I pre-tripped it fairly rapidly in the dark and was on my way to Tifton, GA by 7:30 AM. I was right pleased about this trip, since it was the first time I'd gotten an Altec truck since last spring, and it was nice to be heading south again rather than what has been cutomarily north for me lately. In particular, I was glad not to do PA this time.

Made good time through VA, NC, SC, and in to GA by late afternoon. At that time, dispatch let me know that they had been unsuccessful in finding a one-way car rental out of Tifton and wanted to know if I could make the 7:15 AM bus for Atlanta, where I would pick up my car to take back to Shelby, NC for my next truck. That, naturally, threw a clinker in what was going to be a perfect trip, since I'm not a fan of Greyhound. I told her I'd try to make it, but as I sat in traffic in Atlanta, and realized the national championship college football game was coming on shortly, I knew I wasn't going to make Tifton and the 7:15 AM bus. That meant I'd have to wait around in Tifton until 2:15 PM for the next one.

Tuesday, January 9, 2007

I stayed in Perry, GA at a Super 8 for the evening. Nice room, but not much on the breakfast. I didn't hurry because I knew that unless a new game plan appeared I'd have to be waiting around until 2:15. So I delivered the truck to the Hampton Inn in Tifton, where a very helpful front desk employee helped me find the two rental car phone numbers and ended up taking me to the bus station when I couldn't find a car. I figured I'd try anyway. The bus station is located in the Pilot truck stop in Tifton, and it was one of the longest waits I've had. At one point, I stood around where the truckers enter just to see if I might find a ride to Atlanta, but as I watched another guy begging for rides, I decided I was above that and would just go ahead and take my Hound beating.

2:15 finally came, the bus was on time (believe it or not) and I got on a bus that did not have a single empty seat. I sat directly behind the driver (somehow, feel safer), next to a young parolee. He had just gotten out of prison for the second time. It appears the current release uniform is new, cheap white shirt with Khaki pants. There were several of these outfits on the bus. He, and the friend he made across the isle discussed experiences and, I believe, set up their next deal on the bus trip. I was glad to get off at 6:00 PM even though it was the downtown Atlanta bus station. I luckily was right next to MARTA, where I got on the train bound to the airport for my rental car. I was there and in my car in less than an hour.

I drove a few hours to Commerce, GA for the evening. This time, a Howard Johnsons, and no breakfast. I was on my way to return the car to Gastonia, NC where I'd pick up a cab for Shelby and my next truck.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

I was up early to get a lot of driving done this day after wasting the last day just trying to get to the next truck. I think that's the first time that has happened to me in driveaway.

I got to Gastonia Hertz location by 10:00 AM and in a cab by 10:30 destined for Shelby. I like pickups in Shelby because that always means a new truck from Southco, and these are usually nice, easy driving, and no booms to worry with. I found my truck in the bull pen immediately, and recognized it as one of my favorites from the past - a chassis that I had delivered to Southco before Christmas from a truck dealership in Westminster, MD. It was the classiest IHC I'd ever driven, with automatic, sun visor on the windshield, air seat, heated mirrors, compass, and outside thermometer. This truck was destined for a tree service adjacent to Dulles airport in northern VA.

Since it would take most of the day just to drive to Roanoke, I decided to bring the truck by home, spend the night, and then on to Dulles on Thursday. I was home by about 4:30 PM.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

I figured I'd make my delivery to Dulles by noon, be in a rental car home, and call it a week. I did make my delivery by about 11:00 AM. Kind of hated to give the nice truck up. But, of course, dispatch had another idea rather than going straight home. They asked if I'd be interested in going to Glen Allen, just outside of Richmond, and bring a truck to Forest. This was a trip I've made several times lately. It wouldn't add that many miles to the trip, plus more of them would be paid miles, so I told them yes.

I thought I might meet my daughters, who both live in Richmond, for dinner, plus get a free ride from the airport out to Glen Allen, but neither of those assumptions panned out. Both daughters were working, and that's a good thing as Martha Stewart would say.

Got to Richmond and a cab to Glen Allen by about 3:30 PM, where I met another Spirit Miller driver who had also just arrived from the airport and was also taking a truck to Forest. We picked out trucks up and were on our way. We didn't drive together, which I don't like anyway, and my truck was on fumes as I pulled out and I needed to get fuel right away.

Got to Forest about 7:00 PM where Spirit Miller had a driver ready to pick us up, bring me home, and take the other driver to Daleville for his next truck.

Thus ended the first set of trips for 2007. Except for the Hound, it was a nice set of trips. Not much money, though, for the days spent.