STRAYCAT’S DOGGONE BLOG

Life Day 21201: Coburg Cogency

July 29, 2005 on 6:29 pm | In On The Road |

On the 26th, I awoke with a Pre-Plan on my QualCom. It picked up at the Consignee in Green River and delivered in Bellevue, WA with one extra delivery in Auburn, WA (0 miles empty and 954 miles loaded). After accepting it, I left Ft. Bridger and drove the 45 miles to Green River, WY. After delivering (dropping) the load from Ogden and picking up (hooking) the Bellevue, WA load, walking the MMM, eating breakfast, and doing the quotidian paperwork, I departed Green River at 1030 and drove to Little America, WY to weigh the load. The weight was O.K. During their walk, the Ground Hogs “harangued” Walter and Wolfie as they were ‘taking care of business’. The Deer, however, were not affected by their presence.


I then drove to Evanston, WY. After a break here for fuel, I left at noon and drove to Twin Falls, ID (via I-80W to I-84W to I-15N to I-84W). The alternate route that some drivers use (I-80W to US-30W to I-15N to I-86W to I-84W) is actually 5 miles farther and takes much more time due to lower speed limits and driving through the small towns on US-30. It is an easier run, however, if there is snow in I-80 between Little America and Evanston because the “hills” are less steep, but that wasn’t pertinant to this trip. After a 1/2 hour break for the MMM, I drove to Caldwell, ID where I stopped for the night. I worked 9 hours, 8.25 of which were utilized driving 506 miles.
I left Caldwell at 0730 on the 27th and drove to La Grande, OR. I had a quick lunch of Steak Fingers & Fries and some really nice Wisconsin Cheese Soup, walked the MMM, then drove to Umatilla, OR. After a 15-minute break, I then drove to Auburn, WA. Along the way, I stopped at a View Area about 10 miles north of Yakima, WA and took these photographs of Yakima Valley.

I drove 473 miles in 9 hours and worked 9.25 hours.
The 28th was a frustrating day. I arrived at the 1st Consignee at 0500 and checked in with Security. I was given a number and told to park and wait until they called me to a door. At 0730, it was finally my turn. I went to my assigned door only to find another truck there. I went to see the Recieving Clerk to find out what the problem was and /or get another door. He told me that the driver was finished and should not be there. I knocked on the drivers door, waking him up. He said that they were still unloading him as far as he knew. I went back inside to the Clerk. He said that he had been finished for over an hour and sent one of his ‘flunkies’ out to tell him to leave. The ‘flunkie’ went to his truck, talked to him for a minute, went back inside, then came back out a minute later with the drivers signed bills in hand. Recieving had forgot to give him his paperwork when he was done!! After the driver left, I backed into the door. They finished their part of the load (the whole trailer except for 1 pallet) at 0900, and I drove to Bellevue for my final drop. I was immediately given a door and backed in. By the time I had chocked my trailer and checked in with the Recieving Clerk, I was empty. I picked up my paperwork, then found a secluded spot to walk the MMM and wait for a Plan. I waited, and waited, and waited, and waited, then waited some more. At 1415, Security discovered my ‘hiding place’ and asked me to leave. With no Truckstops anywhere near, my only option was to drive 30 miles south to our Terminal in Sumner, WA to wait there. I arrived at 1500 and put on 125 gallons of fuel. At about 1700, I finally recieved a Pre-Plan that picks up in Kent, WA tomorrow at 0830 and delivers in Tracy, CA on Monday (19 miles empty and 809 miles loaded). Now I remember why I stopped taking loads to the Northwest besides the nasty weather in the winter. The Freight Out Of Here Sucks!! I drove 55 miles in 1 hour and worked a total of 2.25 hours.
Today, Friday the 29th, I left the Terminal in Sumner at 0800 and drove the 12 miles to Kent. I was immediately given a door, and was loaded in less than 20 minutes. After doing my paperwork and walking the MMM, I left at 1015 and drove to Coburg, OR. I took a long break here to ‘play’ on the computer. I then drove to Rice Hill, OR where I stopped for the night. I drove 318 miles in 6 hours and logged a total of 6.5 hours for the day.