Fuel for Thought

Back to work

           Well, we got thru the hardest week of my life, and I"m back out on the road.  Thank you for all the prayers, comments and well wishes.

           Today I'm sitting in Chattanooga, TN, after a delivery this morning. It was so good to get away from all the stress of the week, and just run, and let my mind go.  I had a pretty heavy load last night, 2200 lbs going from West Virginia down here to TN.  It turned out to be a transfer load, as another driver needed to be home today, but agreed to pick it up so the load would be covered.  So, he got a few miles, and I got the bulk.   Works for me... I've been there many times... needing to be home, but yet needing money, so you try to work out a compromise. I've never been the one to tell the dispatcher "I'll take it part way" LOL... but I've been willing if they called back.  Even tho it's a bit more hassle for the dispatcher, at least the load gets covered, and we have a happy customer.

           I really had to be careful last night. It seemed the little spike in temperatures the last few days had the deer out in full blast. Coming across I35 from the Ohio stateline down thru West Virginia, I always see a few deer, but last night, I bet I saw 20-25 deer within a 10 mile stretch.  It was crazy. I finally just slowed down, and jumped on the CB to let the trucks behind me know what was going on.  There's a lot of new construction in that area, as the new location for I35 is being built, so it might have routed them out of their normal habitat or something.

           I'm looking forward to the new road being completed.  Right now I35 is mostly 4 lane, but there still is a large section of narrow, winding, bumpy 2 lane between the Ohio line and I64.  Some sections you can just about shake hands with the other driver as you pass each other!  When finished, I35 will be 4 lanes all the way, and will be a much faster and smoother ride.