8/14/09

I'm clearly being dispatched by nihilists today. As for me, my life does have a purpose. My purpose is to avoid paying cash tolls. It would be helpful if the people doing the dispatching showed more respect for my values... or something.

My trip across to Brecksville was about 90% decent. I wound up on OH-82 through the suburbs for a little while. That part took a while. A long while.

The guys at the beer distributor had me unloaded in short order. I'm not sure exactly what I was hauling, some sort of containers I suspect, but the load consisted of only nine pallets. Maybe ten minutes after bumping the dock I was good to go. I took a flyer and headed down to the crappy little Pilot truck stop in Richfield, hoping to find a place to park. It was early afternoon and there were quite a few open spaces when I got there. Beauty.

After three hours on the board at #1, I got my next assignment. Deadhead to Clyde for a drop/hook. Okay then. 80+ miles. Okay then. Be there in two hours. Nihilists. I refused to give in to the immorality of cash tolls, so I knew that it was going to be a close one. Westward on OH-18 to US-20, the traffic was heavy at times and light at others. I was picking up a pre-loaded trailer so I was pretty sure that the time wasn't a big issue, but I made it in exactly two hours anyway. Then I made a dumb move and followed the signs that said "Truck Entrance." Yeah, stupid me.

I had to get turned around and head over to a different warehouse, then make my drop/hook. That part was nice and easy and then it was time for my next dispatch. Go to Gouldsboro, Pennsylvania. Okay then. 450+ miles. Okay then. Be there by 1:30pm tomorrow. Nihilists. The road to hell is paved with people who pay cash tolls, you know. I'll go ahead and cling to my convictions. So... back across US-20 to OH-18. Criss cross, criss cross. The traffic in the 'burbs was much more reasonable this time around, later in the evening and whatnot.

I caught back up with I-77 and dropped down to I-76, not really knowing how far I would go tonight but feeling like my day had been plenty long already. I spotted what I thought was a truck stop at Exit 33. Nope, just a little gas station. Shit. But I swear I saw a couple of parked trucks. I decided to play a hunch and turned into the driveway of the neighboring McDonald's. Beauty. Truck parking area out in the back. There's a sign saying that unauthorized vehicles will be towed. I suppose that, having spent my seven bucks on dinner, my vehicle is probably authorized.

It will be all interstates from this point, with no toll roads involved, so that's a pretty good deal. I still won't have a whole lot of wiggle room ahead of that 1:30pm appointment though. I burned up seven and a half total hours of driving today, covering only 330 miles. Now I'll have to get cracking as soon as my ten hour break is over, bright and early tomorrow. Nihilists.