Bad directions and closed roads

The alarm went off at 0430 this morning and I got myself and my truck ready to roll. I was trying to make a noon delivery time for the load and it would be close, given that I was constrained by the Illinois commercial truck speed limit and a number of small highways in Wisconsin that I would have to take to get to my consignee.

Around 0800 I called up the broker for this load and asked for directions. Surprisingly, they had them on hand and rattled them off, and I was zooming in on my GPS as the lady gave them out. This let me double check the "turn left here" and "cross railroad tracks there" type of directions and I marked a place on my electronic map that should have been within a block of my target.

As I was closing in on Madison, Wisconsin a series of electronic signs on the shoulder said that I-39 northbound was closed north of there. The directions I received assumed I would be taking I-39, but I just switched it a bit east instead and let it recalculate a new route for me. It told me to take state highway 151 up through Oshkosh, Wisconsin then over towards Waupaca using US-45.

When I got to Oshkosh I learn that US-45 is closed as well so I have to take a marked detour further north to US-10. At this point I knew I wouldn't make my appointment and I put in a delayed message through the satellite unit telling them I hoped to be there by 1300.

I finally make it to Waupaca and start taking the street-level directions provided by the broker. They had me make some turns hither and yon, then find an Industrial drive to turn down, then make a right on such-and-such a street and look for the fourth building on the left. Turns out that is either a National Guard building or some other equally unlikely spot to unload and I stop and ask anyone if they know where (name of my consignee is). One guy looks at my quizzically and points behind me at this large factory, replete with smokestacks belching smoke and says "There". The entire Industrial drive / right turn on whatever street / fourth building down is bunk, just look for the big-ass factory belching smoke that you can see from a mile away. I wonder why I never get easy directions like that when I have to ask.

I speak to the completely disinterested guard lady at the guard shack and she waves me on towards Warehouse #2. The docks are full so I pull up next to it and walk in with the paperwork. Inside, an efficient looking forklift operator glances over the paperwork and tells me to take the door another driver is in the process of vacating.

The paperwork itself is a model of brevity as well. There is no shipper or destination listed, just a few things like the date, three lines describing the various lumber products in the load, and my signature. I guess that is the way it is done in Mississippi.

I'm done in about 45 minutes and already my next load is waiting an hour away in Green Bay, Wisconsin. I'm to take a load of (what else) cheese to our friends at ConAgra in Council Bluffs, Iowa to deliver tomorrow afternoon. Finding the cheese place isn't difficult, though they do throw a mean curveball with very nice, inviting docks at the front of their building that, as it turns out, we don't use. Go one block further, turn left, go to the rear of the building, speak with the shipping people. Yada yada yada.

Turns out the order number our folks in the rear with the gear gave me was wrong, but the shipping lady figured out the right one going to Council Bluffs and gave me a door to back into. These are the fun ones we occasionally get to use with reefers, where you dock with your doors closed and they open them up inside. I wish more places did it that way.

Speed demons, the Green Bay folks are not. It took them 2.5 hours to start loading me and I'm not quite done yet. I spied a small truckstop on the same exit I took to get here so I think I'll head over there to call it a night.