Hither and yon, and yon, and yon...

Today is a new day, with unlimited opportunities for fun, miles, hot dogs, apple pie and The American Way. Okay, I got up this morning bobtail and after scratching the appropriate places, sent in asking for a run. After a while I get beeped and it turns out I'm to head up to Omaha bobtail since there is nothing available in Kansas City. Okay, couple hundred deadhead miles. I'm down with that.

About an hour into the run I get a phone call from the weekend planners who want to know if I can head to Ames, Iowa (just north of Des Moines) to pick up a load and bring it to Omaha for delivery tomorrow morning. I look at the distances and say sure, no problemo. After consulting The Master List of Available Trailers I'm sent to a Sam's Club store in Des Moines to pick up an empty trailer that I'll take up to Ames for the load.

I be-bop about twenty miles back the way I came on I-29 and crossed over to I-35, then north up to Des Moines. Arrived at the Sam's Club and spotted our trailer on their dock. Hooked up to it, pulled it out... oops, still loaded with paper towels. Put it back into place and ask HQ for someplace else to find an empty.

Next I'm sent to the FedEx facility on the north side of town which is on the way to Ames so it isn't much out of route. I arrive only to find an empty facility with a little old lady gate guard who informs me that any trailer they have now won't be released until 0700 tomorrow morning as they may need it for a load. So, I ask HQ for someplace else to find an empty.

Next, I'm sent (literally) around the corner to ConWay to pick up an empty and they even include the trailer number! I arrive and the gate is padlocked shut and I'm about to phone HQ to complain bitterly when a little old man guard comes over and opens up the gate. He's a bit confused, says there is some paperwork for the trailer. I say I'll take a look and wouldn't you know it -- the trailer is full of product leaving for Dallas soon.

Dispatch is looking around trying to find a trailer but it seems that the closest ones are either 60 or 100 miles away, double that for the return trip. Eventually, they decide that we've spent enough time playing Send Jim Around In Circles so I head to a nearby truck stop. I ask to be put on the board for a load tomorrow morning but am told that we won't have anything nearby tomorrow so head over to Omaha first thing.

Sigh. 285 miles of driving headed hither and yon and I didn't get anything productive done today.


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