Off to a Slow Start

0800 Monday found me at the docks of the local Pepsi distributor in Joplin, Missouri being unloaded. Talk about being conveniently located: it is basically behind one of the big Super Wal-Marts in town. When I was empty I drove over and stocked up on fruits, veggies, some frozen stuff and (sigh) some junk food. Gotta have some Fritos sometimes, you know?

Anyway, a while later I get beeped with my next load. It is the same run I've done before from ConAgra in nearby Carthage, Missouri to a food warehouse in Americus, Georgia.

Unfortunately, the timing is very poor. It isn't scheduled to pick up until tomorrow morning at 0100 and delivers the following morning at 0700 eastern time. I messaged in trying to get the load time moved up by six hours or more since I was already in the area but the answer was the usual noncommittal mumbo jumbo about our folks talking to their folks.

I did get sent to the loading docks around 2330 but wasn't through loading until 0230 or so. In other words, no real change in the load time... not that I expected any.

After getting sealed up I departed through the main gate and headed across the street to the tower lot where they keep a bunch of spare trailers. Nothing doing: the yard driver banged on my door an hour or so later, telling me they don't let us drivers park there any more. Thanks a pantload, dude.


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I figured it would be a smart play to drive to the other side of Springfield, Missouri early to miss the morning traffic. A parking place presented itself an hour or so later and I took another 90 minutes to nap. Amazing what a difference that makes!

The rest of my driving day today was spent motoring through the back country of the Ozarks, since I decided to try a more direct route than my usual Hwy 71 south to I-40 then east. It was rough in a few spots and I did have to do a lot of work shifting but it wasn't too bad. Definitely won't be doing that route in the winter, though.

I fueled in West Memphis, Arkansas then pushed on, ending the day in Winfield, Alabama. I'm about 250 miles from the consignee and I already let our folks know I might be a few hours late.

Bonus: my next preplan has arrived and I get to go back to that super-stinky chicken plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee the day after tomorrow. Oh goody.