It happened again

I delivered the load in Manchester, Pennsylvania last night and for the second time in as many weeks a driver from another company walked up to me and started asking questions about the company. We chatted for ten or fifteen minutes and I gave him some contact information (super-secret ninja stuff, you understand) and then my trailer was unloaded and I left.

Today was a long day. I started in Manchester and made my way about 320 miles west to Akron, Ohio. The truck entrance to the shipper's property was torn up and being rebuilt, so I went a bit further down the street and turned into the employee parking lot -- after first making sure there was enough room for me to turn around. I went inside and used a phone and company directory to call the shipping people to let them know I had arrived and ask for directions. Basically, keep going around the building from the opposite side then find the docks around back.

I do all this and find the docks, only to find out the specific product I need is at a different warehouse a few blocks away. Grr. I get directions, locate the place on my GPS and in a few minutes I'm at a pretty ratty looking place with a dirt path (I kid you not) around back and big signs directing trucks that way. O-kayyyyy.

The docks were set back against the building in an usual way which made it impossible for trucks not parked on the ends to leave before someone vacated a spot next to them. Luckily, I had a spot at the end, though the backing up was challenging.

41,000 pounds of apple juice, orange juice, pear juice and lord-knows-what else later, I'm loaded, trailer locked and sealed and I'm on my way.


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I pushed to make South Bend, Indiana while there was still parking left, but as of 1630 the place was packed so I had to fuel and leave. One of the worst feelings you can have as a truck driver is being a block or two away from a packed truck stop that you would really have preferred to stay at and notice a spot open up that you could have had if you hadn't left. Trust me, I know.

Fifteen miles down the freeway is one of the toll road parking places and it had tons of truck parking. Tomorrow I have to make my way to our HQ in Omaha to fuel up, then on Thursday morning I deliver in nearby Lincoln, Nebraska. Then, hopefully, a short load home for a much-deserved three day weekend.