Second day, second fuse

I mentioned a few posts ago that my dispatcher has cleared out and now helps with the trip planning. The new dispatcher needs to be broken in a bit, like trying real hard to get me a load early in the day instead of late for maximum productivity.

Around noon I was ordered to pick up another brand new trailer we have at the yard and take it a couple miles away to be loaded at a local pork processor. During my pretrip inspection I noticed that the upper marker lights on the trailer were dead so I brought it to the shop. The obvious culprit on a new trailer would be the fuse in the cab of my truck controlling such things, but as it turns out the trailer wiring was messed up. Trailer gets a red ticket to indicate its a downer, and I return it to the yard.

Go to dispatch, get another trailer to take and eventually make it over to the pig place by 1300 or so. Get in line, sign in, get directed to waiting area. The appointment time for the load was 0800 to 1700, which usually means to settle in for a good wait. The load was put aboard about two hours later, then I waited in the shipping office while the warehouse folks shot the shit for the better part of an hour before handing me my pre-printed bills and seal.

"Make sure you seal that up now," I was told.

Yeah, right.

Anyway, drove across to Council Bluffs to fuel up and scale out then headed east into the evening hours. As it got darker I turned on my truck lights only to discover my chicken lights (the row of lights on the side of my cab) and the upper trailer marker lights wouldn't come on. Great.

I pull in to a nearby rest area and crack open the fuse panel. It would help to have a pair of needle-nose pliers to take out the fuses, but I make do with a screwdriver and my fingers. The offending fuse is located and replaced and the lights work again. It is my last 20 AMP fuse so I'm hoping it lasts a while.

The drive drags on and on through Iowa, then into Illinois. I have Google mapped the consignee already and know they have a smallish parking lot available, so I'm not too concerned about parking. Just after midnight I pull in to said parking lot, only to be met minutes later with a roving security guard who tells me they don't allow overnight parking.

"But is a load for you guys first thing tomorrow morning," I cry.

They don't care and I had to settle for a very iffy exposed parking spot until morning.