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I parked up here at Van Horn TX at 1600 hrs, so I will have an early night and then an early start. This will give me enough rest tomorrow to enable me to leave in the early hours of Friday morning and run straight in to the delivery point.
Thursday 13th June.This was another hard day, as I had only eight and three-quarters I was able to log, and I desperately needed to be as near to Los Angeles as I possibly could. As it turned out, I am now left with 225 miles to go, and I will have to get up early again so that I can beat the rush hour traffic, which starts very early in Los Angeles. The temperature here today is 102 degrees and it is expected to hit 110 over the weekend. Without the air conditioning in the truck, this job would be impossible. How I ran to Greece for all those years without it I shall never know. Phoned Billy, and he was getting very depressed about the time the USA Embassy in London is taking over the issuing of the visas. I am beginning to think that there is a hidden agenda that we don’t know about with regard to the events of 9/11. As it happens, a lot of the driving schools in the USA have closed down because they are frightened of training a would-be terrorist to drive a big rig, who could then load it with enough explosive to do a lot of damage.
This will also mean that by next year, the shortage of drivers will be very acute, and maybe it will make it easier for us next year. Loretta has already said that she is not accepting drivers who do not have a valid CDL in future. Of course this might change as she loses some of us for varying reasons.
Friday 14th June.Started at one o’clock in the morning and after a four hour drive I pulled up outside the delivery point in Anaheim CA at 0400 hrs Californian Time (Pacific). I was not booked until 0700 hrs, and as there were two trucks waiting outside, I assumed that I would have to wait. As it turned out however, the factory opened at 0500 hrs and as I was the only driver awake, they pulled me into the yard and I backed onto the unloading dock. Fifteen minutes later I was empty – what a result. I called in for instructions and was told to start making my way to Salinas CA and load details would be sent on the Qualcomm.
I had made my way to Frazier Park CA, a distance of some 97 miles and decided to telephone. The load was to be two collections and one delivery, but the first collection in San Francisco had to be made by 4 o’clock in the afternoon and I did not have the time to get there, so the pickup was canceled and was told to make my way to Salinas CA and telephone the customer in the morning for a booking to load. For the purposes of the log, I had booked off at Frazier Park, but I pushed on the extra 232 miles to Salinas CA so that I could get a good nights rest. I will book the time taken on tomorrow’s log. It all sounds complicated, does it not?
I headed up I5 towards Sacramento and then branched off onto the US 46 West, which cuts across to the US 101 which will lead me to Salinas CA. I had a really fantastic drive, through lovely scenery. The Salinas Valley must be the biggest Market Garden in the World. I have never before seen cultivation on such a grand scale as this.
The load itself is destined for Louisville KY, with a delivery time of 0730 next Thursday 20th June. Assuming I load at some point in time tomorrow, then it will not be a problem meeting the delivery target. Four whole days and only about 2335 miles
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