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Thursday 4th July (Independence Day).The plan was to catch up with some laundry, but when the guys knocked on the door I was still in bed and not ready to go anywhere, I have managed to get a lift back to the depot and I am in the truck, so at the time of writing, I do not know where they are. They arrived back at about two o’clock and then they went to the bowling alley. I had a meal in the Outback Restaurant and then went to bed.
Friday 5th July.I was up bright and early and was the first driver to see Curtis and have my pick of the available loads – which were not very good. Most were for the North East area – Boston and Maine, so I plumped for the San Antonio TX. It was 19 Pallets of frozen Orange Juice from Minute Maid in Auburndale FL for delivery on Sunday evening at 1800 hrs. This should be a nice little job. I loaded OK and stopped for the night at Quincy FL which is just past the State Capital of Tallahassee.
Saturday 6th July. This was a very hard day with all the holiday traffic, it was difficult to keep on the cruise control and I encountered severe delay’s coming into Mobile AL. There was no particular reason for this other than heavy traffic having to slow down for the tunnel in Mobile AL. I eventually covered 588 miles, booked eight and three quarter hours and spent the night, after fuelling, at the Flying J in Orange TX. This leaves me only about three hundred more miles to my delivery point in San Antonio TX. I shall be there comfortably for my booking at 1800 hrs. There were three other Pullen Trucks in the Flying J, but I could not find the drivers, so I went to bed.
Sunday 7th July. There was only five hours driving required today, as San Antonio TX is only three hundred miles away. I arrived at the customer at three o’clock, and because I was early I was directed to a parking area, where I had to wait until I was allocated a dock. I switched the CB to channel 15 and waited as directed. At five o’clock I was given Bay 340 and duly made my way there where I backed on. I was then told that this was a lumper load and that they would be in by six o’clock. I have already been given instructions to find a local Truck Stop after I have unloaded, so it looks like I will be hanging around for another load tomorrow.
Monday 8th July. I received loading instructions early for a change. I have to deadhead to Dallas, which is three hundred miles away to load at Dal-Tile in Sunnyvale TX. I arrived at 1400 hrs and was appointed a loading dock immediately. This did not make the slightest difference, because it took till 1800 hrs to load me. I then worked till late in the night, finally arriving in Jackson MS for my overnight stop.
Tuesday 9th July. I started at eight this morning, and with only a stop for fuel at Quincy FL, I made an overnight stop at the Country Station Truck Stop in Lake City FL. This only leaves me a couple of hours to do in the morning to my first delivery in Tampa FL.
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