RUNNING ON EMPTY

Can I just say this has been a busy 10 days since I have been back on the truck with Craig. On the boat fleet, we would have maybe four or five dispatches a month. Since the transfer to the reefer division, 12 days ago, we have had 6 dispatches and have traveled over 4400 miles! We traveled during the day and lately at night. We have grabbed sleep whenever we can, and this morning, when we went empty and immediately were given a dispatch, we checked the driving hours and found out we would not be able to make it with what hours we had left. We really didn't want this 1000 mile trip to be reassigned, but we had no choice. We were left with taking a 34 hour reset, and now sitting back and catching our breath, we realized we were running on empty.

This rest period will allow us to go back to a more normal sleep pattern, do almost two weeks worth of laundry, get the truck washed, take a shower, and maybe enjoy a nice meal out. We are set to go back on the board Tuesday morning. We are also very pleased with the miles and detention pay we have received so far, and are enjoying a different side of the trucking business. We get a sense that we will be returning to a lot of the places we have been, as they seem to be a regular stop from talking to the other drivers. We like the routine of that, but with the occasional odd ball run thrown in from time to time, just to keep it interesting.

The drop in Spokane at the Fred Meyer store went very well, we were even treated to a very beautiful sunrise. Just one of the benefits of night driving, you get to end your day with a sunrise fresh in your mind before going to bed.

As we sat back today and relaxed, we both commented that we were very pleased with our decision to switch divisions, and even though we felt like the Jackson Browne song "Running on Empty", we do know that by tomorrow morning, we will be just as anxious to be back out on the road, and ready to take on our next assignment and see where the road takes us.