Wow...... I'm not sure I can remember everything that has gone on over the past few days and that is just on my end of things, not to mention what Craig and Charles have been up to. But since most people tune into this blog for the trucking side of it, I'll start with Craig first.
Monday morning it took about 2 hours to get loaded at Johanna Beverage Co. in Spokane, WA. From there they drove to
Marysville, WA to meet up with a heavy haul driver who was coming back from Canada. They swapped trailers, the heavy haul taking the loaded one right back into Canada again, and Craig and Charles had his empty trailer. It is now about 4pm, and they are dispatched to the Fred Meyer DC in
Puyallup, WA to drop the empty and hook up to a loaded trailer with a 10pm ready time. Upon arriving in
Puyallup at 8pm, they find the trailer loaded and ready to go well ahead of schedule.
With the Thanksgiving holiday, it seems there is a major rush to get food items out to the stores, and there were quite a few of our other
TWT drivers also there to pick up loads as well. Craig's assignment was for two drops, one in
Wenatchee and the other in Spokane. That meant that he would be doing some major night driving, while Charles got the pleasure of getting some sleep after doing all the driving during the day.
By 9am this morning, they were unloaded and headed back to the company yard. It wasn't until while talking to Craig this afternoon that he received his next assignment. They are headed to Quincy, WA to pick up frozen french fries and heading down to the LA area to Walnut, to make the delivery on Friday morning. Looks like plenty of driving in their future to make the appointment time, and it will at least keep them busy and not sitting over the holiday.
As for me, I am constantly reminded how busy a household is with two children, and just how much work goes into keeping it running. I am more than happy to lend a hand as often as I can, but also looking forward to getting back on the truck with Craig and getting back into our nice little routine. What a blessing it is for me to get to have the opportunity to
experience it all through the friends and family I get to stay with through out the year!
Since I have been visiting, we have baked, and cooked, and cleaned, and shopped, and well.....if I do say so myself, I haven't been this busy in such a long time, I think I just might be feeling my age. One thing is for sure, it has been so much fun, and I have so enjoyed being able to spend this time with my best friend Cori. I couldn't have asked for a better place to call home for a couple of weeks. But all good things must come to an end. Come Thursday, it will be time to pack up and take my vagabond bones back home for a few weeks, until Craig comes home again and we close up the house for the winter. 
Speaking of Craig, on Saturday they drove from Lebec, CA to Medford, OR which set them up with a relatively easy drive on Sunday into Pacific, WA to stage for their delivery this morning. Charles took the opportunity to make use of his personal vehicle which was parked in the company yard, and spent the evening at home and got to sleep in his own bed, albeit for just a short time. He was back at the truck this morning at 4am in order to make their delivery appointment at 5am in Puyallup at the Fred Meyer distribution center. 
It came as no surprise, when they were told to drop the trailer there and await a load heading out again later today. With so many of the drivers wanting to be home for the holiday weekend, I'm sure it was difficult to find drivers for all the loads that needed to be delivered. Craig's assignment was to deliver in Coeur d'Alene, ID tonight at 11pm. When completed, they will head to the company yard in Spokane and take advantage of the laundry facilities in the morning while they wait for their next dispatch. 
If all goes as planned, and we all know how easily those plans can go awry, Craig and I should be back together again in the truck in three weeks. We're both looking forward to getting back into our normal routine again, but until then, I still have a couple of days to get all my Christmas decorating out of my system. Do I hear a Fa La La La La?
Craig and Charles made it to their delivery this morning and got quite a nice collection of detention pay as it took about 5 hours to unload the frozen french fries and to figure out if indeed they needed to pay the extortion fee for the lumpers to unload the trailer or not. After several phone calls it was determined that in fact this time they would not have to pay. Put one in the win column for the good guys. 
While waiting, they did receive their next assignment, to head to San Diego and the little hole in the wall warehouse, tucked into the residential neighborhood, to pick up a load of bananas. As I type this now, Craig is yet again collecting 5 hours of detention pay as it was rather busy since the Port of San Diego was not operating due to the holiday weekend. They were putting the last pallet of bananas on as I was talking to Craig, and then he was taking off and driving until he feels like stopping. My guess is that he will be stopping in Lebec, CA. 
This load of bananas is scheduled to be delivered at 5am Monday morning in Puyallup, WA. Will make for a nice easy run for them. Word on the street is that Charles is doing quite nicely perfecting his backing skills, and it looks like he is on target to get released from training in just under three weeks. Looks like that is just about how much time I will need to fit back into my clothes and get back out on the truck with Craig. All I got to say about that is.......it's about time!
With the holiday this week, all the drivers that can, were staying out over the weekend. I know, call us weird, but we work all the holidays by choice. Anyway, it looked like slim pickens for getting a load out Saturday. He did get an assignment, of a heavy haul trailer loaded with beer, for a delivery in Idaho and Montana, but when he went to scale out, he was 3,000 pounds overs on his drive axle with no way to adjust it, so just as quickly it was taken away. 
Charles did find his way back to the yard Yesterday afternoon, after getting a ride in Seattle from another trainer. Then later in the day, Craig was told that his next assignment would be Monday morning, at 5am at Johanna Beverage in Spokane, (again with a heavy haul trailer), and take it to the company drop yard in Pacific, WA. From there we don't know what he will get to get them through the holiday week and back on track running hard again. 
As for me, I made it into Walla Walla, WA Friday night and am already helping to plan the Thanksgiving festivities at my friend Cori's house. I heard from Craig this morning and there is already 3 inches of snow on the ground in Spokane. Should be a lot of fun later today when he gets Charles out in the yard and has him practice his backing skills. 
The pictures posted are from when we left our home on Friday and made our trek into Spokane.
Thirty minutes past when I thought he would be there, I get a phone call from Craig asking where I was. He was expecting me at the yard waiting where I told him I would probably be. I said, "Never mind where I am, where are you"?, to which Craig said, "the yard". Having watched with eagle eyes for the arrival at the store, after all, how hard is it to miss a semi truck with a 53 foot trailer, I asked a stupid question knowing full well what the answer would be, but I forged ahead with it anyway....."Did you do your delivery already"? To which he of course said, "No, I'm at the yard dropping Charles off". Well darn, so much for the surprise at the store. 
I quickly told him I was waiting for him at his delivery site with a now warm burrito, and he said he'd be there shortly. Seems they ran into a bit of snow over Snoqualmie Pass on their way to Spokane, and since Charles was driving back home to Seattle for his home time, he wanted to get on the road before it got too bad. Twenty minutes later, Craig shows up, I hop into the truck, deliver a kiss, hug, and the all important burrito, and we go arrived and wait for the unloading to begin.
As far as me? Well as you can see, snow or not, the pickup is ready to head into Spokane and pick Craig up as soon as he gets there. They are slated with a pre plan to get the earliest load out of the Fred Meyer DC in Puyallup and head into Spokane with it hopefully by 8pm tomorrow night.....and when they do, I'll be at the company yard, ready to whisk him away to our house full of home cooked meals that are waiting for him.
Such seems to be the case this time around when Craig asked for home time on the 16th of November. When given his last dispatch on Thursday, to pick up the apples in Washington, and deliver them in Salinas, CA on Saturday, Craig confirmed his request to be home on Monday. Then comes the weekend, and the weekend dispatcher, who was unaware of the home time request. Oh sure, Craig will get home eventually, most likely a couple of days past when he wanted, and I know it's not the end of the world, but when you had plans.............. alas, I guess there's just not much to do but sit back and enjoy the winter wonderland around me, and hoping for a little miracle.
Their arrival in Selah, WA was ahead of schedule and it didn't take long for them to get the apples on board. Craig called ahead to their next stop to see if they could come in early. He was told to "come on down", and they were in Moxee City for yet some more apples. Arriving early didn't necessarily mean of course that they would be loaded early, and such was the case in Moxee City. But just 30 minutes past their appointment time, they were loaded and on their way to scale out the load. 
Craig continued to drive and made it to their first fuel stop in Biggs Junction, OR where Charles took over. Their stop there wasn't without a little bit of drama, as the fuel islands at the Pilot always seem to be busy with drivers jockeying for position for an open pump. Seems one driver took exception to a couple of other drivers finding an open pump before him and he tried to take his frustration out on them, but he was soon subdued by a more alpha driver and he retreated to his truck. 
With a forecast for snow predicted in the early morning hours today, they stayed in La Pine, OR with Craig scheduled to start out the driving duties this morning very early in hopes of out running the storm. They will make another stop in Corning, CA for fuel, showers, and laundry and then make their way to Santa Nella, CA where they will stage for the 8am Saturday morning delivery.
While in the middle of that spinach fiasco, Charles and Craig were given a pre plan of their next assignment. They are to head to Selah, WA and then to Moxee City, WA to pick up apples Thursday morning. The load of apples will have them returning once again to Fresh Express in Salinas, CA to make the delivery on Saturday morning. Conventional thinking is that they will then get a load out of Fresh Express on Saturday, delivering it to the yard in Spokane, WA by Sunday night so that they will be able to begin their home time that was requested. Time will tell if that indeed happens.
I can relate to Mr. Club Soda.........You would think with all this free time on my hands while Craig is busy training, I'd be running around and keeping myself busy. Nope...I mainly sit at home, and couldn't be loving it more. I love the area we live in......mountains, pine trees, a huge river, and wildlife all around. Today we even have some blue skies trying to poke through the grey clouds, I'm sure to try and get some face time before the predicted snow flurries we are suppose to get Thursday. Yep, me and Mr. Club Soda are doing just fine...thank you very much!
Not knowing yet what their dispatch would be and to where, they both decided to take naps, and in hindsight, that turned out to be a good decision. Shortly after waking up around 4pm, the QualComm started beeping with an appointment at 4:30pm. They headed down the street and hooked up to their trailer and Craig did the honors of driving first. By 10pm he had made it to Dunnigan, CA where they stopped for 5 hours to get some non moving sleep, and then Charles took over at 3am to begin his driving time.
Yeah, that's right....go ahead and grab the stone from my hand Grasshopper. I'm sure that's what it felt like when pearls of wisdom are finally not only recognized, but put to use by by Craig's young trainee. I'm sure it was a boost to Craig's training techniques to know that sometimes, what you preach finally sinks in. Such was the case this morning when Charles not only requested to do his virgin drive into the San Francisco Bay area, but spent almost two hours planning his route into and out of the receiver's location. Not only did he make a clean arrival, more importantly, he made a clean departure around the 6 other trucks that were parked here and there, and well, just about everywhere, waiting their turn into one of only two docks. 
So I'm sure you surmised that things went well today, and I can confirm that assumption on your part. They made it back to the company yard in French Camp,CA where Charles' backing skills were yet again tested and honed. Afterwards, I'm sure there was a lot of meeting of the minds around the picnic tables with all the other drivers biding their time staging for thier own deliveries. Hopefully Charles continues his pre planning activities, as he has two more deliveries in San Leandro tomorrow morning. Keep your eye on the stone Grasshopper.
Here is finally a true picture of the Dole banana boat. Craig had to be extremely stealth, as it is forbidden to take any photos while at the Port, so you only get a partial viewing of it on the other side of the truck in the dock next to Craig. It was nice to at least see what the boat looked liked, and to know that, yes in deed, the bananas come right from the boat onto the trailer, and fresh to your local grocery store.