Part of last week just generally sucked all around

[jmowreader]

I had two loads that, without question, sucked worse than anything I've ever seen.

The first load I pulled from New Jersey to Ohio. The load itself wasn't bad, except that when I got up in the front of the truck to leave, nothing happened when I turned the key. Starter failure.

And the second, I pulled from Ohio to Michigan. I had to take I-90 for part of the distance, and going through Cleveland I thought, "this road will cut about 30 miles off the distance." Unfortunately, the road was being stimulated and I had to weave around Cleveland for three hours trying to get out.

Once I got rid of that one, things started looking up. I first picked up a load of paper in Battle Creek, Michigan, and took it to Kentucky to turn into boxes. Once I dropped it, I got to do a "two stop" pickup at two of the companies I always wanted to work for--RR Donnelley and Quebecor World. But that turned out not to be the most entertaining part of the trip--that came at the end, when I found out the delivery address was inside a cave. In Kansas City, someone built this huge labyrinth of tunnels and workspaces inside a mountain. They've got a network of two-lane roads, 13'6" ceilings, enough room to turn and back in...just everything a growing trucker needs.

Unfortunately, what KC is very short on is truck stops--they don't freakin' exist here for some damn reason.

[Tobin S.]

1. I hear you about the lack of truckstops out in Kansas City

I was stuck out there one time waiting for a load. Fortunately, I was able to drop the trailer at a customer's yard and bobtail to a Walmart and hang out there for a while and get some rest. Some Walmarts are trucker friendly, but some are not. They all used to be, as far as I know, but the idiots with the piss bottles and trash ruined it for the rest of us.

I think there is a truck stop about 20-30 miles east of KC on I-70. A Petro I do believe. I'd look it up before I headed that way, though. It's been a while since I've been out there. Other than that, you might be able to find out which direction you will be heading for your next load from your dispatcher and head that way and find some place to stay along the way.