OH-IL-OH

Picked up in Dayton Friday morning, two large vacuum testing machines going to CAT in Mossville, IL. Dispatch called with a second load while I was enroute to Mossville going from Willowbrook, IL to Fremont, OH for Saturday delivery.

Arrived at CAT at 1630 Friday. Got hung up there because they couldn't find a FORKLIFT. These machines were on wheels and I thought about using the liftgate to get them off the truck (no dock available) but since they were valued at $87,000 each, I wasn't going to take the chance of them falling off. They were 85" tall and top heavy. Finally got out of there at 1800.

Deadheaded 137 miles to Willowbrook, IL arriving at 2030. The load was a 3500 lb. machine used to stamp out plastic spouts for plastic gas cans. Their forklift wouldn't START so they ended up pushing it on the truck with a towmotor. It was in the center of the truck slightly to the left. I didn't like the position, but they couldn't move it any farther forward. I spent about a half hour blocking and bracing the thing and noticed that it was leaking oil on the floor, so I had them get me some rags to put under the leak. While I was doing this I heard a noise and turned around to find that a raccoon had come into the truck and was staring at me. He left without any argument. Left there at 2130 and went down to the weigh station on I55 for the night as I was out of hours.

Delivered in Fremont at 1400 Saturday and went over to T/S in Millbury. Met up with the driver of Sprinter #1 and we grabbed a bite to eat. He went home for mothers day, and I'm still sitting here as I didn't want to burn the fuel to go back home.

T/S had an orientation class for tractors that finished up shortly after we got there, and the class starting Monday has 12 straight trucks, 8 cargo vans, and two tractors in it. T/S must have lost a lot of trucks recently. With gas now pushing $4, the cargo vans are starting to feel the heat like the rest of us.

I have another bone to pick with T/S Monday. They zapped me $582. for that service call and two batteries last month.