What a week
 

I came off of hometime on Tuesday in WV. From home, I was bobtailed 284 miles to pick up an empty trailer, then another 68 miles to pick up my load. The load went to Laredo, TX (total miiles on that load was just over 2,000 miles). As soon as I got to Laredo, I picked up a load going to Vancouver, BC (2,310 miles). Sounds great, right? Almost.

I know my hours (70hr clock) are tight on this, so I've been keeping close tabs on them. When I parked today, I checked again. As of the day that I'm scheduled to deliver (Wednesday morning), I have a total of 24hrs 56mins. My GPS (2 of them) are estimating a driving-only time of 23hrs 26mins. Ok - that's a 1 1/2hr window. Oh, wait, take off 2 more post-trips (pre's are just flagged), 1 more fuelstop and stops at both US & CA customs.

Ughhhh - Guess I'll be calling dispatch first thing tomorrow morning to explain the situation. Hopefully they can extend the delivery one day because I don't want to give up this load whatsoever.

Okay.....so right now....WHERE are you at? What route are you taking to get up into the Seattle area? Please don't tell me that you are going across AZ into CA get to I-5!!!

I'm in Gallup, NM and will be heading north on US-491 & US-191, working my way to I-70 to I-15 just south of Salt Lake City. From there, I'll pick up I-84 and run that west to I-82, I-90, I-405 & I-5.

I've never ran 491/191 out of Gallup. What am I in store for road-wise?

You would have saved 180 miles and 2 hours if you had just hopped up I-25 at Albuquerque then taken US 550 to Farmington then cut across to Cortez.....but you are on the right route for a 65 mph truck! As far as from Gallup up to Shiprock, once you are north of Gallup and over the ridge, it is a long valley...with lot's of possibilities for adventure. It was not uncommon back in the late 70's and through the 80's for the Indians to drive hobbled cattle and horses out in front of the trucks as they steamed up the valley.

You are planning on taking US 6 north off of I-70....right??

Ya - US-6 from I-70 to I-15

I would've saved a lot of miles if I could've ran the route I wanted instead of the one they told me to. That's one thing that really sucks with set fuel routing - you go where they tell you.

Well hell.....I always thought there was a way around dumb ideas!! What did they have ya do....drive to Gallup to fuel at Pilot??

You should send them ninnies this route!

I-35 to US-80....US83 to US-277....to US-87....to US-84....to I-40.....to I-25.....to US 550......to US 64 ......to US-491.....to US-191.....to I-70....to US 6......to I-15......to I-84 (Tremonton UT)......to I-82........to I-405.........to I-5.......To CA 99!!!

2430 miles......40 hours driving....plus fueling and post trips.

Of course....you woulda missed seeing Roswell.

Actually, it was to the Love's in Gallup for fuel...