Valley of the Sun to San Bernardino Valley to Central Valley; Grounded for Now
Apr 11, 2017, 11:31 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Let me check my Logbook
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards; AAdvantage; Alaska Mileage Plan; Wyndham Rewards; Choice Hotels
Posts: 2,350
Valley of the Sun to San Bernardino Valley to Central Valley; Grounded for Now
Tour of Duty 28th March 2017 to 1st April 2017
I got word about a couple of trips to finish out March. A rental car was booked and I got transport to LGB to get the car then came by the house to load my gear and I was on my way to PHX. I got stuck in traffic jams on California 91 and Interstate 215 and traffic flow improved after I got on the eastbound 10. I stopped in some cities in the Coachella Valley to take some pictures and continued east and spent the first night in Blythe, CA.
Wednesday the 29th I continued east into Arizona and en route I noticed some changes. First there was more developement farther out from the centre of Phoenix. Second the speed limit went down from 75mph or 120km/h to 65mph or 105km/h farther out at milepost 120 rather than milepost 125 or 131 as was once the case. I got stuck in traffic in Phoenix but continued to a filling station and after paying 2.169$ per gallon to top off the fuel tank I dropped off the car at the rental car location near PHX. I got transport to the shipper and was delayed by a railroad crossing malfunction. Once at the shipper I located the truck, checked in, did the safety inspection and I was good to go.
Trip: Phoenix, AZ to Fontana, CA 320 miles
Make: 2016 International
Model: Road Tractor
Transmission: Automatic
Route: Interstate 10 to Ramon Road to Gene Autry Trail to Vista Chino Drive to California 111 back to Interstate 10
Highest elevation: unknown but Beaumont, CA on Interstate is the highest listed city at 2,582 feet
No fuel purchased on this trip
I headed west on Interstate 10 and traffic was heavy. I stopped in Goodyear and had evening rations at Rudy's BBQ. I've seen Rudy's BBQ in various parts of Texas and also Colorado Springs but this the first time I saw one in Arizona. At the conclusion of the meal I photographed some nice sunset scenes. I continued west and after stops in Tonopah and Quartzsite I crossed the Colorado River into California and I spent the night in Blythe, CA.
Thursday I continued west and the winds picked up. I stopped for late afternoon rations in Coachella, CA and had to hang on to my hat to keep it from blowing off. Afterward I continued west on the 10 to Thousand Palms and after a pit stop and check of conditions I opted to head west on Ramon Road into Palm Springs then north on Gene Autry Trail and west on Vista Chino to California 111 before rejoining Interstate 10. There were high winds and I heard the highest measured wind gust was 66mph at PSP. I got a few nasty wind gusts on California 111 and visibility was poor due to blowing sand. I also experienced occasional rain showers from the northwest part of Palm Springs on California 111 to Banning, CA. The weigh scale just east of Banning was open and I used the "empty" lane and was not pulled in for inspection. West of Banning the wind diminished. I made it to San Bernardino where I had late evening rations and spent the night.
Friday there was almost no wind. I fired up and headed west on the 10 through Colton and Rialto into Fontana where I dropped off the truck, then switched my gear to the next truck and did the safety inspection.
Trip: Fontana, CA to Turlock, CA 343 miles
Make: 2015 Volvo
Model: Road Tractor
Transmission: Automatic
Route: Interstate 10 to Interstate 15 to US395 to California 18 to California 138 to California 14 to California 58 to California 99
Highest elevation: 4,190 feet at Cajon Summit south of Hesperia, CA
Diesel Fuel price USA: 2.859$ per gallon at Pilot Hesperia, CA
After the inspection sheet/bill of lading was signed I headed west on the 10 for a very short distance and caught the 15 north There was a new truck bypass at the interchange of the 15 and 215. The weigh scale on the northbound 15 was closed so I motored on and up the Cajon Pass and shortly after the summit I took the 395 to the Pilot Truckstop where I took on fuel and had midday rations. Then I continued north on the 395 for several miles and west on California 18 which entered Los Angeles County and ended at California 138. I took the 138 through Llano, Pearblossom and Littlerock before reaching Palmdale. The 138 started as two lane head on traffic but was twinned by the time I entered the Palmdale City Limits. I caught California 14 the Antelope Valley Freeway and headed north through Lancaster and Rosamond into Mojave where I made a pit stop and observed the sunset. Afterwards I connected with California 58 and headed west and the weigh scale between Mojave and Tehachapi was open and I used the "empty" lane and was not pulled in for inspection. Then I topped the Tehachapi Pass in Tehachapi and started the long and variable descent into Bakersfield. In Bakersfield I had evening rations at Zingo's. Then I caught the 99 north through McFarland, Delano, Earlimart, Tipton, Tulare, Visalia, Traver, Kingsburg, Fowler, Selma on into Fresno where I shut down and spent the night.
Saturday was a nice day and I continued north into Madera County and after Madera and Chowchilla I continued into Merced County and the weigh scale just inside Merced County on the northbound 99 was closed so I motored on through Merced and Atwater before making a final pit stop in Livingston. Afterward I continued to the receiver in Turlock where I dropped off the truck. After a short wait I got transport to the Amtrak Station in Merced and I booked my ticket while en route. I checked in and checked my bags which weighed 44.5 and 37.6lbs.
Amtrak San Joaquin Southbound #714 MCD-BFD
Scheduled departure 15h35, actual 15h40
Scheduled arrival 18h49, actual 18h33
This train arrived close to on time but departed 5 minutes late. Intermediate stops included Madera, Fresno, Hanford, Corcoran and Wasco. I had early evening rations en route from the Cafe Car. We ran behind most of the time but did not have to yield for a northbound train that was delayed so we ended up making it to Bakersfield 16 minutes early. After disembarking I found my connecting motorcoach.
Amtrak Thruway Bus #5814 BFD-LAX
Scheduled departure 18h55, actual 18h55
Scheduled arrival 21h15, actual 20h55
The bus left Bakersfield on time and I saw a nice sunset while on the 99. We went over the Grapevine into the Santa Clarita Valley and past Magic Mountain before entering the San Fernando Valley. The driver opted to take the 170 Hollywood Freeway which merged into the 101. There was some congestion on the 101 for the last several miles before we made it to Union Station 20 minutes early.
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner Southbound #796 LAX-ANA
Scheduled departure 22h10, actual 22h10
Scheduled arrival 22h49, actual 22h50
Reclaim checked bags 8 minutes after arrival
This train left on time and made one intermediate stop in Fullerton before arriving in Anaheim at the ARTIC one minute late. I reclaimed my luggage then went outside to see about transport home and found there were a lot of people. I found out that there was a rock concert at the Honda Centre that just let out so many people were seeking transport. I waited until the price dropped and then ordered a ride home but had a long wait as traffic on Katella Avenue was totally gridlocked. I finally arrived home well after midnight.
On Wednesday 5th of April I went to see a doctor that was certified by the DOT to do Physical Exams for commercial drivers. I passed the blood pressure test and passed everything where there are bright line standards but the doctor did a test that may not be mandatory and as a result he opted not to sign off on my recertification until he gets more information. He did not outright fail me but put my status as "pending" which lasts for a maximum of 45 days according to new DOT regulations. Since my old DOT physical expired on the 8th of April I am grounded for the time being from driving commercial vehicles.
I got word about a couple of trips to finish out March. A rental car was booked and I got transport to LGB to get the car then came by the house to load my gear and I was on my way to PHX. I got stuck in traffic jams on California 91 and Interstate 215 and traffic flow improved after I got on the eastbound 10. I stopped in some cities in the Coachella Valley to take some pictures and continued east and spent the first night in Blythe, CA.
Wednesday the 29th I continued east into Arizona and en route I noticed some changes. First there was more developement farther out from the centre of Phoenix. Second the speed limit went down from 75mph or 120km/h to 65mph or 105km/h farther out at milepost 120 rather than milepost 125 or 131 as was once the case. I got stuck in traffic in Phoenix but continued to a filling station and after paying 2.169$ per gallon to top off the fuel tank I dropped off the car at the rental car location near PHX. I got transport to the shipper and was delayed by a railroad crossing malfunction. Once at the shipper I located the truck, checked in, did the safety inspection and I was good to go.
Trip: Phoenix, AZ to Fontana, CA 320 miles
Make: 2016 International
Model: Road Tractor
Transmission: Automatic
Route: Interstate 10 to Ramon Road to Gene Autry Trail to Vista Chino Drive to California 111 back to Interstate 10
Highest elevation: unknown but Beaumont, CA on Interstate is the highest listed city at 2,582 feet
No fuel purchased on this trip
I headed west on Interstate 10 and traffic was heavy. I stopped in Goodyear and had evening rations at Rudy's BBQ. I've seen Rudy's BBQ in various parts of Texas and also Colorado Springs but this the first time I saw one in Arizona. At the conclusion of the meal I photographed some nice sunset scenes. I continued west and after stops in Tonopah and Quartzsite I crossed the Colorado River into California and I spent the night in Blythe, CA.
Thursday I continued west and the winds picked up. I stopped for late afternoon rations in Coachella, CA and had to hang on to my hat to keep it from blowing off. Afterward I continued west on the 10 to Thousand Palms and after a pit stop and check of conditions I opted to head west on Ramon Road into Palm Springs then north on Gene Autry Trail and west on Vista Chino to California 111 before rejoining Interstate 10. There were high winds and I heard the highest measured wind gust was 66mph at PSP. I got a few nasty wind gusts on California 111 and visibility was poor due to blowing sand. I also experienced occasional rain showers from the northwest part of Palm Springs on California 111 to Banning, CA. The weigh scale just east of Banning was open and I used the "empty" lane and was not pulled in for inspection. West of Banning the wind diminished. I made it to San Bernardino where I had late evening rations and spent the night.
Friday there was almost no wind. I fired up and headed west on the 10 through Colton and Rialto into Fontana where I dropped off the truck, then switched my gear to the next truck and did the safety inspection.
Trip: Fontana, CA to Turlock, CA 343 miles
Make: 2015 Volvo
Model: Road Tractor
Transmission: Automatic
Route: Interstate 10 to Interstate 15 to US395 to California 18 to California 138 to California 14 to California 58 to California 99
Highest elevation: 4,190 feet at Cajon Summit south of Hesperia, CA
Diesel Fuel price USA: 2.859$ per gallon at Pilot Hesperia, CA
After the inspection sheet/bill of lading was signed I headed west on the 10 for a very short distance and caught the 15 north There was a new truck bypass at the interchange of the 15 and 215. The weigh scale on the northbound 15 was closed so I motored on and up the Cajon Pass and shortly after the summit I took the 395 to the Pilot Truckstop where I took on fuel and had midday rations. Then I continued north on the 395 for several miles and west on California 18 which entered Los Angeles County and ended at California 138. I took the 138 through Llano, Pearblossom and Littlerock before reaching Palmdale. The 138 started as two lane head on traffic but was twinned by the time I entered the Palmdale City Limits. I caught California 14 the Antelope Valley Freeway and headed north through Lancaster and Rosamond into Mojave where I made a pit stop and observed the sunset. Afterwards I connected with California 58 and headed west and the weigh scale between Mojave and Tehachapi was open and I used the "empty" lane and was not pulled in for inspection. Then I topped the Tehachapi Pass in Tehachapi and started the long and variable descent into Bakersfield. In Bakersfield I had evening rations at Zingo's. Then I caught the 99 north through McFarland, Delano, Earlimart, Tipton, Tulare, Visalia, Traver, Kingsburg, Fowler, Selma on into Fresno where I shut down and spent the night.
Saturday was a nice day and I continued north into Madera County and after Madera and Chowchilla I continued into Merced County and the weigh scale just inside Merced County on the northbound 99 was closed so I motored on through Merced and Atwater before making a final pit stop in Livingston. Afterward I continued to the receiver in Turlock where I dropped off the truck. After a short wait I got transport to the Amtrak Station in Merced and I booked my ticket while en route. I checked in and checked my bags which weighed 44.5 and 37.6lbs.
Amtrak San Joaquin Southbound #714 MCD-BFD
Scheduled departure 15h35, actual 15h40
Scheduled arrival 18h49, actual 18h33
This train arrived close to on time but departed 5 minutes late. Intermediate stops included Madera, Fresno, Hanford, Corcoran and Wasco. I had early evening rations en route from the Cafe Car. We ran behind most of the time but did not have to yield for a northbound train that was delayed so we ended up making it to Bakersfield 16 minutes early. After disembarking I found my connecting motorcoach.
Amtrak Thruway Bus #5814 BFD-LAX
Scheduled departure 18h55, actual 18h55
Scheduled arrival 21h15, actual 20h55
The bus left Bakersfield on time and I saw a nice sunset while on the 99. We went over the Grapevine into the Santa Clarita Valley and past Magic Mountain before entering the San Fernando Valley. The driver opted to take the 170 Hollywood Freeway which merged into the 101. There was some congestion on the 101 for the last several miles before we made it to Union Station 20 minutes early.
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner Southbound #796 LAX-ANA
Scheduled departure 22h10, actual 22h10
Scheduled arrival 22h49, actual 22h50
Reclaim checked bags 8 minutes after arrival
This train left on time and made one intermediate stop in Fullerton before arriving in Anaheim at the ARTIC one minute late. I reclaimed my luggage then went outside to see about transport home and found there were a lot of people. I found out that there was a rock concert at the Honda Centre that just let out so many people were seeking transport. I waited until the price dropped and then ordered a ride home but had a long wait as traffic on Katella Avenue was totally gridlocked. I finally arrived home well after midnight.
On Wednesday 5th of April I went to see a doctor that was certified by the DOT to do Physical Exams for commercial drivers. I passed the blood pressure test and passed everything where there are bright line standards but the doctor did a test that may not be mandatory and as a result he opted not to sign off on my recertification until he gets more information. He did not outright fail me but put my status as "pending" which lasts for a maximum of 45 days according to new DOT regulations. Since my old DOT physical expired on the 8th of April I am grounded for the time being from driving commercial vehicles.
Last edited by Loose Cannon; Apr 12, 2017 at 12:46 am
May 30, 2017, 3:32 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Let me check my Logbook
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards; AAdvantage; Alaska Mileage Plan; Wyndham Rewards; Choice Hotels
Posts: 2,350
Flowers in the California Desert off Interstate 10 west of Chiriaco Summit on the road to Joshua Tree National Park