Tour of Duty 13rd April 2016 to 28th May 2016
Part III: 5th May to 15th May

Thursday the 5th of May found me making delivery in Northville, Michigan and I switched my gear to truck bound for Texas. I did the inspection and the shipper signed the paper and I was good to go.

Trip: Northville, MI to La Porte, TX 1,392 miles
Make: 2017 Peterbilt
Model: Vacuum Truck
Transmission: Automatic
Route: Interstate 275 to Interstate 75 to Interstate 475 to US24 to Interstate 469 to Interstate 69 to Interstate 465 to Interstate 70 to Interstate 57 to Interstate 55 to US84 to Louisiana 28 to Interstate 49 to US165 to Interstate 10 to Texas 146 to Texas 225
Maximum elevation: unknown
Highest diesel price USA: 2.459$ per gallon at Pilot Toledo, OH
Lowest diesel price USA: 2.199$ per gallon at Pilot Winona, MS

Due to construction I headed south on Haggerty Road for awhile before getting on the 275. I stopped in Monroe, MI to eat then headed into Toledo and took the 475 and there was a fair amount of construction on that road. I took US24 which was a new road and that took me through Napolean and Defiance, Ohio into Indiana where I caught the 469 in the Ft. Wayne area. I did stop to see the sunset and eat again in Napolean, OH. I took on fuel just outside Ft. Wayne, IN then I spent the night in Ft. Wayne, IN.

It was a clear day and I headed south on the 69 toward Indianapolis. There was a traffic jam on the southbound 69 near Fortville, IN due to someone needing to change a tyre. After clearing the Indianapolis area I had midday rations at Steak & Shake in Plainfield, IN. I noticed that traffic was jammed going the other way near Terre Haute, IN. I continued into Illinois then caught the 57 south. There was a lot of construction in Illinois. Late at night I crossed the Mississippi into Missouri and spent the night in Sikeston, MO.

Saturday I continued south on the 55 and stopped in Hayti, MO for fuel and midday rations. I continued through Arkansas, then crossed the Mississippi and went the 12 miles through Memphis, TN and then I entered Mississippi. I stopped in Clinton, MS for late evening rations then continued farther south through Jackson and I spent the night in Brookhaven, MS.

Sunday there was a challenge but I pulled into the car park at Grace Baptist Church in Brookhaven, MS where I attended Sunday morning service. The sermon was on Second Samuel 21:1-14. After the service I headed west on US84 into Natchez then I crossed the Mississippi River into Vidalia, Louisiana. I made a brief stop to stretch out and take come pictures before continuing. I stopped again in Alexandria, LA where I took a walk and I took pictures of that city. I made a stop at the Pilot in Iowa, LA (east of Lake Charles) where I had late evening rations before clearing Lake Charles and crossing the Sabine River into Texas. I spent the night in Winnie, TX.

Monday it was windy and there was some rain shower activity which quit by the time I was ready to roll. I made it to La Porte where I dropped the truck then I hired a taxi to take me to Pasadena, TX for the next truck.

Trip: Pasadena, TX to San Marcos, TX 185 miles
Make: 2016 Freightliner
Model: Vacuum Truck
Transmission: Standard Straight 10-speed
Route: Fairmont Parkway to Texas 8 to Interstate 45 to Interstate 10 to Texas 46 to Interstate 35 to FM1101
Maximum elevation: unknown
Diesel price USA: 1.959$ per gallon at Cornerstone Pipeline Seguin, TX

This truck originally had a destination of Schertz, TX (northeast suburb of San Antonio) but the destination was changed to San Marcos. I got the truck and it was after 14h00 when I left the shipper but I was told the truck needed to be delivered by 17h00 which I knew was not realistic. I followed the directions my smartphone gave me. The only trouble with that was my smartphone makes routing decisions on traffic conditions at the time but an accident could easily louse things up. That's precisely what happened in the Houston area and it took me two hours to go the first 61 miles to Brookshire, TX where I phoned up the customer to explain what happened. I then continued to Columbus, TX where I stopped for a half hour to eat. I proceeded west and exited onto Texas 46 and got diesel for under two dollars a gallon. I phoned the customer again to arrange delivery and I proceeded onto Interstate 35 and exited in New Braunfels and took FM1101 and a couple of other roads. It was dark and I saw the first fireflies of the season. I dropped off the truck at a power plant in the middle of nowhere but it was considered to be San Marcos even though New Braunfels was closer. The customer came and took custody of the truck just outside the gate of the power plant after I got my gear out. I had to wait for about an hour and a half for a taxi to arrive then I was taken to New Braunfels, TX where I spent the night.

Tuesday I ended up laying over and spending the night in New Braunfels, TX as I did not have very many hours to legally operate per hours of service rules. I was told there was a truck going from Temple, TX to Lancaster, TX then dispatch was going to send me to Gulfport, MS to get truck going to Lancaster, TX. Finally plans changed and I was to get a truck the next day going from San Antonio, TX to Delta, OH near Toledo.

Wednesday the sky was clearing but it was wet outside as a there was a thunderstorm early in the morning. I hired a taxi to San Antonio and learned the destination of the truck changed from Delta, OH to Akron, OH. I made the pickup and was dismayed to learn that the air conditioning was not working well if at all due to the very warm and humid conditions.

Trip: San Antonio, TX to Akron, OH 1,375 miles
Make: 2015 Peterbilt
Model: Boom Truck
Transmission: Automatic
Route: Interstate 35 to Interstate 35E to Interstate 20 to Interstate 45 to US75 to US69 to Interstate 44 to Interstate 270 to Interstate 255 to Interstate 70 to Interstate 465 to Interstate 70 to Interstate 270 to Interstate 71 to Interstate 76 to Interstate 277
Maximum elevation: unknown but some sections of Ohio including Akron are over 1,000 feet above sea level
Highest diesel price: 2.299$ per gallon at Flying J Dallas, TX
Lowest diesel price: 2.059$ per gallon at Pilot Muskogee, OK

This was a larger truck with a bad turning radius and I did not like the way it handled so I took it slow and easy. I took on fuel in New Braunfels then continued north after having midday rations. I lost time as traffic was jammed up real bad in Austin, TX. Finally traffic started moving well north of Austin and I was going to make a pit stop in Jarrell, TX but the truckstop parking was full up. I did make pit stop at rest area a little farther north in Salado, TX before continuing north. I spent the night in Hillsboro, TX where I saw lightning before turning in for the night.

Thursday I continued north and stopped in Italy, TX for midday rations before continuing to Dallas where I took on fuel. Traffic moved well on Interstate 45 but that became US75 and the speed limit went up to 70 right in Dallas but traffic slowed to a crawl and I lost more time due to traffic jam. Traffic was bad on US75 through Dallas, Plano and Alvin before clearing up and moving well again. I made a pit stop in Anna, TX and it was not quite as hot and humid so it felt more pleasant in spite of little to no air conditioning. I crossed the Red River into Oklahoma and proceeded northward. I made a pit stop near Atoka, OK to eat then I spent the night in Muskogee, OK.

Friday I took on fuel in Muskogee, OK then proceeded to Big Cabin, OK where I had midday rations before hopping on the Oklahoma Turnpike eastbound Interstate 44. I made a pit stop in Joplin, MO then had evening rations and saw the sunset in Marshfield, MO. I spent the night in Cuba, MO.

Saturday it was much cooler with temperatures in the 40'sF to start. I stopped to take on fuel and get midday rations in Villa Ridge, MO. I crossed the Mississippi into Illinois and made it to Cloverdale, IN where I spent the night.

Sunday I got rolling. I took on fuel in Indianapolis then stopped to stretch out and take pictures in Knightstown, IN. I continued east and went to Southgate Baptist Church in Springfield, OH. Afterward I continued to Akron and went to hotel to check in and get a room. I offloaded almost all my gear into the room then proceeded to where I thought the receiver would be. I found out the driveway at the address given was not big enough for the truck so I went around the corner to the same property and found a parking area where I safely did after hours drop then I hired a taxi and spent the night in Akron, OH.