FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Living On Negative Pay: 50 Days, 18 States, 10 Trips, 7 Flight Segments

Jan 4, 2020, 2:26 am

Loose Cannon

Join Date: Aug 2004

Location: Let me check my Logbook

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Posts: 2,350

Southern Sojourns; Fiery Skies over Alabama

Tour of Duty 31st October 2019 to 19th December 2019
Part II: 1st November to 8th November

I awoke in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Friday the 1st of November. I got transport to the address where the shipper was located and saw a truck out front. The truck was unlocked with keys in the ignition and there were issues with missing lights but then I checked the VIN (serial number) and found it was not the truck I was assigned! I unloaded my gear and a guy came and took me to the correct truck and I loaded my gear and did the safety inspection and the VIN matched to my paperwork and I was good to go.

Trip: Tulsa, OK to Leeds, AL 651 paid miles
Make: 2020 Kenworth
Model: Vacuum Truck
Transmission: Standard straight 10-speed
Governed Speed: 75mph/120kph
Route: Interstate 44 to US169 to Oklahoma 51 to Oklahoma 351 to Interstate 40 to Interstate 55 to Mississippi 302 to Interstate 22 (US78) to Interstate 65 to local roads to Interstate 20
Maximum elevation: unknown
Highest diesel price USA: 3.059$ per gallon at Pilot North Little Rock, AR
Lowest diesel price USA: 2.959$ per gallon at Flying J Birmingham, AL

I got started but stopped at a nearby QT for midday rations and some phone calls. I made another stop at Love's in Webbers Falls, OK and had evening rations at Burger King. I made it into Arkansas and spent the first night in Alma, AR.

Saturday I continued east and had midday rations in Blackwell, AR and evening rations in West Memphis, AR. I ended up spending the night in Horn Lake, MS.

Sunday I had a late start. I had midday rations at Arby's at the Pilot in New Albany, MS. Then I stopped at a truckstop near Tupelo, MS and was picked up and taken to Lakeview Baptist Church for the Sunday Evening service. The message was on Matthew 5:41. There was a bridal shower for a couple planning to get married after the service and I had some evening rations there as a result. Afterward I was taken back to the truck and I continued my trip east into Alabama and I spent the night in Jasper, AL.

Monday it was mostly cloudy and cool but not cold. I stopped in Birmingham to take on fuel. I accepted dispatch for next trip. I completed the delivery in Leeds, AL and saw some fall colours there. After I completed the delivery I booked a hotel room in Sylacauga, AL. I got transport to Sylacauga to hotel and I saw the aftermath of a sunset and it looked like the sky was on fire. I had evening rations in two places. First I had clam strips and butterfly shrimp at Captain D's then I had Chicken Fingers and Fries at Zaxby's. I spent the night in Sylacauga, AL.

Tuesday I got transport to the shipper and found out where to go and someone brought the truck so I did not have to hunt for it and I loaded the truck and did the safety inspection and found a marker light was out. The shipper fixed the problem and the trip commenced.

Trip: Sylacauga, AL to Bryan, TX 751 paid miles
Make: 2010 International
Model: Cab and Chassis
Transmission: Automatic
Governed Speed: 65mph/105kph
Route: US280 to Interstate 459 to Interstate 20 to Interstate 220 back to Interstate 20 to US271 to Loop 323 to Texas 155 to US79 to Interstate 45 to US190 to Texas 6
Maximum elevation: about 1,087 feet US280 between Birmingham, AL and Chelsea, AL
Diesel Price USA: 2.859$ per gallon at Pilot Jackson, MS

After I left the shipper I parked briefly in downtown Sylacauga and took some pictures of that city. Then I went to a BBQ place at a nearby filling station and was dismayed to find there was no BBQ Beef Brisket. I settled for a cheeseburger instead. Traffic was heavy on US280 approaching Birmingham. I made a pit stop at a filling station outside Birmingham and I did some research and made a phone call then headed to Vulcan Park and got a panoramic view of Birmingham at dusk and dark and I took some pictures of Birmingham from that vantage point. Then I got on the westbound 459 ring road around Birmingham which connected to Interstate 20 and 59 which ran concurrently at that point. I had evening rations at Popeyes in McCalla, AL. I made it into Mississippi and spent the night in Meridian, MS.

Wednesday I continued west and stopped in Brandon, MS and had late midday rations at Sonny's BBQ. I got the BBQ beef brisket I wanted though it was thinly sliced. I stopped in Jackson, MS to take on fuel and then continued west and across the Mississippi River into Louisiana. I had evening rations in Rayville, LA then continued a short way and spent the night in Monroe, LA.

Thursday I got into rain just west of Calhoun, LA and there was light to moderate rain to around Haughton, LA. I stoped for midday rations in Minden, LA. There was a traffic jam on Interstate 220 ring road around Shreveport but the 20 in Shreveport proper was also congested. The rain quit by the time I entered Texas. I had evening rations at Texas Best BBQ in Tyler, TX. I spent the night in Palestine, TX.

Friday I stopped for midday rations at McKenzie's BBQ in Madisonville, TX. I accepted a dispatch and got locked into my next trip and a rental car was set up. I continued to Bryan, TX where I completed delivery. It was cool and cloudy but no rain. I got picked up by the rental car company and got into rental car. I took some pictures of downtown Bryan, TX as this was my first time to that city. I had evening rations at C & J Barbeque. I stopped for rental car fuel and unleaded was 2.069$ per gallon at Bucee's in Waller, TX. Traffic in the greater Houston area was not bad. I took a different route to avoid some construction around Beaumont and Vidor and I ended up spending the night in Port Arthur, TX.