FlyerTalk Forums - Two Trips, One State, One Flight, One Train Ride

Tour of Duty 2nd May 2018 to 7th May 2018

I previously mentioned that I was locked into a trip from Stockton, CA to Alvarado, TX that I was looking for. In fact I booked an air ticket on WN from LGB to OAK. However I got word the trip was postponed then cancelled and a refund was ultimately made. Instead I accepted a trip from Compton, CA to Benicia, CA. I got my things together and got transport to the shipper in Compton. While waiting for my ride to the shipper I saw a few raindrops but they were gone by the time the ride came. Upon reaching the shipper, I checked in, loaded my gear and did the inspection.

Trip: Compton, CA to Benicia, CA 393 paid miles
Make: 2016 Peterbilt
Model: Vacuum Truck
Transmission: Standard Straight 10-speed
Route: Interstate 710 to Interstate 5 to US101 to California 170 back to Interstate 5 to California 12 to Interstate 80 to Interstate 680
Maximum elevation: 4,144 feet at Tejon Summit Interstate 5 one mile south of the Los Angeles/Kern County Line 2 miles north of Gorman, CA and one mile south of Frazier Park, CA
Diesel Price: 3.959$ per gallon at Pilot Lost Hills, CA and Flying J Lodi, CA

Traffic was not terribly bad though there was some congestion on US101 and I made my first pit stop in Frazier Park. There was a little rain on Interstate 5 south of Gorman. I stopped for diesel in Lost Hills then had evening rations at Burger King in Coalinga. I spent the night in Westley, CA

Thursday I continued north and contacted the receiver and got directions as the receiver was not an easy place to locate. I stopped and topped off the fuel in Lodi then headed west on California 12 and crossed three drawbridges in the California Delta area before reaching Interstate 80. I made it to the receiver before closing time and delivered the truck. After delivery I booked an air ticket from OAK to LGB. The receptionist also was a driver for Lyft and she was my ride to OAK.

I arrived at OAK and checked in and checked my bags which weighed 44.0 and 41.5lbs. I cleared security after a longish queue and opted out and was patted down.

Southwest #1253 OAK-LGB B-737-700 Boarding Pass C14
Seat 8E Cruising altitude not announced Estimated flying time not announced, actual 1:01
Depart: Gate 6 Scheduled 20h05, actual 20h26 Taxi: 10 minutes
Arrive: Gate 2 Scheduled 21h25, actual 21h40 Taxi: 3 minutes
Reclaim checked bags 17 minutes after arrival

The plane was late arriving from GEG. My "C" Boarding pass earned me a centre seat this time and I chose one toward the front where there was overhead bin space for my briefcase. We boarded via jetway. Clouds were rolling into Oakland as boarding progressed. The plane was full or nearly full with maybe a few middle seats open. Pushback was 21 minutes late followed by takeoff to the north then a "U" turn to head south. My view outside was severely limited as I did not have a window seat and there was a window missing in Row 8 on my side. Drink orders were taken at 0:14. Seatbelt sign went off at 0:22 and I got cup of soda at 0:30. I got pretzels at 0:36 and felt descent begin at the same time. Descent was announced and seatbelt sign went on at 0:40. We made turns and landed to the northwest and arrived at gate 15 minutes late. We deplaned via stairs. After I collected my bags at baggage reclaim, I got a ride home and spent the night at home.

Friday afternoon I got transport to the shipper in Compton and went through the same routine all over again though the shipper had to move some trucks before pulling mine out.

Trip: Compton, CA to Benicia, CA 393 paid miles
Make: 2015 Peterbilt
Model: Vacuum Truck Supersucker
Transmission: Standard Straight 10-speed
Route: Interstate 710 to Interstate 10 to Interstate 5 to California 2 to Interstate 210 to Interstate 5 to California 12 to Interstate 80 to Interstate 680
Maximum elevation: 4,144 feet Tejon Summit Interstate 5 one mile south of the Los Angeles/Kern County line 2 miles north of Gorman, CA and one mile south of Frazier Park, CA
Highest diesel price: 3.999$ per gallon at Flying J Lodi, CA
Lowest diesel price: 3.899$ per gallon at Flying J Patterson, CA

Traffic was worse after I got started as it was Friday afternoon. I altered my route and avoided some traffic jams but was far from able to avoid all traffic jams. I made my first pit stop in Castaic, CA and it took at least 30 minutes longer to go the 64 miles to Castaic than it took to go the 86 miles to Frazier Park the previous trip. I ascended then descended the Grapevine and had evening rations at Petro in Wheeler Ridge, CA. I ended up spending the night in Buttonwillow, CA.

Saturday I got rolling and it was quite warm in the Central Valley. I stopped at Bravo Farms in Kettleman City for midday rations. I took on fuel in Patterson then stopped in Westley and had evening rations at Dickies BBQ Pit. I stopped in Lodi to top off the fuel then headed west on California 12 to Interstate 80 then reached Vallejo and I checked into motel for two nights and offloaded virtually all my gear. I spent the night in Vallejo, CA.

Sunday I got in touch with receiver and headed over to Benicia and did a rare Sunday delivery. Afterward I had to navigate the driver via phone to my location. I got transport to Bible Baptist Church in Vallejo where I caught the rest of the morning service. The message was on Faithfulness. Afterward I was taken back to my motel then taken back to the same church for evening service where the topic was the Church of Sardis in Revelation 3:1-6. Afterward I was driven around Vallejo and mare Island and I took over 100 pictures of the area. Then I was taken back to motel and had evening rations at Denny's. I spent the night in Vallejo, CA.

Monday I learned there were no trips out of northern or central California and it was too costly to fly to SEA to get a truck so I ended up booking a train ticket home. I checked out at noon and got transport to the Amtrak Station across the Carquinez Strait in Martinez, CA. I checked in and checked bags which weighed 46.0 and 42.6lbs. There was still time so I took a stroll throughout downtown Martinez and took some pictures before returning to the station.

Amtrak #716 San Joaquins MTZ-BFD
Scheduled departure 15h24, actual 15h28
Scheduled arrival 20h53, actual 20h38

The train arrived late and was 4 minutes late departing Martinez. There were stops in Antioch, Stockton, Modesto, Denair, Merced, Fresno, Hanford, Corcoran and Wasco before we arrived in Bakersfield. I had a hot dog and chips and soda during the trip. We arrived in Bakersfield 15 minutes early.

Amtrak #5816 Thruway Bus BFD-FUL
Scheduled departure 21h00, actual 21h00
Scheduled arrival 23h55, actual 23h53

We departed on time. We arrived at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles 16 minutes early and left 2 minutes late and arrrived in Fullerton 2 minutes early and I reclaimed my checked bags immediately after I disembarked and I got transport and arrived home to end this tour of duty.https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...98721be52f.jpg

Oakland, California
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...61af607680.jpg

Benicia, California
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0a1e8d7d83.jpg

Oakland, California
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6c5bbdc4c7.jpg

Crossing the Carquinez Strait on Interstate 80
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...23ccc204c4.jpg

My ride from Compton, California to Benicia, California