I've been so busy recording our adventures on the road! Life Changes began when Hubs and I decided to start our own transport company. We have already made many trips and deliveries. Those great times can be found in a blog on the 'Spaces' app. Moving forward we would have even more lanes to change and travel in!
~*~*~*~*~^~*~*~*~*~
After being home for a couple of weeks waiting on truck repairs, we headed out of town to make the 9 hour drive up to meet our new partner in Missouri. Things being what they were, we should have sensed rough roads ahead.
For starters, we got a couple of hours into our drive when Pop! Something in the engine sounded like it blew. Hubs turned us right around, and we were suddenly homeward bound again. He made some calls to see if the mechanic would be willing to check us out when we got back into town. Thankfully, he was available and the repair was minor.
Attempting to leave town once more, we got a very late start that evening. With the drive being completely in the dark, it went by pretty quickly. We set off chatting, singing, making a few pit stops, and saying prayers that no wildlife would jump out in front of us, finally making it to a stopping place about 5:00 in the morning. 🥱. We ended up with not much more than a cat nap in the truck before waking up to brush our teeth and wipe the sleep out of our eyes and getting across town for the meeting. That was the highlight of the next few days…..
After introductions and paperwork, we started up the truck and followed directions to a rail yard in Springfield. This new partnership was the starting point of hopping from one train yard to another all across the country.
Off to Iowa from there. Ok. So far, so good. Though we noticed not long after we got into Iowa, the temperature really started dropping. Drastically.
👆🏻Jax braving the cold! 🥶
Driving on past nightfall, we watched the temps on the dashboard dropping one at a time until it reached minus 9 degrees. It was frigid. With the windchill it was more like minus 35. We’d been to Canada to visit the kids before in the winter, and I don’t think I felt that cold even there. Pulling into a truck stop for some rest, Hubs left the engine idling so we’d get some heat. He also knew, much better than I, that at those temperatures the diesel could gel in the engine, spelling Trouble.
About 5:30 that morning, Hubs shut off the motor for maybe 15 minutes, thinking that would be ok. Unfortunately it was just enough time and just freezing enough that the truck would not start again. That was the second sign that we were going to have a tough trip. It was entirely too cold for any of us to stay in the truck. We bundled up, got the leash on poor Jax, and headed into the store begging for shelter. Being out in the wind was physically painful. I now have a greater understanding of just how dangerous those temps can be. Thankfully the woman at the cash register loved dogs, and found us a spot where we could keep him. Jax and I sat inside watching whatever sports are on replay at that ungodly hour, while Hubs went back and forth to the truck gathering help, information, and making phone calls. He couldn’t work on the truck for more than a few minutes at a time before needing to return inside to thaw out.
That went on for several hours as we prayed that the sun would peek out from behind the clouds long enough to radiate some heat. Hubs had come to the conclusion that the diesel had indeed gelled. If he could get it warm enough, he could also use jumper cables to get the motor running for awhile.
In the meantime, I remained inside with Jax, texting our daughter, Becca, who was relaying questions to her hubby and brother who are both mechanics.
It helps to find someone to commiserate with. Lol
By late afternoon, we were able to drive, albeit limping along would be more accurate. We got about 12 miles down the road and considered that progress. Pulling into a Love’s Truck Stop, we found a place to stop so we wouldn’t be on the roads in the dark. The poor truck was still a little sluggish, and it didn’t seem that it would be warm enough any time soon to expect much change.
The best way to pass that very cold night was to grab hot food, run the heater, and veg out watching our favorite episodes until the warmth lulled us to sleep. 💤
Morning finally dawned and we found the coffee pot as quickly as possible. We were both hoping for a better day of travels.
Unfortunately, less than a mile down the road we discovered that the odds were not at all in our favor. Once again, we lost power and sat at the edge of another road. At least it was a small town, and a very helpful policeman pulled up behind us and began directing traffic. He even called for a tow truck.
Poor ole truck! Thanks, guys!
Ready to see the doc!
The guys took the truck on a wrecker, and towed our trailer on a pick up. They graciously gave us a ride to the shop with Jax in my lap.
To my delight, they had a very nice lounge with La-Z-Boy recliners and a spot for Jax. 🐶 Not such a bad deal for the next few hours. Once they made a test drive they determined that all was OK, so with a lot of gratitude we got back on the road.
FINALLY, we made our first delivery for the new partner. Good thing for us, she was extremely understanding and holds a lot of respect from her connections who will take late deliveries when necessary.
Whew! What a start for the new week. Grab a cozy blanket, a hot cuppa, and see how far down the icy road we try to go next! 😉
~ 🛻 🗺️ 🐶
Add comment
Comments