The Henrico Nabisco load piqued my interest. So I logged into the Convoy app and made a bid, raising the current rate by $100 to $720. Perhaps it was a tad bit high, but if they need this freight moved, they’ll either counter or accept.
Sure enough they accepted, so I drove an hour south of DC to Henrico to accept the load. My pickup window was from 1-5pm. I showed up in the middle at 3, I figured that was the best chance for the load to be ready without having to be late. Instead I waited. And waited and waited.
It was 11pm, before my load was ready – a full 8 hours of detention and a guarantee $250 in detention pay that Convoy would have to wrestle out of Nabisco. By 11, my 14 hour clock was soon to expire, so it made no sense to hit the road and run out of time.
So I put on The Turn of the Screw by Henry James book CD to drown out the loud beeping of the the overworked yard jockey moving trailers and went to sleep. I didn’t sleep for long before Convoy started calling. Not just the dispatcher who worked in Washington, but the Call Center based conveniently in the Philippines.
I woke at the first of daylight, happy to have my clock reset. I hooked up to my trailer and headed out to 64 than 95 north towards DC. I was still groggy on the way up so at the Weigh Station in Dumfries, I pulled over and took a quick power nap. They had good vending machines and I managed to order a chicken sandwich on rye and a bottled Mocha Frappuccino.
The drive was uneventful except for the steep grades on I-70 from Frederick to Hagerstown. I had to start going uphill at 75 to make it all the way up without stalling. I had a heavy load of Nila Wafers and cars and trucks zoomed by me, giving me the nasty look.
When I arrived at the Mondelez International Warehouse in Carlisle, the shipping office asked me to alley dock the trailer in a tight spot between two Schneider trailers – why do they always ask me to park in the tightest spots with only 100 feet of space in front of you.
On the way back I took 81 passing through 4 states in 15 minutes: PA, MD, WV, and VA. Then took 66 towards Front Royal and 17 towards Fredericksburg. It was windy and the speed limit was 55, but it completed avoided DC traffic.
I made it back to Nabisco by 10pm. I could smell the sweet aroma of maple syrup wafting in the cold, dry air. By this time, I had been up and working for 14 hours, the limit that DOT allowed. I was happy to return the trailer and then set out to get some food. With the exception of the sandwich from the vending machine and the Chips Ahoy I received from Nabisco, I had not eaten.
I found The Last Stop, a local bar and grill that used to be called Checkered Flag. Was this a redneck bar? In this part of town, NASCAR is a big thing.
When I walked in I was greeted by a brightly-lit Christmas tree and a Rebel flag. What a perfect combination – the Confederacy and a Christmas tree. Even Nikki Haley would be proud.
All eyes in the bar turned towards me as if a ghost had just walked in. There was this guy standing by the bar with his shirt off and a full sleeve tattoo.
The bartender smiled coyly. Behind her was a divine picture of Stonewall Jackson in all his glory.
Oh Boy, I had found the right place to recover from a long, hard day.
I was surprised to find the kitchen still open, so I ordered the meat loaf special with mashed potatoes and green beans. Friday night offered the rail shot special for $2.50
“So where are you from?” asked the bartender.
“DC. I’m a truck driver and just delivered a load for Nabisco next door.”
“Really, haven’t been to DC in years, but I’m a huge Redskins fan.”
“Well you should come visit now, you can get a pair of tickets for a song and a dance.” Then I reached out my hand and introduced myself.
“I’m Necie,” it’s nice to meet you. So I heard you pull in. Will you be parking your rig out back for the night?”
“Would that be ok, is it safe?”
“Pretty safe. We had a break-in a couple of years ago. This masked man broke in through the back and stole all the money from the cash register. Then he grabbed the keys and made his way to the beer cooler. It was all caught on surveillance camera and it was pretty clear he had been here before.”
“Really, how could you tell?”
“He went right for the cash drawer, and didn’t fumble with the keys. He got it right on the first try.”
“Well, if I hear anything suspicious in the wee hours of the morning, I’ll be sure to call the cops.”
I downed my shot of Jack Daniels and watered it down with a cold glass of Bud Light. I had worked hard – I would sleep well tonight.
Wow, love the pic of the meatloaf and mashed potatoes