Going Solo

Well sort of... but more of that in a few...

This story all takes place yesterday - which is still a bit fuzzy for me due to lack of sleep - so bear with me... Woke up early after getting only about 5 hrs of sleep (visited w/friends from TRR Forum) and had mentioned to our DM how I would love to get paid for the time Gary was in 're-orientation' - something everyone HAS to do after training - so she found me a 'short run' to do while Gary was in class.  Dummy me I accepted it - LOL! Now I'm totally freaking out... I do the trip planning and its going to take me a while... I'm to take an empty to Layton (only 40 miles away) and pick up a loaded trailer and take it to Twin Falls Idaho... about 3 hours away.  Doesn't sound too bad.  Then take the trailer once it's unloaded to a drop yard in Burley Idaho (which I pass on the way to my delivery) and bobtail back to the yard to pick up Gary.  In theroy not a bad day run. I'm still worried about time though - the delivery isn't until 2000 - then the drive back and drop - that is really late and Gary would be out of class by that time just sitting at the yard... not fun nor comfortable...

So what we did (since I wouldn't be leaving the yard until 1330) is he completed everything he needed to do for the class except a safety meeting (which we will catch later) and he came with me (my security blanket - if you read my FB statuses - LOL) but basically l did the run on my own.  I hooked up the trailer - did the trip planning and drove it.  However - he did spot me on my backing - and help me find things in the dark..  like the drop yard!!

Of course while I'm doing this run - I'm imagining what it would be like to BE a solo driver - and HAVING to do this without my security blanket in the sleeper... My hat is off to you guys! I am NOT a solo type of person.... Yeah - I think I could do it in a pinch - but I'm SO GLAD I don't have to.  I must admit I have leaned on my co-drivers. First w/my trainer - (but that is what he was there for - to teach me and answer my questions and be there if I needed help) and now my husband (who is doing the same things - plus a few more - wink wink - LOL).

So I'm really glad Gary got out of class early - not only for the company - but the extra set of eyes and brain cells. I did fine with the trip planning - the hooking up of the trailer - driving (even in the snow bobtailing).  I did have to lay down for an hour though on the way back... I don't drive tired!! So by the time I got back to the yard and would have been picking Gary up - it was 0315!!  That's a LONG time to be waiting. However the spotting on my backing was really nice - and finding that darn drop yard!!  It was a dirt lot - in the middle of nowhere... but we found it - LOL!  However doing it alone - would NOT have been fun - and I would have run out of time.  Running out of time would have made it where I would have been parked for 10 hours until I could move again... and Gary would have been waiting that whole time!!

Well I have gotten 5 hours of sleep since getting in the yard - we are now traveling east to IL again - I-80... I'm trying to get our DM to send us south - I would like to get out of this snow/cold - LOL!