Salt Lake City, UT to Reno, Nevada
My day today wasn't too bad. I woke up around 1230 EST, and used the extra time til 1400 to enjoy naughty stories and to sign up for a TA Road King Card. A Road King Card rewards a truckdriver with various things depending on how much fuel he purchases. Since my fuel gets paid for by the company, it's like getting free things.
At 1400, I started driving again. I did find out that there was a truckstop I within a couple hours' drive of Salt Lake City, which was a Pilot in West Wendover. But, I don't think it had WIFI, so I'm glad I stopped at the TA in Salt Lake.
I nearly ran out of fuel twice on my way to Reno. Swift had said I could survive from Blue Springs, Nebraska to Sparks, Nevada (just outside of Reno) on 100 gallons of fuel. I prolly would've been able to do that if I hadn't burned the fuel to keep warm while waiting for I80 to open up again in Wyoming and to keep warm while I slept last night.
Because I remembered the last time I totally ran out of fuel, I asked to get fuel at the aforementioned Pilot and they granted me 50 gallons. I thought that would be enough to get me across the state and into Sparks, where I was to fill up. Nope. It got me about 3/4 of the way across. Luckily, there's a TA in Mill City, Nevada. This time, I was granted 100 gallons, which was more than enough to get me to Sparks.
The second fuel stop in Mills City was an adventure in itself. After getting permission to get fuel there, I went out and found out that one of the hoses in the lane I was in was disconnected. Having had to put one of those together before, I thought I'd be able to do so again. I messed around with it unsuccessfully and ended up with diesel on me for my troubles. I ended up moving to another lane instead.
I80 between Salt Lake City and Wendover is nice and flat, and even further west then that, there isn't any major hills that I had trouble climbing... Maybe only one or two. But, crawling up a hill at 35 MPH lets me view the nice scenery such as snow covered mountains and upside-down pickups in the median. It was really odd to see that. I really wish I'd a camera so I could show you all.
After my second fuel stop, things started to get really difficult. See, obviously, a tractor trailer is a high-profile vehicle, therefore, not a very good thing to drive in high winds, reportedly gusting at up to 70 MPH. Luckily, I have a 20 ton load in my trailer, but it was still difficult to keep my truck going where I wanted. Some others weren't so lucky, though. I80 MM 46 in Nevada, for example. When I went by that part, there were emergency crews trying to fish a rig out of the ditch where the wind rolled him over into. I hope the driver was okay. I most certainly don't want that to happen.
Eventually, I80 meandered into a valley, where the mountains blocked the wind. Not much of a break, though, cuz it started raining. Unfortunately, it would seem my RainX wore off, cuz all my windshield wipers did was streak. At that point, it didn't really matter. I was almost finished driving, and I could see well enough.
Then, I finally got to my fuel stop where I could fill my tanks. Unlike normal truckstops, this Petro was set back aways from the interstate. It seemed to be in town and I almost got lost trying to get to it. The fact that it was raining, dark, and the lines on the road weren't visible didn't make things easier either. But, I was able to find it without major complications, and now my truck's tanks are full.
I would've sat there over night, but they didn't have WIFI capabilities, so I decided to go down the road a couple of miles to the TA that I'm at right now. Sounds simple, right? Well, it wasn't. I guess Sparks has something against signs that read, 'I80' with an arrow pointing in the appropriate direction. I ended up getting lost and going in a huge circle to find the interstate again. It wasn't a total loss, though, cuz now I know where Swift's Sparks terminal is at.
That's all that happened to me today. I gotta be up in about 7 and a half hours to deliver my load in the morning. 1000 EST = 0700 PST, and my load has to be there at 0900 PST, which is 1200 EST. I'm really gonna be cutting it close, though. Really close. Knowing my luck, I'll prolly get stuck in traffic for 3 hours. I hope not.
As of right now, it's still raining here in Reno. I hope that it doesn't get cold enough for the moisture to freeze cuz I don't want to be sliding around in a 25 ton sled.
Some thoughts:
~If I could afford to build a truckstop, I'd scout western Utah and Northern Nevada. True, there are mountains in the area, but there are also suprising amounts of flat land. Given enough money and the ability to get utilities out there, one could build something to envy the Iowa 80 truckstop. Just make sure you include WIFI! And, I think this would make a great 'Tycoon' type game. Imagine, 'Truckstop Tycoon', build and manage your own truckstop.
~Western Utah and Northern Nevada should put some sort of windbreaks alongside the interstate in the most windy areas to help prevent wind related accidents such as the one I mentioned earlier. I don't know why they hadn't thought of this yet.
~I made kemanorel01 a wingsib. I also forgot to ask Flufy to be one. And I miss my bro, Drako.
Okay, that's it. Time for this sleepy dragryph to sleep.
Goodnight.