August 2, 1990, 2010

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Thursday-Lake Station, Indiana)
I got up shortly after midnight EST and laid there a few minutes. I really wanted to go but I didn't have anywhere close to an 8 hour break here. I wasn't tired and wanted to go!!!!

The problem was that the scale house over the border in Minnesota knew that many of our trucks went to the Ford assembly plant from the Detroit area and that it could not be done within the 10 hour rule. Many of our trucks had been caught at this scale, the drivers fined and the load shut down for 8 hours. I hadn't done yesterday's log book so I just backed up my times and gave me a nine hour break at Lake Station, Indiana. Took off at 12:30 AM EST and headed up through Chicago on I-94. I love Chicago-driving through it. I-90 joins I-94 at the lower end of town and splits from it just past the downtown area. I took I-90 to the northwest and paid all the tolls(about 5 of them).

Went into Wisconsin and I just plain enjoyed the ride! Right into Madison(Wisconsin) where I-94 once again joins I-90. This time I will stay on I-94 into Minnesota. Past Madison I came to Portage(Wisconsin) with one of our fuel stops. I stopped and fueled(88 gallons) and continued up I-94. Beautiful drive at night.

"Day" was well underway when I crossed the St. Croix River into Minnesota. Right after entering the state, I came to the scales and sure enough, I got the order to park my truck in parking space 10 and bring all my paperwork in for inspection. I did and while the one officer was looking at my paperwork, the other officer told another truck to do the same as me. This other truck did, but while he was parking, he BAD MOUTHED the officer to the person that he had been talking to on his CB. I heard the driver cussing the DOT officer out and so did they on the CB radio that was on in the building. The officer working with me just said,"No big deal but he could have said something about his log or load that we would focus on. It could hurt him...". I asked if the officer was finding every OK, as he should have. He said things were fine and to be sure to log this stop. Everything was fine until the officer COPIED my logs. He handed back my book and told me to have a nice day. I went to my truck and continued west on I-94 into St. Paul.

Went to the Ford assembly plant and was told to put the trailer in the drop yard next to the Mississippi River. (The River is pretty skinny here before it meets up with the St. Croix River) I dropped my trailer and called dispatch. I went on the TRB and was told I have nothing yet.

Side note: I asked my dispatcher if I could talk with the logbook department and he transferred me. When the gal from logbooks came on, I explained what had happened and she told me that if the DOT officer had COPIED my log for that day, that that day's log is the one that I have to use(they might turn it over to the Missouri or federal DOT. During an audit of the log books, they might pull it out and compare it to the ones I turned in. Problem....To make everything totally legal looking, I had to go back three days and redo the log pages.. I got everything OK but really didn't want to do that again.

Waited down in the drop yard all day and nothing!!! Watched my TV, wrote and went to sleep.