We survived the night on the pass but one unlucky driver did not and he wasn’t even on the pass!
While spending the night on the mountain, all night long I heard trucks racing by me like it was 80 degrees outside and sunny. We got up at 5 AM to see the horizon just turning a sunrise red and the plow had been by. The roads were slush but doable. Of course, we were only a quarter of a mile from the pass peak and probably could have made it down last night but hey, ice is ice and going downhill with a heavy load……not.
We got to the bottom and my exit to US 6 was closed by DOT (a 45 minute short cut to 395). I stopped and was informed that a truck that came off of the pass at 2 AM took the shortcut to only go too fast around an icy corner and turn over………..losing his load of paint! Now that is a mess for sure! Hazmat has to come in and clean that mess up. This short cut is closed!
Dispatch asked me if I could make my drop at 5 AM with 599 miles left. Of course I couldn’t! Between the delay at the shipper, the night on the pass, the 45 minute detour, I was running up to 3 hours late. It wasn’t too long before I was informed that the load has a new appointment, at 4 PM! Wow, I didn’t need that much time or at least I thought so……..until I arrived here. It appears that chains are required for the next 100 miles…..and the worse nightmare, Cabbage Pass. So, we are sitting, I am doing laundry and thinking it is time for breakfast and take Gonja for a walk! I will check in with you later.
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