3 am.   Hit the snooze.   3:15.  Ok.  Up and heading to gate.   Apparently everybody’s appointment is at 4 o’clock because they are lined up back to the street.   Lovely.    We are now at our loading dock and waiting to see how long this takes.  If it takes too long I am going back to sleep.   

Went in to give them paperwork and go to the bathroom.   This is a freezer warehouse so everyone is in big coats but us.  Brrrr.  I dread going to the bathroom but when I get there it’s all nice and warm with a heater in it.  Yea!! And clean! 

DG:  it’s the little things.  We were about fifth in line once we got to the gate. Still got to the dock before our appointed time. 

This is one of the largest food warehouses I believe we have been to. Wow this country eats a lot. 

So now we are empty and parked just outside the fence where there is parking for probably 50 trucks along both sides of the road leading into this place. Someone planned ahead.  What we are doing now is playing the clock game. You see we are about thirty minutes away from our next pick up, but the appointment isn’t until 12:30 and right now it is 6:45.  So far I haven’t started my clock because we were parked just outside the gate and therefore did not have to go over 15 mph which would have automatically started my drive clock and subsequently my 14. As it is I can wait until about an hour before my scheduled appointment to start my clock meaning I will have until 1:30 am to drive and fuel and break and whatever arriving to the delivery way early of the 6:00 am delivery time. Confused?  So am I. Anyway, I see it as a skillful waiting game that serves no purpose. 

Annie – Got a call from shipper that we can come in early if we want.   Absolutely!   So we head over and get there at 11:30.  Get signed in, get our paperwork and they start loading truck.  They only worked for a couple of minutes and stopped.   We looked at the clock.  NOON.  Lunchtime so we sit from 12 to 1 waiting.  Fortunately it didn’t take them long once they got back and we were on the road around 1:30.    We have 34,000 pounds of brownie, cake and muffin mix.   Of course!  

One surprise we had going through Memphis was we got to see Graceland, sort of.   Hard to see from the road as you drive by but got a few pictures.   

   
   
In Arkansas they grow a lot of rice and some sorghum as well as corn and soy beans.  

Rice field   
Sorghum

DG:  Wasn’t that exciting?  Rock and roll idol and agriculture all in the same country. I love this country. 

We made it to receiver by the skin of our teeth. 17 minutes left on my clock and fortunate for us this place has plenty of parking. I’ve seen truck stops with less. I just hope we all don’t have the same appointment time. That would make for a mad rush for the gate in the morning. 

Again we will be playing the clock game in the morning as my clocks will not reset until 9:30. That will work out fine as it usually takes around two hours total to get unloaded. By the time you check in, get assigned a door, get unloaded, pay the lumpers and get your bills you’re looking at a good couple hours. 

Bottom line is if the wheels ain’t turning nobody’s making money. 

Good night and God bless.