Happy 4th of July!

We took our time getting back to Fargo. Thank goodness there were no more Alberta loads waiting on us. We had the entire weekend off and didn't get our next load until Tuesday. It was a shortie picking up in Fargo and delivering in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Just one hospital bed. We got to the pickup site and found out that we really needed a liftgate because the place had no dock. The shipper found a piece of metal that they leaned up against the truck and used it as a ramp to wheel the bed up. Those beds are very heavy and have to be treated with kid gloves. If they get scratched, the hospitals won't accept them.

After that, we got a load picking up in Medford, Wi delivering in Milwaukee, Wi. Another shortie but working our way back into the freight zones.

Next, we picked up in Machesney Park, Il and delivered that one to Olive Branch, Ms. From there we picked up in Memphis, Tn and took that one to Morganfield, Ky. Along the way we received notice from our carrier that we finally received our DOD clearances so we are available for government loads now. I have mixed feelings about that. Yes, the money is better, but nervous about all the extra security protocols and communications that are involved with those loads. It's been a while since we had our training so I hope I can remember it all when the time comes.

On an earlier trip in New York, a rock flew up and hit our windshield. It didn't do a lot of damage at the time, but now that it's getting warmer out, the sun seems to be making the crack grow. We are going to have to have the windshield replaced.

After our delivery we went to a truckstop to spend the weekend and another couple in an expediter truck parked next to us. I saw them looking our truck over and made eye contact with the lady. She came over to the truck and I rolled the window down. It turned out that they were friends with the owner of the truck we drive. They recognized it by the decal on the back doors. We talked to them for awhile and it was sad to hear about all the fun they had together and how it all suddenly came to an end with the death of the owners husband. He was only 42 when he had a heart attack. Fortunately, they were at home when it happened. It could have been a lot worse. Especially if he had been driving.