Last night was rather horrible.

First, was the 2 hour delay on I-30 between Texarcana and Little Rock.  We were going so slow for so long, I was actually able to do the 8 hour reset.  

By the time I got to the accident scene, they were loading up the tractors - 2 semi trucks collided - onto tow trucks.  The trailers were apparently already gone, if there were trailers but assuming so.  

The aftermath of what happened was astounding.  The entire front end of both tractors were completely gone.  I'm not talking about a hood ripped off, I'm talking the frame, engine, hood, everything.  One of the trucks the cab was also smashed.  Well beyond anything anyone could guess as survivable.  Strange, tho, how you see stuff like that and find out later on the driver lived.  

In all of my years of driving, I can't recall anything quite that bad.  I've seen pictures online of horrific accidents, but nothing like this in person.  I have to wonder if the engines were smashed into the cabs? I really have to wonder how this accident happened, like it was a head-on collision at high rate of speed but how do you have that on an Interstate?  Someone going the wrong way?  I'm going to try and look it up and see if I can find out what happened.

After that - and losing 2 hours - I just drove.  I never did get a break. Like, stop and take a nap type of thing?  The only stop was to use the bathroom quickly and to get fuel.  After I got fuel I started looking for a place to park. But it was late and tho I expected it would be difficult to find a parking spot, I didn't think it would be that hard.  Every single truck stop was completely full.  Major brand truckstops and mom and pops alike, all filled up.  I was on I-40 in between Memphis and Nashville, something like a 200 mile stretch.  

After 100 miles of this and getting close to Nashville, I decided to stop, put on my 16 hour exception and drive to Cross Plains - north of Nashville off I-65 - a place I have stopped at many times before and hope that I could find something. No way was I going to make it to Smiths Grove after losing all that drive time on the Interstate.  I got there - here actually - and there was nothing.  But, there is a side street and I decided I was going to risk it. There were no no-parking signs there and I had no more options.  16 minutes left on the drive clock, the app showing the rest area and truck stops further up the road full, the only other place would be Smiths Grove - another 48 miles up the road.  

So here I am.  Another 40 minutes or so - it's almost noon - and I can leave here, get up to South Charleston, drop and hook, get out of there and get headed back.  I dunno how far I'll make it, staying up so late last night messed with my head and not feeling 100% today.  

Meanwhile, my manager pushing me to go to Bozrah, Connecticut.  Likely he's under pressure to find at least a couple of drivers to drop what they're doing - literally - and fly over there for a 2 week minimum tour.  $300 per day guaranteed, hotel, car, all of that stuff again.  The thing is, it will take at least a week if not longer to adequately learn how to fill and drain the trucks with any level of expertise and not risk screwing up at a hospital or plant where you can cause death, injury and destruction by doing things wrong.  I'm not comfortable with that - at all. They want to rush the training process. 3 or 4 days! I'm being told, while the trainer that I had started with and spent 2 day with said minimum 2 weeks, usually 3.  

I could possible see a week - I was starting to get the hang of it.  And tho I remember a lot of it from what I learned, I'd have to start over.  I also got a call from another driver last night saying the manager is personally texting everyone to go.  I mean, he's got to be under a lot of pressure to be going to that much trouble trying to find people.  Obviously it's a lucrative account if they can fork out that much money - airfare, food, hotel, car rental, training, guaranteed minimum pay - and still make a profit.  That driver is the one that also went up to Vermont who flatly refused.  

I just said I"d have to talk about it with family  - and while we're at it can I have Thanksgiving and December 1st off?  The manager was quick to reply to my texts with questions about going to Bozrah, he completely disappeared after asking that, lmao.  So, I may not get Thanksgiving ofF, which would be a bummer of sorts since now, all of a sudden, a whole house full of people are coming.  I enjoy cooking or helping cook Thanksgiving dinner.  Smoke a ham, bake a turkey, make a side, let everyone else bring a side dish or dessert.  

I'm guessing I'm not going to be having that off, which means I will force my way into being home for Christmas.  

But I realllly want December 1st off, thats the auction day and I went to all of that trouble to check everything out, I'd like to have at least the chance to bid on a few properties.  I won't be disappointed if I don't win anything, but I would be disappointed if I couldn't at least go.  I suppose I could have someone go in my place and just put maximum bid amounts  on any properties I would really like to have.  

Well, it's closing in on time to leave, gotta get offa here, do my paperwork and get ready to roll.

G'day.