Negative Eleven

I’m happy to report that I still hold the all-time record as of now, for the lowest temperature driven through while on the road (-34 in Moorhead, MN). This winter’s lead, however, goes to Ben, who captured -11 in eastern Wyoming this morning. I was hopeful that my -2 would be low enough to keep in first place, but switching over on our shifts before midnight allowed him to seize the cooler digits.

Present Location: Lincoln, NE to use the free wifi and laundry at the terminal!

Miles this week: 5100

New Record

Some time in September I broke the standing high-mileage record: 709.3 miles in one 11-hour driving shift. Now that we're on eLogs, this record will likely never be broken (more on eLogs later). Now Ben can only beat me in the low temperature category!

Record Highs and Lows

Ben and I like to keep a little friendly competition going while we're in this career field, and it boils down to two things:

1) What is the highest number of miles one can drive in a single 11-hour shift? (the shift is broken up with periodic short breaks; to drive 11 hours straight is close to insanity)

2) What is the coldest temperature one has had to drive through? (this is obviously up to chance and Mother Nature)

Presently, I hold the record for both, for now. I drove 697.5 in one shift, and in another shift I drove through -31 degree temperatures in northwestern Minnesota. That's not windchill, people, that's air temp. A few hundred miles later in that shift we fueled up in -15 degree temps in Wisconsin and I mistakenly opened up the truck door from the outside with an un-gloved hand. Immediately, I flashed back to that scene in A Christmas Story with the poor lad's tongue stuck to the flag pole. Thankfully my hands were not wet, but I felt the freezer-burn effect on my fingers. BRRRR!!

Do any of you readers out there have suggestions for other friendly competiton Ben and I could engage in while out on the road? We're open for suggestions!

We're headed south from Salina, KS to Oklahoma City, OK to move into a BRAND NEW TRUCK! Very excited about this! If I can ever figure out how to post pictures from my phone, I'll make an attempt (suggestions, BB users?).

God bless you!

Peace,
deb & Ben