I started the day in West Memphis, Arkansas... in an area which is 
basically like five huge truck stops all bundled together where I-40 and
 I-55 meet.  You'd be hard-pressed not to find a place to park at one of
 them.  I'd fueled up the night before so that I could leave first 
thing.
 
I was expecting rush hour traffic in Memphis... but there was hardly any
 at all.  It was a brokered load of rubber tires and the bill of lading 
said that if it wasn't a drop and hook (which it wasn't) that I had to 
unload the tires to the rear of the trailer.  Thankfully, that ended up 
not being true.  I didn't have to help unload at all (nor were lumpers 
involved at any point).  I was expecting to spend several hours 
unloading the tires by hand and to hit heavy traffic either in Memphis 
or Nashville, so I'd told dispatch that I wouldn't be ready for my next 
load until tomorrow morning.  I sent my "empty and available" message, 
but they didn't have any other loads readily available and I didn't 
exactly mind having the evening off.
 
It was kind of nice to have an evening off and to find myself 20 minutes
 from Bowling Green, where I have friends.  One of them drove down to 
the truck stop and kidnapped me for the evening.  Dinner out was such a 
treat.  And it was nice to see familiar faces.
 
I'm picking up a load about an hour away from here early tomorrow 
morning and heading down to North Carolina.  I hope they can dispatch me
 right back north from there because I'm supposed to be home on 
Saturday.  Here's hoping!
 
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