Trip #2093 Topeka, KS > Newcomerstown, OH

As luck would have it, frgt was in very short supply when we mted out in Topeka on Sun late a.m. , no loads left 4 the day in in either the Topeka or KC area. They offered us a selection of loads coming out Mon @ Payless Shoe, 2 CA, PA & OH, all 4 Thurs delv. As we had a request in 4 being home the following wknd , the CA load was out. We figured we could make it back 2 Nebr fr eastern PA, so accepted that load. However, when we told Payless, they said the load would, more than likely, would not b ready until Tues a.m. & the delv date would b chged 2 Fri. We advised dispatch & they took us off the load, & offered us a different load.

This load was out of Hill’s Pet Nutrition in Topeka, going 2 Express Packaging in Newcomerstown, OH for Weds late a.m. Their facility was closed over the wknd, so we needed 2 find someplace while away the next 20 hrs. Topeka no longer has a trk stop, we headed down 2 the mall area, where & we found a # of other trks already parked. We found a good spot, w/ lots of shopping & eating places available. We spent an leisurely afternoon browsing, reading, shopping & having ice tea @ Barnes & Noble. We also pked up some needed items @ Wal-Mart & an office supply store b4 taking Smidgen out 2 run on a grassy knoll. Later, we walked over 2 Timberline Steakhouse & Grill 4 a delicious supper b4 calling it a day.

R load was on a pre-loaded trlr & ready 4 us when we arvd @ Hills Pet Nutrition early the next a.m. We spotted r mt trlr in their inside docks then began a frustrating series of waiting 4 some1 in their upstairs office 2 notice we were @ the gate & ready 2 enter the lot where the loaded trlrs were secured. The gate was activated by controls in their office. We lost nearly 45 mins getting in & back out of the lot.

We were 2 dlv r 42,202#’s of pet food load to Express Packaging in Newcomerstown, OH Wed, Apr 26 @ 11:30. R rt was via I-70, then up OH I-77. Newcomerstown, a little town of less than 4,000, is located 65 mi S of Akron, OH. Directions 2 r consignee indicated there was no available overnite pking so we stayed @ the large Duke Trk Stop there @ exit 65. It is a very nice family owned facility. We could not help but wonder if the popular Cracker Barrel ‘s may have been patterned after the Duke T/S restaurant & store?

We drove over to Express Packaging an hr b4 r appt time & joined in a long line of other waiting trks 4 door assignments & 2 get unloaded. The line moved steadily, & all of us got unloaded in a reasonable amount of time.