bus convoy

[David Anderson]

Wow, it was a sight.  Coming southbound on I-37 from San Antonio toward Corpus Christi on Tues afternoon it was bus after bus after bus heading northbound from the valley running empty being sent home from deployment for evacuation for Hurricane Dean.  I picked up my local paper in Pleasanton today and saw that the Texas Emergency Management Team had used the fairgrounds at Poteet, TX to stage the National Guard, 50 or so fuel delivery trucks and other supplies.  It looked like they were set for a small Nomandy invasion.

Our local paper said that 2200 buses had been deployed to evacuate 135,000 people from the valley.   Buses were chartered from every company in the state and many school districts all over Texas.  All supplies carried on the buses were brought back to the Alamodome stadium in San Antonio to be reunited with the appropriate relief agencies.   Though it was a "false alarm", so to speak, it looks like the politicians will spare no expense to repeat another Katrina show. 

David

[bubbaqgal]

Two of the buses you spotted probably had KY Lakeside Travel on them.  That was Bryce and his dad taking their buses down to San Antonio.  They were among those bus owners that were called upon to be ready to transport Texans to safety.  They were released and should be home any time now.  Thank goodness for those that are willing to travel like they did.

[Busted Knuckle]

Two of the buses you spotted probably had KY Lakeside Travel on them.  That was Bryce and his dad taking their buses down to San Antonio.  They were among those bus owners that were called upon to be ready to transport Texans to safety.  They were released and should be home any time now.  Thank goodness for those that are willing to travel like they did.

Ugh, I'm home now! What a tiring 4 day trip! Left out Sunday and drove straight thru 856 miles stopped almost halfway at Texarkana, AR to fuel @ Flying J then on to Kelly Field in San Antonio, TX only to be redirected back to the Alamodome to wait, wait, wait, wait, wait and wait some more! Finally our turn to be inspected, Dad passed inspection no problem. But..... someone who shall claim the 5th had forgoten to put his annual inspection sticker in/on the bus and could not find his registration, insurance, and other forms file (supposed to always be on the bus, but was at home on his desk in the shop where it's been for the 4 months I've owned this new bus!) Oops! Well mom found a copy of the registration and an extra copy of proof of insurance and operating authority forms in some stuff she had! (Thanks MOM! saved my butt again !) So still needed proof of of Annual DOT inspection! Well I headed to the truck stop to call Dallas & Cat to see if they could dig thru the pile on my desk and fax what I needed. Well when I got to the truck stop I found out you can buy the inspection form and sticker there, and seeing how the sticker it self would not turn out properly from fax it was easier and cheaper (at $2.00 a page for a fax) to buy a new kit for $2,46 and do a new one since I am the certified inspector who'd done the last one (and left it on my desk to get lost in the rubble!)! So Dad was bus # 1767 and I was bus # 1872 and there were still several hundred or more buses that came thru the lines after me! The buses Art saw had gotten to San Antonio on Sat or Sun and went thru Inspection before Monday AM and had been dispatched down to McCallen (or at least that's where they were calling it!) Sunday night and early Monday AM. But Right as they were fixing to ship the group Dad had passed inspection with down there, they put a hold on all dispatching as they all ready had 500 buses down there and the storm had changed directions and looked as though it would hit Mexico instead of Texas! Well Dad and I were sorta glad about that as we like to try and keep our buses as close together as possible. With dad having an MCI (limited cargo space)we keep it loaded with absolutely needed supplies and spares, but no extras! With my Setra having tons of storage in the extra compartments over the wheels and etc. it is the companies supply ship! LOL! (I think Dallas thought I was ever gonna get done loading things until there was nothing left in the shop to load!) Anyway after the hard straight trip down there and sitting around all day to get both buses thru inspection they finally told us we were "off duty" till 7:00 AM. At which time we were expected top be with our buses (that were staged in the Alamodome parking lots and had to stay there all night) ready for assignments! Well we spent the night on our buses, some drivers took cabs or shuttles to hotels. Well just before noon on Tuesday they released us all to make room for the buses coming back up from McCallen so they could be released! As per FEMA's instructions all buses have to be checked in and released from the same point! Also after the deadly bus explosion during the hurricane Rita evacuation all the buses were carefully inspected to weed out the junk that should not have been there in the first place! And let me tell you, there was some real junk there! Some people such as myself who failed the first inspection, were allowed to go and correct the problems, some were sent home (where ever that was), some were put out of service and until repairs were made, and then there were some that were put out of service and impounded until a wrecker picked them up! Several passed inspections and then had failures such as one fellow I know of who's bus passed inspection, but lost an engine due to internal failure (had to be towed home to Monroe, LA)! Lots of action went on at the ALAMO!
  BK 

PS; as they released us they told us "See y'all next week down in Florida!"

Guess where I'll be! Florida bound! Hopefully Dallas & I can get # 717 ready to roll and I can take it too! By the way I could use extra drivers!  Anyone who has a class B (or A) CDL with passenger, and air brake endorsements, and a current DOT medical card that would like to make some extra $ while helping out on these deals should contact me or Dallas! Please contact me ASAP, so if it looks as though we'll need you, I'll have time to a get drug test done, and get ya on the insurance! I'll pay travel expenses & more!

[muddog16]

I'm sure the government pays well and I'm glad BK gets some of my tax money!  But the comment by David about the politicians getting something done better than they did for Katrina, I still have these visions of 100's of school buses sitting in water down there!  You just can't help some folks!  Also that hurry up and wait stuff sure sounds like government work!  BK aren't Mom's great?  Back to that politician theme (a very sore spot) they are pretty free with our money to make sure they get re elected! I wonder when the last time it was when a politician actually did the right thing for the right reason?......LOL.....I love my country, its those guys living in DC that worry me!  It's probably a good thing those fella's are in DC and not driving buses, can you imagine the mess on the highway's with them behind the wheel?

[tekebird]

BK, although I am not always available I am genrally willing.  always worth the asking to see what my schedule can handle.

Email me off the board and I can give you all my info

[CS]

Beaumont DOT was making his doughnut allowance off 2 of em when I passed