Most of my blogs are probably not too interesting for most folks. This just might be one of those. This is just a brief expose on my journey across the country to deliver a new Ford Maverick to scoop poop to Oregon. Salem, Oregon to be exact.
The first question one may ask is why?
Why a new Maverick, or why across the country?
Let’s start with the obvious.
Scoop Masters as a whole have bought over 25 of the new Ford Mavericks over the past few years. Ever since they came out with them in 2022. All of them were bought in our home town base of Dallas, Texas.
Ok, so why not buy in Oregon?
Good question. The answer? It still costs a whole lot less for us to purchase in Dallas, Texas than to buy one in Oregon. Simple as that. The dealership knows us, they finance under our business and not personal, and one of us gets to drive across the country to deliver them.
Whether it’s to California, Tennessee, Florida, Texas or Oregon, it’s fun for me to take a road trip once in a while. And that’s what this blog post is all about.
Why Does Scoop Masters Prefer the Ford Maverick Hybrid?
But before we get into that, why a Maverick?
Simple – gas mileage. Especially in California where gas has hit close to $7 a gallon. And since traffic can get pretty bad, no matter what state you’re in, the hybrid electric Ford Maverick is the smart choice. It runs on battery until you hit about 30 MPH, then the engine kicks in. That’s why city mileage is better than highway mileage in the Maverick.
So, let’s get started.
The first thing on the list was to wrap the truck with the official Scoop Masters decals. That’s what’s in the main image of this post. And yup, I install them myself, because I’m that kind of guy. I’m hands on and I like to do things myself. Usually with the help of my wife, Maria. Besides, it saves us several hundreds of dollars.
The First Stop of My Cross Country Road Trip
First stop is Amarillo, TX, home of the Cadillac Ranch. But, before the first official stop, anytime you’re driving in the middle of the Southern US, you have to stop at Bucees. That’s the “one stop for everything you can imagine” convenience store. A hundred gas pumps, food, snacks, camping equipment, clothing, guns. Well, maybe not guns.
I digress.
If you have no idea what the Cadillac Ranch is, I’ll tell you. In the middle of nowhere, just off the 40 freeway in Amarillo, there are 10 classic Cadillacs buried nose deep in the desert. That’s pretty much it. Where the fun begins, is for years people have been spray painting their names on the cars. It’s like legalized graffiti.
It’s OK to do so. I think it’s encouraged.
You can paint your loved one’s names in a nice heart shape box, and the next day, it will be covered by someone else’s artwork. It’s been painted over so many times that the paint is over 4 inches thick! Not only the cars, but the parking berms and the street in front of the main entrance is also covered with paint.
I’m not sure that part is legal, but no one has covered it up as far as I can tell.
So next time you’re driving through Amarillo, BYOP. Bring Your Own Paint. And have fun!
Next stop, New Mexico.
As if I haven’t had enough of the dry, desert scenery, I get to have even more in New Mexico. This is where I had my first mishap.
Anyone who drives long distance will concur, sooner or later you’re gonna get hit by a teeny, tiny pebble that sounds like a gunshot on your windshield. Only 480 miles on the odometer and I already have a spider shot on my windshield. Crap? There, I said it. So disappointing.
Why do I call it a spider shot?
Because without repairs they tend to grow legs over time. And, before you know it, your whole windshield has 8 crack lines going in 8 different directions on your windshield.
I’ll deal with that when I get to Oregon.
These next phases are quick and simple. I drove through Cuba. Probably not that Cuba. Then a little corner of Colorado and into Utah.
What’s there to do in Utah?
Plenty. I didn’t have a chance to do it on this trip. However, Moab, Utah is the hot spot for off roading. Everywhere I looked in this small town I saw 4-wheel drive, off road vehicles for rent. All shapes and sizes, and all capacities from single drivers to some that would hold 6 passengers.
I’m definitely stopping here for a couple of days next time I deliver a vehicle to Oregon.
Of course, the main reason I wanted to go through Utah was to see Arches National Park. Which I did, as you can see by the image of the truck in front of one of the arches. I would have loved to stay for several hours and go hiking, but I had to get moving on my 31 hour cross country trip.
I’ve never been to Idaho, nor Colorado, or even Utah, until now. I wasn’t sure what there was to see in Idaho, so I Googled it. Twin Falls! Waterfalls! I love waterfalls. And so does my truck. Unfortunately, the closest I could get to Shoshone Falls with the truck was to stop on the side of the road when there was no traffic, and quickly take a few shots before the cars got in the way. And before I get hit.
There is more to see in Idaho. Lots more.
I did have one more important stop to make in Boise. And that was to meet up with some colleagues, Stephanie and Shawn, the owners of the Turd Nerd. They’re hard to miss with their bright green vehicles.
Believe it or not, since Scoop Masters has been around since 1988, I tend to know a lot of scoopers from around the country. To me, it’s fun to talk to others in the industry, the dog poop industry that is. It’s even more fun to meet up with them in person just to say hi. That we did. An hour later, I was back on the road again. (Hey, that sounds like it would make a great song title)
The Final Destination, Oregon.
A few hours later, I was in Oregon. The East side of Oregon. I had to go to the West side to Salem. So, lots more driving to do. At least the scenery was getting much better. I got to see Mt. Hood in the distance and I stopped at one of the many waterfalls along the Columbia River. I couldn’t park the truck next to one though. At least legally, I couldn’t.
That was one of the more beautiful stretches of this drive so far.
By the fourth day, I was in beautiful Salem, Oregon with a brand-new Ford Maverick, ready to hand off to one of our team members. She was ecstatic. It was time to replace that 20-year-old Toyota Tacoma with 275,000 miles on it with something more reliable, clean and new smelling.
Conclusion
And that’s it! All I had to do now was get the windshield fixed then sell off the old truck. Which I did the next day. Thanks to Capital Toyota in Salem. They gave us a couple of grand and took it off our hands. The next day, I’m off to the airport to return home to Dallas.
Until the next Maverick comes in.
Who will get it? Los Angeles? Nashville? Oregon? We’ll have to wait and see. Whoever gets it will be thrilled to drive a new Ford Maverick for Scoop Masters. We here at Scoop Masters, are always trying to do our part in serving our customers well and taking care of our team members.
With locations in Los Angeles, Ventura, Dallas, Austin, Houston, Nashville, Palm Beach and Salem, Oregon. Scoop Masters pet waste removal service helps dog owners enjoy their yard again. Since 1988, we’ve been enforcing the “no flies” zone in backyards, patios and dog runs by keeping them dog poop free. We also offer a sanitizing service to help get rid of the smell on rocks, concrete and artificial turf. Contact us for a free quote. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter/X. If your dog can poop it, we can scoop it!