November 29, 1989, 2009

FIRST 5 YEARS: (Wednesday-Lexington, Kentucky)
The shipper this morning was in the northwest corner of Lexington. I was told to back up to the dock to be loaded. I got 9 gas engine fork trucks which I watched loaded. They would drive each of the first 8 fork trucks into the trailer, then take the gas tank off. The last one was put on the back of the trailer sideways(It was put in by a much larger fork truck). I was loaded by 9:30 AM and on my way by 9:45 AM. I was just south of Hwy 60 which I took west to the, BluegrassParkway. I love the green "color" of the scenery in this part of the country...it is different. Anyway, went on down to Elizabethtown(Kentucky) where I caught I-65 south. I stopped for a short break at the rest area by Plum Springs(Kentucky) around noon. I spent 30 minutes here as I just wanted to be standing up a little longer. I got moving again about 12:30 PM. Big Drive!!! I pulled into the Nashville(Tennessee) "All Right Truckstop" an hour later(about 1:30 PM) I was going to fill my tanks but decided to wait as I have enough to get me to Memphis(Tennessee)terminal. I went into the restaurant and had the buffet lunch. After eating I pulled out on I-65 took it to I-40 east, and headed for Memphis. Pulled into our Memphis, Tennessee terminal at 6:45 PM. I could have gone to the customers but I decided that I would sleep at the terminal tonight and go to the customers real early. I filled my tanks went I got to the terminal and I took 185 gallons. I went to eat with two other drivers and then came back to the truck and went to sleep...

November 28, 1989, 2009

FIRST 5 YEARS: (Tuesday-Wright City, Missouri)
Woke up another 8 AM as I wasn't in a hurry to get involved in the “going to work” traffic around St. Louis, Missouri. Was heading east by 8:30 AM with traffic not too bad. The ride on I-70 over the Missouri river wasn't bad. After crossing the Mississippi River, I followed I-64 east. The state truck weigh stations were open in Missouri & Illinois but I wasn't concerned with a load weight of 19,000 lbs. I was having a kind of negative day so I stopped in Mt Vernon(Illinois) at a good truckstop. I like their chef salad so I went in and had one. Back to heading east and slipped into Indiana. Got past Dale, Indiana where the mountains start. Yes, mountains in the middle west. In fact, these mountains have skiing and a town called Santa Claus(Indiana). Got through the mountains and descended down to the Ohio Valley where I crossed the Ohio River into the city of Louisville, Kentucky. I went to the east end of Louisville by taking I-71 north to I-265 south. I found the plant far far from entering I-265. I got to the guard shack and was told to check with receiving. I did and they just had me drop the trailer in the yard. I got me another trailer and called dispatch. They told me to go to the western side of Lexington(Kentucky) for a load of fork trucks tomorrow. I found the shipper and could not spend the night on their property so I went to a shopping center and bunked in for the night.....

November 27, 1989, 2009

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Monday-Casey, Iowa)
Was awake before the sun came up. Walked around the rest area and enjoyed the pre-dawn. Studied my routing to Shenandoah, Iowa and decided to go to Hwy 59 and take it south. I did that and saw a lot of farm land in my 1 3/4 hours to the pick up. Found the place with no problem. Was backed up to the dock bu 10 AM. and loaded by noon. This load was going to the Louisville(Kentucky) Truck assembly plant. I took Hwy 59 into Missouri and onto I-29 south. I was talking to a driver from another company when I crossed over into Missouri. Boy, did he have to trucker tale(see below). I continued to our Kansas City Terminal where I fueled (166 gallons). I hung around the terminal until 4 PM when I took off; I wanted to get out of Kansas City, Missouri before the rush hour. I drove to Fulton, Missouri and checked my mail and called the kids. They were all busy so I couldn't see them. I went back up to I-70 and headed east. Stopped for the night(8 PM) at the rest area right before Wright City, Missouri.

A Trucker's Tale: (crushing...)
This driver I was running with told me that he had to do as many miles as he could as he had to pay his lawyer. It seems that he was at a truckstop and a lot lizard(prostitute) had jumped on his passenger side door steps. She appeared drunk and so told her to go away. He looked away from the window and then back at it...the lot lizard was gone. He then pulled out and went on down the road. It wasn't long and he was stopped by a couple cars worth of county sheriffs. Then more police showed up. They arrested him and charged him with “assault with a deadly weapon”...his truck. The lot lizard was drugged out and fall off his truck. When the truck moved forward, one of it's tires rounded over her leg. He didn't know it. Her girl friend called the authorities for her. He was released as his storied sat well with the authorities and she was “stoned” when the police got to her. She did not loose her leg he said as his load was real light and she fell onto fine gravel. I don't know if the charges were dropped or not but he still had a lawyer handling the case....Watch out at all times!!!