Enjoying North America while earning a living...

I kept a day by day journal the first 5 years I was enjoying North America. While earning a living,I kept track of where I went, often what I did, feelings I had and various other details. I am writing this blog day by day as I lived it. The month/day I lived it is the same as the month/day I write about it. The years are obviously different...thus the days title: ie: August 30, 1989, 2009.

About Me

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Starting as a preschooler, I remember my Grandfather bringing me rocks from his trips he took after he retired. Each rock had a story to tell. In the sixth grade, I watched a freeway be built and then wondered where all the trucks would go. I remember in high school looking at the mountains and wanting to travel. I did many jobs BEFORE trucking but I always wondered what driving would by like. I really wanted to see things and drive a big truck. So after almost finishing nursing school, a divorce and three cute little kids, I became a truck driver. While earning a living, I found myself enjoying North America and seeing the land and people. NO ONE ENJOYED TRAVELING MORE THAN ME. There are two things I have enjoyed in this life and they are traveling and writing. I use to call myself "Protourist" but my Mother-in-law and Wife would become upset with me as they know I really love THE "travel" and not THE stopping to see things. I now call myself "protraveller"(I like it with a double "L") and my Mother-in-law and Wife are now happy!!! I love to write and this blog gives me the opportunity to share my past and thoughts with the public.

About this blog's layout...BLOG UPDATED ONCE PER DAY...

I follow my journal daily by writing under the daily title, "FIRST 5 YEARS:" The first five years will strictly follow my 5 year journal. If I find the day I am writing about to be boring, I will either write about thoughts I remember(placed under the title of "SECOND 5 YEARS"), write a trucker tale(placed under "A Trucker's Tale"), give a helpful trucker hint, ask a "student driver" question or do something.....When a location appears after the day of the week after "FIRST 5 YEARS:", it is where I am at the start of that day((IE: FIRST 5 YEARS: (Sunday-Kansas City, Missouri))..... I would encourage those that find themselves enjoying North America to follow me day by day.....REMEMBER: THIS IS A BLOG ABOUT WHAT LIFE IS LIKE FOR A TRUCKER THAT DOES NOT HAVE A DAILY ROUTINE ROUTE(called a "dedicated" route). THERE WILL BE MANY TIMES WHEN THE ROUTING, SCENERY AND DAY'S ACTIVITIES WILL BE SIMILAR(boring???) TO PREVIOUS DAYS; THAT'S TRUCKING! THERE WILL BE DAYS WHEN THE ROUTING, SCENERY AND DAY'S ACTIVITIES WILL BE TOTALLY NEW; THAT'S TRUCKING. Frustrations? I mention the frustrations I had as a driver. I loved my job while earning a living and realized that all jobs have frustrations; truck driving is, and was, no different..... Many pictures on this blog can be left-clicked and made larger.....Questions?...Please E-mail PT at fabalt2000@centurylink.net


Blog Dictionaries...

The Trucking Dictionary...words in this dictionary will many times appear highlighted. If a word isn't highlighted or in the blog dictionary and sounds "different", check it out in this dictionary. Please note: Many times when clicking on these dictionaries anywhere in the blog, the first thing that comes up is an advertisement which I have no control over.
The Blog Dictionary...This dictionary contains words I use that aren't "trucker" words and thus not in the "trucking dictionary". I separate them--the dictionaries--in case someone wants to copy the trucking dictionary for personal use. This dictionary also contains names of people(not real names) that I dealt with many times through my trucking career. Blog word found in this dictionary often will be licked to it.
DAILY UPDATES SHOULD BE UP BY NOON CST...

August 29, 2009

August 28, 1989, 2009


FIRST 5 YEARS: (Monday-Kansas City, Missouri)


Woke up in the our company Kansas City yard. It was 7am and our company truck wash was open. No line waiting for the wash so I decided to go for it. Nice clean truck!!!


Delivered load of paint to it’s warehouse down on the Missouri River flood plain. It was a really boring place to be. Not many old buildings but they were few and far apart Glad I didn’t have to be there long.


After delivery, I returned to our Kansas City terminal and picked up a load of salad dressing going to Memphis Tennessee. I found another driver(his handle-nickname-was “weedabber”) going to Memphis so we decided to run together. I ran “front door”-I was number one. We ran down highways 435 and 71 to Harrisonville(Missouri) where we caught Hwy 7 to Clinton(Missouri). We took Hwy 13 south when it happened. I had both my windows up and my air conditioning was on. I was talking on the CB radio, still running in front of him, when I heard my tire blow out. I told him I had had a blow out and he said he had also. We both pulled over and looked. He had had his back trailer tire blow. I couldn’t believe that I heard his rear trailer tire blow!!! We continued to Springfield, Missouri where we stopped at the tire shop he was told to stop at. It was going to take him awhile to get it fixed so I decided to go on by myself. I went to Interstate 65 south then to Hwy 60 east. Continued east where I took a break at Norwood exit. The time was getting late and I felt like a break. Don’t know why but I like this convenient store and it’s truck parking. About 10:30pm when I left Norwood. Continued east to Hwy 63 south and followed it into Arkansas. Got through Hardy, Arkansas as the day came to a close.

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