Enjoying North America while earning a living...: September 24, 1989, 2009

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

September 24, 2009

September 24, 1989, 2009

FIRST 5 YEARS: (Sunday)
I thought when I awoke about all the fun and excitement that I could have while sitting here in Effingham, Illinois all day. "OH Boy" is what I was thinking to myself until time came to do something. I went into the restaurant and found some more drivers from my company. Had the breakfast buffet and had my favorite, sausage sandwiches made with heavily buttered Texas toast. Well, it was looking like breakfast was going to be the highlight of my day. I decided to move on toward Hazelwood (Missouri) so that tomorrow I would have more hours on my logbook to run. That I did. I drove to Troy, Illinois where there is a nice truck stop where we even have a little movie theater for truckers. Was there by lunch so I parked my unit and took it easy the rest of the day; I really couldn't go any further.

SECOND 5 YEARS: ( thought I was caught???)
Some days one just has to wonder where their mind is at. I had a meat load from Dakota City, Nebraska going east. It was mid morning and I was feeling pretty good. I had crossed into Iowa at Sioux City and was proceeding south on I-29. I got to I-680 as I was getting close to Omaha and Council Bluffs. Took I-680 to I-80 East and hammered down(fast as I could go) which was about 72 miles per hour in this truck. The speed limit was 65 mph but I was feeling good with nothing bothering me. I remember passing the rest area near Casey(Iowa) when ahead of me was another truck with a car behind it. I was hammer down and those two vehicles were getting closer. I moved over to the fast lane, never slowing down, and started to pass the car. The car then looked strange to me; It was a full grown smoky(highway patrol car with all lights and stickers). I was looking right into the Smokey's eyes. My first thought was to slow down as I knew I was pedal to the metal(hammer down), but I had already got caught, I thought, so I just kept going. I got past the other semi and pulled back into the slow lane when the state trooper pulled around the truck also. He also pulled back into the slow lane when he passed that truck thus putting him behind me a decent distance. I hadn't slowed down as he had me dead to rights, but he pulled off the Interstate at the next exit he came to!!! Go Figure!!! See October 1, 1989, 2009