FIRST 5 YEARS: (Thursday)
Awoke before day break in McLean, Illinois and legalized my paperwork. Took off north on I-55 toward Chicago. Over the years I somehow developed a liking for the highway system through Chicago; don't know why, just did. Took I-55 to I-294(toll road)north to I-94 to Milwaukee. This trip around Chicago was uneventful. Not too many miles into Wisconsin, I started noticing cheese stores along the west side of Interstate; none on the east side. I wanted to stop but didn't. As I closed in on Milwaukee, Wisconsin the Interstate seemed to elevate. Looking off to the west I could see the housetops which all seemed a weak "A" frame design. The roofs are so uniformed that they appeared the tops of a world war one tent city. Found the delivery point and the customer told me to back up and they would unload all their roofing material. It is amazing that such a little amount can weigh so much.
After the unloading, called dispatch was was told to go to Keokuk, Iowa for a load of car parts for Detroit, Michigan. Knowing the scenery I wood be seeing(Farmland and more farmland) , I left Milwaukee and headed south on I-43 to Beloit (Wisconsin). At Beloit, I fueled my tractor(86 gallons) and then parked the rig. I walked over to Wal-Mart(a different store front than I was use to seeing)and bought a number of food items for the truck, including "goodies" for this afternoons run. Got back into the tractor and got caught up on my logbook. Legal again!!! Broke out a big bag of raffled plain potato chips and a large container of onion dip and was headed south on I-39. As soon as I entered Illinois the toll road started. I-90 runs with I-39 just east of Rockford(Illinois) and where I-90 turns southeast to Chicago, I stayed on I-39 south. Not too far south I took I-88(toll road) west to the quad cities. East side of the quad cities, I hooked into I-74 going south. By now my chips and dip were gone and so I decided to wait until Keokuk, Iowa to see what else I would eat. At Galesburg(Illinois) I took Hwy 34 and ended up where I wanted to go, Burlington, Iowa. Thought about stopping and walking around but I was anxious to get to my pickup site for tomorrow. Took Hwy 61 south through some beautiful scenery along the Mississippi River. Got to the shipper in Keokuk, Iowa just after dark. They told me to back up to the dock, with my doors open, and wait until morning. The neighborhood wasn't too interesting but I decided to walk around anyway...
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
- The Protraveller...
- 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...
September 21, 2009
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What's in my blog...???
- 666--Highway (2)
- A Trucker Tale-introduction (1)
- A Trucker's Tale (33)
- abandonment of truck (1)
- accidents (12)
- animals (3)
- backing (2)
- buffalo burgers (1)
- bull haulers (1)
- Catch 22 (1)
- caught but... (2)
- caught-almost (3)
- check trailer (1)
- church (2)
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- computer portable desk. (1)
- computer stuff (1)
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- convoys (1)
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- diabetes and driving (3)
- dispatcher's mistakes (1)
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- interesting (3)
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- logbook violation-see violation (1)
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- violation (51)
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