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

My photo
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...

October 16, 2009

October 16, 1989, 2009

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Monday-Fulton, Missouri)
I am off in Fulton, Missouri for the week. The Barnes, who I stay with most the time I am “home” in Missouri, said that I could place my camper next to their home in the county. I did and I now have a permanent place. I also took out the three spark plugs that cause my pickup engine to run rough. I cleaned them and put them back in. I get 75 miles to a quart of oil but there is no smoke coming out my tail pipes and none leaking on the ground.

SECOND 5 YEARS:(Semi-truck turkey hunting-Part 1 of 2)
I was dispatched to Perry, Iowa around January 12th to get a load of pork for a company in Altus, Oklahoma. I had been to this meat processing company before and knew I could get there the night before....so I did. I got pretty of sleep before I was told to back up to the deck and drop my trailer. They take a good six to eight hours to load so I had time to spare. I found out that this community apparently(around 1989) would not let Wal-Mart build within the county, so I went shopping at some unfamiliar stores. Lunch time came and I went to the buffet at The Hut and filled my tank. After shopping I returned to the plant and waited about two more hours for my load of pork. Finally got the load and weighed it at a truck scale in town. I kept the weight ticket as my total weight meat and truck was around 70,000 lbs with my drive tires at 33, 780 lbs(legal limit was 34,000 lbs). Just before leaving Perry, Iowa, I remember having to make a sudden stop as I had someone turn in front of me. This would prove to be what put me into the time slot to have a turkey hit me later...I had had my load of pork slide forward and increase the weight on my drive tires almost 1,500 lbs. I went down Hwy 141 to I-35 south where I continued into Missouri. Not far into Missouri there is a chicken coupe that was open so I got weighed. The coupe officer asked me to bring in all my paperwork, including logbook, for him to look at after I parked my truck. I did and found that my drive tires were 1,500 lbs over weight. I told him what had happened and showed him my scale ticket which showed me legal when I started. We talked about mid Missouri for a few minutes and then he told me to get the weigh legal by sliding my trailer wheels forward(takes weight off of drive wheels) . I got the unit legal and was on my way. It was a beautiful evening. The skies were gray with a snow flurry coming down as I was moving at 70 mph toward Kansas City. I was thinking how really nice the evening was when I saw a huge turkey fly across the interstate far in front of me. It was really beautiful until I saw a second one take off to follow the first. I knew I was going to have company in my cab!!! Part 2 tomorrow....

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