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...

November 7, 2009

November 7, 1989, 2009

FIRST 5 YEARS: (Tuesday-Provo, Utah)
Woke up in the motel room again. Walked outside and looked at the mountains and thought about their beauty...What a place to be struck I thought. Just took it easy through the morning. Toward the end of the morning hours, I dropped my trailer to drive over to the tire store. I talked to the manager and he said that 1 PM would be fine. The Provo store manager then called the Orem(Utah) store manager and asked, for me, if I could deliver the tires to them after I finished in Provo. That manager said YES. So I delivered these two stores this afternoon. My third drop I will be at early in the AM as they are a bit of a challenge to back off the street. After the first two loads were off, I went back to the motel room and went back to the buffet restaurant and “filled” my tank! Got logbooks caught up-logging these drops- and watched TV until I fell asleep. Set my alarm for 3 AM (4 AM Utah Time) so I come get am early start tomorrow.


SECOND 5 YEARS: (too many flies)

I picked up meat loads at a meat plant in Nebraska that just made me question the brain power of upper management. In the trailer holding yard were old trailers broken down, trailers that had blood dripping out of them and the guard house had several hanging fly catchers with a lot of flies stuck to them. When we had to wait for the our meat loads, the flies would sit on our windshields and side windows in black masses. I had one truck driver come up to my tractor to ask me an important. I didn't want to open my window but I did and let in many flies. I asked the guards at the guard shack why they don't take care of all the flies? They said that management didn't want the sprays hurting the meat quality. With the crap these flies come from, I would think they might cause the meat problems as they can't help coming in contact with the meat...

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