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.

August 29, 1989, 2009

FIRST 5 YEARS: (TUESDAY-traveling)

The day starts as I am passing though Hardy, Arkasas, an old west style town well worth your time to visit if you get the chance. So far, the roads through these parts of the Ozark Mountains-north of Hardy-are fairly level. South of Hardy to Hoxie, Arkansas, the roads are especially hilly. After Jonesboro(Arkansas), the roads are pretty level again, with farm land on both sides. Just before Hwy 63-that I am on-gets to Interstate Hwy 55, I pass another interesting town called Marked Tree. I shoot down Interstate 55 to West Memphis, Arkansas and go over the Mississippi River. I don’t understand why, but I squeeze several times when going over the Mississippi at Memphis only.

I find my delivery warehouse here in Memphis (Tennessee) and find other trucks waiting to get unloaded also: Several from the company I work for. I got there about 1:50 AM and the warehouse opened at 2AM. I was happy as I was unloaded by 3:30AM. I got my paperwork and headed for our company yard in Memphis. Got to our yard, dropped trailer, parked my tractor in the tractor row, turned my TV on and went to sleep. Woke up at 10AM.

I went into the terminal and talked with dispatch. I am to be at our company’s Kansas City terminal Thursday and Friday for a drivers’ seminar, so I was given a load back to Kansas City. The problem is that it doesn’t get to our yard until tomorrow so I went and got myself a motel room for the night.

A Truck's Tale:(My roach fight...The motel was a good one.) While I was resting on the bed watching TV, a huge roach walked by the foot of the bed. I interrupted it and I thought I heard it ask me what was I doing in it’s room. I got up, grabbed a couple nose tissues and went for it. It took a defensive stance and the battle was on. I was able to work it into the bathroom. I then was able to grab it and flip it into the toilet. I rapidly flushed it down as it was big enough to get out if I took too long. Had to rest after the confrontation.

Before going to sleep, I walked over to the ELVIS PRESLEY Visitors’ Center to look at the two jets sitting in the yard. Looked at the jets awhile and return the the motel room. Went to bed.