Enjoying North America while earning a living...: 2009-10-03

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

October 3, 2009

October 3, 1989, 2009

FIRST 5 YEARS: (Tuesday-traveling)
In Missouri, going south of Hwy 71, as the day started. Got to the Joplin(Missouri) terminal around 2 AM. The mechanic team, checking my tractor when it goes through the terminal, found two drive wheels with leaking seals. I was instructed to drop my trailer in the yard and bring the tractor back in for repairs. I did and went to sleep in my bunk. I was repaired, but still sleeping, by 7 AM. I was sleeping nicely so stayed that way until about 11 AM. I was up and gone by 12 Noon. Traveled west on I-44 into Oklahoma. Got to Big Cabin(Oklahoma) and traveled south on Hwy 69. Didn't stop until I got to Wagoner(Oklahoma) where I eat dinner at a restaurant that is a converted train station. It's atmosphere and food are pretty good and I had the standard meal; cheeseburger, fries and diet soda. Continued down I-69 just passed the joining of it with Hwy-75 and stopped for a large soda is Tushka(Oklahoma). Logged a 15 minute line 4 logbook break in Tushka and then left for Laredo, Texas. I am not a fan of the highway system through Dallas but going down Hwy-75 to I 35E south is faster after dark, then going around I-635-the loop. Kept moving my load south until my logbook time for driving ran out at San Antonio(Texas). Stopped at "Just a Truck Stop" and found NO parking spaces. No parking spaces...What to do??? I kept going toward Laredo and was on my way as the end of my day came in.

A Trucker's Tale: (snoring)
My youngest Daughter has told me several times that I have far too much free time on my hands. One day, while in Laredo (Texas), I got thinking about the talking we do in our sleep. I have been told I talk in my sleep, so I decided to buy a sound activated tape recorder; which I did. I set it up for recording me throughout the night. I put a 120 minute cassette in it and went to sleep. The next morning I saw that the recorder went through the full hour of recording and I should have some pretty interesting stuff on it. Had load north so I hooked up to my trailer, turned on the recorder to play my findings and headed north. What I heard??? Just an hour of snoring!!!