March 1, 1990, 2010

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Thursday-Kingdom City, Missouri)
I woke up shortly after 12:30 AM CST and was heading for Kansas City, Missouri by 1 AM CST. Hammered on it(went as fast as I could) all the way to our terminal in Kansas City, Missouri. Pulled in the yard just before 3:15 AM CST. Talked with dispatch and was told to just drop my load ed trailer in the terminal yard. I went on the trucker ready board and then went outside, dropped my trailer and went to sleep. I woke up 10 AM CST and went into the trucker lounge to find I was close to getting a load. I sat around the lounge with the other waiting drivers, watched TV and talked with them. A couple drivers wanted to order pizza so I had them order me one also. Shortly after I ate my pizza, I got called up to the dispatch window where they had a trailer of empty racks(returning racks to manufactures) for me to take to Taylor(Detroit suburb)Michigan terminal. The destination of these racks will be someplace in Canada. I had to take an empty trailer to our drop yard(a place where a company stores trailers-full and empty)in St. Joseph, Missouri where I would pick up the trailer with the racks. I was getting ready to leave the driver's lounge when a female driver, who's handle (nickname) was “Pocket Watches”, asked if she could follow me as she had the same assignment as me. I said yes and we were off to hook up our empty trailers and fuel(racks don't weigh much so load light). I did a vehicle inspection and fueled(168 gallons). Pocket Watches did also. We were off for St. Joseph at 12:30 PM CST. We were at our St. Joseph drop yard just after 1:30 PM CST and dropping our empty trailers. My trailer was in the yard but her's wasn't. Her trailer wasn't there yet. The local driver came in with her trailer in about 10 minutes after I got hooked up. We got her hooked up, vehicle inspections done and dispatched by 1:30 PM CST. I told her I was going to take Hwy 36 to Hannibal, Missouri where I will continue to Taylor(Detroit)Michigan. She said, “Fine. Let's go.”...We left heading east on Hwy 36. Hit the Missouri weigh scales open but we had no problem. Followed the highway through much of the rolling farm lands of Missouri. Just before we got to the small truckstop east of Monroe City, Missouri we had another driver break into our CB radio conversation. Turned out he was a Canadian driver going back to Canada. His handle(nickname)was “Yellow Bird” and he would be running with us. We stopped at the truckstop just east of Monroe City for a short break and munchies. Headed on over the Mississippi River at Hannibal, Missouri and followed Hwy 36(now I-72) toward Springfield, Illinois. Got to Springfield, Illinois where we took I-55 north to Funks Grove rest area where we took a break. We were at the rest area for about a half hour. Got back on I-55 north at 10:15 PM CST. Followed I-55 north toward I-80 as our day ended