FIRST 5 YEARS:(Friday-McLean, Illinois)
Midnight started my day and I was sleeping in my tractor bunk. For some reason, I awoke and couldn't go back to sleep. I just laid there and soon I sat up and looked at the time: 1 AM CST. I decided to drive a little so I updated my logbook and left me “sleeping” in my bunk. As I left the truckstop around 1:20 AM CST. As I pulled out on I-55 south bound, a truck from my company passed me and got a hold of me on the CB radio. His handle(nickname)was “Sleeping Dragon”. Sleeping Dragon was on his way to the Joplin, Missouri terminal and planned on driving straight through; I decided to run with him. Chit-chatting and driving, we did fine. Past Springfield, Illinois and onto St. Louis, Missouri. We took I-55 across the Mississippi River and onto I-44 west. Wasn't long and were were through the city and back in the country. We stopped for a short break at the rest area just past the St. Clair, Missouri exit. We were on the road again at 5 AM CST. After we past Rolla, Missouri we saw a semi-truck on it's side in the median(strip of land between lanes of traffic). We never heard anyone talking of the accident's details so we don't know anything about it. The Missouri truck weigh station outside of Stratford, Missouri looked like it was getting ready to open but it hadn't yet. We kept moving and pulled into our Joplin terminal yard at 8:30 AM CST. I dropped my trailer and turned the paperwork into the local dispatch and told them not to put me on the truckers ready board yet. I went out to sleep to get caught up on it. About 10:30 AM CST someone was knocking on my tractor. He said dispatch was wanting me. I checked in and was told that there was a stranded driver on the Oklahoma Turnpike, heading east that had a load that needed getting. He was about 30 miles from Joplin I was told. I took a mechanic and about 10 gallons of fuel and left(bobtailed-no trailer) to help. We got there and the mechanic found that the brand new driver had just run out of fuel. He got him going and we-the mechanic and I-went back to Joplin and I went on the trucker ready board. I was told I would be here until tomorrow. I asked for a load I could take to Kansas City, Missouri so I can take some time off. Spent the rest of day at the terminal...
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
- The Protraveller...
- 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...
March 16, 2010
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What's in my blog...???
- 666--Highway (2)
- A Trucker Tale-introduction (1)
- A Trucker's Tale (33)
- abandonment of truck (1)
- accidents (12)
- animals (3)
- backing (2)
- buffalo burgers (1)
- bull haulers (1)
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- caught but... (2)
- caught-almost (3)
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- computer portable desk. (1)
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- diabetes and driving (3)
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