FIRST 5 YEARS:(Wednesday-Memphis, Tennessee)
I was up at 5:30 AM CST as I woke up and couldn't sleep. The Memphis terminal had just opened up and so I went in and checked in. The dispatcher told me that I was to deadhead(go without a load in the trailer) to Nashville, Tennessee. It was too early to wake the others up so I hooked up a trailer, fueled(98 gallons) and took off for Nashville. I was on I-240 heading east by 6:30 AM CST. Shortly I-240 turned north and then crossed I-40. I got on I-40 east and “hammered”(fast as I could go and stayed with it) until I got to our fuel stop in Nashville. Pulled into fuel stop at 10 AM CST. Called dispatch and was given a load from the Ford Glass Plant to Wichita, Kansas. I went to the glass plant and it was like they were waiting for me. I checked in the shipping guy and he said to back into the dock. I did and he had me loaded in less than 15 minutes. I signed the paperwork and he had loaded me with a load of racks and glass weighing 42,649 lbs. I went back to the fuel stop and weighed the load to be safe. My tractor drive tandems (double rear axles) were close to maximum weight so I moved my trailer tandems(trailer double axles) forward to take weight off my tractor. Now I could fill my fuel tanks and not worry about going over the legal limit. I started for Wichita, Kansas by going northwest on I-24. The first part of this trip will be great as it is all interstates and pretty flat land. When I get to Missouri, I will have about 60 miles of good roads and then Mountains and two lane curvy roads for a good while. I got to our fuel stop at exit 16 by Paducah, Kentucky at 2:30 PM CST and decided to eat there as they had some of the best fried chicken. Was on the road again around 4 PM CST on I-24 west. I-24 goes through part of Paducah within 5 miles of the Ohio River, so when I got into Paducah I took Hwy 60 west into Illinois(over Ohio River...1/4 mile of Illinois...over Mississippi River) and then Missouri. Stayed on Hwy 60 west until I got to a small truckstop by Dexter, Missouri at 6 PM CST; there I bedded down for the night.. went right to sleep even though it was about 6:15 PM...
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 7, 2010
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What's in my blog...???
- 666--Highway (2)
- A Trucker Tale-introduction (1)
- A Trucker's Tale (33)
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