FIRST 5 YEARS:(Thursday- Dexter, Missouri)
I was up from the bed at 2 AM CST. I left on Hwy 60 west after I got my paperwork all legal and my vehicle inspection done. Hwy 60 was a four lane Hwy until it passed Poplar Bluff-north of town-After Poplar Bluff, Hwy 60 goes “two lane, windy and hilly” for around 100 miles. When it joins up with Hwy 63 it goes back to a decent four lane highway. Hwy 63 separates from Hwy 60 at Cabool, Missouri and I followed Hwy 60. I took a short break at the Norwood, Missouri exit at 5:30 AM CST and got some munchies for breakfast. Headed for and got to Joplin, Missouri by taking Hwy 60 west to Hwy 65 north to I-44 west. Finally got to the Joplin Terminal after 8:30 AM CST. Checked in with dispatch to make my daily check call. The dispatcher wanted me to drop my trailer to Wichita and take a “HOT” load to Kansas City Missouri. I wasn't too excited about it but said yes. The dispatcher told me that they had deadheaded(trailers with no loads) several trucks to Joplin to cover this load and a couple others but they wouldn't be in Joplin for a couple hours. The trailer I was taking up was so “HOT” that they were getting ready to fly a part of the auto parts load up so the assembly line at the Ford assembly plant would not shut down.(see “Just in time” trucking note below). I hooked up to the trailer and didn't get fuel as I had enough to get me to the Kansas City Terminal after I delivered this load. I didn't weigh it either as I read the weight of the load on the paperwork(24,330 lbs) and had no concern with it. I got on east I-44 a short time to Hwy 71 north. Didn't slow down for much and kept moving the load north toward the assembly plant. South of Kansas City, I took I-235 to the east and north to the assembly plant. The plant had a yard truck(a special tractor made to move trailers around a trailer storage yard) waiting for me and so I just dropped my trailer where I was and got an empty trailer. Went to the terminal and was told to go on the trucker's ready board and wait...wait unto tomorrow and I did.
Note: “Just in time”, or "JIT loads are loads that have to be at the receiver at a certain time. The trucking company gets paid extra for this service. If the loads are late, the trucking companies have to pay for the “down time” caused by the trailer being late. Big companies "down time" could be so huge that trucking companies often would fly a part of the load if the trailer was running behind schedule.
Trucker Helpful Hint: I have found that doing a favor for a dispatcher, even if it isn't the best for you, pays off in the long run. I got many great loads because I would “help out” a dispatcher when they needed it even if it meant “crap” for me!!!.
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...
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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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- interesting (3)
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- Just in time trucking (1)
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- load turn down policy (1)
- logbook violation-see violation (1)
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