Enjoying North America while earning a living...

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

My photo
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...

May 5, 2010

May 5, 1990, 2010

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Saturday- Joplin, Missouri)
Woke up this Saturday morning and found that I would be here for the day most likely. Since this is the headquarters for our company and the first Saturday of the month, we had a company drivers meeting. I went to it and it was informative and fun.

So our tractors won't be running all over the city, the company payed for us to take taxis where we needed to go. A couple of us took a taxi to eat at the buffet restaurant. We took our time and stuffed our faces. We had a great waitress and spent about 1 1/2 hour there so we left a good 50% tip. Took taxi back to the terminal yard. I went to my tractor and took a nap.

About 4 PM CST I went in and talked to dispatch. I asked if I could get one of the loads they were going to give out tomorrow so I could get going now. He said OK and gave me a load to Chicago...the same load I dropped in the load last Thursday. That's great. I fueled(78 gallons) and hooked up to the trailer. I did my logbook and vehicle inspection and was off(5:45 PM CST) east on I-44 after talking some more with a couple drivers.

A beautiful evening for travel, especially with the sun going down behind me. About Springfield, Missouri another driver from our company pulled out onto I-44 going east also. We decided to run together. "Sweet Child", the other driver's handle(CB radio nickname), was going to Ohio. We would run to East St. Louis, Illinois together where she would take I-70 east and I would take I-55 north. The darkness of the night really didn't become obvious until we got close to St. Louis, Missouri and stopped at the rest area by Stanton, Missouri. Took a short break and we were on the road again. We went right through the downtown area of St. Louis and than over the Mississippi River into Illinois. I was heading to McLean, Illinois to shut down there for my 8 hour+ break as my day ended...
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