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...

June 20, 2010

June 20, 1990, 2010

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Wednesday-Taylor, Michigan)
I was up and into dispatch by 7 AM EST. I was number 3 on the trucker ready board. I let Bill sleep and I watched the news on the terminal TV set while I talked with a couple other drivers.

It was shortly after 8 when I got a load to the Kansas City, Missouri Ford assembly plant. That's good as I can drop my son off at home as I pass by.

I fueled(125 gallons) while I did my vehicle inspection. We were gone, heading west on I-94, by 9 AM EST. The trip across Michigan was uneventful and we entered Indiana. We stopped at Lake Station, Indiana for lunch and both had the buffet(barffet in some places...). Before we left the truckstop, I called Bill's Mother to let her know we were coming but I couldn't get hold of her.

After eating, we headed west on I-80 to I-55 where we went south. This part of Illinois has trees but they soon give way to farmland and more farmland. We stopped at the Funks Grove rest area for a break plus I like putting FUNKS GROVE on my logbook. We were there about a half hour and then it was south on I-55 again. Before we left the rest area, I called Bill's Mother to let her know we were coming but I couldn't get hold of her again. When we got to Hwy 36(now I-72 & Hwy 36) at the lower end of Springfield, Illinois, we went west to Hwy 100-end of the then road- which took us to Hwy 106. Hwy 106 connected with Hwy 54 which we followed to Kingdom City, Missouri.

When we got to Kingdom City, I called his Mother again but once again no luck. I told him that I couldn't just leave him and that I was going to take him. He wasn't very happy about that as I think he was kind of board riding "shotgun". We left for the Kansas City terminal with Bill being very unhappy.

We got to the terminal and was told to drop the trailer in the yard. I went on the trucker ready board with a request to go east again so I could drop Bill off....In KC for the night...
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