Enjoying North America while earning a living...: July 15, 1990, 2010

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

July 15, 2010

July 15, 1990, 2010

FIRST 5 YEARS: (Sunday-Taylor, Michigan)
Was sleeping nicely when there came a knock on the side of my tractor. It was a little after 2:45 AM EST; it was the night dispatcher telling me he had a load for me. He had just got the order to send a truck-me-to Ypsilanti, Michigan and pick up a load of auto parts for Edison, New Jersey. This load had just come in-on Sunday morning-and dispatch told me it was "hot". Since it was so early in the morning, could I turn down the load???

The company had a policy that a driver could turn down a load without penalty (company discipline), but if they turned all (one to numerous choices offered at one time) offered loads down, their names were placed at the end of the trucker ready board. If there are few drivers on the list, it is not bad; if a several day wait for a load...
One must remember the human element to this. If a driver turns down a load a dispatcher is having trouble assigning, the dispatcher would likely remember the driver in a negative way; then the driver needs help or a favor??? Dispatchers can do many things they say they can't. They can get you that load to Seattle you were really wanting.
I have had dispatchers save loads for me-knowing I liked them & if they could- even though I was not high on the trucker ready board.

I left for the Ypsilanti auto assembly plant by 3:30 AM EST-after fueling(156 gallons) and found the place and was backed up to the dock by 4:15 AM EST. The load was sitting on the dock waiting for me and the loader actually just used the forktruck to push the load-weighing 8,145 lbs-into my trailer. The loader told me that the Edison plant was needing these "extra" Ypsilanti pants by Monday morning. He said the Edison plant would probably unload me whenever I got there. By 5:15 AM EST I was loaded and on my way. I took I-94 west about 5 miles to Hwy 23 and then went south into Ohio. Shortly after entering Ohio I came to I-475 and took it east. When I got to I-75, I took it north(actually east) to I-280. I-280 was taken south to Stoney Ridge, Ohio (intersection with the I-80 toll road). Note that I-280 is the only interstate highway I am aware of that has a drawbridge(traffic is-or was-periodically stopped for the rise of the bridge) .

I stopped at "Just a Truckstop" for the breakfast buffet(not "barfet" this time) at Stoney Ridge. After breakfast I laid in my tractor's bed and napped for two hours. I woke and worked my logbook so that I had a "paperwork" 8 hour break at Stoney Ridge. I wasn't at all tired so I headed toward Edison, New Jersey at 9:30 AM EST on the I-80 toll road.

During my almost 3 hour trip to Youngstown, Ohio, where I stopped for a short break, I traveled over many long interstate bridges while going past the southern Cleveland area. The interstate went past hundreds of backyards also that I took a fast peek at. Got off the toll road at Youngstown but continued following I-80 into Pennsylvania. It seemed that once I hit Pennsylvania, the terrain became mountainy and beautiful.

A real beautiful spot-seen later in my driving career-to see in the town of Emlenton, Pennsylvania down in the river valley as you go over the high I-80 bridge-between exits 42 and 45- to the south of the town. It is really beautiful as I saw it one time; night time in the middle of winter.

Continued east on I-80 over the mountains and valleys of-for the most part-beautiful Pennsylvania. Stopped for a short break at the rest area near Hetlerville, Ohio. Went into New Jersey over the Delaware River. Continued east on I-80 until I came to Hwy 206(at Netcong, New Jersey) where I went south. Boy, the green along Hwy 206 was really green and beautiful!!! Loved it!!! Got to I-287 and took it south and west to Edison. The auto plant was easy to find and I pulled up to the guard gate at 7:45 PM EST.

I told the guard that I was told this load was "hot". He took my paperwork and called someone. He then told me to take the trailer to the trailer yard, drop the trailer and wait for the yardtruck to bring the trailer-emptied- to me. This I did. The yardtruck brought my trailer back and I asked the yardtruck driver where a good place was to spend the night. He told me to just sleep the night in their trailer yard. I hooked up to my trailer and backed it into a parking spot . I updated my logbook, turned my TV on and went to bed for the night