FIRST 5 YEARS:(Tuesday-Stoney Ridge, Ohio)
Woke up around 4 AM EST and felt ready to go. Was heading north on I-280 by 4:15 AM EST. Got on I-75 and went into Michigan where I stopped at our terminal in Taylor(Michigan). I talked with dispatch and got directions to the Kids R US store warehouse. I drove to the store warehouse and was there at 6:45 AM EST. It wasn't long-8:30 AM EST-and they had me unloaded. I just when back to the terminal and checked in with dispatch. I was put on the trucker ready board.
Late morning I got a load; pick up farm animal vitamins in Romulus, Michigan and take them to Little Rock, Arkansas for a Thursday AM delivery. The first thing I thought of was the convenience store in New Haven, Indiana and taking a break there(I like the surroundings and the people I see). I got ready and didn't fuel as I would come back and weigh my load; it may be heavy.
I got to the main gate to pick up the load and it was the start of their 1 hour lunch; the guards at he gates took the same lunch period. I sat at the front gate until the guard was gone with his lunch. He finally let me into the plant and I was backed to a dock. It was 4 PM EST before I left and went back to the terminal to weight my load(see "Trucking Student Questions" below). I fueled (155 gallons) and at 6 PM EST I headed straight down I-75 toward Cincinnati, Ohio. I didn't even go through New Haven, Indiana to take a break as I mentions earlier.
I followed I-75 through Cincinnati and over the Ohio River into Kentucky. Shortly after getting into Kentucky I took I-71 toward Louisville(Kentucky).
As my day ends, I am close to going through downtown Louisville...
Trucking Student Questions:
When I weighed my new load I had a total load weight of 76,500 lbs. My steering axle weighed 11,560 lbs and my trailer tandems weighed 33,080 lbs. What was the weight of my tractor tandems??? I put on about 950 lbs of fuel. Did I have anything to worry about???
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)
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- animals (3)
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- buffalo burgers (1)
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- caught but... (2)
- caught-almost (3)
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