Enjoying North America while earning a living...: August 7, 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

August 7, 2010

August 7, 1990, 2010

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Tuesday-Walton, Kentucky)
Was up and in the truckstop at 5:15 AM EST. I was ready to leave-vehicle inspection & logbook update done-and left at 6 AM EST north on I-75 to the Cincinnati bypass I-275. Now I took I-275 west to the point where I-275 turns to the north east, Hwy 1 in Indiana. I decided to take Hwy 1(I enjoyed the country drive) to I-74 west toward Indianapolis.

Kept the rig moving up at speed limits the whole day. Got to Indianapolis and followed I-74(part of the lower city loop) until it got to I-65 and I followed it right through town and on north toward Lake Station. Pulled into the "Just a Truckstop" in Lake Station, Indiana at 10:30 AM EST and decided to get something to eat only. I went in the restaurant and for some reason, nothing looked good.

I was only there about half an hour and headed west on I-94 through Chicago, Illinois until I-90 went west and I took it. I paid the 5 or 6 tolls on I-90 until it went into Wisconsin. Following I-94 to Madison(Capital of Wisconsin) where I-90 joins up with I-94. Got to our Portage (Wisconsin) fuel stop at 2 PM CST and fueled(116 gallons)and went into the restaurant to eat.

I found another driver from my company named "State Hopper"(handle) eating and I joined him. He was going to the St. Paul Ford plant like me and was coming from Detroit, Michigan. He knew that the Minnesota super coupe would be looking for him as he would be out of hours(doing the trip in one haul-no breaks-which takes 11.5 hours).He was planning on taking I-90 into Minnesota and onto Hwy 52. Hwy 52 would then be taken to the north to St. Paul. I asked him about taking Hwy 61 up along the Mississippi. He said he'd done that and found Hwy 52 easier and faster. I followed him to St Paul where we got to the plant at 9 PM CST. We dropped our trailers and called dispatch. State Hopper was ahead of me on the TRB. We talked with a couple other drivers there in the trailer drop yard next to the Mississippi River for awhile and then we all turned in for the night. I wrote a little and watched my TV...snore city!!!!