FIRST 5 YEARS:(Thursday-Spring Grove, Minnesota)
I had a nice TV-less night and woke up before they started loading me. I checked in with the shipping clerk and he was just as nice as the people I met last night. He said that they would be loading me in a short while. I walked to the bathroom and break room and then back to the truck to find them loading me.
I was out of there before 9:30 AM CST. I asked the shipping clerk if he knew the best way to go to the southeast. He said to take the small road(it was just down the road from us) south into Iowa and then to Hwy 76. I looked at my map book and decided to go that way as he did say the small road was OK for semis(I only had a load of 7,000 lbs)....((Side Note: Be very cautious of what people tell you, especially if they preface it with something like, "...no problem, I travel it all the time". Also be cautious of small back roads as they may have weight and size limitations on them(Low over pass on small bridge???)), I went the back roads down into Iowa and it was mainly a road for moving farm equipment around. Got on Hwy 76, taking it south through some beautiful scenery to Marquette(Iowa). I crossed the Mississippi River here into Wisconsin and jumped on Hwy 18 eastbound. I followed it through some of the greenest places I have ever seen. Also went through many small towns before getting to Madison and hooking up with I-90. Traveled down I-90 into Illinois and paid the 5 to 6 tolls before getting to Chicago. Above the downtown area I-94 hooked in with I-90. I followed I-94 to Lake Station, Indiana where I stopped at the "Just a Truckstop" for dinner(5 PM EST? I thought about getting fuel but I decided that I would have enough to get to the Taylor(Detroit), Michigan terminal. When I left Lake Station, I followed I-94 to Taylor. Got there and just shut down and went to sleep when I got there at 9:15 PM EST...
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...
August 9, 2010
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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)
- accidents (12)
- animals (3)
- backing (2)
- buffalo burgers (1)
- bull haulers (1)
- Catch 22 (1)
- caught but... (2)
- caught-almost (3)
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- computer portable desk. (1)
- computer stuff (1)
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- cooking-on-the-road (2)
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- diabetes and driving (3)
- dispatcher's mistakes (1)
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- interesting (3)
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- load turn down policy (1)
- logbook violation-see violation (1)
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- loyalty to a company (1)
- Matter of Opinion (1)
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- mining--me??? (1)
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- places to see (13)
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- restaurants-good ones (5)
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- ripped off... (1)
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- violation (51)
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- weapons-weird ones (1)
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