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

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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...

September 11, 2010

September 11, 1990, 2010

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Tuesday-traveling)
Around 15 minutes past Sikeston, Missouri (home of the Lambert's Restaurant) on southbound I-55, my new day started. Traffic was "average" and the drive was very pleasant. CB radio had the regular jibber-jabber. Just an average night as I traveled through Arkansas into Tennessee.

Found the warehouse I was looking for in southeast Memphis, parked on the road and laid down for some sleep at 2:30 AM CST. I had a warehouse person knocking on my tractor at 6:30 AM CST as they wanted to unload me. I opened my doors and backed up to the dock and they started unloading me immediately. It didn't take long and I was empty. I wasn't too far from the Memphis company terminal so I just drove there and checked in with dispatch when I got there 8:30 AM CST. Dispatch gave me a Sears load to pickup in the middle of Memphis(Tennessee) at 4 PM CST and I was not to be more than 30 minutes early.

I had some time to "kill" so I went to my tractor, set my alarm for 2 PM CST and went to sleep. I was up and ready to go at 12:30 PM CST. Too early to go to the Sears warehouse so went shopping at the supermarket near the Elvis Presley museum and bought alot of munchies for the road. Came back to the terminal and filled my tanks(107 gallons),

I was at Sears at 3:40 PM CST and they had me back into a space at the open dock. They didn't start loading me until around 4:15 PM CST but they were fast. I was out of there and heading south on the side street toward I-55 when 5PM CST showed on my clock. I got on I-55 and went west into Arkansas where I stopped for dinner and "Just a Truckstop" in West Memphis(Arkansas). I had the buffet and it was really good tonight.

I was back on the road heading west on I-40 over the flat land by 8 PM CST. After Little Rock(Arkansas), the terrain got hilly and stayed that way until I got out of Arkansas. I stopped for a break at the pickle park by Morrilton, Arkansas. I was passing Clarksville, Arkansas as my day ended at midnight.
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