FIRST 5 YEARS:(Friday-Williamsburg, Iowa)
Cool night and didn't have to run the truck. Got up and went to start the engine and my power supply had a problem. Wondered what I could do and three things popped into my head: call a wrecker, ask someone for a jump or sit and hope Nick(the driver I had been running with who was to meet me here today) would show up as he promised. Well, calling a wrecker was my last option and there wasn't another truck with a driver that I could see, so I hoped for Nick. Counting on other drivers just wasn't something I could count on-from experience. Well, I sat around and hoped that Nick would drive up and sure enough, here he came. We got me started and then went in and had breakfast; I had the one pound steak breakfast.
After breakfast we jumped into our trucks of headed east on I-80. As we cycled the quad-cities we separated as Nick was going to Chicago and I was going to Cincinnati. I took I-74 south and then southeast in Illinois. Traveled through the farmland of America, passing Bloomington((stopped for break and fuel(136 gallons)) and Decatur and going into Indiana. On to and past Indianapolis following I-74 around the western and southern part of the loop. Followed I-74 into Ohio.
Entering Ohio, I had to get on the northern loop as the customer is in the northern section of the town. When I go to I-275 east I took it it I-75. Went south on I-75 a couple miles, following directions and found the customer. Friday night and my delivery date was Monday; I asked the guard if I could get unloaded tomorrow. He said that receiving would be able to answer that and let me in. I drove to receiving and asked. They said they would unload me then. I got unloaded by 11 PM EST. After unloading I drove to the Stoney Ridge truckstop north of Cincinnati. My day ended as I drove into the truckstop...
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...
October 26, 2010
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What's in my blog...???
- 666--Highway (2)
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- A Trucker's Tale (33)
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