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

My photo
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...

January 27, 2010

January 27, 1990, 2010

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Saturday-Herrin, Illinois)
Woke up in my sleeper while sitting in the Herrin Wal-Mart parking lot. It was about 8 AM and so I made a check call. Dispatch told me to get a room for the weekend as there are no loads. I am number 2 on the ready board for this area. The only place I knew that had motels and a truckstop was the exit off of I-57 for Marion, Illinois. I took the the main north/south Herrin road south to Marion where I parked in the truckstop. Saw another truck from my company and found the driver in the truckstop restaurant. Talked with him and he was going to spend the weekend in his truck. I went to the motel and got me a room(my company reimburses $20/day/room) for the weekend and only paid for a day at a time. Spent the day, after checking into my room, watching TV and not much more.

SECOND 5 YEARS:(Watch your weights and cargoes-part 1)I had to pick up a load of scrap plastic at a recycle center in Stamford, Connecticut and take it to Henderson, North Carolina. I had a refrigerated trailer with a flooring with return air grooving built into it. So, the contents of the trailer sit on the return air grooving. With a refrigerated trailer, I often would worry about any loads were the paperwork read 43,000 lbs. or more. PLUS, I had a weight sensor that would give me an idea about the weight on the tractor drive tires. Well, as they loaded me, I noticed the tractor drive weight sensors were reading far more than the legal 34,000 lbs. I went in and told the loader and he said for me to wait and just weigh it after loaded. I knew I would be back for reloading. He gave me the paperwork and it read about 48,000 lbs. I weighed it on their scales and came out with 37,250 lbs. on my tractor drives. I went back in the shipping office and found out the loader I had was brand new and didn't realize the weight limitation(yeah, right!!??). I had an experienced loader reload me correct and I weighed out legal at 79,560 lbs. Being legal, but close, I will only get enough fuel to equal that which I used after being loaded...don't want to go over being legal. (The trip and problem after being unloaded in part 2 tomorrow.)

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