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 30, 2010

January 30, 1990, 2010

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Tuesday-traveling)
My day started with traveling past Kingdom City, Missouri. At 2:15 AM I found myself pulling into our Kansas City, Missouri terminal. Talked with dispatch and was told to drop my trailer in the yard and turn my paperwork into him. I did and went to bed in my tractor. Before I went to bed I checked the “ready board” and I got on it. I got up from sleeping at 9 AM and went to the drivers' room where it wasn't long before I was called to the dispatcher's window for a load. I took a load of salad dressing to Maple Heights(suburb of Cleveland), Ohio. I knew that I could fill my fuel tanks so I did. I had to take an empty trailer to the shipper and exchange it for a loaded one. The weight on the paperwork read 38,685 lbs. I should be legal on overall weight but I will weigh the truck for axle legality. The axles were legal with 37,960 lbs on the trailer tandems. Headed for Cleveland, Ohio on I-70 eastbound until I got to I-270 around to top of St. Louis. Took I-270 east into Illinois where I picked up I-70 east again. Continued to Effingham, Illinois where I stopped at our fuel stop for a break. Was there about an hour and then it was off east on I-70 into Indiana. Stayed on I-70 east through Indianapolis and onto the “Just a Truckstop” on the Indiana/Ohio border where I took a break and got me some “eatin' “ at the restaurant. Don't know where I will go after Maple Heights so I decided to fill my tanks here since this truckstop is a fuel stop for our company. Put in 92 gallons and headed east on I-70 toward Columbus, Ohio. Got to exit 79 before Columbus and took Hwy 42 north to Plain City, Ohio. I had decided to drive the 13 ½ hours straight through to Maple Heights. This way I miss the Ohio scales on I-71 and the possibility that the Ohio DOT would inspect my logs and fine me illegal. As midnight came and my day ended, I was just exiting the north end of Plain City.......

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