FIRST 5 YEARS:(Wednesday-Ridgway, Illinois)
I was up at 6 AM CST as I had lot of rest time last night. I was unloaded by 8 AM CST and I talked with the fellow that unloaded me about the Popcorn Capitol topic....interesting. I went into the office to make my check call and talked to the office staff about the same thing.
I am not into the business part of this trucking stuff but it seems somewhat logical to me that if I bring in a bunch of empty containers, that I would leave with full containers to deliver. NOPE. I was empty and told to go to Greencastle, Indiana again(almost 200 miles) while their were several trucks waiting to be loaded that came in empty. Oh well, I get paid for doing what I am told to...
Followed Hwy 1 out of “Popcornville”(one person said they tried to rename the town) north at a little after 8:30 AM CST. Even though I don't get excited about the Illinois scenery, this Hwy 1 was, and hopefully still is, a nice drive. It was a nice enough drive to want to follow up to I-70 instead of going over to Hwy 41(four lane road) in Indiana and following it north. Had a pleasant ride to I-70 where I went east into Indiana.
Since my drive was very pleasant up Hwy 1, I probably took more time then I would usually but that's the breaks. I got to Hwy 231 (exit 41) crossing I-70 and took it-Hwy 231-north about 5 miles to the shipper. I reported to the shipper that I was there and was given dock 3 to back up to. They didn't start loading me until 2:30 PM EST and by 3:15 PM EST I was on my way down Hwy 231 toward I-70.
Got to I-70 where I went west past Terre Haute, Indiana and into Illinois. My load weight was around 35,000 lbs and I didn't have state scales to worry about(Many drivers don't worry about them even if they're over weight. Go figure) At 6:45 PM CST, after taking I-70, I-270(over the top of St Louis) and I-70 west again, I stopped in Warrenton, Missouri for a couple cheap hamburgers and two large(the largest)orders of fries. Added a lot of salt and took off west down I-70 again. It was getting dark and I had had a busy day. I shot straight into our Kansas City(Missouri) terminal off of I-435. The time was a little after 10 pm CST and I was in violation of the logbook again....Dropped my trailer in the yard, turned in my loads paperwork, turned on my TV and went to bed for the night...
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...
March 28, 2010
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- 666--Highway (2)
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