FIRST 5 YEARS:(Thursday-Kansas City, Missouri)
Spent the day at the terminal and on the trucker's ready board. I wanted to get my tractor washed and didn't have a trailer hooked to it so I went into the yard and got a dirty trailer. Went to the wash bay and got my tractor and that dirty trailer cleaned. Put trailer(now clean) back in the yard and went to the fuel islands where I fueled(180 gallons). Went to the lunch buffet and then went back to the terminal where I sat around until about 3:30 PM CST.
Dispatch called me to the dispatch window and said they had a load from St Joesph (Missouri)to Hilliard, Ohio that needed to be there at 7:30 AM EST. I said to give it to me as I had napped off and on all day and I felt fully rested. Got an empty trailer to take to St Joseph and left on I-435 north and followed it to I-29 north. On to St Joesph where I went to our drop yard. I looked for the trailer and couldn't find it. I called dispatch and was told to bobtail(go with no trailer) to the shipper and see if they have it. Sure enough, the trailer was at their dock being loaded. I asked about it and was told that I could hook up to it when it was loaded, not before(safety reasons). Frustration...I need to get moving! I called dispatch again and told them what was happening; told to wait for it. By the time I was Oked to hook up to the trailer, I was totally ready to leave. Was given the paperwork for the load at 7:20 PM CST and I called dispatch to get dispatched on the load.
I informed them that there was no way I could be there by 7:30 AM EST and I was told to do my best and my comment was noted on the load notes.
I decided I was going to get this there as soon as I could; It's a 12 ½ hour run and I had 12 hours. I headed out 7:30 PM CST. I headed straight across Hwy 36 through Missouri and into Illinois. I got on the big road(now I-72) in Illinois(the road had very little traffic) and I stopped on the side of the hwy for less than 5 minutes to stretch my legs. Back in the tractor, I was about a hour out of Springfield, Illinois as my day(midnight) ended. Kept going...
Tomorrow: Time matters...Do I go straight through on smaller roads or add a few miles and stay on the interstate highways???
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 29, 2010
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