FIRST 5 YEARS:(Wednesday- Woodbridge, Ontario)
Woke up to another driver from my company trying to put his trailer at the dock(hard docks to back up to). I got up real fast and offered my assistance but he was almost finished. Helped him unhook and talked with "Rug Rat"-his handle(nickname)- and the shipper guy for a couple hours. The way we were at the docks ment that Rug Rat would be leaving before me.
The place made vinyl siding and it was so interesting to watch the workers: they were originally of several nationalities with their different skin shades, clothes and head wear...most likely all Canadians now...fantastic!!! The shipper guy told me I could walk around the plant and I did. I talked with a couple people which I enjoyed greatly. There were a few types of people working together but all in all everyone was working together...It was great to see. We were being loaded by hand and the process was slow.
Note that in 1990, Woodbridge was the "Italian" area of a very diversified Toronto, Canada.
Rug Rat and I were hungry about 11AM EST and I asked the shipper guy if he knew of a good place to eat. He said that there was a "Texas" bar-b-que about four blocks toward downtown. We said GREAT; you could not do anything but love a good Texas bar-b-que!!! We found it and it had just opened. We went in and the menu was in Italian and English. Yes folks, an Italian Texas bar-b-que in Canada...and set up as a fast food restaurant. It wasn't what we were expecting but the food was good....
Rug Rat and I got back to the shipper and were told that it would be 2 or 3 PM EST before we were done. I had told Rug Rat how really nice the Woodbine Mall was and so we took a run to it as it wasn't far from us. We walked around and I just loved being there. When we left, both had bought a whole bag of candy; I had sour gummy worms.
We got back to the shipper by 2 PM EST and they were finishing up with me(mine going to Wichita, Kansas) and very close to being done with Rug Rat. By 3 PM EST we were hooked up and on our way to Windsor, Ontario. We traveled Hwy 7 to Qhwy(Queen's highway-now the King's highway) 427 to Qhwy 401 and headed to Windsor, we both got to the Ambassador Bridge, and through customs(we had "line" clearance with bar codes on our paperwork-like the stores-so didn't deal with brokers) around 7 PM CST . We were at the Taylor(Detroit suburb)Michigan terminal by 7:30 PM EST. Rug rat wanted to stay there for the night but I wanted to keep going as I had another 5 hour I could drive I topped off my fuel tanks(118 gallons) and was on my way west on I-94. I followed I-94 into Indiana where I stopped at "Just a Truckstop" at Lake Station for the night just before midnight EST...
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...
April 12, 2010
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