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...

May 25, 2010

May 25, 1990, 2010

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Friday-Fredonia, New York)
I was up and going at 5:30 AM EST but I was the only one. I walked around...about a couple blocks from the truck and enjoyed the sun come up. The company unloader came out and checked our papers. He said that I, one other truck from my company and another from another company were to go to a warehouse in Dunkirk, New York. Even though Dunkirk is only a couple miles away, we( I and and other driver from my company) called dispatch. There was a problem...we had to be dispatched to Dunkirk and the company we were delivering to was to be billed for the extra miles. The three of us went to the Dunkirk warehouse and were unloaded by 9 AM EST. The nice thing about going to Dunkirk was, between the warehouse and I-90, a morning restaurant that had phones and truck parking. The three of us had a nice breakfast and called our dispatchers. I got a load to pick up in Rochester, New York that was going to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Don't remember where the other drivers went.

I was at the Rochester shipper at 1 PM EST and loaded by 1:35 PM EST. I did the paperwork and vehicle inspection and then called dispatch. At 2 PM EST I was heading west one I-490. It wasn't long and I was on the New York Thruway(I-90....toll road) going west. Went into Pennsylvania where I stopped at the truckstop in Northeast(Pennsylvania) at 4:14 PM EST. I didn't want to hit the start of the Erie Pennsylvania Memorial Day weekend traffic and go past Cleveland. Note: I was leaving Cleveland last year on Friday, the starting of that Memorial Day weekend. This truckstop had a really good chef salad...I had two of them.

Left Northeast at 7 PM EST and headed for Cleveland, Ohio. Got on I-271 southbound east of Cleveland and took it to I-71 southbound. Stopped at the "All Right Truckstop" in Berkshire, Ohio just as my day was ending. Laid down as I was tired...
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