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...

June 12, 2010

June 12, 1990, 2010

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Tuesday-Memphis, Tennessee)
Bill(my son riding with me) and I were up by 7 AM CST and I took him into the Memphis terminal to get cleaned up. We fueled(54 gallons) and were gone on down I-55 by 9:15 AM CST.

We shortly crossed into Mississippi and exited the city setting. We had what looked like a lake on the west of us that came pretty close to the interstate. While the lake was to the west of us, we had what looked like a drunk come up behind and pass us. He was all over the road and ended up driving off the road and headed down to the lake. He then was able to get back on the road after we passed him down by the water. I just sped up and got him way behind us; don't know if he got home or not. We had 300 miles of Mississippi but the drive through the state is pretty nice. We went through Jackson, Mississippi and stopped for a break at the rest area after exit 56. We were there for about 1/2 hour as this state has nice rest areas and we are not in any hurry. We continued into Louisiana to I-12. Hammond, Louisiana is at the intersection of I-12 & I-55 and has a "Just a Truckstop" that I love to eat at. We stopped for a late lunch or early dinner and we were there a couple hours.

After we ate and played a few video games, we took off west on I-12. When we got to Baton Rouge, Louisiana we took I-10 west across the Mississippi River and then Hwy 1 to the warehouse we were going to in Port Allen. We got there at 6:15 PM CST. We parked on the street across from the company as there was plenty of parking space. I checked in as the building was open and the receiving fellow said to come back around 9 PM CST. I went back to the receiving clerk when the trucks disappeared from the docks before 9 PM CST. The fellow said to back in and he would unload me. I was unloaded by 9:30 PM CST.

I called dispatch and said I was at the receiver. I didn't want another load yet as I was tired. Pulled out on the street and went to sleep...
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