FIRST 5 YEARS:(Friday-Searcy, Arkansas)
Sleeping nicely when I woke up around 3 AM CST thinking of that heavy vitamin smell in the trailer. Today's shipper might not like it(see below); I got up and checked the weather...just hot...even now....No rain so I went out and opened my trailer doors to let the smile out as much as possible. Left them open and went back to bed.
Was awake again about 7:30 AM CST. Watched TV and just laid in bed until 9 AM CST. Got ready for my day and called dispatch. Made check call and got directions to the Batesville pickup. Not to pick up until this afternoon so I checked out of room and went to the KFC and waited for their lunch buffet. Ate at KFC and headed northeast on Hwy 67 to Hwy 167 to Batesville, Arkansas. Once again, the pickup spot was easy to find. I was at the pickup at 1:30 PM CST. I checked in with the receiving clerk(very nice person) and he had me back up to the dock but told me it would be awhile before I was loaded. I docked my trailer and sat in the driver's seat for awhile and got all my paperwork caught up and legal...I was loaded by one grumpy middle aged female forktruck driver. I don't know why she was so upset; maybe because of the vitamin smell(much, much less than it was) inside as those smells really linger.
I was ready to go at 4 PM CST. I looked at my map and BOY, what a choice of ways to go! I went back into the shipping clerk and talked to another driver about the best way to go to Kansas City, Missouri from here. (See "hint" below) I followed what they gave me(Hwy 14 west to Hwy 412 west to Hwy 65 north), had no stressful driving, small roads and really nice scenery!!! Follow Hwy 65 into Missouri and to the north side of Springfield( Missouri). I got on I-44 west a short few miles to Hwy 13 north. Took Hwy 13 to Clinton, Missouri where I grabbed Hwy 7 to the northwest. At Harrisonville, Missouri, I took Hwy 71 to I-435 east and then north to our terminal. After traveling, taking a couple short breaks and site seeing, I pulled into the Kansas City terminal right as my day ended...
Trucker Helpful Hint:(traveling through the mountains and unknown territory)
If you are not familiar with a route-like mountains-that you might be running, check with others before making your final decision. Mountain roads look good on a map but driving them with a 67 foot semi is a different story!!! The best case I know of was when I made a pickup in Gainsville, Georgia and was taking it up I-75. The map showed good roads up into Tennessee and then into Cleveland(Tennessee). I really talked to alot of drivers and the shipping clerk. The best way by map looked good but all the drivers I talked to said not to do it. There are a couple curves in Tennessee that would put the semi and oncoming traffic in danger. I hated to, but did, waste the miles and time going back through Atlanta. Who knows, I may have saved an accident/injury(ies) from happening???
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...
July 20, 2010
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