FIRST 5 YEARS:(Wednesday-Marion, Illinois)
Once again, I woke early-around 4 AM CST- and knew it was too early to be getting up. I layed in my bed and listened too the radio for awhile. Nothing exciting no matter which thing I did. I got up around 5 AM CST and went into the truckstop and saw no one I knew as this was not a regular truckstop for our company. Decided to have breakfast as they were putting out a buffet as I was walking around. The buffet was OK and I filled myself up.
Was at the pickup, about 5 blocks west of exit 59 off of I-57, at a little after 8 AM EST. Checked in and was told to back up to dock #7 but that it would be awhile before they would load me. I docked my trailer and then made my morning check call... Loading started at 9:45 AM CST and it took less than half an hour. I got all my paperwork up to date. I put myslf here in Herrin(Illinois) for the past night so I could start today with a fresh 10 hours of running time. I was out of there by 10:30 AM CST with what they loaded on me, a full 8,450 lbs. of freight heading for Lorain, Ohio.
Kept with the program and headed up I-57 to I-70. Went east on I-70 and stopped at the BLUE & WHITE truckstop(not there any longer) at Monrovia, Indiana for fuel(98 gallons) & break at 2:30 PM CST. I hit the road by 3 PM CST as business was done and I didn't see anyone I knew from my trucking company. Got back on I-70 east into Ohio and got on I-75 north. At Findley(Ohio) I took Hwy 12 to the northeast until it turned into Hwy 6. I loved the back roads and Hwy 12 seemed really nice today as did Hwy 6. Stayed on Hwy 6 through Sandusky, Ohio, along Lake Erie and onto Lorain. The auto plant was an easy find as I rolled in at 10 PM EST. The guard said I could sleep on the premises until my appointment tomorrow so I bedded down...just an uneventful day....
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 25, 2010
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- 666--Highway (2)
- A Trucker Tale-introduction (1)
- A Trucker's Tale (33)
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