FIRST 5 YEARS:(Saturday-Oshawa, Ontario)
I was up and ready to go at 5:45 AM EST but the gates didn't open until 6 AM EST. When they opened, the guard motioned me in to get loaded. I gave his a PICK UP number and he told me which dock to back up to. I did and it wasn't long before they started loading me. When I got the paperwork for this load, I got one sheet for customs to scan...something new for me. I didn't have to go in and see a customs broker. I was out of there by 7 AM EST and moving west on the Queen's(now King's) Highway 401, going past Toronto, London and Windsor before the bridge. Crossed the Ambassador Bridge, over the Detroit River, into the U S side. I handed customs the one paper, he scanned it and told me to have a nice day. That was nice as the trip into see a customs broker had to be logged as "working-not driving" and cost ya that all important commodity "Time".
Got to the Taylor(Detroit), Michigan terminal at 12:15 PM EST and parked my truck. I went inside the terminal and didn't see anyone that I knew. I told dispatch to do a check call for me and they did. I was hoping that they would have me drop this load to the Bright Lights and send me somewhere else.NO LUCK!!! I fueled(105 gallons) and were headed for I-94 east. Took I-94 past the westbound chicken couple,which was closed and no problem as my load was only weighing 24,960 lbs. Michigan, along I-94, today was beautifully green. Got to Lake Station, Indiana and stopped at "Just a Truckstop". Got there at 5:00 PM EST. I was in no hurry so I decided on having dinner, going in their movie room and then sending the night , which I did...
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...
August 11, 2010
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What's in my blog...???
- 666--Highway (2)
- A Trucker Tale-introduction (1)
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