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...

September 27, 2010

September 27, 1990, 2010

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Thursday-Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)
I wasn't in a hurry today so I didn't leave the truckstop until 9:30 AM EST. Went up I-81 which I started on yesterday in southern part of Virginia. I am on a flat area in Pennsylvania, not too far from Hersey Park, but soon get into the mountainous areas. Up and down; up and down and up and down throughout the day. I pass the break off for I-78 and got into more mountains. Up past Wilkes-Barre and Scranton, Pennsylvania and continuing north. Up into New York where I stopped at our fuelstop in Binghamton.

I was in New York and I made a note in my journal about the cost of fuel. In the midwest, we were getting diesel fuel for $.75 to $.90 a gallon ; in New York I paid $1.70 a gallon. I thought about a partial filling but Canada had more expensive fuel. I will most likely have to go down through Ontario to Detroit, Michigan. I need to fill the tanks here in Binghamton. I filled them-127 gallons-and wasn't there very long: less than 20 minutes.

Here in Binghamton, New York I left taking I-88 northeast toward Albany and Schenectady. When I got to I-90, I had to stop and get a toll ticket. I was told, and it was correct, that if I got on I-87, then there would not be a toll charge....WHY??? Don't know!!!!

Headed up I-87, through the Adirondack Mountains, to Champlain(New York) where I passed Canadian customs with no problems. I went into Quebec and it was now after dark. Montreal was beautiful at night. I traveled up Hwy 15 into Montreal and then took Hwy 20 to the northeast. Got the St. Hyacinthe and delivered my load. It was just a "drop & hook" so I was out of there within a half hour. There was a guard on the lot and he told me that I could use his phone. I called in and was told to go to the tire plant in Joliette, Quebec and pick up tires to be dropped in the Joplin yard. I was also told that I had to go through customs at Champlain, New York.

I headed down Hwy 20 to Montreal. I followed Hwy 20 under the St. Lawrence River and got on Hwy 15 through downtown. Found Hwy 40 and went northeast to Hwy 31 and went to Joliette. Found the tire factory-huge and hard to miss-and found the the trailer I was to get. It was loaded and ready to go...another drop & hook. I had to sign some paperwork and then I was gone. I just went to Hwy 40 south and stopped at the rest area at 11 PM EST and went to bed...
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)

What's in my blog...???

Blog Archive