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 29, 2010

September 29, 1990, 2010

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Saturday-Buffalo, New York)
Was woken up by a light tapping on my tractor at 7:30 AM EST. Red Barron, who I ran with yesterday, was wanting to swap loads as he didn't have the time to legally deliver his load to Oklahoma City; I did. I got up and told him I would swap loads if he would call his dispatcher and set it up. Turned out we had the same dispatcher and so we swapped and I did my check call for the day. Red Barron and I headed out west(southwest actually) on I-90 around 8:30 AM EST and continued our chit-chatting on CB radio channel 28. We hadn't been too worried about the conditions in front of us as we were within the speed limits and we weren't tailgating.

Entered Pennsylvania and about half their interstate was under construction, or so it seemed. We talked through all the 40 miles and all we really noticed was the construction.

Entered Ohio and followed I-90 until I came to I-271 which I took toward Columbus(Ohio). For some reason Red Barron and I split up at this time; he wanted to continue west. We determined our own routing and so he was free to go that way. It didn't make sense to me when he's heading to Joplin, Missouri like me. but it didn't need it.

I got on I-271 southbound and there was alot of construction. We were stopped on the road by the construction and had to wait. I got some munchies out and had my brunch or lunch. We finally got moving and travel was slow. I would imagine that I was slowed by at least 45 minutes while on I-271. Got to I-71 southbound and had some pretty nice driving. I went through downtown Columbus, Ohio to I-70. Headed west and stopped at the ''Just a Truckstop" on the Ohio/Indiana border at New Paris, Ohio. I fueled(218 gallons-close to running out!!!) and had lunch(pretty good buffet). I then continued west on I-70 to the truckstop at the exit for Brazil, Indiana. Shut down for night at 8:30 PM EST...
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