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...

November 14, 2010

November 14, 1990, 2010

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Wednesday-Roy, Utah)
I was up before anyone came to open the tire store. The manager and two other employees showed up just about the same time and we all went over to McDonald's for breakfast. After breakfast they opened the store and then helped me with the tires. I didn't have too many tires for this store so I was totally unloaded by 8:30 AM MST and called dispatch that I was empty. I had a load to pick up already assigned to me; I had to go to Hill Air Force Base in Ogden and pick up a bunch of liquid antifreeze. The antifreeze was going to Fort Riley, Kansas(next to Junction City). I was at the front gate at 9 AM MST and I asked the guard where I was to go as I just had a location and no directions. The guard pointed me in the correct direction and I was backed up to the loading dock by 9:15 AM and loaded and ready to leave at 10 AM MST. I was holding off refueling in Ogden to see what weight the load would be. It was only 34,560 lbs. I went to our fuel stop in Ogden and filled(126 gallons) my tanks as weight was not a problem.

After going into the truckstop and getting two turkey legs to eat while driving, I left down I-15 to I-84 east and then I-80 east. I left Ogden right before 11 AM MST, getting to the Wyoming border and stopping at the weight station(expected) at 12:30 PM MST. After about 15 minutes, I moved back east on I-80. I pushed hard and got into the truckstop in Rawlins, Wyoming at 4 PM MST. After Rawlins, Wyoming I headed east again and stayed with the program to Laramie. At Laramie, I made a 15 minute stop and then headed down Hwy 287 into Colorado. In Colorado, I took Hwy 287 to Ft. Collins, and then over to I-25 south I went. Went to I-70 and then took it, I-70, east to Limon(Colorado). I shut down at 10 PM MST for the night at the truckstop; went to bed as I am really tired....
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