FIRST 5 YEARS:(Tuesday-Kansas City, Missouri)
The morning came well before I wanted it to; dreaming dreams so pleasant that only a fully rested body would want to "turn" them off. I went into the terminal shortly before 7:30 AM CST and saw my number on the TRB was 3. Dispatch saw me and called me to the dispatch window. They had a trailer loaded with empty plastic containers to Ridgway, Illinois(Popcorn capital of the world) in the yard. I took it. I fueled(97 gallons), hooked up, did vehicle inspection, did paperwork and left north on I-435 after 8:30 AM CST. Shortly, I got to I-70 and headed east. Had a serious looking traffic accident involving 4 cars in the west bound lanes. That accident slowed our side down with people wanting to see "it". Glad when I got thought it.
Day was overcast but had no rain. Nice driving and CB radio conversations were interesting but nothing great. I kept up the speed to & over the Mississippi River where I caught I-64 east.
Stopped for a late lunch at a favorite truckstop in Mt. Vernon that had really good Chef Salads. Had a Chef Salads, diet soda(soft drink in Canada) and 2 large orders of onion rings(I eat what I want most of the times I want it). By 3:15 PM CST I was back on the heading for Ridgway, Illinois.
East on I-64 to Hwy 45(Exit 100) and then south. West of the highway, the fields are alight with pipes coming from the ground with good five foot flames coming out the tops. Continued down HWY 45 until it met Hwy 1. Took Hwy 1 south to Ridgway, getting there at 4:30 PM CST. I had been here several times and so I knew what to do. I parked my truck in the waiting area and started doing my paperwork when a fellow walked to the truck. He knew what I was there for and asked if I wanted to get unloaded tonight. WHY NOT??? They unloaded me and I went back to the waiting area to send the night. I walked uptown and decided to call in-time about 6:30 PM CST-and just let dispatch know I was empty.
They said I had another load assigned and gave it to me. It was a pickup in Herrin, Illinois going back to Kansas City. I walked back to my truck and drove south on Hwy 1 to Hwy 13. Hwy 13, I took it west through Marion, Illinois to the truckstop west of I-57. My pick up tomorrow is just a few miles north of me now. Settled down for the night...
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...
November 27, 2010
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