December 14, 1990, 2010

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Friday-Spencerville, Ohio)
I was up at 6:30 AM EST and waiting for the company to open. Finally someone got there and told me to back up to the dock. They unloaded me and I was ready to go at 9 AM EST. I called dispatch throughout the day and had nothing given to me to do.

This town is-or was-very small and didn't have a town restaurant. The only place I found as I walked around was a pizza making place that was only open for pizza in the late afternoon. I went to the grocery story and stocked up on some things but wasn't much.

At around 5 PM EST I called dispatch and asked if there was anything for me to do coming up and was told no. I decided to go back to the truckstop in Wapakoneta(Ohio). I headed out of town down Hwy 66 and then east on Hwy 33. Shortly after getting on Hwy 33 I came to a rest area which I stopped at.

The rest area was very quiet except for for a woman talking on the phone inside the rest area building. She sound quite anxious and I, after I identified myself, ask if I could help her out. She was in the middle of a four hour trip and had just noticed that she had left her license and money home. She was almost out of gas and didn't know what to do. This didn't appear to be a scam so I gave her $20.00 and my address so she could mail it back to me(I never received it back). She thanked me and then left in her car.

I decided to spend the night at the rest area and did...

December 13, 1990, 2010

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Wednesday-Nashville, Tennessee)
Woke up with no help from an alarm clock and ate my remaining hamburgers from the White Castle yesterday. Called dispatch and was given a load of glass from the glass plant going to Spencerville, Ohio.....back toward Toledo, Ohio.

Picked up my glass load and went to the Nashville truckstop(our fuel stop), filled my tanks(84 gallons) and had the lunch buffet. I talked with the other drivers for awhile and then left at 12:30 PM CST. North to Louisville where I got on I-71 northeast. Followed I-71 to I-275, south of Cincinnati(Ohio) where I had to go east on I-275; semi weren't allowed to cross the Ohio River bridge going north. Not long on I-275 east until I get to I-471 which I take north over the Ohio River. I get to I-71 again and take it south to I-75 which I take north.

I followed I-75 up to Wapakoneta(Ohio) and caught Hwy 33 west to Hwy 66. Took Hwy 66 north to Spencerville and got there at 10 PM EST. This town was so small that I easily found the receiver and parked by the receiving docks.

Tried to watch TV tonight but my TV wouldn't pick up any stations. Just listened to the radio and went to sleep...

December 12, 1990, 2010

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Wednesday-Taylor, Michigan)
Slept real well last night. My fuel tanks were running almost dry so I filled them with 205 gallons. I checked with dispatch and found that I had a load of empty racks to Nashville's glass plant.

I left with my trailer at 10 AM EST and headed down I-75. No worry when I had to be weighed by the Michigan state scales. I then followed I-75 into Ohio and past Toledo.

I stopped at the Waffle House I really liked in Lima(Ohio) for lunch. They had a deal going; all you could eat for $4.99. I had three bacon cheese burgers with fries and a soda(soft drink in Canada).

I continued down I-75 past Cincinnati into Kentucky. When I went into Kentucky, I was on I-75 & I-71. Shortly after crossing into Kentucky I followed I-71 to Louisville(Kentucky) where I picked up I-65 south in downtown area. I stopped at the White Castle in Shepherdsville(Kentucky) for a half hour break and hamburger getting time. I bought 18 White Castle burgers to take with me.

I continued down I-65 past the Corvette Plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky into Tennessee. Got to the Nashville glass plant at 7:30 PM CST. They unloaded me in the back of the plant and I decided to stay at the glass plant for the night as I had called dispatch and there no no load for me. Went to bed and watched my TV...

December 11, 1990, 2010

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Tuesday-Toronto, Ontario)
I and No Name(driver I have been parked next to since yesterday) got up and went to breakfast -after calling dispatch-at a small restaurant around the corner from where we were parked. Dispatch had nothing for us to do.

We went back to our trucks and I found a picture of my dispatcher. I decided to throw snowballs at it and have No Name take a picture of me.


We both got loads to pickup in Sarnia, Ontario at our 3 PM EST check call. I was picking up for Kingsport, Tennessee and he was picking up Kansas City, Kansas. We left the Toronto area shortly after 3:15 PM EST and headed up Hwy 404 to Hwy 401 southwest. Upon getting to London, Ontario, we took Hwy 402 to Sarnia where we easily found the shipper by 7 PM EST. We had to drop our trailers and pickup the loaded ones. We where loaded and headed into the US by 7:30 PM EST. We both got through the US customs with no problems at Port Huron, Michigan and headed toward toward Detroit.

We got to the terminal at 8:30 PM EST and I checked with dispatch to see if I could drop my load; I was told to drop it.....I did. Went on the TRB and went to bed...

December 10, 1990, 2010

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Monday-Hamburg, New York)
I was up real early and crossing the border at 6 AM EST. I had to go to the customs broker and they didn't open until 7 AM EST. I had 49 different items on the truck and I had to go back and forth between customs and the customs broker several times and got cleared for Canada by 1 PM EST. Boy, what a frustrating day

After I got through Canadian customs I headed toward Toronto(Ontario) on the QEW(Queen Elizabeth Way) highway. Took the QEW right through Toronto to the 404 Hwy. I found the receiver not far from the downtown area. I was unloaded when another truck from my company drove in. I called dispatch while he(his handle was "No Name") was being unloaded. Dispatch told me there wouldn't be any loads until tomorrow; the same went for No Name.

We got the OK to stay in the receivers yard for the night. I was cold and light snow was predicted for tomorrow.

No Name and I walked downtown and ate at the worst Chinese restaurant I had been to. We both ordered meals that normally came with rice through this place the rice had to ordered for extra. The food was terrible tasting like waffles and maple syrup. I wrote a long complaint on the back of the bill.

Went back to our trucks and turned in for the night. It was windy and cold...