FIRST 5 YEARS:(Monday-Kansas City, Missouri)
Was up and checking with dispatch at 5:30 AM CST. I was told to take my trailer to Lenexa, Kansas and drop it at the receiver's. No trailer to pick up so I just bobtail back to the Kansas City terminal.
I was back in the terminal at 9 AM CST and on the TRB. Sat around the terminal and finally got a load at 4:30 PM CST. The load???? Take an empty trailer to Ottumwa, Iowa and switch it for a loaded one going to the Taylor(Detroit) Michigan terminal.
I got the empty trailer hooked up and was on my way to Ottumwa by 5 PM CST. I was in the rush hour traffic a very short time while on I-35 northbound. Scale house was closed but I didn't have anything to worry about. Into Iowa and to Hwy 34 at Osceola(Iowa). Went east on Hwy 34 to Ottumwa, finding the shipper's trailers on the east side of town.
Dropped my empty trailer and backed up under the loaded one getting ready to hook to the king pin(the trailer "pin" that the tractor hooks to). With the front of the trailer sitting securely on the fifth wheel(The place on the tractor where the trailer rides) I got out to roll the dollies(the stands that hold the trailer front up) and found them locked frozen.
Dollies are composed of several gears in a gear box. The trailer I was picking up had a gear box that had gotten water in it and the temperature when I got the trailer was at 5 degrees....frozen solid. I had to hit the gear box with a hammer and spray WD 40 into the box, hoping to break up the ice and melt it a little. It took some doing but I finally got the dollies working.
Trucker Helpful Hint: When dealing with frozen parts on a trailer, use FLAME "as a last resort" if at all. I just fear the chance that a "fire" might get away from you and...There are ice melting sprays you can store-if legal with the federal DOT-in your side boxes for these problems...
Got all hooked up and called dispatch; I was told to take it to our Taylor(Detroit) terminal where I am to drop it. Left Ottumwa at 9:30 PM CST on Hwy 34 east. At Fairfield(Iowa) I took Hwy 1 north. As I was getting close to Washington(Iowa), I had a pickup truck pass me driving fast and erratically. I called a law enforcement person on CB channel 9(the old emergency CB number) and by the time I passed Washington the law had the pickup stopped. I got back on the CB radio channel 9 and called the police about the pickup truck. The officer I talked with told me that the OLD fellow they stopped was drunk AND that he had stolen the pickup....
I continued to the Hawkeye truckstop in Iowa City(Iowa) getting there at 11:45 PM CST. went to sleep 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...
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- 666--Highway (2)
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