Enjoying North America while earning a living...: March 16, 1991, 2011

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

March 16, 2011

March 16, 1991, 2011

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Saturday-Harrisburg, Pennsylanvia)
After fueling my truck at midnight, I went into the truckstop restaurant and had me a chicken dinner. I left for New York at 2 AM and took my sweet time; I was in no hurry. I crossed the George Washington Bridge at daybreak and followed I-95 east to I-678. went south on I-678, over the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge and onto J F K airport. The directions I had to "Air France" were really bad. I asked directions sereval times before finding it just before I was to be there at 9 AM EST. I had a fellow--named Jamie--I was to meet there and when I checked in, he hadn't got there yet. The fellow showed up at 9:15 AM EST.

Jamie told me that he was here only to see that I got loaded correctly and timely. He had an order of special auto parts from France going to Ford south of Buffalo in Lackawanna. He then told me to back to the dock where he had got the OK from the dock foreman. The dock foreman--a short, stubby, cigar smoking & small beanie wearing man--was the real reason I FEEL Jamie was here. As Jamie was talking to me, he pointed to the foreman as the foreman was talking to another driver. Jamie said to watch the foreman talk to the driver. Shortly the two stepped behind some cargo and reappearred in a couple minutes. The foreman then told some dock workers to get the driver's trailer unloaded "now". Jamie then smiled at me and said that the driver "had" to give the foreman $20 or $30 to get unloaded in a reasonable time. Jamie again smiled and said that I wouldn't believe how many pieces of clothes his kids wear that were paid for from Jamie's organization over the years. I don't know what arrangement Jamie had with the foreman to get me loaded, but he had me loaded by 10:15 AM EST with the 5,860 lbs load. All paperwork signed and I said bye and thanks to Jamie and I was gone after talking to dispatch at 10:45 AM EST.

Getting out of JFK airport was earlier for me than getting in. Even though I didn't like being here, I did feel more comfortable leaving the area. I did not like the area but I could imagine that their were many people living there that wouldn't want to live any where else...

I left the airport on I-678 going north(the only way to go) and then west on I-95 over the GW into into New Jersey. It was Saturday morning and I was in no hurry so after the GW I took I-80 west and got off at Hwy 17--going to take that through New York--after Hackensack. "Toured" through alot of city before getting back into New York. Found the cities I went through interesting but wasn't impressed with them. When I got to New York, I stayed on Hwy 17 instead of getting on I-87 northbound. Followed Hwy 17 to Binghamton, New York where we had a fuel stop which I stopped at. I thought about fueling but decided to wait. I did buy some munchies though I did not need anything. I drove on to the rest area after Chemung, New York and stopped for the night. It wasn't dark yet but I was tired and the scenery was beautiful. I walked around for awhile and then went to bed. There was no TV reception for me here...