FIRST 5 YEARS:(Thursday-Joplin, Missouri)
Woke up from "napping" at 2 AM CST and went into the terminal trucker's lounge. I took in my portable computer desk(Feb 11, 1991) and worked on the inside of it--laying in the green velvet lining. Few drivers came in so I wasn't bothered much.
At 5 AM CST dispatch called me to the dispatch window and gave me a relay to Arlington, Texas. It was going to the GM assembly plant. The load came in before 10 AM CST and I got hooked up to it. I wanted to get my tractor and trailer washed so I went and waited in line at the company truck wash. The tractor in front of me got their air lines wrapped up in washer rollers: didn't get my unit washed.
I was heading out at 11:30 AM CST southwest on I-44. The auto parts I was carrying were light so there was no weight problem. Crossed into Oklahoma and took the toll road to Big Cabin(Oklahoma) and Hwy 69. Went south on Hwy 69 past the buffalo yards and on past Pryor, Muskogee and Eufaula stopping in McAlester for a couple Burger Kinger Whoppers. Got my whoppers and kept on truckin'.
Took it easy through the speed trap in Stringtown and on past Durant, over the Red River into Texas.
My journal says that I considered taking FM 121(Farm & Market road 121) out of Van Alstyne(Texas)...I have no idea why as it doesn't seem to shorten the miles or time to Arlington. There may have been an accident or something slowing up the traffic on Hwy 75.
Got to the plant in Arlington at 7 PM CST and dropped the trailer and picked up an empty. I called the terminal in Lancaster and was told to go to the yard. I ask if they had a Utah tire load and was told yes. The dispatcher said he would put the paperwork in the nose of the trailer and that I just needed to be dispatched on the load.
I got to the terminal and hooked up to my trailer of tires. Got fueled (62 gallons) and figured I would take off tomorrow. Went to bed...
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...
March 21, 2011
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What's in my blog...???
- 666--Highway (2)
- A Trucker Tale-introduction (1)
- A Trucker's Tale (33)
- abandonment of truck (1)
- accidents (12)
- animals (3)
- backing (2)
- buffalo burgers (1)
- bull haulers (1)
- Catch 22 (1)
- caught but... (2)
- caught-almost (3)
- check trailer (1)
- church (2)
- citation-for moose killing (1)
- computer portable desk. (1)
- computer stuff (1)
- conservation agents (1)
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- convoys (1)
- cooking-on-the-road (2)
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- death while trucking (2)
- diabetes and driving (3)
- dispatcher's mistakes (1)
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- drive-why??? (1)
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- interesting (3)
- jackknife video (1)
- Just in time trucking (1)
- load content-strange (1)
- load turn down policy (1)
- logbook violation-see violation (1)
- logbooks (2)
- loyalty to a company (1)
- Matter of Opinion (1)
- Mayberry and Andy Griffith (4)
- mining--me??? (1)
- My opinion (1)
- Olympic bobsled (1)
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- people-nicer ones (1)
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- places to see (13)
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- popcorn capital??? (1)
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- restaurants-good ones (5)
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- ripped off... (1)
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- trucker decisions (9)
- trucker frustrations (41)
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- trucker spouses (2)
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- Trucking Student Questions (4)
- unreasonables (1)
- vehicle inspection (2)
- violation (51)
- water-drinking (2)
- weapons-weird ones (1)
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