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...
April 3, 2011
April 3, 1991, 2011
FIRST 5 YEARS:(Wednesday-Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) I loved this job!!! I was in no hurry today. I got up and went into the restauant and had the breakfast buffet, eating at my leisure. I left the truckstop at 10:15 AM CST after doing my vehicle inspection and updating my logbook. Headed up I-35 into Kansas and got on the Kansas Turnpike(toll road) heading north. The scenery was OK until I passed Wichita(Kansas) and the exit for El Dorado(Kansas). The day was somewhat cool and partly cloudy which made the terraine beautiful. The terraine was composed of rolling glasslands, or hills, with periodic exercise/glazing pens for transported livestock. It was really beautiful scenery up to Emporia(Kansas). At Emporia, I got off the Kansas Turnpike and followed I-35 to Kansas City, Missouri. On the northeast side of the Kansas City area, I took I-435 to our terminal. I drove straight through from Oklahoma City, getting to the terminal at 4:15 PM CST. I checked in with local dispatch and I was told that if I wanted to take a load to the Joplin terminal, I could drop my load in the yard and the local drivers would driver it is the morning. I was schedule for home time but it was the middle of the week and my children would be having school and other activities, so I decided to take the load to Joplin. I was told this load would be dropped in the joplin yard and their local guys would deliver it, but I needed to take it down there tonight. I hooked up to the trailer, did a thorough vehichle inspection and fueled(161 gallons) before I left for Joplin. I was heading down I-435 at 5:30 PM CST and connected with Hwy 71 southbound. Having traveled Hwy 71 so many times before, I had lost the excitement of driving up and down it. The drive was pleasant and it was over at 8:30 PM CST as I drove into our main yard. I had to go thrown the inspection bay and the maintenance guys found two seals leaking on my inner rear tires. I parked and dropped the trailer. I then took my paperwork into dispatch and got a load going to St Joseph, Missouri and that trailer could also be dropped...in our St. Joseph yard. I wouldn't be leaving with the St. Joseph load until after my legal 8 hour+ sleep break. Went out and sleep in my tractor while the shop guys repaired it....
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- 666--Highway (2)
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