FIRST 5 YEARS:(Sunday-Fulton, Missouri)
Still taking time off at the home 20. Spent the day with the kids at their home and at church. About 6 PM CST I left to go back to work. Took my time, stopping to talk with my KC girl friend, and got to the Kansas City terminal at 11:10 PM CST. Got on the TRB and local dispatch said I would probably get a load tomorrow...Went to bed in my tractor before midnight....
SECOND 5 YEARS:(You never know---It could have been me)
I had just picked up a nice light load in New Jersey going to the Wal-Mart Warehouse south of Kansas City, Kansas. Loading went fast as I was at the docks not much more than 15 minutes. I had called dispatch and was set to leave the shipper's yard when another truck from my company pulled in to get a load. I talked with him on the CB radio and he was going to the same place as I was. He had his wife with him and was right on time for his loading time. It would have been great to run with him to Kansas and we could talk all the way. When I ran with other drivers, I usually ran the back door and if we sped, I would use them as bear bait. For some reason, I felt like I needed to get rolling. In our conversation, I had mentioned the route I was taking. I left by myself and headed down toward Philadelphia so I could get on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. I got on the turnpike and headed west. I was tired and so after awhile in Pennsylvania, I pulled over to get some sleep on one of the wide parking pull offs. Before dawn's light, I woke, with my tractor running and my CB radio on. I saw the reflection of red lights flashing but didn't think any more of it than someone getting a speeding award. I laid back down and listened to the CB radio as I tried to go back to sleep. I heard, over the CB radio, a driver driving by the pull off area say, "Boy did that TransAm(I mention the name as it is a great company to work for) get it." I hadn't got anything as the red lights kept flashing. I got up to see what was going on. The truck parked behind me was the one that I had left behind at the pickup and he had been rear ended by a Greyhound bus. Seeing the situation and thinking that my company would like some pictures, I asked a Highway Patrolman if I could get some pictures. He said to wait until they got the dead and injured out of the scene. I went back to my tractor, after seeing some gruesome stuff, and waited for the OK to take pictures. It was just a minute or so that another officer came to my door and told me to get moving down the road as they needed the parking spaces for medivac helicopers. I left the pull off area(really not close to any populated area) and drove to the next rest area and called dispatch. They had heard just a little information but didn't know any details. I informed them that, to my knowledge, it wasn't our driver's fault....click here to read about the accident...
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...
May 5, 2011
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What's in my blog...???
- 666--Highway (2)
- A Trucker Tale-introduction (1)
- A Trucker's Tale (33)
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