Enjoying North America while earning a living...: September 13, 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

September 13, 2011

September 13, 1991, 2011

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Friday-Mendota, illinois)
I was up and off at 12:30 AM, heading for Green Bay, Wisconsin. I headed up I-39 past Rockford(Illinois) into Wisconsin. Right over the border I came to Beloit. Took I-43 out of Beloit and headed toward Milwaukee. Kept on I-43 up the coast of Lake Michigan where the coastline--enjoyed the view from the interstate--was visable several times before going past Manitowoc(Wisconsin). Found the receiver--a sheltered workshop for the handicapped--on the southside of Green Bay and pulled up to their dock at 5:30 AM CST. No one was around so I just did my paperwork and vehicle inspection for the day.

When the employees came in to unload me, I watched them. I had a whole trailer of box packing material, the air bubble type...When they were finished, I swept out the trailer and had several squares of air bubbles to keep and pop for a while...I was really to leave Green Bay at 9:30 AM CST, after calling dispatch and getting deadheaded to Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

I headed west on Hwy 29, driving past Wausau(Wisconsin) to Eau Claire. This stretch had some of the most beautiful woods--forests--I had ever seen...I loved the scenery!!!!

Got to the tire plant in Eau Claire at 1:15 PM CST. Talking to the guard, I found that this plant was "Haunted". I had a "drop & hook" situation so I dropped my empty trailer and hooked up to my assigned trailer, the one going to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. I called dispatch after my pickup and was told to take the load to the Joplin terminal an drop it. I was gone from Eau Claire by 2:10 PM CST. I went northwest on I-94 and crossed into Minnesota. I had to go over the Minnesota scales but they didn't ask me to stop for anything...

I stopped at the truckstop(it reminded me of the TV comedy "Hee Haw") southeast of St. Paul and decided to wait there until tomorrow, while I did. I went into the restaurant and met one of our drivers with the handle "Perfect Gentleman" and he said to just call him "PG". Well PG was just finishing up his meal before going to get his load in Fridley, Minnesota. I knew where he was going and he had never been there before So I went with him. He said he was going back to the truckstop after the pickup to get some sleep and so I could get back to my truck. The day ended with me snoring...