Enjoying North America while earning a living...

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

My photo
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...

February 8, 2011

Februay 8, 1991, 2010

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Friday-Memphis, Tennessee)
My day staed with me sitting in my tractor at the Memhis terminal watching my TV and typing.
About 2:30 AM CST I give it up and went to bed while leaving the TV on.

I was back in the terminal at 8:30 AM CST. At 9:45 AM CST dispatch called me to the dispatch window and offered me one of three loads. I took the load that I had to go get in Martin, Tennessee and take to Laredo, Texas. After I fueled(74 gallons) I left and took I-240 around the southeast corner of the Memphis area to I-40 east. Getting to Jackson, Tennessee I grabbed Hwy 45E and took it to Martin where I found the shipper(I had been there before) at 1:30 PM CST. They were waiting for me so I backed to the dock and they loaded we with 24,785 lbs. of auto parts going to Mexico.

By 2:30 PM CST I was done so I called dispatch and got the word to go. I decided to take Hwy 22 to Union City where I got on Hwy 51 south. At Dyersburg, Tennessee I took I-155 to Missouri catching I-55 south into Arkansas. I did this as I did not want all the "stop & go" traveling this Hwy 51 or Hwy 45E offered me...

I went down I-55 and stopped in West Memphis at the "Just a Truckstop" for dinner at 5:15 PM CST. I ate pretty fast and was back on the road heading west on I-40 at 6:30 PM CST. I just kept moving on and getting to Little Rock, Arkansas I took I-300 toward Texas. Into texas I went and shut down for the night in Winfield Texas at 11:45 PM CST...
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)

What's in my blog...???

Blog Archive