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 14, 2011

February 14, 1991, 2011

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Thursday-Little Rock, Arkansas)
I was awake about 5:30 AM CST and RC(female driver I ran with yesterday) hadn't made her appearance yet. She was up and going at 6:30 AM CST when the receiving person came out and ask us to back up to the docks for unloading. RC and I parked next to each other and it seemed like we were being unloaded at the same time. We were told that it would take about 1 1/2 hours to unload us so we walked down the block and had some breakfast. We returned about 15 minutes before our trailers were empty.

We were emptied about the same time and so I suggested that we flip a coin to see who would go on the TRB first for this area. I flip and she called heads....It was heads. She called in first and got a load to Regina, Saskatchewan. Boy!!!! Was I down hearted. I feared I would get something going back to Laredo----Boring!!!!!

It was my 3:30 PM CST check call when I found that I was going to British Columbia. I had to go to Paragould, Arkansas and pick up a load of mufflers from the Monroe Plant. I shot up Hwy 67 to Walnut Ridge(Arkansas) where I took Hwy 412 east. By 7 PM CST I had found the Monroe Plant and checked in with the shipping department. They were waiting for me and made a comment about me being late....I told them that I had been sitting in Little Rock most the day empty waiting for this load....

I was loaded and on my way by 8:45 PM CST. I just took Hwy 412 back to Walnut Ridge and picked up Hwy 63. Went through Hardy(Arkansas)--nice place to visit-- before heading north into Missouri. Stayed on Hwy 63 until it met up with and separated from Hwy 60. As my day ended, I was pulling off Hwy 60 at the Norwood exit to take a break...
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