FIRST 5 YEARS:(Friday-Martinsburg, West Virginia)
Inspector and I were both up at 5 AM EST like we were told. Receiving looked like they just had started their day also. We checked in and they signed our paperwork. We dropped our trailers in their yard and picked up each an empty trailer. We called dispatch and were told to call back in an hour. Inspector got on the TRB first so I was number 2 for this area.
We went to our fuel stop in Martinsburg and called dispatch while we were having breakfast. Inspector had a load and left for his run after breakfast. I decided to wash my laundry and just take it easy until I got a load.
Funny thing is that I felt really bad and thoughts of going to New York City filled my head before I called dispatch. I called and I was given a load to pick up at "Air France" at JFK airport in Queens. Pickup was set for tomorrow at 9 AM EST. I became depressed real fast and called my Sister in Salt Lake City; she helped me get over it.
I thought about how I was going to go into the airport. The plan I had, and followed was to nap until 10 Pm EST and then take off. I took off up I-81 and got to our Harrisburg(Pennsylvania) fuel stop at 11:45 PM EST. I fueled(56 gallons) as my day ended...
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...
March 15, 2011
March 14, 1991, 2011
FIRST 5 YEARS:(Thursday-Ashville, Alabama)
Inspector--driver I am running with--and I were gone from Ashville at 6 AM CST as we didn't hang around the truckstop at all. We followed I-59 into the northwest tip of Georgia and I-59 ended at I-24 which we took east to Chattanooga, Tennessee. We weren't on I-24 before it ended at I-75 which we took north up through alot of green Tennessee.
We thought about stopping at our Knoxville fuel stop but decided to stop at our Fort Chiswell, Virginia one instead. At Knoxville, we switched to I-40 east and stayed on that a short time until I-81 started, which we took. Beautiful drive up I-81, especially with the patches of fog to the Fort Chiswell stop. We did make a short stop at the rest area near Bulls Gap(Tennessee). We got to the Fort Chiswell fuel stop at 1:45 PM EST and we filled our tanks(127 gallons)and had lunch. I was pretty hungry so I had the buffet. We were at the truckstop until 3 PM EST and then headed northeast on I-81 right up through virginia Shenandoah Valley.
We were running out of driving time as we neared Winchester, Virginia but since we were so close we kept going. We found the Ford assembly plant in Martinsburg at 7:30 PM EST and checked in with the guard, who said to check in with receiving in the morning after 5 AM.
We parked our trucks and went to our beds for the night...
Inspector--driver I am running with--and I were gone from Ashville at 6 AM CST as we didn't hang around the truckstop at all. We followed I-59 into the northwest tip of Georgia and I-59 ended at I-24 which we took east to Chattanooga, Tennessee. We weren't on I-24 before it ended at I-75 which we took north up through alot of green Tennessee.
We thought about stopping at our Knoxville fuel stop but decided to stop at our Fort Chiswell, Virginia one instead. At Knoxville, we switched to I-40 east and stayed on that a short time until I-81 started, which we took. Beautiful drive up I-81, especially with the patches of fog to the Fort Chiswell stop. We did make a short stop at the rest area near Bulls Gap(Tennessee). We got to the Fort Chiswell fuel stop at 1:45 PM EST and we filled our tanks(127 gallons)and had lunch. I was pretty hungry so I had the buffet. We were at the truckstop until 3 PM EST and then headed northeast on I-81 right up through virginia Shenandoah Valley.
We were running out of driving time as we neared Winchester, Virginia but since we were so close we kept going. We found the Ford assembly plant in Martinsburg at 7:30 PM EST and checked in with the guard, who said to check in with receiving in the morning after 5 AM.
We parked our trucks and went to our beds for the night...
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