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...

May 28, 2011

May 28,1991, 2011

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Tuesday-Stillwater, Oklahoma)
Slept well last night in the motel room and was up about the time the sun made it's appearrence. Since we are automatically told if we have a load when calling dispatch, I started calling in about 6:30 AM CST. It was the 10 AM CST call that I found I had a load. I had to go to a company that makes wire for steel belted tires and pick up a load of wire to Peoria, Illinois.

I got to the pick up and was told to back up to the dock. The load destination was changed from Peopria, Illinois to Lexington, Kentucky. A woman on a forktruck loaded pallets of wire rolls. She lined them down the middle of my trailer. The woman, a very nice & talkative gal, told me that I needed to nail the pallets to the trailers wooden floor. I took the hammer and nails and started nailing. It was not long and I hammered a finger and it hurt. I told the woman what I had done and then said I would have to sit for awhile or pass out. I sat down and she laughed and said that I wouldn't believe the number of truckers that hit the fingers. She finished nailing the pallets for me while I was recovering.

I was out of there by noon, having done the vehicle inspection and logbook updates. I took Hwy 412 east to Tulsa, Oklahoma where I got on I-44 heading for Joplin, Missouri. I pulled into the Joplin terminal at 3 PM CST where I fueled(59 gallons) and did a fast check in with dispatch. I was gone northeast on I-44 by 3:45 PM CST. I stopped for dinner at one of my favorite bar-b-ques at exit 100 in Marshfield(Missouri) I had the barfet and then was on my way toward St. Louis again. I soon met up with a company driver named Nick and we talked on the CB radio through St. Louis. He and I split up after we crossed the Mississippi River as I needed to take I-64 east and Nick needed to take I-70. I stopped at the rest area outside New Baden, Illinois for the night---time 11:45 PM CST...
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