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...

June 24, 2011

June 24, 1991, 2011

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Monday-Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
Interesting day...Woke up pretty early and checked with dispatch every hour until they gave me a load of empty racks going to Athens, Alabama at 1 PM CST. The thing that bothered me is that this trailer was in the drop yard I stayed in all night; I could have taken the trailer earlier. Anyway, I worked on on computer through the morning while I had my TV playing.

I hooked to the trailer, did the standard vehicle inspection and updated my log book. I then pulled out on I-40 heading east at 1:30 PM CST. The trip was OK and I played quite abit with the radio today. After a short time with not finding a radio station I was interested in, I played my cassette tapes and listened to the CB radio. As I got close to the Arkansas border, another truck from my company caught up with me and called me on the CB radio. The driver's handle was "Double Trouble." He had his wife with him and I met them both in person at a pickle park just past Clarksville, Arkansas.

I couldn't believe my eyes as Double Trouble's wife was only 18 years old; she looked much older. Oh well!!!

We stopped at "Just a Truckstop" in West Memphis, Arkansas at 9 PM CST for something to eat. I wasn't too hungry--munched while I drove--so I just had dessert. We were back on the road by 10:15 PM CST and were at the Memphis terminal at shortly after 10:30 PM. I fueled(111 gallons) and left Double Trouble and his wife as they stayed at the terminal for the night.

Side note: While at the Memphis terminal for the shoet few minutes, I got to talk a short time with Don(May 10, 1991) who I gave my load with miles as he hadn't any miles. He said his miles were real good now and I asked if he would want to trade me--I told him my miles were bad now--and he said, "No..."

As my day ended, I was somewhere on Hwy 72 heading east in north Mississippi...
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