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...

October 7, 2011

October 8, 1991, 2011

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Tuesday-Mt. Vernon, Illinois)
Got up after being woke up by the fellow that loaded me.  I backed up to a particular dock door and found that that door was for certain stores. 

Just about everything was on computerized conveyors. Most things, I was told, were mechanically taken off the selves and placed on conveyors.  The computers would than get the item to the correct conveyor to the correct truck.  While the employee loaded the truck, I HAD to count the items going into the trailer.  It was about 1 PM CST that I got loaded and called dispatch that I was ready to go. 

1:15 PM CSTI was heading for my destination, Tulsa, Oklahoma on I-64 West bound.  When I got to St. Louis and crossed the Mississippi River, I took I-44 to the southwest.  I got to our main terminal in Joplin, Missouri, fueled(116 gallons) and checked in with dispatch.  I hoped that I could drop this load for whatever reason but couldn't. 

Went on to the Walgreens store in Tulsa and got there at 8:30 PM CST.  I checked with the manager as the store was still open.  Had to wait until tomorrow and they told me just to sleep on their lot for the night....
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October 7, 1991, 2011

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Monday-Indianapolis, Indiana)
Wake up by my alarm clock at 7 AM EST.  Called dispatch as I was emptied last night.  They gave me a load to pick up tomorrow in Mount Vernon, Illinois. 

I went out to my truck and , since I was not in the way of anything, I went back to sleep for another two hours.  Basically, I went to our fuel stop in Effingham, Illinois again and had dinner.  Went down I-57 and got to the Walgreens Warehouse(my pickup tomorrow) and spent the night within the stockcade...
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October 6, 1991, 2011

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Sunday-Kingdom City, Missouri)
My daughter--lived in Fulton, Missouri--picked me up for church this morning after I called that I was in town. After church services, there was a carryin dinner which I helped them eat. After we ate at the Church, my kids and Ben--my oldest boys friend--took me back to the truck.

Headed east on I-70 a little after 2 PM CST until I got to I-270 around St. Louis.  Took I-270 east over the top of St. Louis into Illinois.  Got to I-70 again and took it east again to Effingham, Illinois.  Since our fuel stop into Effingham filled our tank(I don't have to log it), I had them fill me up(56 gallons).  I figured that we had some drivers in the restaurant and I was right; there were two drivers eating together.  I sat down with them and we had a nice chit chat.  I was soon heading east again.

I went on to Indianapolis and found the customer at 10:15 PM EST.  I was surprised to find that the warehouse had a night crew and they said they would unload we.  I backed up to the dock and they unloaded me and I was away from the dock by 11:45 PM EST.  The unloading crew said I coulkd sleep on their lot if I wanted to; I did...
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