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...

November 19, 2011

November 19, 1991, 2011

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Barstow, California)
I got up early this morning, about 5:00 AM PST and headed for my delivery point in Rancho Cucamonga, California.  I checked in with the receiver and they had me back up to the dock immediately whereupon they unloaded my trailer.  It didn't take long to unload and I was done by 10:00 AM PST.  I called dispatch and let them know I was empty but they did not have another load for me at that time.

I drove over to our fuel stop in Ontario, California, where I stayed for the night as there was no load for me this day...
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November 18, 1991, 2011

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Monday-Parowan Utah)
I woke up about 4:00 AM MST and headed out for Mesquite, Nevada, getting there about 5 AM PST.  I stopped at the truck parking spot for the Peppermill Casino.  I had a good parking spot, it was early, I was still tired so I went back to bed.

My stepfather woke me up around 7:30 AM PST by knocking on my door.  We went over to his home as sought his wife, my stepmother, and their dogs.  After a nice visit he took me back to my truck and I ate at the casino buffet.  The buffet was a really good; by a especially liked the thick pork chops and had several.

I must admit that I don't gamble much but I did gamble with a few nickels.  I actually walked out of the casino $2.00 richer, even after eating, then when I walked in.

I got in by truck and headed for Las Vegas, Nevada.  I just drove through the city and headed for California.  I drove to our fuel stop in Barstow, California and stopped for the night...
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November 17, 1991, 2011

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Sunday-Rawlins, Wyoming)
O'clock this morning with no snow on the ground but the very cold and windy.  I went into the truck stop and had breakfast; then started at west on interstate 80 toward Salt Lake City.  Once I got to interstate 84 in Utah I took it to the great Salt Lake Valley.  Just as I was exiting in the mountains I got on highway 89 going south.  I stopped in Bountiful, Utah and visited my relatives for an hour.  There was a storm coming south that I wanted it beat.  I followed interstate 15 south and the storm finally caught me when I got to Beaver, Utah.  When the storm caught me it was all rain and no snow or ice.

I continued south on interstate 15 and stopped at the truckstop in Parowan, Utah for the night.  I called my relatives in Mesquite, Nevada and told them I would stop and see them tomorrow.  Went to bed for the night. . .
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November 16,1991, 2011

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Saturday-Peru, Illinois)
Nothing out of the ordinary today; I woke up and went west on I-80. Drove through Iowa and into Nebraska where I stopped at our fill stop in Elm Creek.  I fueled(143 gallons) and then continued west, fighting icy percipatation and wind, on I-80.  I continued to Rawlins, Wyoming and I shut down for the night at the Rip Griffith's truckstop...
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November 15, 1991,2011

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Friday-Hamilton, Ontario)
Last night when I got to the shipper I backed my trailer up to the dock with my doors open.  This morning I was woken up by the trailer shaking, they were loading me.  I saw two other company trucks parked on the street which it come in during the night.  I checked on my a load and found it was diet food going to Ontario, California.  They finished loading me and I was on my way toward Windsor/Detroit by way of highway 403 and then highway 401.

American customs wanted to look at my load.  I backed up to the dock, open my doors, and the agent looked at one box and then told me I was OK to go.  It turns out that the third truck loaded that day had a loaded of food rejected by customs and had to return to the shipper.

I got across the border and to our terminal Taylor, Michigan around 10:30 AM EST.  I fueled(98 gallons), parked my truck and walked into the terminal.  Told everyone the load I had and everybody wanted it.  I did not trade it.  It was due Tuesday.

I followed interstate 94 to interstate 80 at continued to Peru, Illinois where I stopped for my long break; spent the night here...
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