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...

January 15, 2012

January 15, 1992, 2012

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Wednesday-Fort Madison, Iowa)
Was parked behind the Country Kitchen restaurant all night.  It was windy and cold with snow off and on.  I went into the restaurant with a couple other drivers that were waiting for loads also.  We all got deadheaded by 9 AM CST and I was going to Des Plaines, Illinois--outside the Chicago area. 

I roads were very slick and the wind was troublesome.  I got to Burlington, Iowa were I was going through the city a little too fast for conditions.  On the main drag through town, I came upon a stoplight that turned red on me.  Knowing that I could not stop without jackknifing my new trailer and seeing no cross traffic, I chose to run the red light, which I did.  I immediately slowed down for conditions...

Roads were great as I got to I-80 eastbound and to the cookie factory I was going to in Des Plaines, northwest of Chicago.  My cookie load was ready and so I dropped my empty trailer next to my assigned trailer and hooked up to it.  Both empty and loaded trailers were found in the same lot side by side.

Note: The cookie factory yard guys would only pull the unsealed trailers in to be loaded.  The brand new trailer I had brought in had a seal on it and so it remained in the trailer yard...After a few months I started thinking about it and would ask my dispatcher were the trailer was. For months it was always in Des Plaines.  After eight months, I called the safety department and formally reported the lack of trailer activity.  They got it unsealed and it was then in use...

Anyway, I got my load of cookies to Salisbury, North Carolina and headed "east" on I-94.  Got into Indiana and thought able refueling at Lake Station.  The fuel was doing great so I headed down I-65 toward Indianapolis, Indiana. I got on I-74 toward Cincinnati, Ohio and stopped at Morris(Indiana) for a nights rest...
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