Working in Iowa Today

Hey Kids!

Today I spent the day in Iowa. I delivered Kelloggs cereal to Sioux City, Iowa.

Can you find Sioux City, Iowa on the map?

That is my truck above as they unloaded the cereal. The sunset picture was taken the night before in Iowa also.

I am leaving tomorrow with a load going to Nebraska. I am working my way towards my house in Southern Utah for Christmas. Talk to you soon kids!

Blessings,
~TruckerTony

Paper Rolls Delivered in St. Louis

Hi kids!

This is my truck parked at the receiving dock in E. St. Louis, Illinois. The other picture shows the paper rolls I delivered.

Notice that if you look at the first roll at the bottom, there is a piece of wood there. That is nailed into the floor up against the paper roll so that those heavy rolls will not move during transit. These rolls weighed over 21 tons!

Have a great day kids!

Blessings,
~TruckerTony

Gateway Arch St. Louis Missouri

Hi Kids,

This is a picture of the famous St. Louis Arch, otherwise known as the Gateway Arch. It is very famous here in the United States and if you have not seen pictures of it yet, you will throughout your life. Here are some fun facts about the Arch:

-It's our tallest National Monument at 630 feet high
-Construction began Feb 2, 1963 and finished Oct 28, 1965
-The shape of the Arch is known as a catenary curve and is considered the most structurally sound arch shape
-The span of the Arch legs at ground level is 630 feet wide, the same as it's height
-There is a tram inside the Arch that can take you to the top of the Arch
-The Arch weighs 17,246 tons with 900 tons of stainless steel.
-It cost $13 million to build. The tram cost $3.5 million
-The Arch can sway 9 inches in either direction in a 150 mph wind

These and other facts can be seen at http://www.gatewayarch.com

Have a great day kids!

Blessings,
~TruckerTony

Happy Sunday

This was a pretty sunset in Missouri on Saturday Dec 5th. As you know, I love sunsets.

I love driving on Sunday's like today because I listen to Christian praise music all day.

Blessings,
~TruckerTony

My Computer Has Been Down!

Hi Kids!

My computer has been broken for almost a month and I have been unable to write to you. However, I just figured out how to update you using my phone so let's see if this works.

Today I am in Missouri heading to St. Louis. I have 7 huge rolls of paper that weigh 42,000 pounds.

So far the weather in the mid-west is very cold, but clear. I hit some snow in El Paso, Tx, but it was just a little bit and didn't affect my driving.

Now that I have found a way to talk to you, please write me back and let me know what you are learning in school. Have a great day kids!

Blessings,
~TruckerTony

Let's Use This Site!

Hey Kids!

I have decided to keep this as the main site for us to talk to each other. It is easier to use, however you can still check my other site every now and then for updates and new pics that I may not post here!

I have been very busy the past several weeks! I started out in Chicago, Illinois and then went to Toronto, Canada. The picture above is from Toronto that I took of the CN Tower there. You can click on the picture to make it bigger if you want. From there I have been to Boston, East Rutherford, Washington DC, Charlottsville, Raleigh and now I am in Atlanta, Ga. Tonight when I will head south to Tampa, Fl and from there start heading west.

Here are a few links to look at some pictures I have taken over the past few weeks. Click on the first picture in the album to make it bigger and then just click the "next" button for the next picture until you have seen all of them.

Washington DC Pictures

Atlanta, Ga Pictures

Toronto, Ontario Canada Pictures

Let me know what you kids are doing in class and what you are learning! I'll talk to you soon. Be good kids!

Blessings,
~TruckerTony

Come On Over!

Please come over to my new Trucker Buddy site! Although I will keep this blog, it will be my last post to it.

My new site is located here!

Be sure to read the announcements from me in the Forum to get started.

Blessings,
~TruckerTony

A Different Job - But Still Your Trucker Buddy!

Hey Kids,

I want to let you know that I have changed truck companies. I no longer drive for Knight Transportation as of last week. I now work for a company called Upstaging, Inc.

I have been trying to get a job with this company for almost a year. I won't be hauling general merchandise anymore. Upstaging hauls staging and lighting for performers and bands. A few names we haul for that you may know are Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers. We haul for a lot of major and well known singers.

The positive thing about this job is that I will be going to more cities and even Canada! I will be able to send you pics and video from literally all over the United States.

I will update you more soon. The pics I posted are of my new truck. This truck is really nice as it has a lot more room inside and it has a fridge! Of course I like the red. This truck is called a Peterbilt and i have always wanted to drive one.

I hope you are having a great summer! I look forward to speaking to each and every one of you in a few months! Be good kids and have fun!

Blessings,
~TruckerTony

End of The Year Already?

Hi Kids,

It is so hard for me to believe that the end of the school year is now here! Can you believe you have finished another year, and move up a grade? I am very excited for you, and a bit sad too :(

I want you to know how privileged I am to have had the opportunity to share my experiences and family with you. I truly feel like I know a few of you even though I have not met you. The past month has been difficult for me to keep up with you and I have missed addressing a few of your comments and I apologize for that.

I am going to keep blogging even though school is out, so when you leave school this Friday have Ms Sison give you the website address so that you can look at my blog from your home if your parents say it is okay. I will keep adding pictures too! You are ALWAYS welcome to post a comment or question to me at any time.

I am in Corning, Ca tonight and am on my way to Oregon. I will be delivering Friday morning...your last day! The pictures above are of the Famous Shoe Tree near Cold Springs, Nevada on Hwy 50. Pretty cool, huh?

So, I will miss you and all the questions and comments you had for me. I wish each of you and your families the best. Have a wonderful summer, even if you are going to summer school (summer school is cool!). It has been a pleasure to be your Trucker Buddy, and you have helped make me a better person in the process. To all the parents; thank you for allowing me to share with your children. They have truly enriched and blessed my life.

Blessings,
~TruckerTony

Wedding Was Wonderful!

Hey Kids,

Well, the wedding was wonderful! I will send a link along soon so you can see more pictures. That's TruckerTony above all dressed up!

I will be picking up a load tomorrow in Rancho Cucamonga, Ca going to Billings, Montana. Find a map and tell me what states are next to Montana.

So I think it is getting close to school being out for the summer. When is your last day of school? I will let you know what my load is once I pick it up tomorrow. Be good kids!

Blessings,
~TruckerTony

My Son is Getting Married!

Hi Kids,

I am in Southern California for the weekend to attend my sons wedding to a wonderful girl. Her name is Laura and they met a few years ago while in chef school in Pasadena, Ca. The picture above is of the both of them on graduation day. I am so excited for them!

I will write to you again early next week to give you an update on how the wedding went...and maybe i'll show you a picture of me in a tux!

Hope you have a great weekend kids. Be good!

Blessings,
~TruckerTony

Hay Being Loaded

This is what it looked like when I was being loaded. Pretty cool....huh?

Getting Hay Unloaded

Hi Kids,

I am being unloaded of this hay as I write this. You should be able to see a short video above of what it looked liked as the loader put the hay on my trailer.

I am in Hanford, Ca which is a bit north of Bakersfield and it is around 80 degrees. I am in the middle of a dairy and took a few pictures you can see to the right on my trucking pics slide show. You can click any of those pics and it should take you to my complete album.

This load of hay was about 38,000 pounds! Okay kids, will write again soon. Have fun in school!

Blessings,
~TruckerTony

Home For the Weekend!

Hi Kids,

Just wanted to let u know that I delivered the paper plates and cups to WalMart in Corinne, Ut. I am now at home in Cedar City, Ut.

On Monday I will be picking up a load of plastic containers and taking those to Yuma, Az for delivery Tuesday morning.

Have a great week kids!

Blessings,
~TruckerTony

Paper Rolls Delivered to Fresno

Hey Kids,

These pictures show you the huge paper rolls I delivered the other day. I picked them up in Longview, WA and delivered them to Fresno, Ca. It was a very heavy load. My total weight was 78,000 pounds.

I only had 9 rolls of paper on my truck, but each of them weighed 4,900 pounds. I am not sure what they use the paper for where I delivered them...I forgot to ask :(

I have included a few pics of the warehouse where I delivered the paper, and a picture of what the paper looked like in my truck.

I have a very light load now. It is paper plates and cups going to WalMart in Corinne, Ut. Okay kids, have a great day!

Blessings,
~TruckerTony

Kristy's Surgery

Hey Kids,

Wanted to let you know that I am headed to you with a load of plastic 5 gallon buckets going to Hayward, Ca. I am in Bakersfield now, and will deliver in Hayward Friday morning. My load is only 6,000 pounds.

I have posted some new pictures and you should be able to see them in the slide show on the right. The pics at the top of this post show Kristy today before and after her surgery. She had to have her adenoids and tonsils removed. Do you know where your tonsils and adenoids are?

Remember to look on the right, at the top, to see my Twitter updates. I update that 3-4 times a day when I am driving. Be good kids, and have a great weekend!

Blessings,
~TruckerTony

Cabinets, Cabinets...and More Cabinets!

Hey Kids,

Can you guess what my load is? Right! Well, I gave you a big clue in the title of this post didn't I? Let me tell you i had to work on this load! This load is what they call "driver assist". Now that means that I "assist" in unloading the truck. Usually not a big problem, and I get my exercise which is good. But take a look at the picture of all the boxes on the ground! I unloaded those and there are some that are NOT in that picture that were taken the the warehouse behind in the picture. It was only 12,000 pounds of cabinets!

The picture of the boxes in my trailer are what are left after I finished with the first stop. I have two more stops on Monday; one in Fullerton, CA at 8am and the other a bit closer to you in Santa Maria, CA at 1pm.

By the way, these are cabinets that you would find in your kitchen. Some were big and others bigger...perhaps a few small ones :)

I had to maneuver my truck into a difficult position for the unloading at the first stop. I have a picture of that as well for you to see. The last picture is of the TV room at the truck stop I stayed at in Arizona over the weekend.

Have a great day kids!

Blessings,
~TruckerTony

New Features on My Blog!

Key Kids,

I have put a few things on my blog that I think you will like. I don't always get to blog like I want to due to my schedule or problems finding Internet service. Most times when I do get the chance, I have to try and catch up and I always miss stuff.

If you look to the right of my blog at the top, you will see "Twitter Update". This is real cool because I can text right from my phone and update you with what I am doing NOW instead of waiting days! The most recent comment will be posted and at the end of the comment will be a note to say how long ago I sent the message. If you want to see more Twitter updates from me, click on "follow me on Twitter" and you will see all of my recent updates.

Below Twitter Update I have placed a slide show photo album of my most recent trucking pictures. There are so many pictures that you have not seen and this is a good way for me to show all of my trucking pictures to you. If you want to see the whole album right away rather than just the small slideshow, just click on the picture itself. This album updates as I add pictures, so be sure to take a few minutes each time you visit my blog to see the new pictures in the slide show.

I hope you like the changes kids! Have Ms Sison help you if you are confused and she will explain it to you. Be good!

Blessings,
~TruckerTony

45,500 lbs of Recycling Material

Hey Kids,

I had over 45,000 pounds of recycling material I picked up in Las Vegas yesterday and delivered to Los Angeles this morning. I took a picture of the material in my truck, and the plant where I dropped it off. That is my trailer you see in the picture. I had to take my truck off of the trailer because the plant was small and my truck would have blocked everything if I kept it connected.

Did you know that old car tires are recycled to build roads? They cut the tires up into tiny pieces and then mix the rubber in with other materials to build many roads here in the US.

The other picture I am including is the sunset on Sunday in Barstow, CA at the Flying J truck stop. So...I have 2 questions for you;

Can you tell me what kinds of material can be recycled?

Why do you think it is important that we recycle as much as we can?

I hope you had a great Easter holiday kids! I will talk to you soon!

Blessings,
~TruckerTony

Just 1 More Photo

Hey Kids,

Just one more photo of the girls a few weeks ago when I was home. This was at Dairy Queen. Kimi is on the left, Kaity is next with Kasie next to the window (she had a funny face). Of course that is Kristi on the right...taking a nap. She woke up later and ate everyone's french fries :)

Blessings,
~TruckerTony

Kristi the Rock Star!

Hey Kids,

I just had to share this photo of Kristi that my wife took a few days ago. She looks like a rock star! And look at that smile! Kristi will be 2 on July 5th.

Blessings,
~TruckerTony

I'm Still Here Kids!

This has been a VERY busy few weeks for me! It seemed that anytime I had a chance to update you on my travels, the Internet service where I was at was very slow or not working.

This is just a quick note to say I am sorry and that I am okay. By the time you come to school on Monday, I should have a few posts and some pics ready for you to see. I will be sure to tell you about the cool stuff I have hauled and some of my experiences over the past 3 weeks. I also have some great pictures to show you.

Be good kids. Remember to check back next week for the updates!

Blessings,
TruckerTony

International Space Station

Hey Kids,

I am still in Fontana, Ca waiting for a load. Looks like I won't be leaving until monday though. However, with some of the time I have I am reading about the International Space Station. It's short name is called the ISS.

I have been fascinated with space since I was a kid. I remember watching the Apollo rockets take off with the astronauts that would explore the moon. It was also exciting to watch when the capsule would come back to earth and splash into the sea where a Navy ship would then go and get the astronauts at the end of their mission. These days, they take off and come back to earth in the same vehicle...the Space Shuttle!

Over the past several years, the United States and other countries have been building the space station. Several space shuttle missions were used, and continue to be used to build the station. Many important things happen every day on the space station...so many that I could never say them all. However, all the experiments they do will help us with medicine, technology and other things that will make our life easier here on earth.

One post I read from an astronaut told about what she saw as she took a moment to look out of the window down towards earth. I thought it was fascinating, and thought you might like to read what she saw as well. You can click here to see what she wrote.

Here are a few more links you might like to see:

• Click here to see the dates you will be able to see the ISS in the sky where you live
• Click here to see what the space station crew is doing now
• Click here to see what your city looks like from space

So one question for you; can you guess how FAST the ISS travels around the earth? Write to me and give me your guess!

Also, let me know what kinds of things you are interested in. Perhaps what your hobbies are, or what you want to be when you grow up. Take care kids! Until next time....

Blessings,
~TruckerTony

I Am Learning About You Today!

Hi Kids,

Just wanted to let you know that I have delivered that heavy load of dog food. Today I will be sitting at a truck stop in Ontario, California and hopefully I can get a load that will take me towards home tomorrow.

So guess what I am doing since I have so much time today? I am reading about what your favorite songs are, who your favorite singers are, who your best friends are, what nationalities some of you are and other neat information you have written about on your class website.

I like reading about your book reports the best though! You are reading some very nice books, and many of them I have read to my own children. It's neat when you can read to your parents...try to do that as much as you can. It makes them feel good.

So keep reading your books, and I am going to go back now and read some more of what you kids have posted on your website. I am having fun doing that! Have a great weekend kids!

Blessings,
~TruckerTony

My Truck Broke Down - Again!

Hey Kids,

Well, when I went to start my truck yesterday it would not start. I had this problem when I was in Davenport, Iowa too. So when I get back to Salt Lake City, Utah I will have to put my truck into the fix-it shop so that they can change the batteries.

Because i had that problem, the company decided not to give me the Target load to Idaho. Instead, I am picking up 43,000 pounds of dog food today and taking it to Southern California. I will be there tonight.

So since I have received so many nice comments about my family, I have decided to show you some recent pictures of my girls. That's Kasie with Ronald; Katie has the soccer ball; Kimi is the black and white picture and Kristi is playing with the kitchen toy at church. The other picture is of the truck stop I stayed at in Reno, Nevada.

Have a great day kids! I've got to get this big truck rolling towards Southern California!

Blessings,
~TruckerTony

Gettin' Ready to Head to Idaho

Today's Pictures

Cheyenne, WY	Billion Year Old Rocks!
Rest Area Above Turnpike, IL	Stopped Train, Salt Lake City
Sunset - Fernley, NV	Rest Area - Fernley, NV
Rest Area - Fernley, NV	Truckee River - Fernley, NV

Hey Kids,

First, Ms Sison should be receiving a package from me today or tomorrow. I sent some information to you about the state of New Mexico so that you can get a better idea of what is there.

Today I am picking up at a big Target warehouse and taking part of the load to Elko, NV and the rest of the load to Twin Falls, Idaho. I will be taking anything from medicine, to toys, to big appliances and other items you would buy in a Target store.

The load will be lite, so I should not use as much fuel which is good because fuel costs a lot of money. In fact, fuel and tires cost the most when driving a truck so we do all we can to use less fuel and make our tires last longer. One easy way for our tires to last longer is to keep the proper amount of air in them. I check my tires every day before i start driving to make sure I have 100 psi (pounds per square inch) in my tires. The car your mom and dad drives has about 35 psi in those tires.

About the pictures above; i don't know if I have told you this before, but i used to drive a train just like that! I was actually a locomotive engineer for a few years driving freight trains like the one pictured and then I drove the Amtrak trains you see where you live. I used to drive through Emeryville, Sacramento, Martinez and other cities up there by where you live.

The pictures at the very top show an area close to Cheyenne, Wyoming. The marker says that the rocks in that area are over 1 billion years old!

After I deliver on Thursday morning in Twin Falls, ID I am hoping that I can go south into Utah for a couple of days off. Be sure to write to me when you can. Let me know what you think of the stuff I sent to you! Be good Kids!

Blessings,
~TruckerTony