Miles to Go: A Long-Haul Trucker's Diary
October 14 — 5:30 AM — Somewhere in Nebraska
The sun isn't even awake yet, but my truck, Big Blue, is already humming. I just finished my morning pre-trip inspection. I checked the tire pressure, tested the brakes, and made sure the refrigerated trailer is keeping our cargo—thousands of pounds of fresh Michigan apples—at the perfect cool temperature. Our destination is a grocery distribution center in Sacramento, California. That is still over a thousand miles away, but as a long-haul trucker, I measure my life in miles, not hours.
I took a long sip of warm cocoa from my thermos and climbed up into the cab. The driver's seat is like my living room chair; it is where I spend up to eleven hours a day. Turning onto Interstate 80, the highway was almost empty. The headlights carved a bright path through the morning mist. There is a peaceful silence on the road at dawn. It feels like the whole country is sleeping, and it is my job to make sure everything is ready for them when they wake up.
October 14 — 2:15 PM — Crossing into Wyoming
- Pre-trip inspection:
- A thorough safety check of a vehicle's mechanical parts (like brakes and tires) before starting a journey.
- Sleeper berth:
- A cozy compartment behind the driver's seat in a truck cab, equipped with a bed and basic amenities for resting.
- Logbook:
- An official record, today usually electronic, used by truck drivers to track their active driving hours and mandatory rest times.
- Long-haul:
- Traveling, transporting, or carrying goods over very long distances.
- cargo:
- Goods or products carried and transported from one place to another by a vehicle, ship, or airplane.
- crucial:
- Extremely important or necessary.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What is the nickname of the narrator's truck?
- 2What cargo is the narrator hauling, and where did it come from?
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About this diary entry passage for Upper Elementary
“Miles to Go: A Long-Haul Trucker's Diary” is a diary entry reading passage about Transportation, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 4 minutes to read (586 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.