Where's Al Now?

2011-03-09T12:23:00.001-08:00

Well I suppose I will need to alter the name of the blog to "Here I am" and this is where I choose to be and where I will stay.

A couple of years ago as an IT Project Manager, I began to burn out and long for the past life of open road, zen moments and the ability to breath. So armed with this thought I convinced myself that for my sanity it was time for me to move on, leave IT and people behind and go back into the trucking industry.

The blog was started to allow family and friends and now esteemed colleagues to view what changes and experiences I was encountering as I made the transition. Good or bad I have shared what ever I was up against or experiencing. I don't have a writing style per say, but have found when giving a brain dump over a period of time I uncover little nuggets and lessons learned.

So, what happened. Well, for a number of reasons I began to miss the technology aspect of life, I missed, as a PM, the chance to be working with great teams on unreasonable deliverables and deadlines, I missed the feeling of accomplishment, of being the cook and, let's be honest, I missed the financial benefits of IT.

For those who have known me I am a fairly gregarious sort and that said, I had begun to question my decision to go on the road. If I am missing all the aforementioned, why not go back to it? It is not an easy transition back, technology waits for no man (woman). Once you step back it is very difficult to jump right back in. All that aside I have done just that. I have taken 2+ years of solitary thought and with the help of many jumped back in.

I have landed a position in Vancouver that has allowed me to enjoy a number of benefits. It has allowed me to become energized, renewed my focus and gain clarity in my life. I have said in many of my entries how fortunate I am. Well here I go again.....I have had a very fortunate last three or so months.

From finding my path back to writing off a semi, tractor, trailer and load without serious injury to myself but more importantly to anyone else. There has been a number of circumstances that would really set a person back however with massive support I made it through.

So the blog will continue, it will change somewhat as my "truckin' "stories will subside but life is full of interesting experiences to discuss and learn from. The question of "Where's Al now?" has been solved....I am certain the IT world will be saying....."Oye, when will he leave again?"

Not soon.

The Week that was.....

2010-10-26T10:27:00.001-07:00

Wow, I have a new appreciation for folks that run a day cab in the city.....

This was by far one of the ugliest weeks I have had in a while. I would rather run up and down through Sea-Tac for 16 hours a day than to run around Vancouver for 10.

The rain this week seemed never ending and with the Pacific Northwest freight slowing down I had an opportunity to work the city in order to keep my hours up. (Insert root canal here).

I had a decent start to the week doing a Tacoma Spanaway rounder which put 16 hours in my pocket but the following day is when the wheels fell off. I was scheduled to run south but when I arrived at the yard I was told by dispatch that the highway teams needed the load. Nice.....bastards.

For my non trucking friends a company will endeavor to run as many miles as possible with a load. If you do not have a load your unit really becomes a cost center. When you have a load you are either breaking even or turning a profit. Makes sense right? If there are trucks sitting idle in an area it becomes more cost effective to have them take the load rather than moving empty.

OK so I have rationalized it....but they are still bastards for taking my load.

My morning started my trying to hook to a trailer that some bone head had dropped about 4 inches lower than my drive tires....how he/she got out from under it is beyond me.

In order to lift the trailer high enough for me to couple on to it I cranked for over one half hour.....tired....in the dark.....autumnal monsoon rain falling......highway bastards.

Hooked, then off I went to my first drop following my GPS as I am not familiar with parts of the city. After being GPS challenged for an hour or so I found my customer and off loaded. Day break was upon me, rain had stopped, trailer empty....OK day is shaping up I figured.

I entered the yard address into my GPS and selected "make most use of freeways" thinking this would get me on a big road and out of area with the least effort. Horseshit.....there is no replacement for a good map book. I followed the directions over hill and dale, through residential areas, school zones and mall parking lots.

Once I had my bearings and into an area I recognized I proceeded down a recognized truck route in the middle of rush hour, quite comfortable in knowing that I have gotten back into a familiar road.

To my puzzlement cars began veering left and right getting off the road as I came along. Christ I am not that bad of a driver I thought. Further ahead EMS crews, Fire trucks, utility crews had stopped at the bottom of the hill right where I needed to turn....did they hear I was coming I chuckled to my self.

Actually there was a major fire and the road had been closed. I could not go right or left as I was not about to venture of the truck route. I approached the scene and there was no way to get around it. So I calmly backed into a residence drive way and got my self turned around. All 75 or so feet of me.

In a panic I figured I would take the first right and see if it would get me back on the route I needed. Off through an orchard I go to a point the you can only turn left. No worries I am making progress. Ahead is a sign that says NO TRUCKS.....it is as the base of a 20 or so percent grade. I looked left and right and was unable to avoid it so throwing all caution to the wind and being empty I put my foot in it and and started to climb. The hill is only about 10 blocks long and I am comfortable I can get up it.

I did without issue however as I turned right on a street that is now on the horizontal my trailer dolly legs got caught up on the pavement and I began to spin....I locked up my axles to provide more traction and rolled a couple of feet back ( couldn't go further as there was about 10 cars following me thinking I had a clue). Again I was hung up. I set my brakes and got out, calmly smiled and the traffic waiting now in all directions and cranked my legs up another inch or so. Rolled back then tried again. It worked but now my truck frame was caught on my trailer frame and although I wanted to go right the vehicle had other intentions.

So edging straight I planted my steering axle in a ditch....good lord I uttered....I paraphrase. Now what. Actually it was a good thing....it released my truck frame away from the trailer frame allowing me to roll back and make a right turn.

Into the traffic I went arriving back at the yard about two hours after leaving the customer. So we can put it all in perspective it is about 10 miles from customer to yard....shut up.

So that is how the week started and it got worse from there. In my mind anyway. Really it is all good, you learn, you move on. It could have been much worse. All you can do is shake your head and hope the dispatch gods give you a load south. What did I learn? Don't get pissed off, keep a positive outlook, get rest before your next shift, don't depend on a GPS (fondly referred to as Great Piece of Shit), and .....highway guys are still bastards.

Later

Musings of a trucker in Seattle traffic.

2010-07-21T17:23:00.001-07:00

Well, not much to discuss on the trucking front. I am doing what I love and have a good balance of work and home life.....I heard a saying the other day that if you work at your passion you will never work another day in your life. All is good.

So what to write about. I sit all day long and although the drive is intense at times I really have nothing to do but point the big truck and think. The mind wanders often and at times you feel bummed about a missed opportunity or take stock of where you are in life.

One of the items I have pondered is regret. People always have said "do you have any regrets in life?" or "if you could do it again would you change anything?" Everyone normally will say "no, I have no regrets and would never change a thing."

To both questions I say "Hell yes!!!" I don't regret my up bringing because you are dealt and hand and you play it. I don't regret my education because I have re-invented myself a number of times and have succeeded. So what is it? My biggest regret are actually two. One is not acting on a feeling or not acting on what moves you and secondly, not telling people what they mean to me or have meant to me.

Decisions you make now will have a huge effect on you as you grow up. Yes I know you have to move on but some things are not so easy. IE

I had a younger brother Kevin who I think of often. He had MD and I knew from experience with two other brothers Larry and Garry, that he was not long for this world. In Feb of 1985 I was walking past his home and thought perhaps I should pop up and say hey. Being the greatest procrastinator on the planet I said "maybe next week" to myself. He died the next day and it still haunts me.

Being raised in a family that was on one hand destroyed by MD, and on another made strong, we were no stranger to life skills. Never had much cash, had three brothers with MD, parents who dampened there hardship with alcohol....you get the picture. I felt that with all the hardship I had endured that surely we as a family were now bullet proof and immortal....I know....give your head a shake but you have no idea how the mind works at times.

My point is that when I received a text from my sister in law stating that July 7 was my brothers birthday and it was his 60th......Wow I thought....on one hand thought she should fuck off because I have always know Freddie's birthday and on the other I thought ...holy shit 60? I had better phone Susanne before it is too late. ( she is slightly elder )

You see as I grow up...I am just 52 now you realize that we are all getting older and we need to celebrate who and what we have. If something moves you, act on it, don't put it off and get to it the next day.

So my regrets are two; not letting people know I love them and what they mean to me and and secondly, acting on a feeling......I am as I write. It is never too late.

Life is short....get on it. The end is not Nye but lets face it, it will come and no one is getting out of this alive.

Later Al

New past time. Rantings of a mad Kayaker

2010-06-12T15:57:00.000-07:00

Life at Bison continues to move along. Without sounding braggy this four on four off deal is hard to get used to.....but once you do.....you cannot beat it. I continue to run Tacoma, Spanaway and back to Vancouver daily. So from a trucking perspective there is not much to report. On another front however there is some news.

For those who follow me on Facebook or Twitter you are aware I am taking on a new hobby, kayaking. So for those people that read the blog from a trucking perspective this may have no interest to you. I do need to share some of my experiences though.

For most of my life I have lived a relatively sedentary lifestyle. I used to work my ass off and found that I had little time to enjoy life outside of work. Sad really but in Canada most of us are like that. For those that have found the balance, good on ya. You are blessed.

If you ask a North American what he or she does they will tell you they are an IT guy or an engineer, a nurse what ev, you get it. If you ask a European the same question he or she will say Oh, I ski, or I Volksmarch or raise a family....again you get the pic. We, on this side of the pond, let our work define us.

So I have taken up Kayaking in an effort to offset the number of hours I toil. I go on about a four day on four day off cycle however the hours I put in are in the order of 60+ during the cycle.

So Kayaking: Our first day out, last Saturday was less than banner. We schlepped the boat to West beach up the street and my daughter and I took turns. I managed to get soaked first time out and froze the rest of the outing.....enter buyers remorse.

All week I thought that perhaps I had done the wrong thing and maybe it only looked appealing to sit in a small boat, watching the sun rise behind the Cascade Mountain range and Mt Baker. Their shadows becoming shorter until you felt it....that radiance. There is something about the smell of the ocean in the morning that surely I would be missing if I did not make a go of this.

I tried over an over again through out the week to get out but I have learned that the tide needs be just right, calm seas and as little breeze as possible. Living on the Pacific South West coast you get what you get. Just when you think you are in for a decent day all hell breaks loose.

Fast forward to today.....awesome. We managed to get a beautiful day and I was prepared. Last night I assembled the roof rack, and proceeded to load the two kayaks on the Subaru. That was a bit frustrating and the level of frustration could only be surpassed by the fact I could not get out of our underground garage.....Remember....sitting...little boat...sunrise.....horse shit I say.

I would not let that deter me and started fresh this morning. Brilliant sunshine, ocean like glass, no wind, tide at a relative stand still. Off we went to Crescent Beach an launched the boats.

My goal was to stay drier that last week. Success. To top it off we were able to snap shots of a Golden Eagle, movie of a Harbor Seal, a number of Dungenous Crabs racing to get out of the tide pools before said eagle had his way with them.

Updates to follow....that is if anything interesting comes along.

Later.

New adventure update.

2010-05-03T11:15:00.000-07:00

I have spent years seeking out the right employment fit for my family and myself. This is not to fault any past employers as it is I that have the needs and sometimes they just don't line up with theirs.

I must say that I believe I have found it with Bison. The money is not what I had gotten previous but you need to determine what is important. At this time in my life I needed to be home, make a living and try and chill a bit. Scenes like below help me chill.

Mr and Mrs Goose with brood.

So, I have done just that. I currently drive for Bison and run to Tacoma, WA return, once a day, four on four off. Don't think that my days are 5 hours long, on the contrary. I leave at 0600 each day, hit customs, deliver at around noon, get my load around 1400 then run home...usually home around 2000 each night. Nice thing is I get paid by the hour, OT after 11 on the highway. When work is slow I get the same rate working in the city.

I am quite happy for now. I am certain there will be challenges but I just need to "breathe" so to speak. Recently I crossed southbound only to find my load had not cleared properly....I sat for six hours waiting. It is easier to "breathe" if you are still getting your hourly rate.

So life is good. I drive a junker of a truck, work my ass off hauling recycling south and various loads back for four days, get paid for what I do then take four days off. My next challenge.....if I could just learn Punjabi I would be all set. Not being bigoted but I am learning what it is like to be on the outside looking in as most of the drivers that run these routes speak differently languages than I.

That is it for now.

Later

How it began, is how it ended with H and R

2010-04-02T08:07:00.001-07:00

As the title reads....I started with H and R with my truck in the shop and that is the way I ended...in a shop. What happened in the middle of all that however was pretty decent.

If any readers are looking for the dirt on H and R you won't find any in this blog entry. I can honestly say that during my time with them it was a pretty good ride.

There were the odd bumps here and there as there are with any job. Once you realize that they are a business and only owe you what you earn life becomes easy. What I mean is that I worked hard, did what I was told, operated safely and efficiently and in return the owed me their best.

I got it; from Cathy T and the administrative group my transition in and out was flawless. Payroll and HOS folks where helpful in many instances and when need educated me as to what I needed to do to keep pay straight and run legal.

The on road repair system that I experienced....often....was second to none. I had a truck leased from Penske and the SOS response was outstanding.

Finally the Operations team. I began with Andy who is a task master. He takes individuals on to a fleet and at times seems short. This is his job....think of him as a Sergent Major of sorts.

I then moved to Fleet 2, then 4 and finally back to 2. This occurred primarily as I had requested changes in my running areas and frequency of runs.

One constant was my planner Gerry G. Can't say enough about him. When I need to shorten my run he took me in to a scheduled, shorter run to allow more home time. When this was not quite what I needed he took me over to a shorter more frequent run to accommodate my and my families needs. He is a solid go to guy and has a decent heart.

My dispatch team of Wayne, Kevin, Noelle, Shane and the rest of the night crew where always helpful be it issues or questions on how to perform a certain task. Finally, the individual I had most contact with was Sherrie B.

Sherrie is an outstanding Dispatcher and Manager. Even though she manages a large number of trucks and drivers she always makes time to see that you are taken care of. If you need, she will do her best to escalate as required. She takes the time to get to know you as a driver and person so she can understand your pressure points. If you are fortunate you will get on her fleet.

This seems to be like a Thank You note. In a way it is, I have no complaints about H and R but understand this. Everything you get, you earn, I was treated very well and worked my ass of for them.

If you are coming from overseas or a national looking for work make no mistake this company is not like all others. You get what you earn, not what you feel you deserve. For my readers overseas do your homework, you are making a life decision, don't believe all blogs, not even this one (although you can rest assured I have nothing to gain if you come to HR). I call it as I sees it.

So I have moved on to another firm. I will update you in my next entry.

Good luck,

Later

Turn the page.

2010-03-14T21:14:00.000-07:00

Wine always brings out the writer in me (in my mind anyway).Whether I am pissed at life or feeling amorous I always feel like blogging. So here I go:

I have heard over the years that if you live in the past you are suffering depression; in the future you are prone to anxiety. So in an effort to be normal I have chosen to embrace today.

Some may see changes in my interactions others may not. No matter, I have enjoyed getting to know a number of individuals and have forged friendships based upon commonality. As I grow through life I will forge new friendships and some will fall off the radar…so to speak.

I have spent a lifetime trying to find the right fit. I believe I have found it in a new company and a new outlook that I will speak of in future blog. In that blog I will discuss the HR experience but do not expect me to speak ill of the company.

So stay tuned,

Shit, BTW Happy Birthday Susanne!!!!

Later

Never too old to learn something new.

2010-03-08T09:59:00.001-08:00

Been a while but here goes.

Life has been run of the mill for the past while, Olympics have come and gone and now I can get back to regular life. We did manage to take in some of the events and pavilions. Vancouver absolutely rocked.

During the past month my run has been uneventful except for one particular evening. I did my drop in Kamloops and then shot down to Kelowna for my second drop. The road down is a bit bendy and although you can fly down it you really should not.

When I arrived at my drop I asked the receiver if I could drop the trailer and he said so long as the product is still upright it would not be a problem. I, in amazement asked, "really, how does someone actually have the load move around on them?" He said it happens from time to time.

I opened my back doors to hit the dock and to my surprise my load had shifted. For the next three hours I had to re stack 1000 cases of pop, you know the fridge size. That is right five skids, 200 cases per skid at about 10 lbs per case. In all about 10000 pounds of pop.

I was choked. Do you think anyone would help me....no. I muttered and cursed but in the end I only had myself to blame. Why should they help me....they are the client...I messed up. So the lesson I learned was to slow the F*** down. If the sign indicates 60K in a curve and you are blasting across some uneven train tracks, do less than it indicates. What is it going to cost you in the long run.

So I continue to learn and had a great high rep low weight work out.....oh the muscle tone.

Later.

A new year, a new run and Damn BC Held held devices law.

2010-02-07T19:49:00.000-08:00

Where has the time gone.

Recently I have changed my run from running the rock 4 times a week to 10 times a week….not sure what I was thinking. Actually it allows me to be home daily and ultimately that is what I was after all along. So I go out each evening and home each morning.

One thing I can truly say about my employer, H and R, is that they have done everything within their power to make certain I was happy and that my family was front and center. I guess it boils down to the fact that I do as I am asked….with some grumbling….but it gets done just the same. In appreciation they take good care of me. I am currently looking for a way to get back to the city and have submitted my name for a city job with HR.

2009 was a decent year, many experiences….some scary but mostly awe inspiring. I have uploaded some images from last year to close out my entry for today.

Speaking of pics, damn BC laws regarding hand held devices and driving…..sheesh how is a guy suppose to snap decent pics, surf the web, send texts home and update Facebook these days….thank Christ our trucks are 12 speed automatic.

Tire change, or Tyre change anyone....now is the time.

You make friends after days and days....this is Willie the Golden Brake Check Fox.

Doh!!!Oh but for the grace of God I go.

Home Sweet Home....Why do I love it here so much?

Anyhoo….more updates in the days ahead.

Later.

Whoa, February 6th already. My New Year Resolutions are:

2010-02-06T18:17:00.001-08:00

I can't believe that I have not updated this in two months.

Either I am too busy to afford the time or life is mundane and I choose not to bore you with it.

Where to start?

Happy New Year. Let's discuss resolutions. I always resolve to be a better man but I am afraid I am who I am and a work in progress....I will keep at it. I have made some resolutions, however.

I have embraced Facebook and all the evils that come with it.....the reason being is that it has enabled me to reach out and get in touch with individuals, friends and relatives that I grew up with and catch up, so to speak. So I resolve to continue to reach out to my past....you are richer than you think.

I met a man last summer, a neighbor. You would think you would know your neighbors but we are who we are. I had noted to him that he had a large dent in the hood of his Honda Civic...he began to regal me with the story and how it had come to be.

He said "you see, I don't see as well as I used to because I am blind in one eye". Being curious I asked how he lost his vision and he stated that a couple of years ago he was in Antarctica and slipped on a glacier hitting his eye and surrounding orbital bone etc. "The Russian troller", he stated, "being used as a base camp only had eye drops so medical treatment was weak at best".

Starting to do the math I asked how old he was and he told me 90 years old. So in my head I am thinking that when he was 88 he was having such and adventure that most would only dream of.

This drives two resolutions: firstly, get active now....don't wait till it is too late and secondly stop dreaming and do.

So those are my three resolutions.

Promise to post soon.

Later

Mnemonics

2009-12-03T17:52:00.000-08:00

Main Entry: mne·mon·ics

Pronunciation: \ni-ˈmä-niks\

Function: noun plural but singular in construction

Date: circa 1721

: a technique of improving the memory

I have used mnemonics for years as my memory is not always at it's best.

Over the years I have used it to remember everything from IEEE 802.xx standards to the OSI model for protocol stacks to the order you should circle check your vehicle. What ever. I came up with a new one this week. BRAG...

I have a habit of blaming when something goes wrong. Even if it is my fault I always have assigned blame to someone other than me. It is comforting to know that even at the age of 52 I am still growing personally.

This week I hooked a load in Calgary, did a proper check of the trailer and headed to the Road Ranger truck stop for a cup of coffee. When I arrived back at my truck I could hear an air leak...yes again....an air leak. I did a quick check and noted the that airbag for my cab suspension had a small hole worn in the side of it.

I proceeded back to the yard and dropped my trailer and headed to Penske for repair. Lost only and hour or so but it was snowing bad so headed to bed. When I awoke I headed over to grab my load...hooked and off I went. It wasn't until 500 miles later that I realized I had the wrong trailer.....doh!!!

I had grabbed an empty trailer by accident....my load was also very light so I did not notice the difference. I proceeded, once I spoke to dispatch, to lay blame on everything from night time to snowy to sore back to tired. It cost me my trip pay but could have been much worse.

So BRAG, Blame whatever or whoever, Reassess the situation, Accept it is YOU that messed up and Get on with your day. I was very upset and unloaded on dispatch....why I don't know but by end of day I was able to joke about it. I guess my reasoning skills are slow to develop.

All in all it was a decent week. Weather was great, good moon, dry roads...I am easy to please believe me.

So now the joke is that all trailers in the Calgary yard must be washed so I can see the number....ha ha, also that Penske trucks as so low powered that we are only assigned empties....ha ha they are endless. I guess my point to all this rant is that look in the mirror before you lay blame...odds are if you step back and look...you are the culprit.

Later

Bless me Father......

2009-11-20T12:19:00.000-08:00

It has been two weeks since my last blog entry.

Kidding aside there is not much to report other than Snow. Not complaining, snow has it's place....just somewhere else.

I have been driving semi off and on since about 1978 and every year it is like being a rookie when the snow arrives. They always say adjust for the conditions but until you scare yourself a couple of times you really brush it off.

I had a couple of instances this year that really makes you stop and wonder why you never listen to "They" who ever that is. For me the worst fear is traction breaks. Whether it is climbing to a peak or rounding a corner it is always a bad feeling for me when the tandems begin to spin or slide out from under you.

A couple of times this year that feeling of impending doom has begun to creep in and you just hold on, no throttle, no brakes.....just keep it steady and wish you had listened to "They". Then once you have gotten below the snow line and are feeling fat you dismiss what "They" said and thank Christ you are a wicked driver.

I actually never think that and continue to respect the rocks for all their splendor and treachery.

This week we got over 40 cm of snow over the Coquihalla and at that elevation it tends to build on the road. For the most part all went well but I have added more grey to my poor balding head (already bald). It is not so much that I am not careful, it is that sometimes others spin out ahead of you or worse opt to stop in your lane.....some things are just out of your control.

I have added some pics as sometimes you feel like the tail and others the dog. Although the elements ultimately rule, at times, you get to enjoy them...all in all if you are still able to dump in your blog....you have had a decent week.

Only had one breakdown in the last two weeks and after moaning and groaning about how bad I have it you reassess and realize that items that fail are often items that are time expired. For example:

Driver who read this: Always do your brake/air checks especially in BC. If I did not subscribe to this rule my week may have been much worse.

I found a small hole in my rear left brake pod (maxi), the hole was large enough to lose air but small enough to keep the spring brake from engaging. If I had not found this and in the rocks my spring brake engaged on that wheel it may have been enough of an incident to kick my back end out from under me.

So again.....do the brake checks and listen often. Perhaps now I am one of "They".

So off for the weekend and back out on Sunday.

Later

Decent Week

2009-11-07T11:01:00.000-08:00

After a few weeks of pain, last week renewed my passion for the rocks. Great roads, great full moon and a tractor that was humming along as good as it ever has.

Did my 2500 miles and home in no time. The moon was so bright that I was able to snap a couple of pics passing through Rogers Pass with my phone at night....a bit blurry but I thought it was cool.

Although beautiful the passes can bite you pretty quick if not careful....the cold comes on quick and can make the roads pretty slick. Fog begins to ice quickly as a one driver found out this week. When I passed the scene his trailer was keeping him from going down a steep cliff by one axle....not fun in my books.

What I do enjoy is coming home to this every week. Even after a decent week in the rocks. Simple pleasure like feeding the ducks on the bay....although overtaken by seagulls was great therapy.

We also took the time to get some pumpkin carving done....somewhat less that other years but Jess, our daughter, keeps the spirit alive and well.

Even ran with a couple of Brits this week one I had never met and one that was an old acquaintance. Had great discussion with both and started to gain a bit of an understanding where some of the other blogs are speaking from. I can't relate to the issues and will leave it at that.

So not much to report. Off again tomorrow probably Red Deer AB.

Later.

Rough week in the wild.

2009-10-31T10:14:00.001-07:00

Well that was a rough week for poor 3122. Actually it has been a rough 3 weeks for my tractor.

It all started out with a Check Engine light, which turned out to be the Jake wiring harness, the following week the Jake didn't work quite right. ( would not disengage properly), mechanics found a couple of actuator springs broken so had that fixed.

Went on my merry way last Sunday and noticed I could not hear my turbo like I normally do. This was intermittent and I started to question if I was imagining this. Up the big hills I went only to find that at Box Canyon had no turbo and next to no power. Thankfully I was light and was able to pull the hill. Poor old truck didn't like me to much nor did the environment. ( much white smoke ).

FYI: There are three major climbs ( for most trucks ) on the Coquihalla. All are about 2-3 KM long and vary from 5-6 % grade at the west end to about 6-8 % leading to the summit. Must have power to get over big hill.

So got pulled over at the old toll booths and waited a couple of hours for a mechanic to be dispatched only to have him say it is the air filter.....what? Then he changed the fuel filter, again, I am no mechanic but.....what? Waited another couple of hours for a tow into Kamloops where the problem was found and after 10 hours down I was back and on my way.

It turned out to be a device that controls how much air the turbo is feeding the engine. If all air is being bled power is nil. So all week ran about 12 hours behind schedule. You can never get that time back no matter how hard you try. Believe me I tried. One thing I can say about having and HR Penske truck, Penske has unbelievable on road service.

Then the winter conditions kicked in....nothing major but as luck would have it my being late allowed me to miss some awful weather....I guess things happen for a reason. Last run home was brutal as I have only 2000 lbs in the box and lots of snow all the way home. Oh well.

It is easy to get pissed when things aren't going your way. I continue to learn to keep perspective on all things. When I was having a rough week others where upside down in ditches, laying against rock cuts, really bad days. So all in all it was a rough week but home makes it all go away....I am off again tomorrow....a better week ahead.

Later.

A Low Profile

2009-10-22T21:37:00.000-07:00

Not much to report this week. I started a new run between Vancouver and Calgary, same firm but on different days. I go out Sunday evenings and home Thursday mornings. Pretty decent run, 2500 miles in four days with 6 drops. It is a tad tiring but I like the long weekends at home.

While on the road I spend a great deal of time on the radio chatting with drivers who are with HR and many who are not. Always the same theme becomes prevalent. I find I am stuck between new drivers pissed because they "didn't think trucking would be like this" and old drivers who are pissed because " it is just like they knew it would be" .

So that said, I am learning to keep a low profile on the road (and also my blog) and have learned to pick my topics of discussion. Once they get negative my radio loses it's ability to receive well. I suppose as I go I am still strongly believe that life is short and if you are not happy move on for Christ sake.

Well the weekend is all but over. Weather in White Rock was awesome. Not much else to contribute this week.....back out tomorrow. Please no snow....

Later

Autumn has arrived in the Rocks.

2009-10-17T11:22:00.001-07:00

Well this is it. Fall is here....rainy on the coast, cold in the prairies and the tourists have left the mountains to me, fellow truckers and the animals that now come back down from the mountain tops. No complaints here. After a quiet September on the road October has begun to provide some excitement. Be it snow or animals I seen it so far in October.

Notice: This Blog is for my friends, family and colleagues on the road. That said, some of my explanations my be somewhat lame to all of the professional drivers out there.

The first snow is always the worst as the road has not begun to get cold enough for it not to stick. (OK that is a bad sentence, snow is currently sticking to road....road gets colder snow does not stick as much) Also the snow is so heavy at times and there are not much snow banks to judge where you are on the road.

That is right for non drivers, you may think this is silly but we depend on snow banks to keep you safe. Well I do anyhow. Keep one on the left and one on the right and stay in the middle.

Where it becomes scary is during the first couple of snow falls there are none so you have little to judge on. Also there are not many guard rails on the Coquilhalla Hwy. You go to close to the edge it will be a very bumpy ride down.

So had a couple of radio off, both hands on wheel, focus and cross your fingers kind of nights. Fog is probably the worst condition for me anyhow. At times so thick you just want to stop get out and try and touch something to get your bearings.

So that is the worst part. It is soon forgotten when you see the animals back and the new vistas ahead....that is right I always talk of the vistas....in my mind you cannot see the Rockies enough...each day an new look and challenge.

Going through the Banff East gate the largest Elk I have ever seen stood as if to welcome you to his home...the word majestic comes to mind but I am not that eloquent. Massive rack, steam from his nostrils and a wisp of snow on his back. Cool. Further along a family of Mountain goats that I have been watching all summer. Early just the mom, then June two babies, now mom, two teens it seems...coat not quite white yet. Near to Golden the Mountain sheep are back with their young as well.

With the snow comes the scenery. The mountains are wondrous during the summer but the winter is like mountains in uber HD. The snow really gives more texture to what you are seeing. The snow caps in the sun are almost blinding.

So you got me.....I complain about winter but gush about the benefits....I am hard to peg I suppose. Work is fine.

I have a love hate relationship with H and R but who doesn't. We have good days and bad but mostly good. I can easily put off bad days if I step back and take a look at the big picture. I suppose as I get older I have developed that trait a bit. I blow up, then assess, lay blame, reassess, understand better, feel bad and get on with my day. It is not all cherries but show me a job that is.

So that is it for this week. Schedule has changed a bit so I am off again into the wild tomorrow.

Later

Life goes on!!

2009-09-25T11:16:00.001-07:00

My god I am a boring blogger.

There is absolutely nothing new at my end. Life goes on at HR and I have to say I have had very few bumps in my first year with the company.

I do read other blogs and am surprised by the negative comments but it is what it is. I have been treated well during my time at H and R and although I have bounced from fleet to fleet I must say that the transition has gone very well.

It appears that Vancouver has started to become a black hole for freight. It happens from time to time that a district becomes more consumer than producer. Nice to have a balance but you cant always get equal loads out for loads in. I am guessing that as the Winder Olympics approach it will get worse then get back to normal.

In a way it is like New York City. Lots of loads in....good luck getting a load out. So here I sit in White Rock....no complaints as the weather is awesome.

Summer was great. I am currently running the rocks 4 times a week and believe me it is great that the tourists have gone back to their lives. I run mostly at night and other that construction the roads are all ours.

Not many pics to post as my shots have become redundant. So on that note I will post my only pic taken during my day off on my dog walk this AM.

Later.

Brutal week....update will be short.

2009-08-10T15:17:00.000-07:00

Into everyone's life a little rain must fall.

My first week back after holidays was pretty brutal. Not sure if it is due to the fact I was in post holiday distress or it just sucked.

So rather than ranting and bitching about things it is best to move on and work towards a better week this week.

This week I am back to my regular run and on the home front take delivery of our new Subaru, can't wait. BTW last week I forgot to mention we came across a mother and two grizzly cubs last week. Very very cool.

Later

Ah the Holidaze!!!

2009-08-04T20:33:00.000-07:00

Since I have gone back on the road I do not enjoy the benefits of a government job any longer.....one such benefit is the ample supply of off time I used to get. To over come this I ran and extra trip two weeks ago to allow me to take a trip off last week and will run an extra this week to cover the one I bailed on this week.....all in all I was able to wrangle a full week off.

Starting last Thursday the family and I dropped the hound at the kennel and off we went to the interior (Schuswap) to be exact. This was merely a stop over point for one night to give us a bit of a break.

The following morning we set out to Calgary with a bit of a detour. My daughter had never been east of the Schuswap before and I had never been to the Columbia Ice Fields since 1967 (shut up). Our first stop was near Craigellachie which is the location of where the eastern met the western legs of the national railway.....quite the project I would say.

From there the trek through Rogers pass, lots of rock and ice but not many animules. After a brief stop in Golden BC we started east again and then north to the Ice fields. Outstanding, awesome, amazing.....you get it. From the second we crossed the gate onto the parkway the scenery was at a whole new level. I am huge on the ocean, love the mountains but the parkway is an astounding drive.

From the emerald water of Lake Hector to the hiking paths near the Bow, From the view of the Crowfoot Glacier (missing a toe) to the climb to immense Athabasca Glacier our drive was one jaw dropper after another. Sadly the climate is slowly eating away at the Glaciers and one day they will be gone. I am thankful we were able to make the trek.

I was at the Ice Fields in 1967.....again (shut up) and since then the glacier has moved (shrunk) about 1500 meters. It was quite a climb to get there from the terminal moraine (the original starting point) about 2000 meter on a 15 or so degree climb. Mrs, even with the arthritis and cane found it in herself to get all the way up and touch the glacier. We even went beyond the safety line to touch it.....I mean all that work....you have to touch it. On the way down we grabbed a water bottle and enjoyed a drink of the glaciers run off. Unbelievably tasty.

So back down we went....we only had time to see half the parkway as our main focus of the trip was to get to Calgary for my nephews wedding reception. Next year we will work from the top down as I still have fond memories of Jasper and south to Angel Glacier.

Off to the city of cows we went. Visited for an hour or two and were bagged to off to bed we went. Saturday morning went to the Calgary zoo and then to my nephew's for a bbq. Great party, lots of good food, drink and company.

Sunday back to the Schuswap we went for another family gathering. I actually had time to play on the jet ski....crazy thing does 105 k/hour with me on it....it is insane. First time out this year so needless to say my docking skills were not up to par and I let the dock win this one.

Then to home....boring drive through the Coq with only water bombers to keep us company. We noticed a new fire burning just south of Merritt and it looked fairly small at the time....it is now over 2000 hectares. Sad really.

So that is it....some business today and back to work tomorrow. Oh well....time to begin planning the next adventure.

Pictures are here.

Later

Life's a Beach

2009-07-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

All week I like all of you work my ass off. I am very fortunate to be able to come home to what I think is probably one of the greatest places to live. White Rock BC. I really feel that you cannot beat the smell and feel of the ocean. I know it is a matter of opinion but what ev.

Even my dog is chillin'

After a decent week this week I came home to Tour de White Rock. For those who don't know what that is, it is a three day bike race and each stage exercises different skills. Friday is the hill climb, we have lots of those, Saturday is the Criterion and Sunday is the road race.

It is a chance to not only enjoy the
race but to visit with the

neighbours. I mean I walk out my door and into hay bales set up to save the racers from themselves.

This week was great, only did two rounders to Calgary and my pace was a bit slower than usual. The worst part of the week was when my Tripak Air Conditioner packed it in. For those that don't know what that it is, it is a small engine that provides AC power, circulates engine fluid in the winter time and runs an air conditioner. With this we ( the company ) save cash by not idling the tractor engine but the greater benefit is the fact we decrease the carbon foot print.

Needless to say with the temp up in the 80-90 range I did not get much sleep without the air running. Think of sleeping in a big metal box under direct sun.....not fun. Anyhow had that fixed and now life is a dream....

Fast forward one week.

Worked my butt off in order to earn a week of holiday. Ran 4000 miles this week from Monday evening to Sunday AM. So all in all a bit bagged but the effort will pay off.

I think what killed me this week is running the rocks and seeing and smelling the smoke from the fires. It makes for great photos but what kills me is that people seem to think it is ok to throw cigarette butts out the window of the vehicle.

So home for a couple of days and off I go for one rounder to Calgary then off for a week....will update on my return.

Check out the latest set of pics from July.

Am I crazy?

2009-07-13T14:49:00.001-07:00

So for a living I drive....back and forth in the Rockies....we all know that.

I have rambled of how the Vistas can continually change blah blah blah....

I look at myself as being a semi retired Air Force/Government geek with a hobby that pays well.

So why am I looking to by an RV. You would think I would have had enough of the road but no.....

Here is the issue though...I am certain there are many pro's and con's to the purchase of a unit but I have no idea where to start. We used to do a CBA, Cost Benefit Analysis to determine if a venture or project would be cost effective and give the desired result.

This applies to all things in life but not sure where to start....so if there are any readers that have some thoughts comment away.

Last week was decent but I felt behind the eight ball for much of it. Our yard is located on River Road which is accessible from the North and South. My wife took me to the truck at about 1500 and as luck would have it the road was closed in both directions so back home I went for about 3 hours....finally got to the yard, got the beast and off to the client I went. All in all I started my run a total of 5 hours late which in itself is not terrible but the kicker is that I had not slept during the day....stupid.

Anyway the run that I am on does not leave much time to adjust through the week so that late start haunted me throughout the week.....wha....

Very few animal sightings this week...I suppose as the summer progresses the animals stay on higher ground. Probably cooler. Well that my theory anyway.

I did see a black bear walking on an access road by the Coquihalla near some campers. What makes people want to be so close to bears is beyond me. I will take the RV :)

Encountered a number of slow moving tourists this week....it seems as the weeks move on the tourists get stupider if that is a word. They have a tendency to blow by me as I climb some serious grades pulling 56,000 lbs of Chicken McNuggets and then as I come down the other side they slow to 80 K or so.....They don't realize that I am slow on the up hill but can go like a SOB on the down side. Damn RV ers....can't wait to get one and piss of the truckers hee hee.

So I am home for a couple of days then off again Tuesday....just two runs then home again....gotta love this run. Off I go to research RV's

Later.

Update

2009-07-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

Although it may appear that I have stopped blogging, the fact is that I find I am not that interesting of a read.

I am feeling like a bad Catholic that has not been to confession in some time. So here goes.

Bless me readers as it has been 3 months since my last blog entry. During that time I have......

-started a dedicated run between Richmond BC and Calgary AB, and on occasion Red Deer, AB. Although it is not glamorous it serves my family and I well. I run twice weekly and alternate between a Monday Wednesday run and a Tuesday Thursday run.

I think what I like best is that it is predictable and allows me to have a two day weekend one week and a four day weekend the next. I run about 2500 miles per week and work four days a week to get it. Sounds like a cake walk but you max out your hours pretty quick as each load eastbound has 2-3 drops per load.

I have to say that HR has treated my family and I very well in that when I need to alter my running pattern they did their best to accommodate. Of course this may not always the run I am on but for now I will enjoy it and stick to the Rockies.

The Rockies always throws you a new view each trip whether it is wildlife or moon phase or lighting and valley mist you are never bored. In fact I think it really allows you to focus on just how awesome Mother Nature is and how lucky we are to be able to enjoy it.

Just last trip eastbound I was able to see two huge elk with racks 3-4 feet across easily and a rare sighting of two grizzly bears in Banff. It was if they were posing for photos. On the way back west more bear and deer.

As usual there is the usual suspects at Golden and the sheep hang out on the roadside. Another sight to see is the mountain goats, all white and long hair....only at night so far so pics where not possible. I like them and the elk because they are not skittish like the deer. Deer will bolt out without warning whereas the others could care less about you and your truck.

All this gets old to the reader I had assumed but I had a great surprise two weeks ago. A reader had asked if this was the Al Urquhart that truly understood what MCSE stood for. And I of course said Must Consult Someone Else. It was his way of confirming my identity and getting me to think whom I was talking with.

As it turns out after many email exchanges it was a former student from Iceland who had commented he had seen the blog and figured I was doing alright.....that got me thinking I should update as there are people actually reading this dribble.

I saw a comment today that asked....did you stop blogging? So here I sit blogging.....not the most interesting but whatever. I had originally started this so people could see the transition from a project manager stressed beyond belief back to a trucker. I guess the transition never really ends.....

Next week I will try and provide some interesting photos from my adventure....yes it is still and adventure.

Later

Howdy

2009-04-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a month since my last post and I must say I am finally hitting my groove with the new job and couldn't be happier.

I run pretty well all Vancouver-Calgary twice a week and so far so good. I just wish the snow would stop in the Rockies.

I am starting to make some friends on the road that I run with and that is a huge help.

So as I go into the summer I will try and post some pics of my travels

Later

Feb 28, 2009, some changes afoot.

2009-03-02T15:21:00.001-08:00

Had a great week, ten days and ran close to 5800 miles.. Three Delta-Calgary's, San Bernadino, LA, Malibu/Santa Barbara back to Cal then off to Delta. It has taken it's toll however and I have made some changes in my working arrangement with HR. Again, they continue to see that I am taken care of.

Beginning next week I will take on a London Drugs run that bounces between Calgary and Vancouver twice a week. This will net me about 10,000 miles per month and have me home 2-3 days per week. ( only if all falls into place. ) This will be good for the family for sure and puts me home in the summer.

So all in all it seems like it will be pretty decent. All this said, my blog will become quite boring unless I come across some interesting tidbits along the way.

Take it easy,

Later

February 12

2009-02-11T06:52:00.000-08:00

Well I am in the middle of my trip and had some time on my hands so thought I would post.

This is actually one of my longer trips out with HR and really not by choice. I still like to reset back home in White Rock every 8 days but was too late booking it off. No biggy I will be home Sat or Sun then off for a couple of days.

I started my blog for my friends and family to have some understanding of what I was up too and to see some of the road through my eyes. I have been becoming concerned that as I read other blogs that some are misconstrued as slamming HR or the industry in general. I at times complain about wait times etc but some are my own doing.

My message is plain and simple: If you do not like where you are employed, move on, life is too short to be miserable.

I have chosen HR and really can't say much bad about them. I have day to day issues but who doesn't (refer to my plain message).

So, enough said. Here I sit and wait for my load in Schuyler Nebraska. This wait is probably more my fault than anyone else. I am not a good tourist and being from this side of the pond one corn field looks just like the other one.

When I have miles to run I bust my ass to get there, even if it is early. This week I pay the price as I am early for my reload. This is my MO in this industry and perhaps I need to relax but I probably won't.

My load is ready but the vets need to sign off that the poor bovine died with dignity. Gross but whatever. Then it is across NE, WY, MT, WA up to Delta.

Well will post more later.

Blog still not quite right.

2009-02-02T10:59:00.000-08:00

I still am having a tough time with the Blog. If you wish try using FireFox.

Al

Jan 26, pleeeeaaasssee no more mountains.....or snow.

2009-01-31T14:53:00.001-08:00

Well good week, no real news. I spent it bouncing back and forth from Vancouver to Calgary, Edmonton and back to the tune of 4 time through the mountains in four days. Mountain vistas can be equally therapeutic, awe inspiring while scaring the crap out of you within seconds of having a zen moment.

I had one of those weeks. I chose to stay close to home this week and was not able to run south. Hence, spent the week in the hills. Almost jackknifed twice (rookie) you see these trucks have so much power that when you are running light you need to be careful how much throttle you apply. The back end with little weight can break traction fairly easily. Saw a herd of big horn sheep in a parking lot (cool) and ran down hills that had me biting the nails off me little sausage fingers.

I survived but after only 2400 miles chose to shut it down and put the truck in for repair. Needs windshield, tires etc. Anyway boring post but that is the week that was.

Later

January 19th, decent week.

2009-01-25T13:47:00.000-08:00

This was by far the best week I have had back on the road.

Primarily because I ran direct south out of Vancouver to Tracy, California. ( about 60 miles outside San Fransisco. I got off loaded on time and without having to sit around for ever was directed to head towards LA.

On the way I was told to head to Port Hueneme. This is located between Malibu and Santa Barbara CA south of Oxnard CA. The drive there is out standing on the Ventura Highway, apricots out and oranges on trees.

I jokingly put on my blog that it was 21 when I loaded but a cool 21. The weather gods got me back though. I left the port at dinner time Wednesday and by the time I had hit Idaho Falls, ID it was full on snow and friggen cold...who was laughing now.

By the time I hit Calgary on Friday evening it was -25, yuk. That is ok it was not snowing. Then i was off to Vancouver Saturday noon and home by midnight. All in all it was decent weather wise, load wise and the fact there was no waiting anywhere....well except Calgary.

Not exciting to most but a good week on the road is not something that happens every week. 6 days out 3200 miles logged.

Later.

Crazy week, things happen for a reason?

2009-01-16T13:17:00.000-08:00

Well what started out to be a decent week came to a grinding halt before I got out of Vancouver. Damn weather. My normal route to Calgary was closed due to avalanches and all other viable options were closed for the same reason. So I got to stay 36 hours at a truck stop in Kamloops…..whooooo hooooo.

Made Calgary and was pretty slow getting out of there to pick up my new load to Cali. I waited 6 hours for them to find me an empty trailer to bring to the customer and when I arrived my load was not legal to bring to California due to weight. So another wait until they shifted the load around.

Ok so finally on my way and drove like a idiot to Sacramento for drop 1 then Tracy for drop 2 and finally Oakland Navy docks for drop 3. That is where the shit hit the fan and my week took a turn.

While backing in I rubbed another truck mirror….so lightly I didn’t even wake the driver up. So not prob, pride hurt, minor damage and I apologize like a good little Canadian and exchange my info.

When this driver left he all but took my front right fender off while he turned. Here is the kicker….he kept going…in fact he may not of even know he had hit me. So lesson learned…trust no one. What is cool is I took damage pics with my new phone…..haha got him.

I have just learned that I am inept at using my new phone and have no pics. Oh well. All week I kept telling myself that all things happen for a reason. My wife had me convinced of that.

I have learned that you never trust anyone to be as stand up as you, never attempt to use fine motor skills when in a hurry and fatigued and that things don’t happen for a reason….they happen to piss you off.

Would post pics this week but………… shut up.

Later

Beware of the MSN messenger malware spamming

2009-01-06T11:00:00.000-08:00

This is just a heads up that I have been infected or exposed to this malware via messenger.

Here is the scoop. A couple of nights ago one of my msn contacts sent me a link referencing some new years pics. Seemed innocent enough. The link took me to a page and asked me to log in using my msn credentials. I did and the second I hit enter msn showed my contact offline.

Too late as my credentials had been scooped and my account was used to spam others. So beware....and btw, I almost never send unsolicited links.

Later

My Blog is broken.......aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh

2008-12-31T17:59:00.000-08:00

will recover as soon as possible, for some reason have lost all in IE.

But while I am at it, it has been a pretty good holiday season. I was able to book off Christmas for a week and have been able to do a couple of short runs and make it home for my 25th wedding anniversary.

I know no one at HR reads this but I need to thank my dispatcher for helping with this. It is a love hate relationship we have and he really came through for me. Here's to Andy.

Happy New Year.

Later

OK later is here. Christmas week was a very chaotic week in that there was no real structure to it.

I ran only 1800 miles and crossed the Rockies 5 times.....yes they are majestic but come on.....i grew up in Ontario and have never seen snow like I have seen this Christmas. The snow was blowing so much the it would disorient you. Crazy stuff.

Anyway home for a few days and looking forward to getting south next week.

Ta Ta for now

Nothing much exciting this week

2008-12-07T16:43:00.000-08:00

It was a fairly quiet week this week....

It was good....did 33oo miles in 7 days.....for some would be slack for me is plenty.

Will write more in the AM...now.....bagged.

Later

2008-11-23T12:56:00.000-08:00

Week 5 Random thoughts from the road.
Saturday;

Well this week i learn a huge amount.

First off i have learned that each state has their very own pressure point.

For example, some states you are asked to be aware of poachers, others you are asked to be aware of litterers and some asked to watch for wild fires while others focus on impaired and in each case you are encouraged to dial * something or # something from your cell phone. What i find amazing is that you can be a drunk poacher throwing beer cans and cigs out the window but if you are shooting out of your vehicle you are in trouble in Nevada. That is right all is fair but dont get caught shooting out of your vehicle.

Seriously though I am having a decent week. I am delivering in Tracy CA on Monday and the fact I am here Saturday allows me to reset my hours, run my ass off next week and be home for end of Nov. While I am at it I need to give a thanks to Holiday Inn Express...not like they read my blog but they are deserving.

As some of you know I am extremely cheap and feel in keeping green, rather than buying internet connectivity choose to piggy back on someone else's. Well I could not find any with the iPhone so i figured i would walk the streets of Tracy with my laptop, skulking around all of the hotels to see if I could sniff out a signal.

I was chased of the Motel6 property, seriously, a short little Hispanic dude chased me off the property. Dejected I spotted a Holiday Inn Express a block away. I went and stood in the shadows but was uncomfortable being eyed by the patrons. I went in and explained that I just want to check my email and the truck stop across the way had no connectivity, etc and they were happy to oblige. Yay for Holiday Inn.

Although the week is ok i am sitting watching the news and it is unsettling. I guess the thing that bothers me is that 2 dead in Sacramento, and up the road a couple of miles 5 dead after a shooter has his way in Stockton and he is still at large....perhaps a Nevada resident....joking aside.........this is sad and this lot I am parked in is not very comforting.

Oh yeah 45 years ago I was having a tooth puilled and my brother slammed the car door on my thumb......bastard. That comment is in ref to where I was when Kennedy got shot....

Well, the week is young, plenty of time to write more.

Sunday;

Thank goodness for NFL on Sunday, i will clean the truck and watch football till I drop.

Last night Lot Lizards abound. Small lot holds about 40 trucks and many lot lizards. Again I feel bad for these kids, yeah kids. Late teens at best wired on what ever they could get hold of. Don't worry I am not adopting them I just a sap.

Ok truck cleaning begins....now. So i got side tracked and chose not to clean the truck and went for a walk instead. 16 degrees C and sunshine today. The truck can wait.

Thursday;

I made it back to White Rock on Thursday afternoon. I keeping with the "I learn" theme the one lesson I learned is that it does not pay you to reset on the road unless you plan on running for weeks. I busted my ass to get to Tracy, CA. sat for 34 hours to reset in the hope of running hard this week.

Well I did reset however I waited most of Monday to be dispatched to LA then waited most of Tuesday to get loaded. I wanted to be home this weekend and I suppose I got what I wanted.

Anyway, no more reseting on the road unless I am hooked to a load.

Nothing exciting happened on the way, 77 degrees in LA when I left, 40 degrees in White Rock when I arrived.

Later

Week 4, ice and fog and wind, oh my!!!

2008-11-17T12:53:00.000-08:00

Well week 4 started out to be a week from hell but it all turned out pretty well.

I didn't get dispatched until 2 PM Monday which sucks as your day is half done by that time. No matter I needed to get to Calgary as quick as possible to catch my load south.

My first hint of a crappy week was falling out of my truck again. Yes....shut up. I was putting my gear in the passenger side and missed the handle to get down....so down I went and racked my ribs on the fuel tank steps of the unit beside me.

My next hint was that at my first scale it was determined by the DOT that I had a flat on my drives....great....I just did a pre trip...whatev, lost 2 hours getting that fixed.

I have always been able to drive in what ever conditions I have been presented with but I was truly challenged this week. Between Delta and Calgary the conditions were poor at best. The slush and black ice coupled with the fog so thick it left you disoriented was quite a challenge. The fog made you want to stop and reach out to see if you could actually touch something.

Anyway made it to Calgary, hook my load for Lethbridge then off to Denver. Pretty uneventful. Until I left Denver enroute to Salt Lake City. The cross winds were so strong I almost went over. Being high profile and empty made it a bit hazardous. If fact there were three semi that went over on there sides.

I guess I can drive in what ever but the wind....you cannot protect yourself against when empty.

So the rest of the week was not bad, grabbed a load in Salt Lake, drove past a potato museum in Idaho, who would have thought, and ran up to Calgary. Dropped my trailer, grabbed a Delta load and home I went.

All in all pretty productive. 7 days out 3700 miles completed.

Will try and get some pics up today.

Later

Week 3, is it getting better or am I going Mad.

2008-11-07T19:36:00.000-08:00

What started off to be a decent week took a bit of a turn around Wednesday night. I have been gone about a week and getting close to running out of US hours of service to run. Well, I thought, no issue, I am on my way to Calgary and then home to White Rock...I will just run Canadian cycle which would allow me a bucket of hours to work with.

This is not the case at all, in fact I had to shut down in Swift Current, Sask. to gain some hours back. That really sucks and if you have been to here you would understand.

Otherwise the week was decent, left last Wednesday and headed to Calgary, then to South Sioux City, NE and sat for a short time. From there off to Darien Wisconsin and loaded for Calgary. Well, until I hit Swift Current that is.

I was spoiled with the weather in the Heartland as every day was about 60 to 70 degrees. Again that all came crashing down once I hit Canada and the 30 degrees of Swift Current.

WHile away and driving have have a great deal of time to think, stew, muse.....what ev. I do go through all of those processes but spend most days thinking about where I came from, why I am here now and whether this was as great an idea of mine. I mean i had a cushy government job that I could have rode to retirement, been home every night, weekends hanging in White Rock.

Sorry, slipped in to stew mode for a second....

I am learning you cannot look back only forward, what is behind you not important, who you have left behind and the good memories are of massive importance. So I try and keep perspective and stay out of stew mode.

Musings range from, why are deer always wanting to run at my truck and scare me and why do I eat cows but feel bad for them. In the midwest there are deer all over the place...of course as you grow tired they seem to target you...buggers. As for the cows....I have always been a meat eater...now though I haul beef from those places that the cows walk into but not out of....so yeah I eat them but believe me they have no fun.

When it comes to dispatchers I mostly stew....I have a tendency to blame them for my lack of experience. In fact being stuck in Swift Current I lay at their feet. Wrongfully, as it is my own fault I ran out of hours...not theirs. I think i need to just chill and think each day through properly and take more accountability for me. Makes sense.

I will try and post some pics this week however the Heartland is not that picturesque. I did travel through some historic areas and hopefully once I get more settled I can see some. They include the Tetons, Rushmore, Wounded Knee and alike.

Later.

And they're off!!!

2008-10-19T18:51:00.000-07:00

Well sadly I have not been able to keep this blog up to date and although the map has not changed i have actually done some work.

After leaving Lethbridge on a trip from hell....in my mind anyhooo. I was off to LA for a couple of days in the sun playing with traffic. Just like i remembered it.....20% boredom, 20% sheer anxiety and 60% in the zone.....loving it.

I am amazed how life has changed on the road with the use of GPS, Microsoft Maps etc.....this is almost Al proof.

Signing off for now but will try and post some pics later this week.

Later

Well then, where to begin.

2008-10-07T19:52:00.001-07:00

Today was a pretty action packed day in Lethbridge.

It all started Monday in White rock with a bit of a wake up call from my recruiter. I suppose he is a bit GPS challenged and arrived to pick me up about 45 minutes early. It actually paid off as he got lost picking up the last fellow in Abbottsford. So after a 14 hour or so scenic tour across #3 HWY to Lethbridge it was an early night for the old guy.

Met some pretty cool folks at orientation Tuesday and had no idea how many Europeans are making Canada their new home. Many have been driving for years in the UK, and all over Europe and the Middle East. Some as team drivers with their spouses and some single. All in all it was pretty cool to start getting to know these guys.

As for orientation, well, Actually it was a lot of information to take in. Then at the end of the day I did my road test. No pressure of course although I have already left my other job. Got to do it in a FL Cascadia which was a pretty decent truck. I can learn to love the automatic transmission me thinks.

First thing I learned is that Freightliner grab handles are in the inside of the vehicle not the outside like I am used to. Needless to say my first exit from the truck was less than pretty as I landed in the dirt and trying to keep my composure immediately snapped to attention like nothing had happened. Nice way to start the test.

All in all Day on was great.....had mind numbing info sessions and a decent road test.

Later

Wow that was a tough day!!!!

2008-10-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

You know, no matter how unhappy or unfulfilled you feel you are there are things you need to look at to put it all in perspective.

Look around you .....for the most part life can suck but there are so many that are so worse off than we. I have been unhappy for a while now, but you know what I was well employed; many are not. I was unhappy with some of my colleagues but you know what I had some wicked colleagues; others never get to experience that.

I have been preaching that you need to find your zen, your happy spot, your spot that blows your hair back for a number of weeks to the staff at CTC. I have found that spot and I am so massively fortunate to be able to have done that....many cannot find that spot and are never happy and therefore stuck.

So my rants sum up as follows: Keep life in perspective and find your zen spot. It is not easy ...it took me 50 years. Rant done.

Later

Tributes to Rick Wright of Pink Floyd

2008-09-18T22:17:00.000-07:00

I am fan of Pink Floyd and have been for many years. Over those years we have all witnessed the their trials, tribulation and conflict.

When Rick Wright died I was saddened and oddly equally curious as to what happened, what tributes would be written and how he would be remembered.

Of course the David Gilmour site poured tribute after touching tribute and no doubt deserving as he and Gilmour were very close.

Being inquisitive I thought I would take a look at the Waters' site just to see if he had the decency to put up a tribute. I was touched by what a class gesture he had made.

Check out the site http://www.roger-waters.com/

Later

Come on October 7th

2008-09-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

Well, feel like I got some traction in a number of ways the last couple of days.

Firstly my Blog is what it is....I managed to get the whale background to work, got my map imported, hacked the font a bit......mmmmm.....geeky stuff.

Secondly, I rocked the road test today for an undisclosed company. After being off the road for a couple of years I was afraid I would be rusty. I did miss a couple of items on the precheck and a couple on the air test but all in all it felt great.

Also was able to hook up with Lyndon. It was good to put an msn chat to a name :)

I told the tester that pass or fail I was having a blast.

Now it is time to get out of dodge and get on the road.

Later

Blog Set up

2008-09-07T22:10:00.000-07:00

Sheesh, I figured I would have had an easy time setting up my blog. I have a crap load to learn.

I have been trying to add a map so my family can see where I go from day to day. That was a bear.

Starting to take some shape now.

Well i think we are almost ready for prime time. I need to thank (althought he doesn't know it) Lyndon001 at H and R. I didn't steal his code but did get some ideas from his site.

Well coffee with H and R tonight. Updates to follow.

Al

Countdown to New Life

2008-09-05T20:41:00.000-07:00

Well, have made up my mind. My family helped. Going to take the plunge back into trucking.

I will continue this blog from time to time as a diary of sorts. You can follow my adventures as I go where most people don't care.

Hoping to start and H and R out of Lethbridge AB on October 7th 2008.

Stay tuned.

Al