Wow, it has been a long time since I felt like writing in this blog.  No so much that I have not been have great experiences but more because in my view they are not as interesting as adventure.

I miss the adventure of the road days but need to put it behind me as you cannot live in the past.  What I am doing is very exciting, scary, frustrating and rewarding. 

I get less sleep than when I was driving, many more headaches, quite a few pounds and nearly three times the money.  So I had better find happy because life is very short and circumstance can change in a blink.

Next year I need to be a better man on a number of fronts.  I will keep writing and go on and on about lessons I learn along the way.  So stay tuned, this may be good nap time reading.

Lesson 1: no more self effacing humor.

Later.

My two loves, the ocean and the wife.

Where's Al Now?

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.....

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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:

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

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......

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