Road Test day

Yeeeesssssssssssssssss I passssssssssed so happy I have passed both tests first time. I have had an eventful time since my last post, but I will tell you more about that next time. Not much driving though no fault of the company, just lack of a trainer. But turned out all well in the end I’m glad to say. Anyways I’m off out for a week with some of the time in the states as I need to learn that side now so I have me a US trainer driving proper team now and not me doing 90% of the driving. I will tell you about what I have been up to, these last couple of weeks and what I’m doing on this trip in my next post so till then, “have a nice day"

One example of how Canada is behind the times

Some Pictures of Fredericton City Centre

Some of the houses round Fredericton

Well due to my trainer Joe having to go home unexpected, I got the weekend off. As I still have not found a car I like and want, I pretty much stayed in the house all weekend. The weather was not good. Ayr was trying to get another trainer over from our Brampton yard to pick me up to go with him till my road test but he was going to be a few days so they asked me if I wanted to go with Mark again in the day cab. So as I needed the practice I said yes. I did two days, finishing early on the second day so that day I rented a car to drive down to Fredericton to have a look at some cars down there. Fredericton is the capital of New Brunswick. It is an hours drive from Woodstock. 65 miles of all highway. Its quicker to drive to the state of Maine, 10mins. Maybe next time. Anyway while down there I wanted to have a look around as at the same time as trying to find a car, I need to look where me and my family are going to settle. They are due to arrive in September so not got long now. Woodstock is a really nice place. It as all that you need on one long road, but Fredericton as it all and more, so we are undecided on where to live at the mo. As I will be going out for 2-3 weeks at a time, it will not matter if we live a long way from the yard as the trip home will only be once or twice a month. I was due to go down to Fred the following day but as I had possibly found a car I was interested in I rang for four insurance quotes at approx 11am now back in the UK, by the time they had asked you all the questions they would have a price for you…not here, all four took till at least 4pm to come back to me, and the first one that did get back to me was one I had chased one hour before. How bad is that! So another day sat in the house but this time I had still got the rental car that could have taken me around to have a good look around. I was not happy. Will know for future.

My First Highway Trip

Well they finally got me in an highway truck with my trainer Joe. A brand new International Prostar Fleet No.833. As soon as I could see what I was going to be driving I had got a smile from ear to ear.

Meet 833

That is my trainer Joe to give you an idea of the size of these trucks

When they designed the cup holders they thought of me. That is a 2Lt Bottle of pop. The little hole is for Joe's Coffee

Bottom Bunk

heater and air con control in corner

Top Bunk

To give you European drivers an idea of the size of these trucks, I got my measuring tape out. Now before I left the UK I measured the Merc’s I was driving and a typical European cab measured 2 meter by 2 meter. That was from the windscreen to the back of the bed. Over here they are called a Cab Over. After sitting in my truck I have now, I call the UK trucks Dinky Toys. The cab alone on this Prostar is 2 meter wide by 3 meter back by 2.6 meter high. The beds alone are a meter wide and when I’m stood up I can not see onto the top bunk. But I am only 5’7”. When I’m laid on the top I can just touch the roof.

The unit it's self is just under 30 Foot Long.
Fastened to the trailer gives a combined length of 75 ft
There is sooooo much space and storage, They are MASSIVE. And this is not a big one.

Anyway this is where we have been over the last 5 days. First we went to Oromucto New Brunswick to drop a trailer ready for the day cab. Then we bobtailed (solo) up to Fredericton New Brunswick to collect a trailer there, where some stock was been cross docked from one trailer onto ours. When we got there it was still not done. So we had to hang around for an hour. Then it was off to Stellarton Nova Scotia. I got us down there about four hours early, so had a good rest. After unloading Joe then took over driving and we went down to Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, it was my turn again to drive. And I took our new load back to Woodstock New Brunswick. When you normally get back to Woodstock. The trucks always have to have a service and check over. But we had only been gone 24hr so it was just a check over while me and Joe pop home for showers etc. We then collected a trailer going to Moncton New Brunswick where we dropped the trailer and collected an empty ready for the morning when we set off again up to a place called Rexton. Where we loaded and took it back to Woodstock NB.

When we got back to Woodstock we got a load going to our Brampton Depot in Toronto which is about 850 miles . If you drive as a team that can be done in thirteen and half hours. Now with me been training and having Joe as my trainer with me we are not quiet as a team as normal teams normally say do 8 hours driving while the other sleeps then you swap over. But while I’m driving, Joe has to sit with me as im only driving on a permit (“L” plates) Funny Laws here. Even though I am licensed to drive trucks, the Province of New Brunswick do not recognise this so I have to re-take a test. It is the same for a Canadian driver, if he moves to another Province, with the exception of one maybe two, he also has to re-take a test. Even though you drive through all the provinces all the time. Each Province of Canada and each State of the US, they all have there own laws, rules and reg’s. So thats why they do this. Anyway now I have explained that, where was I? Oh yes, ok so while I’m driving Joe sits with me then he drives till its time for sleep. We got into Toronto about 2pm the following day. The truck that was taking our trailer into the States was waiting. We hooked up to our return load and off we went. By the time I had parked up last night. I have covered over 800 miles and had drove for 13 hours solid, with the exception of two bathroom stops and the load change. I could have gone longer but I’m only allowed to drive for 13 hours in a 16 hour period then I have to take 10 hours off before I can set off again. (I will explain the rules another time) Driving one of these trucks for 13 hours is nothing. They are so comfortable with there captains chairs driving on nice long highways with hardly any traffic on. Totally stress free. Here you can drive 13 hours straight with no breaks. Back in the UK you had to stop after four and half hours and boy did I need to stop by then. With the hussle and bussle of UK traffic, uncomfortable trucks etc you needed that break but here you can drive for hours and not notice it.

Stress Free Driving

More stress free Driving

I think you get the picture by now

I think this guy was too shocked to see traffic. you may not see it but there is a car between those two (hope they was all ok)
this one had been on its side, must have been on the phone

833 in Our Brampton Yard

Most Traffic I have seen in Canada. This was Toronto

This is the Trans Canada Highway 2 in New Brunswick


So was this

We needed to get this truck back to the yard for the assigned driver to have his truck back as he had a few days off. We was supposed to be getting straight into another truck but that had to be changed as that truck needed to go into the States and I’m not allowed to go there till I pass my test. So they was going to sort another out for us. But then Joe had to change plans and go home so im now back at the house waiting to see when they can get me back into another truck.

Our total mileage for the 5 days was 4656km's

So till the next chapter, “Have a nice Dayyyyy”