Merry Christmas every one

Hay guys. So im back from another busy couple of weeks. I finally got ride of Scott and palmed him off onto a mate of mine. I did enjoy training Scott, as he is a really nice guy and fun too, but at the end of the day, I do prefer to be on my own, so I completed his training and this time out, I was back on my own. I was due out on the Tuesday, but the truck did not get back till late that night, so it was midnight gone before I got to the truck, I was not impressed having to drag my kids out of bed on a very cold night just to take me back to the truck, which was still not ready to go, as the workshop only have half the staff at night, and they was over run. It was 3.30am before I was able to set off. The delivery had to be made by 7am the following morning, over 700 miles away, so I had to drive for a couple of hours till early in the morning, so I could do the rest of the miles that night to get to my delivery in Oxford, Pennsylvania on time. My reload was from Kimberton, PA which I took back to Toronto and dropped it in our yard. With it been Christmas, we had a lot more loads going out west, so my reload was going to Winnipeg. I was not looking forward to that either. My driving hours where still a lot over night as once you start at night, it takes days to slowly bring you more into day time driving, and with the route going across Northern Ontario, where it can be really bad weather wise at night, I was expecting to not have much fun. How I did it I don’t know, but I managed to avoid snow storms for both weeks, except a little flurry on the last night on my way home. There was snow everywhere I went, but the roads was clear.

I was either ahead of the storms, or on the roads after they had been cleared. I missed some real bad storms, that shut roads off and ever border crossings for days.

 It was really cold though. To give you an idea, one morning just before the sun came up, it was -34 degrees C, lovely.

The exhaust stacks show you how cold it was.

I made Winnipeg in really good time, then it was off to Harrisonville, Missouri, reloading in Lee Summit, Missouri, which was going back to Toronto. Because I was planned to go home on the Tuesday, it was limited to what loads I could do been so close to the weekend so after unloading I picked up my reload in the Toronto yard which was going Sherbrook, Quebec. Then I switched in Montreal for a load going to Moncton, New Brunswick, but I had to switch with an owner operator in St Leonard, New Brunswick. His load was going to Niagara Falls, but I just needed to drop it at our yard in Toronto. Then I switched for a load I needed to bring back to Woodstock, where I got back late Sunday night two days early than expected, only because I put some long hours in. So it was not much point me going out again, as I would not be able to go far, so home I came. Over 12 days I covered just under 6900 miles. I was expecting to be home till Boxing day, but they did ask if I would not mind doing just a trip to Nova Scotia and back or something like that. Which was suppose to be today, but I was in the dentist chair when they rang me so it maybe tomorrow now. I would not be in my own truck though as a team is in it till boxing day. Christmas day, is the only day of the year, when Joe lets any of his trucks stand not working, and because everyone wants the same time off and are going home before Christmas day, they will start and run out of spare drivers to keep the trucks running till Christmas Day, hence the reason they want me to take someone else’s truck for a day. So lets see what happens.

Anyway its time to wish all our friends, family, and followers a very Merry Christmas, and a great New Year, and I will be back soon to keep you up to date on what we have been up to.

What do you think to my new Computer Stand?

 I made it myself for less than $10 and it fastens to the passenger seat base to stop it moving.

To buy somthing in a truck stop to do the same job would cost $249

You would not know I had the truck washed a couple of days before.

Some nice old cars for sale

I was counting the carriages on the train on the left with two containers on each.

I gave up at 60

One big Snowman



Not Fun Driving in the Snow

Hay, still here, I have not fallen off the other side of the planet ..yet
. The only two places I thought I would get internet these passed couple of weeks, just would not give me a strong signal, and one of them I was really close to the building, so I could not understand it. I need to invest in a Wi-Fi booster.

Well I went out on the Saturday after having five days off. I should have had only three days as normal, but for some reason, the team that was in my truck was really slow, and did not get back till Saturday morning. By the time they had done loads to the truck in the shop, I did not leave till the evening again. This time all by myself. Scott was due to take his test on the Monday, so I expected to come back for him, but after my load to Virginia, my reload took me to Winnipeg. It was not fun over there with the bad weather. Im so glad I don’t live out that way. Our weather in the East is milder. I switched trailers in Winnipeg for an empty to reload an hour down the road. The back roads that is, where they where not clear and very icy. Having nothing in the trailer makes it hard work trying to stay on the road. Once loaded, it was going Chaska, Minnesota. From there my reload was two pickups in Minneapolis for Hartland, New Brunswick, which is only a few miles up the road from Woodstock. I had to cross back into Canada at the Sault Ste Marie, Ontario. I was not looking forward to that either. Its usually bad for snow there. I wanted to cross the border that night. It would have been about 1am, but by the time 11pm came around, I was in heavy snow and could not see the front of my truck, never mind the road. Lucky this back road I was on had rumble strips in the middle of the road, as well as on the shoulder, so I just drove on those so I knew where the road was. Luckily not long after, I came across a gas station that had room for me to park. So I stayed there hoping the following morning, things would be a little clearer. I was so glad I was not with Scott. Been on my own allowed me to park up for the night. Had Scott been with me, we would have been expected to move the first chance we got. that’s why I prefer to be on my own. If it gets bad, I can just park up till the morning. Teams are expected to carry on as they have loads with urgent deadlines. My mate driving team, told me, it took him 9hr to only cover 4hrs worth of driving, with the roads been really bad out west. that’s not good when your wage is based on the miles you drive and not the hours, so he was earning less than half his normal wage that day, not good. Its one of the things you have to accept, driving in North America, hold ups not only cost the company, it gives you a cut in your wages too. Anyway the following morning, although I could see with it been daylight. It was still snowing, with plenty on the ground. With it been my first time this winter parked in snow. I forgot when you open the door, you get a big lump of snow on the back of your head,  one way of waking up  You can see the snow now missing above the drivers door that hit me.

By the time I got to the border, the snow had stopped and the sun came out drying the roads, so it was foot down. There was about six diggers rushing around clearing the snow in the truck stop where I stopped for a shower. A bit over the top, but they was fast.

Once back in Woodstock on the Sunday after covering 4200 miles in seven and a bit days. I had to take Scott back out with me. Good job really as doing all those miles, left me short on driving hours. I was not please with Ayr as Scott had sat around all week waiting for me to get back after he finally passed his test. I expected him going out with someone else, with me been gone for a while. I was hoping  I said I would take him on his US training but only till I was due back at the end of the week. Then he would be teaming up with my mate, another British dude. We did a load to Niagara Falls, then switched trailers in Toronto for a load back to Woodstock, where we switched for a load going to Oxford, Pennsylvania. On the way down, I remember thinking, while bouncing around in bed trying to get to sleep, on the bad New Jersey roads, ‘im so glad its my last few days teaming trying to sleep in a moving truck‘. I used to have no problems with it last year, but not any longer. Its much better parked up at night. We reloaded down the road in Pitman, New Jersey, going to our yard in Montreal. Then picked up in Joliette, Quebec, which we took back to Woodstock, getting back Thursday afternoon. While I have been off, we went and picked our real Christmas tree and put it up,

along with the lights for the outside of the house, during which time the tree fell down

Emma was not happy, a few pine needles and water everywhere. I cracked the base last year getting the old tree out. Turned out its not so stable now  so its shopping for a new base today. Artificial trees are really expensive here. I could have a real tree every year for 15yrs for the same price as an artificial tree. I like real ones, but Emma doesn’t, so we will see what we get next year.

Its rained for days none stop here, and the UK has had all the snow. Nice exchange  but then it snowed over night so back to normal. Storm days are a pain when you are on the road. In Woodstock, we may only have ten to fifteen snow storms through the winter, but because I cover such a huge area, I can be in a lot more storms then Woodstock gets. The snow does stick around for four months though. In other places it can come and go. Nova Scotia gets snow one day, and rain the next.

I go back out on Tuesday for a couple of weeks, which should time it right for a few days off plus Christmas Day off too before going out again on Boxing Day. So till my next internet connection, have a good dayyyy

I want to get one of these for our drive. They fasten to Garage and cover drive.

That way Emma would not have to clear the drive each time it snowed

The temp was -15 Degrees C which is why the windshield is iced up

Poshest plow I have ever seen

Chicago

Their Tube system runs in the middle of the highway

Goods are mainly transported by road, so when there is a traffic jam, this is what you see

This is Brookston, Indiana. There is a couple hundred of these windmills

This winter we are all suited and booted

couple of pics I took when I was off last, of the St John River behind our house

I was stood on the bridge you cross to woodstock