hence the helicopter instead of a car
Everywhere else had either the odd patch or none. Where we live its totally gone. Even the river is clear now. Down in the States, it was great to be able to walk around with no jacket on etc. I packed my shorts just in case, but didn’t bother with them this time round, even though while I was down in Missouri etc it was warm enough.
Well it has been crazy, busy this time round. Its always busy anyway, with no waiting around etc, but this time I needed a rocket powered truck. My first load was to Oxford, Pennsylvania, which had to be there the next day. Luckily I timed it right going through Manhattan, and New Jersey, so traffic didn’t slow me down. I got there the next morning as required. Got my reload from Hanover, PA after which I called at Aldi to get my lovely wife some British Chocolate and Haribo‘s. only place I know where to get them. Got to suck up some how. It’s the only Aldi I know that I can park my truck next to. I collect from Hanover regular, and Aldi is just round the corner, so if im loaded in the day, I try to call, time allowing. Then it was foot down to get to St Cesaire within receiving time the next day. When I got there, we had a couple of empty trailers in the yard, so they just got me to drop my trailer on a bay and hook to an empty. Normally that would have been great but this time, I had 10hrs to kill before my reload for Winnipeg would be ready at 1am. So I didn’t mind either way. I just took the empty and parked at my reload and waited. I had predicted I was going to Winnipeg AGAIN, because of the day I would be back in Canada near Montreal. That’s the day when single drivers take team loads out west with us having extra time over the weekend to get it there. At first dispatch asked me if I would take a Calgary load for delivery by midnight Sunday. I told them in so many words, they was nuts. That would have meant I had to drive for 13hrs a day at an average speed of 62mph for three days just to get it there on time. For two of the days, you are on back roads and you could not go that fast, as the speed limit on those is 56mph or less. As you go through many small towns. So legally it could not be done by a single driver. That’s one of the reasons I don’t like going out that way, is because of the slower speeds. I cant cover as many miles per hour so its like getting a pay cut with me been paid per mile. There are no four lane highways in northern Ontario just yet. Its all back road. They are building major highways up there, but they will take years to complete as there is over 1200 miles to cover between Ottawa and the Manitoba border, just to take the traffic off the back roads. So because I had pointed all this out, they gave me a Winnipeg load instead. Im the kind of person that when someone else is applying the pressure, it annoys me and I back off, because I don’t need someone telling me what I already know, but if im left to it, and provided its possible, I get the job done fast and efficiently. Because im that kind of person that likes to avoid pressure from others. Before I came to Canada, I owned my own company, and before that, when I did work for others, I worked in management, or worked up to management very quickly. That’s why I don’t mind doing this job, as its like been in middle management. You have others above you, but as long as you keep your department running smoothly, no one will bother you.
By the time the Winnipeg load was ready at 1am, I had had enough time off to allow me to drive up to 13hrs again, but if I can avoid driving at night, I will. Joe has said in the past, if its not really necessary to drive over night, not to do it. The Canadian roads are bad enough, never mind driving on them at night. They are pitch black, no street lighting, painted lines are a waist of space, as they have not mastered how to get the paint to reflect or stop rubbing out after five minutes yet. Plus there is a very good chance of getting some kind of wildlife as an hood ornament, as they roam the roads, and with it been dark you don’t see them till its too late. So with all that in mind, I went 15mins down the road, parked at the truck stop then set off in the morning. I had said to dispatch, because they was putting me through the pain of driving across Canada, I wanted a decent western US load from Winnipeg to make up for it. I was willing to stay out longer to do it too, but nope. I must be to fast for my own good because as im half way to Winnipeg, I get my reload. A rush load to East City, Missouri. 1049 miles away from Winnipeg. So from that point, accounting for the ten hours I had to have off each night. I only had two hours spare to get me there within receiving hours on the Monday, not including off loading time. Luckily I normally only stop for 15mins a day regardless of how many hours I drive, (plus my 10hrs or more at the end of the day of cause) so I managed to get there and be off loaded before the 2pm deadline. Despite the flooding in North Dakota for three miles of not been able to see the road if it was not for the road works bollards
Then it was off to Jefferson City, to reload leaving me no more hours to drive on once loaded, as I had already done nine hours to get me to East City then two to Jefferson City. So I stayed there over night. The following day I could only drive for three and half hours, because of all the above average hours I was having to do to get me to places on time, so that was a nice easy day. Then it was off back to Toronto the next day. From there it was back to Woodstock for my time off, covering in ten days and 47 minutes 5775 miles. (the truck records the time im in it )
Anyway its back on the road on Monday so till next time, Have a nice Dayyy
Ski Slops in northern New Brunswick still snowed over
Crossing the Border back in Canada.
Detroit on left, Windsor Ontario on right
No comments:
Post a Comment