Thursday, January 22, 2009

Empty in Utah.

This picture was taken last year in sasketchewan and is the result of running at high speed through slush in freezing temps. Pretty cool I think !




Hi all, well the reverse thingy didnt really work and to be honest I might of been better off going to Waterloo. Not only did I have to take the load to Delta I had to unload it and then the following day I loaded the trailer for the trip I have just completed which was to Farr West Utah. That was 15hrs work for a massive $60.
So, ran the 1000 or so miles, unloaded last night and sat waiting for a reload. Dont think the satellite is working as the messages I have sent asking for work or for a direction to run are getting through although I am of course receiving the standard fuel updates and suchlike. We constantly are informed not to call the office as the despatchers are very busy but the temptation is huge when you are just left in limbo, I could be sat here for god knows how long and although I dont have the busiest schedule in the world there is a 1001 things I would could be doing instead of waiting for a machine to bleep.
Tom has now got 10 days left before he flies home so its getting a bit tight to squeeze in a decent trip, I feel sorry for him that he has had to endure the monotony of the trips we have been on but thats life and he was aware of it before he came over. He has expressed an interest in becoming a permanent resident of Canada and I will need to look into it when I get time to start of my own application which will need to be sooner rather than later.
So, I have no idea where we will be heading next nor when that will be so I think its time to chill, get some food and give the Xbox a hammering.

Bye for now.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Reverse Psychology..

Breakfast for two

Tom's artistic picture,
Hi all.
I have an idea seeing that any ideas I have or plans I make get shot down in flames. Reverse Psychology is the answer...haha.
I ran flat out the other day in a bid to reset my hours and hopefully get a load south which would see myself and Tom right until he goes home. That was spoilt by a switch in Northern Ontario and now I have the return load on its has got worse. The trailer is bound for Delta BC and I am taking it which in itself I dont mind as its good miles but when Tom came over in Sept/Oct we had weeks of running across the Rockies so with all the waterloo's and British Columbia's its a bit boring for him.
So...I know I have some readers in the office, here goes........If possible I would like the following to happen.

1) Sit me in Delta for a few days then run me to calgary where you can sit me again.
2) Ask me to run a trailer to Lethbridge for somebody else to take south.
3) Send me back to High River to pick up a load for Waterloo Iowa.
4) Reload me for British Columbia.
5) Start the whole process from number 1.

Hopefully the reverse thing will work and none of the above will happen (fingers crossed)

Will let you know if its worked.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Calgary..Iowa..Darien...Calgary



Another trip is over. Delivered Waterloo Iowa..again, loaded out of Darien which is just across the Wisconsin Stateline with pepperoni and sausage pizza's. Made a big effort time wise to push on so I could get back to Calgary then reset before heading out on a trip with a different destination other than Waterloo as to be honest its getting a bit tedious and you know something is wrong when Tom can remember the directions how to get there.



Looks like I might have been stiffed as yesterday I was planned to take a trailer from Calgary and switch at Dryden Northern Ontario !!! Tom has been over now for over 6 weeks and in that time we have done 2 trips to Waterloo with the rest of the time running in Canada.
As always I really dont care where I am sent and as long as I can legally do the load then it wont be refused. I also have no limits as to how long I will stay away from base, all in all I am a planners dream so take advantage and give me some decent work !!



Waiting at Calgary as I write this and have heard nothing else regarding the switch, when the load comes through I will no doubt be expected to drop everything and get away with the trailer.
Will update as the trip progresses.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Back on the road...well the truck is at least.


Got piglet (my truck) back on sunday afternoon with a clean bill of health and she is good to go for another year. All the jobs had been done but I was suprised that a new set of steer tyres hadnt been fitted.
Informed despatch I was ready to go and was promptly told to take an empty trailer to Calgary which turned out to be a waste of time as after that there was nothing else. Have been preplanned to go to Waterloo Iowa....again, but that wont be ready until tomorrow morning so after sitting for 6hrs I was offered the opportunity to run trailers to High River which if I refuse means that no layover will be paid so after weighing up the pro's and con's I decided that I would just sit here in Calgary and play on the Xbox and internet. Running trailers wouldnt be so bad except for the fact its never straightforward in as there could be loads of empties in the yard but the one you want is never there, or its still loaded and then off course there is the stuff you do for free like washing it out and fuelling it which can easily take an hour.



So, Edmonton Mall.
I have the same feelings about this place as I did the Mall of America, although on paper they both dwarf the Metro Centre Gateshead they still dont feel as big.
Edmonton Mall has plenty of stuff in it to idle away a full day such as a huge waterworld, indoor rollercoasters, cinemas and sea lion shows plus an ice skating rink which is full NHL size.


The Mall will be added to the "Been there but dont feel the need to go back" list along with the Battle site of Little Big Horn and of course the Mall of America.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Safety inspection in Edmonton


Hope you have eaten !!

Hi all, Happy New Year to you all.

The trip north was ok and although we hit some bad weather it didnt slow us down too much. New Years Eve was spent in Regina Sasketchewan and at the stroke of midnight we saw one firework go off which didnt exactly bring the New Year in with a bang.

Arrived in Edmonton, dropped the trailer and watched a film before calling it a day.
Friday involved running the truck to Penske (lease company) who were going to have the MOT (inspect) done. Last time I had the truck serviced it was reccommended that I have a wheel alignment done so I ran the truck to Freightliner who carried this out and then round to a glass repair shop to have a new screen put in as a small crack I had was now huge due to the changes in temperature.

Left the truck there and booked a room as Penske estimated the truck wont be ready until tomorrow which is Sunday providing the inspect goes well.

So today is mine to do with as I like and I plan on taking Tom to the Edmonton Mall which according to its website is the biggest in the world. Its one of the places I have driven past loads of times but have never visited.