Heres another trip from out here in Canada if anyones interested Leave the yard on Sunday 11th Oct loaded with snowmobiles, quad bikes and grave stones for 4 drops over in Alberta on Tuesday.  Its a nice easy run over that way but a little boring through Saskatchewan, still onward i plod and get over to my 1st drop and park up ready for the next morning.  I find theres been a nice covering of snow over night so should make the morning rush hour in Calgary good fun
First drop was off in no time then it was off to find the grave yard to get shut of the head stones
In and out of there in no time again looks like the days going my way for a change
The next 2 drops both done in no time and sees me empty in Red Dear Alberta by 1pm now its wait for reload time, which comes quite quick, the bad news is it cant load untill the next morning and its only up in Edmonton and only going down to Calgary so it sees me parked with the big trucks nice and early, you just cant hide the green machine anywhere  Get loaded with a few concrete sections and get myself down to Calgary 10 mins and i am empty, and i already have my next job lined up  This bloke was havin a right old time of it trying to back this thing into the shed blind side up hill on ice after a while he let me pass but looked a bit stressed, there was a third door which was open were he was trying to get to but not with much luck, dont fancy one of them myself
Just around the corner to CP Rail and collect 2 empty 20ft boxes bound for Moose Jaw, now this shouldnt take too long as i watched the hse video last week in the Winnipeg terminal, WRONG i get sent back off site to park up then go and watch the video again then go and get a new gate pass for there terminal when i get to the gate to go back in i get asked by the bloke why i didnt use my Winnipeg gate pass to get in so i just explained how it was all my fault for using the the entry lane that had a woman in charge and he agreed with me , so after wasting over 1 ½ hrs just trying to get in the place i finally get the boxes on and make my way to Swift Current for the night
Get the boxes off 1st thing and run to Regina for 3 drops Weyburn, Cartwright and Pilot Mound
another quick load and i get the first 2 drops off and head over to the 3rd for first thing Friday morning
Could do with a wash
Once empty its over to Pembia to cross into the states and nip to Roseau MN for a load of sleds & atvs for back to our yard, soon be home but i am back out tomorrow heading over to Quebec, not been that way before so should make for a nice trip, home is up there somewhere  Leave the yard just after midday Saturday for my first drop in Amos QC for 8am Monday, theres 3 of us all heading over that way so we make our way to Nipagon ON for the first night  Its nearly all single carrageway through Ontario, we came across this chap not looking to pleased with himself at the side of the road  A quick stop in Dryden and here we find another green machine having no luck blending in with the other trucks in the line up  Had a nice run through Ontario with some nice scenery along the way   Get my first 2 drops off Amos & St Lin on the Monday and then head into Montreal for the night and tip first thing Tuesday morning, then over to Valcourt just east of Montreal for a load of snowmobiles bound for Prince Albert in Saskatchwen for Monday 26th, when i get over there i am told to park up as they wont load untill the morning, one of the other lads i ran across with on sat & sun turns up to be told the same, so its a lazy afternoon around the town which took all of 5 mins
On the loading dock first thing and its not long before were on our way and heading for home   Montreal  Quick stop at the golden M and then on upto Cochrane ON for the night  Get up and find theyve had a couple of inches in the night
It soon clears and we have good weather all the way across to Dryden where i`ve had enough for one day so its off to bed and just run the last few hours into the yard on Friday morning
Home at last, well at least untill Sunday when ill carry on to Saskatchwen with this load for Monday delivery
All washed and ready for Sunday, Covered 5365 mile on this trip in 13 days and had 11 nights out, i enjoyed it hope you have too
Nice pics yet again you just like being smug to us wannabes dont you
Looks like you had fun, only thing I dont like is the ugly colour of your unit its disgusting I reckon I could put up with it though for a go at what you’re doing. Not ever likely now though
All the best pal.
You’re getting your miles in, that’s good. Good pics too, keep em coming, now that I’m on the reefers I miss all that standing out in the wind & rain trying to stop my tarps blowing away, your tales remind me of what I’m missing
What did you think of Quebec? I know a lot of people cant stand it but I quite like it, although Montreal in rush hour is mental. You always get decent miles from there, even a load back to yard is good, especially a load of sleds that don’t need tarping
Oh if you read this before you go to Prince Albert, go in the Ramada Hotel that’s on the main drag near your drop, there are some seriously short skirts in that place, nice little resturaunt too & you can park the truck on the waste ground by Tim Hortons
Just one more thing, when you park up with all the other ‘proper’ trucks you should nose in, not back in, someone may want to take a photo & the cess pool green truck will ruin it, mind you at least you got a Volvo & not one of those nasty KWs
Oh yes I did. I also liked the previous diary of yours very much and I’m hoping to see some more of your travels in future. I’m really liking the sceneries in your pictures.
The picture of the a-frame tipper trying to reverse uphill made me think that, as most (all?) lorries over there have double drive, are there any kind of mechanism available to “lift” rearmost drive axle even a bit from ground? Here in Finland it’s common especially with double drive loggers that airbag has been retrofitted to chassis and on slow speed you you can transfer some weight with it from second drive axle to first even thou both axles stay in contact with the ground. I’m just wondering if you have something similar available for retrofitting as I’m quite certain you’d got some benefits from it as I’d tend to think two empty 20’ box aren’t actually giving too much weight on the drive axles…
Oh yes I did. I also liked the previous diary of yours very much and I’m hoping to see some more of your travels in future. I’m really liking the sceneries in your pictures.
The picture of the a-frame tipper trying to reverse uphill made me think that, as most (all?) lorries over there have double drive, are there any kind of mechanism available to “lift” rearmost drive axle even a bit from ground? Here in Finland it’s common especially with double drive loggers that airbag has been retrofitted to chassis and on slow speed you you can transfer some weight with it from second drive axle to first even thou both axles stay in contact with the ground. I’m just wondering if you have something similar available for retrofitting as I’m quite certain you’d got some benefits from it as I’d tend to think two empty 20’ box aren’t actually giving too much weight on the drive axles…
Krybo looking at the way that wagon and drag driver had some left hand lock on with the trailer still trying to go over to the left instead of straight onto the bay I’d say it was’nt traction which was his problem?.
Oh yes I did. I also liked the previous diary of yours very much and I’m hoping to see some more of your travels in future. I’m really liking the sceneries in your pictures.
The picture of the a-frame tipper trying to reverse uphill made me think that, as most (all?) lorries over there have double drive, are there any kind of mechanism available to “lift” rearmost drive axle even a bit from ground? Here in Finland it’s common especially with double drive loggers that airbag has been retrofitted to chassis and on slow speed you you can transfer some weight with it from second drive axle to first even thou both axles stay in contact with the ground. I’m just wondering if you have something similar available for retrofitting as I’m quite certain you’d got some benefits from it as I’d tend to think two empty 20’ box aren’t actually giving too much weight on the drive axles…
Krybo looking at the way that wagon and drag driver had some left hand lock on with the trailer still trying to go over to the left instead of straight onto the bay I’d say it was’nt traction which was his problem?.
Yes, traction probably wasn’t problem in this case, but the picture just made me think about if they are using something like the system I described. For this particular outfit I’d blame bloody long drawbar between rigid and the trailer, and practically no overhang on the rigid for the reversing problems (of course it’s not drivers fault ).
Yeah the miles seem to be coming in, a bit messy some weeks but get them in the end,
I liked it over in Quebec Mark, Montreal was a hairy, ill have a look at the ramarda mate
Steve-o:
Allison Automatic? What are you a man or a mouse? just kidding. looks cool, loads of room
Pass me the cheese all you get at our place on longhaul is autos and there real crap the KWs have a little stick which is a little better to use in manual but the push button on the Volvo is a right pain when you have the arm rest dowm
cars auto too, dont know how id get on now with a real lorrie
Steve-o:
Allison Automatic? What are you a man or a mouse? just kidding. looks cool, loads of room
Pass me the cheese all you get at our place on longhaul is autos and there real crap the KWs have a little stick which is a little better to use in manual but the push button on the Volvo is a right pain when you have the arm rest dowm
cars auto too, dont know how id get on now with a real lorrie
Lol. It would be interesting if you could explain how you managed to get out there and set up. Did BF sponsor you? How did you manage to arrange living accomodation? When I was with First Bus they put up the Polish guys in a flat and charged them x amount per week. I like the look of the american volvo trucks and that is what I would like to have if I moved over there. Why when ever I watch a vid on YT of someone that’s moved over there, they always pull flats? Can’t you get easy lazy reefer work? Is it a case of you will take what you’re given as you’re the new guy?
Oh yes I did. I also liked the previous diary of yours very much and I’m hoping to see some more of your travels in future. I’m really liking the sceneries in your pictures.
The picture of the a-frame tipper trying to reverse uphill made me think that, as most (all?) lorries over there have double drive, are there any kind of mechanism available to “lift” rearmost drive axle even a bit from ground? Here in Finland it’s common especially with double drive loggers that airbag has been retrofitted to chassis and on slow speed you you can transfer some weight with it from second drive axle to first even thou both axles stay in contact with the ground. I’m just wondering if you have something similar available for retrofitting as I’m quite certain you’d got some benefits from it as I’d tend to think two empty 20’ box aren’t actually giving too much weight on the drive axles…
Krybo looking at the way that wagon and drag driver had some left hand lock on with the trailer still trying to go over to the left instead of straight onto the bay I’d say it was’nt traction which was his problem?.
Yes, traction probably wasn’t problem in this case, but the picture just made me think about if they are using something like the system I described. For this particular outfit I’d blame bloody long drawbar between rigid and the trailer, and practically no overhang on the rigid for the reversing problems (of course it’s not drivers fault ).
The ironic thing is Krybo I always preferred a short overhang as it makes the bar and trailer bogie swing less with small steering inputs?.I found it was just too sensitive with my lifting rear tag axle raised and therefore a bigger overhang with our shorter bars.But that one there looked like it needed some/plenty right hand lock before he’d got onto the bay to swing that bar over to the right a bit to steer the back of the trailer over to the right more?.But you’re right that bar seems a bit too much to me maybe they’ve got some reason for that over there but I’ve seen plenty of yank wagon and drags with bars and overhangs like we have here.
Steve-o:
Allison Automatic? What are you a man or a mouse? just kidding. looks cool, loads of room
Pass me the cheese all you get at our place on longhaul is autos and there real crap the KWs have a little stick which is a little better to use in manual but the push button on the Volvo is a right pain when you have the arm rest dowm
cars auto too, dont know how id get on now with a real lorrie
Lol. It would be interesting if you could explain how you managed to get out there and set up. Did BF sponsor you? How did you manage to arrange living accomodation? When I was with First Bus they put up the Polish guys in a flat and charged them x amount per week. I like the look of the american volvo trucks and that is what I would like to have if I moved over there. Why when ever I watch a vid on YT of someone that’s moved over there, they always pull flats? Can’t you get easy lazy reefer work? Is it a case of you will take what you’re given as you’re the new guy?
Steven
Those yanks and Canadians could do with some curtainsiders and tilts at least for the poor lot on general over there without boxes etc but at least they don’t seem to need to rope and sheet hopefully too often.But why anyone would want a slushbox when they could have a fuller is beyond me I drove enough autos in fire trucks to know that a fuller is the best thing since sliced bread.
Those auto boxes are basically a 13spd Fuller, which should be a good thing, all the Euro auto-shifts start off with a constant mesh gearbox, as the 13spd Fuller is one of the best, if not the best constant mesh gearbox there is you would assume that is was a good thing to drive, unfortunately the ones in the BFS trucks act like early EPS, lots of neutrals & beeping, they change when they feel like it & not always smoothly either, in this case a stick would be so much better, but that’s the way it’s done over here. The Volvo that Neal has got is a really nice drive, apart from that gearbox, just like an FH with a bigger cab & a bonnet sticking out at the front, so much better than the KWs they have, those things dont appear to have any suspension at all & they’re freezing cold in the winter, draughts everywhere, for some reason though the Canadians prefer the KWs to the Volvos, strange people
They do have curtainsiders over here, but as a lot of things are craned on or off they would need to be stripped right down, so a set of sheets (tarps) makes more sense, also at -50c a curtain will freeze solid & you wouldn’t be able to slide it very well, luckily, for me, my reefer doors dont have that problem
, so after wasting over 1 ½ hrs just trying to get in the place i finally get the boxes on and make my way to Swift Current for the night
I reckon I could put up with it though for a go at what you’re doing. Not ever likely now though 
