Well a few of the guys out here in the Frozen north have posted a few good diarys so I thought I’d post a not as good one through the eyes of someone just starting out.
Before I start I’d just like to say a big thank you to fly sheet nianamh martyn p and a special one to the ginger prince but I’m not sure if he is a member on here I owe Him big time. Last but not least a very big thank you to newmercman and mrs newmercman for all your help and support along the way.
Day 1 Niverville Manitoba to York Nebraska
This is my second trip since starting in Canada the first was Texas and back and this one starts the same. I’m running down with Lewis another Brit who has been here a couple of months. I’m off to Tyler Texas and he is off to a place in Jacksonville just down the road. We arrive at the yard for 6.30 am planning to sort our stuff out check the trucks and leave the yard around 7 as we have a full 11 hour drive in front of us.
I pull up to see no sign of my truck. Go in to the workshop to see it sitting in there and no sign of paperwork. We hang around until about half 7 to be told it is having its new number plates and a check before we go so the only thing for it is to head to the cafe.
At 9.30 after a hearty breakfast we are good to go so its a quick hook up to my trailer and time to hit the road.
Paper work checked log book filled in and it’s time to roll and we leave the yard with my I pod pumping out the sound of the Kings of Leon’s Back down south.
It’s about an hour down to the USA border at Emerson and relatively painless entry in to the land of the free.
First stop is just across the border in to the Gastrack service station for a weigh scale check. We know we ain’t over our gross weight of 80.000lb but the USA are very strict on axle weights. We run across the scale and are both good to go so we grab a quick coffee to go and head south down the i29 through North Dakota. This road runs pretty much straight as a die through the praries of the USA and its pretty much on the limiter set at a little more liberal 108 KPH which is company rather than government policy.
We run for about six hours and stop at vermilion South Dakota at the Wallmart supermarket for some shopping. Seems strange to see arctics parked in a super market but most seem ok with it here as long as you park a bit out of the way. After a stretch of the legs and shopping stowed I fire the freightliner up Lewis fires the Peterblt up next stop is our target for the night the petro truck stop in York Nebraska. The route takes us off the interstate on to single and duel carriage ways but good pace is made as the speed limits are around 60 to 70 mph and at around 11.30 pm we arrive in the petro at York. By then I was nackered and literally pulled the curtains and went straight to bed after just shy of 700 miles.
Day 2 York Nebraska to Terrell Texas.
I wake at around 8 am and first port of call is a shower. Over here you get a loyalty card from the garages and every 50 gallons of fuel bought gets you a free shower which you get your own private bathroom with towels provided. We go for Breakfast we spy Skippy another Brit from our firm who is heading our way.
We have another big day as we want to get south of Dallas tonight but skippy is only going to Ardmore which is in Oklahoma a bit north of the Texas state line but its quickly agreed to run together as we will pass Ardmore that afternoon.
At half 9 we are good to go and after a fill of fuel it’s time to hit the road to the sound of Gill Scott-Herons hello Sunday hello road.
An Uneventful run through Nebraska we stop early afternoon just south of Ponca city Oklahoma for a spot of lunch. An all American lunch of giant burgers and fries may not be to healthy but it tastes good.
After our leisurely Lunch it’s back in the saddle for round two. After negotiating the busy Oklahoma City area we are soon at Ardmore where we bid skippy Do svidaniya as they say in Russia or laters as they say in good old London Town and he heads for the flying j truckstop.
We motor on to be met by the chaos that is the Dallas road system. Easiest way to describe the drivers here is like Italians without the style.and it’s rather fraught as I follow the tail lights of Lewis through the maze of over passes underpasses and whatever else at 60 mph with cars wizzing round you from all directions.
After a bit of blood pressure raising motoring the petro truckstop is in view and we call it a day with just over 600 miles covered. A quick shower and I’m self catering tonight with some pasta
Day 3 Terrell Texas to Ponca city Oklahoma
Day 3 begins at 6 am with the Monday blues in full swing. I’m not one for early starts and after a quick fill of motion lotion it’s on the road with The Steve Miller Bands take the money and run on the i pod.for an hour down to the deliverey points and we go our separate ways just outside Tyler.
I get to me delivery and I have to pich my self that I’m not in the uk as I’m greeted by signs warning high viz vests hard hats and safety glasses have to be worn which seems unheard of other than in areas where they might be a good idea like in roadworks and steelworks.
On the bay an my 18 skids (pallets) of Pete moss is unloaded while I sit in the truck in and paperwork done in about 20 minutes. A quick call to base reveals my reload is in Ponca city Oklahoma but it won’t be ready until tomorrow but am given there number and told give them a call on the off chance.
I give them a quick call no joy but told it will be ready at 7 am tomorrow and I can park on the dock tonight ready to load ASAP in the morning.
It’s about six hours up to Ponca so it’s an easy day for me. I stop at a Cracker Barrel restraunt for breakfast and let the Dallas rush die down. After overloading on sausages what passes for bacon and toast and baffling the waitress with not liking eggs I hit the road for Oklahoma.
As I’m in no rush I stop at the flying j at Ardmore for a shower and take advantage of the wifi to Skype a few people back in the UK. After an hour and a half there I hit the trail with a chas and dave album going full bore on the stereo. I arrive at the factory late afternoon told what bay to put it on shown where the toilets are and told to come and go as I please and they will get me done as soon as possible in the morning.
A combination of skypeing and chas and dave has left me a bit fed up and home sick and its a lonely night on my own with just my kindle and no mobile Internet.
Day 4 Ponca City Oklahoma to some one horse town where even the horse had left South Dakota.
I’m woken at 6 30 to the rumble of a forklift in the trailer so quickly get dressed and a banana and can of dr pepper is breakfast. By half seven I’m loaded and all the paperwork is ready and I hit the road around 8 am.
A call to the office to let them know I’m loaded informs me that rather than the usual scenario of us running trailers back to the yard to be tipped by Canada only drivers I’m off to Calgary with it. However they want me to head there through the longer route through South Dakota and head west in to Wyoming as I have no snow chains and they are a legal requirement In Colorado the more direct route.
A quick look in the map offers an alternative that seems to bypass Colorado but as the new boy I do as I’m told just to be on the safe side. After running back up to York where I stop for fuel and a shower it’s re tracing my steps to not far from where we left the i29 on the way down but head up to the I 90to head west. It’s a quiet run across here and a chat on the phone with newmercman then fly sheet pass the day nicely. Where I stop at a gas station with a big parking area for the night.
Day 5 the one horse town to Billings Montana
A quick call to the office confirms my border crossing has been confirmed for tomorrow and they ask where to send the conformation fax to. I arange to call them when I get to the flying j at rapid city about 100 miles west and il get there fax number and get it sent there.
An hour and half later I on the fuel pump at rapid city filing up. I get the fax number let the office know and head for a shower. Fax is there and it’s back to the grind with blurs under the west way playing on the I pod.
A route I spot on the map knocks around 90 miles off the sat navs suggested freeway route and despite it been single carriageway it’s 60 mph all the way other than through a few little towns.
As the miles roll on the landscape changes from the flat never ending praries to a more rugged landscape and you can see your in the west as the baseball cap is replaced by the Stetson.
As,you drive through the towns they seem a little more shabby and poor than where we have come from and the houses start to get more shabby and many ain’t much more than garden sheds.
Now it’s not poverty like some family of 10 in Africa in a tin hut living on a bowl of rice a day. Everyone has a pick up truck and satellite tv to start with but it’s not exactly the shiny America we see in the media in the UK.
As the rugged landscape of Wyoming and Montana rolls on I’m pulled in to a scale but I know I’m well under as my load of heating system components only weighs 12000lb. I take the stop as a chance to use the toilet and witness an American driver gaffer taping his tarps together. After seeing fly sheets superb sheeting ton Facebook earlier that morning It comes as a real eye opener.
A,quick chat with newmercman confirms my decision to go this way was the right one and he informs me with the time I’ve got to get to calgary to stop for the night at billings as parking is scarce after that and I may struggle with the hours I have left.
As darkness falls I’m in billings at the large town pump truckstop.
Now this has something that’s rather rare in the states a truckstop with a bar and after self catering in the freightliner with my home made microwave meals I wander in and a couple of buds while I read my excellent bill Bryson book hit the spot and certainly help me get to sleep
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Day 6 Billings Montana Calgary Alberta
Today is thanksgiving the big American holiday. A quick shower in the truckstop and I stop to buy a drink. The girl who serves asks if I’m missing my family with working thanksgiving. When I tell her we don’t have thanksgiving inmEngland she seems most shocked and says I thought everyone had thanksgiving.
As the morning wares on the bleak rugged landscape grows on me as it is breath taking and I’m glad I got to see it in daylight. Around 12 30 I’m on the I 15 which runs you up to the border with Alberta.
I top up fuel and pop In And have a lovey thanksgiving meal. Up to the border no problems there as I roll across with the clash playing police and thieves on the I pod. It’s a simple run up through lethbridge home of H&R up to Calgary and I park in the flying j less than half a mile from my delivery.
Quick shower and catch up on Skype and Facebook and its an early night.
Day 7 Calgary Alberta to Moose Jaw Saskatchewan
I’m ready to go at 7.30 and am at ny drop for 7.35. Speak to them get told what bay I need and I’m done in about 45 minutes.
A call to the office lets me know I’m off to innesfail which is between Calgary and Edmonton.
I head up there but it won’t be ready until 3 pm so I sit about snooze and read and its half 5 before I’m loaded. As I leave I’m in to the Calgary rush hour but want to make miles down the road. The mercury rapidly plummets as night falls and we are down to minus 10
I call it a night at moose jawtotally nackered.
Day 8 Moose Jaw to niverville.
Final day and as I start heading home the road through Sk
Is pretty slippy as I motor along and there are fair few cars and trucks in the ditch but as I hit the Manitoba line It improves .
Anyway back to the yard drop the trailer and that’s me a couple of days.
Next trip is heading east in to Amish country in Pennsylvania.
I
Your Truck cab looks so much wider than the Kenworth & Pete parked either side of you, looks like they have been on a diet… 
