Here`s a few pics from my travels in December, not really got that many miles in as I’ve spent a bit of time being ar$ed about with little jobs.
Loaded in Modena Wisconsin with rubber matting for cattle sheds bound for Brandon MB, Regina SK and Lethbridge AB.
Pete`s old style & new
Ran the load back up to the yard as after the week I’d had (750 mile) there was no way I was sitting for the weekend 3hrs from home in Brandon.
Parked in the yard with the nice looking KW`s 
Leave again on Sunday afternoon to be on the doorstep for Brandon Monday morning, winter starting on the way across the Trans Canada HWY1
Once empty in Lethbridge at a nice toasty temp for flat work I make my way up to Calgary AB to load pipes for Oklahoma
Took them over 5hrs to get the pipes loaded and all for me to run it around to the Calgary yard to drop it for someone else to have a nice easy drop, swap & run 
I then get myself another trailer and go to load for myself for the great run to Winnipeg MB with a load of cement 1st collection
then over to the other side of Calgary for 24 empty atv crates
By the time the cement is loaded and after the time it took to get the pipes on the atv pick up is closed 
but not to worry as dispatch tells me to collect them the next morning oh what joy that’s 2 nights in Calgary now and only 30 mile today not a happy bunny
So my Winnipeg booking has now been moved from 23.00hrs thurs to 21.00hrs fri.
Thursday morning atv crates on and we`re off , nice to get moving now after earning next to nothing since Tuesday.
Head out of Calgary and just before Strathmore AB a tyre blows on the trailer ,
so it’s on the phone to Kenworth assist and there response is just fantastic, as it only takes em 4hrs to get someone out to me 
So it now Thursday 4pm and I’ve covered 170 mile since 9am Tuesday so this has not been one of the best trips I’ve had , anyhow tyre changed and off to Winnipeg get it tipped a bit early and back into the yard and off home for 20.30hrs and after this week I’ll not be working this weekend after sitting about in the week thank you very much
Back in Monday morning and take a empty over to Brandon MB to switch for a pre loaded one that`ll need tarping which should be fun as its -24 in Brandon
Frozen Welsh Ninja after tarping
Finally get moving at 4.30pm after the customer didnt want the load until later in the week but they now have it sorted for Tuesday morning as first planned So it’s now off to New England North Dakota for 8am, meet the farmer and it’s off to his yard we go, soon get the sheets off (forgot to take pics with em on) and then wait while he works out just how hes going to lift the whole main part of a 39000 lb load off with his 2 ½ ton flt
So a quick call see`s two of his mates turn up to get the job done, but as I pull from under the load one of the diggers starts to tip,
so we now have most of the load sat on the ar$e end of my trailer this is now starting to turn into another one of them days
Still being farmers they`ll not be beaten so after another call digger 3 turns up
Now this stuff there lifting off is for making grain bins/silos,
now by the time the boys have wrapped that many chains around it and made a total mess of lifting it as I drive clear they go and drop it.
Now I’d just love to see what shape this silo turns out to be
Paperwork all sorted and I am off on my way after just over 5hrs of the farmer’s comedy show and heading for a reload from Grand Forks ND for Winnipeg on Wednesday morning
Never took any pics as after tarping in -25 at 5am the last thing on my mind is to go back outside with the camera but I’ll try and remember next time.
Once tipped in Winterpeg i get a job saying to drop my flat in the Winnipeg yard and pick up a van trailer 
, the excitement is soon short lived as it’s only going the 40 mile back to Steinbach yard 
Mixing it with the van boys at the Petro Pass on HWY1 dreaming of the day when I have a set of backdoors myself 
So drop the van wed afternoon and that’s me off until Monday as the truck needs to go into the shop for a fuel leak fixed
and I have an interview at US Customs Pembina on Friday for my fast card application and my folks are arriving on Sunday from the UK to spend Christmas out here.
Back in Monday morning and I have a big push on this morning with the long haul back to Winnipeg to tip a load someone couldn`t get off on Friday,
oh and as the shop had the truck since last Wednesday and its now Monday it still has a fuel leak .
Once empty in Winnipeg I get a job to run empty down to Thief River Falls in Minnesota to collect a load of snowmobiles for back to our yard,
nice and easy no tarping which is always a good thing
Tuesday and it’s a day on containers for me, empty down to Grandin North Dakota
I get the lovely little trailer on the bay 1st time always the case when there`s no one around bet I’d of made a right ar$e of it with a crowd
Only took 20 mins to get this lot on,
a full load of sunflower seeds bound for Rank Hovis in High Wycombe bet it takes more 20 mins to get em out again
Axles moved back and I am ready for the drive back up to CP Rail in Winnipeg to drop the box then its straight back to the yard for me as I’ve now had enough for this year with all the sitting and crap over the past few weeks so have put down for my next job to be the 4th Jan and well see how the year starts, hope it’s better
as I am after all out here for long haul and miles make money.
Oh and on the way home I get a sat message saying that they have concerns over the fuel economy of my truck,
now only being a thick driver I wonder if the fuel leak they can’t be ar$ed to fix would have anything to do with it
Happy New Year to you all and safe driving for 2010
