Now its been a busy 2 weeks fighting of the black fly,super sized horse flies,and mossies the size o wee birds…sprays,bounce sheets nothing worked apart from burning sage …not so hot when driving lol…just completed a 3 day camp move north to south 600km each way and I did a rounder each o them days (plus a south one in a diesel three quarter ton on day 4) 80kph south then jump in a halfton and back up asap ready to move next morning …one dot stop when passing dauphin but the minute he saw the “green buffalo” on the trailers we were waved on through…Now set up in a playing field an hr from home and no flying insects!!
Well what can I say about the pictures …the cheapest bid is not always the best, yeah we all make mistakes for sure ,but when you end up in a village 30mls from where you were supposed to be,try to do the impossible turn and keep going when it aint going to happen and refuse to phone your boss to get a wrecker.and to make it worse even when it turns to night and you are blocking the only exit/entrance to the wee village still refuse to phone for assistance…it took the rcmp to tear him a new **********and phone for a wrecker telling him if someone had ran into him in the dark it would not go well for him.( his chains were not even crossed and I am sure missing at least 2 on each machine) but he said he had done this work for 10yrs and ■■■■ happens no big deal…that’s when we left as main contract foreman was turning bright red with temper.
Thanks Jimbo. Did it start out as a tipper or a unit? Has he had it from new? Who does your maintenance?
My R-688 is an '89 with only 23,000 miles on the clock but looks no-where near as good as that.
a tipper as far as I know ,boss does everything from engine changes to bulbs ,mechanic comes in every winter and does safeties but jeff does everything else,we are not even allowed to change a bulb(due to screwdrivers in the past). he only runs Mack trucks since he started at 18yr old.
well home for the long weekend …weather has been strange so late starts and early finishes its to be at least 10c and less than 65% humidity and no chance o rain …so unlike uk paid only when working or waiting on site (side o the road) We just completed a camp move to Killarney mb …so big town living . It does seem like a bad idea to be in town because of all the bars and a liquor stores available to the ain contractors workers but its not our problem.,anyway something like 500km of chipping (seal coating) still to go and hope winter keeps away till its done .
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aye it was worse than it looks in the photo all the trailer wheels are in the ditch resting on a metal culvert…2 breakdown motors attended one lifted and the other pulled …then the unit needed jump started as he flattened the batteries… driver had been refused to load a week earlier as he didn’t have enough chains but this time they gave him the benefit o the doubt and this happened. ahh well they got what they paid for.
Looking at the cabs on the “end-dumps” serious TIGHT on the size!!!
Would a new one have a better sized cab (maybe even a bunk similar to some UK 8wheel tippers?) with a bit more internal room??!!!
I’m no twiggy by any means but more than enough room between my belly and the wheel the older Mack DMs were really tight but these CHs are ok for the job,if we need a snooze between loads there is enough room to stretch out door-door.All the end dumps have side box for storing tools/spares etc . lol a bunk nope prefer to park up at night and sleep in my camper.
camp move 8 o these plus MB highways wagons and supervisors pulling their campers. Kin pain in the arse to reverse due to no extension mirrors and camp boss wants them parked inch perfect … ahh well
Hi NMM.I must say i was impressed with it.It comfortable,does what you want it to do and its a bit less ‘‘OTT high tech’’ than the Volvo.What i mean is the Electrics are more streamlined,less complicated,less plastic piping to break.Its a bit more ‘‘rough and ready’’ which is what you need in the mine.The fifth axle is a steering\following axle which can be lifted when empty which works well.Mike.
Interesting, it was always said that a Volvo was a bit more rugged than a Scania, maybe their experience in the UK 8wheeler game has given them a nudge in the right direction.
For a long time Volvo has had a monopoly up here because it’s a bit ‘‘in the middle of nowhere’’ so they have become a Little arrogant and lethargic regarding ‘‘customer service’’.Scania had only a small workshop in Gällivare and the only other dealer was Merc.
In the last 3-4 years Scania has expanded and so has Merc and now a lot of co’s have started going over to Mercs and Scanias.Both Scanias and Mercs have given good service and most importantly,the back up is better than Volvo so they are taking a lot of business from Volvo.Because the co’s are mostly paid by the ton and there are no Controls as such everyone loads to the maximum.Therefore no-one wants to be waiting for service or spare parts as ‘‘down time’’ is lost Revenue.
The Scania in the pic which i drive on odd weekends now [i have got all my pension from UK,Holland and Sweden]works round the Clock so even though the mileage is not so high the truck is working at full capacity 24\7 and as the work is feeding a smelting plant you can’t afford lost time because you have to take a truck from other work.
Then and now same motor june 10—dec 15 now after fifth wheel gone (air lines etc all left behind cab) back on government seal coating crew started in waskada at USA border heading to The pas eventualy 600km point to point but near 2200km work to be done if weather agrees .with diversions to Easterville waboden lol …a real northern adventure this yr. have all got issued bear repelant just in case lol
yeah I have been given a head up about wabowden and the “strange locals” same as easterville ,well Its a good job but the abuse from some truckdrivers is awful don’t know how the "stop/go guys put up with it. with at least two who didn’t wouldn’t stop at the traffic control as they were too busy to "kin waste time " yeah they waited a lot longer when they were blocked in trying to pass the spreader and one o them passed the oil distributer when it was spraying ohh dear never mind the overspr ay.
…one dot stop when passing dauphin but the minute he saw the “green buffalo” on the trailers we were waved on through…Now set up in a playing field an hr from home 
and no flying insects!!
We just completed a camp move to Killarney mb …so big town living 
. It does seem like a bad idea to be in town because of all the bars and a liquor stores available to the ain contractors workers but its not our problem.,anyway something like 500km of chipping (seal coating) still to go and hope winter keeps away till its done .
and camp boss wants them parked inch perfect … ahh well
This was my ‘steed’ for the summer in the mine. 730hp,auto box,25t empty, ± 50t 
