I really enjoy these posts it gives us an insight as to what the rest of the world get upto.Its also something i would love to have a go at but where do you start!? The wife wont go to Canada or America.Always wondered how people get on doing europe if they dont speak and other language.Keep them coming!
quality diary thanks for taking the time to show us all
Great post but I noticed from pics your steering wheel is on the wrong side 
newmercman:
The spikes are there because they look evil and I like them, the DOT (VOSA) don’t care about them, the fitters at work hate them though, they all have scars on their legs from them
You are going to tell these lads that the spikes are cheap plastic aren’t you Mark?
Gembo:
What are those ‘Pete’s’ like to drive? I know there not everyones cup of tea but i love em. Was that a 379 or something?
It is a 379, best lorry I’ve ever driven, bit noisier than a European lorry, the engine being in front means all the noise comes backwards and the exhaust stack 6 inches from my left ear, but far more comfortable and there’s so much room in the bunk, makes being out all week a lot easier 
Mick, the spikes may be plastic, but they still do some damage, had a little Honda who was concentrating more on texting than driving as I came down I-15 through Vegas, he drifted over and I Ben Hur’d the little Honda, it had a big Audi sign down the right hand side of it when I finished and the spikes were still intact
Don’t worry about fancy " nut covers" Mark, get a CB that works !! BTW good read in the mag this time, you even made front page with the covoy write up, Steve
newmercman:
sydeakinwoods:
Living the dream…I’ve dreamt of shipping out to Canada for years but the wife refuses to move.
One day it will happen!!
When you do it, you can have the car to match your avatar for about $10k, that’s a good enough reason in my book
I’m sure there’s a GT500 with my name on it somewhere!! 
newmercman:
It is a 379, best lorry I’ve ever driven, bit noisier than a European lorry, the engine being in front means all the noise comes backwards and the exhaust stack 6 inches from my left ear, but far more comfortable and there’s so much room in the bunk, makes being out all week a lot easier
Well, im surprised and also bloody envious now. 
Doubt Il ever get the chance to drive a propper motor like that one 
Thats alot to live upto, so glad my “hero trucks” aint as bad as some people think, quietly i always knew these were the dogs bollox! 
Even though the last time i drove something with a big cat in it was back in about 1992 (Foden), I still maintain that cat and ■■■■■■■ make the best truck engines.
STEVE OWEN:
Don’t worry about fancy " nut covers" Mark, get a CB that works !! BTW good read in the mag this time, you even made front page with the covoy write up, Steve
Yeah, they recognise my talents They pay on time every time too, which is a bonus 
and ensures that I continue to share my pearl’s of wisdom with their readers
Got new aerials, fancy K40 jobbies, still NFG though, visit to a CB shop needed I reckon 
theirs me thinking you were to posh to speak tae a lowly gravel hauler …lol… Steve we are not worthy tae to talk to on the CB…as we live in the sticks …hehe .
ps… FJ in grand forks does a midland & ariels for 60$ ish … 
jimmy.
newmercman:
STEVE OWEN:
Don’t worry about fancy " nut covers" Mark, get a CB that works !! BTW good read in the mag this time, you even made front page with the covoy write up, SteveYeah, they recognise my talents
Got new aerials, fancy K40 jobbies, still NFG though, visit to a CB shop needed I reckon
Having lost your chain up virginity in what was to others a most amusing style I can only agree with Steve ,get your bloody radio fixed , then next time at least you might get some warning of what’s ahead .
BTW ,were you feeding your face in Nicks this morning ? Caught a glimpse of what looked like the Ducknosaur parked in the ranks .
Jimmy, I’ve got a souped up Cobra 29ltd, so that’s good, the new aerials are the mutts nuts and I’ve wire brushed all the earths on the mirrors too, so it must be my mike, that’s an Astatic which are supposed to be pretty decent, before it went completely boss eyed it was cutting in and out, so it seems that’s the likely candidate
FTTM, I left Regina this morning, filled up in the J and then stopped for a brew in Moosomin, did see one of yours somewhere along the way, must’ve been west of Brandon before the fog came down
Nice diary Mark. Keep them rolling.
Once again a Bostin read Mark… Looking forward to the next edition…
bloxotrix:
Once again a Bostin read Mark… Looking forward to the next edition…
Cheers Graham, after our Italian trip as fresh faced virgins all those years ago, you’d have thought I’d have grown out of this & got a proper by job by now
I’ve got a diary to do of a trip to North Carolina then up to the Oilfields in Fort McMurray, down to Calgary then over the rocks (with no chains) to Vancouver and home again, I started it ages ago, but forgot all about it, I’ll get on it asap, but no promises, it’s nianiamh’s wife’s birthday party Saturday, so I’ll be comatose on Sunday, if it don’t get done by Friday it may take some time
Good diary with cracking pic’s…
newmercman:
bloxotrix:
Once again a Bostin read Mark… Looking forward to the next edition…Cheers Graham, after our Italian trip as fresh faced virgins all those years ago, you’d have thought I’d have grown out of this & got a proper by job by now
I’ve got a diary to do of a trip to North Carolina then up to the Oilfields in Fort McMurray, down to Calgary then over the rocks (with no chains) to Vancouver and home again, I started it ages ago, but forgot all about it, I’ll get on it asap, but no promises, it’s nianiamh’s wife’s birthday party Saturday, so I’ll be comatose on Sunday, if it don’t get done by Friday it may take some time
No rush Mark. Have a good weekend. I would do a diary myself, but sitting on the M6 in traffic isn’t very interesting. 
I’d take a bit of traffic on the M6 over the roads we’ve had here this week, bloody ice rain that instantly turns roads into a skating rink, slightest hill and trucks were getting stuck. I had a full load, floor to ceiling, front to back…of crisps (chips as these [zb]wits call em ) so I was well lucky not to have to get the dreaded ironwork out of the side box again
I was planning on getting home last night, the run usually takes a little over 12hrs, but ended up throwing the towel in after getting just past the halfway point in 10hrs and doing the rest today (Thursday) good job I never had any libations planned or I would be most upset
Evening/morning all,
Mark your blogs/diaries are getting better, really enjoyable…thank you! Fair cheered me up reading and looking at your photos.
I asked on “the old codgers thread”, if any one else had memories like me. of doing Europe in the 60s…only two replies…boy was I depressed, I am now confirmed as getting old!! You will never forget your escapade with the snow chains, some of my antics with"old", (though they were current…ish then), Fodens, and snowy alpine roads are still as clear as day to me nigh 50 years on!!
Drive safe, (and keep writing)! Cheerio for now.
Merci beaucoup Saviem, you’re right, I won’t forget that in a hurry, the chaining up itself was easy, literally 5mins to do both axles, it was the events leading up to their application that will stay with me for ever. Watching my truck slide back down an icy mountain road is something I never want to experience again
I went through a range of emotions that night I can tell you, from shock, then despair when I realised I was stuck in a bad way, then fear, it was a full scale blizzard and a little bit scary, then indecision, do I phone for help or do I wait it out until the sand trucks/gritters arrive? Then embarrasment at the idea of a conversation with my bosses about how I couldn’t cope, with the result that I never get sent over the rocks again being the likely outcome, so a bit of Dunquerque Spirit and a lot of swearing and I was determined to get the truck moving again, which I’m very glad to say I did
I tried to put it across as best I could, but really words cannot describe it, in a way I’m glad it happened, I’m confident I can handle it if it ever happens again, or better yet, sort the chains out at the bottom of the hill in a nice big layby, but the best part of the experience is knowing how badly it can go wrong and how quickly too, definitely a good way to avoid becoming complacent or thinking you’re invincible