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Big Rig Weekends
Tony Arora: tony@coast2coastpages.com
That being said, there is nothing as exciting as travelling to a big show like the Lesco Distributors Pro Show n’ Shine, which is now the largest show in Western Canada.The trucking industry has generously given back to their communities through golf tournaments, Christmas light parades, Toy Runs, Food Bank Deliveries and Show n’ Shines. The Lesco Pro Show n’ Shine donates the general admission to the Leduc Kinsman Club. The Southern Alberta Annual Truck Expo and Show n’ Shine’s admission to the grounds is a non-perishable food item, a cash donation for the Lethbridge Food Bank, or a donation to their back-to-school program. ProTrucker supported Cops for Cancer, Military Minds and Food Banks. But the show that raised the most money was ZZChrome’s, Chrome for Kids truck shows. They raised hundreds of thousands for the Vancouver Children’s Hospital. Currently, Johnny and Suzy of ZZChrome have taken a sabbatical and downsized to a show at their shop. I understand completely. There is a tremendous amount of work involved in putting on a show. I know the many volunteers we had were the only reason we were able to continue as long as we did.
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So while Covid 19 was the reason we cancelled after 17 years of Big Rig Weekends, it has given us the opportunity to stand back and see that there are now a lot of very successful shows. So the simple answer is no, I don’t see us hosting another Big Rig Weekend. That being said, it has been suggested that we hold a Big Rig Weekend reunion where we take a central place like Kamloops, BC and invite everyone who has previously come to our shows to come out for a simple weekend. No trophies, no trade booths, no competition, just old friends. After all, that is what shows are all about—getting together with old friends, telling lies and being around like-minded people. Let me know what you think. If there is enough interest, it could happen.
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My favourite time of any show is always the Best Lights competition. Funny as it may seem, I always welcome a light rain as it makes the trucks sparkle even more.
These regional shows allow drivers to show off their iron without missing too much work, and the driver does not have the added fuel costs and living out expenses often incurred when travelling to a distant show. After all, there are only so many shows a driver can afford to go to each year. It takes a lot of work to get a truck show worthy, although, to be honest, I love to see that driver who comes in straight off the road, exhausted, hits the truck wash, (or not) parks his or her truck, pulls out a lawn chair, and kicks back with their friends.
#235 - 8138 128th St. Surrey BC V3W1R1 P: 604-598-9222 | F: 604-598-9264 tony@coast2coastpages.com I www.driverschoice.ca
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I have often been asked if Pro-Trucker will host another Big Rig Weekend Show. When we started Big Rig Weekends, there were no truck shows of significant size in Western Canada. Today there is an abundance of shows. Many are one-day events that service regional districts. Some specialty shows like the ATHS Duncan Truck Show on Vancouver Island showcase, among other things, a collection of logging trucks you would be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. Along with many from the early 1900’s you can see massive Hayes, Pacific, and Kenworth off-road logging trucks that were built specifically to haul those giant Island trees down their infamous steep mountain roads.
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK BY JOHN WHITE
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Driving was always my passion, and that’s all I ever wanted to do right from those arm-pumping days. Nothing got me more wound up than watching movies like Smokey and the Bandit, Cannonball Run, and Stroker Ace and various car based TV shows. I remember watching my first Daytona 500 with my Grandmother and telling her that I would race cars when I grew up! She just laughed. Being 16 years of age and getting my first license couldn’t come fast enough for me.
Five weeks of training later, I finally got the nod. It was the August long weekend in 1999, and looking back, I kind of chuckle about it now. I’m not sure if that was a final test, putting me on the road on the busiest weekend of the year, but I pulled it off without an issue. I certainly wouldn’t be volunteering soon to be trucking on a long weekend in today’s world. It was
Darren Dudley
I was born in Kimberly, BC, and moved to Castlegar at a young age. Castlegar is in the southern interior of British Columbia’s West Kootenay Region and is known for its beautiful mountain scenery and outdoor fun. Looking back, I couldn’t feel any luckier growing up where I did. There was always something to do.
I called Andy Roberts from Mountain Transport Institute in Castlegar, BC, to see if he had a Rig of The Month driver he would recommend for this issue. I have always admired Andy for his work in improving the trucking industry. He has lobbied government officials to make changes that have benefited the industry, and his excellent driver training programs are second to none. He immediately mentioned Darren Dudley, saying he is a good example of the type of conciencous drivers we can be proud of. After all, he didn’t have much choice with a name like Dudley. He had to be a singer (Dave Dudley, “Six Days On The Road”) or a driver. This is Darren’s story:
I spent time at the coast after graduating; they were some of the best times of my life. I have some awesome memories of good times with a great group of friends, but, in the end, the lure of the Kootenays pulled me back.
Once home, I landed a job piling wood at Kalesnikoff Lumber. I really liked my time there, even though it was tough physical work. I remember watching the DCT Chambers trucks pulling in and out of the yard. I thought they were cool-looking setups and thought I’d love to run one of them if I had the chance. After a while, the lumber industry went into a bit of a funk, so I decided to get my Class One.
I got ahold of Andy Roberts, owner of Mountain Transport Institute and got the ball rolling. I was fortunate to have a high-quality driver training school in my hometown. Mike Boultbee was my instructor, and I just happened to be his first student. He was very knowledgeable and incredibly calm, which is perfect for the job.
A short while later, I had my class one, but I quickly learned that having one with no experience didn’t mean much in the real world. So I was extremely fortunate that my instructor, Mike, put me in contact with Graham and Lorraine Hunter, who had three trucks on with DCT Chambers. Remember when I said I admired those chipsGrahamtrucks?looked me up and down, took a drag off his cigarette and said, “You’re going to have to get some seat time with some of our drivers before I can let you loose.” I could hardly contain my excitement.
www.driverschoice.ca10 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022Pro-Trucker Driver’s Choice Magazine
RIG OF THE MONTH
by John White
I was that young kid everyone saw enthusiastically pumping my arm at the trucks driving by while waiting for the school bus!
hectic, but I didn’t care. I was grinning from ear to ear all the way.
I don’t know how many times I did ‘The Trucker Stare,’ trying to figure out how to tie down the load safely, but as time passed, I started feeling more comfortable with the different aspects of the Aboutjob.six weeks later, the phone rang, and I got a call that changed my career path. Gerhard called to say they had decided to sell the truck and asked if I would be interested. Boom! Possible life-altering decision incoming!
or so after my last day with Sutco, I received a heartbreaking call that my old boss Gerhard had taken a fall off his loaded trailer and had been seriously injured. I didn’t waste any time calling his wife, Diane, to get an update on his situation. It wasn’t good. I remember saying, “Don’t worry about the truck. I’ll keep it moving. Don’t worry about paying me. Don’t worry about anything right now. Worry about Gerhard.’
Garhard Mayrhofer also owned a few trucks with DCT Chambers, and after a long phone call 18 months after my initial start, I decided to join his team. Who knew that that call would lead to a 7-year working relationship? It went so well that I stayed with him as he branched out on his own in the summer of 2021 and formed Otter Transport Ltd. I figured that was the best move for me as DCT, in my mind, had run its course.Garhard,
The decision was made, and in October 2010, HellBent Trucking was born. The name came to mind out of nowhere just as I was filling out the form on the website. I love my business name and have noticed that other people who like it generally say the name enthusiastically the same way every time, even though they don’t know each other. It’s rather humorous, really.
Everything to me at that point was about getting experience. Listening, asking questions, and watching other drivers work their trucks. I was a little obsessive, but I knew what I wanted.
I worked with an awesome group of guys there as well. We battled hard and pushed limits for sure. Great memories. The change was in the air, though. The recession of 2008 hit us hard and affected everyone, including my employment. It was tough to watch someone who had put his heart and soul into his business being forced to having to dramatically downsize his operation. But it was one hell of a run.
I really put a lot of thought into this decision, and rightfully so. I talked with the people closest to me, including my future wife, Jen. She had to know and understand that taking the chance to buy a truck would undoubtedly take away from my home time. Fortunately for me, her father drove a truck, so she knew what it was like having him away from home. The thought that appealed to me the most was being able to work for myself and steer my own ship. I also talked with Charlie Bourgeois, a good man who was dispatching loads at Midway Express. I had to make it abundantly clear to him that there had to be a balance between
I was trucking all over the place. Basically, half of North America was my playground except for California. Whitehorse, Manitoba, Dakotas, New Mexico, down to Vegas, New Denver, Oregon Coast, everything in between and British Columbia being the best of all. I’m a little biased, but truthfully, we
His 2005 International 9900I with a 53’ step deck, the last Otter Transport truck, had been working with Midway Express Ltd, based out of Nelson, BC. While filling in for ‘The Boss’, I got to experience new trucking destinations and a variety of loads that I had never worked with before. Suddenly the learning curve ramped up extensively.
Life always has a way of working its way out, sometimes it can be a tough battle but that’s what we do. A week
home and work, and he fully agreed to make it happen. Charlie had been in the trucking business for decades and fully understood where I was coming from.
It was a pretty smooth transition into the Owner Operator world. I bought the last International 9900i Otter Transport truck with that 53’ step deck trailer, and already having six plus weeks of experience with Midway was a huge asset. Most importantly, I knew the consistency was there and that it was enough work to survive. That is always a concern that I don’t think ever goes away. It didn’t take long to realize that the worst part of being an Owner Operator, and I’m sure others would agree, is not being able to shut your brain off.
After that, it was back to hauling wood chips for me. There weren’t many employment opportunities then, but Sutco Transportation Specialists answered the call. I enjoyed my time there, put in the hours, and worked hard, but when another slow down happened, it was apparent my time there could be running short as well, and it did.
“The Boss,” treated me exceptionally well, and I learned a tremendous amount from him. He set me up with a brand new heavy spec flat top Freightliner with a 550 cat engine that I nicknamed ‘The Blue Blur’ primarily running pulp to North Vancouver out of Celgar. I worked my butt off, but I watched Garhard work twice as hard for his business and employees. I could see early on that was the only way to succeed in this dog-eat-dog business. I saw the struggle, but I also saw the good days, and there were a lot of them.
www.driverschoice.ca 11 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 Pro-Trucker Driver’s Choice Magazine
Hwy 3 was the first route to open up connecting the province to the Lower Mainland, and it was a jammed, a huge parking lot that caused absolute mayhem. It was unbelievable to see when you mixed in winter storms and accidents. That was two months of full concentration, intense, stressful driving. The Pete survived unscathed, and all in all, at some point, it will make a great story for the grandkids.
www.driverschoice.ca12 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022Pro-Trucker Driver’s Choice Magazine
drivers that I got my start with at DCT Chambers. How awesome! There is so much talent out there. I have nothing but respect for these Pro Drivers and who they are. The best drivers in North America come out of this province. My opinion, of course, but come on, prove me wrong. Also, tie that into the myriad of good people and customers I work with, it truly makes this profession what it is.So
here in BC live in an amazing part of the world. It certainly has it’s challenges however with high mountain passes in every direction.
girl who has been by my side for over four years now. She doesn’t do much except sleep, but when she has had enough and wants to go home, she stares a hole through me. As you can imagine, it’s crippling—what a ridiculous superpower.
It wasn’t too far into the ownership role that I found out I was going to be a father. Even though I had already been a stepfather to two awesome boys, the news panicked me at first. The ‘What Ifs?’ kept me awake at night, but I soon calmed down and enjoyed the amazing experience. My wife would probably tell you otherwise, but truthfully, I have never thought that she has been more beautiful, and in August of 2011, on a full moon, I was the proud father of a healthy baby girl. Just a few years later, ‘MoonBeam,’ was the flower girl as I married my wife in a unique setting, at the Old Theatre in downtown Castlegar.
I’m one year into this beauty truck. Only time will tell if it was the right decision to buy or hang up my owner’s hat and drive for someone else. I’ll look back on that when I have to, but until then, you’ll see me tearing up Highway 3, doing what I do best and loving what I do. Im 23 years in, still learning something new, Every. Single. Day.Those lifelong dreams of racing became a reality too. Thanks to a good friend and best man, Stacey Mackinnon, I bought a dirt modified and raced five full seasons at Northport International Speedway. It was the best time of my life, experiencing the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Being around racers at the track who share your passion created lifelong friendships and an endless amount of laughs when we get together. I’ve hung up my helmet for the time being, but I’m sure my grandmother was smiling proudly as, in the end, I brought home multiple wins and four Season Championship Trophies.Check my channel out at HellBent Trucking 32 coming soon!
Spiral DarrenOut,Dudley
For that nice ride, I have some protection when I’m on the highway in the form of 4 legs. I’m not sure what type of protection that is, but I enjoy having her in the truck with me. My copilot, Super Sage, is a well-travelled
The 389 is painted ‘Institutional White’, or at least that’s what I call it. It is a long hood with a 78” bunk and a Cummins 565hp/2050 torque engine coupled with an 18-speed tranny with full lockers, running 3.73 gears. The 20” American Eagle style bumper was added this past spring. I can’t say enough good things about this truck. It has really exceeded my expectations. I’m still wowed by it every day. On top of that, the fridge and microwave are game changers for me. I Love the smooth ride, but I believe that’s what makes a Pete a Pete.
The first big test for the Pete came after the BC floods of November 2021. I was one of those stuck in Hope, BC, for the week. Through it all, I had a fantastic experience and thought the people of Hope showed some amazing heart! They deserve a shout-out on here.
As quickly as each of those lifechanging events happened, I went back on the highway. Being a father changed my work focuses as time went on. I realized I didn’t want to be away from home as much as I was as my daughter was getting older. So I started running Hwy3 more regularly.
The truck shared the highway with a lot of different drivers, particularly Highway 3, west of the Kootenays. I’m still sharing the highway with some
The old 9900i was starting to show its age and seemed to be a monthly fixture down at Bill’s Heavy Duty. I think I replaced every part of that truck at least once. The list went on and on with two engine rebuilds, transmission, and front differential. I started feeling bad for the guys working on it, but I hung onto it and kept it moving as the years went by. Ten and a half years, to be exact. I was one trip shy of putting 1.5 million KMs on that old girl when she had another major, and I refused to put another dime into her. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but it was time. The memories are endless, good and bad, or perhaps funny, like when I ended up at a truck stop in Pendleton, Oregon. Completely exhausted, tired, not thinking straight at all and needing to use the restroom. I remember thinking how strange it was that there were no urinals there. Panic set in the stall about 1 minute later— sorry, ladies. Really, I was mortified.
now what? Sometimes you have to make those big decisions, and one was finally made. It was really a family decision. I talked with my parents, Dave and Gail, my wife Jen and my office lady Andrea JG at Midway Express, who is always kicking butt for me. They all thought it was a positive move and time for a new truck. So I reached out to an old trucking friend who put me in contact with E.B at Calgary Peterbilt. They just happened to have two trucks on order, and after looking at the specifications, I pulled the trigger on a new 2022 Peterbilt 389. Unfortunately, it was a factory order, so I wasn’t able to change anything without going to the back of the lineup again but overall I was very pleased with the setup. I needed to get back to work anyway, and there were no other trucks for sale anywhere. Overall, I felt pretty fortunate over the whole deal and E.B was fantastic to deal with.
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 Pro-Trucker Driver’s Choice Magazine We Offer New Pay Package Extra Pickups & Drops Paid Fuel Cards Fuel Surcharge Discount Safety Bonus Paid Monthly Medical Benefits After 3 Months The Top Rates in the Industry All Miles Paid Direct Deposit D.O.T inspection Rewards HIRINGNOW Our Requirements Minimum 1 Year Experience Clean Current Abstract Ability to Cross Border New CDL Trainees Accepted Criminal Record Check Professional Attitude Drivers & Owner Operators ..........................................................Contact: KARNAIL SINGH RAI (604) 825-8521 kal@raiexpresslines.com Unit 125-7475 135th Street Surrey, BC V3W 0M8 www.raiexpresslines.com
As weak as it is M.E.L.T. should be for all, not just class 1 drivers. It needs to be extended to Class 2, 3 and 4 unrestricted licenses. Accidents involving passenger carriers have always been far more costly than cargo. The government should get it right instead of discriminating against class 1 drivers while allowing other classes to hit the road with far lower standards in equally as large Jvehicles.Cooper
Editor’s note:
The poorly implemented Minimum Entry Level driver Training, (M.E.L.T.) is supposed to address poorly trained truckers on our highways, but with the “minimum” training provided, it will be years before we see a reduction in traffic accidents, if at all. We have seen more poor-quality truckers hitting our highways in recent years with little or no experience in safely handling of medium or large vehicles. Many have no practical training or experience in operations, load security or vehicle inspection requirements, and those that do, are often bullied by employers to increase profits over Theresafety.isno
Just the other day, there was a single truck incident that closed the Malahat highway on Vancouver Island, a load of live and dead chickens all over the highway, which according to police, could be attributed to driver safety issues or poor training.
excuse for this other than what is now provincial government agencies run by a “job-for-life” civil servants in a system that promotes people into top positions by seniority, not competence or job related knowledge.
As I have said many times, it makes no sense that new car drivers have to go through a graduated licensing system yet new truck drivers who have to contend with a multitude of different loads, trailer combinations, and highway conditions, are cut loose with “minimum” training. If it were not for the fact that many reputable trucking companies have extensive in-house training before a new driver goes out on his own, things could be much worse. Unfortunately there is nothing stopping the “fly by night, we’ll just change our name,” companies
Pro-TruckerDriver’sChoiceMagazine
John
from hiring new drivers and putting them in a truck with no more instruction than telling them where the truck is parked.
Hello John, I know this is old news but I am tired of meeting new people and after they find out I am a truck driver they derisively ask if I went to Ottawa in the convoy. This is as bad as the media painting us all with the same brush when they automatically think all truck accidents are cause by the trucker. Most people don’t know that a large number of us are fully vaccinated, stayed at work, and feel the mandates were necessary to keep us and our families safe. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but I don’t need the hassle so just sign me, Pi$$ed off in Alberta.
www.driverschoice.ca14 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022Pro-Trucker Driver’s Choice Magazine 500,000 heavy duty parts available 1,000 brands 120 stores Sh o p o n li ne a t t ra ctio n. co m !
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of my daughter and her husband’s one week in Paradise
end this posting without mentioning the heat. I have experienced some brutal heat in Nevada, Arizona and California but always knew that more moderate values were awaiting as I moved northward toward home. Today it is different. The heat dome extends over the entire continent. It is being experienced worldwide along with biblical wildfires and droughts not seen before in nations that traditionally do not have air-conditioning or sophisticated fire-fighting equipment and crews to manage it. Please stay hydrated. Fill containers with local water before leaving home, and ensure your air-conditioning unit and engine coolant are in tip-top condition. And when outside your cab, slow down your movements, take your time to complete work-related activities and conserve your energy. Eat lots of green salads and get proper rest which you will need to endure the long, hot days.
www.driverschoice.ca18 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022Pro-Trucker Driver’s Choice Magazine
politically motivated, let your reps know that CLIMATE CHANGE is the most serious problem currently facing humanity and that it is regressive to treat it as a political football since it affects every living creature on earth. Many of whom are going extinct even as I write these words. Because scientists do not know how many species exist on our planet, it is difficult to know how many go extinct yearly. However, it is safe to say that a minimum of 150 species disappear every single day, and man is in danger of following the trend if he (generically speaking) does not change from a profit-driven civilization to a people-driven one and preferably yesterday or the day before!!
Well, I did it! And nothing in my 87 years on Mother Earth nor the more than half century exploring North America’s highways and byways could have prepared me for the experience. And anyone who has done it says the same thing. Nothing, no nothing in life prepares one for the actual event when one leaps through the open door of an aircraft at 12,000 feet. The exhilaration is remarkable & unforgettable. The anticipation during the 15-minute flight to reach jumping altitude is almost unbearable. It was little comfort that my son-in-law sat next to me and jumped first or that my daughter was behind me and followed me into the abyss but once launched into space for the 2,000 feet of free fall, the mind was overwhelmed with the actual episode and the vastness of one’s surroundings. I even forgot that I was attached to the instructor behind me. I could not see him and only knew he was there when occasionally, the camera on his wrist recording the entire incident was thrust in front of me for proof that it was me doing this. And then the chute opened, the goggles necessary at 120 mph were no longer needed, and conversation with the human on my back resumed. With dipsying and doodling, the drop to terra firma took a mere 8 minutes total, but it seemed to have no timespan since it was a completely new adventure. I want to do it again - and soon! I recommend the occasion for everyone. It reminds us of how insignificant we are in nature and the universe. The views were magnificent. The jump was done in Abbotsford, so Mount Baker, Garibaldi Park, Harrison Lake, the Fraser River, and surrounding territory were clearly visible.Theremainder
If you have not already adjusted your driving habits, consider leaving more money in your pocket than putting it in those of the billionaire oil companies by slowing down and driving more economically. Is it really crucial for you to be first up the hill? If possible, sleep near water and shut ‘er down when the temperature drops during the night, but always stop where other units congregate for protection from opportunists.Ifoneis
What I Did This Summer
was spent white water rafting and exploring the J.D. Murdoch Center, my father’s legacy in Richmond, the stained glass windows in the Minoru Chapel and Murdoch Avenue near the Richmond Center.
By Ed Murdoch
Enjoying the beauty of the Sea-toSky Highway, a stop in Whistler, then overnight in Pemberton. Then over the scenic Duffy Lake Road and witnessing the new fire and last year’s damage at Lytton. And, oh, of course, a blown tire near Pritchard on the north side of the South Thompson River and the limp home doing 60-70 kph with 4-ways going while the donut tire supported the rear left side of the car! It was a short but eventful week, and so nice to have family within hugging distance.Icannot
Drive with care, stay well and be safe and practice performing at least one random act of kindness every day. And please turn off your jake brakes in residential zones. Remember, mostly old folks like me live next to the highway because that’s where real estate is cheaper … 10-4!
Ed has held a commercial drivers license for 65 years and has spent the better part of 50 years on the road. You can get Ed’s new book www.drivingthroughmymemories.caat
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There is an old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
www.driverschoice.ca22 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022Pro-Trucker Driver’s Choice Magazine
choice which functions you wanted to have
pull out and pass, but as he pulls out, he hits the commercial vehicle. They pull over, and exchange information and the police attend. After the police took their statements, the commercial driver was charged with passing while unsafe to do so. Two days later, when the commercial driver went to ICBC to make his report, the ICBC adjuster more or less said it didn’t look very good for him and being charged was not in his favour. That’s when the driver produced the dash cam footage of the whole episode and how it happened. They couldn’t help but see that the car came right out and hit him. Because of the dash cam, the blame got turned around, and the car was at fault. How do I know all this – the Company showed me the dash cam footage – I was impressed. As a result, their safety record was intact. As a bonus, the driving infraction ticket was cancelled and therefore, no points on the driver’s licence.
By Frank Milne Retired Driver, Lease operator and ownercompany
Pictures
LETTERING & CO. NORRISSIGNS8889209604#1•19272•94Ave.Surrey,BC
Thisrecorded.Company had several trucks on the same route, hauling B trains loaded both ways. It took about 10 hours for a round trip. The first part of the trip was level, the second part hilly, third part a little of both. In the hilly part, the driver rear-ended a car just at the bottom of a hill. The police attended, and the truck driver said that the car had passed him several miles back, and after that, he had harassed him by slowing down in front of him several times and had nearly hit him several times before the accident. Each time he had to make severe brake applications. After the police had both reports, the truck driver got a ticker for following too close. So ICBC put the whole blame on the truck driver because he was the one that did the hitting.Thetrucking
company produced the recording for that trip and recordings for two previous trips the same driver, with the same truck, had taken on that section of the road. On the previous two trips, there were 10 or 12 brake applications – on the third trip, over 20 applications in the same section of road. Now all of a sudden, the tone of the accident changed. The end result was that the car driver was at fault, and the charges to the truck driver were dropped.
It seems that in the case of an accident between an 18-wheeler and a 4-wheeler, the 18-wheeler automatically gets blamed. On the other hand, as truck drivers, we blame the 4-wheelers for most accidents. If we keep going down the same path, it will always be the same. So how do we fix the problem? Read on.
The second case: Before there were dash cams, there was a recording device called “Silent Witness.” It would record five different functions, such as how many times you used the clutch or how many times you turned on your windshield wipers, etc. It was your
The first case: A commercial vehicle is following two cars, and when a dotted line appears, he pulls out and proceeds to pass. However, when he pulls out and gets up to the car ahead of him, that car decides to
In honour of National Trucking Week, we are celebrating Drivers, Dispatchers, Mechanics, Dockworkers, and all of the people behind the scenes that keep the Trucking Industry moving.
A Salute to the Trucking Industry!
The third case: My friend was in the middle of several cars that were rear-ended. He claimed that he was stopped and that the car that rearended him pushed him into the car ahead of him. ICBC didn’t see it that way; he was liable for the damage to the car ahead of him and responsible for the damage to the front of his own car. That was until he produced his dash cam footage. It clearly showed he was stopped, and the car behind him had pushed him forward.
Whenvehicle?
the first thing they do is find the black box, and it tells them a lot of what happened before the crash. So why not do the same for all motor vehicles and dash cams?
Yes, I know some of you will claim your rights will be taken away – and one of them will be the right to lie!
As I said at the beginning of this article – “A picture is worth a thousand words” – and prevents lies.
introduced by the government to save lives and/or cut down the severity of injuries, and it was mandatory by law to use them – why not dash cams in every
aircraftcommercialacrashes,
So what is the solution to put the blame where it should be? I hope you have figured it out by now – it’s called dash cam. If I were still in the trucking industry, I would have dash cams in every truck, including lease operators.
How do I know this? I talked to the owner of the trucking company.
Years ago, seat belts were
P.S. There is only one truth on any subject, but there can be many lies.
www.driverschoice.ca 23 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 Pro-Trucker Driver’s Choice Magazine
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This is a bit of a left turn from my normal musings, a look into the wonderful world of social media. If you are reading this in print or online, please don’t turn the page or tune out. This has as much to do with the real world as anything you can physically touch. In my lifetime, I’ve never been one to shy away from confrontation, verbal or physical, but I am starting to back away more and more online. Now I still subscribe to the old adage that sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me, even as I watch more and more progression to the world where words are violent. No word has ever given me a black eye or a bloody nose. I concede that words can hurt. They can be downright piercing, but only when we let them. My concern online isn’t the words of malice but the sheer ignorance of what is thrown around.
the point of it all is that real in-person relationships are still the best. I am eternally grateful for all the people I have met on and off-line in this industry. While I won’t completely shut my bandwidth down, I am no longer engaging in conversations that go nowhere.
Him: I have seen truckers, met them. All idiots, the lot of them, rightwing loonies who have nothing better to do than bitch online.
Trolls
Me: Ok, what profession do you have that makes you infinitely better qualified to ascertain how much skill it takes to drive a truck?
Me: So, from your large and very scientific study, you have not only been able to figure out our inherent lack of skill and intelligence but also know where our political allegiance lies. While I am a mere neophyte, my intuition tells me you must have a massive amount of education and a big I.Q.
www.driverschoice.ca28 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022Pro-Trucker Driver’s Choice Magazine
By Greg Evasiuk
argument with someone who either has an axe to grind or is just trolling for people to engage for fun. Either way, it’s an utter waste of time. More and more, I find these trolls in my online adventures for work and my hobbies, making me miss the coffee shop or the local bar. That used to be where you could meet people and have random conversations about trucks, hobbies, sports, and even politics! Face to face out in the open, agreeing, disagreeing and sometimes even fighting about our point. Trolls were relegated to fairytales because there were real consequences of engaging in conversation. I don’t mean the threat of actual violence but also the social ramifications of randomly yelling at people.Anyway,
Greg is a inmileswithgeneration3rdtruckerover1millionand22yearstrucking.
It was about this time I logged off. Not because any of this was hurtful but because it was even happening at all. I was in a group on a social media site where it is supposed to be just people from the industry constructively talking about our work. Instead, I was in a no-win less than intelligent
80 year old woman arrested This 80-year-old woman was arrested for shoplifting. When she went before the judge, he asked her, “What did you steal?” She replied, “A can of peaches.” The judge then asked her why she had stolen the can of peaches, and she replied that she was hungry. The judge then asked her how many peaches were in the can. She replied 6. The judge then lso stole a can of peas.”
could fog a mirror could drive a truck. So as you can imagine, this got a lot of banter started, but I wanted to know what this guy himself did for a living. I asked, and the answer was, “Certainly not trucking!”
I was in a “discussion,” I use the term loosely, in a group online the other day. The topic was about automatic transmissions in trucks, which, as you can imagine, deteriorated quickly. I was shocked then as one of the commentators went into a rant about how anyone who was pro-manual transmission was only doing so because the advent of automatics proved that trucking is “unskilled” labour. He went on to say that in every situation, an automatic does a better job and that anyone who
Him: You’re just mad you threw your stupid life away to drive a truck; it takes no skill!
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John
By Glen Millard
If a person maintains a positive attitude and a happy outlook on life, each trip is an adventure.
Glen “The Duck” was born in Saskatchewan. He has driven trucks for 50 years, mostly long hauling. He’s now retired, that is until another adventure comes along.
www.driverschoice.ca32 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022Pro-Trucker Driver’s Choice Magazine
We
have all dealt with governments that make us think someone did not show up for work that day. This adventure begins in September in Edmonton. I was hauling automobiles for Allies Systems. I was given a load to Hay River, NWT, for the Ford dealer and one Ford four-wheel drive work truck was to be taken to the barge that ships to the isolated settlements further north. This truck was destined for Kugluktuk, NWT or what is now called Nunavut, to a government construction site.
in the winter, I was asked if I wanted to go to SeaTac (Seattle, Washington Airport) and load seven cars at the airport and take them to Hay River. They were all 4-cylinder diesel engine cars from different manufacturers. There was Volvo, Volkswagon, Ford Tempo, Dodge Rampage and others. The idea was to test them under winter conditions and compare them to Volkswagon. After testing them in Hay River during the winter, the plan was to ship them to desert countries to test them in hot weather.
any cheaper going up or returning. They finally agreed that the return trip would pay the same as going up to Hay River. I hauled the truck back to the compound in Edmonton and parked it inside the fenced yard. It sat there for almost a year. I don’t know whatever happened to it. I thought many times that a normal person would have arranged the connections before it was shipped. Maybe the day it was arranged, the person in charge didn’t come to work. I often thought a foreman was still waiting for a Ford truck to Sometimearrive.later,
his badge in his pocket. The second officer said they were with the internal taxation department and wanted to know if the tax had been paid on the vehicles. I told them there were no problems at Sea-Tac or the border and that they were going to Hay River for cold weather testing. They are not for sale, and they are owned by manufacturing companies. I told them that if they wanted to follow me to our storage and office, they would be able to talk to one of my many bosses. We all went to our office, and two hours later, they sent me on my way. The rest of the trip to Hay River went well. I unloaded at Kingland Ford in minus -20 to -25 weather, signed the bills, and returned to Edmonton.
The government handles this in Quebec, which is 3 hours different, so I was left waiting for further directions. It was a test of patience but I had been tested long before this. (I’ve helped raise three teenagers.) Finally, I got told to bring the pickup truck back to Edmonton. I asked about the rate of pay to return. They said that the rate from Edmonton to Hay River was very good. They (the government) would pay a back haul (less rate) since I was returning to Edmonton anyway. My reply was No! No! No! My truck doesn’t run
I loaded in Edmonton, and nothing out of the ordinary happened on the way to Hay River, where I unloaded at the Kingland Ford dealership. From there, I took the last truck to the barge landing out of town. I went into the office and showed them the paperwork, and the lady said the only problem is that this is September, and the barge stops shipping in July. That way, the barge is back to Hay River before freeze-up. Then she said that they were not allowing equipment to be left in the compound over winter this year. Right about then, I thought I should phone Kingland and the terminal back in Edmonton.
The Hay River test was two weeks long, and I thought that sounded like my kind of trip. I went empty to Seattle and loaded the vehicles with no problems. The paperwork was in order, and they sent me on my way. Everything was fine until I got to Edmonton, where five ghost cars suddenly surrounded me with all the red and blue lights flashing. There were six officers, all dressed casually (no uniforms). The first came to my door and told me that I had to look at
Three weeks later, I got a call asking if I wanted to pick up those vehicles and bring them back to Edmonton. Without thinking, I answered with three letters, YES! So I went to Hay River and out of town to a field where the tests took place. It was -38, and they had not been started for a week. Not one of them started on their own except the Volkswagon. I was excited to see the service truck from Kingland Motors finally show up to help start them. I took them back to Edmonton and unloaded them at a balmy -12, and they all started. Those trips were what made me want to haul automobiles for thirty years.
www.driverschoice.ca 33 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 Pro-Trucker Driver’s Choice Magazine
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Pardon Me?
He loaded up and rolled away eastbound through the night, His big old diesel running hard and the headlights burning bright. Hauling lumber from the coast on the big road all alone, He rolled over in Montana and he’s never coming home. They said there was a camper van broke down on the road, When he swerved to miss them he rolled his heavy load. Her man won’t be coming home; he’s taken his last ride, Forty tons of steel and wood rolled over on its side. They said with his dying breath as they took him from the road He said he loved his lady and he cursed the damned old road. She never got to tell him about the new life that had begun, He died there in Montana not knowing about his son. That child now stands beside her, grown to be a man, He says the road is calling him to be the best he can. Oh Lord, please protect him when he’s out there on that road, Montana is a driver and he pulls those heavy loads.
Eastbound
One mourner leaned over and quietly asked her friend, “Do you think he means her first, second or third husband?” The friend replied, “I think he means her legs.”
She married and had 13 children. Her husband died. She married again and had 7 more children. Again, her husband died. But, she remarried and this time had 5 more children. Alas, she finally died. Standing before her coffin, the preacher prayed for her. He thanked The Lord for this very loving woman and said, “Lord, they’re finally together.”
Now he’s loaded up and rolling eastbound in the night, A big old diesel running hard, headlights burning bright.
Dave Madill
www.driverschoice.ca36 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022Pro-Trucker Driver’s Choice Magazine
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 Pro-Trucker Driver’s Choice Magazine Office: 1930 Queen St. Abbotsford BC V2T 6J1 E: nctruck@telus.net P: 1-800-514-3350 Company Drivers / Owner Operators Expedited Services in Reefer & Vans for Canada & USA WE PROVIDE OUR DEDICATED RUNS • Steady year round work • Up to 15,000 mile per month • Extended Medical Benefits • Sign on Bonus OUR REQUIREMENTS • Positive Attitude • Responsible Individuals • 1 Year Experience Single Driver (gross mile) = Up to $0.65 /mile Team Driver (gross mile) = Up to $0.70 /mile Long Haul Company Driver * Take home up to $30,000 per month Long Haul Owner Operators Contact: JASON 604-850-3350 Apply Now www.nctruck.caat: • Calgary To California Rounders • Regina to California • Vancouver to California Rounders • Available Work for Teams and Single
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The government’s only answer to the driver shortage is to make it easier to get untrained bodies behind the wheel. The last brilliant idea from the people in charge was to make the class one test easier. They would only test drivers out on the road to ease the pressure on government testers and shorten the time the test took. The practical side of the test, i.e., hooking up to a trailer and demonstrating
Marriage Counseling
Colin Black lives in Bellshill, Lanarkshire, Scotland and has been driving truck for over 40 years. His story shows us once again that the problems drivers face are universal.
I’m sure anybody thinking of moving house will be quite happy to be able to go and rent a bigger van when they’re moving house and want to save themselves some money. That’s where the title of this story comes from. In my home town of Glasgow, a flitting is when you’re moving house. If you didn’t know anybody who drove a big van, you could rent one and get a few able-
“Oh, we’ll never need that. My husband and I have a great relationship,” the wife explained.
By Colin Black
bodied helpers to load and unload. Why pay a removal company big bucks to carry your furniture out of one house into a van and into the new house?As
A husband and wife were at a party chatting with some friends when the subject of marriage counseling came up.
a truck driver who used to get the company truck home after work, I did a few flittings for friends and family. My truck was a 26-foot curtain side at the time - not ideal for securing furniture, but things could be boxed in with heavier items. I never liked to take any money from my friends and family, but one day I was moving some furniture for one of our young office girls. Although the house she was moving from was three floors up, so there was quite a lot of walking up and down stairs, the one she moved into was better as I could get the truck right up to the door.When
the truck was empty, the young girl’s father came up, thanked me for my help and pressed a generous amount of cash into my hand. No matter how many times I said it was too much, he wouldn’t take it back. Some people like to pay for the services they receive, and it is nice to be appreciated.
their reversing skills, would be outsourced to theschools.truckmoney-makingthedrivingThatwaswhylawwasmade
www.driverschoice.ca40 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022Pro-Trucker Driver’s Choice Magazine
in 1977. Often, members of the public overestimated their ability. For example, when I worked for the Scottish branch of an Irish company, the girl who worked in the office had a boyfriend who drove a van, and she convinced the manager to give him a job. His first mistake was to try and fill the cooling system with diesel, simply because on the van he used to drive, that’s the side the diesel filler was on. His second mistake was a little harder to overlook. He came from driving a small panel van to a 7.5-ton boxbodied van, so the writing was on the wall when he came into the yard after driving under a low bridge with the body tilted backwards at a rakish angle.But
Although they were quite happy to go along with the change in the law at the time, probably it was because it generated income for driving schools and doctors doing medicals, not forgetting government departments issuing the new licence classification.
“He was a communications major in college and I majored in theater arts.”
Well, here we go again, another government desk jockey has the answer to the truck driver shortage. They plan to rescind a law imposed upon us by the European Union back in January 1977 that imposed stricter licensing for truck drivers. Up until that date, anybody with an ordinary car driver’s licence could drive a truck up to 7.5-ton GVW. Going back to letting the ordinary man in the street, who up until then has only driven a Mini, now operate a 7.5-ton truck will not solve the driver shortage problem. It definitely will not ease the shortage of class one drivers. It seems that now we’re no longer part of the European Union, they want to be seen as creating our own laws.
The Flitting
“He communicates real well and I just act like I’m listening”
www.driverschoice.ca 41 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 Pro-Trucker Driver’s Choice Magazine @TransamCarriers@Transam_Carriers At Transam Carriers, we believe that success is not achieved without professional human attitudes. We are proud of providing some of the most flexible work options in the industry for an optimum work-life balance. All of these, in conjunction with new equipment, modern technologies, in-house truck shop, and cross-dock facility, make Transam an exceptional workplace that we call here our second home. Why us? careerstransamcarriers.com/ON OUR WEBSITE ALL JOB OPPORTUNITIES ARE James Taylor: 416-907-8101 x4013 Toll-Free: 877-907-8101 Address: 205 Doney Crescent, Concord, ON L4K 1P6 Email: hr@transamcarriers.com Contact us today! HERE FOR THE LONG HAUL DRIVE CAREER!YOUR • COMPANY DRIVERS A-Z • OWNER OPERATORS A-Z, D-Z • SHIPPER/RECEIVER • MECHANIC • DISPATCH ASSISTANT • ASSISTANT SAFETY MANAGER • DATA ENTRY/CUSTOMS СLERK WE ARE HIRING:
“I saw the light, I saw the light No more darkness, no more night Now I’m so happy no sorrow in sightPraise the Lord, I saw the light”
options in September in the US, but I also have a big vacation planned for the end of September, so I don’t want to mess up getting home in time. I find that, as a trucker, it’s difficult planning for time off because you almost have to look a month in advance, especially if you’re not on a dedicated run. No one can predict what loads will be available the week before booked time off, or if the truck or trailer will break down, I find this a quite stressful time. I haven’t gone on a big vacation since before Covid, so I’m definitely looking forward to this one. I’ll have a full report in my next article, provided everything runs smoothly.
Lately, I’ve been spending money like I have a lot to spend. My dad had a yard sale at his place out in the country at the end of July, so I thought I would use the opportunity to sell a few things. I thought if no one bought, I’d just donate the stuff because I didn’t want to lug a bunch of stuff back home. Turns out I sold almost all my stuff. I made a cool $417 and was ecstatic. Then I realized I had the mentality of a gambler. I was excited to take home just over $400, but that was probably $1500 worth of goods I had sold! So did I really come out a winner? I figured I did because now I have more money to buy truck stuff!! Every once in a while, someone will ask why I spend money on a truck I don’t own. I say, “Because I can!” and “Because it makes me happy!” And isn’t that our goal in life, to be happy?
Well, the time has come! I can finally reveal the exciting accessories that The Brain received. A big thank you to Shift Products, Trux lights, and Lifetime Lugnuts for making and supplying such quality items. I ended up switching all the lights on my truck to dual revolution pink and amber/red light, depending on the placement. I also added pink underframe lighting along the length of the truck. Some of the lights were a matter of just replacing the light itself, but the air cleaner light bars and bunk watermelon lights had to be totally switched up. Thankfully Shift Products had me covered! It turned out better than imagined!! In addition, I got custom-made bunk plates that read, “Pinky and The Brain.” The original ones read “Pride and Class,” but all the plastic chrome peeled off, and they were not aesthetically pleasing any more. These new ones have much more character to them. Finally, the biggest thank you goes to the guys in the Portage Transport shop for all their hard work installing and wiring everything. They did an awesome job!!
Now I need to find a truck show to go to that lasts into the night, so I can show off my lights. I have two
By Myrna Chartrand
Show Ready
Myrna was born and raised in Oak Point, Manitoba and was our April 2019 Rig of the Month driver.
Although the meaning behind Hank Williams lyrics is a bit different from the literal meaning I intend for them, they still ring true.
www.driverschoice.ca42 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022Pro-Trucker Driver’s Choice Magazine
After all was said and done, I wasn’t even the first person to see the lights at night! I took the week off so that The Brain could be in the shop getting all his fancy things. There was
a fundraiser truck show in Austin, MB, the Saturday after the lights were done, and I couldn’t make it as I already had plans with my dad. There are pretty much only two other people than myself that I trust at work to drive The Brain. One is my boss, Bernie, and the other is my coworker, Elias. Elias suggested I take my truck to the show, and when I said I couldn’t make it and he could take it instead, I think he was both shocked and thrilled! I said all the cleaning and polishing is on you now, and he was definitely OK with that. I popped by the show for a little bit to make a donation and make sure Elias did everything on the checklist I left for him. I mean, I even have two sets of rugs that I put on the floor. One for everyday use and a set of shag carpet rugs for show use. I take things veryAtseriously!!thebeginning
of July, I was invited by Safe and Smart Drive Canada to attend the Driven Show at Red River Exhibition Park in Winnipeg, MB. They were the great guys that replaced my grey seat belts with hot pink ones. I was there to join their booth to show off The Brain and the awesome seat belts. Driven was more of an import car show than a truck show but still pretty cool to see everyone’s hard work and love for what they have. It was interesting because lots of people were taking pictures of my truck, but the most common thing I heard talked about was the size of my shifter. See, contrary to what people say, size does matter!
www.driverschoice.ca 43 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 Pro-Trucker Driver’s Choice Magazine Safe driving record • Mechanically sound tractor • Cross bo rde r ca pa bilit y • Cu s to m e r se r v ice focu s i s H I R I N G Owne r O pe ra tor s To r un Canada & USA Please call Dina or Kaolin at 1- 8 0 0- 66 3 -2339 or Send resumes kaolinm@berryandsmith.comtodinae@berryandsmith.com • Fuel Cap of 47 cent s p er litre • Fuel p er formance pay pro gram • Late model tractor preferred • Dire c t dep osit, paid t wice monthly • Fas t cards and passp or t s preferre d • N o cos t s atellite communication s ys tem • Insurance/ license subsidy is upto 50 % , e qual monthly pay ment s, no interes t • Safet y b onus paid quar terly • Scales/tolls/f a xes paid • Group insurance • Increased mileage rate 10/2021 • Excellent home time and exible dispatch • Paid pick ups and drops • All miles paid/prac tical miles • Stable company in business since 1954 Join our winning team. • $300 0 sign on b onus REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD Current Pricing & Availability1 24/7 Order Placement2 Detailed Parts Breakdowns3 Invoice Lookup & Printing4 Express Orders & Shopping Lists5 Trust Canada’s DRIVETRAIN SPECIALISTS shop.gearcentre.com Use Promo Code TRUCK5 for 5% Off Your First Online Order! Surrey • Edmonton • Calgary • Red Deer • Fort McMurray Grande Prairie • Lethbridge • Medicine Hat • Mississauga • Moncton FULL SERVICE SHOPS
www.driverschoice.ca44 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022Pro-Trucker Driver’s Choice Magazine 28TROLLS Greg Evasiuk THE40FLITTING
PICTURES22 Frank Milne 42SHOW READY Myrna Chartrand INDEX RIG OF THE MONTH DARREN DUDLEY 10EASTBOUND36 Dave Madill JOHN32 Glen Millard WHAT18 I DID THIS SUMMER Ed Murdoch Berry & Smith ..................................................................................................... 43 Centurion Trucking Inc. .................................................................................. 04 Challenger Motor Freight ............................................................................ 03 Coastal Pacific Xpress ..................................................................................... 05 Day & Ross ........................................................................................................ 47 DeckX ................................................................................................................... 48 Dhillon & Dhillon Transport .................................................................... 39 EverHaul Transport ....................................................................................... 08 Golden Express Trucking Inc. ..................................................................... 45 Grant Transport Inc. ......................................................................................... 23 Hap Transportation ......................................................................................... 21 Keywest Express .............................................................................................. 30 Kindersley Transport ........................................................................................ 23 Moh Trucking .................................................................................................. 27 Motion Logistics ................................................................................................ 29 Natt Enterprises .............................................................................................. 46 North Coast Trucking Ltd. ............................................................................ 37 Rai Express Lines ............................................................................................... 13 Reliance Logistics ........................................................................................... 09 Rocket Transport Inc. .................................................................................... 17 Select Classic Carriers ..................................................................................... 31 Transam Carriers Inc. .................................................................................... 41 TransX ..................................................................................................................... 26 Trican .................................................................................................................... 16 Van-Kam Freightways Ltd. .................................................................... 24 & 25 B & W Insurance ............................................................................. 02 & 06 Cool Heat Truck Parts .......................................................................... 38 Howes Lubricator ......................................................................... 34 & 35 The Gear Centre .................................................................................. 43 Mobalign .................................................................................................. 15 Norris & Co. .............................................................................................. 22 Ocean Trailer .......................................................................................... 20 Traction ...................................................................................................... 14 Truck West Collision .............................................................................. 29 Trucking App ........................................................................................... 19 VOLTAAIR ................................................................................................. 33 Westland Insurance ............................................................................. 15 TRUCKING SERVICES
Colin Black
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