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From the Editor’s desk... VOlUME 17, iSSUE 03 PUBLISHER/EDITOR John White john.protrucker@shaw.ca PRODUCTION/CIRCULATION Tori Proudley tori.protrucker@shaw.ca ADMIN/SPECIAL EVENTS Donna White donna.protrucker@shaw.ca ADVERTISING/MARKETING John White john.protrucker@shaw.ca Tori Proudley tori.protrucker@shaw.ca CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dave Madill • Mel McConaghy Ben Proudley • Scott Casey Ed Murdoch • Colin Black Dennis Ruttan PHOTOGRAPHY David Benjatschek • Ben Proudley HEAD OFFICE Ph: 604-580-2092 Fax: 604-580-2046 Toll Free: 1-800-331-8127 Published eleven times a year by Pro-Trucker Magazine Inc.,
The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without prior written consent of the publisher. The advertiser agrees to protect the publisher against legal action based upon libelous or inaccurate statements; the unauthorized use of materials or photographs; and/or any other errors or omissions in connection with advertisements placed in Pro-Trucker Magazine. The publisher can and will refuse any advertising which in his opinion is misleading or in poor taste. The publisher does not endorse or make claim or guarantee the validity or accuracy of any advertisement herein contained. All materials submitted for publication are subject to editing at the publisher’s discretion. The act of mailing or e-mailing material shall be considered an expressed warranty by the contributor that the material is original and in no way an infringement on the rights of others.
PUBliCATiONS MAil AGrEEMENT #40033055 rETUrN UNDEliVErABlE CANADiAN ADDrESSES TO CirCUlATiON DEPT. 9693 129th Street. SUrrEY, B.C. V3T 3G3 Email: tori.protrucker@shaw.ca
PrO-TrUCKErMAGAZiNE MAGAZiNEe PrO-TrUCKEr
The two most common complaints I hear from drivers has to do with driving lights and distracted driving. On page 10 of this issue Sgt. Mark Whitworth tackles the driving light issue. Concerning distracted driving and texting in particular - I was at a stop light the other day sitting in the left lane, just behind a tractor trailer that was in the right lane. When the light turned my lane moved but the rig did not. As I reached the front of the truck the driver hit his air horn. The young girl in front of him, who John White was obviously texting, almost went through the roof when she heard the horn explode behind her. I smiled to myself as she took off like a scared rabbit but she soon slowed and as I caught up and passed her she had one hand on the wheel and was looking down at her lap - obviously still texting. The truck of course was already slowing down again. Distracted driving is now killing more people in Canada than impaired driving. In BC alone 81 people were killed by distracted driving in 2012, compared with 55 by impaired driving. It is said that the average text takes approximately six seconds to read. At 80 km per hour, you travel 450 feet or the length of one and a half football fields in six seconds. In Western Canada fines and demerit points on your license for distracted driving vary from province to province. They are: BC - $167 plus three demerit points; Alberta - $172 with no demerits; Saskatchewan - $280 with 4 demerits; Manitoba - $200 with 2 demerits. BC and Saskatchewan even prohibit drivers who have a graduated driver’s license from using any handsfree devices. It isn’t as if nothing is being done. 51,000 tickets were issued in B.C. alone last year for distracted driving. One driver in Vancouver has had 26 tickets for distracted driving since 2010 and has lost his licence and car. It is quite obvious that until tougher penalties, that are equal to the penalty for impaired driving, are put in place people will continue to text and drive. Western Canadian 2015 Truck Show’n Shines: APNA Truck Show, June 13 -14, Tradex, Abbotsford BC 604-596-9287; BC Big Rig Weekend, July 4-5, Chilliwack BC 604-580-2092; Cariboo Big Rig Show and Shine, July 18-19, Quesnel BC 250-991-2754, Chrome for Kids, August 7-9, Mission BC 604-881-6043; Hot Night In the City, August 7-9, Kamloops BC 250-320-8658; Irricana Truck show, August 7-9 Irricana, Alberta 403-935-4357; Alberta Big Rig Weekend, August 15-16, Red Deer AB 1-800-331-8127; Lesco Pro Show n’ Shine, Sept 18-19, Castro Raceways, Nisku, Alberta 452-8180. House of Chrome Show n’ Shine, Red River Ex Grounds, Headingley, Manitoba 204-832-1596 (Date to be confirmed.) If you are aware of any other shows in Western Canada please call or email us with the information. Good luck to everyone at the shows.
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Pro-Trucker Magazine’s 13th Annual
Big Rig Weekend
August 15/16 Westener Park, Red Deer, Alberta
BIG RIG SHOW ‘N SHINE • TOW TRUCK SHOW’N SHINE INDUSTRY TRADE BOOTHS • ON-SITE CAMPING • DOOR PRIZES SATURDAY NIGHT BEST LIGHTS COMPETITION STEAK DINNER FOR TWO WITH EACH TRUCK ENTRY
Face Painting • Balloons• Mini Golf • Roving Entertainers
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TRUCKER’S FAMILY WEEKEND!
For More Info Call 604-580-2092 www.protruckermagazine.com 15th Annual BC Big Rig Weekend July 4/5 Chilliwack Heritage Park, Chilliwack, BC PAGE 4
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LETTERS to the EDITOR
e Whit John agazine
rM rucke Pro-T
John White agazine Pro-Trucker M
John, When I hear sad news like the passing of writer Frank Cox it makes me more determined to retire and enjoy whatever time my wife and I have left. It’s seven weeks or so now till I’m 65, the caravan is ready to go, all we need is the weather. Take care Tori, John and family tata the noo Colin Black, Scotland. Editor’s note: I have received a number emails about Frank’s passing. His stories about driving in Ireland and through England and on the Continent were very popular with our readers. I hope you enjoy your retirement Colin but I also hope that you keep writing your stories. Tori Proudley, Thank you for the reminder that my subscription to
Pro-Trucker Magazine is about to run out. I very much enjoy your magazine and look forward to each issue. Although I live in Ontario I have a great friend “Doug McIlwrick” who lives in Calgary and is a lifelong trucker. A couple of years ago I wrote to you about Doug facing Cancer and he is doing remarkably well now. Keep up the great work with your magazine and your upbeat attitude. Best Wishes Larry Bolton Tori: Thank you for your kind words Larry. I’m sure a lot of people will be glad to hear that Doug is doing well. Dear John: I hope you can help us. In June of 2015 we are having a reunion for former employees, drivers, lease operators, customers, salesmen, parts people, mechanics, etc. who hauled for or had dealings with Sandstra Bros. Transport Ltd., Red Deer, AB between the 1970’s and 1990’s. During that time a lot of lifelong friendships were formed and many of the guys have kept in touch. However there are a lot of people that we have no way of contacting. I would like to emphasize that the Sandstra family is not organizing the reunion - they are invited guests like everyone else. They will however be contributing
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pictures and other memorabilia as well as a history of the company. Word of mouth has helped immensely but we still need assistance to get the word out to as many people as possible. The reunion will be held June 12th, 13th and 14th five miles east of Innisfail at Aberdeen Community Centre. To register or for more information please call Roger Olson or Sandra Wright at 1-403-2276376 or email us at sbwright@telus.net Thank you for your help. Sandra Wright, Innisfail, AB Dear John, They say that attitude is simply our inner thoughts seeping through our skin. Well, over the past fifteen years I’ve noticed a different attitude on the rigs that roll by me on the highways of Western Canada. Your magazine celebrates pride in transport and I’m seeing more and more of that pride show up in the look of trucks rolling down the road. There have always been some nice trucks on the road but the Show n Shines Pro-Trucker started in Western Canada really got the ball rolling and is constantly showing up through more chrome, custom work and cleaner, shinier trucks on the road. Not only does it make a good impression on the public but the shows have helped to make many small businesses that supply custom parts and accessories, as
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well as body and paint shops, successful as well. That first impression a truck makes rolling into a yard really can make a difference as to how a company`s service is perceived. The confidence it breeds leads to long-time customers and better profitability. As always, I`m really looking forward to this year’s Big Rig Weekends in Chilliwack and Red Deer. I can’t believe it’s been 15 years for the BC Big Rig and 12 years for the Alberta show. Keep up the good work. David Benjatschek, Calgary AB Editor’s note: I can’t take the credit David. We have Big Rig Weekends because of two people, Dale Feechuck and
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Randy Peluso. Dale was a truck driver as was Randy who started Pro-Trucker Magazine. Dale came to us for help with putting on a show in December of 1999. We were hesitant because Pro-Trucker was only one year old at the time and just getting going. We met again in February of 2000 and finally agreed to help. When Dale unexpectedly passed away before the first show I suggested we cancel the show as we could not afford the time or money needed to put it on. With his loyal Irish Italian roots shining through, Randy’s exact words were, “No, we’re going to do it for the old Ukrainian.” The first couple shows were very tight and expensive, but as time went on sponsors saw the value in the shows and the rest is history.
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By Ben Proudley Ben has been a Class 1 driver for 15 years. He started out driving wreckers and currently heavy hauls for Hertz Equipment Rentals. Ben was our Rig of the Month in March of 2008
In the new age of social media, we drivers are under an even bigger microscope than before. It used to be if you heard about a truck accident it was through the old way of social media, VHF radio or CB. Truckers were usually the only ones who knew about what was up on the road ahead. Images of wrecks were few and far
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between. Sometimes drivers caught by the wreck would stop and take pictures with their camera, which was usually a 35mm film, no digital cameras like today. The images were just viewed by other drivers and family. There was no internet, cellphone cameras, or dash cams either. Wrecks were talked about but seldom seen. Now if there is a problem, wreck, breakdown, or other incident, technology makes it almost instant public knowledge. It has is usefulness but can also have negative effect as well. A poor decision by a driver that does not end well can be judged by every armchair trucker. Many of whom have no idea what kind of skill it takes to operate a rig. Don’t get me wrong, there are many drivers who do understand, and many that should not be on the road operating a big rig, but that is a whole other topic. Companies and truckers alike are painted in a bad light by the public and media. The news runs stories slanted to make people watch or read the stories they run. Not something new, but when just about every Tom, Dick and Harry has a cellphone camera, it makes it hard to ignore. You never see someone record and report about a professional and courteous driver. That does not sell papers or cause you to be interested in the news story. It is a shame that it does not. Our industry used to be a proud and respected one. There are still many of us who take great pride in what we do, and will continue
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as well as poor driving habits of four wheelers. Then your friends see it, professional drivers as well as those Drivers 70-90 CENTS PER MILE! who are not. They start sharing it, and then their friends see it. Sooner or later people start to get the idea. If one person gains respect for big rigs and what we do, it is well worth the time and effort. Dash cams may also help to prove to a judge or a Super B & tridem step police officer that you indeed were not at fault. That yes, 2 yrs exp & acceptable abstract that four wheeler did cut you off with no time to spare, Western Canada & USA hence you hitting it. Now you are not at fault simply Some dedicated runs because you are a professional driver and should know better. We must learn to use social media to educate people about what it is really like to be a driver and try to not fall victim to bad mouthing other drivers and companies. Start showing the world what the bigger problem is. Safer roads start with better training for your car license. Once that happens, better training for higher licenses must also come next. Rules of the road need to be respected and followed at all times. Laws do need to be enforced better for sure. Reality is that will Sgt. Mark Whitworth The Bear’s View not happen. So the best we can do is try to affect change ourselves. People’s lives and reputations depend on it. The Flame Thrower ***** One of the best things about having the opportunity to Contrary To Popular Belief run with my better half is being there if he needs me, or I Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any need him. This past December we had one of those nights. It more that standing in your garage makes you a car… was cold, minus 20 cold, with a wind chill that made it much
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colder. We were loaded and had just pulled two really good hills so we were working our trucks really hard. The traffic northbound was pretty heavy as we crested the final hill and made our way to the passing lane when Eric cried out on the radio in a panic, “I think I’m on fire!” From the seat of his truck all he could see was an orange glow on his trailers so he knew something was wrong - very wrong When he sang out I looked in my mirrors and sure enough there were flames. I grabbed my radio and said, “Holy crap babe – you’re on fire!” It was one of those moments I wish I had my camera aimed and ready as I’m sure I will never see anything like it again. Here he was cruising along at 100kms with 4 foot flames shooting out both of his stacks!! I can only imagine what the oncoming traffic thought in those moments. Eric immediately shut his truck down and pulled over. Knowing how dedicated he is and how much he loves that truck, I’m sure he was thinking that if it was his trailers he was pulling the pin and saving the truck. He was behind me so I pulled over and stopped as quickly as I could but he was a ways behind me and was out of his truck so I wasn’t getting any information and was starting to panic. We haul crude oil and while it’s not as flammable as fuel it is still as dangerous and catching fire while loaded with 41,000 liters of crude is not good. He finally got back in his truck and gave me the low down.
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His truck pushes between 850 and 950 hp and it sounds as good as it looks but in that moment the turbo blew spewing hot oil into the exhaust which caught fire and shot up his stacks. He couldn’t run the truck and doesn’t have a bunk heater so he crawled into my truck to wait for a rescue. It was 4 hours later before his trailers were picked up by another rig and his truck, which I now call the flamethrower, was on the hook and headed to the shop. It was down for 3 days before it was fixed so we teamed in my truck, another bonus about working together. Mind you Eric may disagree, as he had to learn how to drive my truck. It has the def system and has nowhere near the horsepower his truck has so it’s a completely different ride. So once again I got to come to his rescue, but quite honestly this girl isn’t complaining - who wouldn’t want a snuggle on a cold December night.....
“Yup, he’s 100 years old.” said the farmer, “He worked with me this morning.” “Well,” said the doctor, “that’s great, but how old was your fathers father he when he died?” “Who said he’s dead?” asked the farmer. ***** An 80-year-old farmer went for a check-up. The doctor, Stunned, the doctor said, “You mean your grandfather is still amazed at the good shape he was in asked, “How do you stay alive?” “Yup, he’s 118 years old,” said the farmer. in such great shape?” “I farm,” said the old guy, “I’m up early and go out plowing “So, I guess he went with you this morning too?” asked the doctor. and mending fences.” “No, he couldn’t go because he’s getting married today.” “Well,” said the doctor, “how old was your father when he “Getting married!! Why would a 118 year-old guy want to died?” get married?” “Who said he’s dead?” asked the farmer. The doctor was “Who said he wanted to?” amazed. “You mean he’s still alive?”
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Reflections Thru My Windshield
Dave Madill
Dave Madill was Pro-Trucker Magazine’s Rig of the Month in June of 2001 and he has been entertaining us with his poetry ever since. Dave has published three books of poems that are available by special order through Chapters Book Stores.
TrUcKInG FoXes Early one spring evening Dad called me out to the garage to look at our old # 9 - B61 dump truck that had been on a job hauling garbage out of a wrecking yard. Seems that a crane swung around with some steel on it and smashed the door while it was open, punching a 4 inch hole right through it, smashing the window and bending it badly enough that the driver had to put a come-a-long on it to make it back home. Well not much of a problem I said and 20 minutes later the door was sitting in the corner and we inspected the rest of the cab to make sure we could hang another door. Dad said that he thought there was still a good door and window on a wreck we had up in the pit and I said I would go up in the morning and pull it. Next morning bright and early I hopped in the pickup with a bunch of tools and headed up the road to the pit. Up on the entrance road I could see the wreck parked against the berm on the other side under some Sumac trees. I thought I saw a flash of red and some movement but never really paid it any mind. I parked the pickup as close as I
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could get to the old girl and wandered on over to inspect things and was shocked to see a Red Fox duck out from under the truck and bound off into the bushes. I reached up and opened the door and found to my surprise that there was a rusted out hole in the floor on the passenger’s side and four little fox kits that could not have been over two days old lying on a bunch of old rags right in front of the driver’s seat. Now I like animals so I quickly closed the door and retreated to the pickup and backed away figuring that Momma Fox would come back as soon as I cleared out and move the kits. Well I was partly right, she came back and went into the cab and stayed there. Time for plan B but I was not sure what it would be yet. Back down to the garage, drag the old door out of
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the corner and start working on it with a torch and sledge hammer trying to get in into some semblance of order and then Dad showed up wanting to know what I was thinking of. I explained about the foxes and told him I was going to bend the door straight enough that I could put it back on the wreck just to shield the kits after I removed the door I needed. I could tell from the look I got that Dad thought I had lost my mind but he just shook his head and walked away muttering about crazy kids and animals. Couple hours working on the door and I threw it in the pick up and went back up to the pit. I pulled up as close as I could get again and Mrs. Fox ducked out from under the wreck and scampered up the berm and then turned around and watched me as I dragged my door over to the wreck and opened up her door. I worked on it very carefully for about fifteen minutes and removed it and then spent another 10 minutes or so putting the bent one back on and securing it with baling wire. By the time I was finished Mrs. Fox was about ten feet from me and she had yapped a couple times to make sure I knew she was watching. As I threw the door in the back of the pickup she went back in under the truck and the next thing I seen was her head watching me through the missing window. Back down to the garage and half an hour later had #9 up and running and none too worse for wear with a “new” door and all things in place. I went back up to the pit and
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fired up the loader then moved the road just a little further away from the Foxes. I could see she had not moved the kits as every once in a while she would poke her head up and make sure nothing was up at my end of the pit. This turned into what was the greatest spring and summer at the pit we ever had. Despite being busy hauling crushed rock, every time you turned around there would be a little red head watching and soon they became so used to us that they hardly paid any attention as long as you were not within twenty or thirty feet. All three of our drivers and myself started dropping little tidbits of meat and scraps off near the old truck and soon we had the kits eating out of our hands but Momma and Poppa were a bit less circumspect. Dad never commented on our zoo but I did notice that every once in a while there would be extras dropped off after he left. Those foxes stayed all summer and then moved on but for the next three years we had a fox den in the old truck and lots of little paw prints all over anything that was left in the pit overnight. *****
Quotes of the day...
“Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.” ~ Henry Thomas Buckle “Rumor travels faster, but it don’t stay put as long as truth. ” ~ Will Rogers PAGE 18
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Hwy 17 & 130 St.
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Rig of the Month
by John White
Photo’s by Pro-Trucker Magazine hard work and dedication to his customers, built a very successful business. In 1952 Amar had a son, Mickey, who like most boys loved to be around the trucks. He would play at the shop and always be quick to jump in and
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ride with his father whenever he had the chance. Amar Fuels was so successful that in 1961 Amar started Jete’s Trucking. Then in 1968, at just sixteen years of age, Mickey started driving full time and learning the business side of the company. Amar and Mickey worked together building the company until 1979 when Amar semi-retired and Mickey took over the day to day operations of the business. By this time they had a fleet of ten trucks that hauled lumber, steel, plywood and equipment all across western Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Mickey, in the meantime, had married and started a family of his own. First he had three children Veena, Terry and Billy. Terry Mattu is our April 2015 Rig of the Month driver and this is his story: I was born and raised in south Vancouver with my younger brother Billy and my older sister Veena. As far back as I can remember I was always around trucks. I could always be found wandering around the shop or out playing truck driver in one of the ‘retired’ trucks in the yard. I can remember back when I was very young, I would sit on my Dad’s lap and he would let me steer the truck all around the yard. Whenever I got the chance I would go for rides with him to all the different mills around the lower mainland where he hauled lumber. Sometimes I would even get to go on short road trips to the mill that we hauled out of in Boston Bar. I can still remember that the first truck I ever rode in – it was a
Gurjit, Terry and Ayden Mattu Hayes Clipper. One of the trucks that my Dad drove a lot was a 1982 Peterbilt Cab over with a 3408 V8 Cat engine. He liked cab overs and they are my favourite too. I like how you sit up high and how they look. There was never any doubt in my mind when I was growing up about what I was going to be when I got older. In elementary school while other kids were drawing horses or houses I was drawing trucks – always trucks. Other kids wanted to be doctors, lawyers, policemen or firemen but I always insisted that I wanted to be a truck
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driver. A big part of that decision was because my father was my hero - I always looked up to him and wanted to grow up to be just like him. By the time I was 12 years old, my dad started to let me move trucks around the yard and when I got old enough he took me out and gave me a driving lesson. From that point on I basically taught myself to drive through trial and error. I used to talk to the drivers a lot and then I would go out and mess around with the trucks, practicing driving and shifting gears. I went to David Thompson high school in Vancouver and during summer holidays I worked in one of the lumber mills that we hauled for. It was hard work but I learned a lot. As soon as I graduated I went to work full time with my Dad. In 1997, as soon as I turned 19, I went for my Class 1 license. Our trucks were always working so I had to use a driving school truck for my road test. I guess all that practice in the yard and growing up listening to the truck as my dad shifted gears helped me because I didn’t have any problems – I easily passed the road test the first time out. I started training with some of the other drivers the very next day. I learned where to go at the different mills, which routes to take to get there and back, and how to tie a load down properly. Then one day we were short a driver and we had loads that had to go out. Dad looked at me asked if I thought I could handle it and I assured him I
could. He tossed me the keys and told me go for it. I have to admit that I was more than a little nervous but I loved it. The feeling of being in full control and all by myself was great. I felt like I was king of the road. I was soon driving full time hauling containers of lumber to the ports. The first truck I drove professionally was a 1996 Kenworth T800 day cab. It had a 475 horse power Cat engine, which was big power at that time, with an 18 speed transmission. After driving for the first nine months without any problems Dad got to the point where he trusted me enough to buy me a brand new set of B-Trains. After that I started hauling lumber all over the lower mainland from Hope to North Vancouver. After a couple of years of town work I started hauling the odd load from places in the interior like Boston Bar, 100 Mile House, Williams Lake, Quesnel, Merritt and Kamloops. I did those runs for the next 5 years straight. In 1982 my grandfather semi-retired and my Dad took over the full day to day operations but grandpa always came around to see what was going on. I think that he was just so used to working that he didn’t know what else to do. in 2002 my Dad said that he was going to semi-retire. He did turn most of the day to day work over to us but he still came into the office seven days a week to check things over. My brother Billy came to work for the company when he finished school and by 2005 we had built
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the business up to the point that we incorporated MTB Freightways as a sister company. Things didn’t always go smoothly with my father and me. Like any father and son we had our disagreements from time to time but we always stayed together. I always knew that he just wanted me to be the best that I could be. He wanted me to be successful and, when the time came, he wanted me to be able to carry on the family business in the same way, and with the same professionalism and dedication, that he and my grandfather had. One thing that he always insisted on was keeping good clean equipment. Safety always came first. If there was a problem it got fixed right away. He knew that pulling into a yard in a nice clean truck created a professional image in the mind of the customer. This kept our customers happy and it brought in a lot of new business over the years. He also knew that if you ran good equipment you could attract and keep good drivers. All things being equal, if a driver has the chance to drive a good looking truck or an average one, they will pick the nice one every time. For that reason there was never any problem if I wanted to buy a bit of chrome or keep the paint jobs up on our trucks. In 2008 I started going to BC Big Rig Weekend. I had been out to see it a few times without a truck but that year I decided to enter it. We had a great time and have been going back ever since. Dad was really pleased that we
were showing the trucks and very proud of the trophies we brought back to the office. I get along great with the guys and girls at the scales. They have been very fair with us over the years. When hauling lumber locally we will often go over the same scale three or four times a day so after a while you get to know ever yone. We respect them and the job they do and they know that we do regular maintenance on our trucks so that they are always in good mechanical condition. The only tickets I’ve ever had was for the occasional overweight – I’ve never had an out of service ticket. We obviously try to avoid the overweight ones too but we used to be paid by the board foot so we tried to carry as much as possible without going over. Unfortunately we sometimes
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misjudged the load. I’ve had a lot of fun on the road and have often travelled with a group of our trucks in a convoy. One time I was hauling a load out of 100 mile house with about 5 of our other trucks when one of the guys stepped on his brakes and instantly knew there was a problem. It turned out that somewhere along the line he had developed a bad air leak in a brake line. We were just north of Cache Creek so we limped into town looking for a shop. After asking around we finally found the only mechanic that was there at the time. I’m not saying he wasn’t a good mechanic in his day, but this poor old fellow had to be about 80 years old and when we met he said, “I can’t hear that well or see that good but if you show me which line it is I’ll can fix it.” We were standing 50 feet away and could all hear the air leaking but the driver had to put on coveralls and take him right under the trailer and show him which line was leaking. Once he found it he did a great job but that wasted about half day. I’ve seen my share of accidents on the road and around town but luckily nothing too serious. Traffic around the lower mainland can be crazy at times. It seems that whenever someone sees a truck they just have to get in front of it. Cutting from the passing lane right across in front of a truck to get to an exit is almost common. I’ve had a couple minor fender benders from people cutting me off but no real accidents to speak of - and none where
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I was at fault. September 29, 2014 was the worse day of my life. My Dad had passed away in his sleep. It was a tremendous shock – he was only 61 years old. We were devastated. Billy now dispatches the container trucks and I look after the day to day operations of the company. I still drive from time to time if we are short of drivers. Sometimes this will be for a day, and sometimes a week or two at a time. When I do drive I usually take our 2007 Freightliner Argosy, cab over. It has a Detroit series 60 engine that has been bumped up with a Bully Dog to 550hp. Occasionally I will drive my baby, the 1987 Peterbilt 359L, that you see on the cover of this issue. It has a 425 mechanical cat and an 18 speed transmission. Most of the time though I keep it in the shed and just use it for truck shows and parades. After driving all day I always come back to the office at night to do dispatch as well as overlook the rest of the business – a habit I got from my dad and grandfather. I got married October 2008 to my wife, Gurjit. We have a son, Ayden, who turns five this month, and we have a daughter, Mikayla, who is 2 months old. She was born on New Year’s day. My Mom still lives in Vancouver. We currently run 37 trucks and have about 40 employees including our drivers, office staff and mechanics. It now looks very much like Ayden will be the 4th generation trucker in our family. He is showing the same interest in trucks and driving that I did as a kid – all he
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wants to do is come to the yard and play in the trucks. Like my Dad did with me, I set him on my knee and he steers the truck around the yard. The only difference is I can’t remember going in circles as much as he likes to. I almost get dizzy. It is a great way to be close to my son but it also brings back a lot of fond memories of doing that with my dad. *****
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Loaded up, I’m rollin slow I’ve got all day, to make this show This Cat runs good, at about 14 just had it washed, still all pristine when around the bend, there is a sight that makes me shudder, in sheer fright a cloud that looms, just ahead my hopes of shine, will soon be dead You gotta be joking, I angrily mumble yet another block, on which to stumble Just as the road spray, hits my tanks I find the strength, to give thanks at least it’s rain, and not the snow I’ll rinse her off, she’s good to go
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TRUCKER’S FAMILY WEEKEND!
Pro-Trucker Magazine’s 15th Annual
BC Big Rig Weekend July 4/5 Chilliwack Heritage Park, Chilliwack, BC
70,000 SQ.FT. OF INDOOR TRADEBOOTH DISPLAY & TRUCK PARKING (BC ONLY)
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13th Annual Alberta Big Rig Weekend August 15/16 Westener Park, Red Deer, Alberta PAGE 32
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Tyres Across The Pond
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINEe
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.
C B Radio
The company I work for now has Roadhawk cameras fitted to all the trucks in the fleet. One drawback is that everything we say in the cab, and listen to on the radio, can be recorded. I’ve got no doubt that the cameras are a good thing, I’ve watched enough online video clips of bad and downright dangerous drivers to be convinced of that. In fact, a clip I saw on the Pro-Trucker Facebook page that resulted in a dangerous driver being caught because a driver had an on board camera. The clip showed a maniac driver overtaking a grader and forcing an oncoming truck off the road to avoid a head on collision. A reduction in insurance premiums is the reason my company has given for the fitting of these cameras which is probably why all the other big transport outfits over here have fitted cameras in their trucks too. Some companies have even put a warning sticker on their trucks saying, ‘video recording equipment fitted to this vehicle.’ My buddy, Arthur, drives for a big DIY company called, B&Q and they fitted the cameras because of a
scam running over here called, crash for cash. The scammers drive about in cars and flash their lights like they’re giving the truckers right of way to pull out at junctions. Then when the truck pulls out they crash into it. Before we had cameras it was the truck driver’s word against the car drivers. Now, even if there were passengers in the car, the video evidence is there to back up the driver’s story. A lot of the drivers in my company objected, saying they didn’t want everything they said in the cab recorded. You know how suspicious drivers can be. They said that they thought the company would use the recordings against them if maybe they shouted at some dufus who cut them up. But the real reason they didn’t want the sound recorded was because now they couldn’t use their mobile phones. It’s a sacking offence in our company to use a mobile phone on the move, even with a hands free system. Unfortunately now some drivers send texts while on the move. Texting is silent and can’t be picked up by the recording, but compared to calling a buddy on a hands free mobile phone, it’s much more dangerous. CB radios used to be very popular over here but a lot of big companies like mine don’t want drivers doing anything other than driving so they don’t allow them. It is too bad because the CB is a great early warning device for traffic hold-ups and it also keeps you alert if you happen to be a wee bit weary. Listening to music and opening a window is OK, but there’s no substitute for a conversation
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with another human being. Years ago I had a group of buddies that left their base about the same time as me and we would talk all the way south. The further south we got the smaller the group became as we started to split up to get to our different delivery points. Friday nights on the way south there would be a sing song. One of the gang fancied himself as a singer and usually started the karaoke session. I don’t think the general public would believe some of the topics we truckers used to discuss on air. I knew two drivers that work for the same firm who used to talk about soup when there was nobody else about. Scotch broth, Leek and potato, and any weird and wonderful mixtures of ingredients they felt like trying. Oh how I miss the old CB. ***** High School Reunion A husband went with his wife to her high school reunion. After meeting several of her friends and former school mates, they are sitting at a table where he is yawning and overly bored. The band cranks up and people are beginning to dance. There’s a guy on the dance floor living it large, break dancing, moon walking, back flips, buying drinks for people, the works. Wife turns to her husband and says, “See that guy? 25 years ago he proposed to me and I turned him down.” Husband says: “Looks like he’s still celebrating!!!
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APNA TRUCK SHOW
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Kiss This DOT has me shut down, but I’m not even tired. The company says to be on time or else you will be fired. Shipper says to hurry up, but he took eight hours to load. The company says I can make that up out there on the road. They made me an appointment and tell me I can’t be late; I’m already four hours behind when I pull out of the gate. Smokey says I drive too fast, and to back it off to fifty-five; Dispatch says, you’re running late; put your foot in it and drive. I back my trailer to the dock, and I’m only two hours late. Receiver says, “Don’t sweat it, son, we don’t need it ‘til next week.” The life of a long hauler is sure not filled with bliss. I don’t mind them screwing me; but I sure would like a kiss.
G N I R I H
Dave Madill
Dave Madill was Pro-Trucker Magazine’s Rig of the Month in June of 2001 and he has been entertaining us with his poetry ever since. Dave has published three books of poems that are available by special order through Chapters Book Stores or amazon.com
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3/18/2013 11:43:10 AM
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