Pro-Trucker Magazine | July 2019 Issue

PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE

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July2019 Rig of The Month Driver Marvin Agiles

juLY 2019

ALbErtA biG riG wEEkEnd juLY 6/7 in Edmonton EmAiL john for dEtAiLs john@PtmAG

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PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE

604-449-3339

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PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE

from The eDiTor’s DesK

By John WhiTe

VOLUME 21, ISSUE 06 OF 11

PUBLISHER/EDITOR John White john@ptmag.ca PRODUCTION/CIRCULATION Tori Proudley tori@ptmag.ca ADMINISTRATION Donna White donna@ptmag.ca ADVERTISING/MARKETING John White john@ptmag.ca Tori Proudley tori@ptmag.ca CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dave Madill • Scott Casey • Cyn Tobin Greg Evasiuk • Dale Howard Ed Murdoch • Colin Black • David Rusk Bill Weatherstone • Lane Kranenburg PHOTOGRAPHY Ben Proudley David Benjatschek wowtrucks.com HEAD OFFICE Phone: 604-580-2092 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.

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SURREY, B.C. V3T 3G3 Email: tori@ptmag.ca juLY 2019

In response to the Humboldt tragedy 3 western Provinces have followed Ontario’s lead and have either introduced or have set a start date for Mandatory Entry Level Training (MELT) for Class 1 drivers.

Ontario: Mandatory entry-level training includes at least 103.5 hours of instruction Classroom - 36.5 hours Yard training -17 hours On-road training - 32 hours Off-road training - 18 hours Manitoba: Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler has announced that mandatory entry-level training (MELT) for commercial truck drivers will come into effect Sept. 1. The requirements will include 121.5 hours of training but a breakdown concerning training has not been released at this time.

Saskatchewan: Drivers have to undergo 121.5 hours of in-classroom, in-yard, and behind the wheel training.

New drivers who pass will be subject to a 12-month safety monitoring period once they received their Class 1 licence.

The training consists of: Classroom time - 47 hours Yard training - 17.5 hours On-road training 39 hours Off-road 18.

There are different rules for drivers who drive exclusively for farm operations. They will need to obtain an “F” endorsement on their existing driver’s licence, a requirement that also starts on March 15. Those drivers will only be allowed to operate within Saskatchewan’s borders, and are subject to the same 12-month safety monitoring program. The training cost will be $9,000 to $10,000. For this reason there has been a rush of people trying to get their Class 1 before the new rules are brought in. Between Jan.

1 and March 13, 2018 487 people took their road test. Over the same period this year 1,895 people booked the test.

Alberta: The Class 1 MELT program will take 113 hours to complete.

This does not include the Air Brake program. The course consists of: Classroom training – 40.5 hours In-yard training - 15.5 hours Practical training - 57 hours Alberta does not have an on-road or off-road requirement for behind the wheel training.

British Columbia: No program.

16 hour air brake course Pass road test What is wrong with this picture?

BC has by far the most dangerous roads in Canada and yet they do not have a mandatory training school requirement let alone a MELT program for Class 1 drivers. On top of that they do not provide student loans for the driving schools that do offer very good advanced training courses.

While the advanced courses is still by far the better option because of the opportunity to go to work for a better company earning better wages to start, the cost of this training is out of reach for the vast majority of new drivers.

BC’s reasoning? (Excuse for inaction?) The Federal Government has indicated Mandatory Entry Level Training will be implemented across Canada by January of 2020. BC is waiting to see what this consists of.

Last year ICBC BC’s mandatory insurance agency, who controls licensing in the province, lost an estimated 1.18 billion dollars. This year they decreased the amount paid out for injuries and increased the cost of insurance. One would think they would put as much effort into prevention. The horse has left the barn. r

ALbErtA biG riG wEEkEnd juLY 6/7 in Edmonton EmAiL john for dEtAiLs john@PtmAG

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L ETTERS to the EDITOR

e Whit John azine

ag ker M c u r T Proite

John Wh Magazine Pro-Trucker

I must add a disclaimer. I have a photographic memory – according to me, but it is the recall that I have trouble with.

Load light, Bind tight & Go like hell!

Glen Millard (The Duck) Chilliwack, BC

Editor’s note: Glen is old school and does not use email.

This is not the first handwritten letter I have received but is was one of the easiest to read. I liked his sense of humour John, I just read your editorial from June about the LCV so I asked Glen to send me one of his stories. He did – it licenses and how unless you have a satellite office in is below… another province your drivers can not get a license to pull LCVs in BC. How screwed up can you get? What is the How I Started matter with ICBC that they cannot come up with a way to By Glen Millard (The Duck) I must tell you more about how I learned to drive a truck. test drivers? Why don’t they send an inspector to Alberta to learn how to drive one themselves and then test BC In the early years almost every driver had a nickname. drivers? Talk about not being able to get there from here! They belonged to the trucker family and you only had to mention the nickname and all drivers in the Western Bob Duclos Provinces knew who you were talking about.

Surrey, BC Back then the freight came from the west to Winnipeg Editor’s note: It is pass the buck time…everyone’s ducking and from the east to Winnipeg. In Winnipeg the trucks switched trailers and went back home. In order to haul their heads on this one. on that run or anything going south to the U.S. you had to be 25 years old with 5 years of experience. Those were John, I have been in the trucking industry all my life but trucking company rules, not government. There were no this is my first time writing to the editor of a magazine. log books so you slept when tired, drove when you felt I enjoy Pro-Trucker Magazines, they help to keep me in good and you would stop and eat with your buddies. There touch with the old and not so old culture of trucking. I were no radios. When you met a truck that you recognized am retired and just tired of the highway. I consider myself you would turn on your left turn signal and he would do an experienced driver with an incredible driving record. I the same. Since I wasn’t 25 years old or have 5 years of think it is because of years of experience (seat time) and experience, I would drive anything that required manual labour to load and unload. You didn’t get paid for loading luck – especially in the early years.

I started driving commercially in 1960, 14 years old, or unloading, just 3 cents per mile.

During this time I learned what an insecure load was. I hauling fuel from Saskatoon refinery to the bulk storage in Herschel, SK., 140 miles one way. The truck was a was sent to a field at Balcarres, SK., just outside of Regina, Super Duty Ford gas job, single axle with a 3 compartment where I was told I had to pick up a load of straw bales. tank. The company was a one owner, one truck operation They were small squares that I had to load alone, by hand, for Royalite Fuel. Pay was $20 per trip. By the mile it 7 layers high, from the field onto the 32 foot trailer. In those works out to .07 cents per mile and nothing for loading or days there were no bungee straps or belts and winches. unloading. The semi highway standard pay at the time was We just used chains from the corners of the deck to meet together at the center of the top of the load, front and back.

3-5 cents per mile.

The training was “don’t spill” and “stay out of the You then laid a single chain from the back to the front and ditch”. About the same as some companies now-a-days! tightened it with load binders. Straw bales are slippery, The difference was less traffic, less power and speed was chains break strings, a strong head wind – none of this adds B.I.C., (Best I Can). I am sure it was so slow uphill that up to a good day.

I pulled onto the Department of Highways Government with a load on, a derelict with a shopping cart in the ditch picking bottles could pass me! But I was on top of the weigh scales between the two lanes of highway west of Regina and there was a black and white police cruiser at world. I was driving a truck and earning money.

Since then I have travelled an undocumented 4 million the scale and I wasn’t even nervous. I was inexperienced – miles not including around the race tracks or at home or the sense to be nervous comes with experience. As I pulled pleasure driving. I believe that I have seen and experienced onto the highway I met an eastbound PIE-PIX pulling an A the good, the bad and the ugly. I would not change any of train and there was a big puff of wind as we met. I looked it. I enjoy sharing my experiences and views with other in the only rear-view mirror that I had, which was on the driver’s side, only to see the largest straw stack you ever truckers. juLY 2019

alberta big rig weekend July 6/7 in edmonton email john for details john@ptmag

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PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE

saw swirling down the road behind me with a cop car driving straight through it.

There must have been something big and hard in the middle of the hay pile because the light was gone off the roof, his windshield was shattered, the grille was caved in and steam was coming out of the front end of the police car. I pulled over as far as I could to the edge of the road and stopped as there were no shoulders. The cop came up and I got out to meet him. I still wasn’t nervous. He asked why I didn’t stop sooner. I told him, I didn’t see his light.

He said thanks to me it was in the back seat of his car. He said, “Shut the truck off and get into my car before it quits.

We are going to the scale house.”

When we got there the car quit just as another police car pulled up. I began to get nervous. The Saskatchewan Minister of Highways, Harry Greene, got out of the passenger side! He said that I was going to clean up the road and the ditches with a hand rake and a fork.

The company that I was driving for was Eagle Transport out of Regina. They sent out another empty trailer for me to put the straw into. It took me 2 ½ days to clean it all up and in that time almost everyone I knew drove by and they all waved and laughed at me.

I finally got done and Harry came out to inspect. He said that he understood I was new on the road and he figured that I had learned a lesson and I never quit. That is the secret to a long trucking career, don’t quit – no matter what.

Open 6:00 am to 7:30 pm Mon to Fri 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Saturdays

Canyon Cable 1988 Ltd. 930-6th Ave., Hope, BC 604-869-9036 Toll Free 1-800-588-8868 Harry said that I had done a good job so there would be no ticket this time. He hoped that I had many years of happy driving ahead of me and he also hoped that he never met me on the road again.

I never ever had an insecure load again until about 2011 or 2012. That involved the floor mat which fell out of Brad Pitt’s car which I was hauling in my car hauling years. But that’s a story for another day.

See you on the rebound, Editor’s note: For our readers: We are always interested in trucking stories so if you would like to share a story just send it in and no promises but we will take a look at it. r

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PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE

Driving Through my Memories

By Ed Murdoch

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 at www.drivingthroughmymemories.ca Hitchhiking Part II The art of cheap personal travel via the pollex, that short, thick first digit of the human hand, also known as the thumb, has changed dramatically since I was young. Today it is very difficult, if not quite impossible, to convince a driver to stop and rescue you whilst he/she are attempting to negotiate heavy traffic. Stopping and/or hitchhiking today are often banned on highways and in municipal cores anyway. On top of that the more traffic congestion and the more baggage, the tougher it is to get a ride these days anyway.

As a well-travelled youth, the pollex on my right hand garnered an impressive number of miles … keeping in mind the longer distances and two-lane highways which kept speeds within reason. There were, as in all activities, the out-of-control rebel(s) who drove with little or no consideration for other users of the roadways, occasionally, or more often than not under the influence of a banned juLY 2019

substance. A whole carload of these witless morons picked me up in South River about 40 miles south of North Bay and took me kicking and screaming to New Liskeard another 100 miles or so. Once calmed down and rid of the aura of whisky fumes, I continued on my journey un-phased.

Once while living in Barrie, ON about 55 miles north of Toronto, I somehow found myself in Hogtown (Toronto) with both my personal conveyance and my large car. Not to be defeated by this situation I drove my truck and trailer to the BP oasis north of town on Hwy 400. I then ran across the freeway, pulled out my pollex and the first vehicle who saw me cross the road picked me up and took me to my VW bug. I drove that to the GULF oasis at Barrie, ran across the road, stuck out my opposing digit and lo and behold the first car stopped and took me back to my truck which I drove to the Gulf Truck Stop. That is how I arrived home in the bug, picked up my wife and kids, drove back to the truck and the offspring happily climbed into the cab to go for a ride with Daddy in the truck.

In the early ‘70s we, the whole fam damily, climbed into the International ‘B’ COE I was driving. It was October, the kids were in school but it was an opportunity for a road trip.

When my wife and I, both ex-teachers, explained it to the principal of the school they were attending we were given carte blanche so with workbooks, crayons, scotch tape and other necessities off we went. We were doing cleanup for the parent company and had deliveries to school boards in

alberta big rig weekend July 6/7 in edmonton email john for details john@ptmag

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Sudbury, Espanola, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, Kenora and 7 deliveries to trucking companies in Edmonton for furtherance to northern Alberta and the NWT. Every stop along the way at a tourist or historic site required an entry in their workbook, along with brochures, postcards and the like, which the children proudly displayed to their classes when they returned to school. And we were always figuring out how many miles to the next town, how much diesel we held and the distance it could take us … so there was lotsa book larnin’ for the wee uns.

When he grew up my older son and I ran team for a while until he qualified to drive a company truck on his own. He is one of the few drivers to whom I would say, “Good night!”, crawl into the bunk, close the curtain and go to sleep with confidence. From the old school, I am of the opinion that if the unit is moving, then I absolutely have to be in the driver’s saddle. I’m certain most of you have experienced this same feeling.

Don’t go away, stay right here … next month we’ll continue with a bizarre experience or two. Stay cool & hydrated, Remember safety is not an accident … 10-4! *****

First Date

A book on marriage that I was reading says to treat your wife like you treated her on the first date, so after dinner tonight I am dropping her off at her parents’ house.

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iDle Time

By Scott Casey Scott, our Rig of The Month for May 2003 has written “Ghostkeepers” a book about his years as a gun toting truck driver while serving as a Canadian Peacekeeper in the former Yugoslavia.

Looking For A Sign The aspect of driving that often requires the most experience is that which generally only comes through an initial lack of experience.

It follows the similar adage of: “Wisdom and good judgment are born from poor decisions.”

When we are loading something for the first time, we use our previous experience with loading a variety of other products to work through the possibilities that could occur with the new freight. Using little tricks like K-blocking in a dry-van, or reefer, or placing your dunnage blocking in line with cross members under your flat deck to ensure the load is stable or won’t collapse through the deck or floor. Taking speed, braking, and cornering all into consideration, more often than not, an experienced driver will be able to just look at the load, and know if it runs the risk of shifting or staying put. This knowledge comes via another experienced driver passing on his/her related experiences with the product or once again from personal experience gained a little at a time.

These skills are also relatable to how other members of the motoring public and road conditions may need to be monitored for variations which could cause an upset of your commercial vehicle. Here too, the pattern of experience is relative to time spent watching and absorbing traffic and weather conditions.

In time you can read what the driver of a car is going to do and adjust accordingly. Example: A car passes you and immediately cuts in front of you and takes the off-ramp.

In winter road conditions, drivers look for obvious flurries.

But they also look at things like temperature and whether or not there is noticeable spray coming off their tires when they look in the mirror. The absence of spray at ~2 Celsius warns the driver that the road surface could very well be like a sheet of ice. All of these points allow for the truck driver to adjust their driving to the road and weather conditions.

One day, as I drove Highway 5 from Merritt to Kamloops, I lowered my speed to reflect the horrible weather conditions I was encountering on my accent up northbound towards the Helmer Brake Check. Rounding a curve I found that there were cars, pickups, a tractor-trailer, and emergency lights helter-skelter and four fresh inches of snow blanketed the highway. My mind quickly went back to a spot 2kms earlier on the side of the highway where my experienced eyes had noted a blatantly obvious sign. **High Mountain Road** **Expect**Sudden**Weather**Changes** r

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PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE

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PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE

mile AfTer mile

By Cyn Tobin Cyn has been driving trucks for 34 years. She has hauled loads all across North America and specializes in expedited perishable freight.

Way back when...I was driving north through the Rocky Mountains of B.C. towards Alberta and it was my first time dealing with this stretch of the Rocky Mountains on my own, so I was taking it nice and slow with my hazards on and in the right lane. (Almost the shoulder as it was all single lane back then with very little shoulder) This was in the spring, and there wasn’t much snow on the ground aside from a light dusting.

On my way up Albert Canyon, I had to pull into the left lane to pass another truck that had pulled to the shoulder – it was nothing out of the ordinary. It started to snow and the ground was getting a bit slick near the top. All the time I was replaying in my mind everything I had ever been told about how to handle this type of situation. That, along with every horror story I had ever been told about the canyon running relentlessly going through my back burner as well.

But I was confident I could do this and with ease. No fear just stubborn stupidity some might say.... but no matter. At 20 years old I owned this highway. I mean what could be

so bad? I had run the Kootenays and the Hope Princeton many times without incident. This was just another stretch of mottled blacktop right!

Then, as I was heading down the other side of the mountain (which can be scary as hell for a greenhorn in an 18-wheeler, with almost no weight on) I saw the same truck, that I had passed earlier, fly by me in the oncoming lane.

Now being passed on the wrong side going DOWNHILL on a single lane with a bend in the road ahead in the rocky mountains by another truck and trailer is crazy enough, but what really made me shake my head in stunned disbelief was this guy’s trailer brakes were lit up bonfire style!

He was loaded and the trailer was sealed. As you know, there’s only so much braking you’re supposed to do before they overheat and, worst-case, catch fire. I thought this guy must have missed that class, but my better judgement said..... he was getting it to a shop. Saving the call out.

This guy’s truck looked like a meteorite as he sped down the mountain at what I thought was a deadly pace.

Astonished, and a bit fearful the fella would wind up dead after his brakes failed, like any of us would have done I grabbed the mic to the radio and called out to him, “Hey Driver! Your brakes are on fire! I mean literally on fire!”

To my surprise, this rough and weathered sounding voice comes back over the mic and says, cool as a cucumber, “I know.” And he disappeared around the bend at warp speed with a blaze of flame behind him. Well, I kept my eyes

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SPECIAL SPECIAL PEOPLE PEOPLE CREATING CREATING EXCE EXCE

OCEAN TRAILER IS WESTERN

OCEAN TRAILER COME COME SEE SEE US US AT AT THE THE BOOTH BOOTH #P-38 #P-38IS & &WESTERN THE THE B B PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE SPECIAL PEOPLE C

OCEAN TRAILER IS WESTERN CANADA’S TRAILER SP

OCEAN TRAILER IS WESTERN CANADA’S TRAILER open but never saw a wrecked truck, emergency crews, or SPECIAL PEOPLE CREATING EXCEPTIONA SPECIAL PEOPLE CREATING EXCEPTIO heard a word of an accident over the box. Nothing at all.

OCEAN TRAILER IS WESTERN CANADA’S TRAILER SPECIALIST. OCEAN TRAILER IS WESTERN CANADA’S TRAILER SPECIALIST. As I got to the bottom though, I did see a discarded OCEAN TRAILER IS WESTERN CANADA’S TRAILER SPECIALIST. COME SEE US AT PEOPLE THECREATINGPLACES. BOOTH #P-38 SPECIAL EXCEPTIONAL PLACES. SPECIAL PEOPLE CREATING EXCEPTIONAL SPECIAL PEOPLE CREATING EXCEPTIONAL PLACES. fire extinguisher on the ground at the base CANADA’S of the rock TRAILER OCEAN IS SPECIALIST. OCEANTRAILER TRAILER ISWESTERN WESTERN CANADA’S TRAILER SPECIALIST. OCEAN TRAILER IS WESTERN CANADA’S TRAILER SPECIALIST. pile and I just chuckled to myself as I COME recalled my father’s SEE USUS ATAT THE BOOTH #P-38 & BOOTH THE BOOTH COME SEE THE BOOTH #P-38 & THE BOOT SPECIAL PEOPLE CREATING EXCEPTIONAL PLACES. COME SEE US AT THE BOOTH #P-38 & THE #501 SPECIAL PEOPLE CREATING EXCEPTIONAL PLACES. SPECIAL PEOPLE CREATING PLACES. words, “Outrun the flame, the fires not only in your shoes. EXCEPTIONAL Sometimes....it’s in SEE the US trucks shoes too and stopping is COME SEE ATAT THE BOOTH #P-38 && THE BOOTH #501 COME US THE BOOTH #P-38 THE BOOTH #501 only going cause a lot of problems when done.” andTHE I COMEit’s SEE US AT BOOTH #P-38 & THE BOOTH #501 NEUSTAR DEMO BOX NEUSTAR OCEAN TRAILER IS&& WESTERN TRAILER SPECIALIST. EESEE AT THE BOOTH #501 COME SEE DEMO US AT BOX THE finally understood what heBOOTH meant. #P-38 SEEUS US ATTHE THE BOOTH #P-38 THE CANADA’S BOOTH #501 CREATING EXCEPTIONAL PLACES. My trucking days back then were SPECIAL either thePEOPLE best days of my life or the worst. I haven’t really decided but I did manage to get some stories from them.

Going south& THE COME SEE USgood AT THE BOOTH #P-38 BOOTH #501 through the Fraser Canyon another time at around three a.m. I would get a glimpse of this bright light every once in a while about two miles behind me. It was super-bright, and it was HAULING ASS. It was big too, moving faster than anything I think I’d ever seen. Yes, even faster than brake boy who passed be that other time. Now, earlier that day I had called my dad he had told me stories about strange things you see when you’re tired and were pulling Wilson WilsonQuad QuadFlats Flats Titan TitanSuper SuperBBWalking WalkingFloor FloorChip ChipHauler Hauler Tridem TridemCombo ComboC too many miles – he said you would see all kinds of stuff.

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WWW.OCEANTRAILER.COM WWW.OCEANTRAILER.COM Well in stunned silenceWalking Mile Floor after MileHauler I carried Tridem on.

AllComboChassis s Titan ats TitanSuper SuperBBWalking FloorChip ChipHauler TridemCombo Chassis- -InInStock Stock Fontaine All Aluminum Flat the way thinking about the logic of this fellas thinking. As Super B Flats Call For Great Pricing! bizarre as it may sound...I agreed I would have probably Fontaine All Aluminum Flat Flat Fontaine Double DropDrop Super B Flats Call Call For Great Pricing!

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PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE

Miles of Smiles

By Myrna Chartrand Myrna was born and raised in Oak Point, Manitoba and was our February 2019 Rig of the Month driver.

I have a love for billboards. I have yet to see the guy wearing nothing but a smile and a towel on the billboard in the field near the big old highway. But believe me all, I will keep looking. You can count on that!

Some people get really catchy with their slogans and some are just downright crazy, to say the least. One of the ones I saw when I first started truck driving was in Minnesota and right out there in big letters it read “We Do Cows!” Hmmm….should one really be advertising that?? I suspect in some states you can go to jail for that. For those of you that haven’t seen this, it turns out it’s a veterinarian supply company.

Another one that peaked my interest in the early days of my trucking career in the south were the big billboards advertising a spa with truck parking. My thought is, “How wonderful that a trucker can park for a break and get a manicure or pedicure or facial. Wow! They really are accommodating to truckers.” I bring this up one day to my trucker friends and I’m quickly brought to reality that this is not the mani/pedi type of spa that most people are accustomed to back home. No, this is the kind that has a “happy ending” and not the type you get when you’re thrilled that you can now enjoy flip flops and not look like you have claws for toes!! Boy, am I ever glad someone set me straight on that before I embarrassed myself!!

I love a good sale as I’m sure most people do. I came across one a couple months back and I have to tell you, a heck of a deal if you ask me. And the kicker to this one was, I could not take advantage of it whether they had truck parking or not. I was cruising through Indiana when two billboards, one above the other, caught my attention. The one on top was an advertisement for a vasectomy clinic.

It read “In office - no scalpel! Get one side done and the other is FREE!” Well...hmmm….if that’s not a steal of a deal, I don’t know what is! Can you imagine??? A whole side free! Now this begs the question. Who was just going to go and get one side done should they have had to pay for both sides? All I can focus on after this is the “FREE” part and I’m so disappointed I can’t take advantage of this offer.

Now the Billboard below it is for “Carl’s Truck and Trailer Repair.” Bravo Carl on the wonderful billboard placement.

To all of you drivers in need of a vasectomy, is it only me that sees this as a “two birds with one stone” scenario? Just imagine, you can get your truck and trailer worked on all while getting a vasectomy. I see this as a win win situation.

There is one billboard though that I thought I really could PAGE 12

take advantage of and I’m not sure if the place had truck parking or not. In huge letters it read, “FREE WINE AND CANDY.” Well hello!! It’s good time calling!!! Now that’s all I can think about as I’m approaching the location. But then a thought occurs to me, “Is this going to be one of those situations like you see in memes on Facebook? Is there going to be a white cargo van parked on a dimly lit road as a way to lure me in?” I might add, clever advertisement because my interest has been peaked and I can foresee venturing off to find these decadent items. With the kind of luck I have, I’d probably be getting myself into a pickle, although I have been working out lately and may be able to do some damage to the person trying to lure me. If it should be a man, he would not need an in office vasectomy if I used my kickboxing moves on him. Actually, who am I kidding? My workouts are mostly Zumba and dance type ones so the only killer moves I could actually use would be in a dance off.

One of the types of billboards I see a lot of are for adult novelty stores. They are everywhere and even out in the trees on a two lane back road. Nothing for miles then “POOF,” one is right there. Again, lots of them advertise truck parking. Guess they must get a lot of truckers as clientele. I pass by a few often enough right there along the interstate. They are not surrounded by trees or fences to protect clientele anonymity. I must say that even though I love a good sale and if this place offered a buy one get ten free, I still would not go in. I’m not a prude or anything but as a lot of people know, my Pinky 2.0 truck doesn’t really blend in and sticks out like a sore thumb. In this day and age with dash cam photos and cellphone cameras, if I were parked there, surely someone would snap a picture and I would never hear the end of the jokes. I say this because I won’t lie, I take a peek at who’s parked at these places and if it’s someone I know, you can bet I’ll be giving them a call to get the lowdown!

Tyres Across The Pond 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.

Over and Under-Regulated Is there a profession more over-regulated than trucking?

Or a pastime more under-regulated than caravanning? Its summer time and the roads are busy with motorhomes and caravans. What we call caravans, you guys across the pond call trailers. Some truck drivers think they are the scourge of the summertime roads and truck stops. Well, other than the cycling clubs over here, who spread themselves across one lane of a two-lane road with no regard for other road users, because it is their right as citizens to enjoy cycling no matter what!

But then if you’re going to be a truck driver you need to have

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PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE

patience as well as skill.

When you think of the driving tests and related exams truckers have to go through to do their job and compare it to a caravaner who only needs is a valid driving licence for his car – it does not make sense. Over here you don’t have to insure your caravan and they don’t even have a legal requirement for a roadworthiness check when it is pulled on the road. The ordinary man in the street does not need to get regular medical checks and has no limits on the time they can be on the road. So, theoretically, they could work all day then get behind the wheel of their car with the caravan attached and drive for as long as he likes.

The outfits may not be as heavy as a tractor-trailer but they can be almost as long as a trailer and because of their length some drivers feel justified in taking a parking space in the truck parking area of truck stops. They might be on holiday but that space they parked in might be the last one available for a truck driver who is out of hours.

When the caravaner feels tired he can pull over and catch a nap in the caravan, again, theoretically, a trucker can do the same thing and jump into the bunk. But the difference is if the trucker takes too many naps questions might be asked. Why were you late for that delivery time, are you fit to do your job? Are you suffering from sleep apnoea?

Just before I retired there were a couple of questions on a paper included in one of the seven-hour training sessions for my CPC card, certificate of professional competence.

1. Are you overweight? 2. Are you a smoker? 3. Working nightshift do you have trouble sleeping? The atmosphere in the training room was very jokey with references to snoring wives keeping guys from sleeping and so on. But nobody was laughing when two drivers turned up for their nightshift the next day and were suspended. They were off work for a full week until the company doctor gave them a clean bill of health. The company would not accept a letter from the driver’s own doctors. What a way to treat two long-serving members of the workforce who were never late for their shift, and had a clean accident record, therefore no suspicion of falling asleep at the wheel. The driver they should’ve caught was the one working two jobs, driving a taxi cab through the day and doing a nightshift trailer swap. He was found out one night when his regular changeover driver was on holidays. The replacement driver dropped his trailer, hooked into the southbound one and left. The replacement, an agency driver, had been given the trailer number he would be collecting but no instructions to wake the other driver. Mr. two jobs woke up hours later and by the time he got back to the depot, it was too late to load the freight into the dayshift vehicles so those deliveries were missed.

The recommendation from the licencing authority, the DVLA, is, quite rightly, if a driver feels excessively sleepy he should not drive. If they are diagnosed with sleep apnoea they should write to the DVLA straight away, this may not result in the loss of the drivers licence. Aye, right! r

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Rig of the Month

By John White Our July Rig of the month driver is Marvin Aviles who lives in Edmonton AB. Marvin was recommended to us by Rafail Proios our November 2017 Rig of the Month driver. This is Marvin’s story:

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Name: Marvin Aviles Status: Single (Never Married) Age:43 Built: Medium/Heavy Interested in: Women …Oh, sorry, I just realized it’s not that kind of a story Hahaha…

Life began a little different for me than most Canadian drivers.

I was born in Nicaragua into a family of four.

Being the youngest in the family and growing up in Nicaragua in the ’80s was no easy task as the country was in political turmoil and then a civil war broke out. I was young but I still recall things like having to flee our home more than a couple of times and running out into the streets that were full of people.

We are a close family and Mom and Dad always knew how to take care of us. We had a family farm where we had cattle and we grew rice, corn, watermelon,

Marvin Aviles cantaloupe and a few other fruits. Dad also had a small trucking business where the family was involved but all that was left behind when we left the country due to the political situation. The main reason we left was because of the mandatory military service where all boys had to enlist in the army when they reached the age of 15. If

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you did not enlist you would be put in prison. My brother and some other extended family members were fast approaching that age and so the difficult decision was made to leave.

Mom and I left the country first but my brother has epilepsy and my Dad had to stay with him so that he could be examined by a specialist in order to get his travel documents. Mom and I lived in Mexico for about a year where she took odd jobs like cleaning houses and working in sweat-shops. While there we had to move to a few different places just to survive. One that stands out in my mind is a concrete building, that was under construction.

We lived there with two other families that we had met in Mexico. It is not an experience that I would wish on anyone. The place had only one entrance and there was only one tap with running water. We all showered with a bucket and heated the water with a homemade heating element and that was friggin’ scary! By this time Dad had made it to Mexico with my brother and he took a job as a mechanic while Mom worked in a sweat-shop.

Mom was forced to take me with her to work, as there was no one that they could leave me with, but the shop owner had a very strict no children rule. Mom assured the owner I would be no trouble and then she made me understand that my behaviour at the shop meant the difference between us eating or not eating.

At first we would take this journey to the shop bright

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and early, six days a week. The trip consisted of walking to the bus, transferring to a train (metro) and then more walking. Once we got there I have to sit still and for a young kid that was extremely boring. At first I would sit and watch all the ladies working at their stations and then after a while I started to make myself useful by grabbing a broom and sweeping around the work stations. When the owner saw this he quickly took Mom and me aside to have a talk. I could see that it was about me but in the end, he decided that it was no big problem as long as I was making myself useful and not getting in the way or impeding the workers. After a while, I started taking on the task of cleaning sewing machines. The owner saw me and asked if I knew what I was doing. After watching me for a while his only instruction was to be careful and not to damage the machines. Later I graduated to the kitchen where I had the job of making coffee, warming up food and running errands to the little pulperia (aka convenience store) for anyone and everyone.

The time in Mexico was just part of our journey towards a future that I had no knowledge of because, in my opinion, I was just fine living in Mexico. Little did I know what lay ahead.

We applied to immigrate to Canada many times and were rejected each time and then one day we were finally accepted. When we arrived in Canada we were given the choice of living in Victoria BC or Edmonton AB.

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Considering the fact that we came from a warm country I think my parents made a mistake when they decided that Edmonton would be our home.

When we arrived we didn’t know an ounce of the English language and were quickly taught, “My name is”, “Thank You” and “You are Welcome”. We went through a process where we met people that had immigrated from other countries and they helped by showing us the way of this new life, Being here in Canada was a struggle for me as I was held back in school due to not speaking the language. I felt lost and there was a lot of frustration. Elementary school was definitely not easy.

When we settled in Edmonton Mom and Dad took jobs as Janitors which involved the whole family. By the end of my Jr. High years our family had sub-contracts in several locations around the city such as Bingo Halls and Overwaitea - Save on Foods which is now known only as Save on Foods. This carried me into High School but once finished I took a lead of my own and took a paper route, then worked as a busboy/waiter/bartender. Later as a side job, I did DJ gigs for extra cash and even did some carpet/flooring installation. I guess you could say I was a little ambitious and more than willing to try anything at the time.

One summer when things were a bit slow for me, Alvaro Peralta, a friend of the family, came over to visit

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we got talking about work. He jokingly said he had a job for me as a trucker’s swamper. I in turn jokingly replied sure what the hell I had nothing to do so I give it a try. Little did I know that this was the moment that would change my life. At the time I had no interest nor the desire to follow my father’s footsteps and drive a truck. Alvaro is the reason that I am driving truck today and whenever I see him I don’t hesitate to blame him for putting me in this position – and then we laugh.

Alvaro had this dedicated little run in a 5-ton Hino body job from Edmonton to Calgary with a stopover in Red Deer. I had no idea what was happening but as it turned out my ride along on that first day also became a driving test.

Once we were fully loaded we hit the highway. We were chit chatting away when, just before Lacombe, he suddenly pulled over on the shoulder of the highway and told me to jump in the driver seat! I told him I had never driven a truck before and I was not comfortable doing it. He replied, “You know how to drive a standard so I know you won’t have a problem.” Then we sat for a good half hour while I listened to him giving me instructions on what to do. Yes I know we were doing things ass backwards, and we laugh about it today, but it worked as I caught on real quick and drove to Airdrie. When we got there we switched back and he said I was a natural! I have to admit that it made me smile as I felt kind of proud.

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Alvaro and I worked together for a few years but things changed as the freight volume grew. He decided he did not want to upgrade his truck so I was not sure what or where to go. He finally took another job delivering Windows for Genow Windows and Doors where he also needed a swamper. We did all their city deliveries and out into the surrounding areas. It was originally a contract through Dynamax before it was bought out by TransForce.

One day Alvaro decided he did not want to continue driving and that is where my very 1st Owner Operator experience came in. I bought his truck with a job and I have to admit that it was no cake walk. It was a real learning experience having to deal with hired help. It was unfamiliar territory that led to many lessons to be learned. One of many of those lessons was getting pulled over in Leduc scale and finding out that, while I drove a truck that had hydraulic brakes, it still required a Q endorsement for air brakes because it was an air over hydraulic system. The DOT officer had a chuckle at my ignorance but still said, “Ignorance of the law is not an excuse.” He proceeded to give me a fine and told me to get my air brakes endorsement. Which I did - yep lesson learned.

I had a tough time with swampers and the business started suffering so I tried to get my own freight and quickly learned it was not that easy. This led me to Robbie Roewrig at Interline Tractor Services where I was forced to park my truck and take a job as a body job driver. Robbie was well connected and he provided service to big names, Quick X, Kleysen, Rosenau, and TransWestern, now Vitran.

In 1998-99 decided to get my class 1. I practiced for it in a 1985 GMC General with a 15speed with deep reduction. You know the one that you throw in reverse and have your lunch and still have time to enjoy your coffee before you hit the dock. I then went through Mike’s Driver Education where they had the rollover program.

When I got my class1 I wanted to move quickly for more opportunities but Robbie said I was not ready for highway runs so I decided to move on.

I hired on with Big Freight as a rookie driver for Owner Operator Dwayne Dyok. He took me under this wing and I learned a lot from him about deck work while running most of Canada and northern U.S. I worked for Big Freight up until 2001 when I went back to work for Robbie. By then he was more comfortable giving me highway runs. I ran Alberta for him with a mixture of city P/Ds. I stayed there for a while until I got the urge to set out on my own as an Owner Op again! I went to work for OCTS in the container world where my steed was a gorgeous 1988 Freightliner Cab Over. It had a setback front axle and was powered by NTC series 365(444 block) with 9speed. It had been an Alberta truck all its life originally owned by Bridge Brand (Gordon Food Services) and off into the sunset I went.

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I have experienced rise and failure in the business and in family life but we all make sacrifices not only ourselves but also for the ones we love and care about dearly. This brought me to meet with Mr. Ken Denning who was witness to my fall and rise again. I have a difficult time believing anyone that says no one ever helped them to rise again after they had fallen. There are failures along the way but it is how you rise above, get up and dust yourself off to continue on your journey that counts. It allows you to take them in stride and use them as lessons.

I was lucky enough to be able to own that 1988 cabover twice as I was once again given the opportunity to dust myself off and as my job changed, I carried on to upgrade to a 1998 379 Pete with a 3406E Cat engine That is when it was time to be on my own again and contracted out to AVS and Jim Stieb, learning that there was yet another employer that did not just hire people on their good looks! Most, as I understood, they come recommended. TRUCK BODY Throughout I have taken little bits and pieces of knowledge from everyone I have worked both with, LIFT YOUR BUSINESS and for, and I often remember those tips when I get in TO A NEW LEVEL! a difficult situation.

I’ve learned that for most drivers trucking is not just a job. It is something they take pride in. They take pride in the industry and will often share thoughts and views on what you can do improve yourself

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Call Al 604-882-7623 both as a driver and a businessman. I have met and admire many former employers and I have accidentally met people under strange circumstances that I can honestly say have become true friends.

As time went on I got more involved in maintaining and caring for my trucks. Everyone has their own ideas and you can be unique as you see fit.

I have had a couple of accidents and done dumb things at times like the time I was driving my Hino in the winter time and slid into a house under construction. Another time I was picking up a 20-foot container and had it put on with doors facing forward. Yes, I was guilty of some rookie moves. One that stands out in my mind was when I was unloading at the city dump and had a mattress stuck in my trailer. I used a pry bar to get it out and of course, it slipped, came back and hit me and cut my lip open. There was blood everywhere - talk about a good day gone bad at a blink of an eye! The only thing I was extremely happy about was that I still had my teeth in my mouth. One winter I was spraying the gravel box when I slipped, next thing I knew I woke up flat on my back on the ground looking at the sky. There was a time that I would beat myself up for making silly mistakes like that but it does no good. The sad part is I don’t think I am done yet.

As it sits right now I am currently running for Blu’s Northern and running my resent steed a 2005 Freightliner classic powered by a Series 60 Detroit with long legs and an Eaton 10C. So far it has kept me on my toes and I have been slowly upgrading it to near satisfactory status. It is still a work in progress and it keeps my mind busy - busy when it comes on what to do NEXT but I enjoy every moment of it good and bad.

Thru it all, I have got so many people to thank. I am sure I will forget a few names but first and foremost my parents Paz and Noel who are the foundation of who I have grown to be and the reason for my existence. They are the most outstanding supporting people in my life.

Robbie Rowrig, he may not know this but he helped me understand and learn the ropes in the world of flat decking. I was always happy to listen to his trucking stories of running north it is funny because I get to do

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Phone: 403.278.1129 • Fax: 403.278.8307 Email: marilynt@diamondinsurance.ca www.diamondinsurance.ca

MARILYN TAYLOR IS OUR COMMERCIAL TRUCKING SPECIALIST! Marilyn has over 30 years experience in providing insurance for Owner Operators & fleet transport companies operating in Canada & the U.S.A. that now. Ken Denning, for really beating me up back on my feet. He is one rough and tough man to work for, and some may have other words to describe him, but beyond all that, I came to understand what he meant and his point behind it. Ted Winterholt, which led me to Jim Steib who was kind enough to sell me my 1st Pete and let me be part of his crew. I was was particularly happy to see what that Pete turned out to be and sad to see it go.

All the unexpected friendships built along the way: Marty Bison, we go way back to CP Rail/OCTS days, he led me to a flat deck job working for very good people Gail & Tulley Osborne. Dennis Milton, believe it or not, he gave me the courage to be an O/O even when he said I was crazy. Tina Clarke for always being there to lend an ear and to see us more than just clients. Tony Horrobin, who never wasted a chance to bust my chops every time but I could always count on his help. Rafail Proios, who is always just a phone call away, to tackle every situation, even if it is just a bitch fest!. Allan Hoffman, who I respect very much and admire. Don’t let his silence fool ya, he is super awesome and it is an honour to work with this man and call him a friend.

Here is to Happy Trails and Safe Travels to one and all. Cheers! It has been a pleasure to share a small part of my life with you all.

See you on the road less travelled.

PAGE 24

reflecTions Thru my WinDshielD

By 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.

Just A Short Trip I unloaded down in Toronto and phoned home to see what was next and was told to run over to the auction yard on the north side and pick up a small Cat and a Case Backhoe/Loader.

I was to bring them home and drop them off to one side at the gravel pit as we would be storing them for a customer for a couple of weeks or until the snow was all gone – whatever came first. Not a problem. I picked them up, chained them down and headed home where I dropped them off and parked my truck to take a much-needed break.

About three weeks later we got a call to deliver the Cat and Case to a small mine that was up in Northern Ontario. Dad apparently knew all about it but he was delivering a load in Thunder Bay so I got detailed instructions as too where the place was. I threw both of them on our flatbed and headed way up north to Wawa and where I turned off on a back road and found the locked gate on the road/trail to the mine. The key was exactly where it was supposed to be so I unlocked the gate and headed in for a twelve-mile trip. Now, this was a far cry from a good road. It was just two ruts and lots of brush and rock but with the old B61 down in the lower gears it was nothing I could not handle. I topped a bare little ridge that was marked on my notes and stopped for a look around. From this ridge, I was supposed to be able to see a large beaver dam off to my left and a bridge about a mile in front of me. From the bridge, it was supposed to be about 2 miles to the mine site.

I couldn’t see any bridge and all I could see of a Beaver dam was a fairly large clearing but after a couple of minutes rest, I headed out.

Down off the ridge I came and there in front of me was a stream about 10 feet wide. There was no bridge but I could see that the trail went on past the other side of the stream. What the heck? I stopped to look around and there about thirty feet downstream was a large log jam with what looks like some steel sticking out of it.

Upon investigating upstream and down I figured out what had happened. The rising water had washed out the old beaver dam and the resulting mess of logs tumbling down the stream had wrecked the bridge. It had washed it all downstream where it formed a log jam causing the stream to back up and raise the water all the way back to where I was.

Now I had a problem. So back to the truck I went. Now I have run Backhoes and Cats so I am not helpless but they are on a flatbed so I unchained the Hoe and by using the bucket and the Hoe in tandem was able to swing the unit sideways, drag itself back off the truck, and lower itself to the ground.

I then took the backhoe down the stream and busted up the

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logjam. This released a lot of the water but I was unable to move the old bridge.

The water in the stream was now only a foot or so deep but in front of the truck on the other side of the stream was a solid rock wall about three feet high. Well, first I backed the truck up about fifty feet and then using the hoe and bucket managed to cut the soil bank on my side down to a nice ramp into the water. Using the hoe and bucket I took the little Case out into the water, slammed the bucket down on the rock and levered the little Case up onto the far bank. I then proceeded down the trail to the mine to see what I could find.

Imagine my surprise when I got to the mine and there were two guys wandering around looking lost and lonely. They were ecstatic to see me and told me they had been stranded there for three days since the bridge washed out but now that I had it fixed they could get their 4WD pickup out and go home.

I haven’t fixed the bridge but I had been thinking about how to get the Cat off so I had an idea. First I looked around and found some heavy planks about 6 feet long and threw them in the pickup and told them to follow me back to the stream. When we got back I explained what was up. They would use the backhoe to lift me across the stream and then I would back the truck up to the top of the ridge where I could turn it around and then back down to the stream. Once I got back I would back the trailer into the water up against the rock wall, lock the brakes up, unload the Cat and then we could use the planks to get their pickup truck on my trailer. Then I could

chain their truck down and take them into town to where there was a dock where we could unload them.

All that backing and turning took the better part of the afternoon but I finally got the Cat off, the pickup loaded and headed out - AFTER they signed my bills and walked the cat and hoe back to the site. They were quite pleased to get back to town as they said they were just about out of grub and had not fancied that long walk back to the main road. I ended up spending the night in Wawa but at least I had delivered my load and helped out a couple of people that were a little scared to walk through that bear country. *****

Walking On The Grass

The room was full of pregnant women with their husbands.

The instructor said, “Ladies, remember that exercise is good for you. Walking is especially beneficial. It strengthens the pelvic muscles and will make delivery that much easier. Just pace yourself, make plenty of stops and try to stay on a soft surface like grass.”

“Gentlemen, remember -- you’re in this together. It wouldn’t hurt you to go walking with her. In fact, that shared experience would be good for you both.” The room suddenly became very quiet as the men absorbed this information. After a few moments a man at the back of the room, slowly raised his hand.

“Yes?” said the Instructor. “I was just wondering if it would be all right if she carried a golf bag while we walk?”

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The Bear’s View

T r uc k Wes t

Constable Tim Schewe (Retired)

Fraudulent Compliance Markings I am thinking about upgrading the sealed beams on a vintage car to LED headlights. The LED headlights I’m considering are marked “DOT SAE” on the front. Does that mean that they are legal on roadways in B.C.? The gentleman that posed this question also supplied a web site URL with more information that promised DOT approval and explained that these lights were used by international Baja racing teams.

Sounds good, doesn’t it?

I looked carefully at the picture of the light on the web site. Not only did it say DOT and SAE on the lens, it also had the European E marking. The trouble is, these are usually exclusive in my experience. The lenses are either DOT/SAE approved or carry the E mark, but not both.

What was missing is the type designation that goes with the DOT/SAE marking to tell what function the light fulfilled.

At this point, I was convinced that the headlight replacement that this person wanted to buy was not a wise purchase. Just to be sure, I drew on the expertise of Dan Stern, a vehicle lighting expert and Editor in Chief of Driving Vision News.

Did this headlight meet standards?

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His response was No, and it’s not a headlamp, it’s a headlight-shaped trinket, one of a mountain of them. It’s a pathetic knockoff of the legitimate headlamps made by JW Speaker.

This headlamp does not actually bear any safety certification or approval marks. It has fraudulent partial markings specifically designed to falsely assure buyers who cannot reasonably be expected to spot the difference.

More generally: it is very easy to get bogged down in “What about this one? How about this one? I saw this other one, is it OK? It says DOT, that makes it OK, right?” types of endless loops. Fact is, there are only a very few legitimate brands of LED headlamps to replace standard-size round and rectangular halogen or sealed-beam lamps. With the widest possible inclusion (meaning these are legitimate lamps, not necessarily excellent ones) they are, in no particular order: • Truck-Lite • JW Speaker • Peterson • Maxxima • HiViz • Grote (rebranded Maxxima) • GE (rebranded Truck-Lite) • Sylvania Zevo (rebranded Peterson) • Philips (rebranded Truck-Lite) • Harley-Davidson Daymaker (rebranded JW Speaker) On a closely related note: The “LED bulbs” now flooding the market are not a legitimate, safe, effective, or legal product. No matter whose name is on them or what the vendor claims, these are a fraudulent scam. A halogen lamp -- any halogen lamp -- equipped with one of these will not produce an appropriate, proper, safe, or legal distribution of light.

Same goes for “HID kits” in halogen-bulb headlamps or fog/auxiliary lamps (any kit, any lamp, any vehicle no matter whether it’s a car, truck, motorcycle, etc.). The particulars are different for LED vs. HID, but the principles and problems are the same overall.

There is a task force within the Society of Automotive Engineers Lighting Systems Group working to devise a technical specification for LED retrofit bulbs for use in halogen lamps. There are tall technical challenges to making such a retrofit bulb that actually works acceptably, and such retrofit bulbs are still several years away. When they become available, the situation will actually be more complicated than it is today because then consumers will have to discern between legitimate and fraudulent LED bulbs: “some of them are OK and others aren’t”.

For now, the situation is comparatively simple: Halogen lamps need to use halogen bulbs or they don’t (can’t, won’t) work effectively, safely, or legally.

This is not like trying out different bulbs in the kitchen or living room or garage, where all it has to do is light up in a way you find adequate and pleasing. Headlamps aren’t just flood or spotlights; they are precision optical instruments (yes, even a cheap and minimal headlamp counts as a precision optical PAGE 28

instrument) that have a complex, difficult job to do in terms of simultaneously putting light where it’s needed, keeping it away from where it’s harmful, and controlling the amounts of light at numerous locations within the beam to appropriate levels (too much light in certain areas is just as dangerous as not enough).

Headlamps cannot just spray out a random blob of light, and that’s what they do with anything other than the correct kind of light source.

“Legal” is a bit of a slippery target in Canada because Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards do not adequately regulate the aftermarket. There are stringent standards that apply to headlights and bulbs installed by a vehicle maker as original equipment, but those national standards aren’t written so as to allow Canada Border Services Agency to stop the flow of unsafe aftermarket lighting equipment into Canada.

However, for several reasons this does *not* make an anything-goes situation; provinces and territories can still enact vehicle equipment requirements, and many of them require vehicles used on public roadways to have lighting equipment that complies with the applicable Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (namely: 108 and/or 108.1).

Furthermore, even if one happens to live in a place where the vehicle equipment code is silent on the matter or is laxly enforced, there can be severe liability consequences to using unsafe lights. After a crash, if a vehicle is found to have lights that don’t meet the standard, and that is even potentially a contributing factor in the crash, the owner of the vehicle stands to get absolutely *hosed* in court and could face ruinous liability costs.

So grinning and saying “Well, it’s not illegal in my province” or “Well, the cops don’t care” is foolhardy.

Nevertheless, even major brands (Philips, Sylvania) have taken advantage of the outdated limitations in the national standards to market what they claim are LED retrofit bulbs for halogen headlamps. It’s unfortunate that they’re allowed to profiteer this way. *****

A Loving Home

A husband and wife who worked for the circus went to an adoption agency. The social worker raised doubts about their suitability. The couple then produced photos of their 50-foot motor home, which was clean and well maintained and equipped with a beautiful nursery. The social worker then raised concerns about the education a child would receive while in the couple’s care. “We’ve arranged for a full-time tutor who will teach the child all the usual subjects along with French, Mandarin, and computer skills.” Then the social worker expressed concern about a child being raised in a circus environment. “Our nanny will be a certified expert in pediatric care, welfare, and diet.” The social worker was finally satisfied and asked, “What age of child are you hoping to adopt ?” “It doesn’t really matter as long as the kid fits in the cannon.”

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Reflections Thru Thru My My Windshield Windshield Reflections A Trucker’s Request A woman walks beside me; we face life hand-in-hand Without her I am nothing, with her I’m a man.

Together through our problems, we face life side by side Until the day they take me upon my final ride.

I’ll stand before the Final Judge, prepared to have my say, I hope that he will understand what I ask for on that day.

My place here in the garden, I give it to my wife; To make up for the many things she didn’t have in life.

The many nights she sat alone and waited for my call, The many things she did without, as I made another haul.

The many tears she cried while I was on the road, The trials that she faced alone, while I pulled another load.

If I have earned some credit, in my time upon the earth Please give it to the woman that gave my children birth.

A special type of woman who deserves a better life – Oh, Lord, give her the best you have, she is a truckers wife.

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 PAGE 30

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AssociATe eDiTor greg evAsiuK Greg is a third generation trucker with over a million miles and 20 plus years in trucking. He was also our Rig of The Month for Febrauary 2018 Living in Alberta or BC you have no doubt seen the effects of my least favourite season: fire season. I read an article the other day lamenting that we are giving it too much power by giving fire its own season. The writer then went on to say something along the lines of “if you ignore it, fire will go away…” I quite honestly read it all the way to the end waiting for a punchline which wasn’t there. What I will do is use his advice but for his writing and ignore it by not quoting the text and having to acknowledge the writer!

According to the data compiled by CNFDB (Canadian Natural Fire Database) and the NFD (National Forestry Database), the number of total fires has declined from 1980 to today and the overall area burned fluctuates. The numbers are interesting and according to our friend’s theory, people must have really given fire a lot of press in 1989 as that is the largest amount of acreage burned Canada wide in the past 40 years.

In the age of social media and sensationalism, the stories of the fires are much more prevalent now than at any time in our history. It’s hard to forget the images the West Kelowna wildfires in 2009 where over 20,000 people were evacuated, Slave Lake in 2011 when fires engulfed the small town or more recently of people fleeing Ft. McMurray when the wind changed and fire consumed the city. There are countless other stories over time that weren’t as well documented because not everyone had a video camera in their pocket that could send videos and pictures as it happened.

In documenting these tragic, often catastrophic events, we aren’t giving power to the rise of fire but shining a light on the human side of one of mother nature’s deadliest forces.

Having hauled equipment for SRT over the past 20 or so years I have to say the people who fight the fires deserve even more credit for what they do. The people who stick around when everyone else is ordered to leave. I have to admit I never knew what that sacrifice looked like either until the northern Alberta, Virginia Hills fire, in 1998. We were sitting in the coffee shack with some of the equipment operators at Millar Western when one of them brought up that a pretty good fire had started in Virginia Hills and a bunch of the companies equipment had been dispatched to push fire break.

To the uninitiated, a fire break is nothing more than a path pushed through the bush to remove trees and brush to keep the fire at bay.

I didn’t think much of it, finished up my last coffee and went back to hauling sludge for the rest of the day. Driving down to the mill to load the next morning the sky had an ominous glow and by our first coffee break, the smoke was starting to block the sun.

“Wind changed last night,” said one of the older hands, “fire started crowning. She’s moving fast to the east now” That was the first time I heard the word crowning in relation to fires. What it means is the fire is burning in the canopy or tops of the trees independent of what’s happening at ground level. When combined with high winds it creates an incredibly scary, fast moving, condition.

“Grant and his crew are lost out there somewhere where the fire jumped the line. ” That was sombre news about people I actually juLY 2019

knew.

“They were pushing a break somewhere close to the front edge last night when the wind changed and the fire jumped them.”

I’ll spoil the story by saying the three dozers were found burnt to the ground! Grant who was the cat boss helped guide the operators, in the dark, to the safety of a slough where they waded into the water. Luckily, aside from cold and hungry, they weren’t hurt but that experience will never leave them. It also made the danger of the fire much more real to me. Whitecourt ended up being lucky to be surrounded by a protective barrier of poplar trees and the wide Athabasca River, I’d also say we were lucky to have brave men and women out fighting to keep that fire the other side of the river.

A few weeks back I got a call from my friends at Fox Oilfield as they needed someone to help out running a winch tractor to move camp shacks and equipment for the fires up north. We manned up and moved a camp in near Manning and one near Slave Lake.

Two days after moving the final load to the second camp I got an urgent call in the afternoon saying the camp was being evacuated and a group of us were soon heading north to hopefully move the camp out of harm’s way. It was while I was heading up towards the fire when a renewed feeling of gratitude swept over me. A profound respect for all of those people who were once again putting themselves in the way of nature’s wrath. With the winds having changed Slave Lake had been put on notice and Wabasca was evacuated. Further to the north and west High Level remained empty while sentries kept watch and built barriers to keep the northern community from facing the same fate as Ft. Mac just a few years earlier.

Detractors will say, “People who fight wildfires aren’t heroes” or “they get paid for it, so big deal” it’s easy to be cynical if you haven’t done it. When everyone is leaving a situation and you’re driving around the barricade to go towards it, you may change your tune. As we whipped into the deserted camp early in the evening to grab the first of what would be 100 loads (it was a big camp), the air was filled with smoke and there was a glow on the horizon. Knowing the fire wasn’t far off cast an ominous feeling over the empty camp. The new location had us moving back close to the Town of Slave Lake and as we rolled in with the first of the shacks I couldn’t believe the sight in that huge field. It was a giant tent city and the firefighters were in great spirits. Shauna who was one of the leaders onsite asked if I’d eaten and sent me off with a few slices of pizza and a half a dozen water bottles. She expressed her appreciation for all we were doing to help get them back into a real camp. That helped spur me on and I thought as we worked into the night, I need to make sure these guys who do this job get the recognition they deserve.

So here it is, Thank you to each and every person who helps combat wildfires. Thank you to the people who support them. Pass this message of gratitude on and help me make sure these men and women get the credit they deserve. r

ALbErtA biG riG wEEkEnd juLY 6/7 in Edmonton EmAiL john for dEtAiLs john@PtmAG

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