well,got the all clear to leave rapid city,so of down the 90 i went.after seeing numerous vehicles in the ditch,i noticed i was coming up to slow traffic.why is everyone going so slow?so i pull out to overtake,then i realised why.my arse-end started to dance.i was on sheet black ice.no wonder everyone was going slow.not everyone though realised how bad it was.a car coming the other way,spun out into the ditch and landed on its roof,luckily he wasnt going that fast,it could have been a lot worse.he climbed out and was sort of cursing himself.
the next few miles were the same.
i eventually got to the customers only to find it was closed for the day.so i parked up,had some grub,hour or so on the internet,then sleep.i was up at 6,got to the customer,after an hour was tipped and good to go.by the way,i know its monday morning after xmas,but surely it doesnt hurt to put a smile on your face.not one person looked happy there.i can be a grumby bastard some times,but when you are meeting other people you can pretend to be happy.so, i am at the minute,waiting for us dispatch to give me a run........

hi guys,sorry ive not posted for awhile.
i got my xmas load down to sioux city,collected from cargill.off to the border i went,with my meat inspection the day after.i got to the border and believe it or not,i had a good laugh with the border officer.i know,its not heard of normally,but there you go.anyway,i thought i would chance the meat inspect early,only to have missed them by 20 minutes.so i parked for the night.up bright and early,got the inspect out the way and set off.the weather on the way down was great,considereing i was getting calls off the other guys saying how shit the weather was were they were.i kept rubbing it in,then i got bit in the arse big time.the wind picked up,there was blowing snow,and at times i couldnt see past the hood(bonnet,to those back home).i managed to get to rapid city,the weather had got worse,then i was told that no-one was going anywere as the highways had been shut.so the rest of my xmas day was spent here.
time to do the phone calls to back home.first was my better half,jan.it was so nice to hear her voice,i am missing her loads,she and her daughter were getting the dinner ready.i really wanted to be back there to have dinner with them.she said it wasnt going to be the same with me not being there.these past 5 months have been hard for me because i really miss her,and im still not going too see her until may.i phoned my parents and my sister and wished them all happy xmas.
boxing day was spent in the same spot,luckily im not on my own.there must be 50 trucks parked up,plus 2 other hr trucks.didnt get much sleep in the night,the wind was really strong,i felt like i was on a boat.
sunday the 27th.i was up at 4am,weather seemed ok.so i thought i would go,so i fuelled up and was then told not to bother going anywere as the highways are still closed,maybe opened late this afternoon.oh well,back to bed then.
like i said before,i have been here 5 months and apart from missing jan,i am loving it here,every minute of it.the work is good,and the people are good.i have also made some very good friends,who i will keep intouch with whatever happens.so i am looking forward to the next 5 months.
so,there is my quick up-date.hope you all had a fantastic xmas,and i wish you all a great new year.take care
here are a few pics

just a few more pics

only a quick up date
left lethbridge to head for sioux city.i like this run its nice and steady.
came over the top and was somwere like whitehall,and the weather changed real quick.freezing fog and the temp dropped quick.i dont know if the temp gauge in my truck that reads outside temp,was faulty or not,but it read 4 degrees f.now for those that are used to it in c.i think its about -16c.
any i was coming up to a service station and thought,sod it,and parked up.thats when things went worse.my tri pac was turning but it wouldnt start.after about half an hour of trying to start it,i gave up.i thought it mayhave been due to the cold weather.so i had to sleep(try to)with th truck running all night.
when i got up in the morning,i tried it again.still the same,so i gave up on it.
when i eventually got to a warmer climate,i tried again,but still no change.so i decided it was knackered.
anyway to cut the story short,i am in sioux city.going into thermo king in the morning,hopefully the can repair it,then its off to little chute for the pizza.

not much to report at the mo.except the work is still coming and ive no complaints.still enjoying it immensely.
had some good runs,all with brilliant views.views that i will never tire of,i hope.
i can still say,its the best decision ive made.although,im missing my better half a real lot now.she is not coming out until april,and i cant wait to spend some quality time with her,and hopefully show her some of the sights that i have seen.
its nice to know that the 6 lads that came over just after me are still here and getting the work,and suprisingly enough,i have bumped in to 4 of them over the past few weekswe all do keep in touch on the phone,but its nice to see them in person.
the winter is on its way,i know.in some ways im looking forward to it.ill let you know how i feel,hopefully when ive seen it through.
well,thats it for now.
hope everybody drives safe

here are just a few pics of my last trip.

IM GETTING TIRED OF PEOPLE PUTTING COMMENTS ON MY BLOG,AND NOT PUTTING THEIR NAMES TO THEM.
WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this guy pulled up along side me when i was fuelling up.i though it was a bit strnge him asking me to stay on the other side of my truck.until i realised,these crates were full of bees.....

just goes to show you what difference a few hours make,with the above to pics

just a quick up date on my truck.
it is a computer problem,and the guy who can sort it out(hopefully)isnt in till tomorrow.so its another night in the hotel.
need to get running.im bored now!!!!!!!!!!!!

on my way back from a good trip ti the states,i came back through the border and stopped at a place called estavan.when it was time for me to get going,got myself together and set off.i didnt get far.got so far down the road and the truck lost power,it just wouldnt pull.so i turned round and headed back to the husky.made a phone call,got some advice,which worked.so off i went again.after half an hour,it happened again.made another call.try and get to regina.i eventually got there and took it to the garage.who told me they couldnt look at it until tomorrow.so it was off to a hotel.
while i was sat in the room,i thought,hang on,im sure some people we met in mexico a few years ago came from regina.i got my address book,and sure enough they did,nd they were only 10 miutes away.i gave them a call and we arranged to meet that night and have something to eat.
it was great to see them again after a long time.caught up with a lot of things,and laughed at a few more.i have been invited to come up in april when jan comes over,and spend a couple of days with them.
rang the garage this morning and was told that the guy is still on it and would ring me in a little while,hopefully it will be ready and i can get going.apparently,its a computer problem.so im hoping that if they sort that out,it will solve my night heater fault out too.

ths is what i woke to when i stopprd over in shelby

some random pics from my last trip

outside the lodge

had a nice drive down to idho.stopped at shelby for the night.when i woke up and opened the curtains,i couldnt beleive what i saw.bloody snow,and plenty of it.well,i got myself together and decided to crack on.the further i got,the less snow there was.by the time i got to idaho,it had all gone.found the place i was delivering to,got on a bay and waited to be tipped.once done,i had to sort the pay out for the lumpers.i gave them the cheque,he came back,it wouldnt clear.to cut a long story short.we did this 3 times,it turned out it was my bloody fault.i gave the dispatcher the wrong amount.so it wouldnt clear,as it was trying to accept two amounts.anyway,that sorted,i set of for utah i found the place and pulled on to the scales,when i heard loud hissing.yes,you guessed it.i had caught the run rail with not one,but two wheels.damaged rims and tyres.didnt expect to have my first accident so soon.adam,the night dispatcher was great.really understanding and helpful.called the tyre people,they said it would be awhile,so i thought i would get my head down.no bloody chance.my night heater had packed up again.second time in less than a week.got the wheels sorted about 5am.
got loaded and set of back to calgary.so a nice drive turned out to be an eventful one...
after dropping trailer at calgary,i had a load to pick up from brooks.i pulled the trailer out of the parking bay,only to find the rear tyre on the trailer was flat.(not much luck with tyres lately)
so,on the phone again to adam,who had to laugh.so,here i am,waiting for the tyre people to come out.
i do want to say however,thanks to adam and shane for helping me out on more than one occasion.see,there are decent dispatchers out there!!!
when i eventualy get going.im off to nebraska.never been,so its another new place.i have asked to be routed back to lethbridge,so i can get my truck in the garage(AGAIN)to get this night heater sorted.it is starting to get colder now,so i need it sorting or ill bloody freeze to death.haha

today started off very slowly.my truck went in the garage for the night heater repaired.i got it back,just after dinner.i then had to wait for my load to come down.i think i eventually set of after six.anyway,i headed of towards sweet grass.i came round the little bend just before the border at about 7.30,and joined the bloody que.i left at 10.30.so im sat in shelby at the minute,ready for some shut eye,and set of in the morning down to boise in idaho.hope tomorrow is better!!!!!!!!!!!

im sat in the lodge at the moment as my night heater has packed up.ill take it in in the morning,before i set off for idaho.i went out to the truck this morning to get the milk out of the fridge,it was frozen solid.i think the temp got down to minus 14.
i have just got back from a few days in the states,i enjoyed most of it,apart from the few problems getting the weights sorted.it is something i will have to get used to.its good to know ive made a few friends here that i can call when need to.

the above picture,look at the sign.its the sign every driver likes to see!!!!!

i went for my second mentor trip with a guy called colin.he isnt a mentor as such,it was that the guy i should have gone with was on holiday,so p[oor colin got roped into it.we did have a good laugh,and he taught me some other stuff.anyway,it was an evenful trip.here are a few pics from the trip.

sorry i havent put anything on for quite awhile,but i have been really busy.
i now have my own truck,so now i can start to earn some money(hopefully).
i have just got back from a trip to the states.went to oregon,then over to beaverton for a collection.it is three deliveries in calgary.the trip back was different,it was actually snowing.i have pictures,i will get them on as soon as i can.
when i get a little more time,i will keep this up-dated a little more.
graham heys.i think it was you that bumped into some friends of mine in egypt.hope you are well.

well,thats my classroom work done.just got to get my trip to the rockies now,which hopefully is monday.if im lucky,i might get my own truck when i get back from that...
really enjoying it at the mo,hotel is great,and the drivers,new and those that have been here for awhile,are ok two.had a laugh with them.got to see mike before he left for pastures new.

mentor trip

had my first mentor trip on tuesday,with a guy called adi.we were going to washington.
adi and his wife picked me up tuesday morning,then over to h&r to pick up the load.after fuelling up,we set off.adi broke me in gently,then started telling about everything,my head was knackered.
on the way out and passing through different places,adi had some interesting info.i told him he was wasted as a truck driver,he should be a history teacher.
we reached the border,and we had to go inside to see the nice gentleman(with the gun).i had to get an i94,because i was a naughty boy in my youth.after about half an hour of him asking me a few questions,paid my $6 and got the piece of paper.
anyway,we got to costco in sumner,tipped pretty quick,then got a call to go to california for two collections.got these done,juggled the pallets round,weighed off,just under.then we set off back to lethbridge,we went through some places that ive only seen on tv.we went past,seattle,portland,sacremento,fresno,los angeles,las vegas(which was fantastic),utah,idaho,montana.i also seen the mojave dessert,yellowstone,and drove the grand canyon,but it was bloody dark and couldnt see anything.
we got back late friday night and did nearly 3000 miles,not bad for four days,eh!
i really enjoyed the trip.there was a hell of a lot of stuff to take in,adi explained everything very well,and he made the trip more enjoyable.
got one more trip to do now,thats over the rock,once ive got that done,its three days class room,then hopefully get my own truck,and start earning some money.fingers crossed.
there is a few pics that i took,not as many as i should have took.