White Christmas

It's Boxing day morning and I managed to waddle my way out of bed, make a coffee and plunk myself down in front of the interactive idiot box.  Eating far too much, drinking more than necessary, and generally over indulging adds to a wonderful Christmas experience with family.  All you have to do is open the fridge door to know we were a little excessive on the food front.  I'm sure we were not the only ones to do so.

The month of December has been a white one.  I think I have experienced some type of snow delay every time I have headed out on the road this past month.  In fact when I did my last rounder up to Winnipeg and back the week prior to Christmas every area I traveled through was covered in snow.  I don't remember the last time I have seen snow cover from Winnipeg to Chicago to Toronto.  White Christmas indeed.

But it's not the snow from big storms that has been the biggest obstacle to travel over the past month.  It has been all the lake effect snow we have experienced.  Especially south of Lake Huron towards my home town of London.  Check out the results of the first major snowfall we experienced at the start of December.  London had over 3 feet of snow over the course of 3 days.  Twenty miles east and west of the city there was virtually no snow at all.  Weird.

3 feet of snow in 3 days - around my house in London

Snowmageddon I

A couple of weeks later I spent 2 days in Port Huron, Michigan waiting for the highway 402 to open on the other side of the bridge.  That also dumped another 30 cm of snow on my hometown.

402 Closure - 12-15-10

Glad I cleared the snow from the roof of our house after the first snowfall because the forecast is for warm weather this next weekend and that is going to make things very sloppy and messy.

A New Year, A Fresh Start

This post appears as a column in the January 2011 issue of Truck News and Truck West Magazine

Less than a year after I started driving for a living I recognized that my health was on a downward spiral and picking up speed. I was sucking back two packs of smokes a day, there was always a munchie of some sort next to my seat and the meal of choice always seemed to be the all you can eat buffet at the truck stop. Heavy smoker, obesity, little or no exercise, elevated blood pressure, and a family history of cardiac problems; I was a walking time bomb before I had reached my fortieth birthday. There was a good possibility that if I stuck to this track I may not reach my fiftieth birthday let alone retirement. I found the motivation to make some changes in my life. I quit the tobacco on my fortieth birthday and by my fiftieth birthday I'd dropped 75 pounds.

I've thought about writing about this a number of times but have always shied away from it. It's not for me to say how anyone should eat, exercise, or whether or not they should smoke. Our personal choices are just that – personal. I'm a truck driver not a nutritionist, dietitian, doctor, personal trainer or life coach. As a truck driver I know that the cards are stacked against us when it comes to coping with these issues. It's not impossible but it's not easy.

For me success did not come in the first week, the first month or the first year. There were numerous times in the first couple of years when I would slip back into old habits for a few months. I started by quitting smoking and decided for the first year I was not going to worry about eating or diet or exercise. Coping with not smoking was enough. One thing at a time. I ended up putting on some weight that first year but didn't let it get to me. The second year when I started to focus on weight loss It was much easier to do because the whole smoking thing was behind me. I also had the confidence that if I could give up a twenty plus year 2 pack a day smoking habit then I could get a handle on my diet and lose some weight.

There is no doubt about the fact that to drive a truck and lose weight is difficult. I chewed a lot of gum that first couple of years. The best motivator I came across was calorie counting. Sounds boring, anal maybe, I know. I don't remember how long I did it for but it was at least four months and no more than
six. I kept track of the caloric value of everything I ate and became an expert at reading food value labels. I was amazed at how many calories is in some of the crap that we eat. I also learned I was eating portion sizes that were far too large. I learned that all the stuff that is good for us has far less calories in it and you can eat a lot more of it – think fruit's & vegetable's – this became my new snack food.

We know that we put on weight when we eat more calories in a day than we burn off. To lose weight we need to burn off more than we eat. So we can eat less, exercise more, or eat the same amount and exercise more. Weight loss isn't any more complicated than that. Problem is that it is easy to understand but not so easy to put into practice. It didn't take me long to realize that I needed to add a daily walk to my regimen to burn off a few extra calories in addition to cutting down on my caloric intake. This is when I really noticed the weight coming off. I was now three or four years in to this program and had lost about 30 pounds. I settled into walking every second day for forty to sixty minutes as a minimum and I was energized like I had not been for many years.

I still had times, especially in the winter, when I had difficulty sticking to my program. Often in the dead of winter I would end up putting on five or ten pounds. This is where the trucking lifestyle really can drag you down. It's tough to find the motivation to go out for a walk when it's minus 30 in Winnipeg and the wind is blowing and it's dark to boot. Such is the life we lead.

So if your new year resolution is to get healthy this year it's well worth the effort. Keep your intention in mind and you'll always move forward.

Mondays

One thing I can say about Mondays is that they are never boring for me.  The only thing I know for sure is that I am normally in Winnipeg and my day usually starts pretty early.  Oh, and I'm usually tired by the end of them.  This week was no exception that's for sure.

Monday's are delivery days, usually around 8 to 10 of them.  I thought I was getting off easy this week with only 5 to do.  I end up with an expectation of being able to get down across the border early in the day and get some miles in to my pick up on the following day.  It's sort of a jump on my trip towards home.  I don't expect it to happen every week but it's nice when it does.  Of course we all know what happens when we count our chickens before they hatch don't we?  Just when I thought it was smooth sailing ahead I ran into a glitch, a big one at that.

One of our most dependable shippers managed to make an error when they loaded the nose of the trailer I had.  My last two drops were mixed up on the bills of lading.  Bottom line was I ended up delivering furniture to the wrong addresses, well, actually the right addresses as far as I knew.  It all got rather confusing since I did not pick up on the error until I had delivered the first order and was in the process of unloading the second order.  It ended up costing about three and a half hours of time to figure it all out and taught me not to take anything for granted even when all the paperwork is correct because sometimes - not very often - the freight just doesn't match up.  Blue Monday.

In some sick and twisted way Monday's like this are what I'm enjoying about doing this run.  There is almost always something different in store for me.  Most of my deliveries are routine and many of them are regulars, if not weekly every couple of weeks or monthly.  So I can bang them off pretty quickly and know when to show up and when not to show up, when to phone ahead and how to access them quickly.  But if I didn't have the challenge of the new and the confusing it would just get boring wouldn't it?  I'm sure there are a few people back in the home office that would disagree with that thought.

A lot of folks say they hate Mondays.  Me?  I kind of enjoy them.  But when I think about it my Mondays are actually the average persons Wednesday.  Monday is my hump day, in more ways than one.  Cheers!!

Us Against Them?

This post appears as a column in the November issue of Truck News and Truck West Magazine

Roadside inspections and monthly log audits are examples of routine procedures I face on a regular basis that can effect my driver record, my professional certification, and my income. The safety through enforcement approach often leaves me feeling guilty until proven innocent. On one side I have my carrier's safety department , on the other side I have enforcement officials, both practicing due diligence as they enforce the rules. It is not unusual for me to feel as though I am stuck between a rock and a hard place as I carry out my duties each day. Because of the punitive nature of how the rules are enforced it is not unusual to have the feeling that someone is ready to pounce on every little mistake I make as I go about my daily business.

Written driver tests every five years, driver physicals every three years (or more), random drug & alcohol testing, CSA 2010, speed limiters, EOBR's, Hours of Service rules and the specter of sleep apnea testing are just some of the major issues that govern a drivers conduct. Our industry is constructed on a foundation that pits us, the drivers, against them, safety and enforcement. Generating a feeling of us against them may not be the intent behind the rules but it is often the result.

Are we getting the big picture of the trucking industry from the view we have from our cab or is our point of view too narrow? Is it “us against them”? Are drivers being unfairly targeted of late? Are there too many rules being introduced of late? Are added laws and legislation limiting a drivers ability to do the job and to earn a decent living?

I can't answer those questions for anyone other than myself. But I can relate a couple of experiences that helped me to see the bigger picture and open up my mind to a view beyond the confines of the wheelhouse we all spend our days in.

This past August I had the opportunity to present a drivers position regarding electronic on board recorders. I attended a meeting with the senior managers of my company and a representative from the Carrier Safety & Enforcement Branch of the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. It was a frank discussion and I was able to present some of the major issues I was facing with the live implementation of an EOBR in my truck. What impressed me the most about this meeting was learning how little feedback decision makers receive from individuals on the front line. The users most effected provide the least input into how this new technology effects their daily routine. Think about this. So often we react to decisions that are made and systems that are put into place after the fact. We need to participate more in the process and have more of an influence on decision makers.

When I think about the numerous experiences I have had with enforcement officers throughout North America at various government scales I have not had a really bad experience. I have had some equipment issues at a couple of those inspections but have always been treated in a professional manner and I have never had the feeling that anyone is out to get me. I also spent a day observing inspections at an Ontario scale during the annual CVSA spring blitz a couple of years ago and was impressed with the latitude inspectors gave to drivers. I noted a number of drivers that day that had not received adequate training or information they needed to do the job to the best of their ability. Inspectors gave these drivers a good bit of leeway and assistance so as not to punish them unfairly.

Over this past month my own company has recognized that I would benefit from a more structured routine and has put together a program for me that gives me more home time. This came about as a result of changes with the EOBR. It's time to adapt and change in a positive way. We can't continue to do things the same old way with new technology and systems in place.

So it's not us against them after all. At least not in my case. This job confines you to your cab for long periods of time. That confinement can result in a narrow point of view on our part. There are many excellent people in this industry with nothing but good intention. That good intention needs information from the front lines to have the greatest impact. More than ever we need to share our experience and insight with the decision makers in this industry. It's easier than it has ever been to share information. It builds bridges and your own morale.

Old School

This post appears as a column in the October issue of Truck News and Truck West Magazine

Old School. That's an expression you hear quite a lot in the trucking industry. It refers to the drivers that have been trucking for their whole career. Driving is a heritage for these folks. They started by washing trucks, then loading trucks, then driving delivery vans, then a single axle straight job, then a tandem straight job before graduating to a day cab and then a highway unit. They bumped a thousand docks or more before they ever saw an open stretch of highway let alone a mountain grade in the dead of winter. Many things grew from that experience: skill, confidence, camaraderie, teamwork, pride in their profession, and a deep cultural connection to the trucking lifestyle. In return truck drivers received something we all want. Respect. The Knights of the road. Some folks in this business are of the opinion that old school drivers are a dying breed.

It was their work ethic and pride in their vocation that built this industry. Those are the two qualities that define old school in my mind. Those are also the two most important attributes new drivers require that will shield the trucking industry from the impending driver shortage and allow the industry to adapt to the rapid technological change currently underway. If we think of old school drivers as a dying breed I think our profession is in serious trouble. I think the industry needs to find a way to bring the mentor-ship that existed in the past back into the loop. Skills training alone isn't enough. Forty hours in the cab learning how to maneuver, jam some gears, and back up between some barrels does not a truck driver make. I know. I am a product of that approach with only 12 years experience under my belt. It was the year following my initial driver training that developed my sense of pride in my new craft. I teamed with an owner operator for that year. I often think of that period as my apprenticeship. It started me off on the right foot. I have never looked back and I have never stopped learning.

I think this is the best argument that can be made for recognizing truck driving as a profession, for an advanced apprenticeship program, and a progressive graduated licensing system for commercial drivers. I know many of you may balk after reading that but ask yourself where those old school truck drivers came from. They were attracted to a career they saw as a profession and a desirable lifestyle. They were mentored, for a number of years, by experienced drivers. They were taught to crawl before they could walk and to walk before they could run. Training was thorough and gradual and possessed a depth far beyond anything that is practiced today. It fostered loyalty, commitment, skills, and a deep sense of responsibility in all aspects of the job. That's old school. That's professional training. That's apprenticeship.

So “old school” actually describes a way of life and a set of values not an individual. It really is a shame when we think of drivers that possess these qualities as a dying breed. That is a sad commentary on the trucking industry in general. We should be building on those values and passing them down along with the skills training to the next generation of drivers just as has been done in the past. I believe this is the issue that lies at the core of driver recruitment, driver productivity, driver morale, safety, and compliance.

I have said a number of times that I believe technological growth is exponential and will continue to bring rapid change to how we do things. I've also said that adapting to those changes is difficult for us to do at the same rapid pace. When we find a comfort zone we like to stay in it. We especially don't adapt well when we are forced to change against our will. Our immediate reaction is to fight that change. I have found it interesting that it is the drivers that possess those old school values that are able to adapt best. They may complain about it and express an opinion that is against the changes, often for good reason. But in the end they always suck it up and get the job done.

Communication in the trucking industry today is dominated by a top down approach. Leaders and shakers need to foster a bottom up approach so that drivers can share their experience and put those old school values front and center where they belong. Perhaps drivers will then find the camaraderie, teamwork, and respect back in their daily lives. As it should be.

Never pass up an opportunity to share some time with an old school driver. You always come away richer for the experience.

Sundays

On Sunday mornings I wake up in the town of White River.  At this time of year it's snow covered, cold, isolated, and beautiful.  Well, beautiful isn't a word I would use to describe the truck stop but it describes this part of Ontario - you know what I mean.  From White River I travel west to the town of Marathon and then continue along the north shore of Lake Superior through Terrace Bay, Rossport, Pays Plat, and Nipigon before arriving in Thunder Bay.  I'm usually out of White River before 6:30 in the morning and the drive is peaceful, serene, and relaxing on a clear morning but can challenge your driving skills and stamina when heavy snow moves in off the Lake.  Temperatures in the dead of winter often dip below -30 C.  Road closures throughout the winter due to snow are part of your trip plan.

Sunday mornings are my favorite travel time of the week.  On my three hour trek from White River to Nipigon I see little else on the road.  There are a few four wheelers heading to the David Bell mine north of White River for an early shift and the moose staring at me silently from the roadside as I move through the flats on my first leg towards Marathon.  My radio is always off and I spend the three hour trip to Thunder Bay in silence, taking in the vista from my cab presented by the early morning light.  Although I remain alert to the challenges this section of road presents to my driving skills it always imbues in me a feeling of deep reflection and calmness of mind.  This is one of the great benefits I derive from long haul driving.  Although I am strapped to my seat and confined to my cab it is at these times that I am filled with a feeling of personal freedom and liberation.  That is somewhat of a paradox I know, but true nevertheless.

By 10:30 or 11:00 I am usually passing through Thunder Bay.  The business of the highway now requires my full attention for the balance of the day as I make my way towards my destination in Winnipeg.  Arrival in Winnipeg is usually around 6 or 7 in the evening providing me with the opportunity to enjoy my Sunday evening run before dinner, shower, and bed.  Sundays are full and busy days.  Sundays are a routine day of my week filled with the possibility of surprise and challenge.  Sundays define what it is that I love about doing this for a living.  Sundays are good days.

An Odd & Tiring Day

I woke up this morning with snow drifts around my truck, it was still snowing, and the wind had not let up.  I had the feeling that it would get worse as I headed south from Fargo based on the weather report I heard before going to sleep.  Surprise, surprise.  By the time I reached the South Dakota line there was very little snow on the ground.  All I had to really deal with driving through SD was the wind.  Nice.

But I had a lot of weight to load and that's when the fun started.  I loaded almost 45,000 lbs it turns out which put me 80 pounds over gross.  No big deal there I'd easy burn that off in fuel but I was already sitting at less than 1/2 tanks. Guess I'll be making a few fuel stops on the way home if I want to stay legal.  Getting my axle weights legal was a challenge though.  Not because the freight was loaded poorly but because after driving around in blowing snow & sub zero temperatures for a few days the equipment was iced up, frozen up, seized up, call it what you will.  I had fun releasing the pins on my fifth wheel so I could move some weight up on to my steers.  At 80,000 pounds you need to use all the moving parts to balance things out.  Problem was they wouldn't move.  I persuaded them in the end though.

I got back into the snow covered iced over roads not long after crossing back into Minnesota, made it to Albert Lea where I had to take on a little fuel and decided I'd had enough fun for the day.  I don't mind driving in the crappy weather but you know what they say about too much of a good thing.

I really miss getting out for a walk or a run when the weather is bad like this.  It's amazing how it gets me down.  I actually feel more tired when I can't get that regular workout in.  I feel frustrated by it, as hard as I try not to be.

Finally, it looks like I'm not getting in until Thursday morning instead of Wednesday night.  That extra messing around today ate into my hours of service a little too deeply and I don't feel like pushing it to close to the edge in this crappy weather.  Slow & steady wins the race!!

It has been an odd & tiring day today.

Winter Is Here

I'm already getting tired of wearing my longjohns and it isn't even December yet.  I'm starting to get the feeling it's going to be a long winter, at least across northern Ontario, through Manitoba, and down through the Dakota's & Minnesota.  That's my regular weekly route these day's and I've seen a fair sized slice of winter on my last two trips.

I just arrived in Fargo and I'm sitting at the Flying J.  Dinner is in the microwave, I've got my tail into the wind.  I've holed up here since I heard there was a winter storm watch in effect for the southeast part of the state until tomorrow morning.  Well that along with a couple of eighteen's I passed that were in the ditch just north of the city along with a couple of four wheelers here and there.  Visibility was really starting to suck and I had the feeling it was only going to get worse as I headed south.  No big deal.  I can get out of here early in the morning and make my pick down in South Dakota.  I'll be glad to get the 22 tons of seed into the box tomorrow to hold me down.  I'm just glad I had a tail wind pulling this empty and not a cross wind.

Dinner's ready.  I'm wondering how you get chinese fried rice out of a microwave?  It did taste pretty good though.

Now that I have food in my belly my brain is starting to shut down.  Time to kick back, read for 20 minutes then grab some shut-eye.  Tomorrow morning will probably be interesting.

Finding Your Swing

I read my MP's blog regularly and look forward to the posts.  Glen Pearson uses this medium to express his feelings and opinions on many issues in an honest, intelligent, and non partisan manner that I find refreshing.  Today he put up a post entitled The Swing Is Gone.  Glen describes the effects of how time away from the people he loves effects him.  You can read the post here.  He shares thoughts in the post that truck drivers can empathize with.

Time away from home and from family is part of the job we do.  You can't escape it, you have to find a way to cope with it.  I have a couple of advantages over Glen.  My wife and I no longer have young children at home so I do not have to juggle those needs and commitments.  Neither do I have the degree of responsibility that Glen does as a public servant.  That been said it still does not make dealing with the isolation that comes with the job any easier to cope with.  In fact I struggle with ways to give back to the community I live in and the industry I work in.  I believe this is a big part of the path to happiness, personal liberation, and personal freedom in our lives.

Reading Glen's post made me glad that I am now spending regular time at home with my wife.  In fact I am also expecting my daughter to arrive in a few minutes for coffee which is becoming a regular weekly routine for us.  Another benefit of regular home time.  After doing open board work and spending so much time on the road for the past several years I did not realize what I had been missing.  I'm very thankful for the change and for the ability to find my own swing.

Thanks for the great post Glen!!

Waiting In The Peg

As usual life has been more than a little busy of late.  The good news is I'm getting into a groove I have not been in for many years.  I'm developing a routine.  At work and at home.  I like it.  My sweetheart of a wife likes it.  Life is good despite the hectic nature of it.

Last month I started to do a regular weekly turn up to Winnipeg and back.  I leave on a Saturday morning arriving in the Peg on Sunday evening.  Then it's a day of delivering freight in and around the Peg before dragging my now empty trailer across the border and reloading for home, usually getting back on Wednesday evening.    As I said I'm just starting to find my groove with this run and it's a positive change.  I actually have the hours of service rules and my new electronic on board recorder to thank in large part for this change.  More on that in a later post.

Today (Monday) was a little different.  I dragged an LTL load for Brandon/Regina/Saskatoon up here and switched it off last night with a full load out of Edmonton.  That gave me some time this morning as I sit at a dock here in Winnipeg unloading.  Does not pay as well as my usual run but a change is as good as a rest right?  Rest is good, that's something I'm discovering with my new found 'routine'.

I had completely forgotten what it was like to know what you were doing week in and week out.  There is a certain freedom about it.  That may sound like a bit of a paradox but I'm finding it's true for me.  Knowing where I will be each week is allowing me to be free of many planning stresses I have dealt with regularly out here on the road.  The regular miles also bring a regular pay cheque, again freedom from planning stress.  Then there is the regular days at home.  Already my wife and I are finding that many of the routine jobs around the house that have been put on the back burner in the past due to time constraints are now been looked after on a weekly basis and are no longer on the to do list.  This all may sound rather silly to those of you that don't drive for a living.  Believe me it's not.  You may think that routine leads to stagnation but on the contrary I'm finding that routine is reducing my stress level and improving my personal productivity.  Maybe now I can squeeze out some more time for writing.

BTW, for those of you on my email list, sorry but I have not been posting my monthly columns here with any regularity of late so they are headed your way now.

Cheers, Al.

Housekeeping

I'm at home for a week of vacation and I find myself drowning in unfinished business.  You know, all of those little things that you plan to do and have all of the good intention to complete but struggle to get to.  The list is long and most of the items seem insignificant at a glance.  I'm sure you have a similar list for the fall season: fix the weather stripping on the front door, seal & paint front bay window, clean out eaves trough & put up Christmas lights, clean out & cover fountain for winter, change batteries in smoke detectors, halloween decorations up for this weekend, etc., etc.  And that is just a few things around the house.  When I sit down and look at my desk there are dozens of things I have on the go personally that I would like to explore.  All the little details of our lives are squeezed in between the big issues we live everyday.

We all spend much of our time living outside of the present moment wrapped in thought about what was and what will be.  Analyzing what has happened and planning on where we want to be leads us to forget to simply enjoy life as it unfolds.  I don't believe happiness results from the volume of work you can perform or how many jobs you can juggle at once.  But we often fall into that trap don't we?

So I think that right now, in this moment, I will simply publish this post then head out for a run in the sun.  After that, well, I'll just see what comes up in the moment.

Cheers.

Finding My Groove

Today was an excellent day.  One of those days that just hums along as it should.  Nothing unexpected, nothing stressful, nothing out of the ordinary.  I started with a run this morning under brilliant blue sky, no wind, a crisp temperature of 6C, and beautiful Fall colour still in the trees.  The last couple of months have been a grind in every aspect of my daily life.  Truck breakdowns, a cold that dragged on and on, long hours in the seat, longer than usual time away from home - if it wasn't for bad luck................you know how it goes.  Glad I'm climbing up and out of that valley.

I'm on holiday next week then I start on a new gig.  Something with a little routine to it.  I'll be doing regular weekly rounders up to Winnipeg and back.  A five day swing that will see me with a couple of days at home every week.  A first for me in the trucking business.  I've always done open board work and been away at least a couple of weeks at a time.  Often a lot longer than that.  I'm looking forward to the change and getting some routine into my life.  Lot's of positives to look forward to with this.

C13 CAT - My Nemesis

So much to blog about lately but I've been so busy I have not had the time to park myself at the keyboard.  Until now.  I'm officially stopped for a full day.  Seems I've been working the yellow kitty CAT under my hood a little too hard of late and she (he? it?) decided it was time to let me know exactly who is in control out here.

Yesterday afternoon as I was about 20 miles across the Illinois line heading east on the I-94 tollway approaching the Eden's spur. That's when the little yellow C13 let out a hellish cry from under the hood.  That was followed by loss in power and a pretty yellow engine lamp illuminated on my dash.  Yellow had hit the wall and blown a turbo.  I was less than 2 miles from the toll plaza and more or less coasted in there sounding like a broken, beaten up, bucket of rusty bolts.  At least she kicked the can before I reached the Kennedy expressway merge or The Circle in the heart of Chicago.  That would have been a treat indeed.

So I took a ride in a hook, closely followed by my regular ride, up to Peterbilt Illinois back at the state line on I-94.  There she sits waiting on a new turbo which should have arrived there about half an hour ago.  I'm still sitting in the Super 8 in Pleasant Prairie killing some time before check out.  The good folks at Peterbilt provide a ride too and from the hotel for me.  I'll call to have them pick me up shortly and hopefully be on my way by mid to late afternoon.

Ahhhhhhhh, trucking.  If you enjoy living moment to moment, well, this is the life for you.

Cheers.

Catching My Breath In Vancouver

Back in the middle of August I did a piece on "Acceptance".  I was trying to get to the heart the issue of change and lack of stability in a drivers day out here on the road.  I think every driver recognizes the fact that there is no such thing as a permanent plan out here.  Our day can change dramatically and drastically on very short notice.  Since posting that piece I feel as if the Trucking Gods read it and have spent the last month challenging me so they could watch me choke down a couple of very large slices of humble pie.

Between the truck breakdown in Moosomin, the long night driving shifts, missed plans at home, challenges with pick ups and drops, having to re-work freight on trailers, rush rush and then sit and wait, and finally a chest cold just to add to that worn out feeling.  This is just the way it goes sometimes.  But for the last two days I have had the chance to catch up on that sleep, clean up and re-organize.  I also got a visit in last week with my sisters and father over on Vancouver island.  There are always high points.

I'm planned on a load from here to Edmonton and then I'll start working my way back to Ontario to spend a few days at home.  The bottom line is you can't let this job drag you down.  I had a goal this year to try and live in the moment and enjoy the lows along with the highs.  The challenges of the last month have ended up picking me up rather than dragging me down.

So I say to the Trucking Gods - BRING IT ON!!

Truck Didn't Run, But I Still Could

September 1st already.  Doesn't feel like fall yet though.  Shortly after dinner time here in London and the temperature is still 30C - feels like 35C when you factor in the humidity.  After this summer that probably would be classed as "cool" by many people living south of the border.  It has been a scorcher.  I don't care about the heat.  I made it home after my fiasco in Saskatchewan last week and the saga of the faulty ECM.  Arrived at the yard by 7 AM on Monday and was home a few hours later.  Tomorrow (Thursday) I'm back at it, booked on a trip to Vancouver.

I thought I'd post something a little different today.  This post is about running rather than trucking.  Although more and more I find that running is the thing that keeps me trucking.  Like so many other things I have come to appreciate over the past decade running seemed to work its way into my life.  I never went looking for it.  Just like truck driving.  So here I am, not just a truck driver, but a truck driver that runs.  A fairly rare combination out here on the road.  The trucking lifestyle is usually held up as the reason that so many drivers suffer a decline in overall health at a much earlier age than the general population.  I think this is true.  But in my case it provided me with the motivation to get my ass into gear and look after myself.

The problem with truck driving is that at the end of the day the mental tiredness you feel also makes you feel physically worn out.  This even though you may not have done anything physically challenging at all over the course of your day.  Exercise is usually the last thing on a drivers mind at the end of a shift.  It's more like; "Shit, I only have 8 hours to eat, shower, and sleep before I have to get up and do this all over again".  Well, maybe that's the case.  When I look at the fact there are 168 hours in my week and I need 6 to 10 of those for my own personal use, it makes it easier for me to schedule the time I need for myself.  I just make it a priority now.  It's not easy though.  Changing your habits is very difficult.  We live in a world of fads and quick fix solutions to situations that have developed over a lifetime and become ingrained into our daily lives.  Tough to change.  Lot's of failures in store for us before we start to see results.

It's taken me a decade to go from a chain smoking, lethargic, Dorito fueled, chubby trucker to my present state of good health.  I started this kick on my fortieth birthday with a goal to be in great physical condition by my fiftieth birthday.  That's later this month.  I'll be able to say I made it.

What I'm trying to get to here is that we need to find creative ways to look after ourselves out here on the road.  There is too much at stake.  Why on earth would I want to work my ass off for my whole life only to drop dead before I can have the opportunity to enjoy it.  Yea, yea I know I might die tomorrow - blah, blah, blah......but I probably won't, and if I do at least I'll feel good up to that point.

So the whole Moosomin cluster I experienced last week could have been a real kick in the butt to me if I had let it.  Why?  Because one of the things I did this year was commit myself to running some road races - 5K & 10K - to keep me motivated out on the road on those days when I just did not feel like getting to that workout.  I was going to run a 10K this past Sunday but I was not able to make it since I was stuck out in Moosomin.  No one to blame there.  But it didn't work out too bad at all.  The purpose of entering a race was to motivate me to train and it certainly did that.  Mission accomplished.  Was I disappointed?  Sure.  But I've got a 5K planned for the end of October and there are many more races in my future.  Lots of motivation still to come. :)

It's All About Attitude

This post appears as a column in the September issue of Truck News and Truck West Magazine - print & online editions

It's tough to remain positive and upbeat all of the time. If I can maintain a positive outlook eighty percent of the time, well, that's a result I'm very happy with. This past year of two has been a struggle for everyone, not just those of us in the transportation industry. The economy has hammered all of us. The best thing I have going for me though is the fact I work for a family owned organization that puts its family values front and center. It's nice to have that positive attitude trickling down from the top. Not all of us have that going for us.

Before I started trucking for a living my wife and I were the owners of an office products retail franchise. It is a business I had been in for over twenty years. When I first started in the business the company was owned by a family and operated in a similar way to the company I work for now. The family sold the business to corporate interests in the early 90's. Changes occurred rapidly and the similarities to how the retail environment changed in the 90's to how the trucking industry has changed over the past decade are haunting. Take a look at any city in North America as you drive through it and it is difficult to tell them apart from the retail landscape. Whether it is fast food, clothing, or building supplies the same names on the buildings repeat themselves over and over again. Independents have been sucked up by the big boxes for the most part. Now take a look at the trucks and trailers as you roll down the road. More and more independent operators are owner operators or lease operators wrapped in the cloak of a large trucking operation. Much like the franchise operator of a retail location. For all of the owner operators out there I can certainly empathize with the challenges you face as business owners as well as drivers.

So how does all of that relate to my attitude? For me it's the difference between a constant focus on the bottom line as an objective and a motivator as opposed to simply doing the job to the best of your ability and having the pennies look after themselves. That's the beauty of driving for a family owned company as opposed to a company focused on keeping the shareholders happy. When the prime intention of your day is to operate with honesty and integrity while meeting your customer service obligations and commitments, then coping with the trucking industry issues of the day becomes much easier. We all have to deal with hours of service, speed limiters, dock delays, roadside inspections, log audits, home time, and so on. My experience has shown me that productivity, efficiency, and a positive outlook all thrive in an open and honest atmosphere that is supportive even when we drop the ball and screw up. When you work under conditions that use mainly punitive measures as a source of motivation and productivity, morale and your personal attitude usually ends up in the toilet.

But even when you feel you are working for some of the best people in the business it's still difficult as a truck driver to have a bright and sunny outlook 100 percent of the time. After all, we are separated from friends and family for extended periods, we work long hours, daily routines are often in flux, we may have issues with the equipment we operate, we suffer road delays for a myriad of reasons, and all of that before we even get into loading and unloading. And we keep coming back for more. But for how long?

I keep reading about the trucking industry facing a driver shortage of qualified personnel. I look at driver recruitment ads that trumpet the benefits of working for this or that company but when I talk to many drivers I hear stories about those same companies that are anything but conducive to developing a positive work atmosphere.

It is said that we find happiness within ourselves. That happiness starts with a positive and upbeat outlook on life in general. But you need to surround yourself with others that are of a like mind and approach to life. In this business it starts by aligning yourself with a company that brings the same values to it's business operations that you practice in your personal life. Those shared values become the basis of a long and happy relationship despite the ups and downs of the industry in general or the economy. So look for the companies that walk the walk as well as talk the talk. The result is often a positive attitude and a happier outlook on life.

Rest Areas? What Rest Areas?

This post appears as a column in the August issue of Truck News and Truck West Magazine - print & online editions

Imagine that when you show up at work today all of the washroom facilities have been closed. You no longer have immediate access to toilets or running water. A sign on the now locked doors of the restrooms advises you to make use of the facilities at the local restaurants and coffee shops that surround your workplace. Perhaps you work a night shift and many of these local businesses are closed at that time, or perhaps only the drive through portion is open and other amenities are closed to the public. Your personal comfort has now become a high priority in how you plan your time and how you conduct your daily affairs. Does this sound unreasonable to you? For the thousands of us that navigate the 2000 plus kilometers between southern Ontario and the Manitoba border on a daily basis this is not fiction. It is our reality.

How is it that governments can pass legislation governing our work activity and rest periods – the hours of service legislation - yet absolve themselves of any responsibility to provide safe havens for us to obtain the rest we need and the bathroom facilities we require? Rest areas for commercial drivers are a necessary part of the transportation infrastructure that for the most part has been ignored in the province of Ontario. Even the terminology has changed for the worse. Along the 400 series highways there will now only be “service areas” not rest areas. These areas have been licensed to corporations by the province and are now profit centres for them. Is there any guarantee commercial drivers will be able to use these areas as a safe haven for rest purposes? Do we have to shop there to stay there? Will they even be truck friendly? Will parking be limited in these areas or accessible at any time? Important questions that to the best of my knowledge do not have a definitive answer.

You only need to look south of the border to see how rest areas have been integrated into the highway infrastructure. For the most part they are large, clean and only a few travel hours apart along interstate highways and the US highways that link the country together. Most importantly they are available to commercial drivers and the general public 24/7. Ontario continues to live in the stone age.

It is interesting to note that during the G8 and G20 summits the province of Ontario kicked in a huge sum of money to build a “fake lake” in the media centre. The justification given for this was that it would promote tourism for Muskoka and Ontario throughout the world. Wonderful. When all of those tourists arrive and travel up and down the trans Canada highway through the province of Ontario they will be able to enjoy the bottles of urine and bags of feces that litter the “viewpoints” and “pullouts” along the road. I am not condoning the the disposal of human waste in this way. The fact is that using these areas along the highway for the purpose of rest leads to people having to do what they have to do when they wake up in the morning. When you limit a persons options and there is no alternative you can pass as many laws as you like to prevent it but it will still happen. The human body is not a machine that can be turned on and off at any time of our choosing.

It seems our priorities are more than just a little screwed up these days. Billions upon billions of dollars have been paid out in recent years in the form of corporate welfare. At the same time services to citizens have been cut back. Many of us spend a good part of our spare time helping to raise money for, and contributing money to, services that fund our local hospitals, food banks, shelters, and various outreach services to our fellow citizens. The well being of our leading corporations now takes priority over the well being of our countries citizens in our legislative assemblies. As citizens we don't even have a pot left to pee in, at least out here on the road.

The answer is simple. Ontario needs to build and fund a series of clean, modern rest areas. Why infrastructure money from “Canada's Action Plan” was not invested in this project I will never know. For thousands of us that drive the highways of Ontario we all need to recognize that this is first and foremost our workplace. Asking for some basic ammenities that provide us with safety and comfort is not too much to ask for. Ontario has health and safety legislation for the workplace. Drivers need to start asking “what about us?”

A Driver's Health Scare Can Be A Wake Up Call For All Of Us

This post appears as a column in the July issue of Truck News and Truck West Magazine - print & online editions

Sometimes you will have an experience or hear of one that wakes you up to what's really important in your daily life. This was the case for me a couple of weeks ago. I came face to face with an example of how shaky life can be on the road for all of us. It is an anecdote involving a 911 call and a driver in distress. Here's how the story unfolded as related to me by the guys in dispatch as I prepared to leave on my last trip.

A cell phone call came in to the dispatch office that day from one of our drivers experiencing severe chest pain and shortness of breath. This was a single driver doing open board highway work and at the time of the call was on highway #1 in the boondocks of Saskatchewan. He had pulled off the road near the town of Tompkins which is about half way between Maple Creek and Swift Current. Our dispatcher called 911 here in southern Ontario and related the situation to the operator. Within a minute of making that call our office received a call from the 911 operator in Swift Current telling them that an ambulance had been dispatched from Gull Lake and would be to our driver within 15 minutes. About a half hour later our dispatcher reached the driver on his cell. He was still very much in physical pain and distressed but was in the ambulance and on his way to the hospital in Swift Current.

We all usually experience similar feelings when we hear a story like this. Our first reaction is one of concern for the person we know. Our second is often surprise that it could happen to that person since we were just talking to them the other day and they were just fine, giving us no indication of poor health or cause for concern. We are then often struck by how lucky we are to live an a part of the world that provides us with emergency medical care even when we are alone and in the middle of nowhere. The 911 emergency system is pretty incredible. Finally we start to look at our own state of health and how we would cope in a similar situation.

There has much been written in recent years about the shorter life expectancy for truck drivers in comparison to the rest of the population. The average life expectancy for a North American male is 76 years. Truck drivers can expect to live 10 to 15 years less than that. That's a sobering thought. Coping with personal health issues as a truck driver is no easy task. Finding the time to exercise and maintain a routine that allows you the rest you need to fight off fatigue is a challenge. It's also very much a personal choice as to how you choose to live your life.

I make no secret of the fact that I have made significant lifestyle changes over the past 8 to 10 years to improve my own health. Those changes included quitting tobacco, getting some daily exercise, and eating healthier. There has been no quick fix solution for me and it has taken a long time to break old habits and develop new ones. As I look back it has been well worth the effort but the temptations to indulge in “comfort” foods and to not bother to go for that daily walk or run are always there.

As I write this I am finishing up a week of vacation time. I have been enjoying the week with my father who has made the trip from Vancouver island to visit his kids here in Ontario. He is 88 years young and lives every day to the fullest. As we enjoy each others company this week I am reminded of why I take the time to look after my health. I think we have the obligation to live each day to the best of our ability. We may not always succeed but we can always keep trying.

There has been a tremendous focus in our industry of late on health and lifestyle issues. As a driver myself I believe that these lifestyle changes are the wave of the future for the industry. I intend to buck the trend and retire as a healthy husband, father and hopefully grandfather, by the time my retirement rolls around. I'm running in my first 10K run of the summer season this weekend. Committing to an organized activity is a great motivator and it put's you in touch with others that are committed to the same healthy changes in their lives.
I'm happy to report our driver that experienced the heart attack is now in Calgary recovering from the ordeal.

Stopping To Smell The Roses

This post appears as a column in the June issue of Truck News and Truck West Magazine - print & online editions

On the Wednesday following Easter I found myself in Edmonton enjoying a day off. The sun was out and the mercury would climb up to 15 before the day was out. I was clawing my way back into the routine of getting some regular exercise and this was the perfect day to go for a run. I had changed into my running gear and was on my way out of the yard when I bumped into Art & Sherry, one of our teams. It had been months since I had seen them and we took the opportunity to catch up on personal news, company gossip, and small talk.

We spent a lot of time talking about how busy this trucking life is. Teams are always on the go and we were soon on the topic of things you see on the road that make you stop and pause from your hectic routine. Jaw droppers as Art called them. One of these jaw droppers was the recent show of the Northern Lights across the prairies. We were soon relating experiences of some of the incredible scenes we had witnessed while traveling through the night away from the light pollution of the cities. As our conversation came to a close we agreed that we don't take the time to stop and smell the roses as often as we should.

We are often so caught up in where we have to be that we don't take the time to appreciate where we are at the moment. I think we (drivers) are our own worst enemy when it comes to taking a little personal time during the day. Stopping to smell the roses isn't about waiting for a jaw dropper to come along and grab your attention. It's about taking the time each day to do something of benefit to yourself. This is what my daily run or walk is all about.

The poor economy has intensified the normal stress factors in a drivers daily life and added additional ones. It has become more important than ever for me to take some time each day to deal with those stresses. Income and home time are where I have felt the most pressure over the last couple of years but there have also been sweeping changes across the industry. Combine the fact that I'm not getting any younger with the issues of the day and it is no wonder I have been feeling the blues of late.

Allowing yourself some personal downtime each day often goes against the grain and can add stress to your day if you don't keep it in the right perspective. A number of years ago when I first started getting some regular daily exercise I had to force myself to do it. At first it was just another task to squeeze into my already busy day. I don't view it that way any longer. The repetitive nature of running or walking at a steady pace takes my mind away from the issues of the day and recharges it. I started to exercise to improve my physical health but in time found it was a greater benefit for my mental health. The physical benefits are now more of a side effect.

Do I think exercising everyday helps keep the body and mind healthy? Do I feel that exercise can help a person cope with the stresses of daily life? Certainly I do. But I have come to that belief out of my own experience over a period of years. There are many ways to cope with stress and it is up to each of us to find our own path. The path starts with a commitment to take some time for yourself each day. It sounds so easy but it is anything but. It's a personal lifestyle issue.

We have all heard that there is an impending driver shortage, that employers will be scrambling to find qualified drivers in the near future. I don't think we should take that for granted. It will take a long time for this industry to recover from the shrink it has experienced over the last couple of years. Employers will have no choice but to find creative ways to control costs as they rebuild their market share. I think the changes we have seen in the first decade of the new millennium will pale in comparison to what we will see in the coming decade. Drivers will face many new challenges, good and bad.

I am certain of the fact that facing those challenges is much more enjoyable when you are healthy and at ease in your own mind. Finding that good health and ease in your life starts with taking a little time each day to stop and smell the roses.

Moosomin - Part III (The final chapter - I hope)

Just before noon local time and it's Saturday August 28.  I checked out of the hotel and I'm sitting over at the repair shop.  The ECM for my truck was shipped and received this morning and the work is been done as I speak to put the pieces back together.  By mid to late afternoon I should be rolling east problem free.  Knock on wood!!

I made the best of yesterday afternoon and caught up on all those domestic chores.  The hotel had a guest laundry facility which came in handy.  After 2 weeks on the road and no opportunity to throw a load of laundry through almost every stitch of clothing I had with me was in need of a wash.  The hotel also had an exercise facility so I put in some time on the treadmill while the laundry was in.  After that a shower and I was clean all around and had killed the better part of the day.

I decided to check out the local restaurant last night.  Not bad at all.  A couple of frosty beers, a fairly decent dish of pasta and chicken along with a hunk of cheesecake for desert and I was feeling pretty good as I sat watching the world go by.

Yes, I'm getting just a little antsy today.  After 2 days  you start to wonder if you will ever get going again.  It's taking a lot of effort to stay out of the way and let the work get done.  I was just looking over the post I put up almost ten days ago.  I had written about recognizing negative events but not letting them dictate how you react in the moment.  There was a lot that my wife and I had planned for this weekend and if I had focused all my energy on the fact that those plans didn't pan out I would have suffered a great deal of misery.  I am disappointed and there were times over the past couple of days when I felt hard done by.  Every occupation has its pitfalls.  I just happened to stumble into a deep hole this past week and it has taken a while to climb out.  Thinking we can live on an even keel week in and week out just isn't realistic.  Especially in the business of trucking.

The future holds many more lows and many more highs.  Having the opportunity to write and think about the events of the past week has reinforced my belief that you can be happy and content in even the most difficult circumstances.  External events can influence my state of mind but not control it.  Only I can do that.

Moosomin - Part II

Sitting in a hotel room on the edge of my seat in anticipation of the outcome of my next phone call.  It's only 10:20 or so out here on the prairies as I post this.  My day hinges on whether or not CAT in Regina will get the ECM for my truck re-programmed and shipped back to Moosomin today.  Will I be leaving today or will it stretch out into tomorrow?  If CAT does not get the job done today what will happen for the weekend?  Am I on holidays?  Do I hold the room for another night or check out?  Dispatch in Ontario is also on the edge of their collective seats as they wait to hear from me.  It's Friday after all.  A busy day for freight and there is a loaded trailer waiting for me in Winnipeg that is due into southern Ontario for Monday morning.  Decisions need to be made.  Deadlines are approaching fast.

I love this business.

I'm counting down the minutes before I pick up the phone.  Oooooooooo, the drama.  Lol.

12:00 local time and after numerous phone calls I now have some direction to my day.  The bottom line is I'm spending another night in Moosomin.  The folks doing the work on my truck are straight shooters and did not sugar coat the fact that they don't think they will have the truck ready for tonight.  Good to know.  If they don't have the part back from Regina in time they can't do their thing.  No problem.  I was then able to feed information back to dispatch so they could do the planning they need to do.  Regardless of what happens with my truck I know I will be moving towards home sometime tomorrow.  The boys have a plan and contingency plan in place that we can fine tune towards the end of the today as things evolve.

Good news?  The guys at Davidson loaned me a pickup to use while I'm here in town.  I can now get my laundry done here at the hotel and check out their exercise facilities, pool & hot tub if I like.  Maybe treat myself to a decent meal tonight and rest up for the push home tomorrow.  Life goes on with a vengeance.

Moosomin, Saskatchewan - Going With The Flow

Woke up this morning to brilliant blue sky and a heavy duty wrecker attached to my front bumper.  Not the type of hood ornament that is trucker friendly. lol.

It's a little after lunch time for me but only morning coffee time out here on the prairies.  The boys here at Davidson Truck and Tractor have our unit in the shop.  Does not look promising at the moment but things change in a hurry in this business.  Things are a problem when they can't get the ECM to upload to the computer.   So I have to exercise some patience and let them do their thing.  They will figure it out.  But it's definitely looking like an ECM problem.  At least to me.  But I'm just a gear jammer out here.  Point the dam thing in the right direction and get the freight there on time.  That's my specialty.  Mechanical problems just clutter up my day.

Good people out here in Moosomin.  Down to earth if you know what I mean.  Methodical with that easy going nature about them.  There are a lot of folks like that out here on the prairies when you get away from the bigger cities.  I know it's a stereotype but it's true none the less.  I like dealing with people that don't get ruffled.  It gives me confidence when people step back and you can see them pondering the different possibilities.  So I'll just stay out of the way and wait for the verdict.  What else can you do?

I talked to my wife last night from the side of the road and we had a laugh over the whole situation.  Murphy's law and all that.  This isn't a life threatening situation or anything just another day in the life.  I'm lucky to share my life with someone that understands this industry is always in flux.  I especially appreciate the fact that she appreciates the unpredictability despite the fact that she does not even possess a driving license so she does not spend any time at all on the road.  Perhaps that gives her a unique perspective that we as drivers never see.  I know I see her efforts on the home front from a far different perspective than what she does.  Home for me is an island of stability in a sea of constant motion.  Eventually the currents out here carry you to where you want to be.  Thinking those thoughts reminded me of a Taoist story about "going with the flow".  Here it is:

A Taoist story tells of an old man who accidentally fell into the river rapids leading to a high and dangerous waterfall. Onlookers feared for his life. Miraculously, he came out alive and unharmed downstream at the bottom of the falls. People asked him how he managed to survive. “I accommodated myself to the water, not the water to me. Without thinking, I allowed myself to be shaped by it. Plunging into the swirl, I came out with the swirl. This is how I survived.

 I guess that's the message I should be taking away from my experience over the last couple of weeks.  Go with the flow.  It's always easier to be shaped by your experience than to try a shape your world to your ideals.  Ah, the silver lining to the dark cloud.

Unpredictable. Changeable. Inconsistent.

"We often realize well after having a negative experience that every cloud really does have a silver lining.  If we could only see it at the time."

"Those stresses arise usually as a result of the unpredictable, changeable, and inconsistent nature of a driver's daily life."

Two lines from my last post.  Man have I been living by those words since I posted them.  Freight refused by receivers, receivers that I have had to sweet talk (or suck up to as some would say) and now a breakdown.  No not a personal breakdown.  A truck breakdown.

At this moment I am sitting on the shoulder of highway #1 just a couple of kilometers east of Grenfell, Saskatchewan searching for the silver lining within this dark cloud.  It's now Thursday at 2 AM in the morning - my time, eastern - and I was headed home for a planned weekend off.  This is part of our trucking life.  My plan was to have switched trailers in Winnipeg and be sleeping somewhere in the neighborhood of Richer, Manitoba.

I guess I can be thankful for the fact that I have no idea what tomorrow will bring.  Unpredictable.  Changeable.  Inconsistent.  You bet!

The only thing I know for sure is that a tow truck is on it's way to pull  me to Moosomin where I can get the truck serviced tomorrow.

I'll be sure to let you know what the silver lining turns out to be just as soon as I find out myself.  :)

Acceptance

It's not easy just to take things as they come.  There is a lot of stress in our daily lives.  It is difficult to live our days with a feeling of gratitude in all of our experiences.  We often realize well after having a negative experience that every cloud really does have a silver lining.  If we could only see it at the time.

That silver lining is most often obscured by our emotions in the moment.  Negative experience usually brings our afflictive emotions to the fore.  Those are the emotions that cause us the most misery and discomfort.   Traveling for days on end over the road our minds are often a simmering stew of emotions.  A state most often brought on by stresses we encounter everyday.  Those stresses arise usually as a result of the unpredictable, changeable, and inconsistent nature of a driver's daily life.

We can choose not to react to afflictive emotions such as anger, hatred, desire and jealousy.  Anger is usually our first reaction to negative events we experience on the road.  In the heat of the moment it can be difficult to remember that you can be angry but not react out of anger.

"Acceptance" is not about being indifferent to or ignoring negative events as they arise. It's about recognizing them while not letting them dictate how you react in any given situation.

An Unplanned Holiday From The Blog

One hundred and sixty eight hours in a week.  Despite that I opened up my blog today and discovered my last post was in April.  April?  Holy crap.  That blew me away.  To say I've had a busy summer would be an understatement.  The funny thing is I have been writing more than I ever have.  That writing has just never made it to this blog.  My intention for this space is to share my thoughts and feelings that are provoked by my experiences out here not to simply report on what has happened to me on a day to day basis.  I am finding that takes much deeper thought and more time than what I had at first anticipated.

It simply comes down to a matter of available time, as always in this business.  A 70 hour work week leaves little time for personal projects, hobbies, social events, and so on.  That's after meeting commitments to my family.  At least to my wife and daughter that is.  To my brothers & sisters I hope to see you sooner rather than later.  I also picked up a gig writing a monthly column for the Truck News earlier this year.  Meeting that deadline each month is no walk in the park either.  I now think of that deadline each month as my great motivator. :)  Here I am, crying a river.  That was not my intention.

It's no coincidence that my last post was about the winter blues.  That's a fact of life in this business.  This is not a workplace for the faint of heart.  There is no one to pick you up when you are down.  No one to give you a pat on the back.  No one to correct a minor mistake before it becomes a major issue.  No one to share their experience in real time.  No one to discuss or advise on a course of action when you find yourself in new territory or questionable circumstances.  All of that comes from within the individual driver.  That in itself is what makes this job such a great job.  Coping with the stresses, finding sources of motivation, dealing with rapid technological changes, adapting to new regulations and compliance issues, all while coping with a stagnant economy on top of everything else has left drivers burned out and pissed off.  Is it any wonder that drivers have a life expectancy 10 to 15 years below the North American average?

This is the common ground we share as drivers.  I don't have a magic solution to all the problems or a silver bullet that will slay the trucking industry demons.  There are better ways to cope though.  We just need to find them and most of all participate in the process.

I'm hoping to bring some of my personal feelings and thoughts on how to cope with this life on the road to the pages of my blog over the next couple of months.  That's not a side of myself I find easy to share in print, so bare with me.  I'm a truck driver not a writer.  I see a lot written about what we do and how to do it, but there does not seem to be a whole lot of information available or a conversation taking place about how to cope with it.  At least from a layman's point of view.  I'll give it a shot.

The Winter Blues

This post appears as a column in the May issue of Truck News and Truck West Magazine - print & online editions

I caught a rather severe case of the winter blues this year. I had feelings of irritability, a craving for comfort foods, loss of interest in usually enjoyable activities, poor concentration, and loss of energy. After the high of the Christmas season feeling a little down in January has become part of the normal seasonal work cycle for me. By the end of January I am normally in the groove of a new year and the bluesy feeling has passed. But not this year. This year the feeling of simply being tired is clinging to me. That feeling of fatigue aggravates the normal daily irritations I face on the road each day often blowing them out of proportion. So I had to face the question: What has changed?

I spent more time on the road in 2009 than what I would consider normal and that trend continues to the present day. This revelation comes as no surprise; it is a direct result of the downturn in the economy. As I investigated this line of thought I realized that the quality of my time on the road has also changed dramatically. It is the quality and not the quantity of time I am spending on the job that has a far greater effect on my state of mind. My last trip to Michigan is a good example of this. It was short but not sweet.

I left my home terminal in Ayr, Ontario at 8:00 pm in the evening. It was a simple straightforward load. I was switching trailers in Kalamazoo, Michigan then heading up to Grand Rapids for a load that was ready the following evening. Simple. No time issues or hours of service issues to deal with. I planned to be in Grand Rapids by 2:30 the following morning, get a good nights sleep, then kill the balance of the day before hooking on to the load that evening and making the 5 hour trip back to Ayr. The problem was that 25 km after leaving the terminal in Ayr I got a check engine light and then – bingo – the engine de-rated. I contacted dispatch, flipped around and headed back to the terminal.

Luckily there was another highway tractor in the yard. I slid my gear into it while dispatch modified the customs documents. Then I was off again; but now it was almost midnight. The Kalamazoo load had to deliver by 8:00 in the morning. At this point I had plenty of time but not plenty of energy. I crossed the border, grabbed a 90 minute nap at the first rest area and had the trailer in the dock in Kalamazoo by 7:45. I grabbed an empty trailer out of the yard in Kalamazoo and made it up to Grand Rapids well within my 14 hour window. It was 9:45 in the morning. My load was scheduled for 8 or 9 that evening. You would think after been up most of the night sleeping wouldn't be a problem. But that short nap in the middle of the night combined with the bright sun, warm spring weather, and the hustle and bustle of a busy day taking place around me made sleeping difficult.

It was 9:00 in the evening when I started rolling out of Grand Rapids. By the time I arrived at the port of entry in Sarnia I had been fighting off the waves of fatigue for over an hour. Ironic isn't it? You can operate well within the hours of service rules and still not be fit to be on the road. This is a circumstance that is more common than any of us like to admit. It goes to show that longer trips do not equate with more fatigue. It's all about the quality of time we spend within each and everyday.

I have come to understand over the last couple of weeks that I'm not suffering from the winter blues. I'm dealing with a type of shift work sleep disorder. According to the National Sleep Foundation I have most of the symptoms: Insomnia, disrupted sleep schedules, irritability, reduced performance, and excessive sleepiness. Understanding this makes me feel a little better but I still have to cope with it.

I can't lay the blame for this situation at the feet of my employer or anyone else for that matter. In fact my employer has bent over backwards to keep us all moving out here and financially I had a good year last year. Obviously it has come at a price though. It goes to show that despite all the procedural issues and regulatory changes we are facing in this industry each and everyone of us are responsible for making the decisions that effect our individual health and well being. That will never change.

Predicting The Unpredictable

My past week was a typical one for a truck driver.  The daily routine requires that you expect the unexpected while committing to meet the expectations of others. It is an interesting paradox we live by on the road.  The art of predicting the unpredictable.

On Monday morning I was greeted by the hiss of escaping air from a brake pot on the trailer I hooked to.  No problem, I was in our Edmonton yard and the part was quickly replaced.  The following day I was delayed at my second drop in Winnipeg because I did not have a dock appointment to drop 4 skids.  No problem, I was unloaded after waiting my turn behind two other trucks.  After my last drop in Winnipeg I switched trailers with another truck to deliver the following morning.  There were time issues.  I had time, the other truck did not.  No Problem.  On Thursday my AM pick up in Sioux Falls, ND was not ready until noon.  No problem.  When I scaled the load at the truck stop it was overweight.  No problem.  I went back to the shipper to have some freight taken off.  No problem.  I did not leave Sioux Falls until late afternoon on Thursday.  No problem.  I arrived home at midnight last Friday rather than dinner time.  No real problem, unless you allow it to become one.  These are all issues of the day that drivers face every week on the road.  You can predict where you went want to be and when but your are never certain of your exact path or timeline.  You learn to roll with the punches in order to meet your commitments in a timely manner.  It's often not pretty or exactly as you planned but the job always get's done.

On Saturday I headed to Toronto to take in the last day of the truck show, Truck World 2010.  I had registered for a seminar in the afternoon about the challenges & changes the trucking industry faces in the coming years from the perspective of the driver.  There was a lively discussion about a number of issues.  I came away from that discussion with the feeling that, like me, the industry as a whole may be able to predict the general trends and direction it will follow but is never certain of its exact path and timeline.  There are so many volatile issues facing the trucking industry right now that it is actually a very exciting time to be on the front line.  From technological changes to driver shortages and everything in between driver's are in a position to be agents of change.

Commercial drivers are proven problem solvers.  A driver's daily routine revolves around dealing with the unpredictable issues of the day and still meeting his/her commitments.  I don't think there is a better qualified group of people to meet the challenges ahead.  We need to recognize that quality in ourselves more often and make our individual voices heard.

Praire Wind

There is an annual event I participate in every April.  I call it the: Winter In April Across The Prairies Event.  It seems that participation in this event is not optional.  This year the special guest, courtesy of Mother Nature, was the wind.  Wind accompanied the regulars; snow, ice, sleet, and drifting snow.  Luckily I had the view from the balcony and was not on the main stage for this event.  It was a long and drawn out affair this year starting last Thursday and stretching itself out well into Saturday evening.  It was a large venue covering an area from Calgary to Edmonton to Saskatoon to Regina.  Everyone in the area was welcome.  I should also mention it seems that each year I usually show up for the party with an empty trailer or a load light enough to rate as an empty.  This year was no exception.

I left Winnipeg last Friday thinking that I had a nice easy two day ride up to Edmonton.  No hurry, no pressure, and the balance of the weekend off when I arrived.  A little rest and relaxation after a busy week. I started getting hit with the wind gusts when I crossed the Saskatchewan line.  By the time I had reached Indian Head I was in the midst of a tempest.  Very strange as I was still in sun and blue skies but the trailer was been hit with hard gusts and pushed out of the travel lane and on to the shoulder.  There was a row of 35 foot tall evergreens swaying in the wind like bulrush in a strong breeze.  Small ponds were filled with large white capped waves.  Metal road signs had been bent around there 4x4 posts, some had snapped off, others were vibrating madly in the wind.  Who says the prairies are a boring drive?

I stopped in Regina for a brief rest and a bite to eat planning to continue on.  Not so.  The highway to Saskatoon was closed for ice, snow, and zero visibility.  The word at the Regina Husky was that there were 13 semi's jack knifed between Davidson and Dundurn.  The Regina Husky does not look like an inviting place to spend your evening at the best of times but on this day it looked pretty good to me.  I spent the balance of the afternoon and evening rocking back and forth in my truck and listening to the wind blow.

 Saturday morning I got underway and as I neared Craik, SK there was still a few wrecks on the road from the previous day.  There was very little snow in this area but the wind damage was obvious everywhere you looked.  This trailing trailer from an LCV was lying along the shoulder on my side of the road.  Apparently just blown over.  I didn't see any indication that the lead trailer and the tractor had gone off the road.  No skid marks or torn up sod in the ditch.  Looks like the lighter trailer just blew over and broke away.

This semi on the other side of the road looked to have met the same fate.  No skid marks or torn up sod and it appears from the position it was simply blown over.  What a lousy ride huh?

You can see from these two pictures the nice blue sky.  Looks like a nice day our there doesn't it.  Well the header on my blog (which I'll leave up until at least the next post) was what it looked like when I got a little further up the road to Kenaston.  The wind was still going pretty good too but nothing like the day before.

On reaching Saskatoon I met up with a couple of our drivers that were heading south and had come out of Edmonton the day before.  They reported that the road "sucked" just ahead of me from The Battlefords through to Lloydminster.  So I decided Saskatoon was a good spot to take the time to shower and get cleaned up then have a meal.  Apparently the plows and salt shakers were out and working hard.  The temperature was up so I hoped that in 2 or 3 hours conditions would change.  Luckily I guessed right and the remainder of my trip was fairly uneventful.  A few sections of heavy drifting snow and some deep slush but nothing longer than the length of a football field.

I made out pretty well in this years spring storm.  Let's hope there is not more than one this year.

Integrity: Putting It To The Test

I came face to face with my own integrity this week.  A result of this dam blog.  It's my own fault I admit.  I started blogging to come to terms with the frustrations, aggravations, irritations and difficulties associated with this line of work.  It's easy to blog about this and that and talk the talk.  I found myself having to walk the walk.  Of course it had to do with the hours of service (HoS) regulations and, you guessed it, electronic on board recorders (EOBR's).  One of which I have in my truck and have stated publicly that "I like" and should be embraced by the industry as a whole.  Fatigue is one of the difficulties I have been dealing with frequently of late mostly related to variable shift patterns that are screwing up my sleep/rest cycle.  This week I came face to face with the issue of how the HoS rules combined with the EOBR add to my level of fatigue.

Before I go any further let me say this is not about who is to blame or right and wrong.  This is about dealing with the day to day realities of providing a service.  It's really not any deeper than that.  There will always be obstacles in our way and there will always be solutions to those problems.  We may not like the solutions.

The greatest obstacle we face as drivers is getting the job done within the alloted time frame.  There are two basic time frames we have to deal with.  The first is a commitment to the customer.  Getting the freight from the shipper to the receiver when we say we will.  The second is remaining in compliance with the HoS rules.  We usually have enough time to get the freight to the customer but we often have had to find creative ways to do it while remaining in compliance with the rules.  Inefficiencies in the system end up being downloaded to the driver.  The EOBR  forces accountability back up the chain by taking the driver's ability to be creative with the rules out of the equation.  Now we all have to work in real time.  Perfect right?

What if you find yourself in a position that provides enough time to get the freight to the receiver but breaking the rules is safer than working within the rules?  What do you do then?  Here is where the integrity question comes up for me.  With our paper log system we would falsify *gasp* the log, deliver the freight and be done with it.  Now with the EOBR you would have to accept the violation and any punitive measures if/when the violation is caught.  That may be at the roadside or through a log audit after the fact.  Or you can operate within the rules knowing you are unsafe to drive and hope for the best.  You may end up bringing harm to yourself or someone else but according to the rules you were good to go.

The bottom line for me here is this:  I don't exceed the 70 hr cycle, I don't exceed the 13 hour driving in my day (midnight to midnight for me), but working within the 16 hour window just doesn't cut it much of the time.  I usually exceed that window because I need to stop and nap so that I am safe on the road and capable of getting the delivery done safely.

I don't think this rule will be amended until the issue is brought to light when drivers like you and I are hammered through the log audit process.  We have been avoiding the issue for the last 3 years by not showing it on our paper logs.  Very often our "work shift" commences at a time that disrupts our sleep/wake cycle and induces fatigue.

The problem is not with EOBR'S.  The problem is with the HoS legislation.  EOBR's simply enforce what is already there.  In many instances we find ourselves having to break the rules in order to live within the safety of our circadian rhythms the rules were designed to enforce.  Catch 22.

So I said I came face to face with my own integrity.  I can't bullshit the rules any longer with an EOBR in the truck.  So if I want to protect my personal safety and deliver the goods on time there are going to be times I will have to show a violation in order to do that.

This is why we need the EOBR's.  Until those unavoidable violations are recorded on an ongoing basis across the industry the rules will never be amended and the driver's work/life balance issues will never be addressed appropriately.  The big red flag issue is that drivers & carriers will have to take it on the chin in order for that to happen.  Does our industry have the will to make it happen?

We hear a lot from the upper echelon of the trucking industry when it comes to the issue of hours of service compliance and their due diligence in that regard.  Those same movers and shakers need to put as much if not more effort into ensuring that the appropriate amendments are made to that same legislation in order to meet the work/life balance issues of the industries front line.  Technology is providing the tools.  They need to provide the will.  The drivers will deliver the goods.

Enforcing The Rules

This post appears as a column in the April issue of Truck News and Truck West Magazine - print & online editions

I've always had difficulty with the hours of service (HOS) rules. I have a good understanding of the rules and can log as creatively as the next person. That's the problem – logging creatively. Ask a thousand drivers to complete their "Drivers Daily Log" under a given set of circumstances and you will get a thousand variations on the same theme. Each driver will struggle to match their unique individual needs and the unique needs of the industry niche they work in to the rules.

The stated purpose of the HOS rules is to try to ensure that a driver is not fatigued to an exent that he or she cannot operate a commercial vehicle safely. It is not the intent of the HOS legislation, or the sleep science that supports it, that I take issue with. The problem lays in how the rules are applied.

The lack of flexibility within the rules is what has led to the accepted practice by drivers of gaming the system through the Drivers Daily Log. The whole industry, including enforcement, has been complicit in this charade since HOS rules first came into play. I suffer from fatigue on a regular and ongoing basis. Whether you are ready to admit it or not many of you reading this do also. The rules are not fulfilling their stated intent of ensuring a driver is not fatigued.

So what should the rules look like? I think Joanne Ritchie summed it up best in her December 2009 column that appeared in Truck News titled Fifteen Years And Counting:

"I believe it's high time that a true fatigue management plan was brought to the table, one that allows drivers to manage their own internal and very individual need for rest within the confines of a workable set of limits on drive time and prescribed minimums for daily rest."

I couldn't agree more.

Enter the Electronic On Board Recorder. Under the supervision of the EOBR the rules are no longer interpreted. Driving time is what it is and happens when it happens. Period. I've had the opportunity to work with an EOBR in my truck for the last 9 months or so and I like it. The EOBR may prove to be a driver's best friend and the agent of change our industry needs to put the debate on hours of service to bed once and for all. HUH? I know, you're thinking there is no way big brother's black box could ever be a friend of yours right?

The EOBR provides enforcement officials with compliance data that cannot be questioned. The driving time is what it is. The driving time data on the electronic daily log is gathered directly from the truck's electronic control module and a sensor on the drive axle. Gaming of the system on the part of the driver no longer exists. The 70 hour work week remains in place for a driver providing plenty of time to get the freight to the receiver on time. Drivers will no longer be reporting a 70 hour week and working an 80 to 90 hour week.

So you think an EOBR will have a negative impact on your income because it limits the amount of time you can drive? Don't be overly concerned. The industry can't afford to have you driving less miles. Inefficiencies in the system will be quickly eliminated. This bodes well for drivers. We will benefit from a reduction in dock delays and less time waiting between loads. The EOBR will force all players in the industry to be more accountable for their actions.

I think it's high time our lifestyle issues, our work/life balance issues, are brought to the forefront. There is no better way to do this than through the HOS rules that lie at the core of our daily routine. The question of whether or not a driver is complying with the rules needs to be taken out of the equation for our own benefit. The EOBR does this very effectively.

EOBR's are part of the rapid technological growth we are experiencing across our whole culture. They are first and foremost an information tool gathering huge amounts of data and providing us with valuable knowledge. Do we possess the wisdom to apply this new found knowledge in effective and productive ways? Will we be able to work smarter and not harder? Will the industry come to recognize that focusing on improving the drivers lifestyle is the key to improving productivity and profitability? Can we move away from seeing the EOBR as a "black box" with the sole purpose of enforcing compliance?

I think the EOBR has opened the door to improving our lifestyle. It is a discussion we all need to take part in.