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.
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
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?”
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.
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.
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.
Saturday, 28 August 2010
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.
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.
Friday, 27 August 2010
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.
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.
Thursday, 26 August 2010
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.
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. :)
"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. :)
Thursday, 19 August 2010
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.
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.
Sunday, 15 August 2010
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.
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.
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