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.