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.

Red River Rising

Sort of like driving across a lake-water lapping at the right shoulder

Well it's that time again.  I arrived in Grand Forks, North Dakota around midday today stopping to grab just enough fuel to get me up to Winnipeg.  I was greeted by the high water on Interstate 29 just north of Grand Forks.  Not bad this year, from what I saw.  Because I came west across US Highway 2 through Minnesota I didn't get to see what things were like south of Grand Forks down towards Fargo.  For certain we are not facing the same situation as last year, at least not at this point and I certainly hope for the sake of all the good people living in this part of the world that this is as bad as it's going to get this year.

So we exit here, then what?

So these are just a few pics of what it looks like for 40 miles or so north of Grand Forks as you travel towards the Canadian border.  Things are pretty calm on the Canadian side but I guess the crest is headed that way.

It looks like the buildings are underwater but they are protected by a levee.

Unplanned Time Off

This past Tuesday saw me leaving for a trip in to Michigan then off to BC.  It was a great plan for me.  It gave me time to do some housekeeping inside my truck before leaving and the trip itself was time well planned.  Full days to get the job done but with windows allowing for breathing space - to be able to stop and smell the roses if I felt like it.  So I left our home terminal in good time and stopped to grab a "Timmy's" at the highway service area just 40 km from the yard.  As I drove down the get on ramp after buying my coffee the truck started flashing messages at me.  A check engine light combined with a DPF status light.  This is not a good combination.

A little information here for those not in the know.  DPF is an acronym for "Diesel Particulate Filter".  This is an integral part of the exhaust emissions management system on some of the newer (last 3 years or so) heavy duty truck engines.  Reducing emissions has been mandated by government and these systems are not an option they are a requirement.  To say the trucking industry is experiencing growing pains or is on a steep learning curve in regard to this technology to meet the standards would be an understatement.  When the truck's Electronic Control Module (ECM = truck's brain) records a failure in the emissions system engine shut down is imminent if steps are not taken to correct it.

So those two warning lights on my dash are not only the first warning of a problem they also cause an initial rise in the driver's blood pressure and stress level.  In a nutshell, you see all of your trip planning go out the window.  The bottom line here?  Advise dispatch so they can make alternate arrangements for the load and head back to the yard.  The truck needs to see the doctor for service and I receive a couple of extra unplanned days off.

I don't resent time off.  I never seem to have enough of it.  None of us do, no matter what our profession.  But that time off effects my bottom line.  Driving is piece work after all.  Zero miles equals zero pay which in turn equals yet another stress management challenge.  My mind was wrapped around these negative thoughts as I drove the truck back to the yard, blowing them out of proportion.  I was feeling angry.  Problem is, there was not anyone to blame.  Equipment breaks down, stuff happens, life goes on.  But in the moment it's hard not to be totally pissed.

I looked at the bright side as I was driving home, or at least tried to.  Weather forecast was good for tomorrow, trucks clean, packed & ready to roll when I get the word, I have some more time home with Deb.  I can't change the circumstances so I might as well enjoy them, that's what I kept telling myself.

The unplanned time off worked out well in the end.  The following day (yesterday) dawned sunny, warm and calm.  Unbelievable for mid March.  I took an hour to walk along the pathway down by the Thames river which is in flood right now.  Spring was definitely in the air but it was strange because there is still not one bit of greenery on any trees or plants.  The saying goes "March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb".  Let's hope the reverse isn't true this year.  So I continued to take advantage of the good weather.  I climbed up on the roof and pulled down the Christmas lights while Deb did some yard clean up and we caught up on the neighborhood news with a couple of or neighbors.  Nice day.

Well I just got the word via email that my truck is ready to roll tonight.  Good news.  I'm off to Kalamazoo to deliver then up to Grand Rapids, Michigan to pick up a three stop load: Winnipeg, Regina and Saskatoon.  That gives me time to spend a couple of more hours out in the yard today enjoying the fine weather.

I'll be offline while in the States so I'll catch up when I cross back into western Canada.

Weeks 9 & 10

March 3-still plenty of snow near Parry Sound

Well that was something.  I had a "normal" weekend at home.  That doesn't happen very often.  On Sunday the kids were over for dinner.  Not really kids - that's my daughter and her partner, both in their 30's - but to my wife and I that's what they are, kids.  Sunday dinner with the family is a special occasion for me.  So is waking up and having a lazy Sunday at home.  It was great, especially since this was the weekend that daylight savings time kicked in.  Another hour lost put me over the edge fatigue wise.

It took me all day yesterday (Monday) and a good nights sleep last night to recover from my ride home.  I got caught in the "late afternoon shift loop".  Starting at noon each day and working until about three each morning.  My mind and body don't care for that shift too much.  Delivery windows often dictate our shift times out on the road and once you are into the groove of a 24 hour day it's tough too simply switch off one shift and switch on another.  That's probably the biggest contributing factor too the fatigue I experience from driving.

Picking up at a horse ranch near Lacombe, AB March 10

Speaking of fatigue, I had just over 60 hours of downtime while I was in Edmonton.  It was a stretched out reset period.  Unfortunately there were seven trucks arriving at our terminal at the same time on a Sunday evening.  Monday's are tough days for load planners.  Especially these days.  Finding freight while drivers are in their face doesn't do anything to reduce their stress level or speed up the process.  You would think with extra time off a person would be more rested.  But when your out on the road it seems to work in the inverse.  At least for me.  A 36 hour reset is great for a rest.  If that reset starts on a Sunday evening and then you have a load to move on the Tuesday morning, well, that would be perfect.  Utopia!!  When you sit for longer than that impatience & restlessness can turn to boredom & stress which in turn adds to fatigue - especially mental fatigue.  The only reset that is truly effective from a fatigue reduction point of view is one that occurs at home where rest and relaxation have their full benefit.  There is much to be said about waking up in your own bed and walking into your own bathroom in the morning then heading to your own kitchen to make that morning cup of coffee.  There are many things I appreciate that I took for granted before I started to drive for a living.

My view as I pull away from the receiver in Thunder Bay

On the way home I had a drop to do in Thunder Bay.  That's how I ended up working the dreaded afternoon shift.  It was a 16:30 appointment for 10 skids at a one man show.  Got it all lined up but when I arrived discovered that we couldn't get a pallet jack under the skids since they were all loaded in sideways - each skid over 2,000 lbs.  There was no dock at this little place.  Just a small tow motor and a pallet jack in the van.  So after much panic on the part of the receiver I lined up a place a couple of blocks over and had the skids pulled off and re-loaded then back over to the receiver to unload.  That added about 90 minutes.  Another 1/2 hour to unload and it was 19:00 by the time I got out of there.  This all happened last Friday night and I was hoping to be down in the Soo for my 8 hours off but only made Wawa so it was midnight Saturday by the time I made it in to southwestern Ontario and the yard.  Two-thirty in the morning by the time I walked into the house.  Actually three-thirty because of the DST jump.  That's trucking right?

Just 10 days out and the snow is gone from Ontario!

Well I got rested up and it was such a gorgeous day today I was finally motivated to get out and start my running program again.  I gave up on it through the winter mainly because I kept suffering minor injuries in the cold and snow.  I was getting frustrated by the process so it was doing me emotional & physical harm rather than good.  I've missed it though.  I can actually feel the weight building up again without having to get on a scale.  I just have a softness about me again that disappears as soon as you have about six weeks of regular exercise under your belt.  All it takes is 5-7 hours a week to stay in good physical/mental condition.  That's time well spent I've learned.  So it's time to move that back to the top of my daily priority list and get it done.  More exercise, less food for a month or two just to firm things up.

The message is in.  I'm off to Kalamazoo then Grand Rapids for tomorrow.  Out of there I'll be heading to Vancouver.  Looking forward to seeing early summer at the beach.  So long for now.