The joy of trees.

Isn't it so pretty when the leaves are bright and wonderful along your tree lined street!

Well while they are nice to see. What about having delivery on your street of building supplies? I should have said "NO, the trees are not being trimmed back, and its too dangerous to go on your street;" to the customer. But I drove on down their street. Mind you the 80 year old Oak trees did look wonderful. And I could just think that they would be wonderful during the summer and really during the fall time. But my truck is 3.8meters tall, or for our souther friends 13 feet tall. Well this one tree, must have taking a interest in my truck and wanted to badly to touch it. Problem was that the tree wanted to stop the truck, instead of just touch it. So truck box VS 80 yr Oak had a fight instead of a love pat.

My box lost. So now I have a sky light on the passenger side of the truck.

I am sorry about the damage, and the tree too. But my bigger questions is who should have to pay for the damage? The City should have trimmed the trees back so that trucks who were making delivery could do so. The residence should have allowed the city to do the trimming in the first place.

Agr!

Movember 2010

For the past few years, my friend has been growing a Mustash each November to help support Prostrate Cancer research here in Ontario, Canada. This year, I wanted to get involved, but needed some help from my lover.... I needed her support since she hates facial hair... Mostly because I have a hard time growing it, and she hates kissing me with it. So for the next month,  I get to let it grow... Not sure what style I am trying for, but only time will tell. ca.movember.com

texting fine for truckers?

Can you believe it? If a trucker is caught texting while driving in the USA they can be fined up to $2,700 USD. Here in Ontario, the fine is $155 for any driver regardless of what they are driving. Yet when the law can into force a while back, I didn't see any change in behavior of drivers. WTF

You are still 33% more likely to get into an accident while texting than not.

Mind you, I did see a TTC bus driver on his personal phone while driving. I could have just ignored it, but didn't. We as "professional drivers" are being held to a higher standard. Fine. So I called the TTC and made a formal complaint. I just hope that the union won't protect this driver.

update: There is little dent in the no-texting law here in Ontario. I am sure there is little difference between a drunk and a textor while driving.

I am a addict

Yes, I am addicted to coffee. 2-3 large coffees during the AM to start, and then  coke or pepsi during the day. No water or even fruit juices either. Its stripping my teeth and the heartburn is killing me.


So I have a plan.


Week one!
Only brew 2 large coffees in the AM and only drink that during work. Once finished its water or pop like sprite, or 7-up.


week two!
Only brew 2 mediums and then water


week three
1 medium coffee then water!


stay with 2 cups in the AM only no coke or pepsi.


I will post to let you know


"Regular users of caffeine who try to quit, may experience increased anxiety, headache, irritability, and fatigue during the first few days of abstinence. These caffeine withdrawal symptoms are temporarily relieved by caffeine consumption which contributes to the habitual use of the drug. Caffeine is considered an addictive drug, and its regular use can lead to dependency. Some have suggested that its use may lead to the use of a stronger drug. "

checking your shorts....

Have you ever had a situation on the road which afterwards you took a deep snift to see if you messed your pants? Ya know that type of thing which if you had been just a little bit faster or slower or in a different position you would have had a major wreck?

We have all had those types of close calls.

Do you want to hear about them?

Justice will not be mine?

Biggest pet peeve of most people is those who you think cut you off in traffic. Well it happens way too much to us professional truck drivers out there. The typical driver in a car or small truck don't see what we do, and we don't see what they do. OK. But if you are driving where a truck driver can't see you, then well you are in a blind spot and we couldn't have cut you off if you were driving in that spot.

So leave 3-4 car lengths of space when passing a in front of a truck to ensure that they see you and can have time to react if you need the space. That's the space you need to be safe.

So this week, and wonderful little Infiniti G35 passed be to an on ramp to the 401. He left only inches between himself and the wall to slip in front of me. Well that same driver was pounding the trunk of his car about ten min later when I passed him... He had TWO flat rear tires and was stuck on the shoulder of the 401 WB.

CSMA 2010

So I have been listening to Sirius Radio and their trucking channel. They have talking a lot about something called CSMA 2010. This is a Federal Government program in the states which is like our CVOR program here in Ontario.

The program makes sence to me. For too long those driving truck and big rigs have not had a program which tracks their skill or lack of on the road. Great, finally they are going to be on the same footing as the rest of us Canadian drivers out there. And I hope that this program will help to reduce the # of US drivers on the roads who are soiling our good name as professional truckers.

Have you noticed?

Well it looks like winter driving season is soon going to be over. We really didn't a long one this year. ONly a few good snow storms to remind the general driving public about how fragile our lives really are and how we should be careful on the roads.

I just have to wonder if it would be worth it to even buy snow tires this summer for the winter season?

Ups and Downs

Its tough being a trucker AKA professional driver at the best of times. Nasty hours, and terrible working conditions. So when the freight is less than the number of trucks on the road, there is a serious problem.

Right now its hard to find freight is an understatement. My boss is freaking out and trying to save the company. Part of the problem is that shippers are trying to get the most for their buck in shipping. So they are having a price war with the truckers. The shipper is offering to pay less than what it cost most companies to carry the freight. The trucker had two options. 1. take the freight and do the business at a loss with the possibility of more freight in the future, or 2 refuse the freight with the possibility of not being offered the freight from this shipper again.

Example: shipper offers the freight @ $0.95 a kilometer to ship to x. But it costs the trucker $1.10 to do the work? How long could you operate a business losing $0.15 /k??? Would you at least not want to get 1.10 to just operate and cover you cost? The problem is that now instead of $.95 a kilometer, shippers are asking for rates like $0.85 and with fuel going and going higher its costing the trucker 1.56 or more to run the same load.

So the easy yet painful solution is that there needs to be less truckers on the road to haul the correct amount of freight. Then the hope is that with less truckers the price of freight will increase and then balance out the supply and demand of freight. One part of the solution is that you the consumer needs to make good choices on what you are buying and when.

EVERYTHING gets to you by truck.

four wheeling it for a change.

So its not often that I drive my car along the 403/QEW through Hamilton, to onto the 427 to 401 EB and then home in my personal car. But we were away for the weekend and after taking advantage of a great deal in Niagara Falls we were coming back. My wife was tired and we switched seats. So I got to drive back along the route. I was just amazed at how open the right most lane was the entire trip. Sure, I had to pass a few on the left, but mostly just zipped along in the right-hand lane... while the left lanes were crowed with slower moving traffic than the post 100kph limit on this wonderfully clear and problem free drive.

Is not the left lanes for passing? Are you not supposed to pass and then move over to the right until you can pass again? I must be wrong. You drive in the left lane and leave the right for passing?

wow... how stupid, lazy and unthinking !!

Canada's Worst Driver?

So I finished watching the latest season closer. Thankfully two of the 3 finalist were showed that they should not be driving at all. So they gave up their licences. Even though the worst was a emotional wreck, she had enough common scene to give it up.