Ian in...err...England again

Spooky

2011-05-28T17:48:00.003+02:00

In the last post, I mentioned a regular run we do to Cornwall. I've never been lucky enough to get this, but no sooner do I mention it on here, it comes my way. Better yet, it was an amalgamation of two separate runs - one load of quilts, always 3 drops, and one load of envelopes to Redruth. For some reason, there were only five pallets of envelopes, so they were tucked onto the back of the quilts.

Anyway, let's keep things in the correct order. The Port Of Tyne are a very inclusive employer, very keen on keeping it's employees in the loop. So, over the course of the last week, every employee had to attend an "insight briefing" with the Port's management. All very noble, but very, very boring. As a result, it was 3 p.m. on Monday before I was able to get away. Had to top out the trailer on the way, and made it as far as Leicester on Monday night.

Started at five on Tuesday, and reached my first delivery in Newton Abott By eleven. Fairly easy to find, so I was on my again within half an hour. I had to run straight to Redruth, as I had to be there before two, then down to Falmouth where I spent the night, pictured below.

The following morning took me to Liskeard, where I got rid of the last of my quilts, and after checking with the office, I made my way to one of Cornwalls many clay pits and collected a full load of bagged clay for delivery to Worksop on Thursday morning. Dragging a full load over the steep hills of Cornwall is hard work, but cruise control and an automatic gearbox means I can sit back and let the truck do all the work.

Git rid of my clay early on Thursday morning and ran to Bradford and collected a load of steel wire for Newcastle. Delivered it, and went home.

Friday was spent on local work, running around the north-east, then an early finish for a long weekend - result!

I'm back

2011-05-20T19:00:00.008+02:00

Well, hello again.

Don't ask me why, but I've had a sudden urge to start blogging again. I don't know how often I'll post, or how long it'll carry on, but here goes.

Still at the Port Of Tyne, and loving it. The little glitch about working Saturday was sorted out, and I've only worked two since. In the pay review earlier this year we got a rise, a profit share scheme and full sick pay, all of which helps to make it one of the best jobs in the area. When I started I was a floating driver, driving other peoples truck's when the were on holiday or on the sick, until a vehicle becomes free. Just before Christmas, I was licky enough to be handed the keys to a brand new truck, A MAN TGX with the top of the range XXL cab

The picture is of me delivering printing to the DVLA in Swansea. Printed products and envelopes make up a large portion of what we deliver, and baby products, tea and bedding are regular out-bound loads. We'll backload anything we can - beer, plaster-board, food, cardboard - you name it. We cover the entire country and our furthest regular drop is Redruth, which is about as far as you get before you fall into the ocean.

Surprisingly, we don't carry the sort of things you'd expect from a port. Bulk paper, timber and powders are rarely seen, because, although we are a division of the Port Of Tyne, we are a stand-alone company in our own right. We are responsible for getting our own work, and all of our contracts are with companies outside the port. Only the container division does work from the docks.

I should have known better....

2010-09-03T17:58:00.003+02:00

....because the first cracks have appeared in the shiny facade of the Port Of Tyne. Nothing major, just little things, but I know from experience that little cracks can grow into big crevices. For instance, I was told that Saturday mornings would be "running in" only, yet last week I ended up loading a trailer for Monday. So, in order to clear the air and find out exactly what's what, I had a discussion with the Transport Manager, which the politicians would describe as a "full and frank exchange of views". It worked out exactly as I planned and we all know where we stand, so now I'm happy once again.

So, 4 weeks in.....

2010-08-22T12:03:00.005+02:00

.....and it's going well. It's all fairly routine stuff, but well organised, and well run. For instance, there has always been a backload the moment I'm ready - none of this "ring back in an hour, and we might have something for you" rubbish. We have an office staff of about 12 for about 40 vehicles, so nobody in the office is over-loaded with work. Four of these are in direct control of the vehicles - one supervisor, one for planning and allocation, one for backloads and one for local work. The rest are for admin, driver training, HR and other bits and bobs. On the subject of driver training, Port Of Tyne are taking care of all aspects of the Driver CPC, so that saves me some money and hassle.

One thing I'm very impressed with is the network of friendly companies that allow us to use their yards for trailer swaps. If you're heading back with a load and run out of time, they might direct you to a local company, where you will drop your trailer, then go and park up for the night. During the night, a night-shift driver will bring a loaded trailer down from the port, swap it for yours, then go back. Next morning, you pick up the new trailer, and head off back down the road. This means that although the vehicles stop moving because we have to sleep in them, the loads can keep moving, thus getting more revenue from the fleet.

Last week was a fairly typical one for me. Started early on Monday, for deliveries in Blackpool, Leyland, Oldham and Cheadle. Then down to a farm in Cheshire for a load of potatoes back to the North-East. I spent the night at Lymm, and delivered them next morning to the KP Crisps factory in Billingham. I spent the rest of the day on locals, and was home Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning I loaded from Sunderland, and tipped in Liverpool. I back-loaded from about half a mile away, and went to Heywood for the night. During the night, a driver tipped a load in Manchester, then left me his empty trailer, taking mine back with him. On Thursday morning, I loaded again and headed back to Darlington. From there to Washington to pick up a double decker loaded with envelopes and ran down to Leicester. I made and early start on Friday, delivered part of the load in Leicester and the rest to Milton Keynes. It's harder to find return loads for the double deckers, as they can't be loaded through the back doors, so I had to hustle on over to Wolverhampton for mine. Fought my way back, through the Friday evening traffic, to the port. Finished late, but it's better than working Saturday!

Hello again....

2010-08-08T10:08:00.003+02:00

....sorry it's been so long, but I've been a busy little bee.

So what's been happening? Well, David Fox Transport have had to struggle along without me, as a difference of opinion over working on Saturdays led to a parting of the ways. To be honest, it was no great wrench, as I knew from the day I started that we weren't best suited, and that I wouldn't last long.

So, after discussing it with the family, I decided I wouldn't take another job until a good one came along. This appeared a few months ago, and after a long and rigorous selection process, which included apptitude tests, driving assesment, medical and criminal record checks, I started work for the Port Of Tyne (http://www.portoftyne.co.uk/). Well regarded in the North East as a good employer, they offer above average wages, generous holidays, good pension and brand new vehicles. The work is UK-wide, Monday - Friday general haulage in using curtainsided trailers.

I've been there for 3 weeks, and so far, the experience has been pretty positive, but, as always, time will tell.

On and on we go....

2010-03-21T07:33:00.002+01:00

...bouncing around the country like some kind of demented pin-ball. The last three weeks have been nuch the same as all the others, loads including paper, timber, fencing, plastic granuals, steel and soup, all delivered with my usual style and panache.

Most of it was pretty mundane, but one trip was something new for me. I took 25 tonnes of copper to the Royal Mint in South Wales to be turned into coins. Security was high, as you can imagine, and provided by police officers rather than security guards. I was expecting something grand and stylish, but it's really just a big factory on an industrial estate. Once inside, I was allowed to use the "facilities", which meant I could walk through the Mint un-escorted, though I was assured I'd be watched on camera EVERY step of the way. Well, there was money everywhere, lying on the floor, piled up in bins, coins of all denominations. I asked one guy about a bin full of £2 coins, and he said it was about £50,000 worth, but all of it was NBG (no bloody good) as the silver bit in the middle wasn't right. He said it would all be melted back down, but not re-used. I understood why I had to leave all my coins in a locked box at the gatehouse, so if I came out with any coins in my pocket, they'd know I came by them by nefarious means.

Looking across the Humber Estuary

Fencing for B&Q

Unloading paper. Each reel is 8 miles long

Same shit, different day...

2010-03-01T11:11:00.002+01:00

...seems to sum up life at the moment. I shouldn't complain, because I was lucky to find any job at the moment, but sometimes I wonder why I bother working silly hours for piss-poor pay, for a guy who really doesn't give a toss about me or my life.

Anyway, The truck was up for MOT on Monday. The MOT (Ministry of Transport) test is the Government run safety test that all vehicles and trailers on the UK roads must pass every year. I didn't get my truck back until 10:30, then I did a quick local job with a flat trailer, then down to the Asda Import Centre in Teesport, where I picked up a double decker loaded for the Asda Ambient Distribution Centre at Lutterworth, Leicestershire. Unloaded there, and parked up at 6 p.m.

Started a 5 a.m. on Tuesday to be at Corus in Leeds by 8. A curtainsider loaded with pickled sheet (don't ask) waited there, so I threw over some straps and off I went. 4 easy deliveries in Leeds, Halifax, Castleford and Pontefract, then off to Immingham Docks for a load of aluminium ingots. As a load like this is worth about £50,000, I dedcided to leave the trailer safely locked up in the port, and spend the night in Immingham.

I started again at 6, and made my way to Walsall, Birmingham to deliver my precious cargo. From there I made my way to Cott Beverages, Kegworth, Nottingham and collected 26 pallets of fizzy drinks for Asda, and headed home for the night.

These were delivered to the Asda ADC in Washington, Tyne & Wear, on Thursday morning. After this, I returned to the yard and collected a loaded cabriolet trailer. A "cab" is a steel carrying trailer with a sliding canopy, which makes loading and unloading very quick. This one was loaded with 2 coils, sitting in the well, which makes the trailer very stable as the centre of gravity is so low. These went to a factory making radiators in Mexborough, near Doncaster. From there, it's a short hop back to Corus Leeds for more steel, this time bound for Scarborough on the North Yorkshire coast.

After this, on Friday morning, I ran back up to base, then into Teesport for another load to Asda Lutterworth. They took some time unloading, then I went back to Cott for more fizzy drinks, again bound for Washington. By this time, it was becoming increasingly obvious that I wasn't going to make it home on Friday night (BUGGER!!) so rather than sit in Fridays evening rush on the M1, I parked up early in Nottingham.

Saturday morning, bright and early, I ran up to Washington, tipped, then across to GKN Chep in Spennymoor and filled my trailer with empty "blues". I left this at the KP Crisp factory in Billingham, Cleveland for them to unload when they could be bothered, and legged it back to the yard, did my timesheets, and went home for some R'n'R.

Steel coils in the well.

The big coil at the front was 16,000 kgs, and the smaller
one behind 9,000 kgs. The canopy slides to the front or
back, so you can load right down the deck.

Lovely Immingham docks.

It's a funny old game....

2010-02-20T17:27:00.004+01:00

....being a long distance truck driver. Last week, I averaged 150 miles a day, as I spent most of my time loading and unloading trucks. On Monday, I loaded a curtainsider with steel, only to find that it was half a ton heavy. A few phonecalls later, and it was decided to give my load to driver with a lighter truck, and I would load a flat trailer with and over-length load. This done, and off I went to Scunthorpe to tip on Tuesday morning.

After un-loading, I headed for the docks at Immingham (no TWIC needed!), to pick up some steel bars. This turned out to be 3 bars, each weighing in at 8,000kgs. Strapped and chained, and off to Chesterfield. After delivering this, I headed to Barnsley for a load of bricks, that would get me home that night.....or so I thought. I'd just finished when the phone rang ".....Errr...we have an agency driver in Sheffield, and he can't get his load off until tomorrow, but he wants to be home tonight. Can he have your trailer, and you stay down there and tip his trailer tomorrow?" Yes, I suppose so.

So a night in Sheffield, and tipped 2 drops on Wednesday. Loaded 2 steel rollers out of Rotherham, and ran back to the North-East, and got them off in the afternoon. When I returned to the yard, I was told that my truck needed servicing, which would be done over-night, so I went home for the night.

Thursday morning, bright and early, and in to the Morrisons RDC in Stocktonwith a load of beer. Then down to Tees-port for a load of paper to Newcastle, and then back to the yard, to be told that, actually, my truck was due for MOT, and would be needed in the garage again overnight. Ho hum, home again.

Friday came, and I had to take the yard-dog to Doncaster with a load of polystyrene, then back to the yard, where a load of crisps was waiting for me it to take to Wakefield, and round off the week

Loadin steel through the roof at Corus Hartlepool

I don't need to open the sides, but it makes things easier.

Then throw over some chains, close the sides, close the

roof, and off we go.

Big, heavy steel bars imported from Italy

These bars are sliced in to thin disks (like salami), and

turned into circular saw blades

Loading paper in tees-port

I'd forgotten how hard it is....

2010-02-14T08:37:00.002+01:00

...to work on general haulage in the UK. My first week was spent on easy Asda work, mainly trunking. The second week was steel on flat trailers.....with ropes and sheets, for gods sake! This is the first time I'd sheeted a load in fifteen years, and my soft, girly hands are now as tough as hide again. It really is hard work, and takes up a lot of time, so a short 3 drop run turns into a full days work. I'm on steel again on Monday, but I'll have a curtainsider with a sliding roof and coil well, so the job should be quicker and easier. Hopefully, there'll be some photots too.

Back to the grind...

2010-01-28T09:21:00.003+01:00

.... for me, as I start work on Monday with a local company. My new employer will be David Fox Transport from Middlesborough, a small, family run company, carrying mainly steel, paper and Asda crap (or for Canadians - Walmart crap). I'll keep the blog going, posting pictures and trip details, simply because I like doing it, and it's a good way to keep a journal of my travels. Wish me luck.

So now what?

2010-01-12T15:28:00.002+01:00

Alan asked in the comments if I thought I'd done the right thing. Honestly....I don't know. At the time, it was the right thing to do, as I was going crazy with loneliness, and starting to resent Canada and Bulk Carriers (unfairly, I know) because I felt they were keeping me from my family. This is the sort of undertaking that you must give heart and soul to, but my heart and soul were in England, leaving just an empty shell in Canada.

So now I have to live with the consequences of my actions. I feel a deep sense of shame, for the time and money (mine and other peoples) I've wasted. Worse than that, I built up the expectations of my family, with stories of a great new life, and then crushed them before they'd even had a chance to see Canada. I'm also feeling a bit aimless, because so much of my future was tied up in Canada, but now that's gone I have nowhere to go. I suppose that I'll get a job over here (easier said than done) and try and replace the money from the dwindling savings we have, then plan for the future again.

I need, once again, to express my gratitude to so many people at Bulk Carriers. Of course, to Mike Schut for all his help in getting me to Canada, to Blaine for always being on hand to give me a lift somewhere or lend me his pick up, and thanks to Melvin and Donnie for making my time in the workshop so much fun, and to everyone that made sure my brief time in Canada was something I will never forget.

And also my very best wishes to Joachim, Russell, Steve & Dom. These guys all started around the same time as me, with the same dreams as me, and I hope that those dreams come true for them. Good luck fellas.

As for the blog - I'm not sure. It was only ever intended as a method for friends and family to keep in touch with my progress, so there's not much point in carrying on. On the other hand, I do enjoy compiling it, so I might continue. Who Knows? Let me know what you think.

The end of the road....

2009-12-22T10:34:00.002+01:00

....figuratively and literally. I'm currently sitting in a Charlottetown motel, and shortly I catch a bus to Halifax airport to fly home to England....for good.

Before coming to Canada, I did a massive amount of research, and I like to think I knew what I was letting myself in for. The one thing I couldnt plan for was just how lonely I would be, and how much I'd miss my family. The first time I came out was fine - I was with other people and I knew i would be home again in November for my holidays - but the second time was much different. I had know idea just how desperatly alone I would feel, and after two weeks in the truck I was a wreck. Just the thought of Kirsty and the Kids was enough to make me weep, and then the realisation that it would be 5 months before I could see them again would make me fall apart. Then I started to dwell on silly things, like what if the last time I saw my father was the last time I would EVER see my father (he's well into his seventies). Suddenly I felt really desolate and frightened, and wanted to go home. Then, on Sunday night, my Father said something on the phone that made up my mind - he simply pointed out that I didn't have to be there, and I could leave whenever I liked.

So the decision was made, and Bulk were kind enough to let me go at once, so I could be back by Christmas.

So that's that. All my plans for the future lie in tatters. I've wasted vast amounts of money and time on a dream that won't come true. Yet my advice to anyone considering this move is DO IT...DO IT NOW! Canada is an amazing place, full of the warmest, freindliest people I've ever met. It's clean, safe and beautiful beyond belief. If I could have found a way to bring my family over, I would never have dreampt of leaving, but the time wasn't right.

Finally, I have to offer my sincerest, deepest apologies to Mike Schut at Bulk Carriers. he's the Guy that gave me the chance, did so much for me, and has always been very helpful and understanding. I feel that I have let him down badly....but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, as they say.

Some photos

2009-12-20T15:46:00.006+01:00

Pretty, isn't it?

A railway line crossing a busy dual-carrigeway.

Canadian trains - a mile long, with double stacked containers

Saturday morning in Ontario was a bit chilly

Can I borrow your fork-lift?

Loading clementines in Deleware.

Straight off the ship and onto the trucks

Looking from the Delaware Memorial Bridge

Approaching the Delaware Memorial Bridge.

Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike

Manhatten and the Hudson River, from the George Washington bridge.

Portland, Maine

Believe it or not, this is a gearstick. It was roughly level

with the drivers shoulder.

The border crossing from Woodstock, New Brunswick to

Houlton Maine. It marks the start of Interstate 95, which

runs all the way down the east coast to Florida

New Brunswick

Approaching the Confederation Bridge that connects PEI

to the mainland.

Don't see many roundabouts over here!

Because even truckers need salvation!

The frozen St. John river in New Brunswick.

The St. Lawrence rier in Quebec, starting to freeze over.

The truck

2009-12-13T14:29:00.005+01:00

Mickfly asked in the comments about the interior space in my truck. To be honest Mick, I've never been in a Freightliner so I can't compare the interior space. I know it isn't as high inside - I have around 6'6" of headroom, which is enough. The space is well used, lots of big cabinets and a wardrobe for hanging clothes. The bunk is a full sized single bed with a proper sprung mattress, and I sleep very well. thick curtains block out all the light, and the climate control keeps it nice and warm at night.

The truck is an 2006 International 9400i, with a 500 horsepower Cummins engine and an Eaton/Fuller 13spd crash gearbox. Atkinson used the exact same gearbox in the Borderer in the 1970s - so much for progress! The steering is heavy and woolly, and both feet are needed to dip the clutch. The dashboard is chaotic - 13 gauges, including one to tell you how hard you are pressing the foot brakes (I kid you not). A mish mash of switches, including the wipers and cruise control, are on the panel to the right, though why they couldn't be on the wheel or steering column is beyond me. Brakes are drums, which is quite a shock after years with discs, I can tell you. The seat doesn't look like much, but as actually very good. The stereo is OK, but has the benefit of an auxiliary socket so I can plug in my satellite radio and mp3 player.

All in all, it's a bit primitive, but I quite like it. As the poet said, "'Tis not as deep as a well, nor as wide as a church door - but 'tis enough, 'twill serve."

Finally, I'm underway....

2009-12-10T23:39:00.005+01:00

View Larger Map

On Monday, I began my first trip as a fully-fledged Canadian truck driver. I collected a load of potatoes from Souris,on the eastern end of the Island, bound for Newark in New Jersey. Ran to Woodstock NB and crossed the border into Maine the following morning. Tuesday was spent running south-east through Maine, clipped the edge of new Hampshire, then Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York City, before parking up in Newark for the night. Tipped by 10:00 on Wednesday, and I got a message to head for the docks at Camden NJ, for a load of fruit to go back to Canada., Due to the bizarre security paranoia in the USA, I'm not allowed into the docks because I'm not a US or Canadian citizen, so another of our drivers had to go in and load it for me. (thanks, James). 922 cases of cantaloupes later and I'm off again, crossing into Philadelphia, up through Pennsylvania, and back into New York State to Syracuse for the night. (and for those of you that don't know, New York is named twice because it's New York (city) in New York (state). It's a big state, and New York City is tucked away in the bottom right hand corner, so it's possible to pass through New York without going anywhere near New York, so to speak) I left Syracuse on Thursday morning and ran straight into some bad weather. I was just about to give up and pull over, when a plough passed me, so I followed him west to Buffalo NY. Here I turned north, and by the time I reached Niagara the sun was shining. I crossed the river, back into Canada, and battled through the traffic in Toronto to my delivery, arriving at noon. I was empty 2 hours later,and ran to the nearest truckstop for food, fuel and a shower. I have 2 collections within a ten mile radius to do tomorrow, the it's an easy run (960 miles) back to Moncton, NB for delivery on Monday morning.

Back in Canada at last...

2009-12-06T15:41:00.003+01:00

I made it back to Canada (at the second attempt) without problems, on Thursday. Air Canada were excellent on the flight from Heathrow to Halifax, but the connection to Charlottetown was delayed by 2 hours. The short flight to the island was awful - I've never been on a plane where I sat in the same room as the pilot, and I hope I never will again. It was a 19 seat Beech commuter aircraft, no wider than a small car, and it was thrown around the sky like a paper plane.

Friday was spent replacing the things that had gone missing when lost my wallet. New driving license and cash card, and health card and social insurance card ordered. All of this done without fussy forms - just explain the situation, and they're happy to help.

I then went to work, sorted out a few things, and I was allocated my truck. I've been lucky to get a half decent one, a 2006 International 9400i, that's been left fairly clean inside and has a Tri-pak ( a small, independent diesel engine that provides heat, air-con and mains power).

Saturday was spent buying all the things I need to live in my truck. Bedding, microwave, satellite radio and GPS (sat-nav) are all in, and a did some general cleaning. All I can do now is sit and wait for my first load.

It's now Sunday, and, regrettably, I'm stuck in my room. It looked OK when I got up, but now there's a healthy covering of snow, so I'm going nowhere.

What a tale of woe....

2009-11-26T19:08:00.003+01:00

....I have to unfold to thee. The holiday was fabulous, but all too soon it was time to leave the family again, and head back to Canada. To this end I presented myself, looking bronzed and fit and with my hat set at a jaunty angle, at the airport on Tuesday and boarded my flight to Toronto. Sitting on the plane, seat belt on, I suddenly realised that I'd left my wallet on my breakfast tray. I was given time to race back to the cafe in the departure lounge, but there was no sign of it. My wallet contained my Visa and debit cards, Canadian debit card, Canadian driving license, and various other important things. I had to make an instant decision about what to do - arrive in Canada with no money or credit card and no driving license, or check myself back off the flight and sort it all out from the UK. I decided that, as I didn't know enough about the Canadian banking system, I would head back home. I wasn't sure if I could work without my license, or how long it would take to get another ( although I've since been told I just go into town and get one), I suppose I could have travelled, and explained to Bulk what had happened, and I'm sure they would have lent me some of the folding green, but I wasn't too keen on that idea.

So that left me in Manchester Airport without so much as a pot to piss in, If you'll pardon the expression. I made my way to the train station and explained my predicament, and the kindly and benevolent gentleman there explained that I could get someone to ring the customer service department and purchase a ticket on my behalf, and duly provided the appropriate number. A quick phone call to my father (and I'd like to go on record here and say what a saintly old geezer he is) to explain the problem. His mind, always as quick as a steel trap, grasped the situation, and pretty soon the arrangements were made. A little while later, the man behind the glass called me over to say that my name was now on the system, and I was free to travel on the next train to Durham, departing from that platform over there, at...errr...let's have a look here...roughly, now!

Now I'm sitting at home, with new flights booked for November 3rd. Bulk Carriers were entirely understanding, but that's pretty much what I'd expected. The prevailing mind-set on PEI is "ah, well - these things happen. Let's not worry, ey?", and they just take things like this in their stride. If they were any more laid back, they'd be horizontal.

Oh, and to top it all, I lost my phone on the train on the way back. What a day that turned out to be!

One for the boys...

2009-11-15T15:58:00.006+01:00

...so all you girlies, go and refurbish your toe-nails or something.

Freightliner Argosy. I don't know if you can still get these

in the USA, but they're still built in Australia and NZ

I wish I had a Volvo.

That's some sleeper.

Delivering new trucks, USA style

Asda drivers everywhere.

I forgot to post this picture....

2009-11-05T16:19:00.002+01:00

...but I think it's worth seeing. it was taken in Texarkana, where they are building a new interstate junction. I couldn't believe my eyes when we passed, so I made sure I got a photo on the way back. It's not a trick photo - the new over-pass really is being held up by stacks of 20 ft shipping containers!

What a crazy country.

Texas and back....

2009-11-01T19:00:00.011+01:00

Now, where was I? We parked at a truckstop near where we delivered our load on Monday and on Tuesday afternoon we received instructions to collect a load of frozen beef from Waco, Texas bound for Toronto. We loaded this on Wednesday morning, jiggled our axles around, then headed off, reaching West Memphis, Arkansas that night.

The following morning we started north, taking a slightly different route. Through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana arriving in Toledeo, Ohio 14 hours and 652 miles later.

Friday morning took us into the heart of Detroit for meat inspection. This went OK, but then we had to wait for customs clearance to enter Canada. This took a few hours, and it was getting on for 2 p.m. when we got the all clear and got rolling again. Over the border, and a straight dash to Toronto.

By this time, we'd discovered that the delivery wasn't due until Monday. It was decided by the big cheeses to drop the trailer in Toronto, and get another one to get us home. This would give us 500 miles to do on Saturday and 500 or so on Sunday. Now, by this time, we were both ready to get home, so we decided we would carry on on Friday night, get a bit closer to home, and make one really big push on Saturday to be home Saturday night.

Fate, however, had different plans and when we got to our collection, the trailer wasn't loaded. Come back at 2 a.m. said the nice man. We were both dead set on getting back to the island on Saturday, so we decided that our really big push would become a really, REALLY big push.

So that's what we did. Ian (my trainer on this trip) took the first shift, from 3 - 8, then we swapped around doing 4 - 5 hours each time, all the way home. Finally finished, exhausted, at 11.30, with 1060 miles for the day.

And that was my mentor trip. I have to say that I loved it, and it was worth every mile. My driving has improved beyond measure, and I learned a huge amount. I visited 8 US states, 3 Canadian provinces and covered 5,295 miles. Tomorrow, I fly home for a week, then a week after that I've got 2 weeks in Florida. So I'm going to forget all truck driving, blogging and Canada, and concentrate on 3 weeks of fun with my family.

I'll pick it up from here when I get back

TTFN.

Texas

Texas swamp

Small town, USA

Loading beef (naturally) in Waco, Texas

They like big flags and big crosses here.

Dallas from a distance.

Approaching Dallas from the south.

Dallas.

I wonder who it's named after.....

The sign says it all.

Early morning, Missouri

Crossing the Mississippi from Missouri to Illinois

Illinois

Indianapolis

Indiana

Detroit

Detroit

The Ambassador Bridge from Detroit,

Michigan to Windsor, Ontario.

Crossing from Detroit. USA on the right, Canada

on the left

Quebec

New Brunswick

You may want to settle down....

2009-10-28T01:12:00.014+01:00

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...and make a cup of tea, as this will be a LONG post.

It all started on Wednesday, when I went to Montague and collected a load of cauliflowers. When I got back to the yard, another British driver was waiting for me, and we set off late in the evening for Quebec. We spent the night in New Brunswick, set off early the next day for Quebec City.

New Brunswick was really nice, even though the weather was dull and overcast. We grabbed some breakfast just over the provincial border in Quebec, and as soon as we set off again it started snowing. Not heavily, but steadily, and by the time we reached the delivery there was 6 inches all around

By the time the first delivery was done, it was too late to do the second, so we ran to the location in Joliette, ready for the following day. Unloaded the next morning, and a few hours later our next load came through - load at the same place, for Dallas, Texas. We had to take a pallet back off, and slide the fifth wheel and axles about to get the weight distribution right, then set off west and spent the night just over the provincial border in Ontario

Double deck train in Toronto

Next day we started west again, passing through Montreal and Toronto, on our way to our border crossing point in Windsor, Ontario. The crossing here is a toll bridge that drops you straight into downtown Detroit

Approaching the bridge to the USA

Looking from the bridge over Detroit

Another view from the bridge, the building on

the right is General Motors world headquarters

We had to wait a while at the border, so I could sort out an I-94 visa, then we headed out into the USA. First impressions weren't good, as the bridge drops you right into a dirty, run-down part of town, full of burnt out buildings and vacant lots. Soon we were racing south, out of Michigan and into Ohio were we spent the night.

We set off the next day in bright sunshine. Passed through Dayton and Cincinnati, where we crossed into Kentucky

Those Swedes are everywhere

Cinncinatti, the city that gave us Jerry Springer.

Crossing the Ohio River into Kentucky

Kentucky was a revelation. The drive south was beautiful, with every bend in the road bringing a new vista. Rolling hills, crisp autumn colours, warm sun and air so clear I felt I could flick it and make it go "ting" like a crystal wine glass.

Kentucky

We passed through Louisville, and carried on over the state line and into Tennessee. Nashville came and went, and just as we were approaching Memphis, we hit traffic caused by a major accident, so it was dark when we reached the city (no photos, but I'll get some on the way back)

Nashville

From Memphis, we crossed the Mississippi River, and even in the dark I could tell how big it was, and stopped for the night on the far side, having covered 650 miles that day.

Crossing the river put us into Arkansas, and the less said about that, the better. A flat, boring state, not helped by steady rain.

Arkansas, before the rain started

Across Arkansas to Texarkana and finally into Texas. I was suprised to find that Texas was green and lush, as I'd always presumed the it was all desert. In reality, the eastern end of the state borders Louisianna, and is quite wet and swampy. Here we turned off the interstates and headed across country to our delivery point, the Athens Tree Farm. As soon as we arrived, swarms of Mexicans poured out of nowhere, and both trucks were unloaded in an hour. Nothing left to do but find a truckstop and spend the night, and wait to see what tommorrow brings

Journeys end

That's all for now, folks.

And we're off...

2009-10-25T02:13:00.003+02:00

....at long last. This will have to be quick, as I'm in the middle of a trip. I'm in Beaverdam, Ohio on my way too....Texas! Left PEI on wednesday night, for Quebec. Tipped there and got a reload for the same place, delivering near Dallas on tuesday morning. Going great (so far) and willl post more, with photos, when I have time.

Road test....

2009-10-21T10:54:00.002+02:00

....on Tuesday, and I PASSED! It was a big relief to get that out of the way, I can assure you. It was an easy test too - A pre-trip inspection where I did a full circle of the vehicle checking everything and giving a commentary as I went, followed by an un-couple / couple procedure and then a 15 - 20 minute road test. The drive itself was a very informal affair. It's not like the british test, where it all has to be done very precisely - two hands on the wheel, handbrake on every time you stop, mirror, signal, manoeuvre and all that malarky - here you just need to prove that you're comfortably in control of the vehicle. I missed a couple of gears, but that was just nerves, and everything else went fine.

So next is the mentor trip with another driver, to learn about border crossing and all the paperwork, logbooks and all the other stuff.

Every day, in every way....

2009-10-14T23:51:00.006+02:00

...I'm getting better and better. I've made a few trips around the island now, and I like to think my driving is improving all the time. I get most gears at the first attempt, as it's just a matter of timing, and that comes with practice. Sycronize your clutch, gear lever and engine RPM just right, and the gear will slip in without touching the sides. With practice you'll be as good as Greg, my instructor, who never uses the clutch and pushes the lever around with his fingertips. I'm also getting better at positioning my truck on the road and manouvering with the big trailers and long tractors.

Winter reared it's ugly head today, with the first signs of sleet and really cold winds. A taste of things to come, I think.

Yesterday I finally met up with the Grumpy Ol' Trucker. He's the guy that pointed me towards Bulk Carriers, and is partly responsible for my being in Canada now, so I owe him a lot. He has blog of his own http://www.grumpyoldtrucker.com/, for which I contributed some articles, and we've been corresponding ever since. He put in a good word with the recruiting guy at Bulk Carriers (where he works as a sub-contractor), and here I am. He's not at all grumpy either - he's a lovely guy with a white fluffy beard, just like Santa.

A bit tight, but I got it in

Looking from PEI over to Nova Scotia

Myself and the Grumpy Ol' Trucker

The veiw is superb, but I'll bet it's rough in the winter

Happy Thanksgiving...

2009-10-12T13:07:00.003+02:00

....to everyone, In Canada and around the world.

In England, public holidays (usually referred to as Bank Holidays) are just excuses to have a day off work and get drunk (and why not?), but over here they're treated with some reverence, and they're a great source of national pride.

Out of all the holidays (Labor Day, Canada Day et al), Thanksgiving is the one I'd most like to see adopted in the UK. The idea of taking a day out of our lives to celebrate the good things we have is very appealing to me. That's really all there is to it - no presents, no cards, no dressing up, no parties and no drinking. As far as I can tell, the only requirement is to sit down with as many family members as possible and eat as much as possible. Well within my capabilities, I feel.

So in the spirit of this, I'm going to take a little time to list the things in life I'm thankful for. Above all, and I mean WAY above all, is my family. I have a wife and two children that I adore. My wife is also my best friend, adviser, banker and more. She brings the stability and guidance my life so desperately needs, and keeps my feet on the ground, while still allowing me to follow my dreams. My children bring me endless joy and pride, they're bright, intelligent and polite and caring. My son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was eight, and has shown bravery and maturity in dealing with it that's incredible for one so young. My daughter is kind, generous and open and her smile lights up the darkest days. I'm also lucky that both my parents are alive and fit, well into their seventies, and my brother and sister are both happy and settled with families.

I'm thankful for my friends, many of whom I've known since school. I don't make friends quickly, but I make them for a long time. I have friends from jobs I had 20 years ago, and ones made more recently, and they're all a great source of comfort and reassurance to me.

I'm also thankful that I live in peaceful times. You may think that the world is in turmoil, but in reality it's calmer now than it's ever been, and it's getting better all the time.

It's nice to know that I live in a free and fair society, In Canada or the UK, in which I can travel, vote and speak freely, and where my family and I have easy access to good health-care. So many people around the world are denied these basic rights, yet we take them for granted.

When I think about it, there's so much in my life that I'm thankful for and this list could go on and on, but I think you get the picture. If you take a few moments to think about it, I'm sure you'll find a lot to be thankful for too.

Happy Thanksgiving.

All of nature is mine to command...

2009-10-11T15:47:00.006+02:00

....or so it would seem. Yesterday I expressed a desire for a dry day with some wind, and what did I find as I threw back the curtains this morning? Exactly that - bright sunshine, cloudless blue skies and a stiff breeze. Nothing for it but to grab my camera and head out on my morning constitutional. Most of these photos are to show my family where we might end up living, so if you're not interested in all that, there's no point in carrying on. I'm aware that the photos on here tend to show Cornwall in a very good light, but the truth is I've yet to find a street on which I wouldn't like to live.

Cornwall plaza. A supermarket, liqueur store

Video store, 2 pizza shops and a Tim Hortons.

What more could anyone ask?

Primary school

Lake in the park

Nursery school. All the toys are left outside,

and nobody steals them. The fence is to keep

kids in, not adults out.

Where are all the shopping trolleys?

Winter's coming!!!

P.S., I had my first encounter with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (The Mounties) today. I was walking along the road when a man in a bright red jacket and funny hat rode up beside me and gave me a can of labatts lager. No, seriously, he was setting up a speed trap at the roadside, and smiled and said hello as I passed. I was a bit disappointed to see that he was wearing a rather drab uniform, but I suppose the red one is for ceremonial use. It's also strangely unsettling to be around someone with a loaded gun, no matter who's side he's on.

Rain, rain and more rain....

2009-10-10T18:38:00.006+02:00

...seems to be the outlook for the next few days. Steady, persistent rain making life miserable and trapping those of us with out cars at home.

There's a general feeling of uneasiness around the island at the moment, because it's potato harvest time and the fields are water-logged. If potatoes are left in wet ground for too long they'll begin to rot, and the whole seasons crop will be lost. It's easy to understand peoples concern, as potatoes are vital to the islands economy. It's driven by tourism, lobster fishing and farming - but the tourism season is over, the price of lobster is way down and the potatoes are stuck in the ground.

It has a direct effect on me too, as most of the islands transport companies are involved in moving the potatoes off PEI, and operations for the whole year revolve around the harvest. Bulk Carriers, like many others, have drivers and vehicles waiting roll, but there's nothing to put in them.

So here's hoping for a couple of dry, windy days.

BJ and the Bear...

2009-10-09T23:47:00.002+02:00

.....anyone remember it? Ok, that's a little obscure, I know, but for some of us (...well...er..me, anyway), BJ and the Bear was a pivotal moment in life. BJ and the Bear was a TV programme, shown in the UK in (I think) the seventies. It followed the lives of an itinerant truck driver (BJ) and his pet chimp (Bear) , as they roamed the highways and byways of the USA, having the sort of adventures that we real people seldom seem to have. Saving the town from the evil cattle baron and rescuing blond haired, angelic children from burning buildings were all part of the daily routine for our intrepid heroes (though they rarely seemed to actually deliver any loads).

Anyway, the stories were rubbish and the acting atrocious, but I was absolutely hooked from the first moment, because of what was, for me, the undoubted star of the show - a red and white Kenworth K100 Areodyne. This truck was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen (and yes, I know how sad that seems - but I was only 10, for Gods sake). It represented the great truck driving dream - coast-to-coast trucking in the USA. These guys were the modern day equivilent of the cowboys, going where the work was, then moving on. No ties, No family, no worries. I was smitten with the idea, and it's a yearning that's never left me - the desire to drive a truck around North America

And today that dream came a step closer, as today I drove a big-assed American truck on the highway for the first time....and it was just awful. Vague, woolly steering, spongy drum breaks, crap mirrors and noisier than Joan Rivers (but not as ugly). I played tunes with the gearbox that you wouldn't believe and poor Greg, who was sitting in with me, didn't know weather to laugh or cry.

Yet I loved every minute of it, and can't wait to get back out there.

Have a great weekend, and to any Canadians reading this....I hope you have a wonderful thanksgiving.

Another step in the right direction....

2009-10-07T23:25:00.002+02:00

....was taken today, when I passed the air-brake test. 94% right, which I'm pretty pleased with. It's a written, multiple choice test on PEI, so as long as you read the book from cover to cover as often as you can, you can nail it. I'm free to start the road training now - I can't wait.

On the road again...

2009-10-07T11:00:00.004+02:00

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...but only as a passenger. Yesterday another brit driver took a trailer to Souris, on the eastern end of the island, so I tagged along. I'd say about 50 miles on single carrigeway roads that were practically empty. Weather was dull and overcast but dry. It was nice just to be able to ride along with another driver, and ask questions. Souris is a pleasant little town, but I bet it's pretty bleak in the winter.

What a difference...

2009-10-06T10:32:00.002+02:00

....a day makes. We've had bright, warm sunshine since I arrived, but on sunday it started raining and didn't stop for 24 hours and the forecast is for more. At the weekend I went to visit an ex-pat family (hi, Kerry) that lives in Cornwall. They've been here 2 years and love it, and seeing how happy they are will help to keep me focused on why I'm here.

Also some photos from work.

Older international 9400

Tri-pac. Provides heat in the winter for the cab and engine, air-con in the summer and power for microwave, fridge and all the other toys, all without running the engine

Brand new International Prostars,waiting to join the fleet.

Prostar

Another new Prostar

Prostar with 53 foot trailer

Bulk Carriers (PEI) ltd.

In the workshop

The fleet's in! Some of the older motors waiting to be sold.

Prostar dashboard

Two loading shovels, just for clearing snow!

It ain't all beer and skittles....

2009-10-04T14:04:00.005+02:00

...over here, so all you Canadians may want to look away now.

So far, I've been greatly impressed by what I've seen of Canada. From the moment I landed, I've been treated with respect and courtesy. Even the immigration officials at Halifax Airport were nice. PEI is beautiful and the pace of life is very laid back

However, it's not all perfect. For instance, is it too much to ask that a provincial capital should have a decent public transport system? There are no buses at all from Cornwall to Charlottetown, in or out, on a Weekend. No trains, no trams, just taxis. Bare in mind that this is a fairly large town by island standards, and is only 5 miles from the city. During the week, there are 2 early in the morning, 2 in the evening and 1 at noon. That's it.

The other problem is walking. Once you move away from downtown Charlottetown, there are no facilities for getting around on foot or by bike. The presumption seems to be that everyone drives everywhere, so footpaths and cycle tracks are just not necessary, which I think is a mistake on an island driven by tourism.

Well,that's my mini-rant over with. I could go on to mention the cheese (yellow rubber) or the bread (white mattress foam) or the chocolate (brown candle wax), but I guess that's all a matter of taste.

TTFN

D.G., I tried to e-mail you, but it failed, and I'd deleted your message. Can you send your details again?

Some photos of Cornwall

2009-10-03T20:24:00.005+02:00

The road past the motel is the Trans Canada Highway (route 1), that runs, in one form or another, for 4500 miles to the Pacific Ocean at Vancouver

The Sunny King Motel, seen from a distance (which is, by far, the best way to see it)

A big ole clapboard church

Chopping wood for winter

The street behind the motel

Veiw from my window, the leaves are just begining to change colour

Day one...

2009-09-30T22:16:00.003+02:00

...was spent as you'd expect - opened bank account, sorted out health care, exchanged my UK license for a PEI license (though only for a car - i have to sit a test for a truck) and got my Social Insurance Number (similar to a national insurance number. Also did a bit of shopping and got a mobile phone. Tomorrow, I report for duty at 8:30, when we'll start paid work proper. I think we'll be washing trucks and killing time until our air-brake tests next week. Hey, I'm here to work, not lounge about in hotels all day. By we, I mean myself and Joachim, a German guy that arrived on Monday.

Visited the Company this morning, and met everyone that I need to know. Noticed 12 new trucks standing at the top of the yard - don't suppose I'll get one, but I can live in hope.

First impressions? Canada is very nice in the sunshine, and dull and grey in the rain. The leaves are just beginning to change colour, and I've been assured that, when it's in full swing, it's just as impressive as fall in New England. The people are friendly to the point that I was beginning to think that I was they one thing they needed to make their lives complete! I was up at daft o'clock this morning, so I decided to go for a walk. As I was heading back, a woman out walking her dog alone, in the dark, said good morning as we passed. In the UK, she would have crossed the road to avoid me.

There seems to be an abundance of everything. Shops of every manner, fast food places, churches everywhere (including half of the TV channels), hotels, motels, you name it - it can be found within a mile of here. My home town has a population of about 60,000 souls, and no hotels. Cornwall, on the out-skirts of Charlottetown, has about 3,000 people and 5 hotels.

So it's so far - so good. But it's early days yet, so be sure to tune in next time folks, for the next enthralling instalment of Ian...in...CANADA!!!

Oh, I nearly forgot - photos. I came without a camera, intending to get one here, but I haven't got round to it yet. As soon as I do, they'll appear on here.

Comment moderation

2009-09-30T09:22:00.002+02:00

I've decided to check comment's before they appear on this blog, simply to ensure that nothing appears that may cause concern or upset to my family back in the UK. Please don't be discouraged from posting, as I still want your feedback.

Hello PEI...

2009-09-30T00:40:00.003+02:00

...I'm here at last. The flight from Heathrow to Halifax With Air Canada was excellent. I had both seats to myself, so it's much easier to relax. The flight from there to Charlottetown wasn't so good, but it was only 25 minutes, so who cares. The recruitment guy picked me up at the "airport" (it's a big shed with a skylight for the air-traffic controller to peer out of) and dropped me off at the motel. It's a bit dingy, and hasn't been painted since the seventies, but the bedding's clean and it's dirt cheap.

It's mid-night UK time as I write this, but only 8 o'clock in Canada, so I'll try and stay up for a while longer.

The blog

2009-09-28T06:31:00.004+02:00

This blog will serve 2 purposes. Firstly, it will help to keep family and friends informed of my progress and my travels. To those of you familiar with Canada, bits of it may seem as though I'm stating the bleeding obvious, but please bear in mind that others may not know what I'm talking about. I'll include maps of my routes where possible, and try and describe the areas I pass through. I'm also a big music fan, so if you can spot and identify the song lyrics in my posts, mention it in the comments.

Second, this blog will act as my personal record of my travels, and, as such, may contain information that's of no possible interest to anyone but me.

One thing you won't find here is opinions about my employer. Other blogs have shown that some companies don't react well to criticisms on-line. So while I expect some clashes with my employers (simply because these things happen from time to time), it's unlikely you'll get to hear about them on here. The whole purpose of this move it to get the entire family over to Canada, and my FIRST responsibility will always be to them, so anything that might jeopardise that is out of the question. I'll post general stuff about vehicles, routes, loads etc., but nothing about wages, working conditions and the management. To those of you looking to come to Canada that might benefit from that stuff, I'm sorry - but family comes first.

Posts will be made as often as possible, but will depend on an internet connection. Free wi-fi isn't always easy to find.

Home - hopefully

2009-09-27T06:34:00.002+02:00

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This is where I plan to spend the rest of my life. Just typing that scares me! Use the controls in the top left hand corner to zoom in or out.

It's all go.....

2009-09-26T05:35:00.002+02:00

.....at the moment. I've been planning this trip for a year, but I'm still running around like a headless chicken, desperately trying to get everything ready.

Everything is now booked, so I travel to Heathrow on the train from Durham on Monday evening. I spend the night there, and fly out Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Tuesday morning, and there I connect for Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island. Then It's a short hop in a taxi to my hotel. I expect Wednesday to be filled with things like opening bank accounts, registering for health care and tax, and sorting out medicals for my license.

A minor stroke of good fortune came my way yesterday. I received an e-mail from the budget hotel I'd booked at Heathrow, saying that they would be closed on the night of my visit for essential work to be done. However, they had transferred my booking, at no extra cost to me, to the near-by Hilton Hotel. So from a £50 room to a £170 room in one fell swoop - Result, or what?

D-Day.....

2009-09-23T07:55:00.002+02:00

.....or departure day looks like Tuesday 29th September....that's NEXT WEEK!!! These people don't mess around, do they? I received an e-mail last night, asking if these dates were acceptable, and I said yes, so I'm expecting a confirmation today.

Lying, wide awake, in the dark last night, I was gripped by an over-whelming desire to call the whole thing off. At first I thought it was fear, but when I dug a little deeper I realised it was guilt. I feel guilty about jetting off on my big adventure, leaving Kirsty to deal with holding down a full time job and dealing with two kids (one with diabetes), and all the other components of day to day life. Naturally, when we talked about this, she said everything would be fine - so why don't I feel any better?

It's here....at last

2009-09-22T20:30:00.003+02:00

Ten months after the first tentative steps were taken, the final piece of the process has finally dropped into place. I checked my e-mail inbox, and there was a shiny new LMO! This means that I'm now free to jump on a plane and go.

Of course, this is only the first stage on a very long road, which will (hopefully) lead to us all becoming Canadian Permanent Residents. PRs have the right to live and work in Canada permanantly, and can ultimately lead to full citizenship (if that's what you want).

Now I wait for them to book my flights.......watch this space!

I'll believe when it happens....

2009-09-20T20:43:00.001+02:00

.....but on friday evening an e-mail arrived from Bulk Carriers, saying that all the issues had been settled, and that Service Canada had given an assurance that my LMO would be here by Wednesday. Whilst I don't doubt the intention, I'm not sure about their ability to meet that commitment. We shall see......

And still we wait...

2009-09-17T15:58:00.002+02:00

.....for the positive LMO. It seems that it's the same the world over - if your fate lies in the hands of a government department, of any sort, all you can do is wait and hope for the best. Phone calls won't make any difference, nor will running around, tearing out what little hair you may have left. I've spoken to Bulk Carriers about the delay, and they're just as frustrated as I am, but, like me, they're not in a position to do anything about it.

So now it's beginning to like I won't be there before November. You see, we have a holiday booked in mid November, so there's not much point in going to Canada for a couple of weeks, then going on Holiday. If I could of had six weeks to do the training etc, then my hols, then start work proper, it would have been worth considering - but not two weeks on then two weeks off.

Oh, by the way,the car's gone. After getting calls from all over the country, I sold it to a guy five miles away. The problem is, now we'll have to get the train to Manchester Airport.

And to add to my worries, tomorrow (Friday) is my daughters 13th birthday, and she's having some friends round for a sleep-over. Six giggling schoolgirls, talking about hair, X-Factor and this boy in year 10, that's like, sooooo cute. Personally, I'd rather spend a night sewn up inside a dead horse than go through that, but, hey....that's parenthood!

Selling cars is a national thing now....

2009-09-04T14:44:00.002+02:00

...due to the power of the Autotrader website. I put the car in the trader this week, and I've had calls from Edinburgh, 3 from Glasgow, Shropshire, Exeter, and belive it or not, the Shetland Isles. It seems that people who are looking for a particular type of car are prepared to travel to find it. Fingers crossed!

Consider that knot well and truly tied

2009-09-02T17:38:00.005+02:00

Kirsty and I were married yesterday in the local register office (which happens to be the school I used to attend) surrounded by family and a couple of close friends. Neither of us were particularly comfortable, as we hate being the focus of other peoples attention, but once the ceremony was out of the way we were able to relax and enjoy ourselves. We went off to a small local country pub and had a bit of a party, and we all got slowly and steadily drunk.

As you can see from the photos, we were both completely outdone by our children, as they looked fabulous. Kane (my 10 year old son) officiated as best man, and made us very proud, his speech reducing half the room to tears. Jasmine (12 year old daughter) looked stunning, and was a model of politeness. Kirsty, as always, looked beautiful and displayed all the charm and grace that that I've come to know and love. I, on the other hand, looked like an over-weight truck driver in a cheap, badly cut suit. No change there then.

All in all, a good time was had by all - but I'm glad I'll never have to do it again.

Another delay.....

2009-08-07T18:18:00.002+02:00

....This time from Service Canada, the government department that issues LMOs. The have told Bulk Carriers that they must advertise the vacancy in two more places for a further two weeks, to ensure that I'm not taking a job away from a Canadian citizen. It should just be a formality, but you never know.

I'm getting married

2009-08-04T15:19:00.002+02:00

We were planning on getting married in December, but we would rather it was done before I leave so we're going to get it out of the way next month. So at 15.00 on the 1st of september, would you all please bow your heads and say a quiet prayer for the death of my single life.

Car for sale....

2009-07-29T20:24:00.002+02:00

If I get out to Canada, I'll need to sell my car

It's a 2005 Saab 9-5 Linear estate, 2.2 diesel auto. Expresso black metalic with a black cloth interior. Alloys, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, steering wheel audio control, roof bars and rails. 60,000 miles with history, taxed to the end of the year and I'll test it before I sell it.

It's immaculate inside and out, and if it wasn't for the fact that I can't take it with me I wouldn't dream of selling it.

£4,800 should be about right, I think.

The great leap forward....

2009-07-24T16:35:00.006+02:00

Good news at last. today I received an e-mail from Canada with a firm job offer, and a contract of employment. As soon as I've returned the contract, they'll apply for my LMO, then, presuming it's granted, I'm free to go.

My employer will (hopefully) be Bulk Carriers (PEI) limited (www.bulkcarrierspei.com) in Charlottetown in the province of Prince Edward Island. They carry fresh food and produce all over Canada and the USA, mainly the eastern coast, but I know someone there and he was in California not too long ago, and thats a fair old hike.

Prince Edward Island is the smallest Canadian province by area (about 2,000 sq miles) and by population (140,000) It lies in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, off the western coast and is connected to the mainland by an eight mile long bridge. It's economy is driven by agriculture and provides 30% of Canada's potatoes. McCain's, the oven chip people, are from there. It's also a scenic island, littered with beaches, coves, and rivers, so tourism plays a big part in island life, and Charlottetown (the provincial capital) is a popular stop for cruise ships. The island was named after Queen Victorias father.

The cost of living is lower there than most of Canada, and property is cheap to buy. I did a quick search yesterday, and found an 8 bedroom house on 20 acres of land for $150,000 (thats about £80,000) The house was a bit tatty, but bloody hell!

So much for the sabbatical!

2009-07-20T14:26:00.002+02:00

I know I said I was going to take some time off...now I want to get back to work! I'm bored rigid sitting around the house all day, the poor dog is exhausted from walking, and a planned holiday in November is sucking up money at a spectacular rate, so it's back to the grind for me.

I'll be looking for long distance UK or international work, so If you know of anyone in the North-East looking for a driver, let me know.

So....why Canada?

2009-07-18T20:08:00.003+02:00

Ever since we told people of our plans, one question has popped up again and again...why? They point out that we have a good life here, we're well enough off that I don't have to work, both kids are doing well in decent schools, we are surrounded by good friends and loving families and we live in a decent area. Yet, despite all that, we feel the need to bugger off to another continent.

I suppose there is an element of wanderlust in all of us, but it's stronger in those that drive for a living because they want to, and not because they have to. I've wanted to drive trucks from about the age of ten, and I never once thought of anything else. At 21 (the minimum legal age) I got my class one license, and I've been on the road ever since.

Not long after I started, I saw an advert in a magazine with the headline "COME DRIVE AMERICA WITH US". It was an advert for MS Carriers in Memphis, Tennessee, looking for European drivers to join their long-haul fleet. I applied at once, but the American Government blocked it, so it never happened. However, the desire to do it has never gone away, it's just sat on the back-burner, simmering quietly. Then, 3 or 4 years age, more adverts started appearing for driving jobs in Canada, and Kirsty and I started discussing it, so it moved from being an vague idea to being a distinct possibility. The decider came in April last year when we visited Orlando. We met loads of Canadians, and every one, without exception, was warm, friendly and kind. I drove about 600 hundred miles and loved every minute of it, but always aware of the vast and varied continent that lay to the north.

When we came back, we started to plan in earnest. Naturally, we can't just go because I fancy a big adventure. We've looked at houses, schools, medical care, insurance, jobs for Kirsty...everything. We've read blogs, forums and websites of every possible kind. Contacted friends, friends of friends, distant relatives and anyone else that may be able to provide information. My first choice was the Calgary area, but Kirsty fancied Eastern Canada, mainly because the cost of living is lower, and it's not as far for people to visit.

So we are going because we think we can make a good life in a great country. We aren't running away from anything, we're running towards something. Clean air, space and Beauty. The challenge of adapting to something alien - different food, culture, laws, people, weather...nothing will be the same. Proper winters that you can enjoy, not fear. And the kids LOVE the thought of a white Christmas every year!

We certainly aren't going because we hate England. There are many things about this Country that need fixing, but these are the sort of things you'll find all over the world. Despite the yobbish behaviour, drunkenness, and litter, I still think this is a great country and I'll always be proud to call myself English. But it's a big old world out there, and it's time to go and try a different bit.

Well.........

2009-06-25T12:40:00.003+02:00

......rang Canada last week, and I got the impression that things might be moving forward, though not forward fast enough for my liking. I'm not comfortable with sitting waiting for things to happen - once the decision to head for Canada was made, I was determined that it should happen as soon as possible. However, as I've explained before, the global economy decided to shit in my slippers, and everything ground to a halt. Just out of curiosity, I e-mailed some other Canadian transport operations in the New Brunswick area, to see what their recruitment policies were at the moment. The replies were uniformly gloomy - no recruitment at all, Canadian or UK for the foreseeable future. One said not before 2010, another claimed to be receiving 20 applications from Canadians, and 25 from foreigners every day! Another told me the problem was due to the massive amount of redundancies in the Alberta oilfields. People had left Atlantic Canada, drawn away by the prospect of big earnings, but were now heading back to the Maritimes and looking for work.

So where does this leave me? I suppose I'm just going to have to wait. I have a contact in one particular company that seems to think there's a job for me, so I'll keep plugging away at that. But, it's annoying that last year Canadian companies were over here, actively recruiting, crying out for drivers. If I'd acted then, I may well have been there by now!

All good things must come to an end

2009-06-20T21:41:00.004+02:00

Hello all,

Sorry it's been a while, but I've been doing a bit of soul searching. I decided to part company with the Yearsley Group, and take something of a sabbatical before I head out to Canada. It had always been my intention to take some time out to spend with the family before I left, because I'm going alone and won't see much of them for a year or so. The loss of a major contract at work and the threat of redundancies brought this forward slightly, and a major disagreement with the management was the deciding factor. It draws to a close a very happy chapter of my life - they're a good lot to work for, and I've made some great friends - but all things must come to pass, as they say.

So it's all forward from here. If I can get out to Canada within the next 6 months or so, that's fine. Anything more than that and I'll have to re-think my plans, but, as it stands now, I don't plan on working in the UK again.

So my days are spent walking the dog, doing shopping or housework, preparing meals and generally being the house-husband. There's also a small (but significant) amount of dozing in front of the telly (whilst watching loose women) and playing on my son's Nintendo DS.

Naturally, the nature of this blog is going to change. Those of you that read it, I hope you'll keep it up, and I'll try and make it as interesting as possible.

And for those of you travelling "over the road", I hope to see you soon.

Up and Down

2009-06-07T08:48:00.002+02:00

Started at 5:00 on Wednesday, and set off up the A1 towards Edinburgh. By Berwick-Upon-tweed I was in agony - I don't know how Scania can fit these cheap and cheerful seats to trucks that cost so much, and get away with it. Arrived it the Iceland distribution centre in Livingston on time at 9:00 and was out again by 9:15, which is very good by their standards. Had a break, then set off southwards towards Duns, in the borders. Tipped the second half of my load, then ran across to Berwick for a load of Jus-rol pastry to take back to Seaham. Finished at 3:00, glad to see the back of that Scania.

I had a bit of a lie in on Thursday, as I didn't start until 7:00. Took a loaded trailer to the Yearsley coldstore at Coleshill, just north of Birmingham, and swapped it for one for delivery to the Somerfield warehouse near Leeds. Arrived at 2:45 for a 3:00 delivery slot. Left again at 4:30 and got back to Seaham at 6:30, clocked off at 7:00

Naturally, a late finish means an early start the next day. I got to Seaham at 4:30, only to find part of my load was still on it's way from Kent. I knew this would cause me problems, as one of the drops today was very fussy about times. The first delivery was in Peterlee, due at 5:15, but I didn't get there until 6:00. He made me wait, so I didn't leave until 7:30. Next was the Aldi warehouse at Darlington, 45 minutes away, and I was pretty sure it would be refused. They operate on a 1 hour delivery window for all frozen consignments - from 6:30 to 7:30 - but sometimes, if you're a little bit late they'll let you in. However, when I arrived at 8:15, they just laughed at me and told me (politely) to bugger off. This meant more time wasted as phone calls to head office need to be made, because someone has to be blamed and I can't leave until it's sorted. The rest of the day was the usual stuff, deliveries in Darlington, Durham and Middlesborough, racing to make up the lost time. Two of my deliveries were short, so more phone calls had to be made, and more time was lost. I finally caught up with myself at 1:30, at my last delivery. For a change, there was no collection from Whitby, so I went straight back for a nice early finish - just what you need on a Friday.

Same s**t, different day.....

2009-06-02T20:50:00.004+02:00

You know, it's only since I started writing down what I do that I've realised how repetitive my life is. God Knows how factory workers must feel - at least my scenery changes.

Monday was a day off, so it was back to the coal-face this morning. Why is the first day back after a holiday, even just one day, is such a killer? It took every ounce of will power I had to drag my sorry carcass out of bed this morning. My Dad used to say "You should never go back to work the day after you've been off", and I'm beginning to see what he means. It's his birthday today, so many happy returns Jack.

Left the yard at around 5:15 for the 45 minute run to Consett. Got there right on time at 6:00, delivered 2 pallets, then went to McDonalds to grab a coffee and a bacon roll as the next drop was just around the corner, but didn't open until 8:00. Then Team Valley, Gateshead next, followed by 1 pallet to Birtley and, after some lunch, a 2.5 hour dash through Teeside and Yorkshire to Malton. 2 more drops here sees me empty and heading across the North Yorkshire Moors National Park, through Pickering to Whitby. Fill the trailer with fishy things and head for home, getting back to Seaham by 5.

I mentioned that the Financial Controller started a new job Yesterday. The day started badly, as she couldn't get her hair right. I swear to you that I meant to say "it looks fine - you're being ridiculous" but what actually came out was "it looks ridiculous". So I picked myself up off the floor, and retired to a safe distance until she'd stopped erupting. She left for school a little later, and a little later still she was back. Nobody had told her that she was going on a nature walk with the kids, and she would need jeans and suitable walking shoes. What a palaver!

Back in the bl**dy Scania tomorrow, as mine has gone to Heywood garage for some TLC.

TW3

2009-05-30T07:02:00.004+02:00

One more week crossed off the calender. Tuesday was local multi-drop (again), Wednesday got me as far as Berwick.

On Thursday, they sent me to Kings Lynn in Norfolk. This is one of the longest day runs we do - four and a half hours there, and four and a half hours back. I stopped at Thirsk to get some cash and a coffee, but the bloody ATM machine confiscated my card! As I prefer to get my lunch somewhere on route I never have food with me, but now I had no means of getting anything. I hadn't had breakfast (in fact, I'd had nothing since 5 p.m. the previous day) so by the time I got home that evening I was ravenous - absolutely starving. I could have eaten a scabby horses neck between two dead sheep. I got home, opened the fridge and just started pouring food into my mouth, like a crane loading a grain ship. God alone knows what I had, but there were some strange combinations, I can tell you. Yoghurt and chorizo - I can still taste it now. Yuk.

Friday, and it's back to the local work. A trip out to Barnard Castle made a nice change, then back to Seaham for my second trailer - destination, Whitby! A beautiful day, the AC going flat out, and some good tunes on my MP3 player and I'm as happy as a pig in s**t.

Long weekend too. I've taken Monday off, in lieu of the bank holiday I worked. Kirsty, the wife, (known to me as the financial controller) starts a new job on Monday, so I'd like to be at home when she gets back. Actually, it's not quite a new job. She's been training as a teaching assistant, and doing voluntary work in a local primary school. They've been so impressed by her, they've offered her a full time position, even though she isn't yet qualified. So she is in the lucky position of knowing the staff and pupils already, but she's still very nervous.

A bit of history

2009-05-26T17:13:00.004+02:00

As predicted, Mondays run was entirely routine. Up to Motherwell, near Glasgow, and straight back empty, and that's it - so I'm going to tell you (or bore you) about my favorite historical site, which I pass on the way

If you travel from the North-East to Glasgow, you pass through the western suburbs of Newcastle. As you head out along the A69, only 100 yards past the A1 junction, there's a low, wide stone construction on the grass verge, between the road and a housing estate. People stand on it, sit on it and play on it, mostly without realising that it's nearly 2000 years old and part of one of Britain's most famous ancient structures - Hadrian's Wall.

It was built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian to keep out marauding Scots and marked the northern most point of the Roman Empire. Construction started around 122 a.d. and took six years. It stretches coast to coast from Carlisle to Newcastle, roughly following the Solway and Tyne rivers, and 9000 troops were garrisoned in forts along it's length. If you've ever been to the North-East, and wondered how the town of Wallsend got it's name - now you know.

And why do I like it so much? Simply because I love the idea of such a famous piece of history being largely ignored! Thousands of motorists pass within 15 feet of it each day, without a second glance. There's no visitor centre, admission charge, ice cream van or coach park. The only attention it gets is when the local authority cuts the grass around it. It does what it's done for nearly 2 millennia - just sits there, quietly eroding away.

So remember, on the westbound A69, 100 yards past the A1 junction. If you pass it, keep it to yourself - it's our little secret.

The rest of the week.

2009-05-23T08:46:00.004+02:00

Back to work on Wednesday, and back to my old faithful Volvo. After 6 weeks in the Scania's terrible seat, getting into the Volvo was like slipping into a hot bath....bliss! Wednesday and Thursday were both local multi-drops (the obvious choice to give a man complaining of back-ache), rounded off with a collection from Whitby. Friday was 4 seperate runs - Full loads to Peterlee and back (10 miles) Jarrow and back (20 miles) Peterlee and back again, and then Whitby for the 4th time this week, although I don't mind as it's such a nice run.

I have to say thet even in the current economic climate, Yearsleys seen to be flourishing. They are primarily a storage company, and the transport division is just there to support the coldstore operation. The coldstores are full, so as long as the customers pay their bills, we're ok. If they don't, we seize the stock and sell it to cover our costs, so we can't lose. It's company policy to own everything - land, buildings, vehicles, the lot, - so there is plenty of capital available should we need it.

Monday is a public holiday, but I'll be at work. Easy day though - Full load of Yorkshire Puddings (no weight!) to Glasgow, then back empty.

Easy, peazy, lemon squeezy.

2009-05-19T19:01:00.002+02:00

Dead easy day today - all depot to depot stuff. Took a loaded trailer to our Chesterfield cold store, picked up an empty trailer, and took that to our Grimsby coldstore, had a break then swapped the empty for a loaded one to bring back to Seaham. Back by 3 o'clock

For a couple of weeks now I've had increasing problems with back pain, and I blame the seats in the new Scanias. We bought them as a cancelled order, becasuse we needed some trucks quickly, and whoever placed the original order specced them as absolutely bottom of the range. No air-con, no front fog lights, all plastic interior, one electric mirror - even the drivers side sun visor is missing - but I could live with all of that if it wasn't for the drivers seat. It's like a plastic school seat, and it's crippling me. So I had a word with the boss when I got back tonight and he agreed to let me have my old Volvo back, otherwise I'd end up on the sick!

Whitby again

2009-05-18T19:25:00.002+02:00

Monday rolled around with the usual feeling of "what happened to the weekend?", and I rolled into traffic at 5:00 with the first run of the day. First drop in peterlee fell off so, I was parked outside the second in Darlington by 6:45, although I knew he wouldn't be there until 8:00 - nothing to do but have a coffee and put my feet up. Then 2 in Newton Aycliffe and 1 in Durham, and the first trip is done by 10:30. Back to Seaham to pick up my second trailer, half an hour down the A19 to Middlesbrough for 2 deliveries, then across the moors to Whitby to deliver 12 pallets of un-cooked prawns and collect 26 pallets of scampi (pictured). Back to Seaham, and finished at 5:15, and back with the wife and kiddies by half five.

Last one of the week

2009-05-16T10:17:00.002+02:00

5:00 start for a quick trip across to Durham for 6:00. This is a regular drop - someone does it every day - and is very predictable. Back straight onto the bay, and it takes about 90 minutes to unload. Left again at 7:30 for a run down the A1 to Boroughbridge to collect a load of ice cream. "Only" took 2 hours to load this time! Pulled out of there at 10:40, heading for the Yearsley cold store and head office in Heywood, just north of Manchester. Dropped my loaded trailer in the yard, and picked up an empty, and set off back along the M62 in filthy weather - rain, spray and heavy traffic all adds up to a miserable journey. Into the Yearsley yard in Leeds, another trailer swap, and now head home with a load of Yorkshire puddings for some unlucky sod to take to Glasgow on Monday. Knocked off around 5:30 for the weekend, having worked 51 hours in 4 days.

Busy, busy, busy....

2009-05-14T19:35:00.003+02:00

Wednesday saw me up with the larks once again for a 4:00 start - a quick delivery of seafood to the factory next door to our place, then swap trailers (because it stank of fish) and up to Berwick-Upon-Tweed (2 hrs) empty to collect a load of frozen pastry. Got there right on 8:00 and out again by 9:00. Took it back to Seaham, dumped it on a loading bay, picked up another empty trailer and off to Reed Boardall at Boroughbridge and arrived at 12:40 for a 13;00 booking. That's where it all went wrong - took them 4 hours to load me up with a full load of ice cream. Left there at 15:45 heading south to the Yearsley depot in Leeds where I dropped that trailer and picked up one loaded with Yorkshire Puddings to come back to Seaham. Rolled back in at 18:40 and finally clocked off at 19:00, 15 hours after I started.

Now the bit about this job I really hate. Before I left, I checked on my run for the next day - another 4 a.m. start! By the time I got home it was 7:30, so I had a quick bite to eat, a shower and I was in bed by 8:30 so I could be up again at 3:15. What sort of life is that? It's even more annoying as one driver finished at 4 pm and started again at 7 am, so he had 15 hours off and I had 9. They could have given him my run - then we would have had 12 hours off each

Anyway, Thursday. Someone on night-shift had kindly left my vehicle coupled up and ready to go, so I quickly checked it over and set off at 4:20 for the big Iceland distribution centre in Livingstone, near Edinburgh, with a stop for coffee at Berwick - I LOVE McDonalds coffee! Turned up there at 7:45 for an 8:00 booking, delivered my 10 pallets of Youngs fish, and turned back south. My next delivery was a new one in Duns, a small town hidden away in the Scottish borders. It was a beautiful spring day, so I took the scenic route down the A68 and then cut across country. Found the place without any problems, and they had my 8 pallets of Quorn paste off 1n 10 minutes - result! Now I'm empty, so a 25 minute run gets me to Berwick again for more frozen pastry. On the bay at 12:00 and an hour later I'm out and on the last leg home. Got back at about3, and clocked off at 3:45.

Got a lie in tommorrow - I don't have to be up until 4:15! YIPPEE!

A busy day.....

2009-05-12T18:01:00.006+02:00

Local multi-drop today. Start at 4 to be at my first drop in Durham for 5:15. Then 2 more in Durham, Consett, Peterlee and 5 in Middlesbrough and tipped by 11:30. After that, It's a nice ride across the moors road to Whitby to collect a full load of frozen seafood to come back in to the coldstore at Seaham. Drop the trailer on a bay, fill up, wash off and clock off at 16:00. A fairly typical day. The picture is of Whitby and in the middle, on top of the hill, is the ruin of Whitby Abbey. It was built 1400 years ago, and was destroyed by Henry VIII in 1540.

Might as well use this blog....

2009-05-10T10:41:00.001+02:00

Nothing seems to be moving on the Canadian front, so I think I'll use this blog to document my days in England. Not really bothered about readership, as it was only ever intended for family and freinds, but if you happen to read it, and would like to comment, I'll be happy to hear from you. Today is Sunday, and I'm off tomorrow as well, so I'll have something more on Tuesday (with a bit of luck)

2009-04-06T19:54:00.000+02:00

Sadly, no good news to report. The word from Canada is much the same as before - the economy just won't support immigration at the moment.

Canada is a big country with a (usually) growing economy and a falling birthrate, so it needs people. When the situation improves, I'm sure they'll open the doors again, but it's frustrating to think that if I'd acted 6 months earlier I would be there by now. Bugger!

Back at the sharp end, Yearsleys have given me a new truck. For anyone that cares, it's an '09 Scania. It's actually not as good as the Volvo it replaces, but the Volvo is old and tired, and has to go. Such is life....

2009-03-28T22:44:00.000+01:00

Well, regrettably, our plans appear to have ground to a halt. Canada is not immune from the effects of the worldwide economic slowdown, and a massive amount of it's trade is across the border into the USA, most of which travels by road. This means that Canadian transport companies aren't hiring, and the government isn't keen on allowing foreign workers in, so we wait until things pick up.

In the meantime, life in the UK plods on as usual. Yearsleys still seem busy, and they've just bought 45 new vehicles and 130 new trailers. The pictures on the right are of me travelling up the A1 past Grantshouse, and my truck parked at Asda's warehouse in Washington with a full load of ice cream. Tomorrow (Monday 29th March) sees me off to Kings Lynn and back (400 miles).

Hopefully, my next post will have some positive news.

2009-03-12T18:26:00.000+01:00

Well, the Police Cert. arrived today, and it's NO TRACE! That means that I don't show up on any criminal databases. I was 99% sure I would be ok, but there is always that tiny bit of doubt that you might have forgotten something from your dim and distant past. Anyway, it's been e-mailed off to Canada, along with pages and pages of other stuff. Now we wait - Again!

2009-02-28T19:46:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone, and welcome to my blog. It's here to allow all my friends to follow my attempt to start a new life for myself and my family in Canada. I will recording the whole process, which started a few weeks ago with an e-mail to a few Canadian trucking company, asking about vacancies. They replied positively, and on Monday 23rd feb, I applied for my police certificate. I'll let you know when it gets here.