Right Around Lake Michigan.

____Day 1: Pete Moss is my co-driver yet again as I go and load the posh dirt at Seddon's Corner; fourteenth truck of 15 going to Quincy in Michigan. Away at midday; heading into Ontario before crossing the border at International Falls. A host of different hauliers that all have several hours start; most of them going via Pembina and the Interstate 29/94 route. But I welcome the change of scenery; finishing the day at Nemadji in Wisconsin.


US Port of Entry at International Falls, Mn. First time crossing with Flying Eagle.

 ____Day 2: Once upon a time; a sleeper cab was just a day-cab with curtains and pieces of foam-rubber making a bed across the seats. After that; I had far too many nights with my arse against the glass; on the shelf behind the seats of a Volvo F86. Now I have fitted sheets on a 80x40 inch mattress and two queen-sized blankets. To celebrate: I have an extra hour in bed; listening to the rain beating down on the 63 inch sleeper and thinking about the " Good Old Days." I'm not going to get ahead of the other loads, so take it easy. Across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, from the south shore of Lake Superior to the north shore of Lake Michigan, before crossing the Mackinaw Bridge and down to Lansing.


Mackinaw Bridge; Where the water from Lake Michigan flows into Lake Huron.

 ____Day 3: As I thought; there is a wait to get unloaded. But no-one has a reload closer than me; Hillsdale, only 10 miles away. Unfortunately, only one pallet; I'm on LTL again. Other pick-up addresses follow, but I only get as far as Marion, Indiana; coils of wire that don't get loaded until after dark.
____Day 4: A frustrating day as only one more of the potential pick-ups gets through the back doors and onto the Alberta-bound trailer. The fruitless waiting in the heart of Chicago on a Friday afternoon is the last thing I need and the office senses this. It's a long hard slog in heavy traffic; as far as Wilson, the Kwik-Trip Truckstop with the popular Friday night seafood buffet.


Suspension Bridge: 20mph speed limit-500 foot space between trucks-Only one lane open-Exorbitant toll. Reminds me of the First Severn Crossing from England into Wales.

 ____Day 5: Still plenty to do; with the Twin-Cities, the 94 across Minnesota and the 29 North from Fargo to the border. Cruise-control all the way at 65mph; only three-quarters of a load and light traffic. Breakfast at Sauk Centre's Trucker's Inn and interesting conversation at the counter. What is a good driver? Is it someone who never gets a fine because he never breaks the rules? Or is it the one who breaks all the rules and regulations, but is clever enough that he never gets caught? Lots of different views on that one until a driver comes out with; " The only good driver to a company boss is one who makes him lots of money." We all agree on that; with several having the opinion that some drivers don't realise that making money for the boss has anything to do with trucking.
____Overall Distance: 3838 km.


US Highway 2, along the north shore of Lake Michigan. 



Counting the Cars on the New Jersey Turnpike.

____Day 1: A light load of cardboard packaging with five drops in the eastern US; leaving Saturday morning for the first delivery at Ogdensburg, NY, on Monday. East on the Trans-Canada Highway into Ontario for the first time since I joined Flying Eagle. A long day on the two-lane highway with the 90 kph speed limit; to Hearst on Highway 11.
____Day 2: Another day of over a thousand kay; with Flying Eagles #31 and #32 running together. Coffee at North Bay, before Keith McLaughlin splits, south, towards a first drop at London. It's the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers; so not the best time to cross into the States with heightened security and long tailbacks being reported on the radio. I park at Prescott; just across the St. Lawrence river from Ogdensburg. Everyone remembers where they were on 11 September 2001; I was re-roofing a barn in the Dordogne, France, and I'm still waiting to be paid for it.


Soot on trailer was not from #31

 ____Day 3: My first time, crossing on the steel-grating road bridge. Only ideal because of the proximity of my first drop. Then from Ogdensburg, west to Rochester for the second before east and a night at Albany. Multi-drop work needs careful consideration in North America; small distances on the map can be huge in the real world; two drops a day is the best I can hope for.
____Day 4: Easthampton and West Springfield are close together in Massachusetts but then the last drop is on Long Island. Mattituck, a town at the rural eastern end of what was once the last British stronghold in what is now the USA. The bridges are all at the western, New York City end of the Island; for $35 I cross into Queens, which along with Brooklyn, make up the two heavily populated counties. Interstate 495 runs the length of Long Island to Mattituck; more like Rhode Island with it's weather-boarded houses in tree lined streets.


Long Island, NY.

 ____Day 5: The Long Island Rail-Road carries more passengers than any other network in North America. It also supplies early morning wake-up calls to sleeping truckers, parked between the tracks and the back gate to my delivery address. But it would be my preferred route into town if I had to commute everyday. Once unloaded; it is nose to tail traffic back towards the Throgs Neck Bridge. The reload is LTL, that is Less Than a Truckload, and the first pick is on Long Island. One pallet from Bohemia, a town in the heart of the aviation industry area that is an important employment sector on the Island. Next two picks are in New Jersey, but not ready until tomorrow. I decide to park at the Vince Lombardi Service Area on the New Jersey Turnpike; an early finish at two in the afternoon. Just as well; the truckpark is full by five.
____Day 6: Vince Lombardi is a handy place to sit and wait; a lot more secure than on the street. It has my favorite Popeye's Chicken and Biscuits; also a nearby park and ride that can easily get you into NYC. Another plus point: it is situated before the toll booths and has both north and south exits from the truck park. In theory; you can come in from the southbound Interstate 95, stay the night and then head back north without paying a toll. With the Elizabeth and Keasbey pick-ups done, I head west hoping to get through Pennsylvania and into Ohio for the last two collections on Friday morning.


Amish taxi.

 ____Day 7: The Amish have a good reputation for manufacturing high quality furniture and both my Ohio pick-ups are at Amish wood-working enterprises. First: flooring from Middlefield at a state of the art factory where they use all the latest electric machinery. Then to Millersburg in Holmes County, the heartland of Amish furniture production; where every farm seems to have a cabinet-making workshop. A busy area of twisting, turning roads; crowded with tourists, seventy-five foot rigs looking for furniture factories and hundreds of horse drawn buggies.


450 Horses overtaking Four.

 ____Day 8: From Fort Wayne in Indiana; now fully loaded, back towards Manitoba. Completing a full circle of the Great Lakes. No need for an hours reset; as the short day in the middle of the week lets me keep running. Not as many hours as I would like; but a trip into Cabelas always passes the time and the price of clothes is so much cheaper in the States.


One that was loaded earlier.

 ____Day 9: From Hasty, back to the yard. The office wants a phone call as soon as I come through the border. It's Sunday but the trailer is going to be de-vanned and my stuff sent on it's way. So an early start to make things easier for everyone. Back on Canadian soil by noon.
____Overall Distance: 6767 km.



Two days driving with a light load and the wind from behind.



Soulman Fan at Van, Tx.

____Day 1: Decision of the day; go to work on Saturday evening or leave it until early Sunday morning? It's an eight a.m. appointment to load at Portage Le Prairie; flour going to Texas for Tuesday morning. Lots to consider; but after a very late Friday night-out, I go for an early night in the cab on the customer's doorstep.
____Day 2: Loaded and away; on the Labour Day long-weekend. Very few trucks on the road and most of the truckstops are empty as companies get their drivers home. A full 11 hours driving needed with the rig right up to the 80,000 lbs legal US weight. Interstate 29, then Highway 81 south to Norfolk, Nebraska, and Cubby Bear's truckstop. Where even the good ol' boys, who pass comment on every vehicle at the pumps, are taking a break from their regular table.


A dry Highway 81 for the first time this year.

 ____Day 3: A combination of parking on muddy ground and stopping with the slick section at the bottom; lets me get to the Kansas/Oklahoma border before I spot a trailer tyre with the wire showing. Love's Truckstop at Tonkawa is a convenient 20 miles away on Interstate 35; the tyre shop has used trailer tyres for $150 + $57 for fitting and tax. A good result considering it's a Holiday Monday; a blowout with the inevitable call-out would have been five times that: about the same as a DOT fine for a rusty tyre. But the three hour delay only lets me get to Ardmore; still 105 miles from the delivery point at Irving.

Trailer tyre was changed in the shadow of the upright cabover at Tonkawa, Ok.

____Day 4: Flour delivered and 90 barrels of hydraulic oil loaded at Tyler; two hours east of Irving on Interstate 20. I'd seen the billboards advertising Soulman's BBQ, but never thought about stopping until I read Plumtrucker's blog write-up. At Van, I scale the load of oil and there is a Soulman restaurant right next door to the Love's Truckstop. Nearly 3 o'clock in the afternoon, but they are still busy serving lunches and what good food it is. The meat is slowed-cooked with all the fat still attached, then trimmed-off before it is served; making it moist and tasty. The baked potato is huge and of a proper baking variety, soft and fluffy; not just some big spud that's been cooked in an oven, hard, waxy and better-off chipped. The place is nothing fancy, with a self-service counter, but my beef sandwich and tater could not have been bettered. I drive back to the Flying'J at Ardmore; thinking how wonderful it would be if all fast-food was that good.


Nothing special to look at, inside or out. Just tasty well-cooked food at reasonable prices.

 ____Day 5: The load is going to Edmonton, but I'm just taking it back to Niverville. It will be in Alberta on Monday, so no hurry. All the same, it's two full days driving back north. Temperatures are still in the 90's during the day, but  the night's are now much cooler as we get into September. Ideal for sleeping, which is just as well, the Tri-Pac, independent air-conditioning unit refuses to start. It's still under warranty but I've never had much faith in the reliability of small diesel engines.


Massive bank of grain silos at Salina, Kansas.

 ____Day 6: After 1100 kilometres, I'm left with just eight-hundred to finish the trip. A stop at the Northstar Truck Wash in Fargo puts two hours on the day but takes off a hundred-thousand bugs and butterflies. There is not another single truck at the Emerson border crossing so I'm back in the yard by 6; another Texas: done.
____Overall Distance: 4633 km.


Have you ever seen so much rubbish in a vehicle?......  Not counting your average long-haul trucker's cab.



B-Type Macks from the 1960's.

6 x 4 Wrecker still working in Oklahoma



6 x 4 Tractor Unit in amongst the junk behind the Flying Eagle warehouse.



Wears the Tread?

A perfectly good tyre with 5mm of tread across the width on one section.



On the other side; completely bald with the steel cords showing through.

 How can  a tyre wear like this when it has not been flat-spotted by being dragged along?

Alone Again.

____Day 1: No Cougar on this trip; so it's back to my sad, boring lifestyle. Breakfasting in different diners every morning; driving different roads every day; drinking in different bars every evening; sleeping with diffferent women every night. But that's not quite true: I have a load of peat moss for Troup, Texas and a reload from Lufkin to Winnipeg. Same run as six weeks ago; same roads and probably the same hookers knocking on the cab door. An early Sunday start; aiming for Cubby Bear's truckstop at Norfolk, Nebraska but then pushing on to York, to make things easier.


Another one of those returned alien abduction trucks.

 ____Day 2: Athabasca, Shipshewana, Apalachicola; fine examples of the Place-Name Fairy's poetic inspiration, but how did she come up with Troup? Two full days driving from the yard, with a full payload. Another early start, in order to finish early so I can start early and all to get a load of dirt delivered on time. An early evening run across the Dallas/Fort Worth sprawl to finish the day just up the road from the nursery.


On the dock at Troup, next to a Colorspot Paystar.

 ____Day 3: It does help when you know just what to do at drops and pick-ups; saves time. Peat moss unloaded, abrasive powder loaded then into the nearest truckstop. Scale and slide the axles; diesel for the truck and de-bug the windshield; shit, shave, shower; fax, phone and food. In and out in 90 minutes with a quart of iced-tea to go. All that puts me on a collision course with the D/FW evening rush; so north on Highway 59 to Texarkana and the picturesque Highway 71 through Arkansas.


"Y" City, Arkansas. Where the Place-Name Fairy was lost for words.

 ____Day 4: The powder is booked in for unloading at 1700 hours on Thursday; so the job now has plenty of time on it. And as so often happens; nothing gets done. Fart-arsing about on the Internet for far too long, twice. Getting detoured off Interstate 29, twice. The flooding Missouri has still not gone back in it's banks.
Finally into the Flying'J at Sioux Falls.


"But Boss, I did tell them to spread it about a bit."

 ____Day 5: Two days south has turned into three days north; still over 800 km to do. But at a daily average of over 900; it's a good earner for the week. Back over the border and into Bison Transport's warehouse, along side Winnipeg's airport. The truck is now due another service; it needs a wash too. Too many bugs on the bumper.
____Overall Distance: 4752 km.

Mercury and Cougar's Eastern Seaboard Trip.

____Day 1: Considering that the Cougar has served thirty years in the employment of Revenue Canada; she is taking to life as a trucker's moll as a duck to water. When a fender-bender causes a 15 mile tail-back on the Interstate 94, exiting Minneapolis, Cougar has no hesitation going on the CB and winding-up the stationery traffic by repeating; " Damn, I'm sure glad I ain't westbound." In the style of white trailer park trash with a hint of sarcastic southern belle. We make it as far as Osseo after a mid-morning start.
____As day one begins with a delay in the yard, The Cougar decides to take advantage of stretching out on the bunk in the back, kneading the soft blanket like the feline she is, while Mercury chats with a fellow driver.It’s only day one and Cougar is tired from Mercury rising the night before so into the bunk for some well deserved catch up sleep. It’s an uneventful day as we head south east to our destination.


Flying Eagle Trailer #01 with mural and stainless steel doors and headboard.

 ____Day 2: With two drops of cardboard tubes, weighing only 9,000 lbs, progress is as good as the fuel consumption. It's flat countryside all the way to Spiceland's Flying'J on the east-side of Indianapolis. Second day of 900 kilometres and a Saturday night out.
____ Off to early start through Wisconsin, home to Cranberries and Wisconsin Dells a vacation playground. It’s another enjoyable day chatting with my Mercury as I view the countryside and he works. Burning down I90 through Illinois we come to my first toll road which costs $5.00 American, only a short stretch of road. One thing I’ve noticed about Illinois is there are miles upon miles of cornfields. We have one final rest stop at Farmland to show Mercury just how much I appreciate him and back on the road to Indianapolis.


West Virginia: Wild and Wonderful. Will always remind me of  Cougar.

 ____Day 3: Cougar has brought her laptop with her, loaded with music; so with the computer plugged into the trucks audio system, we have a soundtrack to our journey. Music is always a big part of roadtrips and one tune always becomes associated with a certain trip. This time it is Wave On Wave by Pat Green. First drop is in Manassas Park, near Washington, DC. We park as close as possible.
____It’s out of Spiceland and the cornfields of Indiana to the green hilly terrain of Ohio, my kind of terrain. Listening to soft soul music I’m not quick enough to take a picture of an exit closure with a truck turned over a result of coming around the corner a little too fast. If there is one thing I’ve noticed is I have to give credit to these truck drivers who can manoeuvre these big rigs into the tiniest of places.Pennsylvania much like Ohio with lush rolling hills, I’m totally enjoying this trip as I’m an avid nature lover. It’s a fair enough trade for a nightly workout, Mercury gets to keep his eyes on the road and I get to look at all the beauty around me.
West Virginia is a place I always wanted to see being a history buff, loved reading about the Civil War. It also brings to mind Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River, take me home country roads. A little way up one mountain, on the road going west, are fire trucks at the scene where a vehicle lost control; holding up once again westbound traffic.


Second drop was right next door to Andrews Air Force Base.

 ____Day 4: Both drops are in the Washington region and the trailer is empty by midday. The reload is from Delaware; but not until Tuesday morning. So it's a short day; running up the busy Interstate 95 to Elkton on the Maryland/Delaware border. Flying Eagle doesn't encourage drivers to use toll roads but sometimes it is unavoidable, also sometimes, it is economic. But the Susquehanna River crossing on Interstate 95 is one toll
that I didn't see coming: $30 for a four mile stretch that was so small on the map that I missed it.
____This morning, I got a view of Washington DC, no trucks are allowed in there unless they have business being there. I won’t be able to take a picture of me in front of the White House. Unloaded and the pickup not ready until the next day, we make our way to a truck stop that borders Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania. A few pictures of Washington, Baltimore, the harbour and the US Air force Base where Andrews field is, two toll roads this time $12 and $30. I wonder how come they have so many toll roads in such a short distance.It’s a early end to the day time for a hot shower for two and three shot glasses, one for DC, Maryland and Delaware as well as a well earned rest for my driver. After dinner I buy two DVD’s and we watch one The Family Man with Nicolas Cage, it felt like we were at a drive-in movie which some of the younger generation would say “what is that?”


Philly Stadiums and Skyline.

 ____Day 5: The whole morning is spent loading 38 foot of the trailer; where I am left waiting for one pallet to be ferried round from a nearby production plant. Meanwhile, the office has found another 12 foot of cargo to fill the trailer. The pick-up is in New York state, Wednesday morning, which pleases the Cougar and swells her shot glass collection. Another short day, but cutting across country to Middletown cuts out the tolls of the New Jersey Turnpike.
____A beautiful warm sunny morning sends us on our way for the first pickup in Delaware. A long snooze stretched out in the back bunk while waiting for a reload; of course Mercury was out and about because he was working, you would think one was in Mexico on Mexican time waiting for it. While we wait, I have another thing to smile about; a partial load to fill up this rig means going up to New York State and another shot glass or two. I think aloud that I’ll have to open up a little shooter bar where one can come and have a shot from around the US, might even have some body shots on the bar.On the road through Philadelphia, I get to see the cityscape along with the harbour where I can see some US Navy ships. There are lots of bridges along the way spanning the waterfront of the Delaware River.As we make our way into New Jersey, Mercury takes a little highway North were he’s never been before, number 31, a quaint little two lane highway winding its way up reminding me of driving through the Whiteshell in Eastern Manitoba a lovely way to spend part of our day.Two more toll roads to the tune of $9 and $4.25 and we arrive at our destination for the evening in New York State. Playing some Wisp and Rummy to unwind, dinner and then settling in for a movie entitled " Training Day."


Another day: another cityscape: Chicago.

 ____Day 6: I was suspicious of the reload address and even checked it out in the local telephone directory. A residential area in a small town is not where you expect to find a rubber plant. But the old factory was where the maps said it was; on a steep, narrow, tree lined street; surrounded by old clap-boarded houses. For over a hundred years, wagon drivers must have been cursing this place; it would have been difficult to get a horse-drawn cart on the loading bay. Reversing in 75 foot of truck and trailer, down-hill on the blindside, to within 2 inches of a wall along the nearside: not easy. It took longer to get the trailer on the door than it did to load it; big thanks to the Cougar for her work as a banks man. A full days driving once loaded; getting through Pennsylvania and Ohio, into Indiana.
____The Appalachian mountains; I still feel that old adage of adrenaline rush through me reminding me that I am still afraid of heights even though I’ve jumped out of an airplane and loved it.We made a pit stop in Lamar, PA (Appalachian Mtns) at the Flying J and I hit pay dirt. I’m so excited, I missed stopping at places in Virginia, West Virginia, and New Jersey for my shooter glasses, but there they were like they were waiting for me. My day is now made I have all 10 shot glasses from my travels through states where I’ve never been before (Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, DC, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania).


Toll plazas. At least Dick Turpin wore a mask.

 ____Day 7: Two short days in the trip have left me with plenty of driving hours to finish the trip. So another 1000+ kilometre day, through the heart of Chicago on my secret no-toll paying route. Onto Sauk Centre in Minnesota after catching the Twin Cities after their evening rush-hour.
____We are off again after a night spent at MacDonald’s due to the truck stop in Ft Wayne being full; at least we had Internet with breakfast. I get a happy greeting from the next trucker’s Labrador first thing in the morning; I seem to have a way with truckers, dogs, horses and cats not in any particular order. We did see spectacular lightening and a downpour which made us glad we didn’t have to step out at that full truck stop. Also on the list of sightseeing was an Amish farmer ploughing his fields with 4 strong horses and a Amish carriage coming back from Fort Wayne they must have got caught in the downpour.On to Chicago, where my driver promises me a glimpse up front and centre to its downtown skyline as a reward for giving him such a satisfying workout the night before he fell into deep sleep.  


New Big Freight Livery on a Kenworth 660

 ____Day 8: There is not enough time to get the load delivered in Winnipeg; so it's back to the yard in Niverville to end the trip. Over six thousand kilometres on one tank full of the Diesel Exhaust Fluid for the first time; an indication of good fuel economy. Mainly due to the light weight of the loads and a tailwind courtesy of Hurricane Irene, helping us over the Appalachians.
____After a hearty breakfast we head out on the road, early, for the push to home, for me with one thought in mind what next to pick up at the duty free to fill my shot glasses. As I contemplate that my to mind drifts to the Cougar making her way to her favourite place, short skirt, heels, and dancing the night away. After all it is Friday Night.
____Overall Distance: 6069 km.

Mercury and Cougar crack on to Macon.

____Prologue: The same load to same place as the last trip; so to make it different, I have a passenger. She will be known as the Cougar and has kindly agreed to write down her thoughts. The Cougar will also be responsible for the photography, window cleaning and dusting. I will be known as Mercury.
____Day 1: The Company has two conditions when carrying passengers: one is that they sign an insurance waiver, relieving the company of the responsibility of any mishap. The second is that they are named on the customs declaration when entering the US in the truck. I have two conditions: one is that the passenger's presence does not hinder the progress of the trip and the other is that they allow their body to be ravished, as and when required. At the end of the first day, we are at Albert Lea, Mn.
____Hi, I get to hijack this blog for a paragraph or two, you can call me "Cougar" and I’m amazed that I’ve lived in North America all my life and it takes an Englishman who has seen more of it than me to let me experience it. Life on the road for this newbie, there was a vehicle that looked like a San Francisco trolley and the US Forces finest from the ND air show. I missed taking those pictures (got to be fast) especially the three air force jets flying over the truck stops. Tally for the day, SF trolley car, Minnesota afternoon delight, US air force jets and two US states.


Nashville, Tennessee, Music City, USA.

 ____Day 2: Having done the trip before and having plenty of time to get to Morrow in Georgia is a big advantage. I can relax, appear competent and keep the Turrettes under control. Fuel from Wayland, showers at East St.Louis and onto Mount Vernon, Illinois.
____Onward through Iowa where I see some eerie looking windmills against the grey drizzly sky backdrop of skyline which prompted a discussion about them with Mercury and a note to self to do a little web searching on windmill power as there were lots of these in Iowa. One thing I did learn is that some rest areas have free Wi-Fi.  One of my favourite quotes is by Mark Twain and it was Hannibal Missouri boyhood town that I got to see. At the end of it a fire truck was a putting out the last of the fire on his trucks trailer. A few miles down the road the cops were in hot race to the scene leaving their donuts behind or so Mercury stated. Tally for the day, Windmills, Hannibal, Mississippi River, Missouri afternoon delight, St Louis arch and three more states where I’ve never been before.
____“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, Sail away from the safe harbour, Catch the trade winds in your sails, Explore. Dream, Discover" – Mark Twain.


Choo Choo Truck Wash : that'll be Chattanooga then?

 ____Day 3: Just 33,000 lbs of payload makes for an easy finale to the outward run; with three stops splitting up the day. Diesel and showers from the Petro Stopping Centre on the western bypass of Atlanta; before joining Lee Atkinson and Flying Eagle #25 on the bay at Morrow ready for unloading in the morning.
____Out of Illinois and into Kentucky, where I look around and wonder: where are all the horses? Unfortunately for the horse sight-seeing it's a short drive through Kentucky with no Tornado in sight either. Tennessee is a beautiful place with lots of rolling hills and the only place where a truck has to stop and check their brakes for a steep downhill grade. Everywhere I see signs for Ruby Falls or Rock city, but soon learn that it is one place I can mark to come back to, a city in the sky and a water fall in a cave. Out of Tennessee into Georgia and then back into Tennessee; I feel like I’m on a merry-go-round, but it’s short lived and we are finally in Georgia. Tally for the day, Ohio River, Tennessee River, Nashville, Chattanooga Choo Choo, no afternoon delight; giving him a break and three more states.


Gateway Arch : that'll be St Louis then?

 ____Day 4: Unloaded and instructions to run to Macon for the reload of paper going to Winnipeg. Macon, Georgia undoubtedly named after the Macon in the centre of France. A place well known to all truckers as the half-way point on the  run from Calais to Milan in northern Italy. My lasting memory of Macon: the over-powering stench of urine in the truck-park of the Autoroute Services. A multitude of British trucks waiting for the end of the weekend driving curfew; before driving over the Blanc, to be in Milan on Monday morning. Hot summer Sundays spent drinking beer and then pissing it over the trailer wheels. Loaded and north to the city-centre TA Truckstop in Nashville, Tn.
____Up at the crack of dawn as they unload the truck, we are heading a little further south in Georgia where the highways reminds me of Mars Sands a golf course out in Libau, Manitoba with its tree lined fairway. I keep looking for the fox that steals the balls but all I see is the endless beauty of boulevard of dreams I like to call it, marred here and there by a path taken by one of nature’s wild storms, remnants of past tornados that have ripped down the majestic trees that line Interstate 75.

Reloaded and out of Georgia, I am so special to have Mercury who is so considerate that he planned and made good time to let me spend the night in Nashville. As we leave the truck I notice birds flying over head, thousands of them reminding me of the movie The Birds. Mercury  figures Monday night in downtown Nashville would be quiet, boy, was he wrong? All along Broadway there were establishments open trying to lure unsuspecting tourists in. We had a light dinner at one rib place on the second floor that was open to the air reminding me of one of the many places in the tropics. It was right across from Bridgestone Arena where we could watch all the antics of people walking by and two motorcycle cops. On the way back from the truck, I stop to pat a horse and Mercury is slipped a sex card, can’t leave him alone a minute.


Just a 2 km walk from the truckstop to the heart of Music City and Rippy's Fine Restaurant.

 ____Day 5: This load is heavy: the truck scaling 80,280 lbs gross. Two hundred and eighty pounds over-weight; just about the same weight as the Cougar and her baggage. I did consider unloading her onto some other poor truck-driver and let her make her own way back to Manitoba; but decide on running with half tanks of diesel and staying legal that way. A long day behind the wheel gets us back to Nashua in Iowa, just within range of one-day-away.
____It’s an early start to the day to make up for the gift Mercury gave me yesterday of Nashville, and uneventful as we retrace our way back home. One side detour, another gift from my generous driver is going straight through St Louis so I can get a better look and picture of the famous St Louis Gateway Arch. It amazes me also the twists, turns and tiers of the concrete bridges on I64. Through Tennessee I get to see my first actually live wildlife, two deer grazing by the side of the highway. A long day finally stopping where there is internet connection.



I've always wondered who bought all that souvenir stuff they have at truckstops.

 ____Day 6: Nothing delays a roadtrip more than the dreaded phrase: "I need to pee." But the Cougar, point blank, refuses to slip into the driving seat and do a spot of steering whilst I nip into the sleeper and piddle in a bottle. This negates the big advantage of having two in the cab; so I have to pull over, as usual. Meanwhile the Cougar seems to have superb bladder control. A thousand kilometres, back to the yard with the paper, getting home  at dusk.
____Pushing back on early, through the last of the states, listening to music, it’s the first time during the trip I head into the back for a snooze. Waking up just in time for lunch in Fargo, then Mercury allows me one quick stop before the border for some nice Orange Patron; so I have something to fill all 9 shot glasses I picked up along the way, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia. I actually got three in Nashville, which included a Jack Daniels Jigger along with another shot glass with Nashville and some instruments on it. Last of all; I thank my guide, advisor, confident and bunk mate for taking me to places I’ve never been before, a very pleasurable trip indeed.




Georgia: Destination State: Again.



Georgia Overdrive.

____Day 1: The last trip was to Aberdeen; this one's going to Georgia and there is a connection. What is "Aberdeen Overdrive" in the UK, is "Georgia Overdrive" in the US. The first and last time I tried that; nineteen-seventy-something. I had a Leyland Buffalo off the clock, northbound out of Swindon on the A419 with twenty tons of sugar. Coasted halfway to Cirencester; knocking it out of gear is easy, getting it back in is the problem. Niverville to the TA at Albert Lea on a Friday, after a midday start.
____Day 2: This is getting a regular run for me; but at 2650 kilometres across country, there is plenty of chance to vary the route and the stops. However, I find myself spending another Saturday night at the Interstate crossing of numbers 57and 64. A TA, a Pilot and the local independant: Hucks; three truckstops and all full, with a lot of guys resetting hours or waiting for work. The chat on the CB is about the total lack of hookers; offering company to the many bored drivers. Then some joker comes on and tells everyone that they are parked at the gay-trucker capital of America. Asking why do they think it's called Mount Vernon? It goes quiet after that.


Proof that you can have it all : and take it with you.

 ____Day 3: The whole route is pretty flat with the Pete staying in cruise at 104 kph. The one exception being Monteagle, a long twisting climb between Nashville and Chattanooga in Tennessee. I reach Morrow at dusk and with an early unloading appointment; decide on an early night. But it is overcast, hot and humid. I am  laying awake until the early hours; thinking that a thunderstorm would take a lot of the heat out of the air. Midnight rain in Georgia on my mind.
____Day 4: Unloaded; and a reload is already arranged from Pendergrass, 60 miles north-west of Atlanta. The rolls of geo-textile, a regular reload, going back to Manitoba. Enough time to get back to Mount Vernon again [lucky lad] with a payload of 34,000 lbs, about the same as the southbound trip.


Another trip,  another truck on a stick. Rush Truck Centre, Nashville.

 ____Day 5: At the truckstop diner's counter, I find myself breakfasting opposite the spitting image of Bernie Ecclestone. Whilst thinking of ways in which I can annoy him, another driver comes in and thinks the same. The Bernie clone says that, sadly, it happens a lot. Somehow, I resist the temptation to tell him that if an old man has a naughty school-boy haircut; then it has to be expected. Retracing my route has me back to Mount Albert Lea, that night.
____Day 6: The earliest start possible after a 10 hour overnight break lets me get round the Twin Cities By-pass before the early morning rush. A visit to the Northstar Truckwash at Fargo delays my arrival back at the yard; but the bugs on the bumper needed professional attention. It's just a shame that some more had taken their place by the time I got home.
____Overall Distance: 5424 km.



Nashville skyline.



Tip Aberdeen : Reload Suffolk.

____Day 1: After a 36 hour log reset, I'm leaving on a Thursday afternoon to load flour at Portage La Prairie; an hours drive west, on the Trans-Canada Highway. This is the sort of work pattern that a long-haul trucker has to expect in North America. Anything less and a company's profitability suffers as much as a driver's take home pay. When loaded; the truck scales heavy, but as it is the normal payload for this particular job, I will have to go with it. By sliding the trailer axles; the best I can get is a 240 lb overload on the drive axles. But as I have full tanks of diesel, that will soon diminish. Remember to refuel only to 75% capacity. The load is for Maryland, so south to Fargo for the first night.
____Day 2: Delivery is for Sunday, at a bakery in Aberdeen, a 24/7 operation. A full day's drive needed and that gets me to La Salle, Illinois; where something strange happens. I fuel up with my card at the pump with it's attached card reader. But when I go in for the receipt; the Flying 'J denies any transaction has occurred. $500 of free diesel. As my free shower has also failed to register on my loyalty card; I have to pay to get clean but get clean away with the fuel. The first time it has happened in four decades of driving and I only filled the tanks to three quarters full!


Did you know I went to the University of Kentucky?  ...........and bought a sticker.

 ____Day 3: There are enough different fast-food franchises across the US to let you eat at a different one; every day of the year. I'm working on it; but one of my favorites is Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen; chicken and biscuits. Found at most "Travelcentres of America" truckstops. Spicy Cajun chicken tenders, coleslaw, biscuit and sweet iced-tea; all for under $10. The trip is planned by thumbing through my TA directory; letting me finish at Breezewood, Pennsylvania.
____Day 4: Only a short run across the Appalachian mountain chain, down to the Chesapeake Bay area; where I have to wait for a shift change before being unloaded, early Sunday afternoon. Before leaving Niverville, I was given written details of the reload; which is ideal as it is 250 miles away, down the coast at Suffolk, a town in Virginia. Another day, another TA. Richmond for a three-piece chicken supper.
____Day 5: Suffolk is where you would expect to find it; just south of Norfolk. A big peanut-growing area; but I'm after a load of plastic granules; destined for Alberta. Soon loaded, signed, sealed and with just the delivery to do. West, back over the Appalachians, knocking the fuel consumption for six before leveling out at Kentucky.


Big seal for a load of plastic granules : still no problem for your average pikey.

 ____Day 6: Very hot: three digits on the US preferred  Fahrenheit scale. Over a thousand kilometres needed for the next two days. There will be a truck waiting at Niverville to take the load to Edmonton, for Friday morning 08.00 am delivery. My big worry is "Tyres"; high payload, high mileage and high temperatures mean it is highly likely something will go bang. The Peterbilt is still knee-deep in virgin rubber; but the trailer has a couple of retreads that could be on their last trip. Back to La Salle for some more fuel, same fuel card, same pump; but there is a receipt waiting at the fuel desk.  It was worth trying.
____Day 7: Just enough hours left to get back across the border on another hot day. The office phones and says that the Flying'J at La Salle has made contact about some fuel that was not payed for. Somebody must have cross-checked all the diesel sales with the CCTV footage of the trucks at pump 19. But it's not as if I drove away without paying; I stayed the night. The tyres stop the air from showing through; so I'm back in the yard before dark.
____Overall Distance: 6209 km.

Legend has it that the truck was returned in this position after being abducted by aliens. The advertising was added later.