Pony Corral Summer Sunday Cruise Night, Winnipeg.

 

Phew! What a scorcher.

____ George is 71 years old and if it hadn't been for his service in Canada's armed forces then he would not have ventured out of his home Province of Saskatchewan. Forty years a farmer near Prince Albert, George now assembles South Korean compact tractors for a local agricultural merchant. We are swapping life stories in the back of the trailer on a rainy Friday morning; while a forklift drags the crates of orange machinery,by chain, to the back doors. He finds it hard to believe that in the past I have driven in five different countries in one day.
____ One of the rewards of the job is meeting people like George. I have memories that go back to the 1970's; of a kitchen table at an isolated North Devon sheep farm. Dipping fresh crusty bread into a bowl of soup; after hand-balling twenty tons of sugar-beet pulp nuts into a barn during a snow storm. Sharing goats cheese, bread and olives at a Turkish truck-building plant during the after-hours unloading of a diesel engine consignment. Trucking is a job that is too often too poorly paid for too many hours; it is moments like this that make it worthwhile.
____ The last trip to Eagle Pass started in a blizzard of blowing snow; the warmth of Texas was welcome. But in the height of Summer, three digit figures await my arrival. Running late into night helps reduce temperatures in the truck for when I sleep; knowing where the parking spots are for late  finishers is the hard part. First night at Cubby Bear's Truckstop in Norfolk is seldom a problem. Second night at the huge Winstar Casino and a late finish is beneficial, it limits my losses at the slots. Third night and I'm backed onto the unloading door at Eagle Pass.
____Three easy days driving are followed by a fourth as I head up to Mexia, after unloading. Loaded on Tuesday morning and then three days driving to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, and George. A hundred miles south to Saskatoon; where a flour mill loads me for Winnipeg. Back to the yard, early Saturday morning, to finish a nine day trip of 7604 kilometres.

Bikers enjoying the heat in a helmetless state.

 

How many blankets?

Upgrade the House? -Versus- Buy More Chrome?

Saskatchewan sunset.

Low-flying aircraft captured on Dashcam.

Crop duster working over a field next to road works. Stop and go board guy must be getting lungs full of chemicals.

Heavy Haul.

A 2000 kilometre trip into Ontario.

Flying Eagle #38 with B-train loaded with two steer-able 4 axle bogies.

Sunday morning loading of a 128 foot long, 63 tonne concrete bridge beam.

Four Flying Eagles #38 #40 #41 #42, all with the same load.

Ten axles needed for a gross weight of 86 Tonnes.

Rear bogie is steered by manual controls in tight situations.

Converting to automatic steering on the outskirts of Winnipeg, after early morning police escort through the town when the rear bogie was manned.

Overnight parking at Nipigon, Ontario, where I was third of the four trucks to arrive.

Always read the permit. Overall length converts to 144 feet. Nineteen foot longer than a turnpike double.

One US gallon = 3.8 litres, so that's 1 mile to the litre.

Highway 11 through the scenic Palisades of the Canadian Shield.

Patrick in #42, heading back for another beam after being first to unload.

The twisting and turning road alongside Lake Helen.

Bryn, second to unload, topped-up with his rear bogie and about to head home after chaining it down as I wait to be called down.

The lift-off.

Christer, truck number four, parked on the old road bridge as the two cranes lift his beam over to make the new one.          The road was closed for about 15 minutes each time a beam was unloaded and each time a rear bogie was topped up on a trailer.

Back as far as Dryden for the second night-out

Patrick heading back with the 5th beam which will complete one-half of the bridge. Five more are due to go in three weeks time.

The Freightliner Coronado and the Peterbilt 389 back in the yard on Wednesday afternoon with their B-trains.

Lightning Strikes Louisville, Kentucky.

Pictures from July 2013.

____The trips have been all pretty much the same this month and writing about them has taken a back seat with so much else going on. But here are the best of the photographs I have taken.

Lowered 386 Peterbilt Bullrack.

Can't tell what it is, but I want one!

Mustang Convertible.

A scene from the Whiteshell Provincial Park.

A rare 372 Peterbilt needing some running repairs.

Fridge-pulling Marmon.

A Mercury as good as new.

1996 Ford Bronco.

Cool number plate, eh?

2014 Shelby Cobra Super Snake.

White Thunderbirds x 3.