You noticed that too? I guess that's what happens when lively debate occurs & opinions differ...

 

Wildkat, what are your trucks specs? I run heavy also(Ont/MI/Ind.) but not north like you do and 1.50/mile even with capped fuel is no great shakes to us. We don't run the kind of mileage you do but how long do you expect to keep that truck at that pace? I'm not trying to be an ass but thats a lot of driving to be doing day and day out and still saying you have a good life outside of trucking. I have long days too but not every day like you describe. If you can do that for 20 years you're a bigger man than me LOL

 

opcorn: They got a little offended, I don't know why. It sounds nice up there, though I'm sure the ice and the cold can be tough at times.

Hmmm....intriguing. I wonder what makes Kay special....:smokin:

 

My truck specs...I have a 550 twin turboed CAT with 18 speed tranny, 373 rears...works really good for what I do.

I don't know, I have a pretty good home life...most I'm gone is 3 days, I tend to work 12 days...I run the 120/14 cycle then take 3 days off...I have to take 24 off before the 75th, so that's easy enough to do. When I do short...well short in my book, minimum is 600 miles/day & that's a Syncrude trip...12 hour rounder & back in my own bed...home for 12 hours & back at it again the next day...well at midnight...linehaul work is all start at midnight & work till your done!

There's alot of guys here running 15 year old trucks..so I would guess that mine should last 10 & that's good enough for me...I plan to retire in 8...by then it will be nearly 40 years of trucking...I think that's enough.

PS ... my "bumps" are not in the right place to be a better man than you...in other words...before anyone clues you in...I be FEmale!

 

Before you say it Specialkay, we know you knew. Cat kind of gives it away. Pardon the interruption.

 

I wasn't offended at all lowrange. I enjoy lively discussion & debate, and as I explained earlier... I have no problem with questions asked...what I have a problem with are assumptions that have no basis in reality. Kind of like that stupid "Ice Road Truckers" show on TV...no basis in reality whatsoever...drives me nuts!

With me debate is like wrestling with a pig in the mud...after awhile you begin the realize the pig enjoys it!

 

That's good, Wildkat! Hey, what was wrong with Ice Road Truckers!? I know they played up a lot of things, like the constant sound of ice cracking under the trucks, but a lot of people who have nothing to do with trucking loved that show!

And, there is something about distant, desolate places (I just mean places where there aren't many people around), it's kind of a strange, nice feeling- like being alone with God.

Bear with me, I HAVE TO ASK, have you been to the Monkey Tree?

 

lowrange...a few of the reasons I dislike that show so damned much is, one..it has ZERO basis in reality, driving on the ice is NOT like it is in the show...sure the ice makes noise...lots of it...but they make it look 1000's of times more dangerous than it is...two..they just HAD to find the absolute BIGGEST morons they could for the show...wouldn't be any fun if it was serious...which it is & PROFESSIONAL now would it? And I think THAT is was drives me absolutely NUTS about it...the UNPROFESSIONAL IDIOTS they had to pick! YUCK!! My god! If I acted like that I'd be FIRED...no ...on second thought I'd cut a hole in that damned ice & JUMP IN!



I agree whole heartedly...but lets just keep it REAL OK? I know the guys at the Port of Entry Scale in Enterprise, NWT very well...our scale guys aren't like yours down there...they respect us, we respect them, we even like & socialize with them Anyway...want to take a wild guess as to how many calls they got about driving on the ice...some callers thought it was year round work! ... after that show started? OVER TEN THOUSAND! Most had never even driven in the SNOW before!

YES, I have been to the Monkey Tree, many times :thumbsup:...it's one of the FEW places in Yellowknife that you can actually PARK a truck! The food is out of this world...better than good! The menu is basic fare, but you get lots & it's good wholesome food!

They have live local entertainment...of which many are accomplished musicians...The place CAN & DOES get a bit rough & tumble sometimes...but what can you expect from a place that's 1000 miles from literally NOWHERE?

 

Well, which is it? They're upstanding, polite, professional people...or, they're brawlers!? That's something you didn't see on the show, Hugh might have had his day but the rest weren't breaking chairs over anyone.

No offense, and I hardly know any Canadian drivers, but our profession is full of misfits! That's why we drive, we don't have as many people around us all the time to fight with! I mean, outlaw scooter boys drive trucks, you know? Gee, the CB radio? Are you kidding? It is degrading to children to say that the truckers on the radio act like them! We've got some serious, serious headcases out here.

 

"You almost never see an Alberta based truck in the ditch or in a wreck here. I would venture a guess that over 90% of the trucks who get into trouble here are from out of province. I'm talking about trucks that ONLY run in Alberta."

Wildkat, please tell us another funny. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. Every mental midget in that province will be the 1st one to tell us how great they are at driving in the snow and ice. Calgary gets some of that on the Deerfoot and what happens? Odd, all the locals must have been prohibited by the police from driving, and only the tourists were allowed out. Go further North into Edmonton at dusk with iced over roads and gaze upon the movie set for the next Mad Max movie with trucks (day cabs, AB plates) all over the place.

The only reason people with AB plates on their vehicles aren't awarded the dumbest drivers award is because of the stiff competition from Denver. Before I get accused of bashing Canadians or AB drivers, I should say how much of a pleasure it is to drive up there (good roads in the winter, and light traffic in many places). But to tell us the often repeated joke of "we know how to drive in the snow and ice, but everyone else doesn't" causes projectile vomiting in the conscious.