Free wi-fi hotspot

On our trip back across Canada me and George (the big trip) were chatting about how to make a pop up on our blogs showing where you get free Wi-fi in Canada and America but for 2,000 miles we still couldn't come up with an answer the only idea we came up with was to have a link on our blogs one for Canada and one for America each of the links listing all the states and areas.

We would like a form where other readers could add free hotspots they find on their travels as well as naming all the good trucks stops where you get good food and other places to park.

If there is anyone who reads our blogs that can help us to make these links we would be very grateful and it would help out so many other drivers.

I did have a look on the Internet and I did find this site so for the time being this is all I can add but it would be great if we had our own links where trucks could park as it would be hard to park a truck with a 53 foot trailer outside some of these wi-fi hotspots lol.

http://www.wi-fihotspotlist.com/browse/ca/

I am going to buy one of these tomorrow which will save me driving around with laptop on dash looking for a connection lol. George and Mick if you want one they cost 15 pounds let me know before the 7th May

Empty truck

After I got back from Montreal they asked me if I wanted to do a swap at Winnipeg but they could not promise getting me back to Lethbridge for my reset. I turned down the swap which my dispatch guy understood and picked up a trailer out of Highriver to drop in Lethbridge yard and had my reset but they thought I was off until the 8th May.

They wanted my truck for a full service which was not a problem so I booked into the Sandman for two nights but ended up in the Lethbridge Lodge due to their hot water and internet problems. The weather was great until just after dinner then it started to snow I went to the Sandman with Mick and Cath had a good night then the next day I drove to the airport. I drove up in my car with Mick and Cath and they drove it back they are coming back to the UK on the 8th and I am returning on the 8th it just saves getting taxi's to and from H&R's yard at Calgary.

Regarding my moan about the Sandman... it was the hot water and slow Internet that made me angry not the staff in fact the staff are great you always get a big smile and most of them know my name and always call out to me asking how I have been. I will still go to the Sandman to see friends when I am in Lethbridge but I just won't stay there anymore.

Back in the UK

I am back in the uk now for 2 weeks. Its my daughters 16th birthday on the 29th April. I told Cassie and Dee that I could not come home but I had booked the tickets without them knowing but Dee sent me a nasty E-mail so I had to tell her lol!

I had to stay in a hotel (it made the Sandman hotel look like the Ritz ) Friday night as the party was not until Saturday. When I booked out of the hotel Dee sneaked me in to our house without Cassie knowing and I had to stay in our bedroom until 9pm. Dee told Cassie I was going to ring her at 9pm, she was upset because I couldn't come but you should of seen her face when I walked around the corner with a birthday cake in my hands. She burst out crying and so did a few others it was great to see my daughter's face. A friend of the family brought Cassie a small cake earlier in the day with one candle on when she blew it out she made a wish and the wish was for me to be there at her party but as far as she knew I was still in Canada!! So it was a successful evening and worth all the hiding in the hotel and bedroom.

Return trip back from Montreal

I was asked if I wanted to do a bit of city driving in Montreal but my truck is to big for city work in Montreal even the city drivers won't use a highway truck to do shunting and I needed 24 hours off so I could still roll my hours.

So I had a few hours to walk around the shops and it was great I do love getting out of the truck and walking around the shopping malls I tried to find a laptop bag for my new laptop but they are so expensive here so I thought I would wait until I got back to Alberta at least I wouldn't have to pay state tax.

I got a message saying my trailer would be ready about 12pm and for me to go and pick it up I met the lady shunter driver (Jill) who was very helpful, she sorted my paper work out then it was time to head west.

The sun was out it was a beautiful day. I had to stop for fuel but they had changed to a new fuel site and I couldn't find the new place they wanted us to use so I thought sod it I had enough fuel to get me back to North Bay. it was a nice drive until I got to the husky fuel stop and met a Canadian driver who obviously hates English truckers, he was sat at the fuel pump doing paper work.

I knew the other pumps were not working so I walked up and asked him nice enough if he could move as soon as he heard my accent that was it he told me where to go!! I said 'well what goes around comes around' then walked off. He followed me asking me what I meant by that! Well the best way to wind someone up is to completely ignore them so I got in my truck and he took a couple of pics of the unit lolol what a total twat!!

I knew George (Big Trip) was on his way from Toronto to Calgary so I asked the dispatch to find out where he was but got no help from them! He caught me up the following day. I was sat in having breakfast when he came in. We ran back to Calgary together its great when you run with someone, you can chat on the CB.
While we were chatting on channel 4 a couple of other drivers came on the side and one of the guys was the brother of another blogger (Tony T) what a small world lol. He was stopping at Brandon Manitoba for the night so we stopped and had a Subway sandwich and a chat with him. George took a pic of our trucks and me and Tony's brother.

Then we left and made our way to Regina Saskatchewan. We parked up for the night, I woke up a lot earlier than the others (as I am used to getting out of bed early lol). I went in and had a shower and breakfast unlike George who doesn't eat!
Normally when you run with someone the time goes by fast but for some reason it seemed that every time we got close to Calgary someone moved it another couple of hundred of miles away lol. It was never ending and the pair of us had just done big trips. we'd had enough!

I had just done 2 round trips to Toronto and 3 round trips to Montreal it was big miles and I had 24 hours off between trips so I could keep rolling my hours. I think they saw my comments on my blog about not much work. They must have thought right we will teach this miserable moaning Brit a lesson he won't forget in a hurry lololol.


I am sat in the Lethbridge Lodge now having a rest its 1.45pm and I haven't eaten so I am off to find a Subway for a sandwich so chat soon byeeee!

Walked out of Sandman Hotel

Enough is enough I booked myself into the Sandman Hotel for 2 nights to give myself a bit of a break but the Sandman has had a hot water problem since I first booked in last September.

They keep saying its being sorted..... sorted my arse. I got burnt again last night this time I didn't fall out of the shower but it made me angry and the guy on the desk wasn't bothered too much as we get the room at a big discount because I was an H&R driver.

Then when I tried to go on line it was so slow it was a joke so when I woke up this morning I booked out and got one night refunded so I drove down to the Lethbridge Lodge which is another hotel where H&R drivers get a good deal on rooms I will add some pics of the room they gave me and of the swimming pool what a difference in hotels I will only ever stay in the Lodge now.

About Eddie

I have had a few people ask me about young Eddie. Sadly he no longer works for H&R and I have only had one E-mail from him.



The following was sent to me by Eddie....



aahh its me auwld shipmate i thought id never hear from ya again we had some laffs though didnt we if there was any one in the sandman that i had a good bit a craic with it was you friend do you remember the time we got back from walmart on the bus real late and we ended up havin to walk to the drivethrough and with out a car and get in line just the two of us and walk up to the window in a line of traffic and order two spicey chicken meals ha ha ha ha that was what its all about we had a good old jolly that day mate didnt we or the time we went to walmart to price the bed in a bag and that lady who told us she was gona get the sack and stayed with you for over an hour you got the best deals ever on quilts and bed sheets pillows and more the shoppin trolly was jam packed with goodies she wasent gona get the sack not if we had anything to do with it but if i remember correctly mike from the letter we wrote to management the lady in question got a commindation from her team leader and management of walmart and rightly so i will say one thing about you mike you werent a whinger like some of the people in the sandman i was told a lot of rubbish but i stayed away from it cause i knew a poisened challace was being passed around in that bar mate i think you know what im on about . waat about the time your air lines went ape shit and wrapped around your drives man that was a close one but we stayed cool calm and collect that is until i drove up on the scales with me axles looking like the wheels on a babys pramb i think i actually seen jets of steam coming out of your ears that day ha ha ha ha im keeping well mike and yes i am following your blog hope you and your family are keeping the finest and well. but i did enjoy the time driving but i think d. foder just had his mind made up last i was told from steve whittaker was i was going on a mentor trip with you to california next thing i know is i got a ratty message from foder by macro saying a flight had been booked and i was leaving in a few days i didnt want to go but there ya have it from the horses mouth but i will keep in touch and follow your blog and im very happy that your living your dream cause i know how much the open road and truckin means to ya f--k sake mate i was in the same boat well even if there was a few holes in my boat it could have easily been fixed keep us posted on any updates mike lookin forward to see what part of the u.s.a you end up in next god bless regards eddie the leprachauen



Eddie you forgot to say about all the irish jokes you told me while we were waiting for the bus. I have never had such laugh in all my life lol and only an irish man would ever think of walking in to a drive in and ordering some burgers. We looked a right couple of idiots stood between the cars lol. It was a great 6 weeks with you mate hopefully if all my plans come off you will always be welcome in my house whether its in Canada or the UK. Please will you send me another e-mail telling me and all the other guys what you're up to and where you're working.
There have been so many drivers and people who read my blog asking after you. Whatever you send me I will add to my blog so everyone can see how you are and you can keep them updated via my blog. The first thing the dutch lads ask when they see me is how is young Eddie, Hank and Bart are always asking after you.
Every time a Greyhound bus goes by I look at the driver just to make sure its not you lol.

Pictures wanted

I have spoken to a few Canadian people since I have been here and told them one of the reason's for coming here was to see the wildlife in my garden. They have told me loads of stories about the deer that visit theirs all the time and of course other wild animals.

So if you have any pics of these animals in your drive yard or house lol (when I say house I don't want a pic of a husband a sleep on the couch lol) please can you send them to me so I can show my wife and family. If there are some really good ones I'll publish them on here if you give me your name as well thanks.

Back to work and another sunny day

After I got my new laptop I was told to bob-tail to Highriver my load was ready and waiting (which was a first lol) it was a swap at Nipigon Ontario.


I picked up the trailer and started to do my checks when I spotted 2 tyres that looked a bit like Kojak's head I am getting like my mate George a bit fed up because drivers are not doing their jobs. There was a side marker light smashed as well and the top lights had a loose connection, as I slid the axles forward the bold bits were at the bottom so I drove down to Lethbridge and stayed there the night. The next day was Good Friday but Arden came in and put on 2 new tyres and new marker light and sorted the loose connection.


Nothing ever gets said about the guys in the workshop but what a great bunch of lads they are,(Arden Jerold Ron Martin & Bill). If you need anything and you ask them decent enough they will do all they can to help. In all the years I have been driving I've always got on well with the guys in the workshop because you never know when you might need 'em lol.
I always pop in and chat to Ron, he helped me out over the idle ban and at the end of the day your not moving your not earning.

Arden sorted the trailer out for me then I was off on my way to Nipigon Ontario I drove all day to Headingley 12.5 hours what a drive 736 miles no hold ups it was bank holiday Friday but the roads were empty I stopped at Swift Current Saskatchewan for fuel then for my break then drove to Headingley non stop and parked there the night.


The next day I woke up a good hour before my start time so I went in and had the breakfast special and loads of coffees then time to fuel up I only had 514 miles to drive to swap trailers at Nipigon but once you leave Manitoba the road is very rough and single track and because it was bank holiday the cops were hiding every where so it was 95 kms maxium your only allowed to do 90kms but the cops leave the trucks alone if you are under 100kms but I didn't want to take any chances. I got a couple of waves from the cops when I went by them they're only doing there jobs but god help you if you speed in a small town!


The views you see over here are awesome. I have seen hundreds of baby deer (so I now know how deers keep warm in the winter lol). The lakes are melting and the weather is beautiful.
The funny thing is when I chat to some of my friends who are driving in America they are always telling me of the bad weather they have been caught in and yet I have only been delayed once in Canada due to bad weather. As I am writing this I am sat in Montreal Quebec its so hot outside I have just looked at my tempeture gauge and it shows its 52f, I am wondering if i should put on my shorts lol.


Well I done my swap at Nipigon and just started heading east when the qualcom beeps 'can I make Montreal for 8am Tuesday' yep so its another trailer change at the Esso truck stop at Pass Lake then a long drive all the way to North Bay, another 694 miles. I already fuelled up at Nipigon so I just stopped for 5 minutes at Longlac for my subway sandwich then I drove non stop to North Bay.

At Hearst an H&R owner driver pulled out in front of me and he shouted me on the CB so we chatted all the way to North Bay it makes the job go by so much faster when you are chatting. Good job too because I was well past my bed time and if he was not there with me I would of stopped as I just wanted my bed.


The reason I drove all the way to North Bay was to give me an easy day the next day and it was. One of the good things working for H&R is if you want to stop you can whenever you want to as long as the load gets to the delivery point on time.


Now I have done my delivery in Montreal I am just waiting for a trailer to take back to Calgary or Lethbridge. I'm sat outside McDonalds using their internet for free lol. I will be more than happy if there is nothing to go back today as there are loads of shops and I can have a slow walk around them....need a new laptop bag.

Dispatchers

I have spoken to many American and Canadian drivers and they told me what makes the job good is your dispatch person, if you got a good one then the job is easy but if you are unlucky to get a bad one then the job is a lot harder!

My first dispatch guy worked me well but we never got on, there were to many 'funny' comments from him and it made the job hard, there was no help from him when you needed it. So when I got back from my holiday they changed my dispatcher after a row and that one didn’t want to reply to my messages and my god was that ever frustrating. I started to look at other companies to work for. I was offered a couple of jobs but I really like it here and I am getting used to some of their dumb ass ways now (lol).

I didn’t want to move so I spoke to the guy in charge and told him my problems. There is a dispatch guy who always came over when he was not busy and said hi and always had time for me even tho I was not one of his drivers. I asked if I could move to him but was told no because he was full and very busy so I had to carry on with this other person....the one who doesn’t reply to messages.
Well to cut a long story short I ended up with this decent dispatcher and my arse has not stopped since lol. I get my new job at least a 1-2 days before hand and when I send in a macro I get a reply, so simple but makes a massive difference to the job.
This guy is one of the best blokes I have worked for in 21 years of driving, I made a comment one day at the window about when I am able to drive in America there are a few states I would like to add to my list. He got up from his desk as he passed his wife’s desk he got her map book and asked me which ones I need to visit. We spent about 10 minutes talking and he said he can help me out on some of them, he didn't need to do that.... real nice bloke, his wife's nice too, both ex-drivers which makes a world of difference.
Now I'm happy. I've got a nice truck/job/dispatcher......just watch someone come and muck it up lol!


In life there is not much you can get for free but a smile or simple hello doesn’t cost anything its only manners after all, just a shame a couple of the dispatchers don’t understand that!!
Dispatchers are the one thing all drivers obviously talk about, every driver has a moan about their's but I have never heard a driver moan about fleet 4 dispatcher, everyone who works for him is happy, says a lot don't it!

American Embassy (at long last)

I had to get a taxi to the American Embassy but they told me it would be at least 30-45 minutes before one would be able to pick me up. That would of made me late for my appointment and it took me 2 months to get this one!
I spoke to Hutch told him the problem I had and quick as a flash he dropped me outside the Embassy with 15 minutes to spare so a big thanks to Hutch... that’s 2 I owe him now lol.

I had a 2 hour wait in the Embassy then they told me I had to send in my passport when they are ready for it so I am just waiting for the e-mail now then once I get that back it will be time to go home for 2 weeks then when I get back I will be able to go into America.

When I was finished at the Embassy I had a few hours to spare so I went shopping for a new laptop I had seen one I really liked in The Future store at Thunder Bay but I wanted to check out the prices at Best Buy (and didn’t want to pay the tax in Ontario) Wow am I glad I did, the laptop at The Future store was a Aspire 5535 For $649 the one at Best Buy was Aspire 6530 so it was the next one up for the same price.
The hard drive and ram are double the size in the Aspire 6530 so I got a good deal. It has a built in web cam a surround sound system and a 16 inch screen 4gig ram and 320 gig hard drive with Hdmi and so many new buttons I keep pressing the wrong one lol.

I have tried to get on-line but you don’t get much chance (either too busy, too tired or no internet) in Canada so I have started to save my blog to Microsoft word then I can add the lot when I do get the chance.

Catch up time

My trip back from Montreal was good because I was rolling my hours. I couldn't do long days so it took me 1 day longer to get back which made the drive very relaxed and enjoyable loads to see and the weather was great.

I dropped the trailer in Calgary yard and picked up a trailer to tip out in Calgary and Lethbridge. On the way down to Lethbridge I stopped at Highriver to look at a car as you can see from my pics I brought it.

A couple I get on very well with also brought a car about a week earlier and they said if I need a lift to look at any then give them a call which was good of them. Shona picked me up from H&R and took me to the bank then to get insurance then to register the car then she took me up to pick it up, it was a 200 mile round trip, now that's what you call friends. A thank-you meal was the least I could do.

I paid $1300 for a 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan the reason I got it so cheap was there is some small damage to the passenger side sliding door which as I am typing this it is being fixed and its going to cost me $700 but if I brought a 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan I would be looking to pay around $3500-$4000 so I think I got a good deal and it drives great.

I got Dee to get my no claims discount from my insurance company in the UK so it only cost me $421 for the year Plus $85 to register it.

The next day I met up with Shona again this time she took me to see some show homes so I know where to bring Dee when she comes over. It really was nice spending sometime with a friend because most of the time you are one your own hopefully I will meet up with Colin soon too.

It feels really good now having a car to run around in it saves walking every where and it gets me away from the truck and H&R. I still sleep in the truck at night when I am in Lethbridge because I have set it up how I want it so why pay for a hotel!

Back on line

Hi sorry about the lack of posts but my laptop had a minor fault so I tried to fix it now it has loads of faults and its in loads of bits lol. So I brought a new one today and I have only just got on line.
I've got loads to tell, the work has picked up so much I don't know my arse from my elbow lol. I have got to do some work on here its 11.15pm and I have to be in the American embassy for 9am so will up date as soon as I get the chance, bye for now.

Good Luck Cassie

Good luck with your exams sweetheart. Me and your mum are so proud of you and we both know you will do your best. I love you very much and miss you I wish I was there to help you but I'd probably be no help anyway lol. See if you can pass more exams than me I took 7 and passed 6. If you pass more than me I will buy you that new top of the range digital camera for when you start your media and photography studies at college this summer. It only seemed like 5 minutes ago when you started school now you are leaving and about to move on, well just remember this......you might be getting ready to leave school but you aint never leaving home lol! Good luck babe xxx

Brought a car

Got fed up with walking every where so I thought I would get a cheap car to run around in. Will now be able to look at other areas around Lethbridge to see where would be the best place for us to move to.