Back to work

I dropped Dee and the girls off at the airport and made my way down to Lethbridge. When I got to the yard I found my truck was still in the workshop so instead of putting my stuff back in the truck I spent the night in the Lethbridge Lodge.

The next day I went up to the storage place and put all my stuff in the car and went to the yard my truck was having a new radiator fitted so I backed my car into the workshop out of the rain and spent the next couple of hours sticking my stuff back in to the truck. This bit is the worst bit, I have so much stuff I am glad I have a Columbia and not a Cascadia. I gave the guys in the workshop about 20 DVDs and got rid of some rubbish I left a lot in 2 storage tubs I use.

I gave my truck a clean out and went up stairs to see what they had for me the only thing that was there was a run to South Sioux city Nebraska for Wednesday I like going that way there is a good chance you will get a load from that side up to Toronto or Montreal.

When my truck was done I picked up an empty trailer from the yard to take to Brooks and wait for my trailer which would be ready the next day (Sunday). I could of stayed in Lethbridge the night and gone the next morning but why waste 2 hours of driving! when I got to Brooks there was 2 H&R trucks waiting, one coming out and about 6 other trucks all waiting for their loads, I dropped my empty in their yard.

I went across to security to see what time my trailer would be ready the next morning. When I gave them my number they said I can take it now the trailer and paper work was ready, wow great, so I hooked up and ran down to the border. It was a very quick crossing as it was Saturday night, then I parked on the door of meat inspection ready for when they opened up Sunday morning.

I woke up the next morning and waited for the guy to cut my seal off then a quick check and another skip load. As I was about to leave my mate Dave and Jay from Southampton turned up I have not seen them for a few months these were the 2 guys I brought back from Southampton with me in February for a job interview. It was nice to see them after all this time they run together as a team and they were off to New York I was going the other way so we couldn't run together.

I left the meat inspection place and ran down to Billings Montana to the big Wal-Mart and done some shopping. I picked up 10 cartons of milk and some food for the week the milk I buy is what we call UHT milk in the UK. I can keep it under my bunk until Feb next year but once I open it it has to go in my cool box and it has a life of 10 days, we only have UHT milk at home its got a much better creamer taste than normal milk.

I also brought a Electric Skillet for $19 its $39 in Canada for the same thing if you don’t know what this is its an electric frying pan you can do Bacon and eggs or stir fries in it. I brought 18 eggs for $2 and 2 large packs of Bacon for $2.25 each I have had a 3 egg omelette with Bacon for breakfast for less than $1... no carbs lol

I left Wal-Mart and went to the Pilot to fuel up and had a shower. I wanted to get past Broadus Montana so I know I could make it the next day with out any problems but because I have not been on this road much I didn’t know where to park. I was hoping I could park in the next town but it was like a ghost town so I screwed up a bit. I had plenty of time but it was getting dark and this road is not one you want to travel on in the dark I drove to the next big town which was Belle Fourche South Dakota a very nice truck stop there.

As I said this road is very bad with Deer they were every where I have never seen so many I had to slow down other wise I would of hit one. They were all over the road only a fool would speed down this road and 10 minutes later the fool came zooming by me about 20 minutes later I could see flashing lights as I got close there was half a deer in the road blood every where and that idiot sat in his smashed up car I bet he wished he had stayed behind me.

I warned all the trucks going west and one driver told me to slow right down because there was deer in the road on my side I was down to about 20mph as I went around the bend there must of been about 20-30 deer I had to stop ,then the cheeky things took their time crossing the road I was going to toot my horn but you never know what that would of done to them.

Lucky for me the next town was about 5 miles away and I was going to stop there and didn't care where I stopped as long as it was safe to do so then I saw a sign for a truck stop now that's what you call lucky.

I was going to start early the next day but I was 2 days in front so I had a bit of a lay-in. I drove all the way to Sioux Falls South Dakota and rang in I was told there was nothing planned on me so there was no rush. I got down to South Sioux city and swapped trailers but no reload for me.

I'm not bothered too much I'm a day and a half ahead so no big dramas. At least I met up with my mate George (The big Trip) and said my goodbyes to him, he is leaving and going back home to Scotland he has had enough of being away from his family.