Archive for the ‘Consumption’ Category

Just in case any of my readers think I’ve given over my site entirely to animal rescue, today I want to talk about customer service.

When Marilyn and I were on our way back from our trip to Alberta, we spent a couple of nights in Winnipeg awaiting a reload. Due to seasonably warm temperatures I was forced to run the truck both nights so we could keep it cool enough to sleep.

Now anyone who has one of these environmental engines will know how much they hate to be idled for any length of time. As much as I love this DD-15, all the problems I’ve had with it involve environmental mechanisms.

On the second morning, while picking up my load in Portage la Prairie, the “regen” light starts flashing at me. While that in itself is not too serious, I know from experience, that to ignore it for too long can result in complete engine shutdown.

I tried to do a parked “regen”, following the directions in the manual but the light continued to flash tauntingly at me.
My first inclination was to take it to a Freightliner dealer since that is what I’m driving after all. Turns out there are only two of them in all of Manitoba but one is in Winnipeg and it wasn’t too far out of our way.

The first thing I noticed upon arrival at Freightliner was a lack of parking. Not a good situation when your primary customers drive big trucks. So I parked in the yard of a warehouse across the street and walked over.

The first person I encountered was a sour faced woman at the service desk who was having an unpleasant encounter with a customer who soon left in disgust and frustration. From this I figured my best approach would be a low key one, with a little humor and empathy thrown in for good measure.

“Looks like I’m not the only one having a bad day.” Says I with a little smile.

“Wouldn’t be so bad if I could get a few things caught up” she replied, not even looking up at me. She continued what she was doing for a few minutes while I waited patiently.

Finally she looked up and said in a grumpy voice, “What can I do for you?”

I explained my problem, to which she immediately responded, “We couldn’t even look at it till later in the week.” As if I’d told her I had a picture of my truck I wanted to show her.

The lady (and I use that term loosely) did me one huge favor though. When I protested that I had a load of frozen food with a desperate need to be in New Brunswick by Thursday, she said, “Why don’t you try Waterous Diesel?”

She even went so far as to give me an address and look up the phone number for me. I marvelled that their shop was doing so well they could afford to send business elsewhere, but thanked her politely and left.

Now this is the point where my Winnipeg experience made a definite change for the better.

I went back out to the truck, told Marilyn what had transpired and called Waterous Power Systems on my cell phone. The man who answered was friendly and polite. Told me, “Sure come on over. We’re a bit short handed but we’ll fit you in.” He told me how to get there, where I could drop my trailer and said he’d see me when I got there.

I was already feeling better about my situation than I had since it started.

I don’t want to drag this out any longer than necessary so just let me say this. I encountered, and spoke to, six different people during the time I was at Waterous Power Systems. Every one of them was friendly and helpful and treated both Marilyn and I with nothing but respect.

Most importantly they solved my problem in about an hour and we were on our way. Well maybe that wasn’t quite the most important part. When I asked how much I owed they said, “Don’t worry about it. We didn’t actually do enough to make it worth printing out a bill.” Then they gave me a two page printout of my fuel consumption data and bid us a good day.

Now you tell me. Where do you think I’ll go first if I ever have engine problems in Winnipeg, Manitoba again?

Thank you Waterous Power Systems. You’re tops in my books.

All my life I have been appalled by the callous disregard of a certain segment of our population toward littering.
I would estimate that maybe one per cent of the population of the earth would take drinks and snacks in disposable containers out on their front porch, and then when finished eating and drinking simply wing the containers out in their yard. We’ve all seen yards like that and probably most of us just assume the residents there are either mentally deficient or hopeless alcoholics.
How do we explain the much larger percentage of the population who think its perfectly fine to do the same thing on streets, roads, highways and in parking lots all over the country?
There is no excuse for such anti-social behavior in this day and age. Either they are mentally deficient or they witnessed their mentally deficient parents committing such acts, and for some reason assumed it was sensible to copy them.
I don’t wish to cast aspersions on mentally challenged people, as I know quite a number personally who wouldn’t think of tossing garbage out to pollute the landscape and force others to clean up after them.
It really takes so little effort to keep a bag or box in our vehicles in which to deposit garbage, and then throw it in a trash bin every few days or weeks. I’ve seen people who wouldn’t walk 10 feet out of their way to a garbage receptacle in plain sight.
When I was a kid in Manitoba, (I know, ancient history) the province had a program called Orbit. Every few miles on most major highways they had little pull-offs with big round ball-shaped trash receptacles called Orbits. Sort of a take-off on the space program. There would be signs saying “Put your garbage into Orbit one mile”. I think the program was quite effective at the time but I don’t think its still being used. Somebody from Manitoba correct me if I’m wrong.
The point is, parents should be teaching their kids not to litter with just as much diligence as toilet training and looking both ways before crossing the street.
The best way to teach kids is by example. They should know you think littering is wrong just as surely they should know you think any crime is wrong. Nine times out of ten they will do what they see you do. Don’t let the ignorance continue.

Hi all.

So whats it like to be a British Trucker? To be honest, it’s a thoroughly thankless task. Crowded roads, impatient drivers, inconsiderate employers and draconian legislation all add up to stress, tiredness and misery.

British road are very busy. Rush hours are, as you’d imagine the worst time to travel – but they seem to be getting longer. Morning rush is between 6.30 and 9.30, and the afternoon peak seems to be from 3 to 6. There are no roads over here that you can just get on and drive for hours and hours. The longest single road in the UK is a little under 400 miles, but to travel the length of it would be considered a full days work. Along the way you’re sure to encounter road works, road hogs and road rage.

One thing you won’t find is good food or places to park for the night. The days of the family owned truckstop are long gone, so now all you’ll find are service areas that cater for all road users, and are owned by large “hospitality” companies. As a result, they are totally focused on separating you from your hard earned cash, and giving as little as possible in return. Most contain some sort of fast food franchise, usually one of the big US burger chains, as well as a “family” restaurant, in which you’ll find grossly over-priced, poor quality food, that’s been sitting for hours under heat lamps – the only thing that isn’t as tough as shoe leather are the limp, soggy french fries. Other facilities in these service areas include one filthy shower that will give you an occasional dribble of tepid water, a shop selling rubbish at a 50% mark up and a game arcade. For the pleasure of parking here, we are charged about $35!

So more often than not, you’ll find trucks parked up in lay-bys (which are little areas at the side of the road for motorists to stop for a few minutes), or on industrial areas. Naturally, there are no facilities here – no toilets, washrooms, or food.

On the plus side, we don’t have to stop at every scales we come to. Most scales over here are also check points, where Police and Government Inspectors will examine you and your vehicle. These only operate part-time, and you only stop if instructed. Most of the officers know what they’re looking for, so if you drive for a well known and respected operator, you get left alone. I’ve only been stopped once in the last 5 years.

We face the same issues as you regarding the people we work for too. Planners and dispatchers that make promises to customers that the driver can’t possibly acheive, delivery and collection locations that think you have nothing better to do than sit and wait for hours on end, and people generally blaming the driver for everything that goes wrong.

Life tends to be easier if you travel out of the UK and into Europe, but not always. Most of the European bound traffic travels from here to France, and the bulk of that travels by ferry or tunnel from Dover in south-west England to Calais in north-east France. As this is a very busy route, it has become a focal point for French strikers, so whenever the French farmers or truck drivers have some sort of grievance, the first course of action is to block the roads approaching Calais. Similarly, the French fishermen have no hesitation in using the thier boats to blockade the entrance to the port. However, if you’re lucky enough to get over unscathed, Driving in Europe is a much more relaxed and pleasurable experience, and drivers seem to be treated with a lot more respect.

So your deliveries in Europe are done, and you’ve got your collection and you’re heading home – but your problems aren’t over yet! Believe it or not, there is a massive movement of people out of Africa, and they all think that England is the promised land. They pay all their savings to people traffickers and make epic journeys up through the Sahara desert to Libya,  across the Mediterranean sea to Italy, then up through Italy into France where they all converge on Calias. Here, at the final hurdle, they’re looking for an England bound truck on which to stowaway. You must check your vehicle VERY carefully, as there is an automatic fine of £2,000 for every illegal immigrant that comes in to the country in your vehicle, even if you can prove you didn’t know they were there. Drivers used to report any stowaways
they found, but now are more likely to let them go free to avoid the fines.

As with everything in life, there are good and bad things in a truckers life over here, so I’ll talk about the good stuff next time.

Take care.

In an age of ecological consciousness this is not a new topic but it turns out to be the one uppermost on my mind lately. What kind of cup should one buy their coffee in?

First there’s the styrofoam cup. Harder to find these days, since they are deemed to be the most environmentally unfriendly. With CFC’s, damage to the ozone and the fact that they last a gazillion years in the landfill, they are the least desirable from that standpoint. But who can argue the fact that they keep your coffee hot the longest?

I’m sipping from one of these little thermal wonders right now. I got it a half hour ago at the world famous Dysart’s Truck Stop near Bangor, Maine and the coffee is still quite hot.

I think Starbucks uses styrofoam cups too but I’m not certain anymore, because after twice trying their coffee I’m convinced its the most vile tasting liquid on the planet. But that’s probably just me.
Plastic disposables are not much used any more, if at all. Once popular, they lose heat much too rapidly and like styrofoam they use petroleum products and take forever to break down in the environment.

Note: It takes over 50 years for plastic to break down in the environment so think about that the next time you’re tempted to throw something out the window while driving.

Next there is paper. This is the medium favored by the majority of coffee vendors in the country today, including my favorite, Tim Horton’s. I think I’m developing a slightly unhealthy Timmy’s addiction along with millions of my fellow Canadians, but I guess there are far worse things to be addicted to.

Of course paper is the most environmentally friendly of the disposables. It is a renewable resource, it’s recyclable and if its put in a landfill it breaks down reasonably quickly. Of course it also can burn the crap out of your hand unless you double cup, and then there goes any cost savings out the window.

Attempts have been made to alleviate the heat transfer problem like an additional slip on sheath, special coatings, etc. but its still a problem. The hand burns easily and the coffee cools rapidly.
Of course if you’re like my wife you may have developed a liking for tepid coffee so its not as big a problem for you.

Next let’s consider reusable travel mugs. These come in a huge array of shapes, sizes, and materials. They can range in price from a couple of dollars to $25 or more for the super elite models.

These come with their own special set of problems, not the least of which is remembering to take it with you when you enter the coffee shop. I have 2 or 3 different ones in the truck at this moment, but I’m not about to walk all the way back out to the truck to get it if I forget it the first time.

Problem number two is lid design. Manufacturers have tried a multitude of methods to keep the coffee inside the mug and yet easy to get out when you’re ready to drink it. Everything from little sliding doors to hinged flaps and oddly shaped sipping holes, no end of imagination has been applied to this aspect. Most of them succeed fairly well in their intentions, but make a lovely trap for not so lovely coffee residue, rendering them very unsanitary and difficult to clean.

That brings me to problem number three. I was looking at a lovely stainless steel model in Dysart’s trucker store just this morning. I was tempted to buy one based on looks alone despite the fact I have others already in the truck that I rarely use. What changed my mind, you may ask? It was so tall and slender, usually a desirable feature, but one would have to find a small child to wash it every time, as there’s no way my hand would fit, and my fingers wouldn’t come close to reaching the bottom.

Reusable cups, in my opinion, work best for a commuter who fills it as they go out the door in the morning and can remember to take it back in the house when they come home so it can be washed with the supper dishes.
For someone like myself, who stays out on the road up to two weeks or more at a time these cups can get pretty disgusting, especially if there’s a half inch of congealing coffee with milk and/or sugar left in the bottom.

If the coffee vendors and truckstops would provide a washout sink next to the coffee island it would help, but I don’t get too excited about trying to sluice one out in a bathroom sink. Especially if, instead of paper towels all they provide is an air blower hand dryer.

Some places, Tim Horton’s included, will rinse your cup out before pouring fresh coffee in it, but nothing replaces a good soap and water washing.
I’m sure I’m not the only one wrestling with this problem. Some of you are like me and switch from one to the other depending on the whim of the moment. I’m never sure what my policy is or if I have one.

Some of you have wrestled this thing to a standstill and have come up with a solution that works for you. If you’re one of these, please take a few minutes and share your insights with the rest of us by adding your comments to this post.

Happy coffee drinking.

While it seems the trucking industry is getting hit as hard as any other with the current economic down turn, I’m happy to say it seems I am in the right part of the industry for a change. That in itself amazes me as I have a habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I was just reading in another blog, http://truckingblog.blogspot.com/, that the writer believes the trucking industry just may be recession proof.  I don’t personally believe that, but it’s obvious that one facet of the trucking industry is more recession proof than most.

CNN is announcing large reductions in freight and the cutbacks that many trucking firms are making however, for once it seems my current employment in the reefer business is a good place to be. Food hauling should remain strong.  Let’s face it, folks still have to eat. I know some folks are laying off the most expensive cuts of meat in favor of Kraft Dinner but the main product I haul, potatoes, is a staple commodity and seems in more demand than ever.

So folks keep buying those french fries, potato salad, baked potatoes, and mashed. My bank manager and truck financier are as grateful as I am.