Enough (of Canada), Already...

[Malaki86]

I have nothing against the people of CA, but, damnit, I'm tired of going there. My last 2 week tour had me in Ontario & Quebec 3 times in 14 days. One of the times, the pickup location was in the middle of nowhere (literally), where they decided to take 5 hours to load 16 pallets, forcing me to stay on their property for the night. Well, not exactly ON their property. They wouldn't let me park there, so I had to park on their access road, blocking 1 lane. I not only didn't have a cell phone signal whatsoever, but I also didn't even have a Qualcomm signal. Came home for 3 days and guess what? Straight back to Quebec.

I'm ready to destroy my passport...

[Mr. Ford95]

At least they are keeping you moving though eh?

[P0rk Ch0p]

I know how you feel.. I sat in the middle of nowhere in Florida, for over 6 hours waiting for them to call me to get on the door, when there were no trucks there or on the doors, and then when i finally did get on the dock, it took them another 3 hours to load 15 pallets of cabbage, and when i did finally get loaded, i just pulled back around and parked where i was when waiting for 6 hours and took my 10 hr break lol

[bentstrider]

Not trying to brag, but the company I've been with since December has been pretty good about keeping me running strictly back and forth between Fontana and Denver/SLC/Cheyenne.
I might get punished with a "5-corridor" run through the depressing rain and green that is NoCal/OR/WA, but that's been once every 4-5 weeks.

They also say they have Canada runs here, but if they try to tap me, I'll tell them passport expired and it's been hell trying to get one.
Skip over and never hear of it again.
I never had a desire to travel outside of the country as it is anyway.

[Malaki86]

I told my dispatch today that I hope my passport doesn't have a horrible accident involving a woodchipper while I'm at home for a week starting the 21st.

[MichiganDriver]

I haven't seen much of Canada but I've eaten their butter tarts. I'm talking insanely good - made at a 3rd or 4th generation family bakery - melt even before they get in your mouth and run down the front of your shirt good.

I haven't had one in awhile and I need my fix in case you can't tell.

[P0rk Ch0p]

I told my dispatch today that I hope my passport doesn't have a horrible accident involving a woodchipper while I'm at home for a week starting the 21st.

Can you not just decline canada runs? or is it forced dispatch?

[geeshock]

celadon is forced dispatch unless you came in b4 they started it, are o/o or lease. I am in Canada right now, of course i love tim hortons coffee and canadian maple doughnuts. I also usually get a laredo run out of here so that makes my paychecks look pretty good.I've been up here 7 or 8 times in the last month, and I'd be ok with Quebec if they learned English.

[Malaki86]

Like I said in my 1st post, I was in CA 3 times in 2 weeks. The miles were great though. Last weeks paycheck had 3,976 miles on it. Of course, I felt like a damn zombie from it. January 1st, you have to have a new card to get into Canada. From what I could tell, there's absolutely no cost to the driver. Oh well, I'm still not getting it.

[MichiganDriver]

That's a lot of miles.

[bikerboy]

what new card to get into canada??


I have a fast card, is that what you mean?

[Malaki86]

I'm not sure if it's the FAST card or not. All I know is that starting Jan 1, 2012, it's required for entry into Canada.

[bikerboy]

I'm not sure if it's the FAST card or not. All I know is that starting Jan 1, 2012, it's required for entry into Canada.

Interesting, could you find out more info, i can't find anything about it.

[geeshock]

yup. it's the fast card. they have it listed at the kitchner yard. It was optional but now going to make it mandatoery

[Malaki86]

Well, if things go right, I should be back in the states today. I'm in Hazelton, PA right now, deliver just south of Montreal as soon as I can get the load there, then have a pickup about 10 miles from that. Crossing at Champlain, so, fingers are crossed.

[bentstrider]

I guess I could probably handle Eastern Canada if it was handed to me.
But British Columbia is like a bizarro version of No.Calif, while Alberta, Sasketchewan, and Manitoba are basically extensions of the Dakotas.

Scenery has a rather large effect on my psyche.

[Windwalker]

Some years back, I was spending enough time in Canada, I could have rented an apartment in Montreal. No matter where I delivered, I was always going to Montreal to reload. And, on the average, the time spent getting loaded for the back-haul was about 2 days. The trailer was in the dock all that time, and generally the tractor was hooked to it. The product was carefully hand loaded as it came off the line. (Didn't have a 34 hour reset back then, but after 2 days off duty, it really didn't matter.

I did that for a little over a year, and while I do not miss sitting in the dock getting loaded, I do miss some of the people I met back then. The vast majority of times, I was headed back into WI, so my route was across 17 in Ontario. Big Irving truck stop in Pembroke was a regular stop, and often I stopped at Nairne Centre as well... Before they rebuilt the restaurant. The new one isn't bad, but it's just not the same.

The folks at Pembroke were really good people. I really do miss stopping there. But I can't say I miss spending 2 days getting loaded in Montreal.

[geeshock]

Big irving is good and I also like the 10 acre. Going to quebec city I usualy make a habit of stopping at the one on route 20 I beleave exit 145