More fun in the NWT

[wildkat]

I'm actually based out of Edmonton, Alberta, which is roughly in the middle of the province. My husband & I (our kids are grown now) & 2 cats have an acreage about 40 minutes east of the city. We have 2 grandchildren (one 6, one 7 months)

I run the Arctic to Yellowknife, NWT mostly 2x/week, Yellowknife is roughly 1000 miles north of my home base, roughly in the middle of the NWT. For 6-8 weeks in the winter I run the Ice Roads in the far North, one the longest ice road in the world (about 400kms, 250 miles or so), and that runs almost to the Arctic Ocean where I, among 3-400 others supply the mines & camps up there with supplies for the following year, as there is no other way to get it there except via air, which is INCREDIBLY expensive.

The cost of living here is not so bad, but Alberta is booming, in the far north, yes, it is very expensive. Up there the main source for heating is oil as far as I can determine.

I do like most other women I suppose I spend time with my family, poke my fingers in my flowers & enjoy quality time with my husband.

In summer we both ride motorcycles, work on our acreage, and of course spend time with our grandkids (we spoil them as much as possible )

In winter mostly we try to stay warm.. :shock:

My oldest daughter is a pro photographer & I have (almost) convinced her to take a couple of trips with me to catch some of the scenery....

We live in a rural area now & had no problem with finding local work if it is desired, I am what is termed regional linehaul. I am back in my home base within 2 days, & that works for me.

There is so much work here that you could change jobs at least 5 times in a day & still have a job at the end of the day. We desperately need workers for literally EVERY industry here.

[RedRaven]

What type of photographer is your daughter?... Does she work for someone else, or does she have a studio of her own?...

I actually went to school myself to become a professional photographer. I started out wanting to be a Commercial Photographer, then as I went along, I decided I wanted to specialize in animal portraiture...

The school didn't tell me though when I graduated, that you needed collateral to get a business loan... Portraiture isn't an easy business anyway... It is a luxury type business, that's why a lot of studio owners will do more weddings, and similar type photography, just to keep their business going... Just depends on what niche you can find for yourself to make it a success...

I went on to do other things anyway. But, I do get my camera out when I feel like it, and take photographs... Mostly involving animals, or scenery...

I think I would have liked to have been a wildlife photographer, though you have to travel to some very rough places to get that perfect shot, and lug a lot of equipment... I just don't have the back anymore to lug equipment...

In some respects I think I would like to do more with video, than still photography... But, it is still something I'm still interested in doing...

You should set up one of those mobile camera's on the dash of your truck, then you could upload video of the scenic places you get to travel.

I know there is a trucker who has his own website, and does this, keeping a daily driving diary, and other topics on his website... It's pretty neat to watch where he goes every day...

Bet your daughter could give you a hand setting something like that up, if you were interested... Your grand kids would probably get a kick out of it...

Why do you think there are so many jobs up that way, and not enough people to fill those jobs?... Is it just the geography, weather, etc..?...

Well, here's looking at you kid!... Say Cheese!...

[wildkat]

My daughter is her own lady, she has a studio that she created from an old one room schoolhouse that she purchased.

her website: www.furlessproductions.com

I have no real interest in having a website, nor do I have any desire to keep an on-line journal. I'm WAY too busy for that & this is the Arctic we are talking about here....internet access is non-existant, nor is cell phone service except in Yellowknife & I most certainly don't have time to sit in front of a computer then. This area is EXTREMELY remote. There is only about 1000 miles of road in the whole territory of over 250,000 square miles of area.

[Graymist]

My daughter is her own lady, she has a studio that she created from an old one room schoolhouse that she purchased.

her website: www.furlessproductions.com

Howdy !! Nice to meet another trucker from Oilers' country . I've never made it to Tofield yet, but I've been up to Kingman to deliver a load of GU cement, which I hear isn't too far from where you're at. If you don't mind my asking, do you haul fuel ? In winter do you run the ice for Ventures West or RTL Robinson by any chance ? How does one manage to sign up for one of those ice-road gigs ? Hope to hear from you soon.

[wildkat]

My daughter is her own lady, she has a studio that she created from an old one room schoolhouse that she purchased.

her website: www.furlessproductions.com

Howdy !! Nice to meet another trucker from Oilers' country . I've never made it to Tofield yet, but I've been up to Kingman to deliver a load of GU cement, which I hear isn't too far from where you're at. If you don't mind my asking, do you haul fuel ? In winter do you run the ice for Ventures West or RTL Robinson by any chance ? How does one manage to sign up for one of those ice-road gigs ? Hope to hear from you soon.

Kingman is about 40 kms from Tofield (north). Nope you couldn't pay me enough to haul fuel! No $$ in it for o/o. I'm a frieght hauler for Grimshaw Trucking out of Edmonton, I am owner/operator who mostly runs Edmonton to Yellowknife & back. I guess the best way to get one of "those gigs" is to apply for one of the 1/2 dozen companies that run the roads I would not recommend it for anyone who has never driven on ice roads before tho, it can be very dangerous, speed quite literally kills. Is best to start with smaller stuff than those. And BEFORE anybody makes some dumb comment about ICY roads, this is NOT what I am talking about...I am talking about ICE roads, that are built over frozen lakes & rivers in the Arctic.

[Graymist]

My daughter is her own lady, she has a studio that she created from an old one room schoolhouse that she purchased.

her website: www.furlessproductions.com

Howdy !! Nice to meet another trucker from Oilers' country . I've never made it to Tofield yet, but I've been up to Kingman to deliver a load of GU cement, which I hear isn't too far from where you're at. If you don't mind my asking, do you haul fuel ? In winter do you run the ice for Ventures West or RTL Robinson by any chance ? How does one manage to sign up for one of those ice-road gigs ? Hope to hear from you soon.

Kingman is about 40 kms from Tofield (north). Nope you couldn't pay me enough to haul fuel! No $$ in it for o/o. I'm a frieght hauler for Grimshaw Trucking out of Edmonton, I am owner/operator who mostly runs Edmonton to Yellowknife & back. I guess the best way to get one of "those gigs" is to apply for one of the 1/2 dozen companies that run the roads I would not recommend it for anyone who has never driven on ice roads before tho, it can be very dangerous, speed quite literally kills. Is best to start with smaller stuff than those. And BEFORE anybody makes some dumb comment about ICY roads, this is NOT what I am talking about...I am talking about ICE roads, that are built over frozen lakes & rivers in the Arctic.

Well, it's a small world !! Even though I don't work for Grimshaw, I'm part of the the same Mullen group....I work for Cascade, but as a company driver, not an o/o. What kind of stuff do you haul ? Do you have a dedicated route, or do you simply haul to a Grimshaw terminal at Y'knife ? Do you haul super b's or regular 5-6 axles ? As an o/o with Mullen, what's your experience been, in terms of the way things are done there, despatch, settlements, etc ? Also, as an o/o, does one make significantly more money to take home ( after taxes & expenses ) than as a unionised company driver ( since Grimshaw is affiliated to Teamsters ) ?

The reason for my questions is that I'm new to this industry and am trying to learn as much as I possibly can, in order to try and chart out a career. Hope you don't find my inquisitiveness too irksome !!

[RedRaven]

My daughter is her own lady, she has a studio that she created from an old one room schoolhouse that she purchased.

her website: www.furlessproductions.com

I have no real interest in having a website, nor do I have any desire to keep an on-line journal. I'm WAY too busy for that & this is the Arctic we are talking about here....internet access is non-existant, nor is cell phone service except in Yellowknife & I most certainly don't have time to sit in front of a computer then. This area is EXTREMELY remote. There is only about 1000 miles of road in the whole territory of over 250,000 square miles of area.

That's terrific WildKat that your daughter has her own studio... I had to do a family portrait assignment in photography school, and the family I got was an absolute nightmare... :shock: The kids (2 young boys), were spoiled rotten kids to this couple... The dad was a bar/restaurant owner, and the mother worked in a bank... I had to do the assignment on location... Their home was very expensive, marble floors throughout the home... They definitely had lots of money... Anyway, the kids were all over the place, wouldn't take instruction, and the parents were yelling at them half the time. I struggled through, the parents apologized at the end of the shoot...

I decided then, I would pursue animal portraiture instead...

My instructor laughed when I told him how things went, and when he saw the photos, he let me do the assignment over with a "normal" family...

My portrait instructor just joking around said, "At least you can kick the dog, if they won't sit still, you can't kick the kids"... Though I wouldn't kick a dog either... :wink:

I've actually been looking into doing more photo restoration type work.

You sure are in a very remote area, but, it really must be wonderful... The truck cam was just a fun thought, I understand why you wouldn't want to do it... :wink:

I bet there are probably a few truckers who would be jealous of your route, all the beautiful scenery, and no traffic... :wink:

[wildkat]

Well, it's a small world !! Even though I don't work for Grimshaw, I'm part of the the same Mullen group....I work for Cascade, but as a company driver, not an o/o. What kind of stuff do you haul ? Do you have a dedicated route, or do you simply haul to a Grimshaw terminal at Y'knife ? Do you haul super b's or regular 5-6 axles ? As an o/o with Mullen, what's your experience been, in terms of the way things are done there, despatch, settlements, etc ? Also, as an o/o, does one make significantly more money to take home ( after taxes & expenses ) than as a unionised company driver ( since Grimshaw is affiliated to Teamsters ) ?

The reason for my questions is that I'm new to this industry and am trying to learn as much as I possibly can, in order to try and chart out a career. Hope you don't find my inquisitiveness too irksome !!

I am a regional linehaul driver Greymist...we do NOT do anythng but go from terminal to terminal. Dedicated, I supposed that's what you could call it, it's where I go most times. I haul mostly Rocky Mountain doubles, which is extended length. I personally am in the what is termed 'expidited linehaul division" meaning I mostly haul vans. There is what is termed a "truckload" division & that is their flatbed side. We are an LTL carrier, so doing deliveries would REALLY suck...literally hundred's in one trailer, so it's ALWAYS terminal to terminal.

We don't really have anything to do with Mullen themselves, as we seem to be more of a "partnership" than "owned by" Mullen. Yes, we are unionized, which IMHO, breads laziness, unions are not about productivity (I'll likely get slaughtered over this), but seniority. O/O are "forced" to be in the union to work here, but the do zip for us.

Grimshaw probably pays better than most in my experience, tho I really don't know what the company drivers earn as their trips are vastly different from o/o. Here, one tends to get the miles one wants, if you want them you get them!