chilistrucker:
nice
just showed the mrs this diary, she likes the look of it out there
that was some hole in the ground. alot of the roads on that diary, really reminded me of some of the open stretches in spain.
i’ve noticed a trend with the pickfords removal wagons, alot of them seem to have the really, really big living spaces. owner drivers?
never ceases to amaze me, on a good day the distance you lot can cover out there. is there a max period of driving your allowed to do before your supposed to stop and log a break?
truckstops. guess the same as uk and europe, some good, some bad. as a rule, do you pay to park?
My last two diaries have admittedely being of very good trips, they’re by no means all like that.
In the US we can do a 14hr spread over and 11 hours driving. In Canada its also a 14hr spread over but with 13 hours driving, the difference is that in Canada you can extend up to a 16hr spread over by logging off duty time during your shift in 30 minute blocks or more to a total of two hours and then have 8 hours off that night instead of 10 if you so wish. We dont have any requirements (yet, changes next year in the US) to log any breaks during the day, we stop when we feel like it, for as long as little as we want. Theoretically it is possible to start driving and not stop for 13 hours straight in Canada, not that you would do that. You just do things to suit yourself to get the job done in your own way.
Truckstops here are beyond any comparison to anything found in the UK. There are several large chains that have similar layed out truckstops across the length and breadth of the country and then there are endless amounts of smaller ones, often on back roads. Paying to park is almost unheared of here, there are a handfull of truckstops that do charge but anything purchased in the truckstop up until the entire amount of the parking is deducted so if you’re clever you dont pay a penny anyway, also if they do charge, you get it free for 24 hours for every 50 gallons of diesel you buy. As my tanks on my truck hold 280 gallons (1060litres) there is no need to pay. Also all of these chains give you a free shower with 50 or more gallons of diesel and you have rewards cards and can bank them on there for use at a later date. The showers are above and beyond anything in the UK, all large spacious private rooms which 99% of the time have a toilet too. The Pilots/Flying J’s are ripping out their old showers and modernising them all and they are of a higher quality than many hotel rooms. Also towels are provided and await you as you enter your shower room. Needless to say the showers are cleaned after each and every use and clean fresh towels put back etc.
Mike
