I’ve been meaning to do another diary for quite a while now but I havent been going anywhere all that interesting so couldn’t really be bothered. This trip isn’t anything special, just a typical run of the mill job but its nice in that it gets me away from all the snow and ice up north.
I dont have any technical information to hand such as daily km’s as my log books are in my truck so I’ll try and keep it simple and straight forward.
Day 1. Thursday 31st January
After being buffeted by severe winds and rain all day that actually melted 75% of the snow we had on the ground I took the opertunity that afternoon to escape Canada as the rain and winds died down before the forcasted snow that night and the inevitable freezing of all the water that was flooding just about every where. I didn’t need to leave until Friday as my delivery was for 5pm in Georgia on Sunday but I’ve learnt that when it comes to winter its best to take your chances in better weather whenever you can.
Heading over to the US Border at Houlton, Maine. Only about ten miles from where I live in Woodstock, New Brunswick
Arriving at US customs, usually a painless process, especially at this border where I’m well known having crossed many many times over the past four years
500km south of the border I decided to call it a night in Kittery, Maine which is right at the southern tip of the state on the border with New Hampshire. No point in going any further tonight as parking opertunities are almost non-existant for the next few hours of the journey and I deemed myself to be well clear of any snow that may be causing havoc further north.
Day 2. Friday February 1st.
As I’d already covered in excess of 500 out of the 2500km of my journey a day early, it left me with some very easy days drives ahead of me so no need to press on doing maximum hours this time. Today would see all of the bad bit of the trip with regards traffic congestion so after suffering the usual attrocious driving of Massechussettes and Connecticut for a few hours, I was soon heading away from all that bedlam.
Heading through Hartford, Connecticut on I-84 west bound.
Nearing the end of my day in northern Virginia on I-81 south bound, calling it a night a little further south at Toms Brook.
Day 3. Saturday February 2nd.
I’d already planned where I’d be parking up tonight thanks to google earth etc and that it was an easy days drive (about 1000km or just under) so time to press on. The only thing is that Ive been going down I-81 on pretty much every trip since October and I’m getting sick to death of it so time dragged by so very slowly all day.
I-81 south bound in Virginia.
At last, finally turning off the I-81 and on to the I-77 south towards the Carolina’s
A few trucks parked in the rest area on the state line between Virginia and North Carolina.
I just couldn’t get my head in to the job today and spent the rest of the day looking at my satnav and wishing away the miles to destination, especially as I hit Atlanta in darkness and again witnessed some of the worst driving standards to be found anywhere in the western World. Human euthanasia would be too good for half of the oxygen thieves on the road that night.
After a very frustrating and long day I finally pulled in to the Flying J truckstop in Jackson, Georgia and headed straight over to make use of my banked free showers on my loyalty card. Its suprising just how much of a difference a good shower can make to your mood.
Day 4. Sunday 3rd February.
I wasn’t booked in to tip until 5pm local time but my reload was in Jacksonville, Florida a good 500km away and I didn’t fancy arriving there at stupid o’clock at night so puttered off to the Quad Graphics printing mill in the oddly named town of ‘The Rock’ some 25 miles away in the hope they’d unload me early. My endeavours were indeed rewarded with a quick tip and I was pulling out of the gate within the hour and heading south.
Heading back to the intertstate after tipping in Georgia. You’d never know it was winter here with temps of about +14’c.
I had planned on parking up for the night just outside of Jacksonville, FL but upon arrival at the TA truckstop I found it to be beyond totally full so tried the Pilot next door…now Pilots are well known as being pokey little crap holes and it was bound to be full but I had to check. Needless to say the Pilot was also full and 10 minutes of trying to get back out of the ■■■ hole, I was heading in to Jacksonville. I’d already google earth and street viewed my reload and knew they didnt have a gate so decided my best bet now was to try my luck and park there. Its never ideal to park in places like that in many parts of the US, especially in Florida as its not the safest of places but beggars can’t be choosers. Anyway, when I get to the shipper I found they actually worked 24/7 and they loaded me within 45 minutes of arrival and by 10pm I was heading north out of Florida and back in to Georgia where a good friend of mine was parked up having a 36 hour reset in the Flying J truckstop in Brunswick, GA.
Day 5. Monday 4th February.
I had loaded the day before for Halifax, Nova Scotia and my friend had a load of celery in his fridge going to Montreal in Quebec so we were to spend the next day and a half running north together before we finally had to part ways just north of New York City.
This was parked near me when I woke up, not much upward view for the driver of that…overhead traffic lights must be a challenge!
As I didn’t park up until late I couldn’t start while 8:30 in the morning, though laziness put this back until well after 9. By which time the truckstop had cleared considerably.
Over taking one of Schneiders, one of America’s many fleets of huge size with ranks of drivers well known to have the driving ability of a piece of wood. This one was driving along wearing some kind of ■■■■■■■■■ driving glove with the exposed finger tips, whatever next
Heading north up I-95
Arriving at a weird kind of collection of tourist attractions called “South of the Border” on the state line between North and South Carolina. We wanted to see the reptile house
Interesting that aligators just like the one above are found in the wild right there in South Carolina
Parked in the truckstop just across the road from the reptile house. My truck is on the right, my friends in the centre.
We ended the day at the Flying J truckstop in Carmel Church, Virginia, about an hour and a bit south of Washington DC. Going any further would be pointless as we’d never get parked up any where.
Day 6. Tuesday 5th February.
Soon after hitting the road it was time to tackle the notorious Washington DC ring road, we even allowed ourselves extra time in bed to avoid rush hour but for the first time I’ve ever known, traffic was quite calm and we were soon around and heading east on US50 towards the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the state of Delaware beyond.
Washington DC ring road with unusually quite traffic.
Crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Its always been one of my favourite bridges in America but its my first time across since 2010.
North bound through Philadelphia.
Taking the back roads in New Jersey to avoid the tolls.
VW Beetle in New Jersey, I’d love one of those but they cost a bomb over here.
After heading cross country on some back roads in New Jersey to miss out the expensive New Jersey Turnpike we made it to the New York City ring road I287 and finally on to I87 north. Soon after I parted ways with my friend who carried on north to Montreal and I headed north east on I84 retracing my steps from this point back the way I’d come earlier in the trip. I ended the day at Kittery, Maine and settled down for a good nights sleep. This wasn’t to be and at 3am I awoke to the most horrendous feeling of discomfort in my bowels, the sort of feeling that we all fear as drivers often parking without facilities. Fortunetely I got dressed quickly and made it inside the building before disaster could strike…barely noticing along the way that the heavens had opened and the truckstop was starting to turn very white, alas, all that mattered at the time was that the truckstop wasn’t going to turn brown! Anyway, too much info so moving on…
Day 7. Wednesday 6th of February.
Today all I had to do was do the 5 and a bit hours through Maine, cross the border back in to Canada and go home. My delivery in Halifax wasn’t until Friday so leaving any earlier than Thursday afternoon was unnecessary. Thow snow wasn’t bad at all and being -15’c or so by then it was pretty dry on the roads with very little slippery patches so good progress was made all the way north. North of Bangor the snow started again but it was very dry and powdery like is so often the case here so nothing that would hold a truck up.
Parked next to me in the morning. A truck from Culbersons, another local company in the Woodstock area.
Heading out of the truckstop in Kittery. It looks slippery but isn’t, its dry and powdery.
The best ones are always closed.
A slower moving Army convoy, soon to be in my mirrors and eating my snow dust.
I soon arrived at the border, cleared customs and headed to the yard and straight home for the night.
Day 8. Thursday 7th February.
No need to leave today as my delivery for Friday was scheduled for 2pm but I wanted to try and get it off early to get home at a reasonable time so a very uneventful drive concluded at the Irving truckstop at Enfield, Nova Scotia, just outside of Halifax. By the time I’d parked up it was -21’c so the engine remained running all night. By now the news of the big storm heading across the north eastern US and up to Canada was well known and I was even keener to get my load off early and get home before the snow arrived.
Day 9. Friday 8th February.
After allowing the rush hour traffic to die down I headed in to Halifax at about 9:30am. The brewery is down a set of poxy tight city streets so the less traffic the better. Upon arrival I found myself in a tiny little yard without even the room to turn around without something akin to a 50 point turn. Needless to say they didn’t tip me early and I waited from 10am to my booking time of 2pm to be put on a bay only to be informed “The guy who unloads these cans doesn’t come in until 3” WTF?! then why the hell book it for 2pm? “Sorry driver, I know its been a long day for you, but we’ll have you out of here by supper time” was the office clarks response. This is the downside to Canada, sitting around like this on milleage pay, but there you go, I’d had a cracking trip so far so I couldn’t say much.
Finally getting tipped in Halifax. After waiting 5 and a half hours, it took them less than 30 minutes to actually unload me.
Once empty I’d received orders to head back up the road to Truro, Nova Scotia which is on the way home to do a trailer swap and head back to the yard with it. Fortunetely the storm had slowed and wasn’t due to hit until mid night. I made it to our yard at just after 11pm to find the whole place full with nowhere to park. Luckily someone was waiting for the trailer I had so he took that and I then abandoned the truck down at the end of the yard with no means of plugging in the block heater. Oh well, if theres nowhere to park with an electrical socket theres nowt I can do about it.
And thus ends a very mundane and typical trip. The only real bit of excitement for me was the reptile house in South Carolina.
Today (Saturday) I awoke to find my Jeep buried and plenty of snow to be moved from the unfinished decking around the side of the house before it freezes over night and becomes ten times harder to move. The joys of Canada in the winter, though to be honest we get it very lightly over this side than most of our colleages over in the western provinces.
The End.
