Englands Green and Pleasent land,The Grand Finale.

This is where its time to wrap this blog up,it served a big purpose to myself and Lady Pen while we were apart it also helped other friends and family to have a look at how i was coping (or not ).Ive been home just over a month and now slowly but surely slotting into family life once more, its been rather strange not thinking that i will be leaving again.Ive now been taken on full time and have to get used to early mornings again 6.30 start but luckily for me our yard is only 10 min drive away, im not worried about how many miles i drive infact over the last 3 weeks ive probably driven about 1000 miles but when you get paid by the hour who cares ,not sure if i will ever regret not making Canada our home but at the moment its defiantely the right descision and have absolutely no doubt this is our home.

Thanks for all who have left comments.

Bye x

BULK CARRIERS PEI LTD

Late November 2009 after a phone call i was sold,Bulk Carriers and PEI is for me was my decision.Although i had secured a job at another company in Alberta in which i was due to start in December 2009 i was getting very bad feedback and wasn't liking what i was hearing,the final straw was a revised contract instead of 2 year one i had i was given a 1 year one, i was having very bad feelings.I got off the phone from Mike Schut Bulk Carriers recruiter (now Vice President)the selling line for me was we are a family company who value our drivers and treat them with the upmost respect,as we want them to stay with us for a very long time,i now know many others have fell for that as well.I should off known better, but with the sincerity of this converstion this sounded like the real deal.So 18 months on and still with Bulk Carriers (well until May 20th 2011)was everything true well this fairy tale cetainly wasn't.It became apparent quite early on how much what i was told wasn't true the basics of "we value our drivers" was absolute trash,the ethics of this family firm is nothing more crimminal,running overweight from PEI with potatoes into the USA was the norm you were expected to do this even after various messages were sent to despatch you were authorised by Tyson Kelly to go with it.Bulk Carriers although say they condone illegal running i.e log book tampering pushed drivers into it,sitting them for hours unpaid then expecting them to run all hours to make delivery times these drivers who need to put food on the table for the familys have no choice but to be very creative.Since i started nearly all the workforce has changed either drivers have left for better companys or returned back home refusing to put up with the way Bulk Carriers treated them, either like the way they run or lump it is there attitude plenty more where you come from, Europe is full of wannabee North American Truck drivers is there answer.When i complained to Tyson Kelly after been holed up in Loblaws cambridge for over 20 hours again unpaid i requested a layover eventually after basically begging for some sort of payment $50 was allocated, i made a comment to say that i would earn more money per hour in Tim Hortons making coffee his reply was go to Tim Hortons is this the way off valuing your drivers, i beg to differ.I eventually gave up never bothering even after the longest waiting time to request any sort of payment i refused to run day and night and always made sure i was running legally,my philosophy if you care so little of me to sit me for hours and hours unpaid then i care very little of the company to even help them out making the majority of my deliverys not only hours late but sometimes a full day late.So what to do next, make the best out of a bad situation i used my free time to play the tourist, site seeing and shopping could always be fitted in due to the waiting times i was now subjected to you.Luckily for me my outgoings were low there was only me to fend for so i could ride the times when earnings were low unlike others who had familys mortgages and rent to pay how some of these guys coped is beyond me.Wages were always a battle the majority of the time you were short paid, as if you needed this when your pay at times was as little as $900 a fortnight for 10/11 days work either mileage was missing or delivery drops maybe the odd layover etc but there seem to be something missing,i again in the end gave up chasing for the odd 50/100 mile i was short they had eventually beaten me. Iwas to join the long line of immigrant drivers on the Bulk Carriers conveyor belt and im sure i wont be the last.

My decision to return back to England was made quite early on,even though i love the trucking we decided that the overall package of Canada wasn't for us how much off the underlying problem was Bulk Carriers is anyones guess but im sure it certainly didnt help.

Back home England

So thats it i left Prince Edward Island on Saturday 28th May hoping not to return any time soon,quite a straight forward journey back home and luckily only 2 flights this time Charlottetown to Toronto then Manchester and 2o mins later home sweet home.Sometimes you wonder if you have made the right descision and up to now "Definately" although its only been 2 weeks,the things that mean so much to me my Fantastic friends and Family are worth more than big open spaces Canada has to offer,and the lure of watching my beloved Liverpool FC and returning to The Home of Football "Anfield"is the icing on the cake.
My plan was to try and gain some employment straight away but when i finally got home i decided to take a month out,then out of the blue friday afternoon i get a phone call off a good friend asking if i wanted a job so a few phone calls later and there i am back in employment,driving a Daf 85 complete with low loader for a local company delivering machines to sites where they are working,i have aslo been asked to drive machinery (tractors,excavators etc on site if required)i will throw my hand to anything so a totally different job ive been doing for a while, infact the last time i used chains etc was nearly 15 years ago in the days of roping and sheeting etc well no sheeting here but chains and straps.This is a far cry from long haul America no nights away and yes wait for it paid by the hour how remarkable is that, the hourly pay is very generous,you would have to drive over 700 mile a day to earn what i will get for 10 hours so things are really looking up.Maybe instead of raving on about how many miles driven i will see how many i haven't driven and money earn't lol,i might be able to indulge in the odd dinnertime nap without feeling i could be chasing the extra dollar.
My last weekend before normal service resumes was a very enjoyable night out in Manchester with friends taking in a chinese and a few to many Jack Daniels.A city which has always been very close to me, i practically grew up there as my dads family are from here, and with such good company making me feel that this is A NEW BEGINNING

The end off the week that was !!!!!!!!!!!!

Not sure what i was supposed to be feeling after leaving work the end of something or the begininng of what maybe, definately a little relieved that i was now close to heading back home and civilisation.It did give me some quality time to spend it with a good many people and maybe one to many Buds.Ive been extremely lucky to have met some wonderful people most from the expat circuit,so when offered a good meal and refreshments i thought it would be rather rude not to oblige.The highlight of the week after been down at UPEI to watch my mates daughter competing in the long jump in which i had coached her (1st ever competion and she came 2nd and put through to the Finals in the provincials this Saturday GOOOOODDD LUCK HUN knock them dead) was trip to Brackley Drive in something ive always fancied doing when you see it on the movies its one of those iconic american things and definately worth a visit.The reality i was actually not returning to Canada hit me on the morning i was off although sad to say goodbye to friends extremely happy to be ending this chapter of my life. Canada thanks but NO thanks.

I Shed A Little Tear

So here i was in my last week of Trucking in America,heading to Georgia empty for a load of meat going back to Toronto.I thought the weather could at least smiled on me and given me one last lovely send off well it had other ideas, rain then torrential rain then more rain all the way down.I arrived at my loading destination Newnan Georgia late Sunday afternoon and dropped my trailer in the customers yard ready for loading Monday morning and of i shuffted down to the pilot truck stop about 5 mile way. Loading completed by midday i was on my way back north taking the same route i had used to come down here all the way up the i 75 until i reached Detriot where i had to make a little detour for meat inspection and where i was to spend the next 7 1/2 hrs.eventually given the green light i headed for The Ambassador bridge linking Detroit with Windsor Canada and my final exit out of The USA .Slightly emotional now i handed my i94 back in then a big red stamp on my paperwork, must go for meat inspection in Canada ARGGGG.A quick phone call and im heading to the Agricultural of Canada place in Windsor for inspection.At least this only took 2 hours not like the previous 7 1/2 hrs we had in Detroit.I headed up the 401 but decide to call it a night in London On as by this time it was gone 11pm.I arrive at my delivery dinnertime Wednesday only to see a queue of trucks who had previously been in the inspection with me they ran straight through expecting to get tipped straight away no such luck here.I eventually dropped my trailer i wasnt sitting there until at least 11pm that evening to unload and despatch was told this enough is enough now.All i wanted was one more load to get me accompany me back east and that came eventually in the shape of a load of produce going to St Johns Newfoundland, so back to PEI for me it was arrivng back on the island late friday evening and ending my employment with Bulk Carriers.I had plenty of thinking time on the route back i look back at the last 18 months and what i have gone through the highs and lows etc,i love the long haul trucking, i love the trucks i absolutely detest the unpaid waiting times if these were infrequent it wouldn't be so bad but it wasn't i go to work to earn money just because my wheels arn't turning ie im waiting to load/unload or waiting for a load offer why do i have to suffer and not earn a dime.So thats it i have a week to sort stuff out have a few Buds with some mates and then Blighty hear i come and whatever the future has to offer.

The Last Party in The USA

I wasn't really expecting much from my final month just the normal New Jersey triangle a few times or perhaps spending all month trying to get loaded at Del monte's in Gloucester,so when i got down to Florida that came as a sweet suprise.I suppose after that then my last trip would definately consist of the mundane (although i do enjoy the south bit its the other parts of the trip that nausiate me),well upto now its not been that way at all, so here goes,i was asked to come in for 8am there is a trailer which has a part load for Amhurst Nova scotia on it,after tipping that i would be reloading at the same store with 42 tyres going back to Brampton (GTA)then my qualcom goes bilistic, message after message it basically reads that after that i have another 6 collections (all tyres) all the way up the New Brunswick coast then into Quebec and along the eastern coast of that province as well somewhere i hadn't been to before.Its definately nice when all things run smoothly i was expecting to be messed around somewhat but no everything went well my last pick up was from Paspebiac qc a very quaint village (this is about 80mile east of Campbelltown)with the sun out and temps hitting a good 9 degrees this was a very pleasent and enjoyable journey.These collections had took me the best part of 2 days to do so i was ready to put some miles in before night fall as i had over 900 mile to do before saturday morning.I parked up in a place called Val -Brilliant (what a name that is)by the river and yep its still got a lot of ice on it winter just seems to be recluctant to give up this year.Late friday afternoon while im trundling down the 401 i get a message explaining about my next trip, then bang im hit with you will be running down to Georgia after ive dropped my trailer off.This isnt the norm at all for us, we never run back into The states from Ontario except to pick Potatoes up from Michigan so well im a little stunned but rather happy. I made it down to Brampton for 7.30am quick drop of my trailer and i shoot to Missisauga to pick up another then im off heading for Detroit, ive crossed here a few times and i always seem to get a full search and xray here,3/4 hr later im doing the jig down the i75 heading south and enjoying my final few days.

Is someone playing with me ???

Again problems with my fuel cards,i get up in the morning and went to fuel up,this is not what i need in the morning as im not the most socialable person, the machine wouldn't accept my card now is this just a coinsidence or have the company either got problems or there playing with me.Again after the guy in the fuel office made a few calls i was ready to fill,not happy at this time a rather blunt message was sent to despatch am i going to suffer these problems for the next 2 weeks again i was informed there not sure what was going on Hummmm.So i made it up to Shelbourne for my delivery and after a pretty quick unload i was told just to hang around where i was they are working on a reload for me,unlike the Uk this is pretty normal they dont normally have anything set in stone until your tipped so it can take a while.Well a couple of hours later im told there was a loaded trailer for me in Woodbridge Ontario this is about 35 miles form where i am i was even given a number this normally indicates that the load is ready to roll,unfortuantely im told otherwise the load was on the customers tralier in a different yard so i will have to wait until they go and get it and tranship it onto one of ours,this only took about 6 hours its turned out to be a great day Not.Anyone who has driven through the Toronto area will know how bad the traffic gets especially on a friday teatime definately not good,so after a long slow crawl i make it up to Napanee for the night.I ended up running back to Moncton with another one of our driver and this is where i find out a little secret,i have only got this drivers word but he seems adament this is true, i was told by him that he is paid more per mile than any other driver,now thinking im not hearing this properly i get him to explain this statement and he tells me that because he "LOOKS" after the company they pay him more, now the guy started just a couple of months before me so as you can imagine this kinda pisses me off,basically i and everyone else who arn't prepared to lets say run creatively get penallised,this is something that i would not normally put onto here but i think this so wrong i was pretty livid .Not something i want to hear really oh well only 2 more weeks to go.Back on the island sunday after noon and its back to the chores of washing, Budweiser, opps did i say that lol, and a little r &r ready for my last trip as an North American truck driver.