I had the pleasure of traveling with Janet's Uncle, Colin Stead from Cambridge Ontario to Seattle Washington between January 5th and January 15th 2007.

Colin drives for Westayr Transportation Systems out of Cambridge, Ontario. He travels to points in the Western USA including Oregon and Washington and back to Cambridge. His runs are typically between 8-10 days in duration and involve driving over 10,000 kms. He drives a 2007 Western Star Classic Sleeper tractor which includes two bunks, a microwave oven, refrigerator, and television.

I would first like to thank Colin and his employer Westayr for allowing me the opportunity to travel with him on his regular run. It was the experience of a lifetime, not only to see the scenery that abounds between Ontario and the west coast, but to also gain some insight into the fascinating world of long distance trucking. Like most people, I had no concept of what the average truck driver endures on a long distance run. In fact I think most people even have a dislike for trucks and thier drivers because of the size of the rigs and the power they wield. I have a new respect for trucks and thier drivers. Most of the drivers I encountered were very responsible professionals who operate within the highly regulated and restrictive framework. The drivers are part of a unique brotherhood who communicate regularly via CB radio and keep each other abreast of the many dangers that lie ahead.

Colin’s rig comes complete with two sleeping bunks. It delivers an amazing 515 horse power, has 13 forward gears and can travel on cruise control in any gear. Speed limits vary from one state to the next. In Oregon the speed limit is 55 mph for trucks, yet in Nebraska & Wyoming it is 75 mph. Many trucks have a governor installed in the engine, which typically limits the speed of the tractor to 65 mph. Colin’s truck has no artificial limitations on how fast it will travel and therefore he can take full advantage of highways with higher speed limits. In fact this high performance GM Diesel engine sounds and feels “happiest” at 75 mph. At 75 mph the tachometer shows the engine is only revving at 1600-1700 rpm’s. The tractor can pull a fully loaded trailer up steep hills with amazing performance.

We left Cambridge Ontario with a varying payload of hard wood flooring, trailer parts, machine parts, Christmas decorations, belt buckles, exhaust fans, and more. All these various items are placed on skids in the trailer, are shrink wrapped, and each had their own respective customer and delivery address. When we arrived at a delivery location, we had no idea what sort of equipment was available to unload these heavy deliveries. One customer was located in a gravel yard and the forklift that was used to remove the load got stuck in the mud once it picked up the heavy skid. After we delivered our final skid in Seattle, Colin received instructions from home base to pick up a load of 45,000 lbs of apples in Cowichie Washington (near Yakima) and bring them home to Mississauga, Ontario.

We slept in the tractor each night amid varying temperatures outside. On the coldest nights, Colin would leave the tractor running all night because that was our only form of heat. Other nights, we would sleep with the engine turned off and would awaken in the morning to very frosted windows. Colin has a number of favourite truck stops he frequents. The reason he uses the same truck stops over and over again is because they are at the end of his legal driving range. Truckers are allowed by law to drive 11 hours and then take 10 hours off. The last thing Colin does before taking the rig onto the highway, is to complete his driver’s log and this is also the first thing he does when he stops.

As mentioned earlier, this was the trip of a lifetime for me and I would like to thank Colin once again for allowing me to tag along. I saw some of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen. I lived the life of a trucker for 10 days, and I took plenty of photos. Taking pictures on a trip like this is a photographer's nightmare. The rig is almost always on the move. The landscape is often moving by at over 60 mph. The cab is constantly vibrating while the engine is running, and the roads are rarely flat enough to give a smooth ride. The side view mirrors severely restrict the field of vision out the passenger window. However, I did the best I could to take as many good photos as possible. Please feel free to browse through the many exciting pictures that were taken on this wonderful trip. I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I enjoyed the challenge of taking them.

Keep on Truckin!

Dan Herbert