Friday 30 July 2010

This is a warning to other drivers using toll roads. I was using the toll road around Houston, Texas. This road has 4 or 5 collection points around it. At one of the toll booths I was charged $6, handed over the correct amount and carried on my way. That evening whilst doing my paperwork I discovered that I had only been given a receipt for $1.50, the cost for a car not a truck. I told this story to a couple of drivers and have since discovered that the practice is common. The collector can supplement their income from truck drivers who don't check the receipt before leaving the toll booth.
I have contacted the company who operate this toll road and they are willing to send me a receipt for the correct amount but refuse to acknowledge that there is a problem or that this happens regularly.
Fortunately we have ez pass so this cuts down on cash payments on the longer and more expensive turnpikes but ez pass is not accepted here.
I have only lost $4.50 so it's not the money but the principle. At least I have learned a lesson on a small payment.






Wow that was a hot one, temperatures got as high as 41c Sunday afternoon in Texas.

I delivered in Houston Monday morning and got my reload from Lawton, Oklahoma. I arrived in Oklahoma Tuesday morning to discover my load would not be ready until that night at the earliest so off to find something to eat and chill for the day. At 5.45 that night I got a message to say my load had been cancelled and to await further instructions.

Next morning, before I was even out of bed I had another reload from Topeka, Kansas coming back to Steinbach.

A trip of 3200 miles in 6 days, 1 of them sitting and 808 miles empty.

Today is the annual Pioneer Day Parade in Steinbach and it is the first time I will have seen this since arriving in Canada, weather not looking good though, having thunderstorms right now.

Leaving again tomorrow on my next adventure.

Thursday 22 July 2010


Went out on the atv again today and found some lovely trails. Things were going great till the drive belt on Chris' quad snapped after he had pulled me out of a bog.
Back to work tomorrow and going to Houston, Tx.

Wednesday 21 July 2010


A real quick trip, left on Monday and home again Wednesday afternoon for 1374 miles. Leaving again Friday.
Time for more quadding 0-))


Friday 16 July 2010

Got back home this morning after a two week trip and 5700 miles. I even managed to watch the world cup final in Toronto last week.
Got a busy weekend planned which includes quadding and a birthday party for a friend on Sunday.

Thursday 8 July 2010

As I mentioned in my last post I have left my camera at home this trip. Well that came back to bite me because I was travelling through Illinois yesterday when I heard that "The Truckers Jamboree" was on at Iowa 80 truck stop, the largest truckstop in the world.
As I had time to spare I decided to stop on my way through and have a look. Really missed not having my camera. Took a few snaps on my phone and when I work out how to transfer them onto my laptop I will post them on here.

Monday 5 July 2010

Won't be many pictures from this trip, my camera is still at home in the quad.
Delivered Ottawa Monday morning and loading Drummondville, Quebec tomorrow afternoon, so sitting getting paid for doing nothing lol.
Will be heading for Vermillion with this load tomorrow for delivery Friday morning.