Is the sun setting on the Canadian Way?
Never thought I would see the price of a loaf of bread cost seven dollars. Nor did I imagine ground beef upwards of ten dollars per pound.
Read MoreAlberta trucker Mike Murchison shares his experiences on the road through music, photography and humour.
Never thought I would see the price of a loaf of bread cost seven dollars. Nor did I imagine ground beef upwards of ten dollars per pound.
Read MoreIn my last article I discussed the federal government’s desire to start levying fines on drivers for violating the Hours-of-Service rules (HOS). Now I’m not an expert on what branch of government handles what and how they work together. Nor do I know the intricate details of how our tax dollars once collected get dispersed once they are collected. But I do have some ideas I’d like to offer on how drivers can comply with the HOS rules and how the different branches of government can help.
We have established that there is a shortage of rest areas, safe havens and just plain acceptable places for drivers to pull into to take their breaks and rest areas.
Read MoreI have heard the term “segregation” my whole life; I never fully identified with it until I was refused use of washrooms in truck stops in Northern Ontario, or made to stand out in the cold at a drive-through window at a fast-food joint. Standing in the drive-through lane with cars, I felt very out of place. Segregated.
For a while, certain places wouldn’t handle my cash because I travel for a living. Restaurants closed, or downsized to “take-out only” service. I was eating out of paper bags while working and sleeping for days on the road: in the summer heat, and frigid cold of winter.
Read MorePhoto: Mike Murchison by Mike Murchison Yup! You get lonely out here. Lot of Drivers do. Its predictable and usually unavoidable. Away from the family, the friends. Away from the home. That place where you unwind with the people you’re
Read MoreWe, as a country that formerly manufactured things like freezers, lawnmowers, drills, vehicles and a lot of other things, traded our “quality control” overseeing for “ease of convenience” strategies.
Things are not built to last anymore. They are built to give us a sense of immediate gratification, only to be followed by that horrendous sound of silence. That thing we just bought won’t turn on, light up or go whoosh when the switch thingy is flicked.
Read MoreMissed birthdays, anniversaries special occasions, kids growing up too fast, missed Doctor’s appointments, missed community and church involvement.
Furthermore: Driving in weather no one in which their right mind would drive. Traffic jams in major cities that go on for hours. Shippers and Receivers who are frantic for a pickup or delivery yet don’t want to see you when you arrive. Customers who will not hesitate to levy a late fine on you if they can get away with it.
Read MoreYes. We are always being watched, by countless entities. Government, law enforcement. Friends and neighbours and employers.
So, can a person ever get away from it all? Or get away with anything at all? I would think the answer would lie in the “No” category.
Read MoreShe for 70 years was just there. There on a world stage framed by tolerance, dignity, grace and most importantly, servitude. To which, at the young age of 25, she committed without hesitation.
Read MoreIt goes without saying that as much as many of us love hitting the highway to feel the motion, see the view out the windshield, there’s a good reason why music and truckers go together like a tapping foot and a floorboard. They are two ingredients that are needed to help move industry and keep a nation stocked.
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