Alberta trucker Mike Murchison shares his experiences on the road through music, photography and humour.
“Deep Fried Medicare” Photo: Mike Murchison by Mike Murchison Nothing like the rhythm off the road. Wheels humming, pistons stroking…. but what happens when YOU have a stroke…? Driver health is often put on the back burner; it’s often neglected
Read MoreSo why now? Why haul cows at my age? Hell, I’m 61 years old. I should be looking for the least amount of physical stress that might be available to me.
But no!
Read MoreWinter can seem longer when there’s no heat. Worse when its dark.
You think life is picking on you, and you can drift into the Negative realm of your mental capacities.
Breaking down in what seems “The Middle of Nowhere” (don’t bother punching it in Google Maps) can seem inconvenient and maybe cruel.
“Why me? Why now?’”
Well.
Breaking down near the house doesn’t really count in my books. You’ve got to be at least 150 miles from anything for it to count on your fortitude scale.
Read MoreIt’s out here that Cowboys did and still do make a go of it. Moving the stock from one grazing pasture to another. Punching holes in the watering hole so cattle can access the water. Spreading hay bales across a white landscape to feed the herd.
It still goes on, and I see it all the time. Day and night. The art and business of cowboyography is alive and well. You just need to know where to look.
Trucking is similar in many ways. You’re out there. Cutting through those windswept acres in the dead of winter on a concrete trail.
Ian Tyson was 89 when he passed away December 29th. He will be missed by those who knew him, loved him and those who absorbed his music. Ian Tyson was a phenomenal songwriter and a great singer up until a medical issue took his voice. But even then, he kept singing, playing and recording.
What did he do for me? His music and his words helped a young kid from a big city settle his nerves and showed him, little by little, that he could make a new home. A fresh start in this “Land of Shining Mountains” under that big Alberta sky.
Read MoreNever 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
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