Traveling with Trucker Tomo: May 2011

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Calgary to Minot and Back!

A & F = Calgary, Alberta B= Swift Current, Saskatchewan

C= Regina, Saskatchewan D= Minot, North Dakota

E= Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Tomo left Calgary on Friday and bobtailed it down to Swift Current, Saskatchewan. On Saturday he picked up the trailer in Regina and went down to Minot, North Dakota. On Sunday midday he will be swapping trailers with a driver with a load from Muscatine, Iowa. He will be heading back up to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and then on to Calgary, Alberta.

Has been raining in southern Alberta for a while and this photo is on the freeway going through Calgary. There were couple places here and there that was under water like this one.

On the way to Swift Current, Saskatchewan yesterday, Tomo saw a recovery job going on. Tomo said that he really doesn't want to go off the road and definitely not on his side!!

These are on the way to Minot this morning. Just before Kenmare, North Dakota. This was ONE LONG TRAIN!!

Finally Tom saw the end of it .... Total of 10 minutes but felt more like 20. On top of that it was only going about 10~15 mph which wasn't pleasant.

Tomo was able to get to meeting in Minot, North Dakota and is now back on the road heading to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and then on to Calgary.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Surprise in Saskatoon.... jinx or wish???

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Well on Friday night, Tomo was at a truck stop in Waverly, Iowa when he had a call from a fellow trucker that was headed up to Saskatoon with a load that would deliver on Monday. This was the load that Tomo would have loved to have, as it would have given him the weekend in Saskatoon with the friends that put him up when his truck broke down last winter. Oh, well.... maybe another time.

So as Tomo was heading up to Edmonton, he had a feeling something was wrong and pulled over to check his truck. Well, just outside of Saskatoon he found that his truck was leaking fuel big time. The seals had worn out and so..... he was towed back to Saskatoon for the night. It was Victoria Day in Canada and a national holiday so the shops were all closed. Tomo was able to call the friends and in the end had a nice time with them for the night.

On Tuesday morning, he took his truck to the freight liner shop in Saskatoon and they finished with it at 4:00 pm. Tomo spent the night again in Saskatoon and on Wednesday morning at 6:00 am he left for Edmonton, Alberta. He arrived at 11:00 am with the hopes to get unloaded at Lowe's in Edmonton quickly. He got to the loading dock at 11:15 am but didn't get unloaded until 5:00 pm. After that his Drive Manager told him to go to Calgary for the night.

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On Thursday morning he started in Calgary, came down to the yard. It was the first time in a long time, that he dead-headed (traveling empty) down to the yard from Edmonton. He picked up a trailer that was bound for Calgary and he had to be there by 13:00 on Friday. He spent the night at Rocker, Montana and headed out at 4:00 in the morning.

These are pictures between Great Falls and Helena, Montana.

It was dumping rain from Calgary down to Shelby and started to lift from Shelby on. Very nice weather all the way from great falls and south.

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Currently Tomo is bob-tailing it to Regina, Saskatchewan to pick up a trailer that was left there last winter when another driver had a break down. Then Tomo is taking that trailer down to Minot, North Dakota for a swap....... he thinks..... always changing so.... wait and see.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Wood chips to Shopping carts.......

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A= Fargo, North Dakota B= Muscatine, Iowa C= Cedar Rapids, Iowa
D= Waverly, Iowa E= Edmonton, Alberta

Once again, the plans changed and Tomo was told to go down to Muscatine, IA and swap trailers. Then head back north for a delivery in Edmonton, Alberta on Tuesday. Tomo started in Fargo, North Dakota and went to Muscatine, IA and the he headed back north and shut down in a town called Waverly, IA. Due to this change of plans and not having a lot of hours left, unfortunately, Tomo will have to skip meeting on Sunday.

Tomo is hauling shopping carts for Lowe's. They are building a new store in Edmonton and he is going to deliver on Tuesday.

Coming down from Minot, North Dakota.

Lots of Rain around Minnesota

Now coming into Blue skies in Minnesota.

East of Mason City, Iowa

Another East of Mason City, Iowa.

Rolling into Muscatine, Iowa.

End of this road is the plant in Muscatine, Iowa.

Sunset in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Friday, May 20, 2011

Another WILD GOOSE CHASE ... where is the Trucker Tomo NOW!!

From Buffalo, Wyoming to Judith Gap, Montana to Great Falls, Montana to Edmonton, Alberta.

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Well the dream load to Texas..... didn't pan out!! Instead, Tomo was in the wonderful land of Ogallala, Nebraska!! He traded trailers with another driver and got a mysterious load, that only when he was unloading in Edmonton, Alberta did he find out what he was carrying. It was water treatment materials!!

Outside Billings, Montana

Judith Gap, Montana

Great Falls, Montana

Then he made his way down to Nisku, Alberta and was able for the meeting on Wednesday night. After the meeting he headed Spruce Grove for the night and on to Acheson, Alberta to get a load of Wood chips. He headed toward Shelby, Montana and at Calgary where he fueled up for the trip south, he received his paperwork for the load and found that he was to be going via Portal, North Dakota. He headed out of Calgary with the wood chips and booked it to Portal, North Dakota. A complete waste of miles and hours, he rolled into Portal at 23:30 MST, Maxing out all his hours for the day!!

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