Tour of Duty 30th June 2008 to 7th July 2008

I was home about a week longer than expected due to business being slow. High fuel prices are no doubt having a detrimental effect on business. I finally received word of a truck being available in Santa Fe Springs, CA going to Calgary. I got a ride to Santa Fe Springs and the truck was not quite ready.

Once the truck was ready I conducted the standard pre-trip safety inspection and found that the headlights were not working! People at the shipper did some electrical work and that got the headlights working properly. I also found the radio was not working and there was no tape deck or CD player. This was going to be a boring ride.

Trip: Santa Fe Springs, CA to Calgary, AB 1,567 paid miles Routes: Interstate 605 to Interstate 10 to Interstate 15 to Alberta 4 to Alberta 3 to Alberta 2 Maximum elevation: 6,870 feet at Monida Pass Continental Divide ID/MT state line on Interstate 15 Permits needed: Trip Permits for NV, AZ, ID and MT.

I got rolling and it was slow going due to the usual traffic jams in the LA area. I fueled at the TA in Ontario, CA and diesel was $4.999 per gallon. I spent the first night in Barstow, CA.

Next day just after I got rolling the fan and air conditioner stopped working! I phoned the company but they would not approve getting it fixed! As a result I was stuck in a bad situation as I cannot just abandon a truck en route (much as I would have liked to do so) as that would make me unhireable in the future. The interior of the truck quickly turned into a blast furnace due to the high desert temperatures and I stopped very frequently and drank copious amounts of bottled water and Gatorade. The temperature in Baker, CA was "only" 104F/40C when I came through and it got up to 108F in Las Vegas. I was feeling some effects from the heat in Moapa, NV and stopped for dinner there. Diesel was $4.669 at the Flying J in St. George, UT. I spent the second night in St. George, UT.

It was still a blast furnace in St. George, UT but I gained altitude as I progressed north and once I reached the higher altitudes the situation was mitigated and it was almost tolerable in the truck. However I still did not enjoy the trip as there was no radio, tape or CD player. I attempted to stay at Motel 6 in Salt Lake City but the parking lot was too full for the truck so I continued and stayed in Woods Cross, UT.

Following day it was still warm but again almost tolerable in the cab as I progressed into and through Idaho. I got a Trip Permit and was shocked to find prices doubled from $30 to $60. Later on I got pulled in at a weigh scale and the officer checked the permit so it was a good thing I got one. I entered Montana and saw lightning to the distance as I approached Dillon. I spent the night in Dillon, MT.

Next day, the Fourth of July, I paid $4.499 for diesel at the Town Pump in Rocker, MT (near Butte). The skies clouded up and I saw raindrops a little north of Helena. There was a thunderstorm in Wolf Creek, MT and on and off rain to Great Falls. I stopped in Great Falls and there was a thunderstorm with winds. North of Great Falls there was more thunderstorm activity and at one point extremely heavy rain. The rain finally let up and I spent the night in Shelby, MT.

Saturday I made it to the border at Sweetgrass, MT and went to US Customs and got the title cleared. Then there was a backup going over to the Canadian side at Coutts, AB and finally I crossed. I was not sent to Immigration but I had to see the broker. The broker did not seem to understand what was going on and did not see anything relative to the truck I was bringing in. I rang the company and after a while (it was Saturday) I got in contact with dispatch and was told this broker was to clear this shipment for another broker. Once I mentioned the name of the other broker the matter was cleared up and I was finally cleared. Then I went to Customs and got final clearance to proceed.

The weigh scale was open and I got weighed but I was not pulled in. I purchased a few liters of fuel in Nanton, AB at $1.439/liter. I finally made delivery and got transport to the Road King Travel Centre where I spent the next two nights at the motel there.

Sunday morning I was picked up and taken to Grace Gospel Church in Calgary. En route I saw that the Stampede was going on. The message was on Colossians 4:6 about speech and the tongue. Communion followed the message then a potluck lunch. Afterwards I was invited to a member's house where people had more food and fellowship. Then I was taken back to the motel.

Monday I rang the company and they thought there would be a truck for me to pick up in Calgary but there was engine trouble and so the decision was made to fly me home. I got a ride to the airport and had a lot of time to kill there. While at the airport a thunderstorm rolled through.

I checked in and there was a considerable line. I checked bags and was charged $26.26 CAD for the second bag. I cleared US Customs after another line and cleared security after almost no line. There was no hand search of my carry-ons. The plane was late arriving.

Horizon Air #2537 YYC-SEA CRJ-700 Seat 17E Cruising altitude 36,000 feet Estimated flying time 1:15, actual 1:13 Scheduled departure 18h00, actual 19h31 Scheduled arrival 18h40, actual 20h00

Plane was full or nearly full. Pushback from gate 33 was 1h31 minutes late followed by taxi/hold of 13 minutes and takeoff to the north. Water, cranberry, beer and wine were offered and the first water run was at 0:20. Red Torino Mini Bruschetta was also served with quantity of .42oz/12g or four pieces. At 0:26 the seatbelt sign went off. I ate the sandwich I bought at YYC. Later there was a second and third cup of water. I felt descent begin and the seatbelt sign went on at 0:52. I saw the Cascades and Mt. Baker. We overflew SEA, swung around and landed south to north. Taxi was 3minutes and we arrived 1h20min late at gate C2.

Alaska #450 SEA-LAX B-737-700 Seat 6F Cruising altitude 39,000 feet Estimated flying time 2:04, actual 2:10 Scheduled departure 21h00, actual
20h59 Scheduled arrival 23h41, actual 23h27 Ticket cost: unknown

Plane was mostly but not totally full. I was in the front row of coach. Pushback from gate C11 was one minute early followed by taxi/hold of 13 minutes. Takeoff was to the north and I saw Lake Washington, Bellevue and Lake Sammammish and Interstate 90. We made a right "U" turn and during that I saw Mt. Rainier. Later I saw the Tacoma area and the bottom of Puget Sound.

Seatbelt sign went off at 0:18 and at 0:20 we crossed the Columbia River a little east of Portland. There was a drink run at that time and I got cup of ginger ale and a packet of Gourmet Party Mix. At 0:49 there was another drink run and I had cup of root beer. Later I saw the lights of what I thought was Sacramento and Stockton followed by Modesto.

I felt descent begin at 1:43 and seatbelt sign went on at 1:44. We went over the water, turned inland and I saw the LA basin partly covered by clouds. We turned to head west and I saw downtown to the distance and railyards down below. We landed east to west and taxi was 4 minutes. We arrived at gate 33B 14 minutes early. I got my checked bags 27 minutes after arrival and took a shuttle home.