Maritime Ride & Pride
It's not what we do.... It's who we are....
In The Driver's Lounge - Recognising our Drivers
"It's not what we do, it's who we are"
JJ Scott
Well I was born in June 1966 I grew up as a child around construction and machinery at a very young age I was intrigued with trucks and as soon as I could get a job driving a truck I took it. That would’ve been 30 some years ago I’ve seen a lot of changes over the years from prepaid phone cards and truck stop pay phones to smart phones and GPS. I hauled seafood most of my life. I have owned a few trucks also had a variety of jobs hauling different things over the years from oversize loads with Atlantic tiltload to containers off the Halifax pier. I did The Alberta thing for a few years in Fort McMurray I’m currently back home full-time due to my parents getting on in years not sure what my next step will be but it’s always an adventure.
David Nauss
David Nauss, my trucking bio.
My mother taught me to drive the tractor at the age of 8 and taught me to drive truck at 12 years old in the field hauling hay. I starting my trucking career 48 years ago at the age of 17, this was the first truck I drove for Morris Bruhm, hauling lumber through the Atlantic Provinces. (Ford 700 1962)
My mother taught me to drive the tractor at the age of 8 and taught me to drive truck at 12 years old in the field hauling hay. I starting my trucking career 48 years ago at the age of 17, this was the first truck I drove for Morris Bruhm, hauling lumber through the Atlantic Provinces. (Ford 700 1962)
In 1972 I drove this truck for Lorraine Thomas building sand seal roads from Ingramport to the Shelburne county line. (Ford 700 1968 5speed overdrive)
This was the first diesel I drove at the age of 20 for Paceship Yachts in Mahone Bay running team hauling boats from Mahone Bay all through the Eastern Seaboard and west to Minnesota. (International 1973 671 Detroit 238hp 10speed)
Frist truck I drove for Percy Wentzell, hauling boats all through Canada and the US, first time my wife went with me on a long haul. (Chevy 1974 366 gas engine)
This is the second truck I drove for Percy Wentzell hauling fiberglass pipe for ABCO from Mahone Bay all through Canada and the US. (International 1971 NTC 250 Cummins 10speed)
Third truck driven for Percy Wentzell, hauling freight all through Canada and US. (International 1978 big cam 290 Cummins with 10speed, Ronnie Brown from Cummins Dartmouth did a motor job and put a number 5 button in the pump, this thing would put the black smoke out but it worked)
Same truck with the Black Smoke rolling on top of Wolf Creek pass in Colorado.
Starting driving this rig in 1988, first truck I drove with air ride, hauling step-deck throughout Canada and the US hauling wide loads. This was a deal that you leased the driver and rented the truck to the customer. (International 1984 with 350 Cummins 15 direct transmission)
This picture was taken in going in to Waskaganish, PQ this is the half way point reporting station for the 116km winter road.
Starting driving for superior propane in 1989, delivery propane locally throughout Hubbards to Barrington Passage, only propane truck with a stainless stack, first brand new truck I ever drove. (Ford 1989 inline 6 ford engine 20hp 10 speed transmission)
While in the off season from Superior Propane I drove for Delmer Ritcey on with Seaboard hauling bunker C. (International either 87 or 88, 425 Cat 13speed).
In 1992 I stared driving for Seaboard Liquid Carriers, hauling fuel, oil and liquid air to Ontario. (Freightliner 1987 400 Cummins 15 direct transmission)
Switched trucks in 1995 for Seaboard. (Freightliner 1995 435 Cat 13speed)
In 1998 still on with Seaboard this being my third truck, hauling mostly liquid air for Air Liquide. (Century Class Freightliner 1998 430-500 Detroit 13speed)
Last truck I drove for Seaboard in 2003. (Kenworth 2003 475 bridgecat engine(had no power) 13speed)
In 2003, I started driving for Willard Killam (Eagle Trucking) hauling for Air Liquide B-Trains and hauling tanks for Eagle. (Classic Freightliner 2001 500 ISX Cummins 18speed)
2nd Truck I drove for Eagle Trucking hauling Air Liquide. (2005 International Eagle 500 ISX Cummins 18speed)
Last Truck Willard bought me before he passed away in 2007. (International Eagle 2007 565 ISX Cummins 1850 torque 18speed) This one was the nicest and had the most power of all the trucks I drove in my 48 year career.
When Eagle Trucking was purchase by R&G Transportation in Sussex NB, this is the first and the only truck I specked myself nice truck. They then combined companies and were called Eagle Transportation
Services this pic was taken in Port Aux Basques at the ferry (Freightliner Coronado 2013 565 DD15 18speed)
When Augrapour bought out Eagle Transportation 2014, I decided to take my trucking career to Fort St. John BC driving a tri-quad for OCULUS. (Kenworth 2014 500 PacCar 1850 torque 18speed)
Left out west and come home in 2016 to drive for King Freight Lines doing mostly Michelin work in the US, first and last automatic I drove or will drive. (Volvo 2015 505 Volvo Engine Automatic)
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In 2016 after my son starting driving for TDR, I joined him. I hope this is the last stop in my driving career. This is truck I currently drive hauling referrer all through Canada and US. Love my PacCar!! (579 Peterbuilt 2016 455 PacCar 1650 torque 13 speed).
Stephane Robichaud
"At 8 yrs old I got in a truck for the first time and from that moment I knew what I wanted to do.
Growing up, I've been lucky to learn from experienced drivers so at 18 got my class 1A, dream come true. Six months later I bought my own truck a W900 KW with a Tri-Axle flat bed, kept it a few years and then I wanted to try something else so I sold the rig and started working at Down-East Transport in 2000 hauling B-Trains. The company's been sold in 2013 and stayed with the new owners till last year, as you can tell I don't like change, lol. Now I'm usually home every night working for Warren Transport. Over the years I've hauled to the states and all over Canada, it's been a great experience. I still love trucking like the first day and people that are close to me would say I live for those big trucks. For the past 23yrs I've been living my dream, my passion. I'm old school big time, I respect people and especially old drivers, if you want to talk about trucking, I'm in, it's the only thing I know."
"Been at it for 23yrs and my wife been part of it for 21yrs and I have a beautiful daughter that will turn 20 this year. It hasn't been easy for them. It's not easy for drivers to be gone, but we all know it's the same sacrifice for those waiting at home for us to come back, never knowing if we will. That's why I never had much hobbies, if I'm not at work, I'm home with my family. Here's a few rides I drove over the years, I don't have much pics."
MaryJo Murray ~~ ....you are such an awesome guy....a great mentor....come in on your day off to help me with my first load of rebar going to Labrador..and helping to teach me to throw my straps I was frustrated but you were always patient and laughing....a wonderful friend
John Strayhorn~~ Living legend is right. He is one in a million. Glad to be able to call you a friend buddy
Leo Fewer~~ There is a living legend right there. And one of the greatest men I ever hade the pleasure to call a friend.. Le grand French Man himself.
Joe N Alycia Sirois~~ One of the best guys I know. Old school is true. When I started driving I was with the same company as Stephane Robichaud. He gave me many tips and tricks. And helped me out so much when everything went bad. 100% top notch guy
Tara Lynn Tucker We are very lucky to call him our friend, he has the kindest heart and is true old school !!!
This week on 'In The Driver's Lounge with Uncle Lou & Sister Sam', we shine the spotlight on Adam Christopher Boyd from a small town in New Brunswick called Hatfield Point. When 'Work Hard Smokey' isn't running the blacktop out of Halifax, to parts unknown, you will most likely find him taking his young son Jonah on adventures and making precious memories. You may also catch our hard-working flat better listening to his favorite song, Backyard Lullaby by Demun Jones or daydreaming about his dream truck, a Mack Superliner. You will always be greeted by a hearty smile and firm handshake maybe even a slap on the back from this one-of-a-kind truck driver.
Keep On Truckin and keep the shiny side up driver, C'mon!
This week on 'In The Driver's Lounge with Uncle Lou & Sister Sam'
Jeremie worked at his family's fish plant from the time he was a kid and always had dreams of running the family business one day.
He caught the trucking bug early and at the age of 18, he began driving professionally and he hauled whatever he had to in order to make a living.
In 2009 he bought his first truck and started his own trucking company called Jeremie Cormier Trucking adding a second truck in 2012. Later that same year, he and his brother stepped back into the family business when their dad decided to step down. The trucking bug never left him and in 2017 he bought his first brand new Pete and ventured into long-haul a year later.
In his down time you can find him spending precious memories with his wife, daughter and son hunting camping and four-wheeling.
This week we roll A Few Miles on the CB with the one and only, Ian Smith.
His first truck was a Freight Shaker for Irving Oil 8 years ago and he's been tearing up the blacktop out of St John, NB ever since.
When he's not trucking, you can find him at home relaxing, having a few drinks and hanging out with his girlfriend Brittany while his favorite song 'Damn DOT' blasts through the house.
Our driver likes to have fun live streaming to Facebook and when he's on forced breaks from social media, you'll most likely find him ministering to the morally misguided souls in Zuckerberg Correctional Institute 🤣🤣
So let's all give a blast on the air horn and a flash of the lights to this week's road warrior, Ian Smith
Ross is one of the best owner-operator/broker to work for says Mike Ouellet, in the top 3 ever.
This week In The Driver's Lounge with Uncle Lou & Sister Sam: Ross M Erb, a.k.a. "Bigfoot"
Ross Erb hails from N.B. He started off working in the trucking industry by loading, unloading, shipping, receiving, shunting trailers, and driving straight trucks in Ontario. He moved back home in 1988 and went for his class 1 in 1989. He has been in the industry for 30 years, although he has not been OTR for the past 3 years due to a medical condition, but he enjoys running a over head crane loading trucks with steel. "It takes alot of skill to operate 1 of those cranes" Ross says. When he isn't playing with trucks or cranes he enjoys spending time with his wife and seeing grandchildren as much as he can.
In the end he is currently trying to find a local job for himself, his truck and business which is Ross M Erb Transport Ltd.
Today we fire up the CB call over-the-air for Mikey Bobby. This second generation trucker who lives in St Catharines Ontario drives his dream truck, a 2007 Peterbilt 379 Legacy, OTR in Canada for Marbert transport of Lindsay Ontario.
His love of trucks and machines and the draw of following in his dad's footsteps are what led him to trucking 10 years ago and he see's himself doing this for years to come. When at home, Mikey loves to spend time doing renos, working on vehicles, and riding his ATV with his lady, Kristen and their baby girl, Angelica. Their faithful dog Shelby it's always close by with a watchful eye keeping everyone safe.
If you're out and about and see this big beautiful truck, grab the mic and holler out for Crazy Cooter! You're sure to get a response from this one-of-a-kind driver.
May the roads be smooth and the scales be closed for you, Mikey!
Today we turn the CB to channel 19 crank the volume, grab the mic and call out over-the-air for Kyle.
Our step deck driver hails from Ste. Anne, Manitoba and runs the ice roads out of Winnipeg in a '96 Freightliner Classic flat top named Edith.
This 2nd generation trucker was lured to the industry by the freedom, the sound of a jake brake and of course, like all of us the shiny chrome.
Kyle's proudest moments in trucking include the experiences and knowledge he has acquired, the family gained along the way and the life he left behind.
He runs local and OTR making sure that his six kids are well taken care of and on down days, you will find him building 'cool shit' with his mini's catching cruise night in 'The Peg' or turning wrenches on friends and family cars.
One day, in the very near future, we might catch him running as an owner operator in his dream truck, a Ford LTL 9000 with Kick Push by Lupe Fiasco blasting through the stereo. With a heart as big as his, helping out friends, family and animals alike, you see what a true and proud man he really is.
Let's all take this time to give him a blast on the airhorn and a flash of the lights. Go safe, driver!
On this installment of a few miles on a CB, we crank the volume, turn the knob to 19 and call out for Zippy AKA Ryan Mcvie .
Based in his hometown of Nanaimo BC, although he considers all of Vancouver Island his home, Ryan hauls explosives in his Peterbilt or one of the other fleet trucks.
Our resident suicide jockey got into Trucking 18 years ago and claims that his love of trucks, as a kid, was the reason why.
Not surprisingly his favorite trucks are an old Hayes and his current Pete. When he's home, Ryan loves spending time with his lovely wife Emma, their son Cody and their little dog Pepper hiking the beautiful countryside of Vancouver Island or playing Beer League ball.
His favorite song your truck to is AC/DC 'Who Made Who' and his favorite Trucking movie is Smokey and the Bandit.
Surprising because Convoy has the suicide jockey...
Let's all give a blast on the air horn to Ryan as he wheels on by with another load of BOOM bound for somewhere on the island.
Safe Truckin' Brother
* special thanks to Ian Murray for the Cardtel
I’ve been driving truck for 8 years. I started at Halifax Transfer, and for the last 5 years now I have worked for Irving Oil, out of Saint John, New Brunswick.
I started there working my ass off hauling a 150 ft hose at houses “Furnace oil”. In less then a year I was given a commercial diesel run, this is the bread and butter run. I do large drops with 20ft of hose or less.
I’m a 3rd generation driver. Not only has my father and late grandfather driven truck, but so are uncles and cousins, even an uncle in England on my grandmother's side.
If I wasn’t driving truck I may have became a paramedic, I used to be a volunteer medical first responder for a ambulance organization and enjoyed that.
I am the father of two wonderful kids, both my son and daughter enjoy trucks.
One hobby I have is amateur boxing, which I haven’t been able to do lately because of a wrist injury.
I do not have an official handle, however because I work nights, I’ve had coworkers call me (Night watch) (because of John Snow night watch)
Apparently a game of thrones reference, “ have never watched lol”
From John
Jen Swetnams
This week, a rolloing interview with Jen Swetnams & Sister Sam.
-Where are you from?
-Saint john/Hampton area
-What made you get into the trucking industry? How long?
-I figured out a few years back that driving is about the only thing I'm really good at and really enjoy doing so once I realized that, getting my class 1 was an easy decision.
-Iv been licensed for 3.5 years and its been the best thing iv ever done for myself.
-Do you have a radio handle?
-Nope
-If you could be doing anything else besides the trucking industry what would it be?
-Absolutely nothing. Lol
-What are your hobbies?
-Drag racing my sport bike, collecting mini 3 wheelers and offroading in my little 4x4 suzuki
-What do you like to do in your down time, ie. Family etc.
-My down time is usually spent with my husband. we do alot of drag racing, a little road racing (on track) or just go out for a rip in/on one of the toys.
-And anything else you feel you want to add, go ahead.
-This passed winter was my first season in yellowknife driving the ice roads. It was the most amazing experience of my life. I'm so happy I gave it a try and cant wait to go back. Nothing else in the world compares to rolling across that ice with the northern lights overhead. I am counting down the days untill I can go back
Amy Herring
This week, a rolling interview with Amy Herring & Sister Sam
~What is your home town?
~Nine Mile Creek, Prince Edward Island
~Where are you based out of?
~Charlottetown PE
~What do you currently Drive?
~2010 Volvo (Rhonda...she’s a bitch)
~What made you want to get into Trucking in the first place?
~I am a self made farm kid, I always liked being in the tractors etc where my horse was kept. I went to school, got my BBA, worked in an office for a few years before I got laid off, then went back to work on one of the biggest dairy farms on PEI. Eventually I wanted to help do silage harvest, aka drive the dump trucks, but wasn’t allowed to, I had to milk. So I got a bit bent out of shape, and when the opportunity came to go back to school for my class 1, I took that step and here we are.
~What generation of trucker are you 1st 2nd 3rd?
~1st and likely last ha!
~Where do you see yourself in this industry in the next 5 years?
~Unless I start popping out babies, I hope to stay where I am. I mostly run local and Maritimes, and operate as a commissioned driver for a private horse transport company for Maritimes to ON. But you never know, I may shoot for terminal manager if life changes, or start operating on a bigger scale in the horse world
~What are you most proud of about your career so far in trucking?
~I am self motivated and have learned everything skill wise (outside of 6 weeks of school and 2 weeks coaching with "el chapo", a trucking friend) as it has come my way. As a female driver, we are noticed more quickly, good or bad, in this industry. I think I do a decent job running with the boys, and take pride in trying to be very good at what I do, with a touch of OCD and a pink jacket.
~Past or present, what was your favorite truck to drive?
~One of the more challenging trucks was a 2014 Western Star, she was tri drive and geared for swamp work, felt like driving a tank, but that truck taught me more in 6 months in AB about being a conscious and accurate operator than all of my others combined. She saved my ass a few times too.
~Are you a regional, local or OTR driver?
~Started OTR eastern triangle mostly, did AB tanker work, and now run maritime reefer and dry van.
~Are you married or have girlfriend?
~No girlfriends here, just a pack of dogs
~Do you have kids.?
~Just fur kids
~Do you have pets? Names?
~Too many. Nash (international obvi), Diesel and Lola are the dogs, Sophie and Hobbs are the horses
~How long have you been trucking?
~Almost 7
~What you do for fun out of the truck.?
~I organize a ton of events and horse shows on PEI, and I compete in general performance and Showmanship with my Quarter Horse mare, trying to move up to regional and eventually national breed shows with her. Also hanging out with my nieces
~What's your favorite song to truck to?
~Anything Jason Aldean, Post Malone is my new slow jam go to, and when I need a reminder why the fuck I’m still in a truck on hour 15, work bitch by Britney ha!
~What is your dream truck?
~I love the Kw W9, but I’m forever a pickup girl. A burgundy and black trimmed, heavy spec 1 ton GMC duramax would keep me happy for a bit I’m sure.
~What's your CB handle? If you have one.
~Not a clue, don’t think there is one! I get called a princess often
~Smokey and the Bandit OR
Convoy?
~Convoy
Ryan McMahon
We're going to introduce Ryan McMahon, aka Kid Flatbed, a 26 year old first generation driver/owner operator from Dunnville ON. Ryan owns a 2022 Peterbilt 567 and is leased on to Jonker trucking out of Caistor Center ON doing mostly regional flatbed/step deck loads in US and Canada. In 5 years Ryan hopes to own his own company with a fleet of trucks. When he's not on the road he's at home cooking on the smoker, burning down his parents house, brewing his own beer, playing hockey or golf or spending time with his friends, family and 2 docks Mack and Shadow. His favorite trucking story is "coming from SK, the axles need to be closed, but down in the states I needed them open because of weight. I couldn’t get the damn things to slide with a full load on. I pulled into Wyoming scale, overweight. The girl in the office says do you know you’re 1200lbs over on the drives? I said yes I do know, but I can’t get the damn axle to slide, and I can’t get to my lumber to use as wheel chocks because it’s right up against the load. She says hmmm, well I can lend you my wheel chocks and if you can get the axle to slide I won’t give you any fines or warnings, but since you’re here I’m gonna give you a level 1 inspection. Ok no problem. I managed to slide my axles but I ran over her wheel chocks about 20 times and there was nothing left but a pile of shredded lumber. She’s like OMG!! I can’t believe this, but you just destroyed my only set of wheel chocks so now I can’t even give you a level 1!! " Cheers to the kid kicker Ryan McMahon Contributed by : Rob Lipscombe
Sandy Morton
Today we're gonna give a big moist shout out to Sandy Morton, a 37 year old, 15 year Winnipeg Manitoba veteran who runs ethanol for co-op 5 days on 5 days off between Minnedosa and Regina. Out side of work she spends time with her boyfriend Troy, his 5 year old daughter Isla, 10 year old son Ben and dog Harley. Her favorite truck was a 2011 western star rollin coal out the stacks from a Detroit motor and if you catch her in the mountains you can bet she's slamming gears to the beat of Def Leopard. Let's give a big cheers to the Queen of Mositatoba, Sandy Morton
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Contributed by: Rob Lipscombe
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