Snow
Dec 20th 2008, 6:50 pm
#91
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2008
Location: Picture Butte, Alberta, Canada.
Posts: 223
Re: Snow
No doubt you "old lags" are gonna hoot at this post. But I just gotta ask!!
Do your trucks have night heaters? Or a heater other than the 14 ltr one?
Also, you guys all get given 6 by 4s (in other words double drive). The trailers seem to have very short pins... So how do you get enough weight on the drive in the snow? Does one axle lift? I've driven trucks with single drive with a rear bogie lift in the snow (Scandanavia). Now if you have a tri-axle trailer & can lift the leading axle on the trailer as well you get approx 22t on the drive - nice. Believe me you can get up near on anything, with good winter tyres. Just how do you manage with double drive? I remember one O/D tried a double drive in Rumo/Bulgy one winter, it was crap in the mountains. Bad on the hairpins, it wanted to go straight on!! The best outfit in the mountains in the winter was the 3 axle unit with single drive & a bogie lift. With double drive you couldn't get enough weight over the bogie - result - musical snow chains. That might look good in writing, but pisses you off when you've had em on & off 5 times a day.
I'm just abit curious, cos I read somewhere you can only go to 36t gross in the US? Double drive = bad fuel consumption, more wear & tear, especially tyres. 36t? No prob with a 2 axle unit. I believe Canada is 66t with the roadtrains? I can see the point there. Do you get a choice? Or is it: "look mate, there it is, now go forth..."
I've talked to a guy on Bison. He said the truck is a shed, but he is expected to go all over Canada in the winter with it. Chains, yes. Winter tyres no. No night heater of any kind.
Another started with Big Freight, same story. Is this some kind of initiation? Give em a pile of junk & see if they can do it?
I'm trying to get the true picture before I waste £1000+ on an exploratory trip. Cos if they try the above tricks with me it might well end up with me telling them to go forth.....
Do your trucks have night heaters? Or a heater other than the 14 ltr one?
Also, you guys all get given 6 by 4s (in other words double drive). The trailers seem to have very short pins... So how do you get enough weight on the drive in the snow? Does one axle lift? I've driven trucks with single drive with a rear bogie lift in the snow (Scandanavia). Now if you have a tri-axle trailer & can lift the leading axle on the trailer as well you get approx 22t on the drive - nice. Believe me you can get up near on anything, with good winter tyres. Just how do you manage with double drive? I remember one O/D tried a double drive in Rumo/Bulgy one winter, it was crap in the mountains. Bad on the hairpins, it wanted to go straight on!! The best outfit in the mountains in the winter was the 3 axle unit with single drive & a bogie lift. With double drive you couldn't get enough weight over the bogie - result - musical snow chains. That might look good in writing, but pisses you off when you've had em on & off 5 times a day.
I'm just abit curious, cos I read somewhere you can only go to 36t gross in the US? Double drive = bad fuel consumption, more wear & tear, especially tyres. 36t? No prob with a 2 axle unit. I believe Canada is 66t with the roadtrains? I can see the point there. Do you get a choice? Or is it: "look mate, there it is, now go forth..."
I've talked to a guy on Bison. He said the truck is a shed, but he is expected to go all over Canada in the winter with it. Chains, yes. Winter tyres no. No night heater of any kind.
Another started with Big Freight, same story. Is this some kind of initiation? Give em a pile of junk & see if they can do it?
I'm trying to get the true picture before I waste £1000+ on an exploratory trip. Cos if they try the above tricks with me it might well end up with me telling them to go forth.....
Dec 20th 2008, 7:20 pm
#92
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: 9 years in the canadian trucking industry... Niverville MB
Posts: 4,423
Re: Snow
No doubt you "old lags" are gonna hoot at this post. But I just gotta ask!!
Do your trucks have night heaters? Or a heater other than the 14 ltr one?
Also, you guys all get given 6 by 4s (in other words double drive). The trailers seem to have very short pins... So how do you get enough weight on the drive in the snow? Does one axle lift? I've driven trucks with single drive with a rear bogie lift in the snow (Scandanavia). Now if you have a tri-axle trailer & can lift the leading axle on the trailer as well you get approx 22t on the drive - nice. Believe me you can get up near on anything, with good winter tyres. Just how do you manage with double drive? I remember one O/D tried a double drive in Rumo/Bulgy one winter, it was crap in the mountains. Bad on the hairpins, it wanted to go straight on!! The best outfit in the mountains in the winter was the 3 axle unit with single drive & a bogie lift. With double drive you couldn't get enough weight over the bogie - result - musical snow chains. That might look good in writing, but pisses you off when you've had em on & off 5 times a day.
I'm just abit curious, cos I read somewhere you can only go to 36t gross in the US? Double drive = bad fuel consumption, more wear & tear, especially tyres. 36t? No prob with a 2 axle unit. I believe Canada is 66t with the roadtrains? I can see the point there. Do you get a choice? Or is it: "look mate, there it is, now go forth..."
I've talked to a guy on Bison. He said the truck is a shed, but he is expected to go all over Canada in the winter with it. Chains, yes. Winter tyres no. No night heater of any kind.
Another started with Big Freight, same story. Is this some kind of initiation? Give em a pile of junk & see if they can do it?
I'm trying to get the true picture before I waste £1000+ on an exploratory trip. Cos if they try the above tricks with me it might well end up with me telling them to go forth.....
Do your trucks have night heaters? Or a heater other than the 14 ltr one?
Also, you guys all get given 6 by 4s (in other words double drive). The trailers seem to have very short pins... So how do you get enough weight on the drive in the snow? Does one axle lift? I've driven trucks with single drive with a rear bogie lift in the snow (Scandanavia). Now if you have a tri-axle trailer & can lift the leading axle on the trailer as well you get approx 22t on the drive - nice. Believe me you can get up near on anything, with good winter tyres. Just how do you manage with double drive? I remember one O/D tried a double drive in Rumo/Bulgy one winter, it was crap in the mountains. Bad on the hairpins, it wanted to go straight on!! The best outfit in the mountains in the winter was the 3 axle unit with single drive & a bogie lift. With double drive you couldn't get enough weight over the bogie - result - musical snow chains. That might look good in writing, but pisses you off when you've had em on & off 5 times a day.
I'm just abit curious, cos I read somewhere you can only go to 36t gross in the US? Double drive = bad fuel consumption, more wear & tear, especially tyres. 36t? No prob with a 2 axle unit. I believe Canada is 66t with the roadtrains? I can see the point there. Do you get a choice? Or is it: "look mate, there it is, now go forth..."
I've talked to a guy on Bison. He said the truck is a shed, but he is expected to go all over Canada in the winter with it. Chains, yes. Winter tyres no. No night heater of any kind.
Another started with Big Freight, same story. Is this some kind of initiation? Give em a pile of junk & see if they can do it?
I'm trying to get the true picture before I waste £1000+ on an exploratory trip. Cos if they try the above tricks with me it might well end up with me telling them to go forth.....
As to the truck configuration, we have sliding 5th wheels and sliding trailer axels, so getting weight onto ya drives is not a problem,,mostly,,as to which truck you get that depends on which company you drive for and what equiptment they have,,,Big freight have gone down hill badly,
many companies dont want you to use chains,,ie Trans X and a few of the other big co,s....Hairpins dont exist here
even in the mountains..
Dec 20th 2008, 8:19 pm
#93
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2008
Location: Picture Butte, Alberta, Canada.
Posts: 223
Re: Snow
Gremmie wrote:"many companies dont want you to use chains,,ie Trans X and a few of the other big co,s....Hairpins dont exist here even in the mountains.."
So whats all the talk of winter being so terrible?
Low temperatures I appreciate require common sense. Eberspacher night heaters give up easily below -20 degC. I've used what was called an arctic fox at the time. A loop of pipe in the fuel tank which is part of the truck's cooling system, it stops the fuel from waxing up, so long as you keep the engine running. Turn it off & you're rubber ducked.
No chains? Ah... I see. Park up & wait for it to clear? Not much good if you're paid mileage only. With winter tyres you can do alot, summer tyres less. Do they put snipes (a small slit across the block part of the tyre's tread) on the drive axle tyres? These are popular in Norway.
No hairpins? I seem to remember reading that a Canadian company advised a guy to drive in Italy to gain "mountain experience".... Monte Vino? They do have hairpins there, but you won't get near em very often. The Simplon pass in Switzerland is interesting in winter, you may need chains, you will meet afew hairpins.
Sliding AXLES, the whole bogie slides up & down the chassis rails? Even with a full load on it? A sliding 5th wheel can be a major nuisance to move if you can't get the weight off it.
I'm trying to build a picture of what is needed & what will be required of me. I'm not a dreamer who will go all misty eyed over a big outfit. I'll be more interested in what I'm being paid & the equipment I'll be given. TBH if I'm asked to drive a shed for £400 6 days a week, I won't entertain it.
So whats all the talk of winter being so terrible?
Low temperatures I appreciate require common sense. Eberspacher night heaters give up easily below -20 degC. I've used what was called an arctic fox at the time. A loop of pipe in the fuel tank which is part of the truck's cooling system, it stops the fuel from waxing up, so long as you keep the engine running. Turn it off & you're rubber ducked.
No chains? Ah... I see. Park up & wait for it to clear? Not much good if you're paid mileage only. With winter tyres you can do alot, summer tyres less. Do they put snipes (a small slit across the block part of the tyre's tread) on the drive axle tyres? These are popular in Norway.
No hairpins? I seem to remember reading that a Canadian company advised a guy to drive in Italy to gain "mountain experience".... Monte Vino? They do have hairpins there, but you won't get near em very often. The Simplon pass in Switzerland is interesting in winter, you may need chains, you will meet afew hairpins.
Sliding AXLES, the whole bogie slides up & down the chassis rails? Even with a full load on it? A sliding 5th wheel can be a major nuisance to move if you can't get the weight off it.
I'm trying to build a picture of what is needed & what will be required of me. I'm not a dreamer who will go all misty eyed over a big outfit. I'll be more interested in what I'm being paid & the equipment I'll be given. TBH if I'm asked to drive a shed for £400 6 days a week, I won't entertain it.
Dec 21st 2008, 3:39 pm
#94
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: 9 years in the canadian trucking industry... Niverville MB
Posts: 4,423
Re: Snow
Gremmie wrote:"many companies dont want you to use chains,,ie Trans X and a few of the other big co,s....Hairpins dont exist here even in the mountains.."
So whats all the talk of winter being so terrible?
Low temperatures I appreciate require common sense. Eberspacher night heaters give up easily below -20 degC. I've used what was called an arctic fox at the time. A loop of pipe in the fuel tank which is part of the truck's cooling system, it stops the fuel from waxing up, so long as you keep the engine running. Turn it off & you're rubber ducked.
No chains? Ah... I see. Park up & wait for it to clear? Not much good if you're paid mileage only. With winter tyres you can do alot, summer tyres less. Do they put snipes (a small slit across the block part of the tyre's tread) on the drive axle tyres? These are popular in Norway.
No hairpins? I seem to remember reading that a Canadian company advised a guy to drive in Italy to gain "mountain experience".... Monte Vino? They do have hairpins there, but you won't get near em very often. The Simplon pass in Switzerland is interesting in winter, you may need chains, you will meet afew hairpins.
Sliding AXLES, the whole bogie slides up & down the chassis rails? Even with a full load on it? A sliding 5th wheel can be a major nuisance to move if you can't get the weight off it.
I'm trying to build a picture of what is needed & what will be required of me. I'm not a dreamer who will go all misty eyed over a big outfit. I'll be more interested in what I'm being paid & the equipment I'll be given. TBH if I'm asked to drive a shed for £400 6 days a week, I won't entertain it.
So whats all the talk of winter being so terrible?
Low temperatures I appreciate require common sense. Eberspacher night heaters give up easily below -20 degC. I've used what was called an arctic fox at the time. A loop of pipe in the fuel tank which is part of the truck's cooling system, it stops the fuel from waxing up, so long as you keep the engine running. Turn it off & you're rubber ducked.
No chains? Ah... I see. Park up & wait for it to clear? Not much good if you're paid mileage only. With winter tyres you can do alot, summer tyres less. Do they put snipes (a small slit across the block part of the tyre's tread) on the drive axle tyres? These are popular in Norway.
No hairpins? I seem to remember reading that a Canadian company advised a guy to drive in Italy to gain "mountain experience".... Monte Vino? They do have hairpins there, but you won't get near em very often. The Simplon pass in Switzerland is interesting in winter, you may need chains, you will meet afew hairpins.
Sliding AXLES, the whole bogie slides up & down the chassis rails? Even with a full load on it? A sliding 5th wheel can be a major nuisance to move if you can't get the weight off it.
I'm trying to build a picture of what is needed & what will be required of me. I'm not a dreamer who will go all misty eyed over a big outfit. I'll be more interested in what I'm being paid & the equipment I'll be given. TBH if I'm asked to drive a shed for £400 6 days a week, I won't entertain it.
It is as i speak -minus 40centigrade out side, the terain here is flat,chains are used once in a blue moon. The snow is as fine as sand and squeaks when you drive on it We dont get the wet heavy stuff
Crossing the rockies into BC ,its mostly good straightish roads,near Golden its a bit ify, Storms can blow in quickly in the mountains,causing bad conditions in minutes,.. Ive done the Simplon umpteen times,its a short sharp climb then descent,the Rockies takes hours,with really long climbs
nothing in Europe compares,,,I dont think you have grasped the sliding axel concept, the tandem trailer axels can be slid easily from the rear of the trailer fowards upto about 3 meters,,, also wages and the cost of living here are a lot lower than the UK,in general i think you are slightly beter of here
Dec 21st 2008, 3:42 pm
#95
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Joined: Jun 2007
Location: 9 years in the canadian trucking industry... Niverville MB
Posts: 4,423
Re: Snow
I want one
Dec 21st 2008, 4:28 pm
#96
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Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2006
Location: Cheyenne, Wyoming
Posts: 2,527
Dec 21st 2008, 6:22 pm
#97
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Joined: May 2007
Location: Kamloops BC
Posts: 1,023
Re: Snow
Here's the temp in Cochrane yesterday morning (Cochrane is 40 mins NW of Calgary)
Dec 21st 2008, 6:40 pm
#98
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Joined: Jun 2007
Location: 9 years in the canadian trucking industry... Niverville MB
Posts: 4,423
Re: Snow
Here's the temp in Cochrane yesterday morning (Cochrane is 40 mins NW of Calgary)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...b/DSC00198.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...b/DSC00198.jpg
Dec 28th 2008, 3:26 pm
#99
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 199
Re: Snow
No doubt you "old lags" are gonna hoot at this post. But I just gotta ask!!
Do your trucks have night heaters? Or a heater other than the 14 ltr one?
Also, you guys all get given 6 by 4s (in other words double drive). The trailers seem to have very short pins... So how do you get enough weight on the drive in the snow? Does one axle lift? I've driven trucks with single drive with a rear bogie lift in the snow (Scandanavia). Now if you have a tri-axle trailer & can lift the leading axle on the trailer as well you get approx 22t on the drive - nice. Believe me you can get up near on anything, with good winter tyres. Just how do you manage with double drive? I remember one O/D tried a double drive in Rumo/Bulgy one winter, it was crap in the mountains. Bad on the hairpins, it wanted to go straight on!! The best outfit in the mountains in the winter was the 3 axle unit with single drive & a bogie lift. With double drive you couldn't get enough weight over the bogie - result - musical snow chains. That might look good in writing, but pisses you off when you've had em on & off 5 times a day.
I'm just abit curious, cos I read somewhere you can only go to 36t gross in the US? Double drive = bad fuel consumption, more wear & tear, especially tyres. 36t? No prob with a 2 axle unit. I believe Canada is 66t with the roadtrains? I can see the point there. Do you get a choice? Or is it: "look mate, there it is, now go forth..."
I've talked to a guy on Bison. He said the truck is a shed, but he is expected to go all over Canada in the winter with it. Chains, yes. Winter tyres no. No night heater of any kind.
Another started with Big Freight, same story. Is this some kind of initiation? Give em a pile of junk & see if they can do it?
I'm trying to get the true picture before I waste £1000+ on an exploratory trip. Cos if they try the above tricks with me it might well end up with me telling them to go forth.....
Do your trucks have night heaters? Or a heater other than the 14 ltr one?
Also, you guys all get given 6 by 4s (in other words double drive). The trailers seem to have very short pins... So how do you get enough weight on the drive in the snow? Does one axle lift? I've driven trucks with single drive with a rear bogie lift in the snow (Scandanavia). Now if you have a tri-axle trailer & can lift the leading axle on the trailer as well you get approx 22t on the drive - nice. Believe me you can get up near on anything, with good winter tyres. Just how do you manage with double drive? I remember one O/D tried a double drive in Rumo/Bulgy one winter, it was crap in the mountains. Bad on the hairpins, it wanted to go straight on!! The best outfit in the mountains in the winter was the 3 axle unit with single drive & a bogie lift. With double drive you couldn't get enough weight over the bogie - result - musical snow chains. That might look good in writing, but pisses you off when you've had em on & off 5 times a day.
I'm just abit curious, cos I read somewhere you can only go to 36t gross in the US? Double drive = bad fuel consumption, more wear & tear, especially tyres. 36t? No prob with a 2 axle unit. I believe Canada is 66t with the roadtrains? I can see the point there. Do you get a choice? Or is it: "look mate, there it is, now go forth..."
I've talked to a guy on Bison. He said the truck is a shed, but he is expected to go all over Canada in the winter with it. Chains, yes. Winter tyres no. No night heater of any kind.
Another started with Big Freight, same story. Is this some kind of initiation? Give em a pile of junk & see if they can do it?
I'm trying to get the true picture before I waste £1000+ on an exploratory trip. Cos if they try the above tricks with me it might well end up with me telling them to go forth.....
The trailer was dropped at Calgary and I spent the coldest night of my life near Calgary airport as the night heater decided to give in and the temp "inside the truck" dipped to -5F (-20C). Virtually the whole of the inside of the truck was covered in frost from both mine and Tom's breath, I have never been so cold and it took a good hour for the pair of us to warm up.
Took an empty to Brooks, a loaded to Lethbridge and another loaded back to Calgary.
Yesterday I bought a heater from Home Depot just incase the night heater gives in and it seems to be working well and gives out plenty of heat without blowing the fuse in the inverter which runs it.
So, up to the present....sat at High River waiting for paperwork as usual which in turn means a leisurely trip is turning into a race against time. The temperature has warmed up a little but is set to plummet again tomorrow. Not good news !!!
Dec 28th 2008, 3:50 pm
#100
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2008
Location: Picture Butte, Alberta, Canada.
Posts: 223
Re: Snow
Hi Scooby109,
I used to take & have still got a down sleeping bag designed to keep you warm on the side of a mountain. Bloody handy if the night heater packs up. Had 4 of us in an F16 once in KZ. Same result as you inside the truck, even with the engine running!!
I used to take & have still got a down sleeping bag designed to keep you warm on the side of a mountain. Bloody handy if the night heater packs up. Had 4 of us in an F16 once in KZ. Same result as you inside the truck, even with the engine running!!
Dec 28th 2008, 3:56 pm
#102
Whatacomplete Member
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2006
Location: Cheyenne, Wyoming
Posts: 2,527
Re: Snow
I thought there was only room for the pilot and a navigator in those planes.
Dec 28th 2008, 4:05 pm
#103
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Joined: May 2007
Location: Kamloops BC
Posts: 1,023
Re: Snow
Snowing like a goon un here 
too late Koogs ...
too late Koogs ...
Dec 28th 2008, 4:24 pm
#105
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2008
Location: Picture Butte, Alberta, Canada.
Posts: 223
Re: Snow
We were sat on the bunk, side by side. Like naughty boys outside "Sirs" office. None of us was as fat as Gremmie, obviously. It was bloody freezing, minus I don't know what. It snowed so hard one night we had to take the air filters out to unblock them.
One of the "4" (not me) drove across the River Obb in Siberia on one trip, he got a photo of the outside temperature gauge at -52 degC.....
Similar to the one somebody posted on here.