Running produce to Alaska

I carry quite a few tools and lots of odds and ends to fix stuff. I think most of us have a lot of skill at road side fixes. Seems like our biggest problems are wiring issues with lights. The ice will build up and rip stuff off. We have two different companies that check the trailers and reefer units every time a trailer comes back. That helps prevent a lot of break downs, but when things go wrong it gets interesting quickly.

We were in an all out search yesterday when one of our trucks broke down and the office got a garbled phone message. I am not sure what the outcome is so far, but I hope he made the boat since he hauls into Skagway for Juneau.

I had to fix my share of wiring this season. I had to jump my truck off the reefer when the batteries died, fixed a blown heater hose on the side of the interstate, replaced my windshield washer pump somewhere in Texas and my share of fixing torn off mud flaps. I seem to have a nack backing over those with snow piles.

 

I carry enough food to survive probably two weeks in the truck, a zero degree sleeping bag as back up and a portable coleman heater that runs off the one pound propane tanks. Enough winter gear to outfit an Antarctic expedition and the list goes on.

 

Well, I am sitting in Anchorage for an offload and watch the snow falling. I had a first on this trip. I had to chain in BC going up Fraser Canyon. Yes, the chain law was up and I have a blue piece of paper that will cost me $120.00 to prove it. If you have a chain up sign at least provide a chain up area to stop. I went to past the sign to get to a save place to install chains, but CVSE wrote me up before I could get there. I guess next time I will block one lane of traffic on a two lane road to put chains on.

 

I did some local work out of Anchorage today and ran down to Seward. I pulled a can and chassis out of a fish place. It was a fun morning dealing with frozen brakes, trailer frozen to the ground since it was sitting in a water puddle that froze over night and a fifth wheel that did not want unlock. I had to chain up in the parking lot to be able to rock the fifth wheel to get it to move. The fresh snow from yesterday had turned to ice over night.