Another Darn Canadian

Have driven a car in the US, but never a truck. I've trucked mostly in BC, but a little in Alberta and the Yukon. I do enjoy the Yukon, it beautiful up there.

Sure glad to not be driving here today, freezing rain covered everything, and has now dump 5 inches of snow on the ice, and it's still snowing hard, but just under freezing temperatures, so it is wild. They have asked people to stay home and not drive.
Good day to be injured and off work. My little sister drove to work, and she came back home shortly after. She did have a coffee with our dad before leaving for home. Dad isn't even plowing the yard till the snowfall eases up. All 8 of his trucks are safely parked in his yard, and staying there. Nothing has to be moved on days like this, for any reason. My little sister was supposed to haul logs today, but they will still be there waiting for her when the weather is better.
Funniest part was she was having coffee with dad, and the guy who has us hauling logs called and said that they are not working today, so don't send trucks. My sister being Dad's daughter, had she gone, would have started up the button top, and loaded herself. She is a motivated and dedicated woman, not much stops her. There is 3 of us sisters, and our oldest is completely different than my baby sister and I, who are very much alike. My older sister doesn't drive truck, she is a nurse. Well was a nurse, got laid off a couple weeks ago because she refused to be jabbed. She is also married, to a good man, older than her, drives for my dad, that is how they met, and they have 2 girls.

 

And I enjoy your posts immensely to.
Dad and I were working on the belly dump, I was welding inside of it, done with welding was trying to climb out with welding cables draped over my shoulders. Got to the top edge, tried to transfer myself from sitting on the top, to the ladder we had put up, the ladder kicked out at the bottom, and we both hit the shop floor hard. But the ladder faired better than I did from the fall. As I was falling, didn't think that I would be seriously injured, fallen before and walked it off. This time i broke my ankle and wrist, my wrist required surgery. Can't wait to be cleared, and allowed to resume work, it is hard sitting at home, especially watching my sister go off to work daily. My dad has been driving for me, he only drives now if someone is hurt, sick, on holidays, or an occasional load has to go and the driver is out of hours, then he takes that truck and goes, since he owns all 8 trucks. Well he teases me daily about ruining his leisurely life, and now he has to drive again. My dad is now 62, worked hard all his life, and deserves to work less now. Dad is a story about how school isn't everything. Grade 9 education, and got a job at 15, worked hard, at 19 began driving truck, after a few years decided to be his own boss at age 22. Dad bought a truck and trailer, worked hard, and never looked back. Over the years he kept on adding another truck, and another. Mom stayed home, did the books, answered the phone, did parts runs, and helped dad work on the trucks. I am the child with good math skills, so at age 13 mom had me start helping her with the books, but i loved being in the shop, and driving the trucks around the yard. I could hook up a trailer myself by 14, and back it into the shop. Was blessed to have a dad who trusted me enough to let me. At 18 I was old enough to get my class 3 and air endorsement, dad bought an old gravel truck, and he gave me a job driving it, at 19 I was old enough for a class 1 license, so i could pull a trailer as well, so he bought a pup to pull behind it, at age 20 he put me on a 5th wheel truck he had purchased to give me a job. By then my little sister was 18 and got her class 3, and dad did the same with her, a year on the gravel truck, and at 19 she got her class 1 and was using the pup as needed. When she was 20 dad was about to buy another truck for my little sister, when his oldest driver sat dad down for a talk. Instead the most senior driver gave up his truck, and he went on the gravel truck instead, and asked for winters off. So 9 years later he drives the gravel truck, works 7 months a year, and heads to Mexico for the winter. Dad just leaves the gravel truck parked all winter now. Oneday old Gary is going to retire altogether, and it will be a sad day, I've known him from my earliest childhood memories, but he is 77 now. I hope to be half as amazing as Gary at 77. My dad and Gary are best friends, and Gary has worked for my dad for 32 years, longer than I've been alive.

 

Incase anyone hasn't already fallen asleep reading my last post, here goes part 2.

My mom kept having me help her doing the books, it was like she somehow knew that task would be mine eventually. In 2013 mom was diagnosed with cancer, she had me do more and more of the bookkeeping. By 2014 mom was really ill, and I took over doing the books, but thankfully when I got stumped, could ask her for help. We lost mom in 2015, and since then I am doing dads books, when not driving. Often by the light of the television on our coffee table, or Sunday when I drive 6 days a week. Slower times of the year when i only drive 5 days, I can do them on Saturdays. Dad got audited in 2019, and the woman told dad his books were in better shape than most other trucking companies, which made me feel good. That woman looked and looked, had many questions for my dad and I, she finally closed the file, finding no real discrepancies, and dad owed nothing.
My childhood was working a lot, more than playing. But I enjoyed it, loved it actually.
Best parents any child could ask for, and a huge yard, 160 acres to play on. They gave me my big sisters dirt bike, and snowmobile at age 10, and at 12 they gave me her next dirt bike and snowmobile to, as the mini became my little sisters, as did the enticer 250 snowmobile. My older sister always got the new pedal bikes, dirt bikes, clothes, toys, snowmobile, and then they became mine, now well used my baby sister got them. We were happy getting the hand me downs, we had everything any child could ask for, and more. My big sister didn't play with stuff much, so it was still in good shape usually when I got it for the most part. She was into barbie dolls, barbie house, easy bake oven, and I wanted nothing to do with them. If i wasn't in the shop i was doing my best Evil Knievel impersonation on a bike, snowmobile, or doing something that would leave another scar. Things weren't as pristine by the time my little sister got them.
I didn't truly understand how great my parents were till i was older. Even when my parents chose to buy that gravel truck when i was 18. In my mind they were just buying another truck to expand the family business. It didn't clue to me until they bought me the truck that would become mine at 20, that they had never had a gravel truck before, and that was just because they were kind and generous, they bought me a job. Not many parents would do that for their child. They paid for university for my big sister as well. The oldest of us girls had wanted her entire life that I can remember, to get married, have kids, and be a nurse, she was always like a mother to us younger children. She was quick with a bandage and hug when i came to the house hurt yet again. She baked cookies with mom, set the table every night, helped cook, and I was outside with my little sister. When she fell for a man who drove for my parents, she was given their blessings to date him, instead of told no, he is too old for you, as I'm sure many parents would have. My dad made it clear to him if he broke my sisters heart, fired would not be what he had to fear, it would be the shot gun. They are still happily married 14 years later, my big sister is now 34, her husband 52, and they have 2 girls of their own, and they are polar opposites, as am I and my big sister. By the way my dad is the wisest person I know, despite dropping out of school the same month he turned 15.
Since I have bored you all enough.

The End

 

Left ankle, right wrist.

I'm strong willed you can say. Most people would call me determined and stubborn. But i prefer strong willed. My entire life dad has told me that I was the alpha child.

 

Interesting post, since the last week, my sister and I have tossed around the idea of asking dad about buying him out. Trucks, trailers, tools, everything.
We would let one driver go we don't care for, and sell that truck, sell a few trailers dad has acquired over the years, that mostly sit. When Gary eventually retires, sell the gravel truck and pup. Rent the shop from our dad, and just keep running the business. Some of the trucks are getting old and tired, as are the trailers, but they can be refurbished. We need to make up our minds soon, and either both order new trucks, or ask dad about a payment plan, as we don't have enough money to buy him out. Even if we don't buy him out completely, I want to buy 3 trucks from dad myself if he will sell to me, and buy 7 of the trailers. Order a new truck for me, and then put drivers on the 3 older trucks, possibly hire my baby sister to drive 1, or if she buys a new tractor herself, contract her as an O/O to pull my trailers. She is a tremendously great person, sister, employee, and driver. If she would come drive for me, it would be amazing, be it as an employee or not. My baby sister is also my best friend. Whoever she may choose to drive for, will have scored an incredible asset.