Running produce to Alaska

God I want to take you up on the offer Swen but I can't run up there until the spring and I can get to know the roads. I would want to learn them in a warmer climate before figuring out the challenges during winter. I'll join you at some point, hell, I'm always ready for a new challenge.

 

Man that takes me back, when I used to run Maine as a kid I used to have people stop and check on me if I pulled off for a minute, nowadays you have to be careful not to get run over if you pull off. Back then the traffic was like you just described it, very sparse, easy to relax and enjoy the ride. Good thread.

 

As we are sitting in a ThermoKing, getting our refer unit worked on, it makes me wonder how close repair facilities are up there? Sure there are a few things we can fix, but others you need help with... How much do you have to do on your own?

 

The farther north you go the more resourceful you have to be..
For example; it was about -25 out at 3am no cell service and the last traffic
Was about two hours ago.
I lost an injector that took out my engine.
I had about 30 mins to figure out how to stay warm before some serious
Cold was gonna make life "interesting".
I had a bunk heater but in that cold it would have run the batteries down in short order.
The refer was set on continues running.
I took my 50' jumper cables and hooked my truck batteries to the refer battery and stayed
Toasty warm till 13 hours later help arrived.

Yes lots of tools food and other survival gear are just some of the basic stuff that is required for northern travel.

 

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.

 

Ridiculous. There's no common sense in the world.

 

Sucks getting a ticket. CVSE would prolly write you up for blocking traffic.
They made me run chains for almost 6 miles on bare pavement before I got to the ####
Hill.
They just have no common sense.

 

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.