Toronto - Winnipeg - Winter Driving

Round trip?

 

It's barely 30 km longer, but with all the small towns with speed drops and bad drivers, it's at least 2 hours slower. I ran the 17 for the first time a couple months ago and wouldn't want to run the 11 again unless forced (I'd tolerate a shut down of the 17 before I run the 11 again). Sure, there's hills, but drivers have their CB's on, warn about bears and don't try to pass over double yellows on the up-side of the hill.

It's a highway for drivers who know what they're doing behind the wheel, and not some new Canadian fresh out of truck school. My second time back to MB up 17 way, I had a driver come up behind me, I called him on the radio, he answered (to my surprise) and I said I'd let him go the next safe opportunity to pass. He said it doesn't matter, just take my time, he's empty anyways.

On the 11, every 15-20 minutes you've got another super trucker running 105 km/h trying to pass around blind curves without their radio on.

 

For me the issue of a shutdown from weather and having to call the customer to reschedule isn't something I enjoy doing. So I take my chances with the camel jockeys.

 

I prefer 17 summer or winter. It's ok once you know the road. Too many drivers on 11 who got their licenses from a box of cracker jack. Know more than one driver who lost his door or his mirror or the left hand side of the truck. One of our drivers moved right onto the shoulder and day&Ross still took the side off his truck. Centreline riders. Seen some of them who straddle the centre line so their inside drive tire is over the line. Guess they think centreline will hold them on the road. 17 closes sometimes south of Wawa but you can take 101 to 129 or 144. back to 17. 129 isn't much of a road just an old logging road.

 

I once saw one of them north of Nipigon just swerve over the line (in an open, non-blind, non-curvy area), completely into my lane, about a half mile ahead, then jerk the wheel and truck back into his lane once he realized what was happening. Guarantee he had his cellphone in his other hand and was watching a movie or something on it. I hear its common they drive with cruise set to 105 and watching TV on their phones.

I'd rather deal with weather delays and making customers upset than losing my life to a head-on collision with a driver who doesn't know how to control a 100,000 lb truck.