The Big Blitz
Starting last Monday night at 12:00 pm the department of transportation set up a blitz at the three main scales that lead out of the lower mainland to the rest of BC checking for derelict trucks. The blitz was to last for 72 hours 24 hours a day. Of course as always they let everyone know so those derelict trucks that got the word took three days off. For guys like me who keep on top of their truck it was a great three days with not much traffic to deal with. But the problem is that even when you get told to park and bring papers it costs you at least 45 minutes maybe more if they plan on inspecting your truck. That is time you must show on your log book so it kind of screws your day up if those minutes mean the difference of getting loaded or unloaded so you can get on to the next load. These days dispatch usually leaves everything to the last minute so time is valuable to say the least.
However, it is what it is so you deal with it. I just love to listen to all the griping by those on the big radio (sometimes it is me also) about how we’re being nickeled and dimed to death by what used to be a program designed to strengthen safety. Now it is just about how much money the ministry can take from your pocket if something on your rig isn’t functional but safe never the less. For example, some trucks have a lot of clearance lights added to their rigs for the “look” but if one of those lights is burned out and you cross the scale without fixing it, it is fine or a notice depending on the mood of the officer you deal with. Obviously no safety issue here with all the clearance lights around the rig it will stand out and be seen by anyone who comes in contact with it travelling down the road.
I’ll bet all you four wheelers out there are thinking so what, they can afford it right? Wrong!! At the end of the day after everyone is finished taking their cut of the gross the trucker is left with very little to run his business on. Now mind you if you don’t have any debt or family etc you can survive and put some money away for a rainy day. But what happened to the free enterprise or entrepreneural spirit that is supposed to be a big part of a democratic society that boasts being able to start with nothing and become a wealthy businessman through hard work? Sure won’t happen to the owner/operator these days no matter how hard they work let me tell ya.
I always believed that small business was the bread and butter of society and that it would always be treated as such, but not anymore, it seems the governments have decided to try and control how much money can be made by everyone except those with a vast amount of it. Anyways, I digress as I said earlier it is what it is and I’ll keep plodding along trying to save as much as I can.
I’ve been driving back and forth from Coquitlam to Lillooet and then to Ashcroft but nothing further it seems as everyone is waiting for the weather to improve before ordering their product. Some more photos below. By for now.
