My Blog

Well I started at Keystone last week. I have been on local work this week because they have no line truck available for me. I shall be working on this next week as I would like to get a run in before Christmas and some more done in between then and the New Year.

I have been driving a pretty old truck, a Ford Aeromax, '96 vintage, and she is, to put it mildly, tired. But it has got the job done so I am not complaining really. It makes me smile when I go into the offices at Keystone. They are so damned mellow I am convinced they must be smoking weed. Yesterday, one of the despatchers was reading the funnies on Hotmail, another was sat with his feet on the desk reading a magazine. They seem to be a happy bunch there.

What amazes me most is that the doors are open. When you go in the front door, the Big Boss has his office just inside the door. The despatch team are in an open plan office and you can just walk in and sit down in the nearest available seat, even one of theirs. Nobody seems to give a care if you are there cluttering the place up.

I tell you, it is refreshing to see. They even let you use the washrooms in the office! Now if that doesn't suggest something is different then nothing will! I have been in this game a long time and that is, for me, a first.

So anyway, I have been into the city a few times to load this week, and down to Arctic Cat twice. On Tuesday, I ran empty to Thief River for a load of sleds. I had just loaded when four BFS trucks came in. One of them was Nigel, another brit, so I gave him a hand to tie down then we ran back together. It was good to see him, although he only lives a couple of miles away we don't see each other much.  

On wednesday, we had a little snow, only a few inches but enough to make for slippery conditions in places. I overtook Nigel on his way down again. I am not sure he was too impressed with the fact that I probably whited him out for a while. I arrived half an hour in front of him. I guess he was nervous!

So the week has been and gone. I hope I am building up points at the company. I want them to get me a decent truck after all, and I am also getting to meet people all the time so I guess this local gig will be OK for another week. I have an appointment at the hospital next week so need a few hours for that. Just as well not to be away for a few more days really. 

On that, I had biopsies taken five weeks ago. I have been crapping myself that I was going to get sick like Mrs BTD did. They called me top make an appointment yesterday but wouldn't say if I was OK or not. I got a little forceful with them in the end, suggesting that I could be there in a hour if they weren't going to say more on the phone.

Apparently you are going to be stuck with me for a while yet!!