George's Trucks

During my secondary (1974-1976), university (1979-1983), and seminary (1983-1987) years, I drove many different trucks of various weights and configurations. I drove full time for three years between high school and university (1976-1979).

Here are only, and most of, the tractor-trailers I drove.

I delivered eggs to stores, bakeries, and restaurant in the Lower Mainland of B.C. for Vanderpol's Eggs. To make some extra cash (necessary for a full-time student with a growing family), on Saturdays I would often transport eggs, egg products, and other related things, between the Surrey and/or Abbotsford plants, and the one in Kelowna. This was before the Coquihalla Highway and its various connectors were built. I had the fun of always taking the Hope-Princeton Highway through Manning Park, about a 900 km round trip, with time added if I had to chain up the two drive axles because of snow.

At the Kelowna plant. The truck is a Ford 9000 ("Louisville") powered by an 8 cylinder 71 series Detroit Diesel with a 13 speed transmission. This two stroke engine was not gentle on the ears.

The Kelowna plant.

Kenworth, powered by a 350 Cummins engine and a 15 speed transmission. Here I am at a rest area on the Hope-Princeton.

On the Hope-Princeton.

Here I am sometime in the 1980s on the Hope-Princeton Highway chaining up the drive axles, getting ready for some serious hills, up and down.

Yeah, I was a rather skinny guy forty+ years ago.

During Spring time of my university years, I hauled bedding plants from a nursery in Aldergrove, BC, throughout British Columbia, Alberta, and to Saskatchewan.

This cabover Freightliner (350 Cummins, 15 speed) had a bunk I regularly used as my trips were often two or three days long).

Here is my son Matthew ready to drive.

Ford "Louisville" powered by a small 6-71 engine and a 13 speed transmission.

In 1983 we moved to Hamilton, Ontario for me to begin my formal seminary training. I transported my VW in the back of the truck I drove from Langley, BC, to Hamilton (about 4,500 km). The greenhouse/nursery I was working for in spring time generously loaned me one of their trucks for the trip. It was a Kenworth cabover (unfortunately, no picture of it). It had a 26 ft box on the back of it, and pulled a 28 foot trailer (set up like an 'A' train). The 26 ft box was filled with plants, which I delivered in Regina and Winnipeg, and all of our earthly belongings (VW included) were in the 28 ft trailer. My eldest son (not yet four years old) came with me as Dora could only take two babes on the plane. Thankfully a brother-in-law, also a driver, accompanied me. A fun trip! Someone asked me how I was planning to get the car off. I answered that I had no idea at the time, but that I'd figure it out once I got to Hamilton. And I did. A friendly trucking firm with a loading dock let me use their forklift ramp. Here you see my two brothers and a brother-in-law helping me load.

During the summers of my first three years of seminary I drove for Bartels' Farms hauling biosolids. I drove the following trucks.