Watson Triple Header

 Transport Watson of Beloeil, QC, the over size specialists are well known in Halifax as regular loaders of airplane componenents that arrive from Europe by ship. Their trucks had a distinctive red colour scheme with "Watson" in blue, but that has changed a bit in the last year or so since the company was taken over by QSL (Quebec Stevedoring Ltd). They are now just plain red, but even so are usually very clean looking.

Today there were three Watson trucks in Halifax and they were unsual in a couple of respects. First, and most obvious, was that they were Freightliner COEs - a rare sight these days as engine forward trucks are the norm. In fact Freightliner has not produced COEs, (called the Argosy model) officially, since 2020 and even then they sold only glider kits for North America. The customer had to supply and install the engine and drivetrain.

The second point was that the trucks were transporting long steel tubular shapes. I don't say pipes, because they may be structural components for wind turbine towers or some other use. Watson has often carried components to the cement plant in Port Daniel - Gascons, QC.

 

Leading the parade was Watson W6883 with two tubes on an extended flat deck.

The trucks had some nice features, including fairings over the fuel tanks and "low rise" roof.

Next was W6881:

A nearly identical unit, it had a different arrangement of clearance lights on the windshield visor. It was hauling two tubes as far as I could see. 

Third in line was W6884, with three tubes on its extended flatdeck.

I guess because they were not over wide, they were able to exit the Fairvew Cove container terminal and head straight for the highway, without pilot cars. With the COEs they were under the 75 foot length limit - hard to tell...

Pair of New Petes and an Oldie

There must be a happy Peterbilt salesman in the area, having wrapped up a deal for two of the trucks recently.

The first one I saw was this red on.

It was pulling a flat rack container with some sort of shrink wrapped UFO.

The second one has a B-train / step deck set up carrying lumber.

With the price of lumber these days, maybe he should have an armed guard.

Today's oldie is not a Pete, but a Freightliner COE.

I may have pictured this truck before -it looks familiar. It operates for Milltown Trucking Co Ltd of St.Stephen, NB.

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Road Report - Big Truck Version - Finale

Kenworth has always been a big favourite in Quebec, and they are probably one of the most common trucks on the road. Getting a photo of one sitting still is always the challenge.

 Bertrand's Unit 12-05 with an RV for a long haul tow, takes a quick truck stop break.

Garage Bertrand in Lévis operates a fleet of big wreckers and works all over Quebec and beyond into the US. They also have an interesting web site with an album section showing their older trucks back to the 1980s. http://www.remorquagebertrand.com/ENG/index.html


Another Mack popped into view, and a classic offset cab R model. Used as a water truck by a road construction company it probably has very low mileage.

These rugged units are still in daily use as transit mixers, dump trucks and other uses.


Many of the smaller brand names don't attract much attention, even though there are many units on the roads. The late lamented Sterling brand can still be seen, usually in vocational vehicles, but the odd time it pops up in other places. Daimler shut down its Canadian plan in St.Thomas, ON in 2009, but there are still Sterlings to be see:

This Acterra chassis serves as a village fire tanker in Les Eboulements, QC.

Built by Camions Helie Inc of Joliette, QC - see their excellent website: http://www.camionhelie.com/


I didn't see too many Peterbilts on the road trip - or at least ones that stood out from the crowd. Petes were once very rare sights in Canada but are now right up there with the other big brands for over the road. They have also made their mark in the vocational field too.

This short hood Pete may be a model 348 which is engineered for a variety of applications.It will distribute its load via a set back front axle and a second steering axle from Simard Suspensions.

Western Star makes its own twin steers and this one is waiting at the Halifax dealer.

Freightliners are everywhere these days, and a few samples jumped in front of my camera

This handsome unit, seen at the New Brunswick/Quebec border appeared to be waiting for some assistance due to a sagging load. The truck runs for TCF Express of Pierreville, QC.

I saw several Freightliner COEs - but only a few were stopped.

Fueling at Woodstock, NB, this drom unit is a very rare sight, although Packers Logistics of Stoney Creek, ON likes them for their LTL work.

A classic FL COE - with straight stacks was taking a break in Amherst, NS, some distance from its home base in Sussex, NB.

There was something for everyone in this trio of chip haulers. Low rise, mid rise and high rise sleepers, and a mix of traditional and more modern styling - two Petes and a Binder. The two red trucks are 2018 models, with license plates only ten digits apart. The blue Pete is a 2012.

That's the end of this road trip report.

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Classics in view

My road trip turned up a few classics - most still operating -

The R.H.Frenette Group of Petit-Rocher, NB displays this 1959 Mack B-61 but likely fires it up for special events.

Jos. LeFrançois 2008 Inc runs this unit out of Amqui, QC, a Mack R series, but with the steel fenders and hood and centre cab (some units had an offset cab). Mounted front and centre on the hood is a golden bulldog.

Big old Binder from 1997, was parked at Remorquage Provinciale, Jacques d'Anjou Inc in Mont Joli, QC. With three newer units on the lot, it may only see occasional duty.

Big red wrecker at Rivière-du-Loup, QC, is probably newer than the year 2000, but it represents the early integral sleepers introduced by Volvo.

I look out for this truck every year south of Edmunston - maybe the only Scania operating in eastern Canada, it is a favourite sighting.

Maritime Road Recyclers from Grand Falls uses this unit to spread primer before the application of asphalt recoating.

I have seen this long wheelbase Freightliner in Halifax, but in my 2016 photo, it was painted red! It operates out of Centreville, NB area for D.Forsyth. Judging by the splatters on the front, New Brunswick continues to live up to its rep as the bug capital of the Maritimes.

2016 appearance - paint colour and stacks have changed - otherwise the same truck.

I don't recall seeing an All Wheel Drive Freighliner before- a rare truck indeed. Joseph McDonald Jr. House Moving + Construction Ltd, based in Moncton, NB, operates around the southern part of the province. I spotted this one in Elgin, NB.

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COEs - rarer and rarer

There are still out there, but their number are certainly waning. The over the road COE, once so plentiful, is rapidly becoming a memory.
Just about all that is left are Freightliners, and here are a couple I spotted recently.

1. G.K.Morse + Sons Trucking Ltd of Centreville, NS operates this F'liner in B-train service hauling windmill components. It's a frequent visitor at the Halterm Container pier in Halifax.

2. This is operated for Valmont Ouellet of Ste-Anne-des-Plaines, Qc, by Camionnage M.C.D.K. Trucking. It is well equipped with moose bars and a large window in the sleeper. Spotted at Enfiled, NS

3. Premium Ventures Inc of Truro Heights, NS runs this similar unit in its step deck fleet.

Enjoy them while you can -

More COEs

There are still COEs on the road. Last weekend's road trip turned up a few and then again this morning I spotted another.

1 and 2 North Star Moving of Alberta had this FL overnighting in Halifax. The cab heater was going full blast when I came by this morning, so I guess the driver was getting some much needed kip. It's a 2007, so it is among the last of the breed.

3. Venerable Ford 9000, Waylon Dormer Transport, Chatham, ON October 24.

4. Narrow and wide cab KWs, Waylon Dormer Transport, Chatham, ON October 24. Neither appear to be operational.

5. Wide cab KW, Chatham, ON October 24, looks like it may still be running. It was also parked at Waylon Dormer's yard. (Those dots in the sky are crows heading to roost at sunset.)

Kenwoth COE Tribute

Second part of my COE tribute, is of course for Kenworth - the grand daddy of COEs, and known as the Cadillac of the semis.

1. Tri-State of Springfiled IL, ran this superclean COE, with its winter jacket over the grille to conserve some heat in the cab.

2. Farmer's Produce Trucking of Orland, FL and Westfield ME, had a load of produce for O'Brien's Wholesalers at the corner of Barrington and Hollis. A woman co-driver was rare in the 1980s. (That is she across Barrington) The double wide sleeper was also a rarity at the time.

3. Hoopers Moving & Stg of Cal Alberta were very economical of stick-on letters for the driver's door, but somewhat less stingy with headlights. This much used long wheelbase and drom unit was spotted in Quebec September 5, 1987.

4. Ken Giberson Transport Ltd of Newcastle, NB ran a KW Aerodyne. The pioneering streamlined high top sleeper was introduced by KW and was unique. Giberson (now of the amalgamated Miramichi City, NB) still runs some KWs, but all conventionals.

Rivière-du-Loup, QC, July 3, 1992.

5. The Aerodyne, long chassis with drom had a lot of miles under its belt. Polaris Moving & Storage of Whitehorse, Yukon, but taken in Halifax June 27, 1987. He's also got the second set of headlights lower to the road.

6. Maritime-Ontario Freight Lines Ltd operated the sharpest looking trucks on the road. This flat top double sleeper has quite an array of plates and a "#1 Kenworth" plaque up front.

This is a newer model with square headlights and a flatter top to the traditional tombstone grille. Dartmouth,. NS August 20, 1989.

7. CRS (Choice Reefer Systems) had this clean Aerodyne B-Train reefer on the road with Manitoba main plates, but an array of others. Quebec, July 1992. [No relation to CRST = Cedar Rapids Steel Transport, now CRST-Malone]

8. Brookville Transport of Woodstock, NB had this unique Aerodyne on the waterfront in Halifax. It has a triple wide sleeper, and four stacks. Sorry I didn't look to see how many mufflers there were! September 21, 2005.

9. Latter day KW Aerodyne with set-back front axle, nice and clean despite winter conditions (see the KW conventional right behind with a good salt cover) Midland Transport had this one on lease from K&G Transport of Dartmouth, NS, February 12, 1994.

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