Petes at the Pier

Two Peterbilts spotted at the Fairview Cove container terminal today:

1. All white skirted Pete with tri-axle 20 foot container chassis, contrasted with the black International in the background.

2. Multi-coloured Pete was carrying a wide load, but it couldn't have been much wider than those killer "Ben-Hur'" type lug nuts.

3. St-Germain Express has matching trailer, which certainly outclassed the used Case International 1680 axial flow combine harvester. Interestingly, the combine has no cutter head with it.

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 -

Veteran Wreckers from Northern Nova Scotia

Two veteran wreckers from Northern Nova Scotia:

1. MacKay's in Truro, NS is the Volvo (and now also Mack) dealer for the area. They run this early Volvo with a distinctive green paint job.

2. This rugged KW has a faded "Kenworth Nova Scotia" label on the door at the Kenworth dealer in New Glasgow. That dealership has cahnged hands and is now part of Bayview Kenworthand which is in Saint John, NB, with branches in Fredericton, Moncton, St.Stephen and Sussex. 

Wildmog

Wildmog is a European design compact body built for the Unimog U500 chassis. Headquartered in Tucson, AZ. Wildmog caters to the adventurer and others travelling in remote areas. It has huge self contained fuel and water capacity and other features for travel off the beaten track.
Unlike many of the European travel vehicles I have shown on this site, this one is US built, and carries Oregon plates.

1. The Unimog is a 4x4 chassis produced by Daimler Benz in several civilian and military versions.

2. The Wildmog body has a lift up roof and slide out section on the passenger side. When the roof is lowered, the windows are covered. The "trunk" on the back carries motorcycles.

For more on Wildmog see their modest website:  www.wildmog.com

Road Report-Part 3 - Summer Fire Apparatus

This is a round up of fire apparatus from July and August-some from around home and some from away.

1. Halifax Regional Municipality 97-258E is a Freightliner FL 80 / Metalfab,1000 gal, 840 gpm pumper tanker. It predates the amalgamation of numerous municipalities into the HRM.

2. An independent volunteer organization, Halifax Regional Search and Rescue is one of twenty such ground search groups in Nova Scotia. It operates this Sterling Acterra fitted with a Drake body as a logisitics support unit.    

4. This 1997 Spartan chassis aerial was on sale in Moncton in August.

5. A 1994 Pierce engine was also for sale. Its black over red scheme is similar to that of Chicago.  

6. An unusual Saulsbury unit was also for sale in Moncton.

7. Saulsbury was a highly regarded New York state apparatus manufacturer taken over by Emergency-One in 1998. Best known for its custom rescue units until it was shut down in 2004, and work transferred to E-One's Ocala, FL plant. 

8. La Malbaie, Qc runs this Mack Tibotrac as their front line, number one response engine.

9. It misbehaved one day and had to be towed home, but was back in service within a day or two.

10. The village of Les Eboulements, Qc has a nice engine locked behind closed doors, and this basic tanker, with wonky driver's side mirror frame. (The passenger side mirror can be seen in reflection.) 

11. There is no identification as to the tank builder.

12. The Kennetcook District FD runs this trim looking GMC C8500, with 1050 gpm pumper/ tanker built by Lewis R. Benedict Fabricators of Port Williams, NS in 2002. Now known as LRB Fabricators, the company has been in business since 1978. See http://www.lrbfabricators.ca/ (Be sure to look at the gallery and click on each album to see more photos)

  The Kennetcook rig appears to be in superb condition.

Road Report - Part 2 - Simard Suspensions

My annual trips to Quebec include visits to Simard Suspensions in Baie-St-Paul. An out of the way location perhaps, but it is a bustling enterprise. Initially established to add a second steering axle to trucks, it has branched out into all kinds of additions including special chassis work for transit mixers, dump bodies and dumpsters, and compactors to name a few, air lift axles and steering axles included.
Here is a recent selection:

1. Well known for their fire apparatus, Spartan Motors of Lancing MI, has apparently branched out for this odd rig. Despite checking on it two or three times during the month, I never did get to see it completed- I assume as a transit mixer. 

2. The distinctive one man off centre cab has no room below for the engine which looks quite exposed. Perhaps a hood will be installed to keep the weather out.

3. Speaking of transit mixers this "Red Green" Mack  is ready for delivery. Simard's delivery truck is hooked on behind for the driver to get home.

4. Western Star installs steering axles in its own factory, so this one is a candidate for some other type of work, perhaps a dumspter. The extra long chassis doesn't look like it would be able to handle a dump body or a transit mixer.

5. Colourful International Paystar has received its steering axle, and is ready for the transit mix body. TRP Ready Mix of Moose Creek ON will take delivery of this unit which is already painted in company colours and has Ontairo plates. (Moose Creek is in eastern Ontario, in the area between Ottawa and Cornwall). 

6. High -rise 8x8 Mack MRU-613 was easily the most impressive truck on the lot this summer.

7. The front drives were disconnected for the delivery to Simard.

7. Mack snow plows are not that common, but I guess they are just Volvos now anyway. However it is interesting to see one without the front plow mounted.

8. Don't be distracted by the classic Bluebird school bus in the background! This low rise Peterbilt seems destined for the garbage compactor business. Note the large off side mirror mounted to the front of the cab.

9. This Freightliner has a few extra axles for some kind of important work - not sure what though! There's also a large spread between the drivers.

Road Report- Part 1

I was on the road in August, and saw all sorts of trucks. I will be reporting in installments.

1. This classic White GMC, tombstone rad/low rise was spotted at Dégelis, Qc.  

2. At the same garage, this big Pete has an air lift axle.

3. Newly painted, but as yet unlabelled Freightliner based in La Malbaie, Qc, has an interesting tow. [See a later erport on fire apparatus.]

4. The business end of the rig has some heavy gear..

5. This Ford occupies its spot during daylight hours only at Les Eboulments, QC.   I've never seen it actually move, but it goes somewhere at night! Visibility for right hand turns would be a bit tricky unless they move the ketchup and mustard. French fry wagons were once common in Quebec, but have become a rarity.  

6. A new International Lone Star at Tom Horton's in Woodstock, NB.