Trucker Tales - Fifty Years of Trucking

by Ted Campbell, Ann Campbell (Editor)

When it comes to trucking Ted Campbell has “been there – done that” He’s driven almost every truck, engine and transmission combination and carried every load imaginable. At age eighteen when no one would hire him as a driver because he had no experience he talked his Mother into co-signing a loan, traded his almost new Chevy Bel Air for a “Big Job” Ford and went trucking. Since then he’s hauled lumber, gravel, logs, delivered new trucks from the factory even had two rigs on the Rogers Pass on opening day. In 1963 he was driving molten metal truck for Alcan at Kitimat when they asked him to go to UBC to attend a “teach the teachers” course. When he returned he taught an equipment operators course for five years while operating a log-hauling outfit in his spare time. Several years later he started with Mainland Mack in Langley selling new and used trucks. He loves second hand trucks; “you can’t custom build a used truck” Ted and his wife Ann have owned several truck lines, Cascadia Motor Express and Pure Water Transport were the latest; they carried spring water in stainless steel tankers, liquid sugar to honey-bee producers in the western provinces and North West Territories, ran a general freight outfit with 53’ heated, insulated tridem vans carrying food commodities throughout western Canada, coin-grade silver to New Jersey, sent film-grade silver in containers to Japan, pretzels out of Pennsylvania, chemicals from Wyoming, Christmas trees from Oregon, California produce, Colorado beer, even diapers and soap out of Salt Lake City. Ted say’s he’s made a fortune spent a couple.

119 pages, Paperback

First published December 28, 2013

Reviews

[Paul LaFontaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of short yarns about Ted Campbell's career trucking throughout North America. From hauling logs in Northern Canada through selling tractors to pulling water to California, Ted's stories amuse and enlighten on a hard but rewarding life.

I liked the book. Some laugh-out-loud funny stories. Only a few bits were applicable in my own situation so it ended up being a light, short and humorous read. Had me look up the historical development of the "fifth wheel" which was good after all.

Recommend.