iceman Posted March 2, 2014 Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 (edited) Well its not exactly a snowmobile story but I wanted to share my recent experience from this past week. I drove to Chapais Tues. to visit my buddy Danny and check out the winter road trucking from the Sawmill there the Barrette Mill. About a 6.5 hr drive from home to Chapais. The operation there takes place 24hrs a day 5 days a week.12-15 off road trucks run non stop hauling wood to the mill on the network of winter roads that stretch hundreds of miles from the mill. This week they were hauling from near Obedjiwan back to Chapais. These runs were about 8hrs round trip. Earlier they were hauling from the north and making runs of almost 15 hrs round trip. These rigs are strictly for off-road as they are over 14 ft wide and about 18-20 ft tall when loaded and average about 350,000 lbs. Very impressive. Quite alot of skill is required to handle these massive rigs. You have got to be on top of your game all the time. there are other trucks coming at you and communication is key.They call out at intervals and announce themselves to be sure everyone knows they are coming. Loaded trucks have priority and do not stop for nothing. Along the road there are pull offs plowed out for the empty rigs to give way to the loaded ones. So besides using the two radios (they have a CB and a shortwave) CB to chat and Shortwave to announce their positions at what KM they are at and what direction they roll. Each truck also has a small unit on the dash (you will see in the pics) this has indicator lights on it. When its green then no trucks are nearby, then it will begin to flash yellow when a truck is a few KM's out(i think its 5KM) then it changes to red and that means the guy is close like less then a KM and you better watch it. Now with the radio the empty trucks are stopped usually before get to them and pulled off in a pull off. Between the Radio and the device with the blinking lights you got alot of warning to get out the way. Like I said the empty trucks must give way to the Loaded ones. There is also a flashing blue light on the device to Indicate a sander or a grader is nearby. they also use the same radios and all communicate together. The wildcard in the MIx is the Natives in the Pickup trucks as they use this section I was on this week to access Obedjiwan. Most have CB but it gets a bit hairy cause they do not all announce their presence on the road. I gave it a go and must say I have driven alot of stuff but this is quite a challenge. I have alot of respect for these winter warriors hauling day and night nonstop. Braking is all done with engine Brakes and special electro-magnetic brakes on the driveline to slow momentum. You hit the regular air brakes hard on these and it does nothing but make you slide and its game over. Quite a puckering experience and while not as fun as sleds it was very cool to try it and learn what they got goin on up there. This operation will go on about three more weeks then when the Breakup begins the roads are too dangerous to haul on they shut down about 2 months then they will begin again to feed the mill. The difference being in Summer they run these giant trucks and they are GIANT with a second Trailer with another stack of logs. So Tandem trailers. WOW. Right now they say there is enough wood stacked at the mill that if you laid it end to end it would stretch clear across to British Columbia on the west coast. I believe it. You think you can drive? You need mad skills to wheel one of these beasts. Each truck has 2 drivers. One works days one works nights for a week then they switch for the following week. Edited March 2, 2014 by iceman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted March 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 some pictures Trust me its massive. got wood? note the fullsize pickup in front of the truck on top of the radio is the warning device with flashing lights Danny is 6'7" and the truck is alot taller then him I'm 6'3" tall so this thing is giant Solid green all clear Flashing yellow means if empty find a pull off to park now Flashing red oncoming very close Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowfarmer Posted March 2, 2014 Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 COOL!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dooright Posted March 2, 2014 Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 Wow ! Think of this next time your on a narrow long bridge crossing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revct1 Posted March 2, 2014 Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 That is so fascinating! 8 hours round trip. 350,000 lbs.!!! Tandem trailers during the summer? Ice Road Truckers doesn't have anything on these guys. Come on up and do a show on the real HEAVY haulers. Jack & Sandi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easyrider Posted March 2, 2014 Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 Thanks for sharing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smclelan Posted March 2, 2014 Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 That is really cool to go for a trip with your friend. I think most of us have seen these trucks going, it is interesting hear some of the details about these monsters! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groomer Posted March 2, 2014 Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 hi iceman !!! great thread !!! back in the 80, and early 90's ...often i was taking rides with friends!!great experience!! p-1 ...challenge kanada.....dolbeau 96......mill is right behind truck...canteen on the right if i remember well..... p-2...guy from near matane....big '' mouth ''...great drag racer...went a few times in the usa... load were too heavy for the size of truck...rims were cracking.... p-3...la cache...back then logging road was too narrow...they had to go up to la cache...down to new richmond and back up to town....about 225 miles trip...now ,no problem..road is wide enough.. p-5.....3 axles truck....smclelan...were we had seen moose with bob....at the 40 miles... p-7 ...old bridge on causapscal river....near falls.. p-8 ...at the 16 miles... jean-guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florida Snowman Posted March 2, 2014 Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 ICEMAN TRUCKING!! Pretty cool Don. Is that gonna be your new career? 13 gears on those trucks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted March 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 18 speed on those but also 4 different ranges of gearing to choose from for extra pulling power. I'm gonna do some trucking but not going into that up there just yet. Someday maybe, but for now i am going to stick to asphalt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vt_bluyamaha54 Posted March 2, 2014 Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 I am always interested in stuff like this Don. Thanks for a great 'backstory' and the pictures to tie it together Groomer - your pictures remind me of the old days (1980s) in Northern New Hampshire before they frowned on 'clear cutting'. The roads they built for logging then are snowmobile trails now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
182ray Posted March 2, 2014 Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 Great info thanks How many Iceman stickers did u post? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted March 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 Great info thanks How many Iceman stickers did u post? We were running nights and was -28 they were not sticking to nothing. I failed in that. Maybe next time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailblazer Posted March 2, 2014 Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 That's pretty cool you have a friend up there and went with him for a run, my BIL has some trucks and I have gone with him on some runs too, no logging all asphalt. Totally understand the buzz. I've seen these trucks in Chapais lined up at the mill in the yard and in the winter logging road which the sled trail does cross, the trucks were blocking the sled trail crossing so we had to wait until the first one weighed in and then the line moved up. Pretty cool seeing these overloaded trucks very impressive. Nice post Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
182ray Posted March 2, 2014 Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 We were running nights and was -28 they were not sticking to nothing. I failed in that. Maybe next time.Thanks or I would have to add that to my places to look Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted March 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 Thanks or I would have to add that to my places to look lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momojohnny Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 (edited) Thanks or I would have to add that to my places to look Here a little hint for you Ray :) Nice truck pic's. Seen some big ones at barrier nord @ the saw mill TQ 93 Wonder how big those trucks are? They run the hardtop road to get in there. Edited March 3, 2014 by momojohnny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mid Range Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 back in the 90's ........we were sharing the TQ 83 (a few miles) with these monsters just east of Parent. Scary!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikerider Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Too cool, thanks for a great post! mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnomoGary Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Bril Iove it , thanks for posting. Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindasledgirl Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Wow!! Great story Iceman!! That's a huge scary truck of wood. Jean-guy took me to see the process of cutting down trees,stacking and pulling them up out of the bush. Then we sat in a small road to watch the big haulers. You could feel them coming. It was quite an experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpysanta Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 They do have a program on tv about the boys hauling logs from Maine to Quebec by all dirt roads and some are pretty tight fit on some bridges . great show watch every year , its about the 3 season. on tv. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viper2 Posted March 6, 2014 Report Share Posted March 6, 2014 They do have a program on tv about the boys hauling logs from Maine to Quebec by all dirt roads and some are pretty tight fit on some bridges . great show watch every year , its about the 3 season. on tv. Brion what show is that? I would be interested in checking that out just came home from Maine on Sunday we were on some of the private forestry roads in the Allegash trying to get up to Estcourt Station (the trail is closed this year) we got within about 10 miles before we had to turn back alot of roads up there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wng-2 Posted March 6, 2014 Report Share Posted March 6, 2014 Very interesting. Thank You. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpysanta Posted March 6, 2014 Report Share Posted March 6, 2014 I WILL CHECK FOR THE SHOW NAME Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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