The life of a long-haul trucker

"If you bought it, truckers brought it," is the motto for long-haul truckers like Bernie Wilkinson, a Johnson Lane resident and trucker for the Craig Scheckla Co. based in Sheridan, Wyo. Bernie has been driving big trucks for 14 years now.

Bernie's wife Jenice is a bank service manager in Gardnerville and his son Britain is a third-grader at Pinon Hills Elementary School. Jenice and Britain hold down the fort 12 days out of 14 while Bernie hauls loads in Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, the Dakotas, Canada and Alaska. He mostly hauls cement bags, drilling fluids and squared logs called cants. It's a busy life, all right.

Bernie drives a 2007 Kenworth W900 with an 18-speed auto shift. It has six cylinders, with 475 horsepower and 1,650 foot pound torque. He typically drives about 150,000 miles per year with a 40-foot front trailer and a 28-foot rear trailer connected in what is known as a Super B Train.

It has eight axles and 30 tires and can haul more than 70,000 pound loads for a gross weight of nearly 110,000 pounds. This is a lot of technical stuff, isn't it?

This past year Bernie made many 7,000 mile round trips, delivering 68,000 to 70,000 pound loads of bentonite (drilling mud for water wells and oil fields) to Fairbanks, Anchorage and Kenai, Alaska. He leaves from here and hauls "after" loads until he picks up the main load in Wyoming for the Alaska run.

By federal law, drivers can drive 11 hours in a 14-hour period, and then must take 10 hours off. If you drive 70 hours in eight days and get near your 70-hour limit, you have to pull over and take 34 hours off. Once north of the 60th parallel you can drive 80 hours in 8 days, 15 hours in a 20-hour period and only need eight hours off. You used to have to take 36 hours off to go back below the 60th parallel.

Bernie uses about 1,200 gallons of diesel fuel for his 7,000 mile round trip. Wow, this job sounds like a lot of hard work.

He said truck stops are few and far between. Bernie drives the Alaska-Canadian Highway which starts in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, and runs to where it meets the Richardson Highway in Delta Junction. He stops at the Liard River Hot Springs Alpha Pool in British Columbia near the Toad River. He enjoys the break from driving and relaxing in the 105 degree water.

He said he's only picked up hitchhikers in an emergency situation. He sees caribou, moose, bears, bighorn sheep, wolves, elk and coyotes. And if he gets stuck in a storm that is just too dangerous to drive in? He said that's about the only reason he'll pull over and park. Bernie said he packs and cooks most of his meals but loves to eat out occasionally.

When I asked what he does when he gets the flu or a cold, Bernie said, "Times a-wasting if you're not moving."

Does he ever get to play? Bernie said he loves to spend time with his wife Jenice and play with their son Britain. His hobbies include playing with their two Great Danes Trinity and Tracy, playing the drums, machine work, working on his four-wheel drive 1972 GMC Jimmy and recently he starting getting in to radio-controlled helicopters.

He's also a motorcycle enthusiast and manufacturers Green Mountain Shine Metal Polish in his free time, like what is used on classic cars and motorcycles. I've tried it on the chrome on my motorcycle and I liked it a lot.

This sounds like a hard way to make a living, but if it weren't for long-distance truckers like Bernie, America's commerce might just stop.

Happy anniversary

To my father and mother " happy 48th anniversary today. We love you.

n Lisa Welch is a Johnson Lane resident and can be reached at 267-9350.