Dispatches from the Maple Gulag Truck Stop

9 Replies to “Dispatches from the Maple Gulag Truck Stop”

1. looks like the takeover is pretty much a fait accomplis. the gauge being the huge pileups and carnage
   caused by 100s of unskilled unlicensed untrained ‘right off the boat’ types

   1. It’s funny how I used to get pulled over by MTO (Ministry of Transport Ontario) pulling my car trailer, but I haven’t seen an MTO car in five years.

      The MTO boys used to camp out in front of the racetrack in Cayuga on a Sunday to bust racers for trailer violations. Or you’d see them in York on Highway 54 at the bridge, issuing tickets to 18 wheelers for turning the corner wrong and hitting the railings. These days the tire marks are running all the way up and along the top of the concrete protecting the bridge railings, and never a cop or an MTO weenie in sight.

      Almost as if it was understood that cops and MTO aren’t going to ticket anybody anymore.

      1. That’s a really good point that isn’t isolated to Canada. In the northeast US most major highways had just inside the state line a Truck Weigh Station”. They were only in operation some of the time, but enough to keep you on your toes.

         Every commercial truck had to pull into this station and either get weighed to see if they were overloaded and/or have their driver paperwork checked.

         It wasn’t since you mentioned it that I realized I have driven past several of these at least dozens of times in the last several years and not seen one in operation.

         1. “Every commercial truck had to pull into this station and either get weighed…”

            There’s one on the 407 north of Burlington, before you get to Mississauga. Always shut these days. Funny how much crime and stuff is going on, but those guys are always shut…

      2. A few weeks back, the truck inspection station eastbound on the 401 between Kingston and Brockville was often open. I drove it 5 days straight.

2. That’s a strange way to connect two trailers.

3. I see the trucks doing crazy sh1t on the QEW all the time now. Mostly speeding, and lane-changing like they’re driving a Miata. I see them on the side of the road quite often as well, either broken down or stuck in the mud because they just fricking well drove off into the mud. Texting, I expect.

   I won’t ride my bike on the QEW/401 anymore. No freaking way. They’re all crazy. Side roads and back roads only.

   1. Drove out of S Ont two yrs ago notth from Guelph, got boxed in by 3 semis, all doing 120+. Crazy.

      1. “…3 semis, all doing 120+.”

         The standard speed of traffic on the 401 between Milton and Waterloo is roughly 120K-130K. In the hammer lane you’re seeing 140k+ at times. I don’t go beyond Waterloo, can’t speak to that stretch, but I doubt it is any different. Same deal on the 403 from Hamilton to Brantford, 130K++. Trucks, hammer down, tailgating everything in sight, while texting.

         Never saw a cop car along either stretch since Covid. Gee, I wonder why that is?

         But don’t speed on the 6 Nations rez. The tribal cops are out every single day, hunting Whitey. You go 5K over, they nab you. Local knowledge, pass it on.

         Generally I drive 5K -under- the limit on those rare occasions I travel past the Rez, and end up with a tail half a mile long behind me. Pretty funny seeing a red Ducati race bike going 75 in an 80, but I figure it’s only fair. They f- with me, I f- with them.