Esso, Fences and Dump Trucks

I had a small accident the other day ... I had a spray truck parked in a gate opening for an Esso site we were spraying. When we drove out, the gate had blown against the truck and we wrenched the lower half of it off of the fence. It was not a big accident ... we only moved about a foot before I realized what was happening, but the corporate consequences, oh my!

Pee in a cup, sir! Cocaine? no .... Opium? no ... Marijuana? no... Amphetamines?...

Now let's have a two hour safety meeting ... 'come over here young man and sign this incident form ...'

Oh dear ... and then I told my boss I wasn't into spraying all summer despite the raise:

"Ok, well would you drive a spray tractor with a special filter system?"

"I'll think about it and get back to you" While I'm looking for other jobs!

I think I'll quit ... every day there is a surprise. Today, a second plastic fitting on the bottom of our spray tanks broke and I was left dumping roundup and buctril onto the road and into the sewer system. The emergency break is so weak on the truck that on almost any slope someone has to sit holding the break. And it's not the only truck that is like that!!! They fail to abide by many safety regulations ... I think it's time to go. My previous boss on landscaping will probably also be leaving. Probably two of their better employees. It's funny that many employers do not think a little harder and think that spending a few extra dollars in safety and appropriate wages (many people are payed $10/hour at the shop!!!) wouldn't go a long way.

Oh well, I've applied to four jobs and have had two replies already.

Whitecourt

We're in Whitecourt at the Green Gables in after spending our first day spraying for Esso out in the boonies near Judy Creek.

It was a bit of an eventful day. I caught an edge on a dirt road and nearly flipped the spray truck ... luckily my reflexes were in good shape. While mud was flying everywhere (I was half on and half off of the road), I was able to keep relatively flat and steer myself back on to the road. We saw a few deer and were also stopped by the DOT for missing a truck check. He then noticed all the other problems with our truck, such as not having original registration and insurance with us (only copies) and not having our weight and company name listed on the truck, having amber brake lights etc. Needless to say, Delta valley is not known for its attention to detail.

Although most of the spots we are spraying are small, the one we are at now is quite large ... probably 3 football fields in size. We are spraying it all with high powered spray guns attached to water tanks on our spray truck. The hardest part, funny enough, is keeping oneself in a straight line. The problem of perspective makes it quite difficult: I've found that I've had to try to pick a single, distant, point and keep myself straight with that. While using rocks as markers.