Anyone who says all the fun has gone from trucking has never been to Rodeo du Camion. It's a trucking event like no other, where drivers pull 45-ton loads of 2x4 lumber up a 12% grade in pursuit of a few thousands dollars in prize money. Jim Park has more in his On the Road blog.
There's a trucking event happening next weekend, July 29-31, that's like no other on the planet. That's a pretty tall description, but it's quite true. Each year at this time a few dozen drivers bring their trucks to northern Quebec, hitch them to 45 tons of lumber, and race them up a steep grade through the center of an otherwise sleepy village called Notre Dame du Nord (Our Lady of the North), Quebec.
The event is called Rodeo du Camion, or Truck Rodeo, in English, but it's really more of a race than a rodeo.
Ad Loading...
Rodeo du Camion happens about 300 miles north of Toronto, Ontario. Driving time, it's about seven hours from Buffalo, NY, nine hours from Detroit, Mich. and about six and a half hours from Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. The population of the town is about 2,000 people most of the year, but on Rodeo weekend, that number has been known to swell to beyond 20,000. Guests come from as far away as Asia, Europe, Scandinavia, Australia, and of course, the U.S.
The rules of the competition are simple enough: Whoever gets to the top of the hill first wins. There are several trial runs and qualifying heats, and then the competition gets really intense as drivers vie for a position in the semi-final and final events on Sunday afternoon.
They feature bobtail and loaded competitions. Bobtail needs little explanation, but the loaded competition is something else. Competitors pull a 5-axle B-train combination loaded with 45 tons of 2x4 lumber. Gross combination weights are about 138,000 lbs (a legal load in Canada). These races take place on a 700-foot-long hill in the village with a 12% grade lined 10 to 20 deep with spectators.
There's really no way to explain this to someone who doesn't get trucks and engines and raw torque and horsepower. The drivers use these trucks every day to earn their living, and on one weekend during the summer, they place their truck squarely in harm's way by dialing up the fuel pump and making all sorts of little modifications (within the scope of the rules) to ratchet the output up to 800 and 900 horsepower, or whatever they can get out of it.
One can only imagine the strain on the driveline. It's a walking, talking, screaming endorsement of the makers of driveline components, assuming they are off-the-shelf U-joints and clutches and crown gears, etc. Certain safety precautions are required, like caging the driveshaft and protecting the fuel tanks from a potential puncture.
Ad Loading...
The other aspect to all this is shifting and clutching prowess. You don't have the luxury of starting in 1st gear, and you may only get to 8th or 9th on the way up the hill, but you have to do it fast and do it right. It's pretty embarrassing to miss a shift and have to creep up the hill from a stop. Automatic and automated manual transmissions are not allowed in the competition.
Photo: Jim Park
There's a Show 'N Shine event as well, along with an endless lineup of local entertainment, a fireworks display on Saturday night and a parade on Sunday morning.
The fishing in the area is second to none and there are even a couple of decent golf courses nearby for those who prefer a tamer pastime. Accommodations in the immediate area are limited, but camping is available. A night in a motel may be a 40-50 mile drive away.
And finally, a word of caution if you plan to attend: Leave your firearms at home. Canada does not permit unlicensed guns in the country, and Customs officers can be pretty aggressive in their efforts to find hidden weapons. Any undeclared weapons will be confiscated permanently, and their owners can face fines and possibly jail time for trying to smuggle weapons across the border.
We have more images in a photo gallery located here.
Ad Loading...
There are a lot more information about the event and some very cool video on the Rodeo du Camion website. There's a photo and video gallery there as well
Whether 'tis safer to twist a knob or press a button than to swipe right then swipe down to scan the menu for your favorite playlist...? That's a question for the age.
The government doesn't seem to mind asking trucking to invest a trillion dollars toward a greener future. But they won't let us pull turnpike doubles making 30% less CO2. Which is insanity, says HDT's Jim Park in his On the Road blog.
How does your recruiting and retention messaging compare with the reality at your company? Would your drivers agree with your own assessment? Jim Park explores those questions in his On the Road blog.
The causes of the Highland Park rest area crash go far beyond the parking shortage and the need for flexibility in hours of service — but those issues must be addressed, too, says Jim Park in his On the Road blog.
While the push for zero-emissions trucks rings clear for regulators, advocates and even a small crowd of suppliers, ZEVs seem to have run out of steam down on Main Street, says HDT Equipment Editor Jim Park in his latest On the Road blog.
The EPA’s Final Rule on NOx reduction will be incredibly difficult if not nearly impossible for trucking to comply with. Rather than endure another round of equipment failures, downtime and loss of customer faith, industry needs to rally ‘round the OEMs and seek a solution to this wrong-headed rule.
Is there a connection between downsped drivetrains and increased brake wear? There shouldn’t be. Downsped fleets seeing increased brake wear are probably not letting the technology do its job, explains HDT Equipment Editor Jim Park.
Published out-of-service rates don’t mean much until you dig into the why. With brake problems consistently placing in two of the top five spots, maybe we’re missing something in brake maintenance, writes HDT Equipment Editor Jim Park.
We’re in electric-truck heydays now. But like another famous heyday, the 1849 California Gold Rush, there will be a lot fewer winners than losers, says Jim Park in his On the Road blog.
Where do drivers learn mountain-driving techniques? It's sure not from the typical state CDL manual. Jim Park shares what he learned following a deadly 2019 Colorado crash.
