My name is Tim Mandel. I was born a leap-year baby in 1968 and raised near Fox Valley, SK, in a large family with five brothers and a sister. I came from a farming background where I was taught that if you want something, you work for it. We kids all had jobs growing up, and back then, we loved running around after school and getting into trouble with Mom!
I struck out on my own at eighteen, working various farm jobs. I learned that I loved working on and tinkering with all kinds of vehicles. I settled at Chaplin, SK, where I met Alison, who I eventually married. My first job there was on a mixed farm, where I did all sorts of things. They had both cattle and grain, so I helped with haying, seeding and harvesting crops. There was also winter work, like feeding cattle and repairing and maintaining the machinery.
Another similar job followed. The only difference was the colour of the tractors and cows! I went from Massey Ferguson equipment and Hereford cows to John Deere and Black Angus. Getting to know the farm business from a different perspective was good.
I decided in 1995 to go take the course at Yorkton and get my Class 1 license after a few friends had gone there. Back then, it was only a week long. But it was 1996 when I got my first trucking job. The first truck I drove was a 1991 Freightliner with a 425 Cat and 13-speed transmission. I worked there until that company shut down in the early 2000s.
Over the next few years, I drove a newer Freightliner with a 475 Detroit and a Western Star with a 500 Detroit. The owner of these trucks had a knack for bodywork, and he liked to buy and fix trucks for his guys to use. During slow times in the grain business with that job, we would hook on to van trailers and haul Raider truck caps from Moose Jaw, SK, to either Seattle or Spokane in Washington state. Those lanes of traffic were something else for us small-town Saskatchewan boys! One time we got so turned around that we had to pull over and call the store to have them come to find us!
We also hauled a lot of potatoes down into Oregon and Idaho when the potato industry started up near Riverhurst, SK. Those live bottom trailers had a conveyor for unloading. They were usually sealed and temperature controlled as it was late winter and still cold. One time at an inspection, the officer wanted to see what the potatoes looked like, so we had to run the conveyor back to get a few to fall out. If we had opened the top of the trailer, the potatoes would have frozen.
I had a couple of short-term jobs after that one. First, driving with another local company while one of their drivers was on leave and then I wound up driving a nearly new black Kenworth for a  guy who had his truck leased to Bickner Trucking Ltd in Vanguard, SK. I drove that for a few months until he sold the truck, but I didn't forget about Bickners.
My next gig was as a technician at Golden West Trailer in Moose Jaw, SK. I didn't mind the work and liked the people I worked with, but the seeds of trucking grew, and I wanted to get back on the road. Plus, I wasn't fond of being on my feet all day - I'd never done that before.
As I mentioned, I never forgot about Bickner Trucking, so I leased on with them when I finally decided to buy my own equipment in 2004. Bickner Trucking is a family-run company that has been supportive since day one. Operating since 1988, they understand the business and the family side, and I am proud to have been there as they've built their company into what they are today.
My first truck was a teal-green 2000 Kenworth W900L. It had Signature 500 Cummins and 18 speeds. I paired it with a set of Doepker grain superB trailers and have been going strong since then. I bought my first brand-new truck in 2006, switching to Peterbilt. It was an orange 379 with an ISX Cummins 565. I've had two 389's since. The first was a flat top 2014, also orange, with the ISX Cummins 500. I started getting trailers to match, making for an eye-catching set up.
I usually upgrade every few years, but in January 2020, I was forced to upgrade a little earlier than planned. Driving on icy roads in freezing rain, I was involved in a crash that made me question whether to continue driving. I slid out of control and collided with a pickup truck. My truck was a total loss. As hard as it was to believe it happened, a friend gave me some good advice. He said, "This can happen to any one of us at any time. It doesn't matter if you are a good or the best driver; sometimes accidents happen, and we need to deal with them and the aftermath. Talk to your friends and keep yourself from spiralling into blaming yourself."
To show how great Bickners are, they went to the scene while I was still at the hospital. They cleaned up my things and dealt with everything for me until I was able to get home later that day. That gesture has always stuck with me. Although my injuries were not too serious, it took a few weeks to return to my A-game.
My trailers were fairly new when the crash happened, so they were repaired, and I purchased my current truck, a 2020 Peterbilt 389 in North Sea grey with black stripes. It was built as a project truck by Peterbilt Manitoba in Winnipeg. I have slowly customized it with a few changes. I put on custom fenders, exhaust pipes, bumper, grill, and headlights. This truck has an X15 Cummins 565 and 18-speed transmission. The strong support of my family and Bickners made it happen!
There is a story to how I ended up with unit number 626 for this truck. When our kids were young, the movie Lilo and Stitch came out. Our kids absolutely fell in love with that show and watched it and the sequels repeatedly, including when they rode with me in the semi. I'm sure they completely wore the old VHS tapes out. In those movies, Stitch is an alien, also known as science experiment 626, that gets away from the government and is hit by a semi! He is adopted by a little girl who thinks he is just a weird little dog. He raises havoc but entertains his little family. The theme of those movies is Ohana, which means family, and that means nobody gets left behind or forgotten. We took this on as a motto for our family as well. When I had the accident, Alison and the kids were there for me just like they always are, and when I got a new truck, the kids suggested 626 as a unit number to signify our "Ohana." I even added a little Stitch decal beside the unit number on the truck and have been surprised over the years by how many people understand the connection!
Over the years, I have hauled whatever goes in my trailers, from grains and fertilizers to feed and seed. I've travelled to the western provinces and a few states. As much as I love the occasional long and winding mountain trip, I always love coming home to my family on the weekends.
I married Alison in 2000, and we were blessed with a son and a daughter. Both kids have helped with the business over the years, starting with keeping Dad company while driving to today. I used to put a car seat on the passenger side, and it was sure fun having a toddler as a co-pilot back then. Our son, Devin, has had his Class 1 since shortly after he turned eighteen and drives a truck as well. He's been a spare driver for me a few times and helps with repairs when he can. Our daughter, Danae, has helped with repairs and washes and done parts runs while working full-time in Agricultural manufacturing. Alison helps with bookkeeping, repairs, and parts. Many a weekend has been spent polishing chrome together!
Outside of trucking, I love old Chevy and GM vehicles and have several that I can be found working on at any time. In fact, I just recently picked up another old square-body truck, a Chevy this time. Nothing like big block Chev motors to keep me feeling young. I still have one of my first cars, a 1971 Chevelle, and I am slowly getting it back in shape after it sat for decades.
I also have a collection of scale-model trucks, cars and farm equipment. Probably hundreds altogether, some put away as the display cases keep filling up. I'd say some of my favourites are a 1/16 scale 1150 Versatile tractor that was my brother's, a 1/32 Big Bud and a Steiger tractor and a couple of 1/64 Peterbilt trucks. The collection didn't stop with toys. I rescued two old cabover trucks from a farmer for who I'd hauled grain. They are a 1976 Kenworth and a 1976 Freightliner; he just wanted them gone from his yard. My goal is to get them running again one of these days.
I also was able to buy a couple of older White tractors when my brother wasn't needing them anymore. One is working, and the other needs a little work. As you can tell by now, I love all things mechanical. Working on these old things is one of my favourite past times.
We also enjoy snowmobiling in the winter, with trips to northern Saskatchewan this past winter.
We just got a new skidoo this year to add to our others after twenty years. We used to ride a lot, but raising kids and dealing with life put it on the back burner for a few years. It felt good to get back to it after so long.
I have also had some health challenges. After doctoring through 2017, a diagnosis helped me get things straightened out, and things look good for many more years of driving! This life has given me everything I have. I love my career and can't believe I can make a living driving cool trucks and seeing the world. It may not be for everyone, but it's what I love.