Derek Martin makes the tough choice to go west for work, leaving his wife and kids behind.

SOMEWHERE IN THE HIMALAYAS — While many Canadians were watching the L.A. Kings win their third straight over the New Jersey Devils Monday, the Martin family of Waterdown, ON., was glued to the Discovery Channel to watch their dad, Derek, vie for the title World’s Toughest Trucker.

Monday was episode eight, the final in the reality-tv competition that saw a group of as many drivers from around the globe competing in far-flung locales for the title and a prize of $150,000.

The program actually finished shooting last year, but Martin was bound by contract not to reveal the outcome. All viewers knew going into Monday’s show was that in the last episode, it was down to three: Martin, an Alabaman named Rookie Weekly and Stuart Barnes from England. Monday’s episode saw the drivers deliver trailers full of clay pots along some of the windiest and steepest hills in the world through the Himalayas.

Breathtaking to the final moments, with clip after clip of drivers peering over the precipices into the deep valleys of these mountains, the show managed to maintain the mystery almost until the credits rolled. Then, at 8:55 p.m. EST Stuart Barnes was named the winner.

“And what does second place get?” we asked Martin, the day after the episode when he dropped into todaystrucking.com’s office for a visit.

“A ticket home,” he laughed.

In fact, Martin says the show — which took him to Australia, Mongolia, Brazil, India and also to Squamish, BC —was “the opportunity of a lifetime.”

“I won’t lie to you; I saw things and went places I never could have otherwise,” says the six-five father of four.

Now the tough part begins.

For the past five years, Martin has been an owner-operator with ATS Transportation Services, an automobile hauler, but, he says, his income has taken a dive over the past three years while his man hours have soared. “I just had to replace a clutch, king pins and a starter. It was another $4,000 expense that I didn’t want to have to think about.”

So exactly one week after the final episode, Martin is parking his 2003 Pete against the fence, loading up the pickup and moving out to Squamish, as a staff driver for log haulers JR Transport.

Fortunately, when the TV crew filmed in BC, they hired the trucks belonging to JR and the brass there liked Martin’s driving so much they invited him back if he ever needed work.

“I’m doing it for my family. There were lots of things I wanted to do with them this summer but that’s all changed. A guy’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do.”

Monday morning next, while his wife Jen, son Troy, twins Brooklyn and Sean as well as Alyssa, 8, disappear in his rear-view mirror, Derek Martin will head west where the real money is.

“This,” he says, “is the real tough part.”