June 2011
TRUCK NEWS Page 83
It’s the pay, stupid Dear Editor:
From the lips of an angel
served as a wake-up call to the industry that there was a problem. There is no driver shortage, and no shortage of qualified drivers. There is, however, a shortage of drivers willing to make the sacrifices and burden the responsibility required of a professional driver for the wages being offered. Though I have nearly 14 years behind the wheel, amongst many in the industry I am a relative newbie. Speak to professional drivers of 20, 30, or 40 years experience as I have. Many of these drivers have told me they were making more money in 1977. Why would any driver of any level of experience suggest a career in trucking to anyone? It used to be the norm. Nowadays it is a rarity at best. And yes, with my experience and a good 20 years ahead of me that could be spent behind the wheel, I am as so many others actively seeking out options for a new career. Unless there is a drastic change, and soon, I will be leaving not only the driver’s seat but also the industry. n
Re: State of Freight, pg 20, April Truck News “Carriers believe the largest culprit for the growing shortage of drivers is the quality of life and working conditions in the longhaul truck driving job instead of wages.” Honestly, who are they trying to kid? As a driver with just shy of 14 years experience, a spotless abstract and CVOR, a FAST card, the type of driver I’m told carriers want in their employ, why is it that I am making less money than I was 13 years ago as a brand new driver? It is quite true the working conditions and quality of life are horrible as a truck driver of any sort, particularly a long-haul driver, but at one time the sacrifices made by professional drivers in the way of lifestyle and working conditions were at least somewhat compensated for by an industry that paid a decent wage such that drivers could provide a decent life for their families and, when they did manage to get home, themselves. If I recall correctly back around 2007, a CTHRC study showed 700,000 Canadians held an A/Z or Class 1 licence, while less than 300,000 worked as truck drivers. This should certainly have
Robert Talbot Kitchener, Ont. Professional Commercial Vehicle Operator
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While surfing the Internet, I came across an interesting conversation on Facebook. It was concerning the lifestyles of some people and the sacrifices they have to make in order to provide for their families. This conversation was praising professional truck drivers for their dedication to their job as well as applauding the people they leave at home to hold down the fort. Ray, a professional truck driver that works over the road on long-haul, quoted his eight-year-old daughter Patricia Lynn, who is now 12 years old: “My father is a truck driver, (he delivers freight) so everyone has what they need when they go to the store!” The smallest of moments can have a life-sized impact and this is one of them. Like many truckers, Ray has children of school age and is barely around for school functions, which does not go unnoticed by school faculty. Trucking is a lifestyle – not just a job – that forces a person to become an absentee parent in order to be the provider. The only connection they have is the cell phone they carry and maybe a laptop they can use to message back home once they are parked. This cannot be helped because this is what they do; this is what makes them happy, or as Ray would say “this is what makes me tick!” It is when the child understands and is proud of what their parent does, that it truly touches the heart. Ray boasts “Patricia Lynn is my biggest fan!” Nothing can warm someone’s heart like a child whom appreciates what their parent does for a living. Nobody knows what each person goes through each day, what can happen in the course of 24 hours. The main thing is, in the end, they go home to become a visible part of the family. It is such a comfort to know that the younger generation can appreciate what truckers do, and accept the activities in life that they forego just for the sake of being able to provide. It is the quality of time you spend with your family, not necessarily the quantity. We can all be inspired by the words of a little girl who sees her father as a hero “so everyone has what they need when they go to the store!” Patricia Lynn, the world is a better place for having you in it. n Jody Lynn Insley Garson, Ont. Via e-mail
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