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Needing your input
Funding autonomous
Canadian history
University group aims to improve driver health.
Transport Canada funds Vancouver autonomous pilot.
Pacific Truck an important piece of B.C. history.
OCTOBER 2018 VOLUME 29, ISSUE 9
Reach us at our Western Canada news bureau Contact Derek Clouthier Derek@Newcom.ca or call 403-969-1506
WWW.TRUCKWEST.CA
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Western Canadian roads With winter approaching, Western Canada has its fair share of roads in need of upgrading By Derek Clouthier
Tapping into the Aboriginal advantage Training and building relationships key to recruiting Indigenous workers By Derek Clouthier SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN Recent statistic show that in 2016 there were 315 truck drivers who spoke a Cree language, and the numbers have been in decline for the last 15 years. More truck drivers in Canada speak Greek, Gujarati, Hebrew, or Creole languages than do Cree. Compare that to the number of Punjabi and Hindi speaking drivers, which numbers 35,085 in total, and it puts the lack of Aboriginal drivers in perspective. With the well-documented shortage of qualified drivers in Canada, and North America as whole, Indigenous workers are clearly an untapped resource for many in the industry. But that does not mean this group has gone totally unnoticed. Northern Resource Trucking (NRT) is one carrier looking to entice more Indigenous workers into the industry. Launched in 1986, the company was originally structured as a partnership between the Lac La Ronge Indian Band of La Ronge, Sask., with a 51% share, and Trimac Transportation with 49%. In 1995, the partnership expanded to include northern Aboriginal and Metis communities.
At present, NRT is 71% Aboriginally-owned, many of the owners representing the northern communities impacted by the development of the uranium industry. Wendy Featherstone is the human resources manager for NRT, and she said there are several challenges when it comes to recruiting Indigenous workers into the industry. “One of the easiest ways to get into trucking is by having a family member as a truck driver, or having trucking as a necessary part of an associated business, like farming or construction,” said Featherstone. “The more exposure people have to trucking and mechanics, the easier it is to learn the business and pass the required training and tests. Even obtaining a truck to take the road test can be a barrier for people.” Featherstone said for Indigenous Peoples, trucking has historically not been a traditional industry in their culture, and the only way to learn and experience what it’s all about is through training, which is expensive. Northern Resource, however, has been proactive in this area, creating its own training school based out of La Ronge. “We have had hundreds of students graduate through our training program, and it increases the pool of drivers available,” said Featherstone, “not only to NRT, Continued on page 28
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Carriers need to engage with Aboriginal communities, much like Northern Resource Trucking has, through training and relationship building to entice more Indigenous workers into the industry.
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA Driving a truck is difficult enough in ideal conditions, and when you toss in winter weather hazards, the level of risk rises dramatically. Western Canada has its fair share of dangerous stretches of highway – whether it’s a mountain pass in B.C., a deteriorating road in northern Alberta, Saskatchewan, or Manitoba, or an isolated area at 40 degrees below zero in Canada’s north. Technology and other advancements in how today’s trucks are built have helped increase safety while on the road. Stability control, automatic braking, lane departure, and other automated driver assist features can help, but nothing can prepare a driver for what they will face driving in Canada’s west during the winter months – other than perhaps experience. Truck West talked with western trucking associations, government, and law enforcement officials about the risk of highway driving,