My Experience - It Could Be Yours Too

I will preface this post by saving I enjoy writing and this may be a little long winded. If you're okay with that, continue on.

Hello ladies and gents,

I don't get the chance to post in these forums very often, but every time I come here I'm always reminded of my roots and how this very site helped shape me into the person I am today.

My father grew up driving OTR while I was in elementary school. By the time I was in high school, he was at least a million miler and always had stories about the road to tell me. I never gave this profession serious thought. I loved cars and trucks. I loved the mechanical aspect of vehicles and trying to diagnose and fix problems on my own. But it was never something I envisioned myself doing, especially after seeing some of the hardships I saw my father endure.

Fast forward to my later years. I've finished with college and I'm out of work. On a whim, I took a job driving with my father's local construction company in March of 2012. I only had my G license (in Ontario, that's what a normal license holder here would have - rated for cars & combination vehicles under 11,000kg). Though my father drove for a living and I rode with him many times, I'd never been to any kind of truck driving school. I studied the truck and air brake handbook and within a week I had my DZ license. It was pretty cool. My boss was old school. He didn't even have a computer in his office. I just showed up for work, got my '05 Granite tri-axle and started hauling asphalt, dirt and aggregates across the GTA. It seemed pretty cool. There was something about the job that was intoxicating. I don't know if it was the diesel, the masculine nature of construction sites I was visiting or the fact my vehicle was larger than anything else on the road - I was hooked.

December came and we were laid off until the spring. I was unsure of what I should do for the winter months. I took a job at a landscaping company plowing snow in pickup trucks, all contracted work in parking lots and such. My first shift lasted 17 hours from 12am-5pm. I handed in my resignation the moment I got back to the office.

I had an offer to drive expedite for a very small company five hours from my home. It was OTR, we almost always had to cross the border and I'd need my FAST card. Thinking back to my father's experiences, I thought it might be good for me. I didn't realize how taxing it would be for me personally. I've always been involved with local sports and maintained good relationships with my friends and family. I basically had to kiss them goodbye as I spent the next year of my life living on the road and pretending like I had a clue what it was really like out there. I went just about everywhere possible (except California) and hauled all sorts of loads. Some for our military, some for well known corporations. I even hauled a box of nails (sitting on my passenger seat) for reasons I still can't figure out. I didn't care what it was. I was going to get it to the destination regardless. I made myself commit to a full year at the job - as much as it was draining me emotionally, I wasn't going to give up and quit. A calendar year was my commitment.

Oddly enough, right around the year mark I was able to land a job with a local company hauling diesel fuel wheel-to-wheel. That meant we delivered to fleet, rail, marine and construction companies directly to their location. If they had an excavator sitting in the middle of the field that needed fuel, I drove there and made sure he was able to complete his day. I did that for the last two years. It was pretty taxing work at times. Always had to wear fireproof coveralls, even if it meant working in 40 degree (celsius) weather, regardless of rain, sleet, snow, time of day or surrounding conditions. I put up with intolerable hours, rude customers, dangerous conditions and negative attitudes from my co-workers. None of them wanted to work hard. Well, I did. And I wanted it to be noticed. I took extra shifts on days off. I'd work nights, weekends, holidays. It didn't matter. I was going to do what everyone else at my company didn't want to. I was trying to get myself noticed.

A few months ago, our Ops Leader came to ask me if I was interested in a supervisor position. I was extremely flattered but also kind of scared, if I'm being honest. I didn't have managerial experience, I was unsure of how my co-workers would accept me in this new role, and I was unsure if I wanted the added responsibility. It was easy clocking in at the beginning of the day, completing my deliveries and turning the truck off at the end of my shift. Now I'd have to deal with budgeting, client care, fleet maintenance, driver issues, routing and a whole bunch of other things I didn't even have to consider as a driver. But I took the job anyway.

I suppose the whole point of this story is to shed light on positivity and dedication in the work place. I'm not that old and I still have much to learn. Heck, I didn't even want anything to do with this profession when I was younger. But the more I got involved the deeper I found myself getting. I didn't even think my employers used to notice me. I'd get the occasional "great job", but never did I think i was in consideration for any kind of real promotion. Now I'm making a good salary and have the luxury of helping from within. Maybe you already are too. But if you aren't, just know that the doors are never closed. You are what you make or yourself. If you're happy driving a truck and that's all you want, that's perfectly okay with me. It's an honourable living as far as I'm concerned. But if you see more for yourself in the future, whether it's in this industry or not, don't sell yourself short. Work hard and make your effort noticed. The people around you are taking notes. Trust me, I'm taking notes as we speak right now.