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National trucking week sept. 9 - 15

Kudos for truck heroes

As National Trucking Week unfolds from Sept. 9 to 15, it's a good time to reflect on the significant contributions truck drivers make to the Canadian economy.

SHARON ASCHAIEK

[ 2007-09-12 ]

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Shawn Berube was awarded the 50th Anniversary Bridgestone Firestone Canadian Truck Hero Award.

This industry's massive workforce, consisting of more than 200,000 truck drivers, continually criss-crosses North America ensuring all manner of goods reach their intended destination intact and on time.

REMARKABLE TRACK RECORD

National Trucking Week is also the ideal time to point out a little-known fact about truckers: they have a remarkable track record of performing brave and heroic acts in life-and-death situations while on the job.These acts are recognized by the annual Bridgestone Firestone Canadian Truck Hero Award, which has been given out since 1956.

Last year's Canadian Truck Hero Shawn Berube found himself in such a situation late one night in March 2006, when he pulled into a rest stop in Michipicoten, an Ontario community on the shores of Lake Superior, to wrap up another day on the road. Before settling into his cab for the night, he headed to a nearby phone booth to make a call. While using the phone, Berube smelled smoke, and soon saw that it was billowing out of the window of a nearby transport truck. Berube rushed over to the truck and found the driver trapped inside and disoriented from the smoke. He broke the driver's side cab window, pulled out the driver and took him to a safe spot. He then alerted the drivers of the trucks nearby. Moments later, the entire truck cab became engulfed in flames.

As part of the award, Berube, a native of St. Paul, Alta., received a $3,000 cheque from Bridgestone Firestone Canada Inc., a trip for two to Toronto for two nights to the award presentation, and recognition at the annual Ontario Trucking Association convention.

"What we have found over the years is that truckers often risk their lives to save others and go beyond the call of duty. They've got a pretty impressive track record, and so this award is to honour their heroism," says Dave Scheklesky, general manager of commercial truck tires at Bridgestone Firestone.

Past Canadian Truck Heroes have also gone above and beyond to help fellow truckers or other drivers on the road. The 2005 winner, Kevin Harris of Kamloops, B.C., was travelling along a B.C. highway behind Peter Mills, a Lamont, Alta., trucker whom he had shared coffee with at a truck stop only moments before. Mills' truck suddenly veered out of control and rolled into a ditch, crushing the cab and pinning his arms and legs. Harris fought off flames and stayed close to the dying driver until he drew his last breath; he left the cab just moments before it went up in flames.

Abbortsford, B.C. resident Phil Tarrant, the 2004 winner, was driving along a highway in B.C. when a car in front of him lost control, struck a utility pole, flipped upside down and landed in a water-filled ditch, trapping the car's lone occupant. Tarrant wedged his crane between power lines to lift the partially submerged car, enabling the driver to breathe until emergency personnel arrived and removed her.

Truckers and members of the public who know of full-time Canadian transport truck drivers who've put their lives on the line to save others may submit nominations until Sept. 30, 2007. Visit www.truck.hero.ca for more information.

"These individuals are committed to their profession and they have a very amazing work ethic," Scheklesky says. "They've got jobs where safety and responsibility are of the utmost importance, and they deserve the recognition for the work they do."

A DRIVING FORCE

National Trucking Week 2007, which takes place from Sept. 9 to 15, recognizes the important contributions made by the 400,000 Canadian men and women who keep this country's freight moving.

Truck transportation is a driving force in sustaining the Canadian economy, as these statistics from Transportation in Canada 2006, Transport Canada's annual report, indicate:

As a whole, the trucking industry (including for-hire carriers, private carriers, owner-operators and courier firms) generated an estimated $67 billion in revenues in 2005.

Five commodity groups represented almost 80% of total exports in 2005: automobiles and transport equipment; machinery and electrical equipment; other manufacturing products; plastics and chemical products; and base metals/articles of base metal.

Trucking accounted for 61% of trade with the United States, compared to rail at 17%, pipeline at 13%, air at 5% and marine at 4%.

In 2006, the exports from Canada shipped by trucks totalled $185.8 billion (50% of total exports).

In 2005, the trucking industry employed 356,124 people, including: 109,284 drivers employed by the for-hire trucking industry; 78,500 owner-operators; and, according to 2001 census data, 102,509 self-declared delivery drivers.

For more information about National Trucking Week, visit www.cantruck.com/news/ntw/index.htm.