After 10 years in the commercial livestock industry 6 months ago I decided I was done. Done with the late nights, snow storms I had to power through, last minute dispatch, missing holidays and bailing last minute on plans. I wanted a life. With my management experience finding a new career shouldn’t be that hard, right?
You’re just a truck driver…
I started to hear this a lot, I started to really believe it. A dispatch job came up with an established but rapidly growing company. They just werent ready for me yet. Wait til the new year. I wasn’t shy about my intentions and my coworkers knew it had nothing to do with the company or the industry, I was just tired. I was at the apex of my career. My company had spent 4 years building me a near show quality kenworth that always turned heads and it was no secret how much I loved that truck. I’m sure “Kenny” was the envy of many and I smiled every Monday when I pulled the shop door open. Hell I even talked to him like he was listening! I carried on doing my job like always and waited for the new year.
And then December 17, 2018 happened and it all changed. can’t even say the date without tearing up.
You’re just a truck driver…
December 17,2018 at 10:55 am a 78 year old woman failed to look and pulled out 300’ in front of my loaded cattle liner on a 100km/h stretch of busy highway. As I dove into the oncoming lane, full on the brakes, she noticed me and dove into the oncoming lane with me. I tagged her, caught the snow in the ditch, started down a 12’ embankment hitting a major cross road hydro pole just behind my head. The pole ripped the bunk of my truck in 1/2 and stopped me almost instantly and the truck laid over. I grabbed my dog, who was amazingly unharmed, and climbed out the roof of my truck and walked sockfeet in the snow to the front of my truck. Is she ok?? She was walking down the road in a daze. Ok whew!!
4 of my coworkers that I had been running with were minutes behind me and raced to help me. Big hugs all around, “here take my jacket” and “let me get you a cup of coffee!” It’s all gonna be ok. I was never so sure that I belonged.
Maybe I’m not just a truck driver? Maybe I’m family.
My small company (about 30 trucks, only 6 company trucks) commended me the next day!
The owner shook my hand, offered me his play toy – a jacked up little flat top Pete that rarely leaves the barn. Our shop manager sat down with me. “If you’re going to stick around, I need your wish list for your next truck” Wow…. I was on the spot. Stay or go, now was the time. All I could say was…. “there will be very be another Kenny, id like a Peterbilt”
So here I am, 6 weeks later. The flood of texts and phone calls, the hugs and handshakes from customers. Guys that genuinely cared. All my plans changed in a second and I cried every day for 3 weeks. I realized I’m not just a truck driver. I’m a valued member of an amazing team of drivers with a company that’s got my back!
Don’t be just a truck driver. Be a lady, be a gentleman. Be a teammate. Let people know that they matter because it means so much. This story isn’t about me, it’s about the people around me that help
Make my job amazing.
Ps the dispatch job came up and I politely declined. My Peterbilt has been bought and is currently being customized to my specifications. It’s amazing how things change in a second.
Hi my name is Jess Dutchak and I’m a woman in the transportation industry. When people see me in a truck the first question they ask me is “What made you want to get into driving trucks and equipment?”
And I hate that question because it’s sometimes hard to respond to, telling a stranger that my Dad passed away and I knew if I didn’t get behind the wheel myself I wouldn’t be in a truck ever again. The thought of that didn’t sit so well with me because I grew up going on trips across Canada with my Dad who drove long haul.
So that’s my reason for getting into it, but my reason for STAYING in the construction/transportation industry is a lot happier! Ever since I started working construction it’s changed my life completely! I started off majoring in auto tech in high school which is where my journey really started because it was the only class I ever actually liked we had a blast working on vehicles and my teacher was and still is the best you could ask for. A few years later I started in construction as a flag-person just to get my foot in the door and ever since doing that I’ve gotten my Class 3 license with air brakes, I’ve operated rock trucks, skid steers, loaders, plow trucks, I’ve hauled heavy equipment, backed up trailers, fixed potholes, paved roads, raked asphalt, greased drive shafts, cleaned shops times a million, and my favorite part of all keeping the roads safe! Every opportunity that came my way to jump into a new machine I gladly took it. I was nervous for every single one but once you try it and get used to it. It just came naturally. It wasn’t always easy, it took awhile to get jobs without experience it took everything I had to prove myself in a male dominated industry. The proving never stops, you have to be a real tough cookie sometimes! Through the breakdowns, the maintenance, operating, trying to never screw up and break things and doing everything in my power to NOT have to ask any of the guys for help! (Nothing against the boys!) I just prefer to do things myself so nobody can tell me I couldn’t do something. It took a lot of determination and dedication and a lot of frustration to get into this industry but it’s been so rewarding for me.
As a women in this industry I try to encourage people as much as I can, a lot of women and MEN have asked for advice since I’ve gotten into trucks and equipment and I just have so much good to say about it I can’t say enough to people when I start talking about my job and the experiences . And I tell everyone that asks me, you already have the tiny spark in you just by asking me these questions, that spark is gonna turn into a fire once you get into trucks or equipment. It’s a passion! It’s an adrenaline rush! The people are amazing, even though construction workers get labelled rugged/rough/dirty and cartoons and TV shows show us as all as cat calling pigs and red necks. It’s quite the total opposite, you’ll never find more caring people than the ones in trades/construction! I’ve worked with the most amazing kind hearted people, these people become a second family because in reality we spend more time with our crews/coworkers and our equipment then we spend with our own family! I’ve laughed enough for a lifetime in the 5 short years I’ve been in construction. Ive learned so much and I continue learning everyday the challenges have always been rewarding and I’ll gladly spend the rest of my life in this industry!
I’ve also gotten into the safety aspect of things since starting as a maintenance worker, I became a safety rep at my yard and then a regional safety rep for my region which has me now working towards an NCSO (National construction safety officer) certification. But I know if I become a safety officer I’m going to have to convince the construction company that I work for to let me play in the trucks and equipment once in awhile just to get my fix.
The opportunity’s are there, you just have to take that first step! Reach out, there is so many people willing to give advice and help someone who is ready to start in this industry. And don’t give up because it’s never going to be easy! Your gonna cry, swear, yell, laugh, smile, and be forever tired and everything else in between but it’s all worth it.
Sassy is my emotional support dog. She’s a very necessary part of relieving my general anxiety and I thought I would share her with you as well as how this is accomplished in the trucking industry.
I picked her carefully looking for a submissive personality as well as no anxiety. A support dog is to comfort an individual and they being stressed can have the opposite effect. I also allow her time to be a dog, run in the park, socialize and walk trails with me. Most people know the road is difficult to manage to eat properly never mind care for a dog but I make time work the best I can for both of our sakes. She is happy and healthy and thriving out here and I take better care of me because I make the time. The breed of dog doesn’t matter really, it’s the bond you form with your dog that centers you. She needs an hour a day and I need an hour a day to get things done and still drive the 600-700 miles I need to everyday. We get lucky a lot where we deliver and I usually unhook and take off to the nearest park to run around. I plan where I reset my hours to make sure there’s a park close by.
I have talked to a few other drivers with Emotional support dogs and it seems anxiety and depression are common factors. Social anxiety requires their dog to accompany them into truck stops and restaurants so the dogs can be taught different skills according to what your needs are. There are lots of sites that encourage you to register your dog but I know ESD’S do not require registering or cards in fact depending on the state or province, people can not even ask because of privacy laws.
I do know according to a service dog site that in Ontario you require a note from a doctor or nurse in a restaurant or shopping center. I would research though before you end up somewhere with your dog that you shouldn’t be.
Over-the-road driving is tough on a person for many reasons, lack of time to live outside of the truck and feeling like you’re a wanderer with no home can really do a number on your emotions and minds out here. Sassy provides the grounding necessary for my life and I am thankful to have her.
Carol and Sassy
Carol Pritchard is an owner operator at Pride Group Logistics . Carol is also a director of WTFC.
Sassy is my emotional support dog. She’s a very necessary part of relieving my general anxiety and I thought I would share her with you as well as how this is accomplished in the trucking industry.
