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Not so fast
Take a break
Beating the dealer
Panel shares thoughts on future of autonomous trucks.
One rest stop saved, but still lacking nationwide.
Blackjacks welcomes truckers who value their business.
JULY 2018 VOLUME 29, ISSUE 6
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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Now accepting applications B.C. trucking industry thriving, but desperately needs workers
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By Derek Clouthier
Making the past prologue All-female panel discuss past, present, and future of trucking By Derek Clouthier CALGARY, ALBERTA The number of women entering the trucking industry remains low, and it’s not always easy for those who do. That’s according to a panel of four women with various levels of experience in the industry. Each discussed what it was like when they first entered the traditionally male occupation, how their careers have progressed, and what they would like to see in the coming years. Speaking during a panel discussion on the industry’s image, past, present, and future during the Western Women With Drive event in Calgary May 30, Lora Covinha, president and general manager of Phoenix Truck and Crane, admitted that it was difficult first entering the industry, as her initial impression was not an optimistic one. “I came in with not a very positive perspective on how drivers were being treated,” said Covinha, whose husband is an owner-operator. Covinha said she witnessed firsthand what she called a lack of respect for drivers at times within the industry. When the opportunity to join Phoenix Truck and Crane arose, it was then that Covinha realized her company was trying to make a difference in the industry, and she wanted to be part of that effort.
Linda Young, vice-president of human resources and people development for Bison Transport, also had reservations about entering the world of trucking, having to be talked into it just to give it a chance. With experience in pretty much every industry aside from transportation, Young said the level of professionalism she witnessed, as well as what she called frank dialogue, was a deciding factor in her remaining in trucking, and changed her overall perspective. She said the interest, investment, and effort to improve the people within the industry was another factor that drew her in. But Young still sees issues when it comes to attracting more women to trucking. “I certainly see a huge challenge in getting more women into the transportation industry,” she said. “That three to four percent number, we can’t tolerate that any longer, and that means we have to act.” Young harkened back to a time when there was a childcare issue associated with the hiring of women, and how men had an issue with what that entailed. With solutions now available for the childcare issue, Young said men now need to be enlisted into the same problem. Christine Van Essen, National Safety Code manager for Ledcor, had no preconceived notions coming into the industry. Continued on page 10
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Women have long faced challenges coming into the trucking industry, and the image that has been portrayed has evolved over time.
WHISTLER, BRITISH COLUMBIA B.C.’s trucking industry is facing a dire employment picture, with 10% of industry positions needing to be filled immediately. That’s according to Ken Peacock, chief economist and vice-president of the Business Council of B.C., who admitted to attendees of the B.C. Trucking Association (BCTA) annual AGM and Management Conference, “I don’t know what you’re going to do.” With one out of every 10 positions in the industry in the province sitting vacant and companies struggling to find qualified workers, B.C.’s thriving trucking sector is in need of approximately 4,000 people to fill the empty spaces. And the province’s industry is indeed thriving, Peacock confirmed, who said the economic outlook for trucking is a “surprisingly good story.” The industry grew yet again in 2017 from the year prior, while other sectors, such as real estate, residential construction, and oil and gas did not see the same gains they did in 2016.