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Unsafe Is Unacceptable
MaryAnne Arcand
TAKIN’ PRIDE IN YOUR
RIDE…AND IN YOURSELF
I must have been doing this job for too long now. I’m
starting to think big trucks are beautiful! After thoroughly
enjoying the Big Rig weekend in Chilliwack in June (despite the
rain), I’m about to head out the door for the Island Truck Show at
Black Creek. What started out as just another public
relations gig for Forestry TruckSafe last year has turned into a
series of events that I really look forward to.
So as I pack up the trailer for the long trek from Prince George
to Black Creek, I’m asking myself, “Why? How are these events
different from the hundreds of others I do every year?” And the
answer is pretty clear – it’s the pride!
I deal every day with truckers from around the province, folks
who are going through incredible challenges these days in terms of
trying to make a decent living, trying to still have a family life,
and trying to look after themselves and stay healthy in the midst
of slowdowns, strikes, high dollars, high fuel costs, and so on.
And most of the time when I talk to them, in person, or on
the phone, what comes through is the weariness of fighting battles
every day – with other road users, regulations, the economy – and a
general resignation that trucking is a tough way to make a
living. Many times I have asked individual truckers why they
keep doing it, and the answer comes back, “Cuz, it’s all I know”,
or something like that.
But, go to the truck shows, and see these folks and their
working trucks, all spit-and-polished up despite having hauled a
load the day before, and you see the heart of it all.
Truckers love their trucks. They love what they do. And
they keep doing it despite all the crap that comes their way
because it’s who they are – it’s not just a job. The pride
they show in their ride is a reflection of their pride in the
profession, and an extension of their pride in themselves.
Getting to the truck show when everyone is showing up is like
being at a family reunion. Haven’t seen cousin so-and-so for
years? Well, it’s the same thing. Haven’t seen Fred or
Joe or what’s-his-name since last year’s show. Hey! He got a new
truck! Or, holy smokes, look at what he did to that old baby!
Drivers bring their families and friends. Little kids look up at
their dads with awe as they scramble into the cab and sit in
daddy’s seat behind the wheel. Spectators come out and look at
these rigs up close. Trucks become objects of beauty to be admired,
rather than monsters on the road to be feared. Drivers become
people, just ordinary guys who are more than happy to show you
around their pride-and-joy, rather than the heartless, reckless
maniacs they’re portrayed to be in the media. And, at least for a
short couple of days, the trucking profession becomes a thing of
pride, and struts its stuff. At least for the weekend,
truckers can share their love of trucking and their trucks with
anybody who’ll look or listen.
Monday morning comes quickly enough, and it’s back to crowded
roads, lousy maintenance, more regulations, and getting cut off by
little red Toyotas heading for Walmart.
Some old time truckers have told me that they used to take pride
in being professional drivers, and that those days are gone.
I’m going to argue with that. You only have to go to one of the
truck shows to realize it’s not gone, just buried under the
day-to-day stuff that comes with doing a tough and complex
job. Clear some of that away for a couple of days, pull it
out and polish it up, and you realize that these truckers aren’t
just taking pride in their rides – they’re taking pride in
themselves and their thousands of brothers and sisters on the
roads.
Kudos to John, Donna and Tori, Dennis and Yvonne, and the
Pro-Trucker team, for keeping these events on the road! I plan to
keep coming for a long time – I feel like part of the family now
too! And I am proud to be associated with a great bunch of hard
working, decent people who keep this country moving. I saw a
sign in my travels recently that said, “If you bought it, a truck
brought it”. Keep on truckin’, guys. Be proud of who you are
and what you contribute, not just as a profession, but
individually. And let’s do it safely - unsafe is unacceptable.
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