Our photographer Ben, and production manager Tori Proudley first met Karla Zamalynski at the Highway 15 (176 St.) border crossing in Surrey BC. After a brief conversation they decided that she would make a great candidate for Rig of the Month. I couldn’t agree more. This is her story:

My name is Karla Zamalynski and I’m 34 years old. I was born in New Westminster, BC and raised, for the most part, in Burnaby although I also spent some time in Squamish and Williams Lake. My Mom says that I first showed an interest in trucking when I was about 2yrs old. She tells me that my first word was “truck” and one of my first full sentences was, “I want to be truck driver like my daddy”.

Mom has a few other choice stories that she likes to tell, mostly to embarrass me, such as my learning to go “peet on the rocks”. Gimme a break, I was only two!  I guess every trucker needs to learn this lesson. That lesson came in handy when I was very young and on a trip to California with my Dad. He would always ask me before we left a truck stop, “Do you need to go to the bathroom?” My answer of course was always the same, “Oh no Daddy, I’m fine.” Then ten minutes down the road, it was “I gotta goooooo!” Finally my exasperated father threw the roll of t.p. out the door of the truck. That was the day I learned to at least “try” to go before we left.

I rode in the truck with my Dad every summer and he did various things in an attempt to keep me busy, like letting me flash the lights to say thank you – that was always the best.

The cab of his truck was also where I learned my times tables, the names of all the other trucks and any thing else he thought a kid should know about trucking.

I tried to help him in other ways too, like the time we pulled into Dunsmuir scale and I apparently didn’t like the attitude of the inspecting DOT Officer. After I told the inspector off, my Dad told me to get in the bunk and shut up. I guess he had it all under control because he sure didn’t seem to appreciate my assistance.

Some of the trips turned into great adventures like when he took me to Disneyland and Magic Mountain. I, in turn have taken my fifteen year old son, Nicolas, to all the same places. Unlike me, he has no interest in trucking and instead is a champion video game player and sleeper once we get on the road.

I was pretty spoiled back then - whenever we stopped at a truck stop people would give me money to play Donkey-Kong, which was my favourite video game. They would also give me a milk crate to stand on as I wasn’t very tall at the time. Actually I’m only five feet tall now so I guess things haven’t changed all that much.

One fond memory I have of school was at Halloween in grade five. Every year there was a contest in our school for the best costume and that year I built a Freightliner out of cardboard boxes and painted it black with a red stripe. It was actually a two person project because it had a sleeper and my friend had to “ride” in the bunk to hold it up. Naturally I was the driver.

Needless to say, we won and although I don’t remember what the prize was, I do remember that truck. What is really weird about that situation is 10 years later; the first truck I drove for Smithers Enterprises was an ‘84 Freightliner. It didn’t have a sleeper but it was black with a red stripe!

When it came time to get my Class 1 license my Dad suggested I should “Go wreck someone else’s truck while you get your license.” So in November of 1996 I went to Shawnee Driving School in Surrey BC.  Norm was my driving instructor and Ben taught my airbrake course. I sure made Ben earn his pay as I had questions about everything!

After I got my license I got my first trucking job in January of 1997 and I’ve been out here ever since. But before I got that job, my Dad took me out and helped finesse my driving skills in a few areas.

First of all he suggested that I make a slight - fresh out of school - attitude adjustment……...No Dad, I guess I don’t know it all……yet.

Actually, after I figured that part out, learning got much easier. He started out by having me drive around the scales at the south end of the Pattulo Bridge for what seemed like hours. I wasn’t allowed out of first gear and he had me drive around in a circle and back into a spot then go around in another circle and back into a spot…

All this time I was forced to listen to him go on and on about owner ops and their trucks…and their clutches… and oil changes…blah blah blah...  (As you may be able to tell, at this point I was still going though that ‘attitude adjustment’ phase.)

Anyway, the lessons that I grudgingly learned, especially the ones about backing up, have proven to be invaluable to me. Like many drivers I’ve had to back trailers into some rather undesirable places and I’ve never had so much as a scratch. Thanks Dad.

I learned another valuable lesson about driving but this one was from my step Dad, Ed Hutchinson. He is a heavy equipment hauler who works out of Edmonton now but back then he hauled both heavy equipment and logs around Squamish and Williams Lake, BC. One time he took me on a run hauling logs out of Riske Creek which is just west of Williams Lake. The lesson that I learned from him is that I never want to haul logs anywhere, let alone in BC!

After fourteen years out here on the road I still call my Dad whenever I find myself going somewhere I’ve never been before. He tells me how to get there and where it is safe to sleep, etc.  He still worries I guess - must be a Dad thing!

Before I drove professionally, I had two other driving jobs. I worked for Lordco Auto Parts and Young Drivers of Canada as an instructor. Even though I wasn’t driving a truck I learned some valuable lessons at those companies and it gave me some additional driving experience and miles to add to my future resume. The lessons I learned at Young Drivers taught me to be a defensive driver and the training experience I picked up while there has also benefited me as I have transferred that experience to trucking, and especially here at Yanke, where I’m both an “over the road” trainer and a trainer for “international” recruits.

When I told my Dad that I had been asked to be featured as a Rig of the Month driver he insisted that I tell the story about who I most admired in trucking when I was a little girl.

That story goes like this. When I was very young, maybe four or five, I might have had a little girl crush on one of my Dad’s co-workers. As the story goes, I was with my Dad on a trip to Whistler (I think). It was nighttime and my Dad was hauling equipment.  I forget exactly what it was that he went to pick up but I guess it was located in a not so desirable place so I had to wait in the truck. I waited patiently in the cab (at least as patiently as any 5 year old kid can) until my Dad finished loading and chaining down. In typical Dad fashion he jumped in the truck all full of energy and asked me, “Who’s the best truck driver in the whole wide world?”

(keep in mind I was little)…....I replied, “Wayne Sloan.” (That will give you guys something to talk about at the next “board meeting”) Anyway, as you can well imagine, it was a crushing blow to my Dad, because that was obviously not the answer he was looking for.

Thirty-some years later, I’m still hearing about it. Just to set the record straight. Dad, you know you’re the best! Feel better? Oh, and by the way, Wayne...I’m so over you!

The first truck that I drove that is worth mentioning was that ‘84 Freightliner that I talked about earlier. I hauled scrap with it for about three years for Smithers Enterprises Inc. That is where I sharpened my skills and really learned how to drive. Steve gave me some of the best learning experience and advice in trucking that I could get anywhere. One of the best things that he told me, (that he probably thinks I have forgotten) was, “Sometimes you’ve got to give a little.” Taking that advice and once more doing a little “attitude adjustment”, I was soon on a respectful first name basis with all the DOT inspectors. That early lesson in mutual respect is a big part of why I have never had a fine. (Many warnings, but never a fine)

That job also gave me the opportunity to haul scrap from many out of the way places in BC and Washington State. The most memorable trip of all would have to have been the one into Bella Coola, BC. For those of you that have never seen a ten mile long 18% grade gravel road, cut out of the side of a mountain with switch backs all the way down, I highly recommend this run for your driving pleasure. Another interesting road that I’ve been on was a trip I took to Watson Lake in the Yukon. Both of those trips were a nice change from the interstate.

After my time hauling scrap I moved onto reefers, then bulkers and tankers for another large reputable company. That’s when I met my honey, Darren, and gave up the tankers to move to Saskatchewan. He convinced me to run team with him so we started at Yanke in ‘05. We drove together for a few years until he went into business for himself. 

I chose to stay on the road at Yanke and I am very happy out here and he’s waiting for me at home when I come off the road. I’ve got two dogs now, Shadow is a black lab cross and Sidney is a SPCA mutt. They keep me company and safe in the truck.

During my time out here with a few different companies I’ve had the opportunity to drive a lot of different equipment. Some people say a truck is a truck but I disagree. Yes a truck may be a truck, but the inside, the place you call home, is what makes all the difference to me. A few years ago I went kicking and screaming into a Volvo because I didn’t feel like a truck driver if I had to drive one, but now I really don’t want to drive anything else. I find the “home” space is nice and comfortable and even with Shadow and Sidney there is still room for me and all my “stuff.” (You know how it is…...travel…..shopping.)

I guess I’ve been out here long enough now to say that I’ve seen my share of bad roads, and crazy weather.  Some heavy snow falls, the always entertaining white outs in the winter and the pothole hell and construction of summer. After all there are only two seasons, right?

This is where Yanke deserves some well deserved “kudos”. If the weather is too bad for your personal comfort or experience they always side with you, the operator. You are free to shut it down at anytime and find a safe place to park just as long as you let your dispatcher know where you are. There are not many companies out here that have that bragging right, not to mention actually pay us for that downtime! Many companies talk the talk but Yanke is one of the few I know of, that unconditionally, walk the walk of Safety.

There is always something interesting happening out on the road, and now and then, you run into some real weirdoes. One day I was hauling a bulk load from Surrey BC to Hope. I was around Abbotsford when a little pick up truck with a much older man driving decided to get in front of my truck and then slow right down to 80kms! With no thought to him, I pulled out to pass, no problem. Then he passed me again and once more slowed to 80kms. By now it was clear that he was trying to get my attention, which he did. I pulled out and passed him again, only to look in my mirror to see his pickup pull out to pass me once more. This time he stayed along side me long enough for me to see that he wanted me to have a good look at his “shifter” if you know what I mean. Sure, you all laugh, but it was gross! Thinking back I think it’s funny now and I guess we all need some good stories to tell.

Another time I got a little chuckle from a man in Ogden, Utah. I only had one puppy at the time and while we were out for our walk this guy asked where my husband was.

I politely replied, “At home.” He continued on to ask the same question I get from lots of men, “Do you drive that truck all by yourself?” Many years of this repeated question finally got the best of me and without missing a beat; I pointed to my puppy and said “No, she pushes the pedals for me.” That put a very hurried end to our nice chat. By the way sir...here’s your sign!

I have often been asked, “If I had it to do all over again would I make any changes?”  And I have always replied, “No way!  I made all the right choices. Sometimes I’ve had doubts - but in retrospect everything happens for a reason and I know that today, I’m right where I need and want to be!”