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Welcome to Pro-Trucker
Magazine
"The voice of Western Canadian
Truckers."
In February 1999 the dream of a Western
Canadian Trucking Magazine became a reality. Until then the
only magazines available in Western Canada
were published in Ontario and the advertisers, for the most part,
were from the East.
Today Western Canadian truckers have their own
magazine that is quite unique in that we don't write technical
articles. Instead Pro-Trucker is an entertainment magazine where
you can read about other drivers and their life on the road; their
problems and how they handle them; issues of the day and the
ever present humour that hopefully will put a smile on your face
when you are far from home.
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February 2012
Editorial: 
We pulled into Westener Park in Red Deer last August to set up
for the Alberta Big Rig Weekend and long time volunteers, Ken Clark
and Heather Fraser, owner of Hyke Pilot Car, arrived soon after us.
Heather informed us that Linda Tremblay, a woman who worked for her
as a pilot car driver, was just finishing up a job and then coming
down to volunteer.
The next day Linda Tremblay arrived and walked into the camp with a
big smile on her face. I suggested that Ken and Heather kept
volunteering because they liked abuse then asked what her excuse
was. She laughed and said that her husband was a long haul driver
and was out of town. She went on to say that she loved trucks and
besides it was like a reunion and she would probably know a lot of
the drivers that were there.
Linda dug right in and went to work. Every time I saw her she was
laughing and joking with the truckers and crew. She did everything
that weekend from registering the trucks to serving the pancake
breakfast on Sunday morning, all with great enthusiasm and the same
big smile. The last time I saw Linda I thanked her for her help and
as she waved out the window of her pickup she said, “Thank you guys
- I had a blast! See you next year!”
Unfortunately we won’t. It is with great sadness that I tell you,
early on the morning of January 14th 2012, Linda
Tremblay was killed while keeping other people safe by doing her
job as a pilot car driver.
She was piloting a convoy south of Anzax, Alberta, on highway 881
when she went ahead to stop traffic so the load could pass over a
narrow bridge. Wearing reflective clothing and carrying an orange
flag and bright flashlight she parked her truck, with flashing
lights, in the southbound lane and got out to stop northbound
traffic. Linda, 49, was hit and killed by an oncoming truck around
1:30 a.m.
Investigators say that alcohol was a contributing factor in the
crash and Darcy Earl Lemaigre, 36, from Saskatchewan, faces charges
of impaired driving causing death and criminal negligence causing
death.
Linda started driving pilot car so that she could be closer to her
truck-driving husband Gaetan “Gator” Tremblay. Gator says that she
drove his pilot car on a few trips and fell in love with the job.
She had been a pilot car driver for 7 years, the last four working
for Heather Fraser at Hyke Pilot car.
She piloted all across BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan and even down
to Houston, Texas but lately most of her runs were to and from the
Fort McMurray area.
Heather Fraser says that Linda was one of the best, a close friend
who was well liked by the truckers. She was very dedicated and
safety conscious, knowing full well that her primary job was to
keep travelers on the highway safe from harm.
Gator, who found out about his wife’s death while he was on the
road near Kamloops, B.C., was quoted as saying, “"People too often
become impatient when they have to wait behind a truck carrying a
wide load, or must stop to let it pass safely. It's just stupid.
When are people going to learn? She loved it. She was out there to
keep the public safe. She was a take-charge kind of person … It’s a
professional thing. Pilot cars are out there to help you, not to
hinder you.”
He went on to say that Linda once remarked that people will wait in
line for 15 minutes at Tim Horton’s but often do not have the
patience to stay in line for five minutes and wait for a safe place
to pass an escorted vehicle.
On Saturday January 21st, 1100 family, friends, and
co-workers wearing uniforms and reflective vests, attended Linda’s
funeral service followed by an escort procession that included 35
pilot cars. Many other drivers sent their condolences, saying they
too would have attended except for the need to be on the highway
protecting the public.
Linda is survived by her husband Gaetan (Gator); four sons Cody,
Westley, Tyler and Mitchel; two granddaughters Fenicity and
Madison. Her parents Florence and Clarence; four brothers Bradley,
Lloyde (Tamsine), Bruce (Lorrie), Neil (Lisa) and sister Maxine
(Gordon) and numerous nieces and nephews.
A grief stricken Heather Fraser said, “Please don’t let this fall
on deaf ears. While escorting oversized loads, upon occasion, pilot
operators must exit the pilot vehicle to safely warn traffic of the
dangers that lie ahead. With this tragic incident at hand, we would
like nothing more than to see drivers learn to take caution when
traveling near pilots as well as the loads they escort. It’s up to
the lawmakers to educate the people. We feel like we have no one
watching our backs while we are out there physically on the
highway. It’s like it’s every person for themselves. We all put our
lives into the hands of every driver who is on the road every time
we go to work. If you are going to drink… stay home, you never know
who might be impacted by your decision to drive - a Mother, a Wife,
or even a dear friend and co-worker.
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