Borkowski captures reality of transportation sales role

Congratulations to Taking Care of Business columnist Mark Borkowski on his July/ August column “Who and what is a transportation sales professional?” If I was writing the article I would not have changed one word. His profile of a transportation sales professional totally captures the reality of the position and paves the way for a model of true success. I have spent 40 years in the business mainly in a sales role and constantly seek the individuals you portray in this article. Well said!

Rick North
Executive Vice President
Cavalier Group of Companies

Substandard wages are the real cause for driver shortage

In regards to Ontario Trucking Association president David Bradley’s comments to the media this summer regarding a shortage of drivers in Ontario, I seriously doubt Mr. Bradley has been given ALL the facts regarding this issue.

There is no shortage of qualified, licensed, experienced drivers. There is a shortage of people willing to work for sub- standard wages.

I’ve been a commercial driver for over 34 years and as an over-the-road driver I am required:

1) to foot the bill for tri-yearly medicals

2) to pay out-of-pocket upwards of thousands of dollars to obtain a commercial license

3) to VOLUNTARILY make myself available for safety training defensive driving upgrades

4) to pay out-of-pocket for the new border security system programs (FAST)

5) to cover my expenses on the road to perform work, yet am only allowed 50% reimbursement.

6) to sit in traffic tie-ups (border crossings)for hours at my own expense.

7) to have the knowledge of an encyclopedia when dealing with jurisdictional traffic laws

8) to have the knowledge of a customs broker when dealing with customs officials on both sides of the border

9) to be subjected to exorbitant fines for minor safety infractions (light bulbs do burn out even after they have been inspected before a trip)

10) to be a driver, warehouseman, dock-worker, mechanic, secretary, and to deal with inexperienced, rude, aggressive car drivers.

Yet with all this, a professional driver is classed as general labor while a forklift operator receives a skilled labor classification.

With your recent statements regarding importing drivers to Ontario to cover this so-called shortage, you have slapped every Ontario licensed commercial driver in the face and more or less told us we should be working for minimum wage for maximum allowable hours with no compensation for over-time, job up-grades etc.

I would dare to say for $8.00/hr you too would have no part working in this industry for the amount of duty each professional here has to perform daily. Let’s not mention the fact that being gone from home 5-30 days a month isn’t even factored in to the above equations.

Remember 1990, when the province came to a stand-still over a driver work stoppage? Things just haven’t gotten any better and another “strike” may be looming. This province forgets the trucking industry is not a luxury to be played with like a pinball game.

Dennis Buswell
Stoney Creek, Ont.