Dear Editor:

Re: The articles by Al Goodhall (HoS) and Rob Wilkins (Licence Suspension) in the May issue of Truck News.

On Jan. 2, 2009, I finished two weeks of driving between Toronto and Winnipeg -totally exhausted, even having been entirely legal for the period, and planning to take three months off (they don’t pay me enough for Canadian winter driving).

That evening I was at a party and fell asleep due to exhaustion; I don’t use alcohol or drugs. A previously unsuspected irregular heartbeat was discovered -a possible heart attack, but normal for 5% of the population. Fully expecting a licence hassle, I elected to go to the hospital and found I had not had a heart attack.

On Feb. 2, after a month of stability, I received notice of a licence suspension. My physician ordered the normal tests, and in April submitted a medical report. In a six-weeks-to-the-day reply, the Ministry demanded more tests from a cardiac specialist.

In February 2010 after another report and a six-weeks-to-the-day reply, I received my licence back -13 months later. Luckily, I already had three months’ living expenses saved, I have public transit where I live, a pension from a previous employer started in September; and my company (Bison) kept my job open. Otherwise, disaster! I’m actually very fit and healthy for my age -those of you who aren’t, be warned! Can you live for 13 months with no income?

Robert Phillips Via e-mail