Bright sunshine lit up the room on a crisp fall day but did not reach the sad smile on the truck driver’s face.

I arrived early for a meeting with a carrier executive during a recent visit to Nova Scotia and was asked to wait in the reception area. It was around lunchtime, and I saw the man sitting in a corner.

I began chatting with him. He had recently joined the company as a longhaul driver and was waiting for the truck assigned to him to be detailed, followed by a load to haul later that afternoon.

Noticing his sad smile, I decided to ask questions. A couple of days before, he’d driven in his car from British Columbia to begin working at this company.

Where did you work before, I asked, and he named a reputable company. Why would you leave such a good job, was my next question. He hesitated and then began pouring his heart out.

He had married later in life, and the marriage had failed. Wanting to get away from the situation, he found a job on the other side of the country. He packed his bags and drove more than 2,500 km (1,553 miles), making a fresh start.

No friends and no family

I asked him if he’d found a place to stay; he replied that he was living in the truck. Did he have any friends in the area? The answer was no.

As the conversation got darker, I attempted to brighten the situation by saying that he would make new friends and things would get better.

“I spend all day in the truck; I sleep in the truck. Even after I find a place to stay, there will be just enough time to sleep a little more, do laundry and get back to work. There is no time to make friends,” he said.

Those words struck me hard. There is a lot of talk about connecting with drivers about safety and compliance. There is hardly any messaging about personal connections, especially with new hires. Amid the whirlwind of onboarding and checking paperwork, sometimes the person moving the truck is forgotten.

Working through the holidays

They have stories, they have dreams, and sometimes they are terribly lonely.

The holiday season is upon us. Drivers will be hauling freight as we plan parties and buy gifts. Many folks will be taking time off during this festive part of the year to meet family and loved ones.

If they are lucky, some drivers will get a couple of days off. Others will be on the road or at truck stops or rest areas, far from home, family and friends. Some have no friends. Alone with their thoughts, which could be good, bad or ugly.

If I had not asked the questions, this driver would have just been another face in a room, soon to be forgotten. But he is important and should not be forgotten. He should not be just another nameless face behind the wheel.

Add a human touch

Perhaps a get-to-know-your-driver form could be part of the hiring process. It does not have to get personal, but they could provide information on favorite sports teams or hobbies or topics they like. When driver managers check in with their team, these could be great conversation starters, adding a human touch to the work experience.

Meanwhile, the executive I was meeting came to the reception area to greet me, and I introduced the driver to him. The executive welcomed him into the company, and they chatted for a while. I hope he felt a little better after talking to the executive and me.

Later, we discussed the driver’s situation. This carrier takes care of its drivers, and I am certain they’ll have his back.

I hope he makes lots of friends and is no longer lonely and sad.