All recruiters and carriers are looking for the perfect driver to work with them and their company -but the perfect driver doesn’t exist.

What does exist are the hundreds and hundreds of good drivers, excellent drivers and yes, even great drivers who could be used as role models for the incoming new driver.

Is this going to happen? Not likely, but wouldn’t it be nice if every good or great driver gave one hour of his or her time free of charge to the new driver coming into the industry?

Could you imagine what this would do for the future of this industry? Unfortunately, since we have gone from a generous profession to an often selfish one, we have now made it more difficult for the new driver to fit in and find his or her place.

We should be using all this experience that we already have, to better the new driver, and make their life a little less stressful, making it easier to break into this industry.

Can we make the industry better? You bet. This is our industry so let’s take it back.

What I mean by all this, is that we are not doing enough to educate, train and embrace these new drivers coming into the industry, in a way that would make their arrival a little easier.

We also allow the poorer drivers to set bad examples as we all know one or two drivers ourselves who should not have their class A licence.

Instead, the new good drivers are faced with the politics of good school versus bad school, scams for their money, research and finding the financial assistance to attend a training program or being charged some outrageous price set by the school that they find out later isn’t even registered as a school or doesn’t deserve to be a school.

Now they are out of money and in a lot of cases having to start all over again.

The next step for the new driver is finding a carrier who is going to give them their first break.

On top of all this they are also faced with discrimination, sexism, favouritism and a few other “tisms’ I can’t even mention.

We need to get away from ignoring them to opening up as many doors we can and showing them the way.

Why is it so hard to help someone?

Modeling is another way we can help all new drivers. Showing them everything it takes to be a good truck driver rather than just driving a truck.

By everything I mean what goes through their heads off the job, why are they driving in the first place, their goals, beliefs and values. Please don’t give me the excuse “I need a job.”

At my company, I make every applicant answer the question: “Why do you want to work for my carrier?”

If the answer I get is solely for a job, that application will most times comes to a close. I want someone who tells me how he can make a difference.

I want an ambassador to the company to represent an image to our customers and the general public.

I said earlier this is our industry and we should want to make it better than it has ever been. We want the public and the Ministry to get off our backs and stop making a profit off drivers who are just trying to make an honest living.

Let us set the example in everything we do and to show the incoming new driver he or she is welcome.

Let’s show the public that we are going to behave and be better ambassadors to not only our carriers but the industry itself.

I would love to see the government step in and make it mandatory to be a good and courteous driver, otherwise lose your privilege of being a professional driver.

I am asking all good drivers to give one hour of their time back to the industry.

This will not only make you feel good but just that little bit of kindness will reap so many rewards for the new drivers coming into this industry.

We as truck drivers have to protect the investment that we’ve made in the industry because if we don’t, the rules will get changed and it will make it more difficult to survive out here on our roads both in Canada and the US.

It doesn’t matter if you are the only truck driver in your family, think about all those truck driver sons, grandsons, daughters and granddaughters you will be helping for future generations to come. •

-David Brown is the recruiting manager for The Rosedale Group. He is also the president of Carriers Coach Solutions helping new drivers make their way into the industry. You can reach him at www.rosedale.caor www.carrierscoach.com.