MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – The Christmas season is upon us, with 350-horse open “sleighs” hauling new bikes, DVD players and thousands of pounds of fruitcake for loved ones down Canada’s snow-covered highways. But what about Santa’s oft-ignored “elves” who help make holiday gift-giving possible by transporting goods to department stores across the country? What will they be asking for when seated on Santa’s knee? Truck News stopped by the Husky Truck Stop on Shawson Drive in Mississauga, Ont. to find what truckers will be asking Old Saint Nick for – for themselves or the industry as a whole.

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Kenneth Wood, a company driver for Stonewoods Trucking in Petitcodiac, N.B., is wishing for a whole lot less government intervention in the trucking industry. The driver of 15 years doesn’t mean to be a Grinch, but he has found his love of the trucking industry waning as of late.

“I used to like (trucking), but now I’m starting to get tired of it,” he said. “It’s been too many years, too many miles. A lot more guys out there have seen a lot more than I have, but I’ve seen enough.”

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Harwinder Kaler, an O/O with H&R Transport, is hoping to find his stocking stuffed with gas coupons on Christmas morning, to help combat the high cost of fuel.

“Fuel is very expensive to buy right now. It’s a really big problem,” he said.

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Gordon McLaughlin, an O/O with Bison Transport in Winnipeg, Man., would like to see some consistency with Hours-of-Service, so they don’t jump around depending where you are.

He’s also wishing for some holiday harmony and goodwill towards fellow truck drivers this year.

“It’s getting to the point where drivers don’t really care about other drivers. They’re just out there doing their own thing,” said the 30-year veteran.

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Gary Noble, a driver based out of Langley, B.C., is wishing for higher rates to be thrown down his chimney.

“I’d get the rate up, way up,” he said.

“The way the price of fuel is today, it’s criminal. It’s absolutely criminal.”

But if the North Pole can’t deliver that this year, Noble said he’d settle for a bigger boat.

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Calvin Berry, who drives locally for H&R Transport, has more than 30 years of driving under his belt and said he can see the end of his career on the road coming up on the horizon.

Berry’s wish is a simple one, but Santa may find it a rather tall order.

“I’ll be retiring in less than two years and I’ll be moving to Panama when I retire,” Berry said.

“So I wish for all my old trucking buddies to come down and visit me.”

Truck News hopes Berry won’t forget his friends in the magazine industry when he’s soaking up the sun.

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Drive safe and Happy Holidays!