Truck drivers hauling freight across Canada continue to highlight the lack of clean washrooms with running water, healthy food options and safe, paved and well-lit parking spaces.

And now there’s research to back their claims. A University of Saskatchewan researcher’s team surveyed hundreds of truckers and visited a bunch of truck stops. Dr. Alexander Crizzle, associate professor and director of the driving research and simulation laboratory, wants stakeholders to come together and find solutions.

“We know what needs to be done, but as a voice, we don’t collectively come together to push. When I make these phone calls and have these conversations, it’s just me,” he said.

Longhaul driver Bhavesh Desai observes that Canada is at least a decade behind the U.S. regarding infrastructure for truck drivers. Joshua Geisbrecht, also a longhaul trucker, agrees.

Desai is a cross-border driver, carrying freight from Ontario and Quebec to various parts of the U.S. Recently, he was dispatched to transport freight from Ontario to Alberta.

Used to finding plenty of truck stops and paved, well-lit rest areas on U.S. interstates, Desai was not pleased with what he experienced along the Trans-Canada Highway.

“Places to stop for a break are few and far between,” he said.

Parking lots filled with potholes

He noted truck stops focus on selling fuel, not catering to driver needs. Parking areas are dusty and filled with potholes and food choices not great.

In the U.S., he uses an app to book a shower, helping him manage his time. On this trip, it was different. “At one truck stop they had an ancient system. They jotted my name and phone number on a register and said they’d call when the shower was ready,” he said.

Geisbrecht, known as Trucker Josh on YouTube, has been enduring these conditions for many years.

“Clean washrooms with running water would be welcome,” he said. “It’s nice in the U.S., in Canada it’s embarrassing.”

Some rest areas may look nice and clean, he noted. He keeps plenty of hand sanitizer in his truck. “There’s no running water inside, or they just have cold water. Or they have these prison-style toilets that stink as no one cleans them.”

No running water in washrooms

Veteran trucker Lee Wood makes sure he always carries toilet paper. He said 80% of the washrooms are terrible on the road, and some lack toilet paper. “It depends on the time of the day when you use them. They clean them once a day. Some of them are disgusting, but you have to go.”

Some don’t have running water, and at others the water is cold. With winter approaching, it’s not a pleasant experience

USask’s Crizzle knows that truckers feel unappreciated despite being a vital part of the transportation industry. They work long days and have trouble finding parking for their big rigs. Lack of access to healthy food takes a toll on their health.

“We have 300,000-plus truckers in Canada, they’re driving our economy. And it’s almost like we don’t care about them,” he said. “You can tell a driver to change their diet or get proper rest. But they don’t have those options.”

Wood has noticed that truckers are not welcome at many places that cater to buses, campers and four-wheelers. “They don’t want trucks parking there. It’s almost like we are second-class citizens.”

Healthy food is expensive

Crizzle highlighted the food choices and price points at truck stops. “If the price of a small can of pop is almost the price of a large bottle, what are you going to buy? The large bottle, of course. Over the years, that is not going to do great things for your gut or health.”

An orange might be priced at $2, he noted, but there may be a $1 deal on two chocolate bars. The orange is not going to keep a trucker full for very long and costs twice as much.

Truckers would like more fresh food like salads available, but truck stops prefer to stock processed food due to longer shelf life.

Crizzle has reached out to companies that run truck stops in Canada. Some responded, some did not. The ones that responded said they contracted the food side of the business to a fast-food company. He said trying to communicate and get responses from big corporations is not the easiest of tasks.

Driver Wood agrees that food at truck stops is not the healthiest. The truck’s equipped with a fridge and he’s added an electric freezer. He prepares his own meals.

“Truck stop food is deep fried, battered and greasy. It’s cheaper to get two large slices of pizza and a cola for the cost of a small salad, if one is available,” he said.

Desai carries food in his truck, but sometimes it runs out. On his trip out West, he had oatmeal for dinner on two occasions as there were no food options.

Rest area woes

Geisbrecht packs food too, and makes sure he has bread, peanut butter and jam to make a sandwich. Canned soup is a staple in his truck. He likes to eat fresh fruit, but that’s hard to come by on the road, and if available, is very expensive. He makes do with packaged fruit cups.

Crizzle noted that rest areas are also a problem, and many are not designed for trucks. “Access to running water and clean washrooms is a problem,” he said, adding that there is a need for well-lit, paved parking lots.

Geisbrecht talks a lot on his YouTube channel about hoping to find a safe spot to park and rest after a long day of driving and tarping loads. On a recent trip to B.C., he noticed a new truck parking area that had opened. But it allows drivers to park there for only 24 hours.

Parking issues

In Canada, a driver is required to be off-duty and park their truck for 36 hours after working a 70-hour week, to comply with Hours-of-Service rules. “I don’t think people who plan these things give it much thought,” he said.

Desai shut the truck down with two hours of drive time remaining on his clock in Northern Ontario because he was worried about finding a parking spot. When truckers drive less, they earn less money.

“I am not going back to Western Canada,” he said. “I’d rather do two resets on the road in the U.S.”

Crizzle’s team is planning to release its research soon. He wants to bring all stakeholders – industry, government, trucking organizations – into a room to discuss solutions. Updated truck stops and better rest areas are on the agenda.

“We have the evidence, and we must do something. We know the problems, now we must work together for solutions,” he said.