I learned a few years ago that celebrity, even in its mildest form as an all-night radio show personality, has some cachet. Back in ’97-’98, I was doing a radio show called “The All-Night Road Show” on Hamilton’s 820 CHAM, a midnight-to-6:00 a.m., 7-day-a-week gig playing country music and talking about trucking. It was a hoot, and it earned me a reputation that had some value in a twisted sort of way.

The Husky truckstop in London, Ont. held a driver appreciation day that year, and had invited me to the event. They had a dunk-tank there too. For a buck-a-toss, truckers could have a go at dunking their “favourite” Putnam, Ont. MTO scale-guy in the tank. They were up a few hundred bucks when a guy named Ross Jessup asked if I’d volunteer for the tank if he raised the ante a little. Sure, I said, figuring I could do worse than get wet on a warm September afternoon.

Jessup worked the crowd and raised more than $2,000 in less than an hour for the privilege of dunking yours truly. My celebrity status worked then, so here I go again. This time I’m hocking my graying mane.

Many readers will be familiar with OBAC, the Owner-Operator’s Business Association of Canada. The organization is in dire straits, but not because of its own failings. In fact, the demands on the group’s executive director, Joanne Ritchie, have become so overwhelming she’s in danger of collapsing, personally. It seems that since OBAC hit the stage a little more than a year ago, the response from industry, government, and others interested in owner-ops has surpassed her wildest dreams.

What’s up you ask?

That elusive critter, the owner-operator, is on everyone’s radar screen these days, and everybody wants to know more about them, or wants input from them. Statistics Canada, Transport Canada, Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, HRSDC, Alberta Infrastructure, ICBC, WCB, and dozens of municipal and regional governments around the country have been chasing OBAC for information about owner-operators.

The work she’s done in the past few months has inspired far too many tips and calls from one agency or another advising that OBAC is the place to go to learn more about drivers and owner-ops. The demand is insatiable, but OBAC’s ability to deliver is finite.

The problem is funding. The group’s start-up funding was gambled away by Anthony Leckie, the infamous “missing accountant.” OBAC doesn’t even have the money to file suit to recover the misappropriated funds. Without a basic operational infrastructure, and some part-time paid help, OBAC simply can’t keep up with demand.

I can say with certainty that contributions OBAC has already made to some of the organizations listed above have been very well received, especially at CCMTA. There’s a bunch of work going on over there, or about to begin, including an overhaul of commercial driver licensing; HOS — of course; and a study on aging drivers. OBAC has been invited to participate in all of these. There’s also a commission reviewing federal labour standards that wants OBAC’s input in defining the owner-operator’s place within that Act.

There’s more, but you get the drift. I could go on about the good work OBAC has done, but the more important element is the work yet to come. It would be a damned shame to lose OBAC to its sea of debt.
I’m therefore offering up my scalp to raise money for this worthy organization.

Your scribe promises to lop off his locks, right to the wood, if contributions totaling $100,000 can be reached or exceeded by September 23, the opening day of Truxpo in Edmonton. The highest personal contributor gets to work the shears.

I’m calling on drivers, owner-ops, carriers, suppliers, other associations, and anyone else who partners with drivers and owner-ops to pledge their support for OBAC. I’ve seen the potential here. I believe it’s important to keep OBAC alive, because a strong owner-op community is in this industry’s best interest. I’m willing to lend my support to the cause. How about you?

Watch for follow-ups on this, but in the meantime, you can send a contribution to: OBAC, 275 Slater Street, Suite 900, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5H9, or call them at 613-237-6222, or via e-mail jritchie@obac.ca. Mark the envelope “Big Hairy Deal.”