TORONTO — High school students and some out-of-work adults had an opportunity to check out trucking and logistics careers when Ontario Trucking Association members in the Windsor area threw their doors open for facility tours recently.

About 250 students from all 27 high schools in Windsor and Essex County got the chance to explore transportation careers by getting a first-hand view of a trucking operation, related transportation facilities, and hearing from industry staffers.

The event, called Transportation and Logistics Trades on Tour, was organized by the South Western Ontario Industry-Education Council (SWOIEC), in conjunction with the three Boards of Education in Windsor/ Essex County. SWOIEC had previously organized similar Trade Tours for the Construction and Hospitality Industries.

The students had been hand-picked by guidance councillors and co-op teachers and were selected based on graduation plans which included those destined for post secondary education and entering the workforce directly after graduation, the OTA says in a release.

Neal Villeneuve and his staff at TST Overland Express welcomed the visitors with open arms and talked about day-to-day operations at the trucking facility. TST’s Patrick Greenwood, an OTA Road Knight from the 1999-2000 team, also addressed the students.

“They truly showed the human element behind the truck and clearly explained what it takes to get the job done,” says Paul LeFave of Border Freight Resources, who served as an industry tour guide by riding with the young people and explaining the chain of events involved in the movement of freight.

The tour also included stops at Customs Border Services Agency (CBSA) warehouse and off-site location for the Ambassador Bridge as well as a local logistics warehouse that feeds the DCX Windsor Assembly plant with auto parts on a just-in-time basis.

The 27 teachers who accompanied the students told event organizers they were impressed with the tours.