MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Wayne Baechler took his first ride in a big truck when he was six. It was a gravel hauler and the guy behind the wheel was one Vernon Erb.

These days, Baechler is the Corporate Operations Manager for the Erb Group, based in the south central town of Baden, Ont., and although Vernon might not be in the driver’s seat, he still has a pretty measurable presence around the place.

Corporate Ops manager Wayne Baechler, Toronto Terminal manager
Brian Swanson and company patriarch Vern Erb share
a laugh at one of Erb’s 50th anniversary barbeques.

And this week, as founder and president of Erb, Vernon has been visiting his company’s terminals in various locales across Canada to help celebrate Erb’s 50th anniversary. Erb has facilities in Toronto, Trenton, Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa, North Bay, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, Barrie and of course Baden. Current fleet count: About 700 trucks and 1,000 trailers.

At most of the parties, Erb was joined by his son Wendell, the current general manager of the company.

For a more thorough look at how the company developed from the one-dump-truck outfit to one of Canada’s most respected haulers, see “Erbal Remedies.”