Merv Orr, who retired a decade ago after a 45-year career in trucking, died of a heart attack on Feb. 27 in Elliott Lake, Ont. Well known as a driver trainer in later years, he established Merv Orr’s Transport Driver Training School in Cambridge, Ont., in 1973. A man of principles and firm opinions, he worked hard, though without perfect success, to convince the Ontario provincial government that standards were required in the private training industry.

A native of Fort William (now Thunder Bay, Ont.), he began his driving career with Superior Cartage in the late 1940s and was fond of telling stories of the 48-hour trip to Toronto in a Diamond T with little power and less heat. In those early days the pavement didn’t begin until North Bay, some 36 hours into the southbound trip. Orr also drove for Lakehead Freightways and for Reimer Express out of Winnipeg. In the early 1950s Orr became one of the country’s first owner-operators at Reimer. As well as the driving school, he also worked as a terminal manager for Superior and ran a truckstop, with his wife Bernice, for a time. For several years in the late 1980s and early 1990s he operated a small contract fleet for Hostess Foods.

One of his proudest moments came after retirement when he saw both his sons, Jody and Rodney, selected as Road Knights with the Ontario Trucking Association. Jody Orr, who drives for Challenger Motor Freight, is on the current Road Knights team.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, March 7, at 2:00 p.m. at Saint James Lutheran Church in Cambridge, Ont. All are welcome. Today’s Trucking editorial director Rolf Lockwood will deliver the eulogy.