TORONTO, ON — The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA)’s Road Knights were in the thick of the action for the 25^th Anniversary of the Halton Skills Competition at M.M. Robinson H.S. in Burlington.

The annual competitions and Career Showcase help to engage students in trade and technology programs and create awareness of potential opportunities available to them outside of school. The event featured over 40 skills competitions and 4,000 students attended.  

“This is what being a Road Knight is all about. Promoting the industry to young people, allowing them to get to know a real-life trucker and letting them to see what we do, is an important part of this program,” said Road Knight Barry Elkiw, a driver with Meyers Transport.

Elkiw spoke with students about opportunities in the trucking industry.

Road Knight Rick Cameron of KBD Transport spent the day giving students up-close tours of a heavy duty truck.

“Reaching and engaging face-to-face with energetic young people at the high school level, as well as their guidance counselors, showcases the industry first-hand, in a way perhaps they haven’t experienced before,” Cameron said.

Over their two-year term, Road Knights engage communities across Ontario through such things as sharing road safety tips with motorists, raising awareness of the vital role trucking plays in the economy, talking to young people about careers in trucking, and representing the trucking industry at community events, business club meetings, driver education classes, public schools, truck driving schools and to the media.

The program, which is sponsored by the OTA Allied Trades Division, is open to both company drivers and owner-operators, and OTA provides training for giving speeches and presentations, as well as media training.

To nominate a driver for the 2015-2016 Road Knights Team, fill out the nomination form and email it to renee.lyle@ontruck.org.