Trucking With Grandson ‘Icing on the Cake’
BANFF, AB. — The only thing Bison driver Robert Wells may be more proud of than being a professional driver is his grandson Cole.
And he’s a proud driver, truly. You could tell as he got up from his table and walked onstage to accept the 2012 Volvo Canada Driver of the Year Award at the 75th annual Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) Management Conference in Banff.
But then ask him about his co-pilot, and that pride is trumped.
“He’s been traveling with me since he was six,” Wells told Today’s Trucking after accepting the award.
The now 10-year-old Cole has already crisscrossed the continent. From Canada down to California, the Gulf of Mexico, San Jose to Philidelphia, the young Cole has been there with his granddad every mile, soaking up trucking lessons.
“He knows everything about trucking,” Well said.
Maybe a little too much. Wells recounted an incident where he was backing into a bay at a Bison yard. “It was just at our yard, so I had the lights on but didn’t honk the horn.”
When they got inside, “Cole ratted me out! ‘He didn’t honk the horn,’ he says to my boss.”
Wells’ supervisor Real Durand is already trying to recruit the young Cole, and at last report, Cole is keen on following in his grandfather’s tire tracks.
The young Cole would be a highly valued driver, too, given Wells’ “rich history behind the wheel.” He’s currently a lease operator with Bison, but he’s been a trainer, a member of Bison’s Driver Advisory Board and a member of the original Alberta Road Knight team.
During his time as a Road Knight, Wells was known for highlighting all the jobs in the trucking industry, not just the driving gigs. “Not everyone is meant to be a driver and there are a lot of fascinating jobs throughout the industry,” says Wells. “You have to match the right individual with the right position.”
The AMTA called Wells “a pioneer in the area of safety. His enviable record and professional attitude make him a role model and an ideal driver trainer.”
“The rules are there for a reason,” Wells was quoted as saying. “Relax, enjoy the countryside, but be aware of your surroundings — and watch out for other drivers, especially the guy behind the guy in front of you!”
“This has been a great career. I’m proud that I did something important,” Wells said.
“Being able to do it with my grandson beside me — and then being recognized in such a manner — well that’s just the icing on the cake.”
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