After time away training with the army reserves, I had some money and decided to get my Class 1. I wanted to do long-haul work, but no one would hire me due to my young age and lack of experience. I ended up doing dock work at a warehouse and shunting trailers. They slowly got me going on smaller trucks around town and, in a few months, I moved over to a company that had me out on the road. I was a good worker and kept safe, so they gave me lots of opportunities. I later moved to a company that did mostly cross-border flatbed work, and I really liked it. I worked for them during the oil recession in 2016 and was grateful to have steady, good-paying work that whole time.

While I was trucking, I took an interest in safety and started working as a driver trainer. The company had room for a fleet safety manager, so I asked to be considered for the role and was promoted into it. They provided me with safety training in the form of the AMTA’s Certified Transportation Safety Professional (CTSP) program, and I still occasionally drove to help when they were in a bind or when a new driver needed some additional training. To me, safety and compliance is a fascinating world, and fleets always need good safety professionals. Eventually, I was hired by the AMTA as their Industry Advisor in Safety and Compliance. I’m grateful each day for my trucking experience, even though this role didn’t formally require it. My on-road experience helps me understand the challenges that drivers, fleets, and governments experience moving freight in a safe and reliable manner.