Soumission

Attention: Honorable Joseph Frank Fontana

Thursday, December 09, 2004

Hi My name is Kristen Dietrich. I am a Canadian citizen and resident of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. Please read my letter of concern regarding the trucking industry.

I am 30 years old and have been driving professionally now since 1997. I am presently working in Calgary, Alberta as a city pick up and delivery driver. Most driving jobs I have had were long haul inter-provincial as well as much of continental USA. Some aspects of the trucking industry I like. However, today I am writing you about some aspects I am not happy with.

I want you to understand that I am not about to try and convince you that the entire trucking industry needs re-shaping. If I thought that little of it, I would never have driven professionally as long as I have. But for as vital of industry as truck transportation is, there are some things that as far as I am concerned need to be changed. I know labor laws and wages workers earn (in this case truckers) differ from province to province, as well as municipality to municipality. But from what I gather the starting wage for most city p/d (pick up and delivery) drivers in Alberta is around $13.00 per hour on average. Some companies may pay $14.00; some perhaps may pay a little ore, to start. But when you take into account the fact that all drivers that operate vehicles in excess of 5000 kg's need a special education that usually costs thousands of dollars I strongly feel that wage is insuffient for city p/d drivers. Many long haul drivers can net $4000.00 a month or even $5000.00 or more. If the long haul highway drivers can make that much, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect that local city truck drivers should net at least $3000.00 a month or more.

Class 1 vehicle operators are hauling trailers that range in length from 20' to 53', and sometimes can weigh as much as 52000 kg's. With the knowledge and skill required to safely and proficiently maneuver these large heavy articulating vehicles in cities with traffic all around comes much responsibility. And with increased responsibility often comes stress. Society is dependent upon the thousands of truckers like me to function on a daily basis. That fact making it a very vital industry as I have previously mentioned. And we also can't overlook the risk factor involved. On a job where one not not only must know how to operate a large truck with a heavy trailer in tow and constantly be attentive to what their doing and what other motorists are doing makes it dangerous in certain ways. I also heard approximately 8 years ago, that $13.00 per hour was the acceptable starting rate for a fully qualified class 1 truck driver.

Some unskilled laborers that don't require any schooling like janitors or some construction laborers can make as much as $13.00 or $14.00 per hour to start. I don't like to speak comparatively; I'm not saying they don't deserve that. What I am trying to do is put an emphasis on the fact that not just anyone can get into a truck and do the job of a professional trucker. For that reason with the education involved to become a a fully qualified heavy truck operator I think that truck drivers deserve more than just $13.00 per hour to start. I think it's time government officials stepped in to revamp this industry that way. I think $17.00 or ore would be acceptable to start. I am going to offer another view point on the pay structures of both company p/d drivers as well as long haul highway drivers. From Lethbridge, Alberta to Edmonton, Alberta is 315 miles. It takes about 5.5 hours to travel that distance, if the road conditions are good. If a highway driver arrives at their destination within that time frame, at the average company highway driver pay of $.32 per mile, that driver has earned $100.80 for the entire trip. If you take that dollar amount and divide it by the 5.5 hours it took to travel the distance from Lethbridge, Ab to Edmonton, Ab it works out to $18.32 an hour the driver has been paid.

Many companies pay more than $.32 per mile. Some of the better paying transport companies may pay up to$.40 per mile. So then if you do the math once again, their hourly pay just continues to increase. These are single driver rates, not team driver rates. Some driver teams can do as good as a $.50 split between the two drivers. But theoretically, I was using the single driver rates as an example. The point I am trying to make here is there are big pay discrepancies between the company city drivers and the long haul highway drivers, if you were to look at it that way. I think in some ways it's kept deliberately low by many of the carrier companies. The reason I think it's like this, is because they probably don't charge their customers enough for the service they provide. So therefore their limited to only paying out so much to the drivers.

I also suspect that it could be some sort of mass conspiracy within the trucking industry that caught on over time, to encourage drivers to want to drive long haul as opposed to in the city or more locally. I hate to sound paranoid, but I say that because I have read it in reports and so forth, and many professionals within the trucking industry concede this (wage difference gap) to be true. So many people know about it. So it sounds like it's been this way for a while. I could be wrong about it being a conspiracy, perhaps there's other reasons for the significantly lower profits p/d drivers make in comparison to long haul highway drivers. But if that were to be the case that's a lot of discrimination city p/d drivers are being subjected to. And it's very unfair, because their job is important as well. I am not trying to say that company p/d drivers should get paid the same as highway long haul drivers, I'm just trying to say that city p/d drivers should be getting paid more then they are at present. Taken all that into account, I feel its well worth it.

Another major concern for me is the daily fuel up procedure by company long haul highway drivers. If a driver is kept busy and driving long distances as we know eventually we must stop to fuel the truck. If were hauling a trailer with a reefer attached (refrigeration unit attached to the trailer), at some time the reefer fuel tank will need refueling as well, if the reefer is running. The fuel tanks on most truck tractors are very big. I have always known there to be two tanks. One tank alone can hold as much as 600 liters of fuel, and that I am sure is a small tank compared to some. Both are usually fueled to the maximum. With the large tanks if the fuel gauge indicated 1/25 of a tank before the fuel up, you can bet it's going to take at least 10 minutes or more to fuel both tanks on the truck. Then if the reefer tank needs to be fueled up it will take approximately another 5 minutes or more. That's already 15 minutes just doing the necessary fuel up's. But most responsible truck drivers will also do a walk around vehicle inspection as well, checking the tires and overall condition of the vehicle and load.

This procedure could take another 5 minutes or more. I know most drivers include these procedures in with their on-duty fuel up. I say on-duty fuel up since by law your required to log fuel-up's as on duty in your drivers daily log book. Having done the fuel up procedures as well as walk around check, drivers will often take the time to check fluid levels under the hood. And add fluids if necessary. After that many drivers will squeegee clean the windows and mirrors on the truck. To do the windshield as well as the mirrors it usually takes some climbing to access all. After all these procedures are completed, I am sure that 30 minutes has passed. I consider it part of the job, just as I am sure many do. What does bother me is that I have never been paid for this work to be done, and I have done it hundreds or probably thousands of times. Just like all highway drivers need to.

If we were being paid by the hour it would not pertain. But since almost all highway drivers are being paid mainly by the mile as soon as we stop to perform these necessary duties, we don't make money. If you were to consider that we were to do this almost every day we drive, that's a lot of work being done for nothing. If a driver were to do that full procedure every day for six days straight, that is three hours of unpaid work at the end of the sixth day. That as far as I am concerned is very unjustified. I have never heard of one driving company ever compensating its driver or drivers for any of this work, even though it's necessary to get from origin to destination. So I take it there is no law in place that states these companies are required to ay their drivers for these procedures. How ridiculous! I did not think people were supposed to work for free, but in this case that appears to be the norm.

I feel strongly that there should be a law passed in legislation stating that all highway drivers should be paid for this on duty logged fuel up. I think even just as little as $5.00 would be all right. I think as much as $10.00 would be a great show of integrity to the driver or drivers. However, I think it would be best if a minimum payment were established for this logged procedure. Notice how I make a point of mentioning logged?

Yes, as long as the driver logs the on duty time for however long it takes. If there was a system to be established like I am suggesting there should be and a minimum payment for example of $5.00 paid, I don't think the driver would want to take any longer doing this than 30 minutes.

I think as long as the truck needs fueling and if it takes 15 minutes or more the driver should be compensated financially. The company from whom the driver works for could verify there was a need to fuel the truck and reefer, by simply looking over all the fuel receipts and confirm it by checking the drivers log sheets. With that said, I don't think it would be easy for drivers to abuse this system if they were to try. Beside drivers still make the most money turning miles. This small charge I am suggesting could be regarded as a daily fuel up/maintenance allowance. It's only fair that the drivers should be paid for this or compensated somehow financially. I am not sure if this system should be allowed to pertain to owner operator or lease operator drivers, since the truck they are driving from what I understand is owned by the driver. But for company drivers that are fueling and maintaining a company truck, this system I feel strongly should apply.

This also would encourage drivers to be more honest when filling out their daily logs as well. Since fuel ups are not being paid for many drivers will just flag fuel times on their daily log. Flagging a fuel up is when a driver will just mark a fuel up at a certain time and location, as opposed to actually logging however long it took them to fuel the truck. I am certain this is considered illegal, but somehow many drivers I have known do it and get away with it often. As I mentioned previously, long haul truck drivers are paid almost primarily on a mileage rate basis. That I have no problem with, however professional drivers are usually subjected t many other aspects of the job, such as chain up's in the winter time and air brake adjustment. Most of the newer trucks and trailers on the road these days are equipped with automatic slack adjusting air brakes. There are also manual slack adjusting air brakes, but they are not so common I don't think as opposed to automatic.

With manual slack adjusting airbrakes, the driver is required to manually adjust the slack adjusters on all the airbrakes on the truck, as well as the trailer. With automatic slack adjusters, the driver is not supposed to have to adjust the brakes manually however sometimes it is necessary. This means with either manual or automatics the driver has to get underneath the truck and trailer and inspect and adjust every brake on both the truck and trailer or trailers. Hopefully not every one will need adjusting, but sometimes they will. This could take as long as 15 minutes or more. Depending on how out of adjustment the brakes are, and how good of condition the brakes are in. The indignity here is once again there is no clause in place stating the driver should be paid for this procedure. What a travesty. This can be hard work that cuts into our driving time ultimately delaying the driver's arrival at their destination.

Many drivers I know don't even check their brakes like they should. I make a point of inspecting them and making whatever adjustments may be needed. I am sure that some drivers may be more encouraged to check their airbrake slack adjusters as required if there was more incentive, than just the safety aspect alone, which you would think would be more than enough reason to show concern. However, this should add to the reasoning for having a system in place to pay for such an important procedure to be done. Some companies don't want to pay for other minor costs for necessary up keep of the truck as well, such as truck washes and clean outs (vacuuming) ect. The excuses I have heard for this disregard of not wanting to pay for these procedures, is that it's part of the job. Well driving is part of the job off course and were paid for that, So why not any of these other job duties?

Also, as it is now, with every transport company I have known about, they all have this stipulation in place that states drivers don't get paid waiting time until after a certain number of hours has passed from their time of arrival. Some companies say 2 hours some may say 3 or 4, it varies. Drivers usually end up waiting for re-loads or un-loads. This seems more common for international long haul drivers however it can happen anywhere I am sure. This as far as I am concerned is b/s. The reason I see it like this is because when drivers go on the road they have made a major commitment to their job. As well, a major sacrifice in a way, to their family friends and personal life in general. Much the same as serving for ones country. This in its self is deserving of credit, and I am talking about more than just a pat on the back.

This is where a certain element of prestige should apply. These are hardworking people who are not afraid to commit and sacrifice who may in fact take pride in doing so. So if their forced to have to wait out these procedures loading or un-loading, because others were perhaps irresponsible or just understaffed "too bad". It should not be made the drivers problem. And no professional drivers should have to bare this burden to this extent (waiting for more than three hours before their financially compensated). One hour, that's all. After that one hour passes the company should start charging the shippers and receivers for the lapsed time, so they can pay the drivers.

It would also be nice if the same could apply for a 24 hour layover. That's when a driver or drivers end up sitting and not being re-dispatched after a load has been delivered away from their home base. Unless it were a mistake by the driver/s that the layover occurred the driver/s should be paid something for the 24 hours or more they had to sit. Some companies will not pay layovers and others may have stipulations in place, where they will not ay until after the first 24 hours. I frown at that just the same as I do the waiting time of three hours. And I am sure other drivers do also. I think its nonsense. If the company could not plan things out well enough in advance, why should the drivers have to bare the brunt of it for nothing?

I think it is more than just a coincidence there's such a high turn over in the trucking industry and critical driver shortage in Canada. People talk and word gets around. People here about this kind of stuff happening, and get discouraged, and don't want to be part of it (trucking) if they ever were thinking about it to begin with. Many others like myself after being in the industry for a while and having been shafted time and time again, after a while say enough is enough. And many end up leaving the industry all together. I being a professional driver for the time I have, have spoken to many other drivers. Seems like many are un-happy with a lot of the b/s within the industry. It seems like the shippers, receivers and the companies are running the show anyway they see fit.

If certain rules like the ones I have suggested were implemented, shippers, receivers and companies would be held more accountable. They all need to be held more accountable. I am certain the trucking industry is to loosely regulated, and has been for sometime. The government needs to step in and take charge of this out of control industry. I can't help but wonder how it got this way. I have had some success in trucking. But despite the success I have had, I look back with much regret in certain ways. I have heard so much talk over the years about other industries where improvements were made and may still be needed. Namely speaking of health care, education infrastructure ect. Sure these fields need to be considered, but what about the ailing trucking industry? I never seem to hear anything about that. I wonder why? I know there are others out there who know about some of the industries many shortcomings. Could it be that it's been forgotten about somehow? Or does anyone really care about the trucking industry? I am not jumping to any conclusions, it just makes me wonder.

I know this has been a loaded letter. I wish I did not have so much to complain about. I hope this makes some sense to you. Please Mr. Joseph Frank Fontana if you can do anything to get the wheels turning towards these suggested reform methods I wish you the best of luck. I know I can't do it alone. After all it would not only be for the good of the drivers, but for the trucking industry that Canada and North America are dependent upon. If any of these ideas could be used I feel it would make a big difference. I am certain it would make the trucking industry more rewarding and lucrative. Therefore more people would be drawn into this vital industry. And Canada and society could function more smoothly on an ongoing basis. I hope to hear back from you or someone there at the office in regards to this letter.

Sincerely,

KRISTEN DIETRICH