Fond childhood memories helped put Chris Buller in the cab of a truck, but for now the sign on the rig he steers reads: Student Driver.
The son of a trucker, Buller enrolled in the Alberta Professional Driver Certificate (PDC) program in January, even though support for his career choice was not immediate from the people in his life.
"My dad's been a truck driver since he was younger than me, so I've been around trucks my whole life," explains the mild mannered student. "It is something people tried pushing me away from though."
Despite being told that a career as a truck driver was not in his best interest, Buller moved forward with his choice to become a professional driver. Part of it was due to his self-determination, and part of it was due to the quality of training he had signed up for.
When Buller began looking at a career in trucking, he was tipped to the new PDC program by Metis Employment Services.
"For the training institutes they recommend, there's a screening process and I was told this was the best - and they were right on with that," Buller says. "This course attracted me because of the level of knowledge and experience I would get."
Students are required to make a full-time commitment to the PDC program, which includes Class 1 license training, extensive classroom time, and some real-world experience.
So, the 24-year-old Red Deer, Alta. resident left his job at the local Canadian Tire and hitched his future to the trucking industry, hoping the PDC program would provide him with more than just a foot in the door.
"Another good thing about this program is that it puts the training on the same level as other trades," adds Buller.
A New Class
Buller's instructor, Chris Reading, has a resume in the trucking industry dating back 28 years, with 10 of those as an instructor. His behind-the-wheel experience is a mix of long-haul and oilfield work, but teaching has always been a passion.
In his decade of instructing, Reading has not seen a better system for teaching new students than the PDC program.
The PDC program launched in June 2007 as a two-year pilot project. It's based on the Canadian Trucking Human Resource Council's (CTHRC) 12-week Earning Your Wheels program, combining eight weeks of in-school training (120 hours of classroom and 85 hours behind the wheel), followed by four weeks of supervised experience with a carrier - which requires a minimum of 100 hours behind the wheel.
The program was developed by CTHRC in an effort to standardize truck driver training across the country. So far though, training schools have been slow to adopt the program. There are only two accredited schools outside of Alberta - one in B.C., the other in P.E.I.
Administered by Red Deer College and offered at four driving schools across Alberta, the PDC program gets a sizeable financial boost from the province making it more affordable for students. But even with its affordability, the PDC program was not immediately embraced.
Originally offered as a post-Class-1 training course, the PDC program suffered from a lack of enrollment and there was uncertainty it would survive the two-year pilot period. The provincial government however granted permission to the program's administrators to make necessary changes to keep the program intact.
The training now includes basic Class 1 license training, and the course was shortened from 20 to 12 weeks.
With the changes in place, the program is expecting wider success and from an instructor's point of view, Reading insists the program is more comprehensive than a typical driving course.
"It's not just a blow-by course; they have to know their stuff," notes Reading. "Before, new drivers would have to do most of their learning on the road and learn things the hard way. Now they have a chance to get that experience in training."
The Long Haul
Upon graduation, Buller hopes all the experience and training will pay dividends right from the beginning.
"I would like [carriers] to recognize the training I have had, it's not like I took a week or two-week course," he explains.
He's well aware of the industry's driver shortage and knows he will have plenty of opportunities for good employment if he applies everything he learned during training. As he climbs in behind the wheel of the truck, genuine excitement creeps across Buller's face, and despite the warnings not to become a trucker, Buller is glad he made the choice to get his Class 1 licence.
The new father also has a good idea where he wants his career to take him. In the beginning, he wants to do mostly regional work, but is looking forward to some long hauls in the future.
"Growing up I was always going to the States with my dad on summer holidays, but right now I have a four-month-old baby, so I'd like to stay closer to home," says Buller. "In the future I'd like to do some long-haul."
