Peddle new chair of APTA

The new chair of the Atlantic Province's Trucking Association (APTA) is focusing some of his energy on promoting the industry to the next generation.

"Our youth are not coming to the industry in droves. We have just launched a publicity campaign on the good things that the trucking industry does," says Gord Peddle, president and CEO of D.D. Transport.

"We are going to take that to our schools. You will see us at trade shows and career days."

Last month Peddle, who served for nine years on the APTA board of directors, was elected to a two-year term as chair of the organization.

One of the serious issues facing the industry is a growing shortage of human resources.

Peddle says it is creating a potential crisis.

"It's not hitting as hard as it is going to hit in three to five years time," he predicts.

"The problem we have . . . is the newcomers in our industry are a lot less than any other industry out there."

That shortage could drive up the cost of transportation.

Peddle says the trucking industry has to be competitive with respect to retaining and hiring workers.

"We are losing a lot of our truck drivers to other industries," he says, adding the trucking industry has to attract young people.

Importance

While people are quick to criticize the big transport trucks rolling down the highway, few likely realize how important the trucking industry is to the economy, particularly in Newfoundland and Labrador which does not have a railway.

Whether it's your morning coffee, the shirt on your back, or the gas in your car, virtually everything consumed in this province was brought here by truck. Even the items produced in this province have to be transported to market.

Peddle says the industry across the country employs about half a million people.

He admits the trucking industry itself has not done enough to educate the public.

"At the end of the day we don't do a good job of letting the people know how important we are to the economy. We are the backbone," he says.

The importance of the trucking industry was witnessed in 2000 with an industry work stoppage.

"It was a result of rising fuel costs," says Peddle. "The importance of the industry was well recognized back then but we forget."

Fuel

The steady climb in fuel prices continues to be a challenge for truck drivers and trucking companies.

"The more expensive fuel gets the higher the cost of transportation gets, especially road transport."

And the price of fuel is expected to continue to rise.

Rising fuel costs is not just an Atlantic Canadian or a Canadian issue for that matter. It is international.

"Unfortunately the trucking industry here in Newfoundland and Labrador, Atlantic Canada and Canada is no different than the trucking industry in Australia. We all have the same problems," says Peddle.

"The fuel shortage and fuel prices are a world problem."

That's why, he says, the industry has to look at alternative methods of doing business.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance recently released their enviro-Truck Concept on Parliament Hill. Visit www.cantruck.com for more information on that.

"These are the concepts we are all going to be looking towards to try to reduce the demand on it (fuel); try to keep costs down. We . . . try to keep abreast and educate our members on the methods of producing cheaper consumptions."

Canadian dollar

But the biggest unknown facing the industry is the seemingly unforeseen rise in the Canadian dollar which has surpassed its all-time high.

"It's great for shoppers and people who want to visit the United States. But it has a negative impact on our manufacturers and they, in turn, ship to the south," says Peddle.

That negative impact on the manufacturing industry is having a ripple effect on the transportation industry.

The question is how to meet that challenge head on.

"Right now my statement has been to buckle your belts and hang tough. Don't do anything foolish.

"We are not familiar with this - the dollar is at a 30-year high so we are not sure how the economy is going to shake out and what the demands are going to be.

"You have to take it one step at a time and see how this is all going to pan out for us over the next 12 months or so."

For more information on the APTA visit www.apta.ca.

ksquires@thepacket.ca