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Jagat
Current role:
Long-haul refrigerated driver (Canada and the USA)
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Read Jagat's Story
After getting my Class 1, I went all around Canada to find a good long-haul job. I was in Ontario when a friend told me about the place I currently work at; they had a mentorship program for new drivers. I applied, got hired, and have been here since. It took a ton of job hunting after I got my licence. Once I started here, though, they had me doing cross-border work right away with a trainer.
Most of the drivers I meet doing long-haul now got started at a company that has this kind of program for new drivers. Some get started at sketchier places, which can help them get experience, but some of them also don’t get paid much or have problems with safety rules and such. So, I’m glad I started where I did.
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Theresa
Current role:
City pickup and delivery driver (dry van tractor-trailers)
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Read Theresa's Story
I got my start when I came across Women Building Futures and learned about their program to help women get their Class 1 driver’s license. Before that, I had my Class 2, and I was driving a school bus. I was trying to find a job where I could be a full-time driver, but the jobs I was applying to needed a Class 1 or 3. They wouldn’t give me the time of day. I saw this as an opportunity to upgrade my license. I’ve been working at the same place ever since because Women Building Futures helped match me with a good company.
I didn’t intend to get into the transportation industry. I was in construction prior to that. After having my second baby, I was juggling childcare and realized it was more expensive than working. With the school bus, they offer training even if just have your Class 5, and they let me bring my children along with me once they were over the age of one. It was a good fit for my situation, and getting in the door was actually surprisingly easy. I stayed there for about six years. It worked out really well when I had young kids, but the work was part-time and the pay wasn’t great.
At my current company, they started me in the warehouse on a forklift, then on smaller trucks closer to the terminal. They eventually worked me up into the tractor-trailers, which I do now. Other women in my class were also doing the Women Building Futures program and got similar jobs.
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