OTTAWA -- It’s hard to drive out of a recession if there’s nobody at the wheel of your trucks and the Canadian Trucking Human Resources Council is taking steps to address the industry’s HR issues.

Earlier this month, leaders from Canada’s trucking industry joined together in Ottawa to identify the human resources challenges they feel the industry is facing and help the CTHRC to establish the strategies that will address these issues.

“Human Resources initiatives play a vital role in the success of Canada’s trucking industry, particularly in recessionary times,” said CTHRC Executive Director Linda Gauthier.

“They influence everything from highway safety to productivity, profitability and every other measure that you can imagine. This strategic planning exercise will help us to address the potential barriers to success,” she added.

The feedback will help to set the CTHRC’s direction for the next three to five years, and give the trucking industry the opportunity to access federal and provincial financial resources which may be available to meet an array of needs.

Recommended actions will be formally presented to the CTHRC’s Board of Directors this fall.

Industry representatives included in the consultations were: Bruce Dimmel of The TDL Group, Shane Esson of Keltic Transport, Clayton Gording of Reimer Express Lines, Mike Millian of Hensall District Co-operative, Steve Ropp of Molson Canada, Mark Seymour of Kriska Transportation, and Scott Smith of JD Smith and Sons.

The strategic planning session also involved members of CTHRC’s Executive Committee including: Phil Benson of Teamsters Canada, Bob Dolyniuk of the Manitoba Trucking Association, Gord Peddle of Atlantica Diversified Transportation Systems, Kevin Riley of Maple Leaf Consumer Foods, and Bruce Richards of the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada.