Heroes – Submitted By Apps Transport Group

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary states the word Hero “as a person admired for achievements and noble qualities”.

Today in our very different world we need more Heroes than ever. Yes, we always look to First Responders, Doctors and Nurses as heroes which they are but during this worldwide pandemic we have seen a new crop of heroes emerge. The transportation industry not just here in Canada but from across North America have stepped up to help a world in need providing services only they can do by helping keep our healthcare facilities and grocery stores stocked and supplied. North American truck drivers and their companies have literally been on the front lines every day. Drivers leave their families to head out to a world most of us might never see. You can speak with any driver over the past five months and they can tell you stories that you would not believe. Imagine delivering a load of much needed food or medical supplies into areas where the virus has taken full control. Not quite a war zone, but you have no idea how you will make it out without catching the virus. We have all heard the stories of drivers not being able to get food or having the ability to shower and keep clean. The CDC as well as Health Canada have all said the best way to fight the virus is to wash your hands. Very hard to do when you are out on the road and everything is closed to drivers. I found this out for myself during the past five months when I was doing some driving for my company. Is this something a hero should have to deal with, no it is not. When it was announced the Town of Whitby Ontario was going to open a Recreation Centre for truck drivers to stay clean and have a safe area to rest, we started to see change. This was happening across the country. A resident of Windsor Vikki Knight was offering home cooked meals to drivers who needed them. This was happening in the Maritimes, Quebec and Western Canada as well. People across the country were starting to hear what was happening to drivers and more and more people were coming to the aid of drivers. Companies for who these heroes were working for started to see and hear the stories and they started to do more to help their drivers, some even providing meals. We all heard about PPE and the need for it. Companies saw the problems early and started to provide their terminal staff with the resources and equipment needed while out on the road. I know my own company put an action plan in place to handle everything COVID-19 could throw at it. Drivers were sent out prepared with PPE and new Safety Training in mind as they were the ones who were traveling throughout the country. Having a team in place helped us through these very different times and continues to this day.

Looking back over the past five months we can clearly see Heroes come from all areas including the transportation industry. Air, Sea, Rail and Trucking, we are all Heroes because we as a collaborative team helped keep Canada and North America stocked and supplied. Hospitals and store shelves might have taken longer to keep stocked but they were stocked by the Canadian Transportation Industry. Recognizing these heroes is something we should all be doing. During our COVID meetings it was said by APPS President Rob McDonald we would not shut down our facility to outside drivers. It is just not the right thing to do. We came up with a plan to provide for visiting drivers. APPS Transport has also launched a campaign across its network in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. APPS Hero decals have been added to all trucks as well to our terminals across Canada. We wanted to recognize the amazing job our team members have done during these very different times.

We need to remember Tough Times Never Last, but the Tough Transportation Industry will. We were there for the Quebec Ice Storms, Alberta & BC Wildfires and Manitoba Floods. Being there is just what we do.

Guy Broderick
Recruiting, Training and Corporate Communication Manager, APPS Transport Group
www.appsexpress.com