On the road with kids

When I was a kid, with four sisters and no brothers, having a truck driver dad was a god-send. It meant I could get away and spend time with the old man, while also escaping the girly-ness at home.

It was also the greatest adventure, as an eight-year-old, climbing aboard a massive truck and heading off into the unknown.

This is where my love of trucks, and so my choice of career, came from. Back then, it was common for drivers to take their kids along and show them what the job was all about, and as a result many of the kids I met back then are now drivers themselves, including my current boss.

Times have changed a lot since then, and taking passengers is not as common as it used to be. Employers state a number of reasons for not allowing passengers, the most common one being insurance concerns.

Other restrictions come from customers not allowing children on their sites, or requiring people to do a two-hour safety induction before getting past the gate. Whatever the reason, taking your kids, or even your partner, for a trip away is not as simple as it used to be.

Luckily for me and my two boys, most of my driving jobs have presented no such problems, and so we have enjoyed a lot of quality time travelling the country.

Over the years, I have enjoyed showing my boys (now 14 and 11 years old) what I do, but I also learned a lot about them while we were out trucking together. It started out washing trucks in the back yard on weekends when I was home, much the same as it did for me.

Since then, they have been exposed to just about every aspect of the job, and they had a blast along the way. From our home in central Victoria, they have travelled as far as Darwin and Brisbane, with many shorter trips to Sydney, Adelaide, and the odd day of local jobs here and there.

Every time I have my boys at work with me, they show the same excitement I felt as a kid.

What they don’t realise is that they are actually learning through all the fun. They are always keen to try something different and so have learned about load restraint, work diaries, vehicle checks, and many other parts of the job just by having a go. Watching them learn, do new things and grow their knowledge, all with a smile on their face, is very satisfying.

They also give a different perspective on the job I do every day, and remind me just how much I do without even thinking about it. They point out many of the things I take for granted, and remind me how lucky I am to get paid to see the things I do.

If I ask them what their favourite thing about coming away in the truck is, the older one is more excited about being aboard something that big, heavy and powerful, while the younger one simply loves the views. What? Not the time you get to spend with Dad?

Another thing that hasn’t changed is the way people treat them while they’re away with you. Every fuel stop, roadhouse meal or delivery, there is someone there that will make them feel good simply by starting the conversation: “Going for a trip with Dad for the holidays?”. This invariably leads to them telling of their adventures, any mistakes I’ve made thus far, and how they haven’t really been in the bunk all day.

On the last trip with my youngest, the welcome gift of an icy pole from a customer employee turned the day around, and put a smile back on his face. These experiences bring out the best in people, on both sides, and stick with them long afterwards.

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I have been asked before if I worry about taking my boys away with me, and the answer is always the same. When I take my kids with me, I always make sure it’s a trip with as little pressure as possible, and I am always just a little more cautious. Not that I’m reckless any other time, but I always allow just a little more time and space when my kids are aboard.

Truth be known, there are always extra toilet stops, tourist stops and snacks when the boys are there. On the odd occasion, a hotel room has also been used instead of the bunk, which all results in less fatigue and a more relaxed driver and passenger. Maybe some jobs don’t allow for this, but luckily mine does. The end result is that we both have a great time, and they’re always keen to go again.

While there are some companies that have a family-friendly passenger policy, they are now few and far between. My boys and I have been lucky, with me having had my own trucks for many years, and at other times having employers that grew up the same way I did.

These family-based companies understand the value of family time, and of having young people involved in the business. Blending the family time with the business is often a good compromise, and the results can lead to long-term success for both the family and the business.

It's no secret that our industry is desperate for new talent, and the growing freight task is only going to make this situation more dire. I can’t help but think that the restrictions on taking your kids along for the ride have had an impact here, however small it may be.

We used to have a bunch of kids, male and female, who wanted to be truck drivers. These same kids had already learned many of the skills and attributes that would make them good truck drivers before they were old enough to get a start. Now we are desperately trying to attract anyone, trying to train them up as quickly as possible, and suffering the consequences once they hit the road.

While I understand there are risks involved with having young people on the job, the benefits can be very rewarding.

As a means of spending time with your family, seeing the country, sharing your knowledge and training new industry talent, it’s a simple answer that has little effect on productivity. It’s also life experience for young minds, away from computers, movies and games and out in the wide world, even if only for a day or two.

My boys may not be truck drivers when they get older, that choice is theirs, but they have experienced a lot of what the world has to offer outside their home town. I have had the pleasure of watching them learn and enjoy new things, and tell others about it when they return home.

I remember how it felt to be that kid, and I’m glad I could give that to my boys. I for one am looking forward to the next school holidays!