A message from Peter Charboneau

Publisher of Over the Road

I have been proudly publishing Over the Road magazine for 26 years, and during this time I have only included a message in the magazine a few times. The last time was for our 25th Anniversary edition. That was a celebratory message; this one is in response to all that has been happening in the world these past few weeks.

I will start by saying that I hope that everyone reading this right now is doing OK and staying healthy and well. These are unprecedented times and it has been hard to keep up with how much has changed in our lives, with our families, in our communities and in our businesses over the past few months. My heart goes out to everyone that has been affected by COVID-19 and everyone that has lost a loved one. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

It goes without saying that we all owe a big thank you to the health care workers that are working so hard right now and who are putting themselves and their families at risk during this difficult time. We are so grateful. I also want to extend a huge thank you to every one of you in the Canadian trucking industry that are working so hard to keep freight moving; especially the Drivers and Owner Operators that are out on the roads, day in and day out, transporting groceries, paper products, medical equipment and everything else that our country needs to survive this pandemic. I have always had a huge amount of respect and admiration for what you do, but now, with so much of our country shut down, I am extra grateful for all that you do. Thank you for keeping our grocery stores stocked and for all that you are doing to keep things moving.

In your hands right now (or on your phone/laptop) is the May edition of Over the Road. As you have likely noticed, it is much smaller than usual – it is just 16 pages this month. Our magazine has only been 16 pages at three points in the past 26 years; when I first started the magazine in 1994, then at the height of the recession and the global financial crisis in 2009, and now during the COVID-19 pandemic, we find ourselves again with a 16-page magazine. It may be a small edition this month, but given all that is happening right now, we are very proud to be publishing a May edition. In our 26 years of publishing Over the Road, we have never missed an edition and it is our goal to continue to be here for you through the pandemic and beyond, each and every month.

What is important to note about the May magazine, is that this edition of Over the Road features 9 Canadian trucking companies that are currently hiring. If you are a Driver or an Owner Operator who is looking for work, please read through the ads and reach out to these companies, as they have freight for you to haul and they need drivers!

Also note, that on pages 10. 11 & 12 you will find an excellent article by Robert Scheper outlining how Operators, and others, can take advantage of the four financial assistance programs that the government has recently launched. On page 9 you will find an Infinit-i WorkForce Solutions ad highlighting a free resource for COVID-19 training videos and a new program that gives 30-days of complimentary access to the Infinit-i WorkForce online training platform. Please be sure to read both as you will likely find them helpful right now.

Each month, Over the Road is printed and distributed into Canadian truck stops including the Flying-Js. Each edition is posted on our website (www.overtheroad.ca) and it is sent out electronically to all our digital subscribers. Whichever way it is that you are reading this, we thank you for reading Over the Road. We will continue to do our best to keep you updated on everything related to the Canadian Trucking industry through the pandemic – in our monthly magazine and on our website and through our social media sites throughout the month.

On behalf of the Over the Road team, thank you again to all Drivers and everyone in the Canadian trucking industry for all that you are doing right now to keep the country moving. If there is anything that we can do to help or support you, please let us know.

Drive safely and keep your distance – both from other vehicles and from each other. Stay healthy and stay safe! Our thoughts are with all of you.

Best regards,
Peter