Truck drivers pulled up to the Bradford Husky Esso station on Highway 88 on Thursday morning and were surprised with a free care package put together by Sailun Tire to show their appreciation for all their hard work during the pandemic.
To honour these front-line heroes, Sailun Tire (a global tire manufacturer) put together more than 600 branded cooler bags filled with essential amenities (for both men and women) such as shaving cream, razors, soap, sunscreen, snacks and bars, face masks and gloves, a hat, air fresheners, and a $25 Esso gift card. Items were donated by Edgwell Personal Care, Kind Healthy Snacks, Mondelez Canada and Sailun Tire.
In advance of National Trucking Week (which runs from Sept 6-12), giveaway stations were set up by Sailun Tire across Southern Ontario on select dates from mid to the end of August.
“The drivers were genuinely so happy,” reports Kristen Palmer, Sailun Tire’s Event and Sponsorship Manager, who helped give out the care packages at the Husky station Thursday morning.
“It was heart warming to see their faces when we gave them the packages,” added Michelle Subranni, Sailun Tire’s newest addition to the team who helped Subranni give out cooler bags.
Professional drivers are part of Sailun Tire’s extended family and ensure critical goods are delivered during challenging times brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Drivers are not only essential in keeping Canada’s supply chain running, but play an important role in the country’s economic recovery.
“It’s so good what [Sailun Tire] is doing,” said Darryl Rayner, who is a police officer but had to pick up truck driving due to shortened hours caused by the pandemic. “We don’t get appreciated enough.”
Subranni and Palmer were at the Mississauga Husky Esso station the day before and handed out over 175 bags to drivers and couriers.
“We were so busy,” exclaims Subranni. “I had so many blisters on my feet.”
Palmer, who has worked with Sailun Tire for over six years and has been in the industry since she was a teen, says truck drivers can only drive for so long before they must pull over and wait an allotted time before they are safe to continue driving again.
“Sometimes they have to sit in a parking lot for up to 10 hours,” explains Palmer. “It takes a certain type of person to do this job.”
The life of professional truck drivers can involve long hours, erratic shifts, and many miles with little to no interaction with their families as they sleep in the back of their cabs and wash in the sinks of bathroom stations.
“I used to love the job,” said Phil Lawrence, a truck driver with Laidlaw for the past 25 years. “But now I’m just tired and want to go home.”
The Bradford Husky Esso station has a convenience store and restaurant and caters to over 200 truck drivers and couriers per day for gas, food, and rest stops.
To the thousands of Canadian truck drivers who sacrifice their time for the good of the economy, Sailun TIre salutes you.
