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The trucker‘s life: Part II Wade Chapman has been a truck driver for more than 20 years â€" the last four as an instructor with Triâ€"County Truck Driver Training in Cambnidge. He pulled on his cap and laughed when 1 asked him what the biggest musconception was about being a trucker. "Many people still think we are immoral, hairy, uncouth soâ€"andâ€"so‘s." "Yeah," pipes up Jamic Spittal, 24, a recent graduate of the course and one of four other drivers taking me on the tour. "They think that our knuckles drag on the ground." Nodding their heads in quiet agreement, the other truckâ€" ers sighed as Wade Chapman looked wisiful. "Time once was we were thought of as ‘knights of the road.‘ We hope to bring a little of that back." Chapman and the others may get their chance. As Triâ€" County owner Richard Wynia told me, the trucking indusâ€" try is in the midst of great change. Wynia, owner and general manager of the company, says that currently there is a "massive shortage" of skilled and qualified drivers. "It‘s such a growing industry. More and more manufacâ€" turing companies are moving freight by truck. It becomes especially critical if the comâ€" I pany uses ‘justâ€"inâ€"time‘ proâ€" TULVINC duction." vers at a time. There is a need for good people." Back in the truck, Chapman and the boys agree. "You have to be really professional," says Chapman. "It may be a large industry, but it‘s a very small community. You quickly get a bad reputation if you‘re a bad driver and that news spreads â€" fast!" The guys tell me that the money is good: a firstâ€"year driâ€" ver can make $45,000. Chapman tells me that this potential has changed the traditional profile of individuals drawn to the trucker‘s life. "With all the downsizing the last few years, we have had a fair amount of people who have changed their jobs in midâ€" career. We‘ve taught bank managers, lawyers and pilots." What about women? "More women are getting into it; this last class of 20 had one woman, but it‘s not a trend yet We are, however, seeing more and more couples getting their licenses together so they can work as a team. It beats the loneliness." The promise of stable work and the money were two facâ€" tors that attracted Jamie Spittal to the trucker‘s life Spittal is a welderâ€"fitter but found that the work was seasonal and not guaranteed. _ "T have friends that drive transports It sounded good so I opened up the phone book and decided to commit to the course. I‘m really excited." Life on the road isn‘t all roses. Occupational hazards range from the strain constant travelling places on family life; to difficulty finding healthy food choices at truckâ€"staps. It was time for me to get behind the wheel. As I tooled around the back roads of Cambridge, (with Chapman‘s foot firmly on the instructor‘s brake), 1 learned a couple of things: its harder than it looks and many, many cars play fastâ€"andâ€"loose with the tractorâ€"trailers they share the roads with. "This job is mostly about patience," says Chapman, sounding like a true knight of the road. "Remember, No hurries, no worries."" Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement #136379 Published every Wednesday by The Fairway Group A diviston of Southam Inc June 10, 1998 WATERLOO CHRONICLE Triâ€"County has trained more than 6,000 truck driâ€" vers in the 20 years it has been in operation, with Wynia operating the firm for the last 10. He says compaâ€" nies call frequently looking for skilled, competent driâ€" vers to hire. "They are mostly Canaâ€" dian companies, often of a U.S. subsidiary, and the interesting thing is that they are calling for 10 or 20 dnâ€"