The owner of a Nova Scotia trucking company says his efforts to hire young truck drivers have gone unnoticed.
Michael Kenny has been running PML Transport for eight years. He says the shortage of truckers is real, and he’s turned to local schools to find drivers.
“I've hired three over the last six months,” said Kenny. “I've had no incidents on a go-forward basis.”
Kenny says he was in the process of hiring a fourth student, but had to let him go.
“Our insurance has informed us that unless we're prepared to take a special policy, pay upwards of a thousand more for this policy, he's to cease driving immediately,” said Kenny.
That driver is Craig Sinyerd. He moved back to Nova Scotia from Alberta to follow his dream.
“Spent $10,000 to get my Class 1 and turns out I can't get a job,” said Sinyerd.
Kenny was told he has too many new drivers.
“They want two years [of] experience, but how do they get it if nobody's going to hire them?” he said. “I've taken the chance, I've worked with the schools and then turn around and it's going to cost, cost, cost me more.”
But insurance broker Steve Earle says the decision makes sense.
“Insurance companies base their price on the acceptability of risk, and the odds of somebody getting in an accident are greater when the driver has less experience,” he said.
Nova Scotia Labour Minister Kelly Regan said in a statement she is committed to helping young people take advantage of high quality jobs. She also said the trucking industry has not raised any concern about youth retention and insurance barriers.
Kenny is calling on the government to get involved.
“It just doesn't make sense,” he said. “We're being handcuffed and something has to change.”
Kenny says premium insurances get expensive quickly and directly hits his bottom line.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kayla Hounsell
