“If you like what you’re doing, it’s not work, it’s fun,” he begins, putting his cap back on Réjean Pelletier, who continues to drive trucks at the age of 84.
“If you leave grumbling, don’t go away and stay home,” urges the man, who has already attracted the attention of industry media such as Truck Stop Quebec and Transport Routier.
As the sector collapses under the weight of labor shortages, Réjean gets in his truck every week to drive nearly 900 miles from Quebec to the Maritimes. For him it is a way of life.
“I never had time to get bored. I always worked 15 to 18 hours a day,” he recalls.
During the pandemic, he turned to Lego bricks, but once he could get back on the road without too many limitations, he did it quickly.
“I know the United States by heart. I’ve been to California regularly for a long time. I went upstairs with the furniture and came back with fruit,” he recalls.
Photo Francis Halin
Some have nicknamed Réjean Pelletier “Taximan” because of his venerable age
“I see it as a game. I’m proud to go and come back,” he concludes.
Every year in August, Réjean passes his ear and eye exams in order to be able to drive.
“No age restrictions»
At the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), it is recalled that “there are no age restrictions on driver health regulations and company policies”.
“It is above all his state of health that decides whether he can keep his professional class,” explains his spokesman Gino Desrosiers.
According to SAAQ data extracted for Le Journal, barely 14 heavy-duty drivers aged 75-84 were involved in personal injury accidents in 2021, compared to 101 aged 20-24.
And this despite the fact that the probability of having a class 1 truck driver’s license was almost twice as high among 75 to 84 year olds (5,252) as among 20 to 24 year olds (2,837).
“a dean»
For Réjean boss Sylvain Lévesque, president of Transport Saint-Hyacinthe, the 84-year-old is nothing short of “a dean”. Even if he doesn’t have the strength of young drivers in their prime, his skills are worth their weight in gold.
Photo Francis Halin
Sylvain Lévesque, President of Transport Saint-Hyacinthe
“To drive you take a trailer from A to B. That’s excellent. He’s alert,” he said.
20% older drivers
Jean-Pierre Desormeaux, 75, was crucified at the EXPOCAM truck fair a stone’s throw from Saint-Hyacinthe and also found good words for the job that keeps him busy and has never left it since.
Photo Francis Halin
Jean-Pierre Desormeaux, 75, still drives trucks
“As a vegetable supplier, I continue to drive trucks three to four hours a day,” he says.
“Being a truck driver is a different life. We have married life, single life and truck driver life,” he says.
125 kilometers away, at Groupe Somavrac in Trois-Rivières, his talent acquisition consultant, Rosalie Samson, is observing that more and more older workers are moving into her office, which bodes well for the raise industry.
Photo Francis Halin
Rosalie Samson, Talent Acquisition Advisor at Groupe Somavrac
“We have between 10% and 20% of truckers who are 65 years and older. “We’re seeing more and more retirees coming back into the workforce,” she notes.
More financial incentives
At Trimac Transportation, more than 10% are over 65 years old, according to Sébastien Sasseville, terminal manager for the company with 150 trucks in Quebec.
Photo Francis Halin
Sébastien Sasseville, Terminal Manager of Trimac Transportation
“We need these people for their experience,” says someone who sees the phenomenon with a good eye.
According to Julien Paré, who teaches truck transport, the truck driver profession is now attracting new profiles.
“I remember workers at the Electrolux factory who lost their livelihood. “Some 69 or 78-year-olds have found a job in the forwarding business,” breathes the current managing director of a company in the food industry.
But for Quebec Truckers Association (ACQ) CEO Marc Cadieux, governments would benefit from additional financial incentives to keep them.
“Sometimes two or three days a week in related jobs, like being a dispatcher, can make all the difference,” he concludes.
– In collaboration with Nicolas Brasseur
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