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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1988-04-13, Page 3Shifting smoothly into new By Yvonne Reynolds Answering an ad in the T -A has put Trudy Simpson, Exeter, on the threshold of a new career. The ad was for pt'ofessional driver training at the Mery Orr Transport Driver Training School. The petite blonde mother of two, weighing in at a scant 116 pounds, is now the proud possessor of a hard-earned A licence which allows her to drive any vehicle on the road except a motorcycle or a school bus. Trudy admits she has always been the family tomboy, and used to play with trucks when other little girls were cuddling their dolls. With eight-year-old Matthew al- ready in school, and five-year-old Briannc starting kindergarten in September, "1 r::,:y anticipates more freedom to do what she wants to do. The thought of returning to a job in accounts receivable similar to her premarital employment did not have the same appeal as head- ing down thc highway in the driv- er's scat of an 18 -wheeler. In a prescreening interview with a Mery Orr counsellor, Trudy learned the school graduated 15 women last year. She signed up a few days later, returning home with a receipt for S2,508 and a one-week"study course contained in a three -inch -thick manual she was to memorize before beginning her course. Fortunately, Trudy was given more than one week to study all about transmissions, shifting, axle weights, brakes and a thousand TRANSPORT TRUCK DRIVER - Trudy Simpson proudly displays her . school hat and her graduation diploma from the Mery Orr Transport Driver Training School in Cambridge. IMMAIKeffatiONNOMMUNAMMAVA McGillivray council At the April 5 meeting of McGil- livray township council, tenders were opened and contracts let on road gravelling and construction projects. A contract for reconstruction of the northerly 1 1/4 mile block of thc 12th. Concession Road was Ict to R & S Graham, the lowest of five bidders, for S32,450. The contract for crushing and spreading gravel from the township pit was Ict to Chittick Construc- tion, the lowest of three -bidders, for $4.16 per tonne. • A contract for grass cutting on road shoulders was let to the lone bidder, G. Ritchie, for S15 per hour. Council received a delegation from the Parkhill . Leisure Club who made a presentation on the Club's activities and finances.. Council received and approved the North Middlesex Community Cen- tre budget for 1988. 11 was noted that the township's share of the budgeted deficit would be approxi- mately S1,100 but that deficits pro- jected for earlier years had not mate- rialized. Council complimented the Board on the success of their endea- vours. Council was advised that Mid- dlesex County expected to start re- . construction of County Road 24 this summer. The County also ad- vised that the Tri -County bridge west of Greenway would be closed for about six weeks in June and July while the deck is being -re- placed. It will not be possible to have a detour at the site. February 1850 At the first meeting of the newly elected Township Council, held February 21, 1850, Fisher had been named Reeve and Flannagan Clerk. Council then passed By-law No. 1 which appointed the many officials previously elected at the Annual Town Meetings. These officials included the tax collector, treasurer, superintendent of education, two assessors, two auditors, three poundkeepers and 27 pathmastcrs. Appointments were for one year. The road system now ex- tended to the Sixteenth Concession road. pathmastcrs. Appointments were for one year. The road system now ex- tended to thc Sixteenth Concession road. •••`.."•!,. OFF TO LEGION FINALS - Sheri Wells, daughter of Fred and ,Jackie Wells of RR 3, Ailsa Craig will be competing in the Royal Canadian Legion provincial public speaking finals in Sault Ste. Marie on May 7. Represent- ing the Ailsa Craig Legion, Sheri won competitions in Ailsa Craig, London, Strathroy and Highgate and will represbnt the Legion's southwestern Onta- rio districts. other details about big trucks. 11 was heavy going. "When 1 went to high school in the 60s, 1 was taught how to boil eggs, not what an S -cam is", she remarked. While taking the course, Trudy , stayed on the Mervin Orr Cam- bridge campus at Highway 24 South and 401, living in the four- bedroom house that is part of the school's facilities. The first week four of her seven male classmates stayed too, and the second week the number increased to five. Trudy had one of the single occupant rooms. It was like living with my brothers", she said. The course begins The nine days of instruction be- gan with a classroom orientation and a test on the manual the first morning. The students were be- hind the wheel in the afternoon. Three at a time were taken out along the back roads to take turns driving a nine -speed White. The sleeper had been converted into a bench so those not driving could observe and learn from the others' mistakes. Trudy was so en- grossed in double clutching and shifting she forgot to be nervous. Every day meant a different truck. Tuesday was a 10 -speed GMC, and Wednesday was a Western Star with 15 speeds and a ceramic clutch which Trudy is sure she stalled '15 timcs. Shc wasn't the only one; the male students had just as much trouble shifting. Thursday she was off to Toronto to back a 45 -foot van into the load- ing dock at Hostess Potato Chips; Instructor Rod Orr, son of the school's owner, put the students in a relaxed mood by interspersing his. helpful hints with a constant stream of jokes. The confidence Trudy gained that day was all lost on Friday morning. She swung too wide around some garbage bags on her way out of the school yard and got stuck in the mud. When she put on the differen- tial lock, the wheels acted in unison and the entire vehicle slid into the ditch. Trudy emerged from the cab to be surrounded by a laughing instructor and her fellow students, all wearing wide grins. ...The first one who says 'woman driver' is going to get decked", she warned, her words almost drowned by the derisive airhorns being tooted by other transport drivers who could see the jack-knifed truck from 401. Once the truck was rescued, she took it for a long, leisurely drive on two-lane highways to Arthur and back. Trudy had one bad time during that first week. Feeling over- whelmed and discouraged at the end of four -and -one-half hours of class- room instruction on air brakes, fol- lowed by a film on split -shifting, she slipped away to her room and cried for half an hour. She just knew she was goingto fail the course, and waste all that money. How did she expect to succeed at this, after spending the last eight years baking cookies and watching "All My Children"? Al, one of the instructors, had been watching. He met hcr in the classroom later and drew diagrams on the board to explain how the air gets from the compressor to the brake chamber. He also took her out to the truck with the tricky ce- ramic clutch early the next morning and showed her how to slam the stick and double clutch. Half an hour later she was shifting perfect - 'y. Constant encouragement Al offered encouragement by tell- ing Trudy "If you make a mistake, big deal. That's how you learn. People our age have a lot to adjust to in a short time. You've been home with the kids and haven't been put to the test. You can do this. You're a bright person." This was typical of the way Trudy was treated. Once the school staff realized she was really keen to seam, they did everything they could to help. With one exception - one of the first instructors who implied that only two arms, two legs and half a brain were required and Trudy met those qualifications as well as any woman - the lone female stu- dent received constant support from teachers and fellow students. Her classmates would praise the success- ful shift and ignore the 20 she messed up. She was self-conscious about ask- ing most of the questions in class, untiltold there was no such thing as a dumb question. She asked, and everyone else benefited. Second week Most of the second week was de- voted to practice, practice, practice, and preparation for the driving test on Friday. A female instructor whom Trudy described as "a real pct" took the students in to the Kitchener MTC office to show them the layout and route for the exam. She took them back at night to practice backing up. Trudy practiced driving the 13 - speed Mack that would be used for the test. Each morning before start- ing up, she would do the prescribed circle check all truc, crs arc sup- posed to do daily - walk around their truck and van and check everything - fluids, belts,hoses, suspension, frame, tires.... Thursday she passed the Mery Orr written and practical tests. As that was St. Patrick's Day, the whole class was advised to relax, go out, COMMISSION SALES Take advantage of the many potential tax deduc- tions available to com- mission salespeople. At H&R Block, we know which expenses are deductible. And we'll find you the biggest refund you're entitled to. We want to save you as much money as possible this year. Ask about our guarantee. Don't be confused by all the talk over tax law changes. The specialists at H&R Block always have the answers you need. FUR BLOCK THE INCOME TAX SPECIAIJSTS 383 Main St., Rear, Exeter 235-1153 NEW HOURS Monday to Wednesday 10:00 - 6:00 Thursday & Friday 10:00 - 8:00 Saturday 10:00 - 3:00 Times -Advocate, April 13, 1988 career and not worry about the next day's big test. Trudy was, back in her room shortly after midnight, and still wide awake at 3:30 a.m. She be- came more and more upset as zero hour neared. She finally decided she would not take the test. The female instructor did not argue with her pupil.. "We know you can do it, but you don't have to. Come down to the MTC office with the rest of us any- way", she coaxed. Trudy relented. At the site, the instructor used more psychology. "At least try. Not for mc, for you. You can stop the test any time you -want, but try." The final test Trudy went through the circle check. She passed. She successful- ly hooked and unhooked the trailer. Shc backed around a comer flawless- ly. By the time the examiner sug-.- gested taking the rig on the road, Trudy felt wonderful. She climbed into the cab, with the examiner be- side her. For the first time in two weeks, she was in charge. She was told where to turn, but not how. Out she went onto 401, split - shifting like an expert. She blew one shift, and made one wide tum. Back into Kitchener. Back into thc MTC yard. "You passed. No problems with your driving", the examiner ap- plauded. Trudy climbed slowly and careful- ly out of the cab, hanging on to the rail as she had been advised to do by hcr instructors. (Candidates had been known to fall out of the cabs after the stress and strain of the driv- ing test.) All three of Trudy's male classmates passed too. Two of thc three in the other class failed. Trudy states emphatically that the course was worth every cent she paid for it. Trudy's husband Bob shares the Page 3 pleasure of his wife's accomplish- ment. He took two weeks' holidays from his job at Kongskildc to look after the children and the house while his wife was at driving school. - He did a terrific job. He even baked bread and muffins", Trudy ex- claimed proudly. Trudy is now accepting one-time trucking jobs while looking for steady employment. The only ones where her size would be a disadvan- tage would be those requiring load- ing and unloading of heavy cargo. Driving pin to pin - taking a trailer to a destination, unhooking, and hooking on another van - would be no problem. If you see an "employment want- ed" ad for a well-qualified, conscien- tious and reliable transport truck driver with A licence, and make a follow-up call, don't be surprised if a female voice answers the phone. 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