So we are back for another installment of Unsung Heroes.
Now more than ever, it is important to focus our attentions on stories that will encourage us, enlighten us and also sensitize us to, about and for people.
Most people go about their daily lives doing what they do and many if not most times, no one takes notice but if they didn’t do what they did………
Our communities I dare say would not be better off if these unsung heroes were not there.
The fatigue of this period of time has worn on so many so some real stories of everyday people can be just the right medicine to help us raise our eye levels a little bit past this 6 month grind of Covid, political uncertainty etc.
We’re back for another installment of Unsung Heroes and in this 8th installment on Forward Friday, we want to highlight one of my friends, Jeff Miller.
So I’ve known Jeff for about 4 years and I need to get a troublesome part out of the way first. This guy is a Leafs fan and right away, that should cause anyone to become nervous. I mean, who does that anyway?
I shouldn’t say it but Jeff and Leafs nation may be waiting for a Stanley Cup parade when the streets look more like the “Jetson’s” than regular pavement.
Good! I got that out of the way!!!!
I know, I know, cheap shots but hey, when you walk into Habs territory, it could happen. (Not that I should be bragging about anything Habs land but….)
So how I got my first glimpse of Jeff was on a video. Jeff is a pastor’s husband and his wife Patti, was about to become the pastor of the church that was my home church here in Montreal.
Jeff is not your average Jeff; he has his always happening haircuts, his not so great sense of humor, his infectious love and care for people that gets you!
My first interactions with Jeff were the ones I remember most.
From the initial conversation to the next time a few weeks later, he remembered my name and something we had talked about which I thought was pretty cool. We talk Habs and Leafs often too!!!! Some conversations they are!!!!!!
There’s so much to say about Jeff and what you may not know is that Jeff is an experienced, all world truck driver. But he is so much more than that.
We’ll let you in on some of what a trucker’s life looks like but because there’s so much more, we wanted to give you some quick insights about Jeff before that.
Apparently, his wife Patti thought she was going to get chocolate for getting me some of this information but was she sadly mistaken! No freebees here…….
Born-and-raised in Toronto, AND Leafs fan (can't help it); it was hard to move to Montreal for THAT reason, but he loves Montreal anyway. But not the Habs.
Travelled for years across the US multiple times, and once to Europe with his band, Blissed
When in the band, he was always the guy that remembers people's names; always the guy that reached out to the kid on the margins, makes him/her feel included; he's still in touch with some from those days, encouraging them.
Trucking was a natural transition, because he already drove everywhere anyway with the band :) Woke up one day, "time for a change," went and got his trucker licence. Started with flatbed trucking in Canada / US (mostly Eastern Seaboard); now doing intermodal (sea containers) within Ontario and Quebec, home every night.
He has three tattoos - one on each arm, one on the back of his neck. "Way, Truth, Life" reflecting John 14:6
He does his own hair. He likes that it's different from anyone else's. That's the point.
When he told his previous dispatcher he needed Sundays off because his wife is a pastor, and Jeff was the drummer for our then church worship team, his dispatcher said, "There's no #%*-ing way I believe that".
He's a "Pastor's Husband" - which is pretty rare! It's not uncommon to hear that so-and-so came to church because "Jeff, the pastor's husband, has tattoos and face-piercings, so they figured they could be welcome too". Which is A.MAZ.ING. But it's also a bit weird - a bit lonely - no one knows what to do with a pastor's husband.
Jeff is INCREDIBLY, UNBELIEVABLY loyal to his friends; and incredibly tender-hearted. Cares about, worries about everyone, tries very hard to go above and beyond, to help, to support wherever he is, whoever he's with.
Loves living generously; as a child, he told his mom that when he grew up, he was going to drive around, giving money to everyone. It's hard to pay for dinner, if you go out with him, because he often insists on paying. He simply loves to give extravagantly, without making a big deal of it.
He's an encourager - notices when people do something well, and tells them; notices when they're trying and encourages them to keep going.
All sounds get his attention - he once received a thermos as a gift, and immediately tapped it on his own head to see what the sound was like.
Loves the family dog; as soon as he gets home, he sprawls on the floor to play with the puppy, or plays "chase" - i.e. running around the room - until they both collapse.
Stops and talks to strangers constantly (to Patti's chagrin). Once made friends with a slightly-grumpy older couple, on vacation in the middle of Alaska, while panning for gold.
Loves all music, if it's good quality, not just hard rock and metal.
Loves being with real, down-to-earth people.
Loves God, with a simple, unchanging faith.
Wears his heart on his sleeve.
Came to Montreal to support his wife and what she does. For real.
About Jeff The Trucker:
Loves driving, and the open road, meeting people, managing his world; dislikes traffic, driving in old cities with narrow streets, and car drivers that crowd trucks or don't allow stopping distance.
Dislikes that there's so little time for anything else, because the hours are so long. Jeff’s division was sold to another company recently, so he's trying to get used to working with a new company
Much of his work revolves around Montreal's port and/or CN Rail (ship and train containers that need to be trucked to their destination)
He carries anything that goes in a container, sometimes including an individual moving their household to Canada; but more often industrial, retail or farming stuff.
Little Known Trucking Trivia:
Truckers often work 14+ hours a day (yes, this is legal, sadly), 5 days a week. Jeff usually leaves home between 4:30 and 5:30 AM; usually home between 7 and 8:30 PM. No such thing as a lunch break. Trucks can't "drive through" for a quick meal.
They never know what time time will be home. There aren't set hours. When dispatch says you're done for the day, that's when you know.
In addition to actual driving, truckers problem-solve on the fly with clients and dispatchers (those people-skills and ability to smile under pressure REALLY make all the difference, because EVERYONE's grumpy); work around rush-hour, individual client delivery hours, construction delays, etc.
Drivers are personally responsible for weight limits and distribution in what they are carrying (even if pressured to carry an overweight load) - it's up to the driver to do the math, and be within legal limits.
The paperwork is significant, which you're (obviously) not allowed to do while driving (but you only get paid while driving).
Canada and US have different laws about driving hours and weight limits; sometimes there are differences between individual provinces and states, and the driver has to know all of that.
GPS is only reliable sometimes. Turning a giant truck around on a little dirt road or the center of a city because the GPS was wrong is lots of fun. Not quite
Legally, a trucker's "weekend" - mandated time off - is 30 hours. Jeff takes full Sat/Sun, but not all drivers can/do.
Most truckers get paid by the mile, not the hour; so if they're delayed by traffic or construction or any number of snags, it's a less profitable day.
It's really hard to eat healthy on the road - you need food that doesn't need to be refrigerated or heated, that isn't high in salt or sugar, and can be eaten while driving, without utensils. There isn't room in a day-cab for a cooler; Jeff has a very small, freeze-able lunch bag that helps. Truck stops don't usually offer healthy food.
It's really hard to exercise as a trucker. Your job is mostly sitting in one position. And the hours are long, so it's pretty impossible to find time or energy outside of the job to exercise.
Everyone dislikes truckers; but pretty much anything anyone owns arrived from somewhere else on a truck. (That one still amazes me!)
All I can say is wow! There are things I never knew. I have such a greater appreciation for the profession and what truckers do.
And to see Jeff’s smile and demeanor is all the more impressive when I think about what an average week looks like to him and that it’s all the time!!!! More Zoom right now than anything in person but still amazing.
So if you know Jeff, send out a big thank you for all he does and Jeff represents the 1000’s of truckers who do what they do; day in and day out!
We salute you Jeff and thank you for your service!
It is an incredible effort of professionalism and care that you do!!
Dave
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