When you think about driving a truck full-time, the first that comes to mind might be endless highways, the blazing sun, corn fields, and traffic; images that evoke a sense of repetition, patterns, predictability. Speak to one of our clothing bin drivers, though, and you’ll quickly find that’s not the case.
Patrick S. has been a driver with DDA for five years, and Patrick L. for about five and a half. For them, each and every day is unique: a different route, a different destination, different bin hosts, and different items they encounter in DDA’s clothing bins.
Despite their formal job title being as a “driver,” they describe their typical work day as being one without as much driving as one might think. “Driving is only a small part of the job,” Patrick L. says. The biggest part of the job is loading the truck with donations from the bin, and unloading to our clothing purchaser, Value Village. Then he heads to another pick-up location and repeats: load, then unload. He reveals that his personal record of bags he’s picked up is 240 bags! “It’s a very physical job,” he says. “You’re on your feet,” Patrick S. chimes in. “It keeps you healthy and fit!”
Because the locations of DDA’s clothing bins range are as far east as Chilliwack and stretch into Squamish, their favourite part of the job — other than keeping healthy and fit — is that they get to drive to places they have never been to. “I’ve never been to Maple Ridge or Mission,” Patrick L. says. “Even Abbotsford! I think I went there only once, since I came to Canada over 30 years ago.”
Patrick S. agrees. “I’ve been to other places just once before I worked for DDA; but I think I know a lot of places really well now.” Both Patricks are now self-proclaimed “Human GPSs.”
DDA is currently hiring truck drivers! Click here to view our openings and apply today!
