Lee Wood is an ideal professional driver who has taken a large dollop of patience, a liberal helping of empathy, and a calm attitude to help him stay safe on the road. He has not received a single speeding ticket as well, so he has kept everyone safe.
The Skelton Truck Lines driver is nice to everyone, gives them the benefit of the doubt, tries not to lose his temper on the road, and tries to assist others as much as he can.
Wood, 47, concentrates on the activities that make him happy. "I live for the small things, like obliging a kid who wants you to blow the air horn on the highway. I love to see dogs hanging out the windows with their ears flopping,” the man said.
After receiving his A/Z licence in 1999, Wood has worked for numerous businesses doing long-distance and regional labour. "I began by carrying containers, which led to the hauling of dry vans, reefers, tankers, B-trains, LCVs (long combination vehicles), flatbeds, over-dimensional loads, luggers, and roll offs. I also had a four-year running squad.
Highway Angel Award
In July 2011, while working as a team driver for Bison Transport, Brian McHale and Wood observed a tractor trailer collide with an SUV on Highway 401 in Mississauga, Ontario.
In order to get to the site of the accident, they halted their vehicle in a safe area. When McHale arrived at the crumpled four-wheeler, he discovered the driver was badly hurt. In his embrace, the man breathed his last.
The driver who caused the collision was distraught, but wood served to calm him down. Because gasoline had spilled on the highway, he made sure that nobody started a spark or a fire and shielded witnesses and onlookers from rush hour traffic.
Wood said, "I’ve seen a lot of things that you wish you wouldn’t have”. The Truckload Carriers Association's Highway Angel honor was given to Wood and McHale in recognition of their valiant actions.
Wood has been traveling alone for some time and usually spends four to seven weeks at a time on the road. He likes taking lengthy trips because they expose him to various weather, terrain, traffic, and wildlife conditions. Being able to remain outside for longer runs is also beneficial to the business. This gives you the freedom to be dispatched for any kind of journey and to assist other drivers in need.
Wood can spend more time at home with his wife, two boys, and dog because he stays out later. “Taking care of my family and providing the best life I can for them is what I live for. On my down time at home after completing my ‘honey-do’ list, I enjoy gaming with my sons, time with my dog and attending concerts with my family.”
Wood enjoys taking pictures of the locations he's visited and specializes in taking landscape photos, particularly those of sunrises, sunsets, and cloud formations, which he posts on his Instagram account. He also consumes a lot of music and podcasts to pass the time while traveling.
Loss of The Trucking Brotherhood
The veteran driver laments the demise of the trucking fraternity because it's not all sunshine and flowers on the highway. Wood claimed that nobody now gives a damn about the new men. Drivers are only given the training necessary to pass a road test; they are not instructed how to operate a truck or stay alive while driving. "You need to take a course in survival."
He once heard an elderly trucker say that "trucking ain't for sissies." Truckers, according to Wood, must be able to handle a myriad of simultaneous obstacles, such as breakdowns, poor weather, and deteriorating road conditions.
The proverb "The best views come after the hardest climbs" is something Wood claimed to live by. He remains motivated and focused by keeping a professional attitude and finding humor in the challenges he encounters.
