A Passion for Trucks
A childhood love of trucks fueled Dan LeClerc’s career aspirations as a logistics expert for Lafarge Canada.
Q: What is your position and what are your responsibilities?
A: I am the West GTA customer and logistics manager for Lafarge Canada Inc. I am the safety champion for logistics in the GTA Aggregate Group and I work with other CSLMs to develop material delivery strategies, hauler management, establish freight rates, accident investigation and site visits. I also work with logistics personnel to provide the highest levels of customer service while optimizing available resources.
Q: What about your job do you love most?
A: I love how the job keeps you moving quickly from one task to the next. In Lafarge Logistics we usually say there is never a dull moment. We are always on the go, either working directly with the team in the field or participating in safety meetings with our transportation partners. There is always something to do or somewhere to be.
Q: What do you find most challenging in your work?
A: Finding the right balance for meeting the customer needs. We want to meet the customers’ time-sensitive deadlines and ensure the best customer service while using third-party transportation partners. It can sometimes prove to be difficult in busier times as all aggregate producers are searching within the same pool of trucks to service their customers. In 2014, we worked through a severe truck shortage where everyone struggled to meet customer demands.
Q: Describe your typical day on the job and how the work you do contributes to your company.
A: It really depends on what might be going on that particular day. I could be at my office for a few hours working with my team on some ad hoc items or I could be meeting with a transportation partner to discuss potential jobs or service requests. I could be at a site working with the customer or I could be working with one of the several committees I am part of through OSSGA.
Q: How did you get interested in this field of work?
A: I have always had a passion for trucks. I remember being a kid and my Mom taking me shopping and every time she offered to buy me a new toy I went straight for the die-cast transports. I think my passion for trucks as a kid guided me into logistics over the years. To be honest, I have only ever really worked in logistics. Since starting at Lafarge in 2007 I have had different job titles but they all tied directly back to logistics.
Q: What sort of education and experience do you have that is relevant to your work?
A: I was fortunate enough to grow up in a family of truckers and was around trucks since I was a little kid. My obsession eventually led me down the path of being a full-time truck driver. I spent the better part of 10 years hauling flat beds and cement throughout Ontario, Michigan and Quebec. My experience came from being in and around the trucks, the trucking life and eventually becoming a safety and compliance manager. I think because of my previous experience it makes it easier for me to have conversations with the trucking community. I understand their day-to-day challenges. I learned the industry from the ground up.
Q: Where do you see the industry going in the next few years?
A: From a logistics standpoint I see a big ramp-up in 2018. There are several major infrastructure projects that will peak in 2018 and there will be a big demand to produce and move material.
Q: What advice would you give to others looking for a career in the aggregate industry?
A: If you’re looking for a rewarding career, a career in aggregates has a lot to offer. If you like to work in a fast-paced environment, plan for the long term, think on the fly and learn new things daily, then you will enjoy the many different roles working in aggregates has to offer.