Trailers parked in lot near Canadian Tire

You won't see a whole lot of Penner International trucks on the highway over the next couple of days. That's because the business has done everything possible to make sure all drivers are home with their loved ones for Christmas.
   
Owner Allan Penner says this is a gift they've attempted to give their drivers each Christmas since 1923. He says it involves a lot of planning. "We start in the beginning of December, talking to our drivers to see what needs they need for Christmas and talking to our customers to let them know what we have available and what they need from us," says Penner. "And the week before Christmas we start scrambling, putting it all together."

This year it involves as many as 375 trucks and about 500 drivers. Where are all these trucks parked? Penner says "if you would drive through our yards you would see a lot of trucks. And we have a lot of trailers parked just north; we have a parking lot that has been given to us to use. And we just try to find a space wherever we can find it."

But Penner says not all trucks will be parked at once. "We do have drivers who drive over Christmas to get to their family gatherings which could be out of province," explains Penner. "And because it's a rotation of drivers, drivers who come home today or tomorrow may only want to go out the 28th or 29th. Drivers who have been home for longer than that offer to go out on Boxing Day."

Penner admits the company certainly takes a bit of a financial hit in offering this Christmas gift. "We fortunately have another eleven months of the year to try to catch up from December," says Penner. But he adds the response from their drivers "is very, very good. They understand that we do have a commitment to our customers and they also know that we are trying our best to accomodate them and their needs."