The trucking industry has always been built on people. At Musket Transport and CHET, we believe introducing young people to our industry is one of the best investments we can make.
Over the past several years, we’ve welcomed youth organizations into our facilities, giving participants the opportunity to explore careers in transportation through hands-on experiences, conversations with our team, and a behind-the-scenes look at what modern trucking really looks like.
IT STARTED WITH COVENANT HOUSE
One of our first major youth outreach initiatives welcomed participants from Covenant House Toronto to our Cawthra location. Many arrived with little knowledge of the transportation industry, but left with a much broader understanding of the career paths available– not only as professional drivers, but in other areas like maintenance, operations, logistics, and administration.
By opening our doors, we hope to replace misconceptions with real experiences, practical knowledge, and meaningful conversations
The visit included demonstrations, truck tours, and opportunities to experience our driving simulator while speaking directly with the people who make our operation run every day.
As Anthony Lohan, Job Developer at Covenant House Toronto, said: “Musket and CHET were very gracious to have youth from Covenant House on site to learn more about how they can get into trucking. Fifteen youth attended this career exploration event that walked them through the process of obtaining their commercial driver’s license, with a real demo in a truck and an opportunity to test out a virtual truck driving program. Musket and CHET were so welcoming and engaging, many of the participants left excited to pursue a commercial license.”
This reinforced something we already believed: when young people get the chance to experience an industry firsthand, it becomes much easier to picture themselves as part of it.
GROWING THE PROGRAM WITH COSTI
Last year, that commitment expanded with a youth workshop in partnership with COSTI Immigrant Services and the Toronto Business Development Centre. The event welcomed newcomer youth to our Burlington facility.
Participants explored our equipment, toured the facility, and learned how earning a commercial licence can become the foundation for a wide range of long-term careers in the transportation sector.
WELCOMING YOUTH WITHOUT SHELTER
This summer, we were pleased to welcome Youth Without Shelter (YWS) for another hands-on career exploration experience, this time across our Cawthra and Southdown facilities. Participants toured our maintenance shop, experienced the truck driving simulator, rode in a tractor-trailer, explored our container handling operation, and met the people behind our day-to-day operations.
The impact of these visits extends well beyond a single day. As one YWS case manager explained: “We actually had one youth pursue a position with Musket last year as a mechanic.”
For many participants, the experience changed long-held perceptions about trucking. One visitor shared: “I had a good time. It was pretty interesting. I learned a lot.”
Another participant noted that after touring the facility and experiencing the equipment firsthand, the industry no longer felt intimidating and seemed like a realistic career path.
Those are exactly the kinds of moments these visits are designed to create.
BUILDING A STRONGER INDUSTRY TOGETHER
Canada’s transportation industry needs the next generation of skilled professionals, and that starts with awareness. Many young people simply haven’t had the opportunity to see what today’s trucking industry offers or the variety of rewarding careers available.
By opening our doors, we hope to replace misconceptions with real experiences, practical knowledge, and meaningful conversations that help youth discover opportunities they may never have considered.
WE’D LOVE TO PARTNER WITH YOU
If your organization works with youth and would be interested in introducing them to careers in trucking, transportation, equipment maintenance, logistics, or skilled trades, we’d love to connect. Together, we can help inspire the next generation of transportation professionals.