Musket is excited to be celebrating 30 years in operation and we thought it’d be the perfect time to take a retrospective look at the company, its origins, and the growth over the past three decades. Andy Balij, President of Musket Transport, kindly provided his story of how the company started and where he hopes to see it go in the future.
IN THE BEGINNING . . .
I came to Canada in the 80s and started the company in 1993. However, my experience with trucking began earlier when I worked as a truck driver at a company in Oakville. The industry has undergone significant changes since then. Today, it is much more regulated, safer, and more accepted by our society.
Back then, trucking was challenging, and it’s still not easy nowadays. I decided to pursue a career in driving and became a member of a company where I worked as a dispatcher and organizer. After sharing our experiences with the previous company, Wojtek Swiercz and I decided to start our own venture.
Wojtek, who has been with me for 30 years, joined me as a partner. We divided the responsibilities within the company based on our expertise. He focused on the technical aspects due to his extensive experience in that area, while I focused on customer service and familiarizing myself with the legal side of representing the company.
There have been ups and downs throughout the 30 years. We have experienced both good and bad times. However, with the fantastic team we have, consisting of many individuals who have been with me for many years, I deeply appreciate their support in allowing me to create the company that exists today.
THE CHALLENGES WE FACED
In the beginning every day I came to work, it was a completely different story. Each day was never the same as the previous one. I would wonder, “What’s going to happen today? What’s going to happen tomorrow? How do I prepare today for tomorrow?”
There were challenges with exports and delayed imports. After September 11th, new restrictions were introduced, requiring everything to be submitted to US customs 8 hours in advance and not becoming available until 48 hours later. It was complicated, but for someone who enjoys problem-solving, it was about bringing all the pieces together to ensure everything happened smoothly.
We also need to consider the safety of the drivers. The driver trainers ensure the trucks are safe for the road through equipment rotations and scheduled maintenance intervals. These practices have been developed based on past experiences. And part of that entire process is the training aspect, which was why we started CHET.
BUILDING THE SCHOOL
The vision for the school was multifaceted. We had various considerations regarding how and why we started the school. Initially, our main goal was to prepare drivers for our fleet. This objective encompassed safety, as well. We recognized a shortage of drivers, despite having company drivers already in place.
When faced with a shortage of drivers, the first thing to consider is how to attract them. The financial aspect is crucial; if your pricing structure is not competitive, it will be difficult to attract drivers. However, money is not the only factor. Job seekers are also interested in other aspects of the job beyond just the financial compensation. Things like the type of equipment they will be driving, is the company safety-oriented, how does the company handle unsafe drivers? Etc. As a young company, we were preparing for these matters, but we realized we simply didn’t have access to the quality drivers we were looking for.
(Original CHET trailer design advertises the school)
The school was a perfect answer because it allowed us to create our protocol and determine how we were going to train the driver for the job required.
We also decided to implement a “Join Together” program that was suitable for both our drivers and their insurance. This program provided insurance coverage for individuals who complete the required training. Remember, the school catered to two types of drivers: newcomers who needed to learn how to drive a truck from scratch, and experienced drivers who were transitioning to a different type of trucking.
(A full class of CHET students and staff pose with the Honourable Omar Alghabra, former Minister of Transport in 2023)
In addition, we made the decision to guarantee a job for those who completed our school. This was because these individuals had difficulty securing employment elsewhere due to the requirement of one year of experience by insurance companies. Since everyone was demanding this one year of experience, it was challenging to gain any real experience.
TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
There were a few things we did in the company that changed its course. One of them was acquiring our Melbourne facility, which dramatically changed our opportunities for growth and allowed us to enter the required space. The second major change was when my son Adrian joined the company. Although he didn’t have extensive expertise in IT software at the time, his knowledge was already sufficient to steer the company toward a direction focused on computers and innovations. He completed his software engineering degree at McMaster University and practically took over from me. The company’s growth was based on developing IT products and software engineering, creating unique offerings that couldn’t be purchased in the market.
Today, we have over 300 Reefer plugs on our yard, making it a refrigerated yard for container cargo. Additionally, we service over 350, or possibly 400, generators. This was our initial focus and a turning point for us, as it made us more recognized by major players such as Maersk, Mediterranean Shipping, Hapag-Lloyd, and CMA CGM.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Musket has been actively involved in the community for a long time, contributing and supporting various initiatives. We sponsor numerous events and hold barbecues in our yard where everyone is invited. We have been involved with organizations such as Toys 4 Tots and the Child Wish Foundation.
The Child Wish Foundation program also had to be halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but we plan to renew our involvement. Additionally, we have hosted artistic showings in our yard and sponsored young soccer clubs. These are just a few examples of how we give back to the community and ensure we share our success with others.
(Musket Driver Dean delivers toys to the Salvation Army dressed as Santa in 2022)
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
We are always busy, which is a good thing! We are opening a new state-of-the-art facility in Burlington that will serve the western part of our GTA. This facility will feature simulators, projectors, a school site, and a school classroom site. It’s about to open after almost a year of preparation.
As for the drivers, they remain largely the same. However, as society progresses, people expect more from the company than before. I believe that driver benefits such as dental and medical coverage should be standard, as they are common these days. Additionally, the industry is transitioning from manual trucks to automatic trucks.
(Adrian and the management team serve Musket and CHET employees at the annual Christmas Luncheon in 2015)
My hope is that Adrian will eventually take over completely. I spent 30 years building the company, implementing protections, procedures, and protocols to ensure smoother operations in the future. While we still face challenges, it is much easier now than it used to be. New challenges will arise as the world changes, but thanks to our team, we have confidence in our ability to overcome them and thrive alongside the global community. We eagerly anticipate a promising future.