FORT KENT, Maine – At 17 years old, Jeff Jandreau graduated from Fort Kent High School on a Wednesday and started his first trucking job the next Monday. And he’s been trucking ever since.
Now, with over four decades of experience, he became the first trucker to receive the North Maine Woods Industrial Road Safety Committee’s annual Safe Trucker of the Year Award.
The award was presented by the North Maine Woods Industrial Road Safety Committee, which consists of landowner representatives. The committee primarily focuses on safety issues and, as part of this, they decided in 2022 to begin giving an annual award to truckers who demonstrate safety and excellence in the field.
Safety Committee Chair Randy Lagasse said he hopes the award can show everyone using the North Maine Woods roads that truckers are looking out for everyone’s safety.
He said the committee looks at complaints received from people about truckers that may be engaging in dangerous activity while determining the annual winner. They decided to be proactive and reward a driver each year who demonstrated good safety practices.
Jandreau was quoted in a North Maine Woods newsletter as saying the award was an honor, and that he has many colleagues who are also deserving of recognition. The North Maine Woods covers 3.5 million acres of land throughout the state.
“We all work toward the same goal of arriving home to our families each night,” he said in the newsletter. “What we do is not for the lighthearted. It’s keeping your eyes and head always focused on everything all around you, including securing your load, driving, and making sure the truck that you are operating is mechanically safe.”
Jandreau, who is now 61 years old, said he started driving as soon as he graduated from Fort Kent High School at 17 years old. His first job was for C.L. Roy, a Fort Kent trucking company owned by Clarence Roy.
He said his father, Hansley Jandreau, inspired him to get into the industry.
“He trucked all his life,” said Jandreau. “He ran loaders to load and unload wood. And when I was just a young boy, I spent most of my days with him whenever I wasn’t in school.”
His father worked for numerous companies in the area and also owned his own truck for a while.
“I learned a lot from him,” Jandreau said, “as far as trucking and loading. And he taught me right from wrong.”
The first truck he drove was an International Paystar 5000. Now, he drives a 2020 Western Star for Northland Services, a Fort Kent business owned by Shawn Lovely.
Jandreau has known Lagasse for several years, and said did not believe that he had really won the award at first when Legasse first called about it.
“I thought he was pulling my leg,” said Jandreau. “I’ve known Randy since he was a kid. But I was pretty excited about it, and happy to receive the award.”
He said he practices safety by working according to the landowners’ wishes and by following standard safety procedures.He said this includes proper cable usage and loading procedures as well as wearing protective gear and hard hats.
“That’s all number one stuff right there,” he said. “I think that should all be followed by everybody. There’s no excuse.”
Jandreau said he deals with dangerous situations nearly every day, from traffic to icy road conditions. He handles these situations by staying vigilant and constantly aware of his surroundings.
“Sometimes it is scary, you really have to make some quick decisions,” he said. “You have to be on top of your game every minute of the day.”
For younger truckers who are just starting out, he said it’s good to be willing to take advice and to ask plenty of questions to experienced drivers.
“You’re gonna make mistakes,” he said. “We all still make mistakes. And we learn something new every day, whether we like it or not.”
He said he hopes to see this award continue for the next several years, as he knows plenty of other truckers who also deserve the accolade.
“There are a lot of guys who are around my age who have been in the trucking industry for 30 or 40 years,” he said. “There’s a lot of good people out there, and I think the more this is recognized, the more people are going to be looking at safety.”
He said that, by providing this award and recognizing the work of truckers, it will incentivize drivers to be especially aware of how safely they perform their duties.
“It’s a good thing that it’s here and that it’s going to continue,” he said. “I think it will just grow and improve the safety in the field.”
