Art the trucker aims for Toronto City Hall

TORONTO — Truck drivers should get out of their cabs and into public service. And what better time is there for boning up on how to get things done than while you’re sitting in your cab, waiting to be loaded or unloaded?

That’s one of the many messages from one Arthur Smitherman, 54, who is running in North York’s Ward 8 for Toronto City Council in the October 25 municipal election.

Smitherman’s younger brother George is also running in Toronto but George, who is Ontario’s former Health Minister, is seeking the mayor’s job.

The two actually don’t agree on many issues (yay Arthur!). In fact, the elder Smitherman is supporting the more fiscally conservative Rob Ford in Toronto’s race for mayor, but he says he’ll work with whoever gets elected to ensure the people of Toronto are well served.

“People such as truck drivers or machine operators tend to have hands-on learning styles," Smitherman told todaystrucking.com. "And if you have a hands-on learning style you build a huge catalog of experience and you have the ability to increase your knowledge base and spike up your IQ."

Smitherman has been driving since two months after he turned 18.

This election marks the first time he’s run for public office, but he says the time he served with his condominium board was pretty good training for the job.

But he also says the countless hours he spent behind the wheel afforded him immeasurable information, helpful skills and time to think about what politicians should be doing.

He also says there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence to show that people who’ve had “near-death experiences” are capable of deep empathy with others. “And anybody who has hauled steel has had a near-death experience or two.”

Smitherman likes to talk about conflict resolution and empathy. “About one-third of the people in my ward are single-parent families and we also have York University. Neither demographic gets the resources they’re entitled to, and although I can’t guarantee anybody anything, I’m going try my best to see they get what they deserve.

“I’ll be out there on the streets with my sleeves rolled up.”

Smitherman was speaking on a cellphone from the cab of his tri-axle dump truck waiting for a load of Caledon, Ont., gravel when he made his comments.

He says he hasn’t gone door to door yet but will step up his municipal campaign more as the date nears. And he encourages other drivers to do the same thing.

“If you’re sitting around getting loaded and unloaded and you can read, you can do what I do,” he says.

“We need more truckers in politics."

We here at todaystrucking.com absolutely agree.

In fact, one of us lives a stone’s throw between Ward 8 and Ward 9, so it’s quite possible a Smitherman sign (Art, that is) could find itself on a lawn across the border.

For more information, you can contact Smitherman at arthursmitherman@yahoo.ca.