Perry Lewis of Dundee has been driving trucks for 15 years, but he now wants to spend more time with his children instead of traveling all over the USA.
Seeking a job that will allow him to drive in the day and sleep in his own bed at night, Lewis showed up for Tuesday's Transportation Job Fair, sponsored by The Times. He found 12 companies at Hammond's Dynasty Banquet Hall, and some of them deliver products regionally.
"I need to find something local," said Lewis, who has missed a lot of 12-year-old Perry Jr.'s activities and wants to be with his son and daughter Ruby, 4, more as they continue to grow up. "You have to be there for your family. I work eight days a week."
By early afternoon, about 200 people had visited the job fair. Some were seeking full-time jobs. Others own trucks and were seeking franchise arrangements.
According to Tim Lucas of Porter-based Enterprise Truck Line, Inc. and David Wykes of Sauk Village-based ABF Freight System, Inc., numerous retirements in recent years have left trucking companies in need of drivers as much as the drivers need jobs.
Wykes, ABF's resource development coordinator, said his company had never recruited at a job fair before, although it employs 7,000 drivers. Lucas, Enterprise's director of recruiting and sales, said his company was looking for five owner-operators. The job fair, he said, definitely helped employers find experienced drivers.
"It's hard to find owner-operators with gas prices the way they are," Lucas said.
Some of the drivers were looking for more than a job. Jason Dekker of Lowell said he wanted a job displaying merchandise, but also wanted to work for a company with many long-range opportunities so he could become a commercial driver some day. Pepsi Americas was offering such opportunities, said human resources specialist Tim Stanley.
Dekker said seeking a job via a job fair was convenient because he didn't have to travel from city to city to try to meet people who might not want to meet him.
"It's really cool to be able to have companies here rather than seek companies on your own," said Dekker.
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