“What I find the most enjoyable about teaching is working with people. Everybody has their own personal style of learning - it’s a good challenge for me to find out how they learn best, how each student takes in information.”
Corey Bergen is a driving instructor and founder of Boundary Trails Driving Academy, a local fixture that is currently looking to hire part-time and full-time instructors.
To qualify, applicants must have driven 500,000 kms in the last ten years, and attend a two-week certification course in Winnipeg, partially paid for by the company. There will also be written and Class 5 driving tests. Starting wage depends on experience levels, and health benefits kick in after a certain time period for full time. Those interested are welcome to call for more details.
Bergen adds that there’s one more thing he looks for.
“One of my mantras is ‘you’re allowed to make mistakes’.” he notes. “Students are allowed to make mistakes- that’s how they learn. As an instructor, you’ve got to have some sort of funny comeback or something to relax and assure them when they mess up. Because they know they made a mistake, and they’re working on it. So you don’t have to be a comedian, but you do need to have patience.”
Bergen’s career began with teaching at Reimer’s Express Driving School in Winnipeg in 1995. During that time, he saw a need for a driving school in the Winkler area, which led to partnering with his brother-in-law to open Boundary Trails Driving Academy in Winkler in 1999.
Class 1 and Air Brakes (3 weeks) and M.E.L.T. courses take place Monday through Friday and time is divided between theory in the classroom and training in the yard.
Class 3 and Air Brakes for tandem trucks and concrete trucks is also offered, in addition to a Class 3 license for pulling a trailer registered for over 10,000 lbs (4,536kg), as well as a stand alone Air Brake license.
For the Class 1 and Air Brake course, students must have their beginner’s license. Medical tests are also mandatory for validation with MPI. Government funding is available (but not guaranteed), covering up to 75% of course costs.
“A lot of students already know where they’re going with employment,” Bergen says. “Their employer might’ve already paid for the course, or has vouched for them. A lot of them will be driving long distance, or hauling gravel and concrete locally. If someone does come through that doesn’t have any connections, we’ll help them with job placement.”
After so many years in the business, Bergen is well acquainted with his audience, both as potential employees and as students.
“A lot of people get their Class 1 for one of two reasons,” he states. “Number one- they’ve wanted to drive truck since they were young. Number two- they don’t want to work inside four walls. They’d rather be out there enjoying the freedom, the wide open roads.”
Both reasons played a role in Bergen’s choice of career, one he’s been pursuing with passion since he was 18… with one life-changing hiccup a handful of years in.
“When my youngest son was born, he came early,” Bergen shares. “I happened to be in Minneapolis. I got a phone call saying my wife was giving birth, and it hit me hard. I wanted to be home. So after that, I looked around for something local, and instructing came up. I found I really enjoyed it, and it allowed me to spend much more time with my family… and still be around trucks. Those are my two loves.”
As the years have passed, many things have changed, including road regulations and instruction requirements. Despite these, Bergen is still fond of his work, and hopes to find like-minded people to share his passion.
“The art of truck driving has come a long way since I started. It’s become more regulated, and for good reason. Because of that, accident rates have gone down in the trucking industry, and I’d like to believe that some of that has to do with better overall training.”
Whether you’d like to become a student or an instructor, Bergen and his team look forward to hearing from you. Connect with Boundary Trails Driving Academy- call 1-204-362-2041, follow them on Facebook, or visit their website.