A Kenyan refugee has overcome numerous obstacles and landed his dream job as a truck driver in Canada.
Three years ago, Daniel Wanyeki arrived in Canada, fleeing persecution in his home country.
He began driver training in January and passed the A/Z road test in Ontario on March 24. He has been hired by Musket Transport and will begin the carrier’s driver readiness program on April 13 in Burlington, Ont.
“I am humbled to have been selected for the job. I have waited for this for the longest time,” Wanyeki said. “I get to do something that I really love.”
But the road to this career has not been an easy one.
In Kenya, Wanyeki worked at a local bank, but trouble was brewing. A group of people attacked and stabbed him in the stomach. He spent two weeks in the hospital but luckily suffered no major internal damage. That’s when he decided to flee the country and seek asylum in Canada.
Dream paused for three years
Life was not easy after he got here in 2023. While waiting for his paperwork to be sorted out and living in a shelter in Hamilton, Ont., he observed truck drivers while walking around the city. This sparked a love for trucking and a future career path.
But the dream had to be paused for three years. Wanyeki first found work as a laborer in a factory to make ends meet and a place to live. His claim for asylum was accepted in June 2024.
At the same time, family members arriving in Canada depended on him for support.
“You have to ensure that they get fed, they have a place to stay,” he said. “I had to put on hold my dream of becoming a truck driver.”
Despite the responsibilities and struggles, he kept saving money to pay for his truck driver training fees.
Now, with his family settled into jobs and studies, Wanyeki says it is finally his turn to shine. He has applied for permanent residency and is thankful for the opportunities Canada has provided.
The rookie driver says trucking is not something you do 50-50; it’s where you go all in. For Wanyeki, the most exciting part about being a truck driver is being in control of a big rig.
“You are like the big father on the road. You have to take care of your babies. That’s the most amazing thing you can ever be,” he said.
Continuing education
While at truck training school, he drew inspiration as he learned to shift gears with a standard transmission. And with each skill acquired, such as 90-degree backing, his confidence kept growing.
Now he is looking forward to the next phase in his trucking education.
Musket Transport’s one-week finishing program, offered in partnership with Commercial Heavy Equipment Training (CHET), is designed to bridge the gap between ministry testing standards and real-world fleet operations.
The first two days focus on classroom theory, with trainees working through roughly 150 slides of instruction. That is followed by two days in the yard, where drivers are trained on industry-specific skills, including real-world coupling procedures, blindside backing, and sliding axles.
The program also includes two days on the road with a trainer, picking up and delivering live loads in the city.
Perseverance and hard work
Wanyeki will then complete three to five months of city work on his own. His journey will then progress to Montreal runs and eventually East Coast trips within Canada.
For Wanyeki, trucking represents more than a job.
“The opportunities are endless,” he said. “Everything doesn’t work out in the time that you set, but if you still have that goal, and if you still persevere, it’s going to work out no matter what.”
The road ahead now represents possibility. After years spent rebuilding his life in Canada, Wanyeki is finally stepping into the career he set his sights on soon after arriving.
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