Albert Barry, 2020/21 STA Omnitracs Service to Industry Award Recipient
We are pleased to announce Albert Bruce Barry as the 2020/2021 recipient of the Service to Industry Award. Albert joins past recipients Les Skingle, Chester Day, and Erwen Siemens.
Albert Bruce Barry, or “Bert,” was born with trucking in his blood and had a professional career that lasted nearly 70 years, but those who knew him well know he never stopped dedicating his life to the trucking industry in Saskatchewan. As an owner, driver, dispatcher, office manager, mechanic, and teacher, Bert embodied the values and ethics synonymous with the trucking industry: hard work, dedication, respect, honesty, integrity, and service to others.
A Worthy Career in Trucking
Bert’s career in hauling goods started in Regina where he bought a bicycle and began hauling groceries for a local grocery store at the age of 8. He added a large basket to the front of the bicycle, beginning his lifelong quest of maximizing payload and doing more.
Shortly after that, and well before he was old enough to legally drive, he hauled gas in steel drums with a single axle Chevy truck. To unload the large drums, Bert would wedge himself between the cab and the drum and use his legs to offload the product. Because of his small stature, he also devised a loading and unloading system involving planks attached to the back of the truck.
Bert received his first ticket for underage driving while running double with his father (John) hauling gas and was fined $7.
He recalls making 2 1/2 cents per mile in 1948 and found he could earn more trucking than his peers in other work.
In 1953, Bert went into business for himself with a White power unit pulling for Soo Freightlines (later Motorways). He remained with Soo until 1962, when he bought Beechy Transport in Saskatoon and began hauling general freight, merchandise, and groceries in the territory southwest of Saskatoon.
During this time, construction began on the Gardiner Dam, and Bert played an integral role in hauling materials for the project, including heavy equipment and bridge beams. He became known for his ability to move anything with a truck and trailer.
In 1974, after the Gardiner Dam project ended, Bert expanded into Alberta, bought Andy’s Transport, and renamed it Barry’s Transport. He diversified into hauling fertilizer and grain and grew the company to over 30 trucks and 90 trailers.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he sold the business, then repurchased it in 1986. Barry’s Transport (1986) Ltd. continues today specializing in hauling aggregates throughout Saskatchewan, now operated by his sons Doug and Gord.
Embracing Change
Bert experienced major shifts in the trucking industry and consistently adapted to change. When diesel engines replaced gas-powered trucks, he learned diesel mechanics himself to keep his fleet running.
He was an early adopter of B-trains and Super-B train combinations and helped lead their use in Saskatchewan. He was also among the first to haul 60-foot steel on a 26-foot B-train.
Bert also claimed to be one of the first wheeled vehicles to reach Key Lake, Saskatchewan, and hauled across ice roads in Northern Saskatchewan.
Community Leadership
Outside of trucking, Bert and his family were community leaders and founding supporters of what is now known as Inclusion Saskatchewan.
Bert and his family were deeply involved in supporting people with physical, mental, and intellectual disabilities, motivated in part by his son Russ, who lived with brain damage from a young age.
He was committed to family values and involved his family in both daily life and business operations, treating employees like family as well.
A Legacy of Service
On August 16, 2020, at the age of 87, Albert Bruce Barry passed away, leaving behind a lasting legacy in Saskatchewan’s trucking history.
Bert’s ingenuity, competitiveness, and determination helped define his lifelong success in the industry. He took pride in working alongside his grandchildren, many of whom continue in the trucking industry today.
The business continues today under his sons, Doug and Gord.
Congratulations to Bert Barry – the 2020/2021 STA Omnitracs Service to Industry Award Recipient.