Four men from Fort Providence have been conspicuously operating a big rig on the streets of the small community. They are getting ready to take their class one driver's exam.

Jason Squirrel, one of the driving students, said people in Fort Providence have been very supportive.

"After class people say, 'Right on!' They're encouraging," said Squirrel. "My little nephew (age 12) is pretty happy to see me in there. He says, 'My uncle is going to be driving that big truck.'"

Squirrel, Clifford Bonnetrouge, Marcel Gargan and Scott Young have been taking the driving lessons since Jan. 14. Going in two-and-a-half hour shifts, they need to log 30 hours in the truck before they take the exam in mid-February.

By getting his class one licence, Squirrel said he will have a better opportunity to find work locally. He said the promise of a Mackenzie River bridge and a Mackenzie Valley pipeline should only increase the demand for truck drivers.

Bonnetrouge noted that his brother, Noel, recently got his licence and he now drives for Snowshoe Inn Ltd. in Fort Providence.

A class one licence would entitle the drivers to operate practically all motorized vehicles "except motorcycles and airplanes," according to instructor Bob Millington.

Millington, who works for the Northern School of Driver Training based in Hay River, said driving a rig requires a student to get used to its size, limited manoeuvrability and its air brakes.

"It's an all together different piece of equipment to operate. Like we don't use a lot of clutch, do we guys?" he said to Squirrel and Bonnetrouge, and they all chuckled.

The students also spent four days in the classroom. Driving is only part of a truck driver's job, said Millington. Knowing the rules and regulations, weights and how to haul dangerous goods are also critical factors, he said.

A truck driver's life is full of long days behind the wheel for modest pay, he noted. Squirrel and Bonnetrouge said they could hack it.

The four Fort Providence students are on the right track, according to their instructor.

"They're all doing really well," he said.