From India to Woodstock, this truck driver is living the Canadian dream

When Kuldeep Johal first moved to Canada in 2007 from India, he only had $40 in his pocket and the belief that there were opportunities for him to build a new life here.

"My family members already lived in Brampton, and they said that I could make a life here," Johal said.

His first job was in a factory, but Johal eventually got his class-A licence and began transporting freight across southwestern Ontario.

Johal eventually moved to Woodstock, Ont., and bought his first transport truck in 2016. He and has since built up his fleet to eight trucks and employs several drivers.

South Asian presence in the trucking industry in Woodstock

Johal's story is part of a broadening trend of South Asians leaving the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) to find other opportunities in Southwest Ontario. According to Statistics Canada, only 215 immigrants to Woodstock were from either India or Pakistan in 2016, a total that represented only 4.8 per cent of total immigrants. By 2021, that number had risen to 1,775 immigrants or approximately 26 per cent. 

"It was really driven by people moving out of the GTA for all of the reasons we enjoy in southern Ontario," said Brad Hammond, who is the development officer for the City of Woodstock and a board member with the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce.

"More affordable cost of living, more affordable homes, less traffic congestion and so forth. Fortunately, it's brought a lot of business with it as well."

LISTEN | South Asian trucker adds to Woodstock's mosaic:

Afternoon Drive6:23South Asian trucker adds to Woodstock's mosaic

Kuldeep Johal moved to Woodstock from Brampton after immigrating from India in 2007. Since then, he's become an immigrant success story, starting up his own trucking company, Mandiani Transport Inc. Host Matt Allen joins him for a ride to learn more of his story. 

Woodstock has been a particularly fertile area for growth in the trucking industry. Its location at the intersection of Highways 401 and 403 makes it an attractive place for truckers. Johal's fleet delivers goods to Windsor, Hamilton, the GTA and other locations in Ontario. 

"We get inquiries pretty regularly for smaller trucking companies," said Hammond. "Or they have five or ten tractors that they run, looking for a couple of acres of land to settle their business on and grow."

Those, and other employment opportunities, coupled with the relatively affordable housing in Woodstock, have resulted in a boom in the Southeast Asian community in the area.

Opportunities for others

Johal said there are dozens of families that now call the city home, and there is a cricket league that plays weekly and features several local teams.

The local Sikh community has also been fundraising to build a Gurdwara or temple. As of 2019, approximately $1.5 million has been raised for the building's construction.

"I like to see everyone living together and cooperating," he said.