Everyday in North America and around the world, millions of long haul truck drivers kiss their loved ones goodbye and head out on the dangerous roads of the world to transport goods to delivery spots that are often thousands of miles from their home and across legal and territorial barriers that make their trips even more hazardous.

But what do families, loved ones and the authorities do when a Canadian trucker and his truck go missing within the borders of our biggest and nearest neighbour, the United States of America?
Langley trucker Clark Sutherland and an 18 wheel truck have disappeared from the face of the Earth after calling home from somewhere in Wyoming about nine days ago. How does a truck of this size disappear without notice? Somebody saw or knows something, they’re just not saying anything or they don’t know what they saw.

Clark Sutherland, 67, who has two teenage children and a wife, last checked in on May 30, at the time his wife said he complained of feeling ill, so she thinks he may be in trouble. She could hear him being physically ill in the background and this was the last anyone heard from the missing trucker.

“This is absolutely not like him,” said Mrs Sutherland, a Langley school teacher. “I’m afraid he didn’t wake up and now he’s in his truck somewhere.”

Records indicate that Clark Sutherland has been driving long haul rigs since 1961, and has never missed a delivery, so where has this reliable father and professional trucker gone?

His truck manifest indicates he was carrying a load of unspecified railway related material for Langley-based Road Rider, could this load have been valuable enough for highway-pirates to target his load for their nefarious needs? The load was due in Pueblo, Colorado, on May 31, so he was on the last part of his haul, could he have been followed and targeted?

American police have found no indication of where Sutherland and his self-owned 2000 Freightliner might be, but say they will continue to search, but that he may have just wanted to take off. Sutherland’s truck has a white cab and black hood, with a B.C. license plate P7-1796, and a blue canopy with B.C. license plate 21884Y. Police say records indicate Sutherland’s credit cards and debit cards have not been used, while his cell phone accepted messages for a few days but since has been silent, they say the batteries may have simply died. Before disappearing off the face of the Earth, Sutherland did swipe his card for points at a fuel dock in Cokeville, Wyoming, say police, and his last phone call was traced back to a cell tower in Wamsutter, Wyoming.

Mrs Sutherland says this is not like her husband, he has always been faithful about calling home each day, and that he phones his 90 year old mother every day and she hasn’t heard from him.

Mrs Sutherland and a friend made the trip down to the U.S. and searched fruitlessly for four days, receiving no information that was useful.

The family is holding in there according to reports, but this time is hard on them, it’s like he just turned into smoke and disappeared into thin air. They are concerned about the attitude of the U.S. police, whose attitude they say has been, it’s a free country, he’s free to go missing.

Mr. Sutherland and his truck are somewhere in the area, hopefully someone with a conscience and perception will notice it and report in. He may have pulled off on a side road to take care of his illness and passed out, sicker then he realised and is now in need of help. He may have gone over a steep embankment on one of the roads, people and 18 wheel trucks don’t just disappear, and obviously someone knows something.

This gentleman is not likely lost because he wants to be, but then of course it wouldn’t be the first time someone wanted to get away. The problem is we just don’t know and for people who care this can often be the worst part, hopefully he will be found and is okay and will be able to get back to those who love him and are missing him.

Problems of this kind are likely to increase as the amount of goods we transport on the roads of the world continues to increase, the danger increases proportionally as well. Solutions aren’t easy to implement, but maybe the time has come for a change in the way we protect the truck drivers who bring us the goods we cherish.

The creation of a system of check points across the continent, like a truck-watch program similar to block-watch or any of the similar programs implemented across North America could help alleviate part of the problem. Maybe a series of well known truck stops on each truck route between truck stops, where each truck and trucker checks in periodically, would allow for better tracking of trucks on our dangerous highways.

This is the perfect opportunity for the inventors to create systems that can be used to protect truckers and their loads while they move along our highways.

Are there predators lurking on the highways of North America, without a doubt and they are always looking for opportunity to carry out their plans to take the easy road to wealth, at least that’s probably what they’re thinking?

Mr Sutherland could be sitting somewhere having a quiet drink, he could also be in need of help, the problem is we really don’t know and we need to find this person and help bring some closure for his family.

We can only hope it turns out for the best for all.