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RCMP seize 50 kilograms of suspected cocaine at Sarnia border
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A Markham transport truck driver faces
drug smuggling charges after the RCMP seized 50 kilograms of suspected
cocaine at the Blue Water Bridge near Sarnia earlier this month. The
driver was alone in the commercial vehicle crossing from the U.S. into
Canada on Nov. 18 when he was directed by a Canada Border Services
Agency officer for an inspection, the RCMP said Wednesday. Border guards use mobile X-ray devices and sniffer dogs to check for any unusual cargo or modifications to trucks. “During
the examination, border services officers discovered an inconsistency
in the weight of some of the boxes contained in the shipment,” an RCMP
statement said. “The boxes were examined and found to contain 50 packages of suspected cocaine, weighing approximately 50 kilograms total.” In an interview, RCMP Sgt. Penny Herman said the suspected cocaine is being forensically tested. Police had no estimate of the value of the cargo, where it originated or where it was destined. Guo
Bing Zhao, 52, has been charged with importation of a controlled
substance and possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of
trafficking. Source of this article and other great articles
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Local company designs solar system to keep tractor-trailer cargo cool
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Loblaw is set to begin testing a local company's solar-powered system that keeps truck cargo cool.
In a system developed by Westhill Innovation Inc., solar panels
fixed to the top of a trailer substitute for the energy supplied to the
cooling units by the truck's diesel engine.
The process saves 21 tonnes of carbon dioxide
emissions in a year — equivalent to that produced by seven cars, said
Westhill president Gina Succi.
With Loblaw testing the trailer system on grocery deliveries
around the province this winter, Succi expects to gather valuable
performance data about the unit, which was built at Mohawk College's
Stoney Creek campus with the help of McMaster University masters
students from the W Booth School of Engineering.
Key to Westhill's patent-pending technology is a black box that
integrates power from panels that can be safely and easily installed,
Succi said.
Mohammad Alaisowi, Westhill's renewable energy engineer,
describes the panels as photovoltaic cells and circuits fused into a
metal composite material that is designed to withstand highway
conditions typical of long-haul trucking.
The applications for the system are vast — from rail cars to
architectural panels in building construction — but CEO and co-founder
Emil Radoslav said they started with the trucking industry because it's
"low-hanging fruit" with the amount of diesel fuel consumed.
Depending on the size of the container being shipped, an average
of $10,000 in fuel cost can be saved per year, according to Radoslav,
who estimates the technology would take two to three years to pay for
itself. The system's lifespan is 20 years.
"We're only focusing on a little tiny market" within the larger
market of companies looking to replace diesel truck engines, Succi said,
estimating there are 200,000 trailers operated by the top 20 companies
in North America that have already made investments into electric
trucks.
Data from the Loblaw trial will be used to streamline the size of
the units and improve capabilities. The group is in the midst of
sourcing venture capital to scale up manufacturing and sales.
Westhill has a 40,000-square-foot building near Simcoe, but Succi said they are already looking for larger space to expand.
With solar panels on a trailer eliminating the truck engine as a
power source, new characteristics open up to transform what was
basically a box on wheels.
"Because it has power, it's got brains," said Vern Sherwood, Westhill's solar wind battery technology specialist.
Normally, truck diesel engines must remain running in order to
power parked refrigeration units, but Westhill's trailers can be cooled
silently on batteries that run-up to eight hours, he said.
And power generated from trailer roofs can be exported into the
electrical grid if the trailers are standing idle, Sherwood said. "It's
our own power centre."
In yards where trailers are often parked long-term, a lot with
300 solar-powered trailers would produce about $500,000 worth of
electricity a year, Succi said.
Though there are sunnier places than Canada for tractor trailer
solar systems, Radoslav said hotter climates actually have the effect of
reducing the efficiency of photovoltaic panels.
"A cooler climate actually provides the perfect conditions for this technology," he said.
Source of this article and other great articles
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How Wellington Motor Freight slashed insurance premiums
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GUELPH, Ont. – With insurers reducing their risk exposure, and some
exiting transportation altogether, many carriers have seen rising
premiums and outright policy cancellations. But one Ontario carrier has
bucked the trend, and slashed insurance premiums by high double digits
this year.
Derek Koza, president and CEO of Wellington Group of Companies, operator of Wellington Motor Freight, told Today’s Trucking that
his company took a strategic approach to reducing its insurance
premiums. The company operates 85 vehicles, operating a regional fleet
in the Toronto area, as well as serving the Toronto-Montreal corridor
and Atlantic Canada. It also serves the U.S., but mostly by rail.
The company started as a broker about five years ago and ramped up
its asset-based trucking operation last year when capacity was tough to
secure. Wellington took a holistic approach to lowering its insurance
costs, including some forward-thinking measures.
For one, drivers are all paid a salary.
“We are one of the few in the industry, where all our company drivers
are salaried drivers,” Koza said. “The reason why we wanted to do that
was to drive consistency for drivers, where there’s no message in the
back of their head where it’s rush, rush, rush.”
Paying drivers a salary has resulted in a 95% retention rate, Koza
said, and a waiting list of drivers looking to join the company.
“With retention and consistency, comes safety,” Koza said.
There are expectations for the drivers, of course. They must make
themselves available five days a week for up to 60 hours. They’re paid
overtime after 60 hours.
Whenever possible, Wellington offers dedicated lanes. Being familiar
with the route allows for better trip planning and improved safety, the
company found.
“We are getting into winter here and certain pockets in southwestern
Ontario are going to be extremely windy, with lots of snow drifting. The
drivers are anticipating that prior to entering into that zone,” said
Koza.
Wellington is uncompromising when it comes to hiring standards. Koza
said that’s because once you compromise your standards, it becomes
habit-forming.
“You have to stay disciplined to the safety plan you put in place,” he said.
Wellington is up-front with its customers that drivers are expected to park when weather is bad.
“Every time there’s a snowstorm or heavy rain, we send out a message
to our drivers reminding them that they and the general public are more
important than any load they’re delivering,” said Koza.
Equipment is spec’d with active safety systems to support the driver
and disc brakes. All reefers are seven years old or newer, dry vans are
10 years or newer, and trucks are five years or newer. Electronic logs
are used, even by city drivers. All trailers are tracked by GPS, and
telematics are used to identify incidents like hard braking and speeding
violations.
Having developed a comprehensive safety plan, Wellington invited in
its insurer to communicate the plan. It was already in the middle of the
pack in terms of its premiums, not bad for a young fleet, but with room
for improvement.
“We were nowhere near the highest and nowhere near the lowest,” said
Koza. But even as a fledgling fleet, the company was granted a 21B fleet
policy, allowing it to hire drivers without first having them vetted by
the insurance company.
Koza didn’t want to publicly disclose the insurance premium savings
the company now enjoys, but says the company was “rewarded handsomely”
for its efforts.
“I’m not going to say it was an easy journey,” said Koza. “But it
really is simple if you sit down, put together a plan, get the
engagement of the team, and most importantly, stick with the plan.”
Even if new business is brought on or trucks are parked against the
fence, Koza said it’s essential to not deviate from the plan. “You have
to stay committed to the plan. You can’t take that sidestep and make
that exception, because if you do, it’s going to continue to be a
roller-coaster of exceptions going forward.”
Source of this article and other great articles
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Government of Ontario Committed to Attracting Investment with Highway 401 Expans
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The Ontario government is making a significant strategic
economic investment in the province’s highway system by widening 18
kilometres of Highway 401 from Mississauga to Milton.
“This stretch of highway has over 20,000 trucks a day
travelling on it – each carrying vital goods for all sectors of our
economy,” said OTA Chair David Carruth. “As a fleet with a terminal in
the region, this investment is an important need and will help make this
province more competitive in attracting future customers for all
trucking fleets across Ontario.”
Kinga Surma, Associate Minister of Transportation,
announced today the province is investing $640 million to widen Highway
401 by 18 kilometres, from the Credit River in Mississauga to Regional
Road 25 in Milton and includes reconstruction of bridges as well as
upgrades to support facilities and features. Construction is underway
and drivers can expect to use the expanded highway by 2022.
“Our government is committed to strengthening Ontario’s
highway network and making Ontario open for business,” said
Associate Minister Surma. “This crucial expansion of Highway 401 means
that thousands of Ontarians will spend less time in traffic.” Source of this article and other great articles
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Ontario moves to restrict emissions tampering
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Jeff Yurek makes the announcement in North York on Tuesday.
NORTH YORK, Ont. — The Ontario Government has officially launched
plans to align the testing of emissions control systems with Periodic
Mandatory Commercial Vehicle Inspection requirements, beginning June
2021.
The annual requirements will begin when a vehicle is first registered
in Ontario, and will be completed through an electronic-based system
that produces a single digital document.
The approach is meant to help eliminate the use of DPF “delete kits” and other forms of emissions tampering.
“By combining the emissions and safety inspection into one
digital-based test, we are making life easier and more convenient for
owners of heavy-duty diesel commercial trucks and buses,” said Kinga
Surma, associate transportation minister.
The announcement was made earlier today at Carmen Transportation
Group’s terminal in North York, including representatives of the Ontario
Trucking Association; Environment, Conservation and Parks Minister Jeff
Yurek; Small Business and Red Tape Reduction Minister Prabmeet
Sarkaria, and Surma.
The plans had already been announced as part of a Red Tape Reduction bill that was unveiled in October.
“The government of Ontario is introducing the most impactful
enforcement measures in Canada with regards to reducing and targeting
harmful emissions from non-compliant vehicles,” said Stephen Laskowski,
president of the Ontario Trucking Association. “By introducing an
on-road enforcement regime focused on tampering, along with the
development of an integrated annual safety and environmental inspection
program for heavy trucks, the province of Ontario is leading on the
reduction of smog-causing pollution and reducing unnecessary red tape
for all trucking companies in Ontario.”
“This program will
reduce red tape on our business and effectively target non-compliant
trucking companies that tamper with their emissions and ensure those who
pollute in our province are held accountable for their actions,” added
Carmen Transportation president Vince Tarantini.
The Ontario Trucking Association says it is working with the Ministry
of Transportation and Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks
to ensure the annual inspections and anti-tampering checks are
electronically connected. This is meant to help roadside inspectors
determine the technician and facility that last inspected and passed a
vehicle.
The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks has the power to
pull plates off heavy-duty vehicles when emissions tampering is
identified, no mater what jurisdiction plated the vehicle.
As of Jan. 1, Ontario will also make it illegal to produce, sell or install tampering devices.
While Ontario cancelled its Drive Clean emissions program for aging
light-duty vehicles, annual emissions tests are still required to renew
the registrations on equipment with gross vehicle weights above 4,500 kg
and at least seven model years old. Source of this article and other great articles
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‘Black Coffee & White Lines’ music video released
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Trucking is a common theme in Jayne Denham’s music.
The Australian country singer’s latest music video, “Black Coffee
& White Lines” is no exception. The video, which premiered this
week, was shot in Alaska and features three truck drivers from the
History Channel’s TV series “Ice Road Truckers.”
VIDEO
“Filming in Alaska with three of the Ice Road Truckers was totally beyond my wildest dreams,” Denham said in a news release. “It is everything I wanted to share about the reality of truckin’ and the love of it.”
The “Black Coffee & White Lines” video opens with Lisa Kelly,
Carey Hall, and Maya Sieber-Pyskaty talking about their love for
trucking.
“I love the feeling I get when I’m on the road,” Sieber-Pyskaty said
in the video. “Every day brings a new adventure. I don’t feel alive
until I’m behind the wheel.”
The lyrics for “Black Coffee & White Lines” echo that love for trucking.
Born with gypsy blood pumping through my veins
I’ve got a lot of friends who think this kind of life is insane
But I grew up a child of the wind
And every time I hear the freedom of the road call my again
It’s black coffee and white lines
Life’s all about what’s up ahead, not what you leave behind
Denham has never worked as a truck driver, but she said she grew up
in Australia around family and friends who operated big rigs.
“I just love writing trucking songs to cheer on the truck drivers and
an industry that we certainly can’t do without,” Denham told Land Line
during a 2017 interview.
“I like to do my research. I want to make sure my lyrics are accurate. Truck drivers tell me the songs resonate.”
Denham has performed at numerous truck shows in recent years, including the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky., and the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas.
Source of this article and other great articles
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Job readiness program offering truck driver training
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YMCA Employment Services has teamed up with Northern Academy of Transportation Training & Safety Services
YMCA Employment Services has teamed up with Northern Academy of Transportation Training & Safety Services (NATT) for a Job Readiness Program.
The program will offer paid training and employment placements to eligible participants.
Training is available for AZ/DZ driver training and specialized
general labourer training, equipping each participant with all the
necessary certifications and licensing to start their careers in the
transportation and construction industries.
A memorandum of understanding will be signed between the two organizations on Nov. 27.
NATT Northern Academy Transportation Training is a registered private
career college under the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005.
NATT Safety Services provides customized safety training throughout
Northern Ontario and across Canada in all industry sectors, with
specialization in the mining, construction, pulp and paper, and forestry
industries.
This story originally appeared on Sudbury.com.
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This truck apparently got stuck under a Metro Vancouver gas station
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A delivery truck in a tight spot at the Petro-Canada gas station at 56th St. and 12th Ave. in Tsawwassen Friday.
A delivery truck appears to have got into a bit of a squeeze on Friday afternoon at the Petro-Canada gas station in Tsawwassen.
The video here, originally posted to the Tsawwassen Loop Facebook
group by Bryan Grant, shows the truck idling with its four-way flashers
on while seemingly wedged under the gas station’s canopy. A bystander can be heard saying that they should perhaps let some air out of the tires so that they might free the thing.
How it got there – all the way under the canopy – was a mystery, so
we reached out to the Petro-Canada hoping that they might shed some
light on it for us.
Nobody who was working on Friday was available, nor was a manager.
We also reached out to Worta, the company whose name is on the van. They’re not around on weekends.
However we did find out one thing that everyone is certainly dying to know:
No, the truck is no longer under the canopy! Source of this article and other great articles
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Driver charged after trailer with missing wheels dragged down Highway 11
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Police found semi and trailer on Grasswood Road south of Saskatoon It was a sight rarely seen on Saskatchewan highways — a trailer with no wheels being dragged down the highway by a semi. Corman Park Police and Saskatchewan Highway Patrol responded to a call about the incident Sunday around 8:30 p.m. CST. Officers
found a semi and a trailer in a parking lot at the intersection of
Highway 11 and Grasswood Road, just south of Saskatoon. Corman Park Police Chief Warren Gherasim said it is his understanding the driver had started out from Regina. According
to police, the driver had begun the trip with just four out of eight
wheels on the trailer and then lost another set of wheels about 10 km
south of Grasswood Road on Highway 11. "The indication that we
got from the officers at the scene was that part of that rear axle was
still on the trailer until the trailer got to about Tamke Road, which is
the southern border of Corman Park," Gherasim said. "Two wheels
and the axle were found in the ditch at that location so what he did
have left on the truck at that point fell off ... subsequently the
vehicle would have been dragged from Tamke Road up to Grasswood Road
before it came to a stop." Gherasim said there appeared to be surface scratches and scrapes on the road, but no major damage to the highway. David
Horth, director of communications with the Ministry of Highways and
Infrastructure, said crews were out Tuesday morning to assess the
damage. Horth said this is a first for him. "This
is pretty weird. I don't think I've ever heard of a vehicle being on
the road being dragged before," he said. "It's kind of self-evident that
vehicles should have wheels when they are on roads," he said. Gherasim also said this is one of the more unusual calls his officers have responded to. "More
commonly we deal with with offences relating to overweight. But this is
certainly one of the more heinous equipment violations that I can
recall." Gherasim said Saskatchewan Highways have charged the
driver with operating with a major defect and displaying an unauthorized
license plate. The Corman Park officer at the scene charged the
driver with unlawfully operating a vehicle without a valid Safety
Inspection Service certificate. The trailer was towed away. The semi was not in violation and was allowed to be driven away. Source of this article and other great articles
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ARW Truck Equipment expands in the west
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CALGARY, Alta. – ARW Truck Equipment is expanding across Western Canada to cover Saskatchewan and the eastern section of B.C.
Launched in 1895, ARW Truck specializes in the sale and support of
truck-mounted equipment, and has been a staple in Alberta since 1942 as
the exclusive factory-authorized sales and service dealer for HIAB
cranes, Moffett forklifts, and Multilift hooklifts.
The company will now bring its expertise across the province of
Saskatchewan in partnership with Cervus Equipment to locations in Regina
and Saskatoon. It will also stretch into areas in B.C., including
Golden, Cranbrook, Fernie, Dawson Creek, and Fort St. John.
“It was time to roll out our operations,” said Trevor Steinke,
general manager of ARW Edmonton. “There was a great demand for our
products, in-depth knowledge, and unmatched expertise in truck-mounted
equipment in other parts of the west, and we’re well-positioned to meet
those needs.” Source of this article and other great articles
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Guelph police investigate fifth tire theft from dealerships in city's north
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Police say latest theft involves $12K worth of tires stolen from transport truck Police in Guelph are investigating the latest in a string of
tire thefts to hit dealerships in the Woodlawn Road and Elmira Road area
since August. Police said $12,000 worth of tires were stolen
from a transport truck in the yard of a dealership in the area sometime
between 1 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. on Nov. 30. "Depending on the make
of the tire, it can widely vary in price from used tires to new tires,
but anytime we're talking about $12,000 of stolen property, in my mind
that's a significant amount," Const. Kyle Grant said. "It's very
concerning." This latest theft is the fifth at dealerships in the city's north end since August, Grant said. Those previous thefts were: - On Aug.4, multiple thefts of tires and rims were reported stolen off vehicles parked at two different lots.
- On Oct.15, $21,000 worth of tires were reported stolen from a dealership in the area.
- On Nov.4, $30,000 worth of truck tires were reported stolen from a dealership as well.
- On
Nov.10, two sets of tires and rims were reported stolen off new trucks
in the lot. A suspect was seen driving a grey 2019 Dodge Ram truck,
according to a release.
"It happens in the middle of the
night when the dealerships are closed and you have someone enter a
dealership yard and steal tires," Grant said. "Sometimes it's from a storage area or a truck, like it was in this case. Other times it's directly from vehicles in the lot." Police continue to investigate the latest theft. Anyone
with information is asked to contact Const. Richard Maclean at
519-824-1212 ext. 7503 or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-888-222-8477. Source of this article and other great articles
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AG exposes holes in Ontario's commercial trucking safety rules
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Commercial truck drivers with a medical marijuana licence are allowed
to operate their vehicles with the drug in their system in Ontario as
long as they’re not legally impaired, the auditor general’s annual
report says.
The United States has no such exemption, nor does
Transport Canada for flight crews and controllers, nor Metrolinx for its
train and bus operators, Bonnie Lysyk reports.
Ontario also has no mandatory drug and alcohol testing for commercial truck drivers, auditors say.
Commercial
truck traffic has increased by 10% over the past decade in Ontario and
large buses and trucks were involved in 182,000 collisions, the report
says.
“Ontario maintained higher fatality and injury rates than
Canada as a whole and the United States in the majority of years between
2008 and 2017 when evaluating only commercial vehicles,” the report
says.
The use of an important road safety tool — commercial vehicle
inspections — fell by 22% between 2014-18 in part because they could not
fill enforcement officer vacancies, the report says.
And in one
of the more scarier findings, given recent high-profile accidents
involving large vehicles, auditors noted flaws in commercial driver
licensing and training.
Ontario is the only province that allows
private carriers to test their own drivers for commercial licences, and
they have a pass rate of 95% compared to 69% at DriveTest centres, the
report says.
Companies that passed drivers that later went on to have higher-than-normal rates of accidents were allowed to keep testing.
Some
private Motor Vehicle Inspection Stations that issue certificates that
commercial vehicles are road worthy have been found involved in
fraudulent activity like issuing certificates without actually
inspecting the vehicle, the report says.
“An MVIS garage employed
only one mechanic and was sent 4,000 inspection certificates in 2018
alone which is 76 times the average per mechanic,” the report found.
When
brought to the Ministry of Transportation’s attention, it turned out
that the mechanic had ordered 2,000 certificates — still well above the
per-mechanic average — and was sent an extra 2,000 for free without
ministry staff noticing, the report says.
Lysyk said that had the
ministry maintained its previous level of inspections, auditors
calculate that as many as 10,000 unsafe commercial vehicles and drivers
would have been removed from Ontario roads.
Source of this article and other great articles
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Help Deliver Driver Inc. Warning to the Supply Chain
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The expansion of drivers and carriers operating within the
underground economy through Driver Inc is a growing concern for the
trucking industry. The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) and the
Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) have been leading the charge in Ottawa
and Queen’s Park to rid the industry of the illegal scheme known as
Driver Inc.
While government enforcement is key to forcing non-compliant drivers
and companies into obeying the law, OTA is asking the industry to
educate members in the supply chain about the growing challenges and
dangers Driver Inc companies pose.
OTA has prepared a tip sheet for the supply chain that illustrates
what Driver Inc is, how to identify potential Driver Inc participants,
as well as possible associated business and liability risks of
partnering with Driver Inc companies.
“This OTA document is intended to assist the supply chain in engaging
an informed conversation about the impact of the illegal practice known
as Driver Inc.,” said OTA President Stephen Laskowski. “Every member in
the supply chain needs to understand how this practice is noncompliant
from both a tax and labour perspective.”
To obtain a copy of the OTA document click here: OTA-DriverIncTipSheet_public. Source of this article and other great articles
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Alberta updates oversize and weight regulation to reduce red tape
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EDMONTON, Alta. – The Alberta government has updated its
Commercial Vehicle Dimension and Weight Regulation to reflect what it
called “modern vehicle configurations and equipment.”
Having not been updated in nearly 20 years, the provincial government
said commercial drivers in Alberta were forced to obtain permits for
standard equipment that is allowed in other jurisdictions, including
wildlife bumpers, aerodynamic devices, and wide-load signs. Alberta
Transportation was granting permits for these pieces of equipment every
time they were requested.
“Safety is always our top priority, but these outdated permits were
not doing anything to improve safety,” said Minister of Transportation
Ric McIver. “They were out of touch and unnecessary. Alberta
Transportation has granted these permits every time they were asked for.
If you grant a permit 100% of the time, it’s time to update the
regulation.”
Updating the Commercial Vehicle Dimension and Weight Regulation is
one aspect of the Alberta government’s overall commitment to reducing
red tape.
“Modernization is an important part of reducing red tape as it allows
Albertans to get ahead and be cost-efficient in a fast-paced world,”
said Grant Hunter, associate minister of Red Tape Reduction. “These
changes in trucking rules are an important step forward for our farmers
and truckers and make their lives easier.”
The modernization of the regulation is expected to eliminate approximately 5,600 individual permits per year. Source of this article and other great articles
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Canadian developing electric landing gear
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TORONTO, Ont. – A Canadian tech start-up is looking to electrify
landing gear, and has developed a currently available adaptor to ease
the job for drivers.
Omid Beik, founder of Enercs, first became aware of the demands of
deploying landing gear when reading about the Humboldt Broncos bus
crash, in which 16 people were killed following a collision with a semi. “One person said these drivers, they work 14 hours a day, they’re
exhausted. Then at the end of the day the have to crank landing gear.
That was my first introduction to landing gear,” Beik said in an
interview with Trucknews.com. Beik, who has a Ph.D and a masters in
electric motors, felt “There has to be a better way to do it.”
He discovered it takes 100 lb.-ft. of torque to properly lower the landing gear.
“That is massive for any human being to operate,” he said.
Beik reached out to trucking fleets, which expressed support for a
product that would make cranking the landing gear easier, as long as it
was priced reasonably. Other products on the market cost US$675. So Beik
invented an adaptor that fits on any electric impact wrench. The driver
simply attaches the impact wrench (not included) to the adaptor and
then can raise or lower the landing gear quickly at the press of a
button.
It retails for $49.99 and is available today (orders currently must be placed via email, at sales@enercs.com).
But Beik has grander visions for the application and is currently
working on an electric motor that will tap into the truck’s 12-volt
power source. He has built a rare earth-free electric motor, which
reduces cost significantly.
“Thirty to 50% of the price of the motor is the magnets, we eliminate that,” he explained.
The company now has five patents pending. Biek hopes to commercialize
the electric system within a year, and is in talks with landing gear
manufacturers to integrate. Eventually, as trucks become more automated,
Biek feels autonomous landing gear will be required. But that brings
challenges such as theft prevention, which the company addresses through
use of an RFID tag assigned to a driver.
Work continues on the electric landing gear, with all the company’s manufacturing and development taking place in Concord, Ont. Source of this article and other great articles
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Someone just paid $12 million for a custom semi truck
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The man who built the truck says that he put seven years and $7 million into it.

One of the most eye-catching custom trucks in the world just sold for millions at an overseas auction. Thor24,
a highly customized 1984 Peterbuilt 359, was sold for a whopping $12
million to an unnamed buyer at the Worldwide Auctioneers event in
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Fox News reports. The auction was part of a five day automotive show featuring historic, rare, and custom vehicles from around the world. The
truck was built by entrepreneur Mike Harrah, who says that he put seven
years of work and $7 million into the truck. The Thor24 truck features
swords, battle axes, skulls, and graphics of Norse gods in battle. Here are the truck specifications listed on the THOR24 website: - V24-71 Detroit Diesel
- Original, one-of-a-kind 1979 Peterbilt 359 crew cab (custom-stretched)
- 1933 custom-built Ford Grill Tribute
- 12 x 871 superchargers
- 3,974 horsepower
- Maximum speed: 130 mph
- 4 drag-chutes (12-feet in diameter)
- 7 years in the making
- $7 million in actual hard costs
- Completely chrome-plated and polished aluminum and stainless-steel undercarriage
- Hawker jet-engine Auxiliary Power Unit (APU)
- 44-feet long
- 32,000 lbs.
- 1,500-watt per channel, 110-volt world-class sound system
- 7 movie screens, including a 40-inch movie screen
You can get a closer look at the Thor24 truck in the video below. VIDEO Source of this article and other great articles
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Move-over law would include tow trucks, snowplows under new bill
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Provincial government proposes higher fines and other Motor Vehicle Act changes
The law that requires drivers to move over and slow down when
passing emergency vehicles stopped on the roadside could also apply to
tow trucks and snowplows soon.
"I've talked to tow truck drivers
and [drivers of] utility vehicles — we've all got a story," Carl
Urquhart, the minister of public safety, told reporters Tuesday.
"It's
almost one of the scariest places to work right now in New Brunswick is
on the side of the road when you're trying to help people."
The expanded move-over provision was just one of the Motor Vehicle Act amendments proposed by the provincial government.
The change would also set a maximum speed limit — to half the
posted speed limit — for vehicles passing the crews of emergency
vehicles, utility vehicles and tow trucks that have stopped on the road
to work.
Urquhart said New Brunswick would be the last Atlantic province to adopt the changes.
CAA Atlantic has been advocating an expansion of the move-over law for a couple of years.
"It's
good to have tow trucks involved but we need to educate the public
about whoever's on the side of the road, whether it's fire, police,
ambulance or tow trucks now, that drivers need to slow down, move over
and be safe," said Gary Howard, vice-president of communications at CAA
Atlantic.
The amendments would also double the fine, to $280, for a distracted driving offence. which would also mean five demerit points.
Penalties would also increase for passing a school bus while its lights are flashing — to a $480 fine and six demerit points.
Andy Aker, a driver with Capital Towing, said he appreciates the inclusion of tow trucks in the move-over, slow-down law.
"It's
mostly about education. Doubling the fines, it would be nice — we would
know that this is working if there were no fines … it's just a method
another tool to educate people to pull over," Aker said, who's been in
the business since 1988.
"It's important that we just keep this message going until it becomes a reflex."
Urquhart said he's hoping the bill will be passed by Dec. 20.
Source of this article and other great articles
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OPP investigate transport truck collision near Marathon
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Driver suffers major injuries after truck strikes rock cut OPP are investigating a transport truck collision near Marathon, Ont., that left one person with major injuries on Tuesday. OPP
said officers with the Marathon, Manitouwadge, and Schreiber
detachments were dispatched to a location on Highway 17, about two
kilometres west of Neys Provincial Park, at about 2 p.m. Tuesday with
reports of a transport truck that had left the roadway. Investigation
revealed the truck was travelling eastbound, when it left the road as
it rounded a corner. The truck came into contact with the guardrails,
and then crossed the road and struck a rock cut in the westbound ditch
head-on. The truck jackknifed, coming to rest with the truck portion being pinned between the trailer and the rock cut. The
38-year-old driver, who OPP said is from Mississauga, was trapped in
the vehicle and had to be extracted by firefighters. The driver was
transferred to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre for
treatment of what police called "major injuries." The highway
was closed for about six hours, then opened to one lane for about one
hour, OPP said. Due to weather conditions and the location of the
vehicle, cleanup is expected to continue on Wednesday, and drivers are
asked to use caution when travelling in the area. Source of this article and other great articles
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Trucker’s $500 donation spawns a popular charity
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TORONTO, Ont. – The charity devoted to helping truckers is now
accepting donations as well as nominations for aid this holiday season.
The Truckers Christmas Group is hoping to raise $20,000, which will benefit 40 trucking families in the U.S. and Canada.
Based in Wichita, Kan., TCGO has raised $90,000 since it was formed by a group of truckers in 2008.
It all started with one driver wanting to donate an extra $500 he had to a family during Christmas.
“He didn’t know how to do it. So, a bunch of us stepped in, and said
‘Hey, we might as well help you out’. And then other people started to
donate,” said Greg Manchester, director of public relations, and one of
the five founders of the group.
It wasn’t until a few years later the organization was registered as a charity, he said.
Manchester, who has been working for Purolator for 34 years, is the
only Canadian on the board of TCGO. Another Canadian, Shelley
Uvanile-Hesch of Sharp Transportation, works as a volunteer.
The organization has so far helped 154 families ease the financial
burden associated with the holiday season. In 2018, it delivered $8,000
to 16 families.
Manchester said the group has set the aid at a minimum of $500 per
family because “we don’t want to give a thousand people one dollar”.
Since TCGO announced its 2019 campaign, people have been calling to donate and nominate, he said.
The group also accepts corporate donations in the form of gifts, which are then sold online.
This year, trucking’s top musicians are also helping the group raise funds.
The participants include Bill Weaver, Paul Marhoeffer, Taylor Barker,
Mandi Jo Pinhierio, Jason Henley, Tony Justice, Ken Freeman and Keith
Sampson.
“We are always hearing stories of drivers and their families who have fallen on hard times,” said country singer Justice.
“I am proud to be able to do my small part to help my brothers and
sisters of the highway — and their families — to have a better and more
blessed Christmas.”
The 2019 campaign started Nov. 21 and runs through Dec. 11. Funds
will be dispersed to qualifying families a week before Christmas. Source of this article and other great articles
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Banner year so far for 18 Wheels of Christmas
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DAWSON CREEK, B.C. – The response this past weekend in Dawson Creek,
B.C., in support of the 18 Wheels of Christmas campaign was amazing.
That’s according to Chris Richards of Rosenau Transport, who
organizes the yearly Christmas charitable event in the area. Richards
said this year they were contacted by more agencies and groups looking
for their assistance, so the campaign “stepped things up a few notches.”
Normally, 18 Wheels uses a single trailer and runs its event over a
weekend with the goal of supporting one of the local food banks. But
this year, with three food banks in Dawson Creek, the organization
decided to up its game to three trailers, each in their own location and
supporting each food bank.
“In total, with the help of dozens of community volunteers, we
collected 63 pallets of food and over $4,300 in cash and corporate
donations,” said Richards. “This is well over double our usual
collection efforts from previous years.”
With a population of just over 12,000, Richards was overwhelmed by
the generosity of his community, saying they “gave like a city of a
million.”
“I cannot thank all of our volunteers enough,” he said, highlighting
the assistance they received from the local Rotary Clubs, Air Cadets, as
well as his colleague from Rosenau, Karen Brisebois. “The efforts put
forth by everyone will ensure that our community will not need to go
without this holiday season and beyond.”
The efforts of 18 Wheels was equally successful in Alberta, with
events so far being held in Okotoks Nov. 15 and Calgary this past
weekend.
It was the campaign’s 10th year at Okotoks Light Up, and with weather cooperating, donations flooded in more than expected.
“Everything we collected that evening in Okotoks goes to the Okotoks
Food Bank,” said Colleen Nickel, who also works for Rosenau Transport
and organizes 18 Wheels in the Calgary area.
Donations included pre-packaged food hampers, three full food collection boxes, and cash for additional items.
On Nov. 23, 18 Wheels was in Calgary at the Lake Bonavista Promenade, where the community has helped the cause since 2002.
“We are never disappointed with the involvement of the businesses and
residents of this community,” said Nickel. “We gathered 12 full food
bank collection boxes and will be delivering this to the Calgary Food
Bank on Dec. 23.”
The campaign still has its weekend blitz Dec. 6-8, when 18 Wheels can
be found at all seven Save-on-Foods stores in Calgary. All donations
collected at that time will also be delivered to the Calgary Food Bank
Dec. 23.
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