We welcome all professional Truck Drivers and Owner Operators to our Truckstop Community
It does not matter if you are driving OTR or local Truck deliveries, Trustop Canada is your Home Online. Truckstop Canada's Forum provides a place where Truck Drivers can come in for information or discuss Trucking News, Truck Photos, Trucker Classifieds, Trucker Jokes. We would be honored to welcome you as a Member in our professional Trucker Forum.
New ONroute Service Centres website shows truck parking info
[Courtesy ONroute]
TORONTO,
ON — Ontario’s ONroute Service Centres have a new mobile-responsive
website that shows the number of truck parking spots at each location,
and even allows drivers to sort locations by food brands.
The website offers a location finder map with directions to the 20
plus ONroute Service Centres, where drivers can find operating hours
with the nearest food, fuel, and amenity options.
“Whether on travel for business or leisure, ONroute.ca
provides an enhanced experience for travellers and guests at our
ONroute Service Centre locations and is the go-to website for travellers
along Ontario’s Highways 400 and 401,” said HMSHost president and CEO
Steve Johnson.
Through the addition of a customer comment form to the website,
guests can also quickly and easily provide feedback on their recent
ONroute Service Centre experience. Site visitors can now translate and
view the website content in both English and French.
Lawyer suggests $10M liability if driving in "hellholes"
BRAMPTON,
ON — Runaway jury verdicts over the last five years are hitting even
the safest motor carriers, warns a New England transportation lawyer.
Brian Del Gatto, co-chair of Wilson Elser’s transportation, cargo and
logistics practice, says that over the last five years he’s seen an
average of six verdicts per year in excess of $10 million. Of the 100
largest awards given in U.S. courts last year, 12 were against trucking
companies. In most of these cases, the plaintiff’s lawyer has nearly
everything to gain, and almost nothing to lose, Del Gatto told guests at
a customer appreciation day for Northbridge Insurance on Thursday.
Brian Del Gatto
“If he loses the case, he doesn’t pay anything at all,” Del Gatto explained.
These types of massive verdicts often occur in what Del Gatto calls
judicial “hotspots.” For instance, he says a jury’s monetary verdict
surrounding a trucking case could end up five times higher in a state
like Louisiana versus New Jersey, despite there being very similar facts
in the case. Detroit, Miami, Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago and
Buffalo are some examples of cities with sky-high numbers surrounding
the findings of damages in a lawsuit, he says, noting that political
climate, economic climate and the impartiality of the jury all play
roles in a region’s lawsuits.
But it’s not always about the jury, noted Del Gatto, who said there
can be a whole range of factors that can go into making a jurisdiction a
so called “hotspot”, or “hellhole”, as these regions are sometime
called. Some judges can tend to make decisions based on expediency
instead of fairness. Meanwhile, some jurisdictions can be
plaintiff-friendly, or its laws are simply applied against defendants in
unbalanced ways, said Del Gatto.
The biggest piece of advice Del Gattos says he can give is to
lawyer-up immediately after a collision. If a carrier doesn't seek legal
help, they run the risk of all sorts of documentation becoming
discoverable to a plaintiff.
Another known judicial hotspot in Texas, Dimmit County, resulted in a
massive financial verdict against Heckmann Water Resources in early
2014. The jury awarded the verdict of $281 million to the family of
Carlos Aguilar, who was killed in May 2012, when the drive shaft broke
off the water company’s truck and struck Aguilar’s windshield, killing
him instantly. Some $100 million of the verdict was directed towards
punitive damages.
In another hotpot, this time in Los Angeles County, Del Gatto
described how a jury came to a $178 million verdict in 2009. It was
contended by the plaintiff that a driver for Bhandal Bros. Trucking,
Rudolph Ortiz, had parked illegally on the shoulder of the highway.
Ortiz, 73, claimed to have had a disabling headache. Tragically, a
family’s SUV veered off the highway and slammed into the back of the
18-wheeler. The mother, father and one child died. Two children
survived.
In the Los Angeles County case, a new trial was granted in 2014,
citing inconsistent jury findings and a verdict contrary to law that was
given to punish the plaintiff. The case was later settled for an
undisclosed amount.
All of this leads to the fact that carriers need to re-evaluate their
minimum liability insurance level if they’re transporting good through
judicial hotspots. Del Gatto’s advice? A minimum liability level of at
least $10 million.
“You can drive for less, but you can get caught,” said Del Gatto. “And when you get caught, it can bring down a company.”
Added Del Gatto: “You’ve got to spend money somewhere, other than dashcams.”
Jagroop Singh Bangli, a two-truck owner-operator, calls on the crowd to expand the protest.
OAKVILLE, ON – A longstanding dispute around allowable axle weights
has boiled to the surface, with dozens of aggregate haulers protesting
at Ontario Ministry of Transportation scales just west of Toronto.
The protesters began parking their equipment at 2 a.m. on September
20 in the facility adjacent to the eastbound lanes of Highway 401 near
Trafalgar Road in Oakville, Ontario. They were still on site late in the
afternoon, and pledged to return, potentially expanding the protest at
nearby quarries. Some had already been protesting around quarries in
Aberfoyle and Dundas, Ontario.
“We just want a solution,” said Jagroop Singh Bangli, a two-truck
owner-operator who was involved in organizing the fight, as he divided
his peers into teams for the next stage of the protest. “We don’t want
to take any more tickets.”
The issue can be traced to a harder line on axle weight tolerances
that began on September 1, after several years of soft enforcement and
education programs relating to the province’s Safe, Productive and
Infrastructure-Friendly (SPIF) rules for weights and dimensions.
“When we go to the pits and get loaded, we don’t know how much
they’re loading, how they are loading us,” says Manny Singh, a driver
based in Brampton, Ontario. While the quarry operators escape unscathed,
those who run the trucks face tickets, fines and unwanted points on
Commercial Vehicle Operator Registration (CVOR) records, he stressed.
Many of the troubles involve those who are repurposing used highway
tractors to haul gravel. Steer axles can’t take enough weight.
Mismatched fifth wheel heights won’t allow the loads to equalize, and
self-steering axles are often undersized. To compound matters, the
Ontario Ministry of Labor is called if drivers attempt to redistribute
the loads with shovels.
Ontario Ministry of Transportation enforcement teams have reportedly
been allowing those with axle weight violations to pull behind the scale
and try to equalize the loads by adjusting equipment or calling
mechanics.
The education programs included meetings at the Trafalgar scales in
2012 to show operators what they had to do to ensure trucks complied
with the latest rules. Posters were also attached to the fence at the
time to explain how maximum gross weights had to be distributed.
Ongoing meetings have yet to find common ground, with many of the
truck operators insisting that they should enjoy more leeway in axle
weights.
“It’s not realistic because we have no control over it,” Singh says
of the focus on axle weights. “We have control over gross weight. If we
are doing
The federal government has pledged to introduce legislation to
legalize the recreational use of marijuana (it’s already available by
permit for medical use) sometime in 2017.
This is a much more complicated issue than meets the eye and perhaps
more than the government bargained for. So, it’s not surprising, I
guess, that the cast of people in Ottawa looking into how to accomplish
legalization of pot is growing. There are at least three ministers
involved. Former Toronto police chief, Bill Blair, now parliamentary
assistant to the Minister of Justice, has been appointed to be the
government’s “point man” on the file. More recently, Anne McClellan, a
former cabinet minister in the Chretien and Martin governments, was
appointed to lead a nine-member task force to advise the federal
government on the forthcoming legislation. (CTA appeared before the task
force in August).
I am not going to debate whether or not legalization is the right
thing to do. That’s for society to decide and that horse, as they say,
is out of the barn. However, CTA can and should comment on and seek
answers to the implications legalization will have with respect to
impaired drivers and the rights and obligations of employers of – and
employees in – safety-sensitive occupations such as truck drivers, in
order that these issues receive due attention during the development of
the legislation.
If legalization proceeds as expected, the status of marijuana in our
society will change. It will retain characteristics similar to
prescription medication, used under a medical document, but will also
achieve a status similar to alcohol. And, like alcohol, the consumption
of marijuana has certain short-term effects that may decrease
concentration and reaction times. In short, the use of marijuana,
similar to the consumption of alcohol, is not conducive to the safe
operation of a motor vehicle.
The problem with marijuana, compared to alcohol, is that the current
state of the law would leave law enforcement agencies in the same
position they were in with alcohol prior to the introduction of the
breathalyzer in 1952 and the offence of “over .08” in 1969.
Section 253 of the Criminal Code makes it an offence to operate a
motor vehicle while ability is impaired by alcohol or a drug. So, law
enforcement officers will be able to charge drivers for driving while
impaired, even if the impairment is due to marijuana. Impairment will
have to be proven in each individual case based on observation. But, in
general, impairment from marijuana is less obvious and demonstrates less
traditional or consistent symptoms than impairment from alcohol.
Employers attempting to address the problem of marijuana impairment
in the workplace will be faced with the same problems as law
enforcement. Trucking companies are faced with two dangers posed by the
medical or legal use of marijuana: how to continue to oppose operation
of vehicles by their own drivers who are under the influence of
marijuana; and confronting the likelihood of increased danger on the
road, through the presence of an increased number of drivers operating
motor vehicles while impaired by marijuana.
The likelihood of increased prevalence of marijuana impairment should
be addressed in a two-pronged approach: a legislative amendment to
the Criminal Code, to include a “marijuana impairment offence” similar
to the “over .08” offence for alcohol; and an enhanced effort to
implement drug and alcohol testing in the workplace along with special
considerations for safety-sensitive positions. Clear rules of engagement
are required.
Regarding the legislative fix, it is imperative the federal
government codify a roadside testing protocol and THC cut-off level with
respect to impairment on the basis of marijuana consumption. This
legislation must be brought forward at the same time as legislation to
legalize marijuana. If marijuana assumes a similar status in society as
alcohol, it should be subject to a similar testing regime and programs
to encourage safety on the roads as exist for alcohol.
All Canadian trucking companies and truck drivers entering the US are
subject to drug and alcohol testing – post-accident, pre-employment and
random. No similar regulatory requirement exists in Canada. While over
time, the human rights folks have come to tolerate drug and alcohol
testing for companies and drivers who must comply with the US
regulations, the cost to employers created by the lack of clear rules in
Canada has been significant. It has also created a place (Canada-only
operations) for those with a drug or alcohol problem to go that is not
subject to the same screening as for transborder operations. Clear
testing rules for safety-sensitive positions in Canada need to be
developed and introduced.
Moreover, it has generally been accepted that while .08 blood alcohol
content (BAC) is the cut-off for the driving population, the cut-off
for employees, particularly in safety-sensitive positions, is .04 BAC.
It may well be that employers of safety-sensitive employees such as
commercial drivers will want to establish a THC cut-off that is lower
than the one established for the general population.
The federal government must work with industries that employ people
in safety-sensitive positions to define what that cut-off should be.
Trucking group helps bring rescue animals to new homes in Canada
Nearly 300 animals have been moved across Canada with the help of generous truck drivers
Margaret Foster, the founder of Furry Hobos and Hiway
Heroes, along with her Ambassador Dog, Pickles pose outside of Thunder
Bay, Ont. (Jeff Walters/CBC)
Rescue dogs and lost pets who need a ride home have a new group of allies in Canada: truck drivers.
A group based in Thunder Bay, Ont., will help coordinate rides for
animals who are heading from one part of the country to another.
Furry Hobos and Hiway Heroes is the creation of Margaret Foster. A
former truck driver, she took it upon herself to help coordinate rides
for those with four legs.
"It actually gives them something they feel good about. I mean, you
go up and down the road here, you see the accidents and everything else
that happens," said Foster.
She said nearly 300 dogs have been transported through the group to
their new homes, anywhere in Canada. She said some trucks in the United
States are also now part of her 'network', allowing for international
movement of the animals in need.
Truck driver Aimee and Sunny the dog, who was
reunited with his owners in Kenora, Ont., after being stolen and found
in London, Ont. (Facebook)
Foster said drivers are not compensated, but she asks for a donation of home baking, or a gift card for coffee.
Help from the community
Foster said many of the drivers have their own animals in their trucks, that they refer to as 'An Ambassador.'
The one ambassador cat of the group, named Turtle, recently got out
of a truck in Granby, QC. Foster said she's overwhelmed, as it seems the
whole community wants to find the cat.
She said the Ambassador animals are a key part of the program.
"The dogs are so relaxed, they introduce them before they come into the truck."
"They show them the bunk, like 'this is where we can lay and sleep'
and it just keeps them really really calm and collected. And, they enjoy
it."
As for continuing to help ferry rescue animals, or those who are lost
and found to their proper homes, Foster said most drivers can't get
enough of it.
"[One driver], he gets a hold of me all the time and says, 'Margaret,
I'm getting tired of laughing at my own jokes, you'd better give me a
dog.'"
Two of D&D's trucks outfitted with Volta Air electric reefers. Photo courtesy Second Generation Cooling and Volta Air.
INDUSTRY, CA — California’s continued push toward fewer and fewer
emissions has affected all companies that use trucks in the state, and
fleets that rely on trucks to deliver products are no exception. D&D
Wholesale Distributors in City of Industry, Calif., has been
distributing produce, meats, poultry, grocery, non-foods, frozen foods
and dairy in the Southern California area since 1979, and it’s
responding to the demand by moving to all-electric refrigeration units
for its delivery trucks.
“Because of the of the lack of ARB-compliant units in California, we
looked really deep into the future and decided we wanted to go battery
operated,” explains Frank Ulloa with Second Generation Cooling, also in
the LA area, which handles refrigeration needs for D&D’s 40 trucks.
They found a Canadian company, Volta Air, that offers all-electric
refrigeration units for vans and medium-duty delivery trucks. Last year
they installed a unit it a smaller truck, an Isuzu. It worked
“wonderful,” according to Ulloa, so this summer they added a larger-size
unit incorporating solar panels on a larger Hino box truck.
Not only will the move make
the reefer units eco-friendly, they’ll also save money — Ulloa says
$3,500 a year just in fuel, not counting savings in maintenance costs.
And, he says, the up-front cost is actually less than a traditional
reefer unit.
Peter Johnston with Volta Air explains that the Vancouver,
Canada-based company started out with a no-idle electric auxiliary power
unit for long-haul trucking, and has been working with the Canadian
government and educational institutions on further developing its
electric compressor and control systems. The D&D unit installed this
summer is the third one they have running in California but they’re
ready to do more with the help of Second Generation Cooling.
“If you’re stopped, you leave your engine off and the solar panels kick in to charge the batteries,” he explains.
Solar panels go on the roof of the box, two to four panels depending on the size of the unit and the demand.
New on this unit, Johnston says, is a controller that will send
alerts if the power level is getting too low or the refrigeration box
temperature is too high, and will monitor the idle time and fuel saved.
“We’re 25 years ahead of the mandate by going this route,” he says.
“By 2050 all units have to be zero emissions. By next year all companies
have to have plug ins.”
One benefit of the Volta Air system over other reefers that run on
stand-by power, Johnston says, is that it requires only a standard
breaker. “Some standby units have to run off three phase power,” he
says, which can be expensive to install. “These units can run off single
phase. Just go buy an extension cord at Home Depot.”
They also are lighter than traditional reefer units, allowing more payload capacity.
Another benefit? The noise level, Ulloa says. “We got a lot of
complaints about the diesels making deliveries at 4 in the morning. They
won’t even know we’re there” with the electric refrigeration units.
“‘Sustainable urban delivery trucks’ is kind of what we’ve been
advertising.”
Drivers love them, too, he says. “You can stand next to the unit and have a conversation.”
Volta Air already offered refrigeration units that could be mounted
atop delivery vans. But its newest offering, the VAR450DTBLI, which
includes a solar system, is designed for medium-duty delivery trucks.
An entirely 12V electric refrigeration unit dubbed the E-Fer, it’s a
front-mount electric refrigeration unit that is integrated with lithium
batteries and a solar panel charging system.
Ulloa says so far D&D has been impressed by the technology.
“D&D wholesale delivers all over southern California. You’re talking
the desert where the temperature is 100 plus and we can meet the
demands with these units. We challenged Volta Air, and they’ve met the
demand.”
Trailcon opens in BC following Stewart Trailer acquisition
Randy
Drake, left, of Stewart Trailers, and Alan Boughton of Trailcon Leasing
commemorate the first days of Stewart Trailers operating as Trailcon.
SURREY,
BC — The new Trailcon signs are up at the former Stewart Trailers site
in Surrey, British Columbia, marking the beginning of a new era in
trailer leasing and servicing on Canada's west coast.
In July, Trailcon Leasing Inc.
announced the acquisition of Stewart Trailers, one of the largest
welding, mobile service, and trailer repair facilities in the Greater
Vancouver Area.
On Sept. 1, Stewart Trailers began operating as Trailcon Leasing Inc.
"Adding more talented people to our team, along with an impressive
facility in an accessible location, strengthens our operation in western
Canada in such a concrete way,” says Trailcon founder and president
Alan Boughton. “I couldn't be happier about continuing our expansion
because it means we are serving more and more customers at the highest
level."
Trailcon's latest location at 17276 104A Avenue is adjacent to the
South Fraser Perimeter Road, just north of the Trans-Canada Highway.
Trucker fined for guns found at Osoyoos border crossing
Osoyoos border crossing.—
A South Carolina trucker is paying a fine and is unable to
return to Canada after prohibited and restricted weapons were found in
his truck after lying to border agents in Osoyoos.
Marion Furman Taylor Jr., 55, was sentenced to pay a fine of
$7,500 after pleading guilty to charges of making a false statement at
the border, possession of a loaded, prohibited firearm and possession
unauthorized overcapacity magazines in Penticton Provincial Court on
Sept. 12.
Taylor Jr., a U.S. citizen with no prior record in Canada or
the U.S., was hauling a load of canoes and kayaks into Canada with his
business partner for a U.S. company, Landstar Rover Inc. on April 3.
After an initial inspection by a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
employee, the tractor-trailer was given a secondary inspection after
Taylor Jr. told border security there were no firearms to declare in the
vehicle.
In a duffel bag located under the bottom bunk of the sleeper
cab border agents found a loaded Beretta PX Storm pistol, three loaded,
overcapacity magazines, a box of 50 rounds of .38 ammunition and a
loaded .38 special Smith and Wesson revolver. Also located in the truck
were two canisters of mace, a canister of bear spray as well as a
switchblade, which are prohibited items in Canada. Taylor Jr. admitted
he was the owner of the weapons to border agents after confronted and he was arrested and eventually released — paying $7,000 for the release of his truck.
“It can be taken into account to some extent that the laws in
the United States with respect to firearms are significantly different
than the laws in Canada. That being said, when Mr. Taylor arrived at the
border crossing, I submit, ought to have known that he couldn’t possess
those weapons in Canada,” said Crown counsel Ashleigh Baylis.
Taylor Jr.’s counsel Nelson Selemaj argued for an absolute
discharge, calling the incident a foolish mistake that would not be
repeated by his client — noting that trips to Canada amount to good
business for he and his business partner.
Taylor Jr. told the court he had no malicious intent and simply
forgot the weapons were in his vehicle, as they were legal for him to
possess in the U.S., and as he approached the border it was too late to
turn back.
“My intention of having guns in America, with all the things
that can happen in America, even though I’d never want to shoot or hurt
somebody, I would shoot the weapon to scare them away, as something of a
last resort,” Taylor Jr. said. “I sincerely forgot, I forgot all about
the guns. When we got up to the border I saw the signs that said guns.
Guns, knives, whatever and I turned and said I don’t remember if we took
them out. I couldn’t back up, I couldn’t turn around or do anything.”
Judge Meg Shaw believed that Taylor Jr. did not intend to
smuggle the weapons into Canada for sale or in connection to more
serious offences, but it didn’t take away from the seriousness of the
offence.
“I find he has shown remorse and I find it unlikely he will be
in trouble with the law again,” said Judge Meg Shaw, however she added
she could not grant the discharge.
“It’s extremely serious in Canada to bring guns into this country,” Shaw said.
Taylor Jr. was also given a 10-year firearms prohibition in Canada.
The driver of a tractor-trailer is dead and Highway 401 remains
closed westbound near Gananoque, Ont., after the semi slammed into a
stationary truck and caught fire, police say.
The fiery collision happened at about 5:30 a.m. ET Wednesday when the
westbound tractor-trailer struck a parked safety truck about three
kilometres west of Reynolds Road, according to Ontario Provincial
Police.
The truck was sitting in the closed right lane of the highway at the
time of the crash. Its arrow lights were flashing, and the vehicle was
unoccupied, according to OPP Const. Sandra Barr.
The tractor-trailer then caught fire, requiring several fire departments to respond, police said.
OPP and others examine the crash site where a
tractor-trailer driver died after crashing into a stationary safety
truck on the closed right lane of westbound Highway 401 near Gananoque,
Ont. (Giacomo Panico/CBC)
The driver, who was the lone occupant of the semi, died in the
collision, police said. The identity of the driver has not been
released.
The collision closed both eastbound and westbound lanes on the busy
highway early Wednesday morning, though the eastbound lanes opened
shortly after noon.
The westbound lanes are expected to remain closed until late into the evening with traffic detours remaining in place.
'Heavy rain' was falling
The cause of the crash is so far unknown but weather may have played a role.
"It could be a number of things. I'm told that there was weather at
that point, so we have our technical traffic collision investigators
that will attend the scene along with OPP reconstructionists," Barr
said.
"From what I understand, at that point there was rain — a heavy rain, in fact, at that particular time."
Horn blasts from big rigs as massive truck convoy circles Perimeter Highway
About 200 semi-trailers – hailed as the world's largest truck convoy –
rolled onto Winnipeg's Perimeter Highway Saturday morning to raise
money for Special Olympics Manitoba.
The charity event started at the recreation centre in Oak Bluff and
made their way to circle the roughly 90-kilometre road around the city.
It's the ninth year Joe Calcutt has watched the event and says it has
special significance for him as his 21-year-old son, Cody, is a Special
Olympics athlete.
"He's in track and field, and anything to support my son, I do," Calcutt said.
The convoy is a project of the Law Enforcement Torch Run. Last year the fundraiser netted $60,000 for the cause.
"It's phenomenal," Calcutt added. "The trucking industry has really
come together to help the Law Enforcement Torch Run for the last nine
years … it's just amazing," he said.
Thank you to the 192 amazing truck drivers for participating in the World's Largest Truck Convoy!
Saskatchewan rolling out enhanced drivers' licences
[Courtesy of SGI]
SASKATOON,
SK — Enhanced drivers’ licences using facial recognition points are
finally rolling out in the province of Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan Government Insurance, or SGI, began the transition to
the enhanced licences on Aug. 24, joining early adopters of the
technology in provinces like Ontario, Quebec, B.C. and Manitoba.
The licences are most notable for their holographic headshot, but
includes three new layers of advanced security features. These features
help to prevent identity theft, the creation and distribution of fake ID
cards, and stop people obtaining more than one licence.
Only drivers getting a new licence for the first time, or renewing an
expired licence will get a new card initially. SGI expects it will take
five years to fully roll out the new high-tech cards.
Home Hardware's Winfield is grand champ at driving nationals
Bryon Winfield
BRANTFORD, ON — Less than two months after placing first in the
single tandem division of the Ontario finals, and despite Saturday's
heavy rain, Home Hardware driver Bryon Winfield has earned the title of
Grand Champion at the National Truck Driving Championship.
Winfield previously won the single-tandem class at the Ontario level in 2014, 2012 and 2008.
Not only did Home Hardware produce the 2016 Grand Champion, the
drivers of the famed yellow trucks also combined to win the 2016 team
award.
"I could not be more proud of our professional drivers," said Dennis
Shantz, director of Fleet Services for Home Hardware Stores Limited,
following the team’s Ontario victory. "Great results do not happen by
accident. Our drivers spend numerous hours practicing in the yard during
the week and on weekends leading up to the competition.”
[Courtesy: Home Hardware]
Drivers from provinces across Canada competed in the event at the
municipal airfield in Brantford, Ontario, which hosted drivers in the
nationals for the first time ever.
Rookie of the year at the championship went to Alberta's Robert Smith.
In 2017, the national championship is set to be held in Manitoba.
TUSCALOOSA,
AL – Linda Coffee has been named president of Trucker Buddy
International, to replace the retiring KC Brau, while three new members
have also been added to the association’s board of directors.
The group establishes teacher-supervised pen pal relationships between drivers and students from kindergarten to Grade 8.
Henry Albert, Scott Grenerth and Andrew Mitrisin replace Elisabeth
Barna, KC Brau, Mark Reddig and Steve Sichterman on the board, as their
eight-year terms expire. Albert is an owner-operator, while Grenerth is
director of regulatory affairs for OOIDA, and Mitrisin worked at
AmeriCorps.
Brand Williamson has been elected vice president and Kate Miller is treasurer.
“We want to thank KC, Mark, Elisabeth and Steve for eight tremendous
years of service to Trucker Buddy,” said Randy Schwartzenburg, executive
director. “KC was such a tremendous president, working tirelessly
behind the scenes promoting Trucker Buddy and conducting Trucker Buddy
programs.”
Trucker Buddy International has since 1992 connected more than a
million school children to truck drivers. The work is funded entirely by
sponsorships and donations.
It is fair to say that attracting youth to the trucking industry has
been a long-standing problem. How do we make it sexy? How do we
communicate what is good about the trucking industry? Or more
importantly, how do we dispel any misconceptions that might exist? It is
a challenge for everyone in the industry, and it’s no different for
private fleets.
Unfortunately, everyone can recognize it’s a challenge, however we all
struggle with what the next steps to resolving it should be.
With the re-launch of our Young Leaders Group (YLG), the PMTC is
taking a step in that direction. The YLG’s mandate is to assist in the
development of young leaders in the industry. It seeks to provide
opportunities for education, networking, business development and
personal growth for those seen as the next wave of leadership in
trucking. By extension, it will use media and tactics targeted at youth.
As the network grows, so will the level of attention for youth both
already in the industry, and those who we hope to attract to come into
it. The long-term goal is to help create an environment that brings to
the forefront what is great about the trucking industry.
The key for the YLG is to keep its presence in the news and on social
media, and to target not only those already in the industry, but to get
their messages out to those outside of the industry who we need to
attract into it. A steady trickle of information and events to keep them
in the forefront of peoples’ minds, through the use of different
channels of social media, as well as traditional media. Who better to
know how to get the message out to the youth, but the youth itself? The
YLG already has multiple events and sessions planned.
The first of these is an information and brainstorming session at
Sleeman Brewery in Guelph. The event is for YLG members only, and is a
first in a series of events hosted by the YLG in the coming months.
After the session at Sleeman, the YLG is sponsoring a “Biz and
Breakfast” seminar. This event is being held in Milton, Ont. and will
cover topics such as fatigue management, sleep apnea and will also
present new research which shows correlations between driver-related
human errors and personality traits.
After this, the YLG is sponsoring a session on effective social media
on Oct. 20. The idea is to help all understand not only how to
effectively use social media, but to also understand some of the
pitfalls. If we can all become better marketers of the industry, it will
go a long way towards ensuring we attract more youth to it.
These are only the first three events planned. The YLG is looking to
target its demographic with fun networking and development opportunities
moving forward. The goal will be to create a sustainable model of both
attracting youth to the industry and helping them grow as well. Another
great benefit to being a YLG member is the access that is gained to the
PMTC Board of Directors, as young leaders are always invited as guests
to our board meetings and invited to attend our conference and seminars.
Let’s also remember the YLG Education Bursary, which awards two young
leaders with more than $1,500 in funding to complete courses that count
towards the PMTC Logistics Management Graduate Program.
Mike Colwell, the PMTC’s new Young Leaders Group chairman, and his
executive team of Matt Richardson, Elias Demangos and Mathew Mares, have
been working hard over the last year and have done a tremendous job
setting forth the vision and mission of the group.
I have complete faith that this group is going to do an amazing job
of attracting youth to our industry, and getting the youth that is
already in our industry more involved.
If you are interested in learning more about the PMTC Young Leaders
Group, or any of the seminars or programs mentioned above, contact our
office at info@pmtc.ca, or call 905-827-0587.
Trucking HR Canada to host event designed for female truck drivers
OTTAWA, Ont. — Trucking HR Canada is calling all female truck
drivers to its latest networking event called Driver Connect &
Share.
The event will be held on Saturday, November 12, 2016, from 9:00am to 1:00pm, at the Sandman Signature Hotel Toronto Airport.
Joanne Millen-Mackenzie will open the event, sharing her
perspectives, knowledge and learnings from close to 25 years behind the
wheel. As Canada’s first female Highway Star of the Year, and champion
of Trucking for a Cure, Millen-Mackenzie is a known mentor and leader
for others in the industry. The event will also include a panel
discussion, including driver mentors and mentees sharing their
experiences and insights.
“The Driver Connect & Share event is a direct response to
feedback we continue to receive that female drivers want something
specific to their issues,” said Angela Splinter, CEO of Trucking HR
Canada. “The women with drive initiative is delivering on supporting and
encouraging female drivers in the workforce.”
The Women with Drive initiative was launched to support the
industry in attracting, recruiting, and retaining more women in the
trucking workforce. As well, the initiative is guided by a national
advisory committee with employer representation from across the country.
To learn more about the Driver Connect & Share event, reserve
your seat, and to download additional mentorship materials, visit the
Trucking HR Canada website at: www.truckinghr.com. Source of article click here: Truck News
UPS driver shares tips after 25 years collision-free
Rohan Stephens was presented with the UPS Circle of Honor blazer Wednesday alongside 17 other Ontario recipients
VAUGHAN,
ON — Along with a big smile, Rohan Stephens has a big number 25 patch
on his new khaki UPS blazer. It marks the number of years he has driven
the courier service’s famous brown trucks without a single collision.
Stephens was presented with the UPS Circle of Honor blazer Wednesday
alongside 17 other Ontario recipients. Canada, by year’s end, will have
132 UPS inductees within the Circle of Honor, part of some 8,000 UPS
drivers worldwide to claim the 25-year safe driving milestone.
For Stephens, safe driving is all about starting the day off on the righ
Canada,
by year’s end, will have 132 UPS inductees within the Circle of Honor,
part of some 8,000 UPS drivers worldwide to claim the 25-year safe
driving milestone.
t foot, so you don’t end up with a lead one.
He makes sure he gets a solid night’s sleep and is fully decompressed
by the time he gets behind the wheel for his daily deliveries.
“Don’t let driving be a competition,” suggests Stephens, who lives in Brampton, ON.
Stephens says it’s critical to properly communicate with other
drivers on the road by using his vehicle's language: horn, lights and
signals. He keeps his phone in the back seat, and only uses it during
breaks. Of course, there’s always pressure to rush, but just don’t, he
says.
Stephens is a UPS driving mentor and also an instructor with the UPS Road Code
program, which aims, among other things, to teach kids at the Boys and
Girls Clubs of Canada about the dangers of distracted driving. The
program even utilizes driving simulators to really drive home the
importance of proper training.
New Circle of Honor inductees
Three Ontario UPS drivers were also honored Wednesday for 30 years of accident-free driving.
“Every sports organization has its Hall of Fame. Here at UPS, the
Circle of Honor is our Hall of Fame,” said Jerry Iacono, UPS global
health and safety project manager. “You exemplify the best of the best,
and that is what UPS is all about.”
UPS’s top safe driver in 2016 is Michigan package car driver Tom
Camp, who has now driven for 53 years and delivered more than 5 million
packages without an accident.
UPS 10 Point Driving Tips
When stopped in traffic, Have an escape route
When stopped in traffic keep one car
length of space between you and the car in front of you. If the car in
front of you should breakdown you can safely get around them without
backing.
Starting up at Intersections, Keeps you alive at intersections.
Before
entering an intersection look to the left, right, left to make sure no
cars or pedestrians are entering the intersection the same time as you.
1, 2, 3 Second delay at startup, Keeps you away from Billboards.
The
car in front of me begins to move I count 1,2,3 before moving forward.
This builds in my following distance and allows the cross traffic to
clear.
4-6 seconds speed < 30 mph, 6-8 seconds speed > 30 mph following distance. Buys Time
After
the car in front passes a stationary object, I count the time until I
reach that same object. This gives you the time to react to situations
that occur ahead of you.
8-12 Second eye lead time, Centers car in traffic lane
I
pick an object well ahead of my car, where my eyes are focused most of
the time and I count until I reach that object. It's my maintained depth
of vision and will center my car in lane and provide safe path on
turns.
Scanning Steering Wheels, Take path of least resistance
When
you are approaching a parked car, you want to scan the steering wheel
to see if it is occupied. This is because the occupied car may pull out
in front or open their door in front of you.
Stale Green lights, Smooth stops and turns
When
approaching a stale green light pick a point of decision between your
car and the light, when you reach that point if the light is green
proceed without hesitation. If it has turned yellow come to a smooth
stop. Prevents getting hit in the rear and prevents running red lights.
Eye Contact, Establishes eye to eye contact
Use
my horns, lights, signals to gain the attention of anyone along the
edge of my path. This will make sure they see you so that chances are
they will not hit you.
Pulling from curbside, Communicate in traffic, horns, lights, and signals.
Before
pulling away from the curb glance over your left shoulder, this will
clear my blind spot and help keep my eyes moving. Signal before leaving
curbside.
Mirrors and Gauges, Keeps eyes ahead of car
Check
your mirrors and gauges every 5-8 seconds and bring your eyes front 2
seconds. This will allow you to know the situation that surrounds your
vehicle on the road.
KITCHENER, Ont. – DriverCheck turned two whole decades this summer
and to celebrate it treated its clients, staff and associates to a
celebration at its Kitchener location.
The event was one for the books, according to organizers who claimed
that there were approximately 200 visitors in attendance. The day saw a
food truck serving up pulled pork, poutine and burgers, prizes including
a 55-inch flat screen TV, Blue Jays tickets
and more.
“Today is all about thanking all of our staff and our clients that
helped us get to where we are today,” explained Dr. Chris Page,
DriverCheck’s president and founder. “Because really it’s our staff and
our clients that really helped us get to where we are and we have gone
from one trucking company – J&R Hall at the beginning – to now 6,000
companies that we do drug and alcohol testing for.”
Today, DriverCheck does a lot more than just drug and alcohol
testing. It offers a variety of workplace medical testing and
assessments including fatigue management programs and other occupational
health services. But despite the array of services it offers, it
doesn’t exactly look like a typical walk-in clinic. It actually looks
more like a man cave – and that’s exactly what Dr. Page had in mind when
he designed the place himself in 2014. It has big screen TVs, a full
coffee bar and swanky lounge chairs that creates a comfortable, relaxing
atmosphere for drivers to use while they wait for their tests.
“This clinic is medical but it’s not sterile,” he said. “It’s purely
for transportation, it’s designed for the truckers. So the drivers can
just walk in, they don’t have to call ahead and make an appointment or
don’t have to sit beside cough, colds and sore holes.”
Dr. Page said the hope is to replicate these sorts of clinics all across Canada in the future.
Unique to the anniversary event was DriverCheck’s Knowledge Bar,
where attendees could walk up and ask questions related to health
concerns or about DriverCheck itself.
“This is kind of a niche market and people don’t understand how much
we do and sometimes even what we do so it’s a chance for people to ask
questions about what we do and understand all the services we offer,”
explained Connor Page, DriverCheck’s business development manager.
And though the celebration is a milestone for the company that became
a household name in workplace medical testing, the founder is quite
modest.
“To me reaching 20 years means we’ve had a good start,” Dr. Chris Page said.
Ottawa tunnel study to explore banning trucks from core
Environmental assessment will also explore toll option, council decides
The preferred route for a tunnel under Ottawa's downtown
would see traffic go underground in front of the RCMP at Vanier Parkway
and emerge on King Edward Avenue at the Ottawa side of the
Macdonald-Cartier bridge. (City of Ottawa)
The City of Ottawa will look at the feasibility of banning
virtually all truck traffic from the downtown core if a new tunnel gets
the green light.
Ottawa city council directed the mayor Wednesday to approach the
province to help fund an environmental assessment of the tunnel, which
would stretch from the Vanier Parkway exit of Highway 417, under Sandy
Hill and Lowertown, to King Edward Avenue near the MacDonald-Cartier
Bridge.
In August, the 3.4-kilometre tunnel was deemed technically
feasible, and early estimates put the cost of construction in the range
of $1.7 billion to $2 billion.
On Wednesday council also approved a motion by Coun. Allan
Hubley directing city staff to "explore the feasibility of banning all
trucks from the core, with the exception of those making a delivery
inside the core" if the tunnel is constructed.
The motion also requests that the scope of any environmental
assessment for the tunnel explore the possibility of making the tunnel a
toll road.
Few alternatives, mayor says
Watson supports the tunnel option, and has asked
councillors who opposed the funding request to offer up alternatives,
since few options seem to exist.
"It's not a gondola. It's not attaching wings on trucks. It's a bridge or a tunnel," said Watson.
"And we've said 'no' time and time again to the bridge," said Watson,
referring to the various studies exploring possible bridge routes that
never gained traction, partly because of the many levels of government
involved.
Only councillors Riley Brockington and Michael Qaqish voted against the funding request.
Brockington said he wants to be sure there aren't better options to
deal with the truck traffic, including a new interprovincial bridge,
while Qaqish has concerns about the engineering and cost.
"Sandy Hill is called Sandy Hill for a reason," Qaqish said.
OTA produces video on how truckers can share road with cyclists
TORONTO, Ont. – In light of recent incidents involving trucks
and cyclists, the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) have issued a
reminder that safety is everyone’s responsibility and sharing the road
with different types of vehicles is essential.
To emphasize this point, the OTA has produced a video featuring a
professional truck driver, who is also an avid cyclist, sharing safety
tips on how to best share the road.
“Mobility challenges in our cities are increasing,” said OTA CEO,
David Bradley. “The urban population is growing rapidly which is
creating more traffic and more frequent interactions between different
types of vehicles.
“More people are turning to bicycles as a form of transportation,” he
said. “The inclusion of bike lanes and the promotion of
cyclist-friendly strategies is a reality that truck and passenger
vehicle operators must respect when traveling in urban locations. But
also, cyclists must understand and learn that sharing the road with
commercial vehicles on urban streets requires special consideration.”
NBCC Saint John evacuated after transport truck takes down power pole
Grandview Avenue remains blocked to traffic while Saint John Energy crews work to restore power
Traffic on Grandview Avenue remains blocked as Saint John
Energy crews work to clean up the transport truck accident and restore
power. (Matthew Bingley/CBC)
The New Brunswick Community College in Saint John has been evacuated
and traffic on Grandview Avenue is blocked after a transport truck took
down a power pole on Thursday morning.
The truck was pulling into the college's parking lot at about 9:20
a.m., when the trailer caught the lines and brought down the pole, said
Saint John Police Force Sgt. Tom Clayton.
"Unfortunately, it brought them down across the road on Grandview
Avenue and took the power out to the community college," he said.
No one was injured.
Morning classes have been cancelled but the campus could reopen by the afternoon, said Clayton.
Saint John Energy crews are working to clean up the accident and to restore power.
Motorists are being redirected through Champlain Heights or Heather Way.
Hundreds of cars were filing out of the parking lot during the evacuation, said Clayton.
The truck was making a routine delivery, he said.
"We're thinking, through the investigation, that one of the poles,
the lines were sagging, because [the driver] goes there every week and
he's never had a problem. And the truck's no higher than any other truck
that would pull in there."
