Is driving a pleasure or it's just the traffic that turns you off?

 If you have ever clutched on to your steering wheel feeling like you are right at home, then you know that driving can give you pleasure like none other.

The joy of being in complete control of your destiny as you ride in your car can even surpass the feeling of happiness you have on receiving online casino bonuses or great discounts at your local store. And the best part? It gets you every time from the time you get your license. Sure, you might feel luckier if you win in an online casino, but the feeling of driving on a highway is something that you just cannot take away.

For most people, driving feels like the only part of the day where they are fully in charge of the situation. You decide when to start the car, the general speed, the road you take and even the parking spot. While the entire process may not be convenient at all times, that is a small price to pay.

Imagine going outdoors to remote camping places with your car. Imagine exploring Canada's beauty, from Quebec to British Columbia to New Brunswick with just your car - it's something you would absolutely love.

The Other Side

While you will always enjoy the lush green trees or those beautiful roads and the scenery you can see when going on a trip, driving daily can take a toll on you too.

However, driving does not appeal to a large section of people anymore because of the increasing amount of traffic on roads. Sitting behind the wheel at every signal with cars honking left and right is not necessarily something they want to wake up to.

When you throw the rising fuel prices and oppressive speed and parking regulations into the mix, you can get an idea why so many people are giving up on the idea of driving their own cars.

What Should You Do?

Do not drive if you are not feeling well. Instead, use the public transportation system once a while. Additionally, never drink and drive; it cannot only let you fall in trouble but also lead to accidents.

The last few years have seen a rise in aggression and violence in the streets, and that is not encouraging for drivers who want to avoid trouble. Since most of us consider our cars to be an extension of our homes, we do not like it when the personal space is invaded by other drivers and traffic police.

Traffic and excessive congestion have been known to cause stress and anxiety which explains why even the calmest of people tend to get hyper when driving.

At the end of the day, there is no feeling like sailing down the road in your own territory but you have to make a few adjustments if you want a smooth experience.

Four bison killed after they were hit by a truck on Highway 3 last week will feed community members in Fort Providence, N.W.T. 

Two bison were killed instantly by the truck. The other two were injured, then later killed by renewable resource officers.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources received a report of the incident on April 5. According to RCMP, the crash happened 80 kilometres north of Fort Providence, at marker 105. The collision was reported by the driver involved, who RCMP are still looking to speak with as of Tuesday afternoon.

A couple from Yellowknife, Richard and Rebecca Birch, saw the dead bison on the side of the road while driving on the highway the following day. They said they were concerned as they hadn't heard any reports about the incident.

"It's just kind of a shock, you don't normally see that on the roads," said Richard, adding he didn't notice any evidence of a crash. "When you hit something that big you can wind up off the road, or you know, smash you up."

Curtis stated the two young bulls, one cow and one male calf, were skinned, butchered and removed from the site on April 6. The meat was to be distributed to elders and other community members in Fort Providence.

Curtis reminded drivers to use caution when driving on the highway. Any accidentally killed or seriously wounded big game must be reported within 24 hours to a renewable resource officer, or regional department office.

Source of article click here : CBC NEWS

Lippert Components has introduced a line of adjustable sheet sets designed to fit the wider, longer mattresses commonly found in Class 8 sleepers.

The somnum adjustable twin XL sheets are made of a soft brushed microfiber, but the fitted sheet also has a unique drawstring to secure a snug fit for unconventional mattresses and shapes, up to 42 inches wide.

It offers an alternative to buying oversized sheet sets, the company says. These sheets cinch to the actual width and length of the mattress, without the need to tie up extra material. Each set includes an extra-large top sheet, an adjustable bottom sheet with integrated drawstring, and two standard pillowcases.

The sheets are available through Freightliner and Western Star, as well as select distributors.

Source of article click here : Today's Trucking

The Digby to Saint John ferry, the MV Fundy Rose, isn’t just used for tourists.

Local seafood and trucking companies rely on the ferry for easier access to New Brunswick year-round.

“This time of year, the roads are the worst, the weathers not the best and it makes a longer trip for my drivers,” said Brian Reynolds of Reynolds trucking in Port La Tour.

The ferry has been closed since January 24. Service was originally supposed to be back up and running in early March, then it was pushed back to late March.

Service was supposed to be restored April 10 then, late April 8, Bay Ferries announced the service would not be back up and running until April 26.

"Bay Ferries Limited and The Government of Canada have capital, maintenance and repair projects ongoing concurrently at the Saint John, New Brunswick and Digby, Nova Scotia ferry terminals as well as upgrades aboard the MV Fundy Rose," Bay Ferries said in a press release on April 8. "Due to a number of factors, including weather, completion of the project on the Saint John terminal facility must be extended." 

The MV Fundy Rose is owned by Transport Canada and leased to Bay Ferries Ltd. 

Transport Canada said in an email the fenders on the Saint John ferry terminal are being replaced because they were at the end of their service life.

Transport Canada said they are working closely with the project’s contractors to ensure there are no further delays.

“Three months is too long,” said Reynolds.

This is the longest closure of the ferry he remembers.

Reynolds was relying on the service to open back up on April 10, so he could give some of his drivers vacation time. Now, the drivers he has available will have to work harder to make up for the delay.

For Southwestern Nova Scotia truck drivers trying to get to Saint John, they have to drive through Truro and the Cobequid Pass, to Sussex and then they arrive in Saint John.

“It’s an extra seven hours driving one way, 14 all together. And it’s not necessary,” he said.

It’s not just the trucking industry hurting, it’s the product suppliers that the trucks ship for too, he said.

“It hurts all around, everyone has to meet their deadlines.”

Transport Canada said the project is taking longer than expected due to weather conditions and a delay in getting some materials for the project.

Some companies are looking for answers on why Transport Canada did not have the supplies ready for the project before the closure.

The truck involved in a Saskatchewan crash that killed 15 people and injured 14 more belonged to a company based in Calgary. 

A spokesperson for Alberta Transportation said the company, Adesh Deol Trucking Ltd., has an unblemished safety record in the province since being formed in September 2017, with no violations and two inspections.

Based on the Saskatchewan collision, however, the company's safety certificate has been suspended.

Brian Mason, Alberta's transportation minister, said the investigation and suspension are standard procedure.

"This is automatic in a serious case like this and the licence of the company to operate has been suspended pending the outcome," he said. "Primarily the investigation is being conducted by the Saskatchewan Department of Transportation and the Saskatchewan RCMP and we don't want to say anything that could interfere with that."

Sukhmander Singh, who owns the trucking company, said he travelled to Saskatoon to pick the driver up after the crash and return him to his home in Calgary.

The driver — who Singh said is about 30 years old — was not injured in the crash, but Singh said it has taken a heavy emotional toll on him.

"The guy is in counselling … not sleeping well, not eating well," he said. 

"Really upset. Me too. I'm sorry for this."

Singh said he had given the man two weeks of training and he had been driving on his own for that company for two weeks before the crash happened. 

Singh said the driver was on his way to Melfort, Sask., when the crash happened and he was carrying a load of peat moss.

Alberta Transportation will conduct its own probe into the crash, but that can't be completed until the Saskatchewan investigation is done.

"We can look at the stuff we can look at, but of course they have the log books and so on and will have them for some time ... they're not available to us," said Mason.

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The company does have one Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance inspection defect from the Northwest Territories for violating the federal hours of service regulation.

"This is a minor infraction," said a spokesperson for Alberta Transportation. "If it happened in Alberta, the sanction might be to ensure that the driver took time to rest."

The company operates two trucks.

The driver of the truck was not injured in the April 6 crash that claimed 15 lives and injured 14 people. The driver was detained by police for a short time in the immediate aftermath of the crash, then was released and received psychological support.

Source of article click here : CBC NEWS

Photo: VSA Highway Maintenance

Scientists are suspecting that not enough winter in the Arctic has led to too much of it across the rest of Canada.

From Toronto, where ice storms cancelled baseball games, to Calgary where residents this week faced yet another heavy snowfall warning, April 2018 has come to feel like endless winter.

Some climatologists say this is the future — long stretches of freakishly unseasonable weather that flip to something else on a dime.

"It was looking like it was going to be the warmest December on record in Western Canada," said David Phillips, Environment Canada's chief climatologist. "Then it turned on you — several days of -30 C. It was from one extreme to the other."

In Ontario, Ottawa's warmest day so far this year was on Jan. 12 when the temperature hit double digits. That hasn't happened since.

"They had their spring in February," Phillips said.

The East Coast endured five massive nor'easter storms in three weeks.

Why? Icy Arctic air is normally held back by a strong, high-altitude, west-to-east river of air called the jet stream.

The jet stream is powered by the temperature difference between the Arctic and mid-latitudes. But the Arctic is warming faster than anywhere on Earth, especially this year, when temperatures at the North Pole were up to 30 degrees above normal.

That weakens the jet stream. And that, said Rutgers University climatologist Jennifer Francis, is the problem.

"When the jet weakens, it tends to take these bigger north and south swings," she said.

"When it takes one of these big southern swings, it allows all that Arctic cold air to plunge much farther south than it normally would and it tends to stick around there longer."

Hence, ice storms in April.

It's not quite that simple. There are multi-year temperature cycles in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans that have their own impact. The Gulf Stream, which used to reliably move warm water around the Atlantic, is weakening. And this was a La Nina year, when lower sea and air temperatures in the Pacific brought more cold and snow to much of North America.

Evidence for a sea-ice link is building, and at least 15 recent papers have found a connection, Francis said.

"I don't think you'd find a scientist who'd say there's nothing going on. The events that we've seen in the last few years are very consistent with what we'd expect."

Source of article click here : CASTANET

Ontario Provincial Police say Highway 17 was closed between Wahnapitae in the eastern part of Greater Sudbury, and Markstay due to a fatal crash earlier Tuesday. It has re-opened.

Police say one man has died.

Investigators are still looking into the cause of the crash, but say it appears an SUV crossed the centre line into the path of a tractor trailer.

In the western part of Sudbury, Highway 17 has re-opened after a  fatal crash involving a tractor trailer.

Source of article click here : CBC NEWS

Halterm Container Terminal in Halifax made "truck focused" adjustments to its operations this month in response to persistent complaints from truckers about "excessive delays" in turnaround times, CBC News has learned.

"They are extremely busy and that's causing serious delays for us," said Mike Berrigan, president of Guysborough Transfer in Dartmouth.

On April 6, Guysborough Transfer notified its customers using Halterm that effective May 1 it would impose a $75-per-container surcharge to compensate for "excessive delays" in awaiting service at the terminal.

Guysborough Transfer trucks are idle between four and five hours interchanging containers when ships are alongside at Halterm.

The company said waits have been increasing over the past six months.

"We're losing revenue up to maybe $1,500, $1,000 a day. It's quite serious, it certainly hits your bottom line," Berrigan said.

Jean-Marc Picard, executive director of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association, said inconsistent service at Halterm can result in waits from two to eight hours.

"It's costing us a lot of money. It's tying up our equipment, it's tying up our drivers," Picard said from Moncton, N.B. "We can't plan. We can't estimate the cost for certain deliveries of loads and things like that. So it makes us very, very inefficient."

On Friday the trucking association and four transport companies, including Guysborough Transfer, met with Halterm and the Halifax Port Authority to discuss "truck focused" changes made by Halterm on April 9 to address concerns.

"The objective was to address areas which may be causing fluidity issues," said port authority spokesperson Lane Farguson.

"All parties left the meeting satisfied that actions underway will improve the flow of containers to and from the terminal. We expect there will not be additional surcharges."

Those actions include opening the check-in gate an hour earlier every day so trucks are inside the facility when machinery starts moving at 8 a.m.

Berrigan said longshoremen are also now working through breaks and lunch hours.

Halterm moved 600 trucks through the facility by 4:30 p.m.

He now believes there will be no need for a surcharge.

"Right now it's improved to the point where we do not have to charge surcharge. At least my company anyway," Berrigan said.

Halterm did not respond to CBC News inquiries.

Its Facebook page referred to the situation on Monday.

"Truck focused... getting through the jobs already today ..." one post read, in part.

Source of article click here : CBC NEWS

SAINT JOHN, New Brunswick, April 16, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RST and Sunbury Transport of Saint John, N.B. have been recognized by Trucking HR Canada based on positive ratings regarding recruitment and retention practices, workplace culture, compensation, training and skills development, and innovative HR practices.  The selection process included interviews with company drivers, owner operators and staff employees.

“RST and Sunbury have demonstrated a commitment to strong human resources approaches. We commend them for their leadership in showcasing the trucking and logistics industry as a great place to work” says Angela Splinter, Chief Executive Officer.

Top Fleet Employers selection criteria, which has been validated by trucking industry experts, is reviewed annually to ensure an accurate reflection of human resources issues, trends, and today’s working environments. A team of human resources professionals oversee the assessment process.

“This is a team achievement and a tremendous honour for the team at RST and Sunbury Transport,” said Andrew Fisher, General Manager. “Our drivers, our owner operators, our dedicated staff are the lifeblood of our company and we appreciate their commitment to safety and service to our customers. 

Trucking HR Canada will proudly honour, celebrate and recognize the 2018 Top Fleet Employers at its annual Gala Awards Dinner on October 11, 2018 in Toronto.

AT RST and Sunbury Transport, we believe our greatest asset is our employees!  We have an unwavering dedication to deliver a fulfilling, positive work experience and environment.

RST and Sunbury Transport is actively recruiting for Company Drivers and Owner Operators.  Our Operations and Recruitment Team will be attending Truck World from April 19th – 21st, located at the International Centre in 6900 Airport Rd, Mississauga, ON.

Source of article click here : globenewswire

WHITBY, Ont. – Total Transportation Solutions is pulling two eye-catching trailers around Canada and the U.S., to highlight the work of Wounded Warriors Canada.

The organization supports Canada’s ill and injured armed forces members, veterans, first responders and their families. Chris McGregor, owner of Sign Design in Whitby, Ont., wanted to support the organization with a special high-profile trailer wrap. He approached customer Total Transportation, which has been using the company exclusively for all its wraps since the trucking company was founded in 1996.

“Chris made this possible for me,” said Scott Pustai, owner of Total Transportation Solutions. “He made the decision to get involved with Wounded Warriors Canada and to provide a wrap on the vehicles to get the word out and increase their presence. When Chris made the call to me and explained his idea, I don’t think he realized at the time there was a personal connection for me to support an organization like this.”

Two 53-ft. trailers are being wrapped and will be deployed throughout Canada. The first is expected to make its public debut at Truck World. Both will be at the Highway of Heroes Bike Rides to be held concurrently in Ontario and B.C., which is why two trailers were needed. They’ll also be deployed on Total’s regular lanes.

“These will run throughout Canada and the U.S., so it’s going to get wide coverage,” said Pustai. He joked that drivers are already eager to pull the special trailers.

“Already, my drivers are fighting over it,” he said. “I’ve not run into any guy who said, ‘Why are you doing this?’ It’s a no-brainer to me.”

The trailer features images of donors and Wounded Warriors Canada activities. It also showcases the hashtag #InThisTogether.

“In this together is to say, there is way more we as a nation can do for these people who do so much for us,” explained Scott Maxwell, executive director of Wounded Warriors Canada. “We need to work in partnership, and look at this collectively. Look at what the public sector can do and is doing, and the private sector, and bring everyone on the same team. To realize we are stronger when we are working together and are stronger when we’re in this together. That’s the essence of what this initiative means.”

First responders from Durham region were on-hand to celebrate the unveiling of the first trailer. For info on Wounded Warriors, visit www.woundedwarriors.ca.

Source of article click here : Truck News

The driver of a tractor trailer died at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth Thursday from injuries sustained in an early morning two-vehicle accident on U.S. 81/287 just north of Farm Road 407.

Juan Jasso, 36, of Bedford died in the emergency room of the hospital after being flown there by medical helicopter.

Department of Public Safety Trooper Patrick Garcia said the tractor trailer hauling a tanker with diesel and a white Mercury Montego were northbound on U.S. 81/287.

“We’re not sure why [the truck driver] took evasive action,” Garcia said. “The 18-wheeler lost control, started into a side roll, struck the passenger car from the rear and then proceeded to roll into the median.”

The driver of the tractor trailer was flown to JPS where he died. The driver of the Mercury, Joe Frerichs, 21, of Bowie was taken to JPS by ambulance and suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Diesel leaked out of the tanker following the crash. Crews were brought in to clean up the leaked material. Another crew worked into the evening Thursday to remove soil from the median.

The accident occurred shortly before 5 a.m. and snarled traffic in both directions on U.S. 81/287 for several hours. Northbound traffic was diverted onto the service road at FM 407 for several miles.

Source of article click here : WCMessenger

TORONTO, Ont. – Canadian spot market load volumes are soaring, as shown by TransCore’s Loadlink data.

The year has started with high truckload volumes in all Canadian regions, TransCore reported, with the total number of loads posted and cross-border load volumes significantly outperforming any previous quarter on record.

March volumes were up 6% compared to February and were 39% stronger year-over-year.

First quarter volumes were up 41% over a strong Q4 2017, and increased 62% year-over-year. Alberta led the growth with a 41% increase in load volumes quarter-over-quarter. Western Canada saw load volumes spike 38%, Ontario 37%, Quebec 36%, and Atlantic Canada 30%.

Load volumes in January, February and March were the highest ever recorded by Loadlink, TransCore reported. The highest month for load volumes was recorded in January. Truck postings also increased, by 15% compared to February. But they were still 28% lower than in March 2017.

The truck-to-load ratio was 0.92, meaning there were more loads available than trucks to haul them. It was up slightly from 0.85 in February, but the ratio was 1.78 trucks for every load in March 2017.

Source of article click here : Truck News