TORONTO, Ont. — Ontario Trucking Association president David Bradley has contacted the president of the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, the money behind the marine industry’s Highway H20 campaign, which the OTA says takes a decidedly anti-truck approach.

The campaign includes radio spots with a catchy jingle, a series of billboards and a web site.

Bradley told the Seaway president that his industry was offended by the marine campaign.

Bradley said the Seaway president told him they did not intend to pick on trucks, but they "needed to compare marine to something." And that the motivation behind the program is to raise awareness of the marine sector that has been out of the public mindset for so long.

Bradley said that while that might have been their intention the reality is that OTA members see the campaign as an attack on their industry, using over-simplistic arguments.

Bradley said that if the marine sector wants our freight then they need to: (1) partner with the trucking industry; or (2) improve their service; or (3) focus their campaign on shippers NOT the general public.

Bradley also suggested that it was disingenuous not to make it clear that the Seaway is behind the campaign, or to mention that for about three months of the year the Seaway is shut down.