Year closes with record-breaking freight volumes

TORONTO, ON – Canadian freight volumes closed out 2017 in record-breaking fashion reports TransCore Link Logistics. The company says Canadian and cross-border freight volumes saw unprecedented growth in the last quarter of the year. Volumes were up by 51% year-over-year, and 9% compared to the previous quarter.

New transportation Minister in Ontario

TORONTO, ON -  Ontario is getting a new Minister of Transportation. In a cabinet shuffle happening today, Premier Kathleen Wynne is moving Minister Steven Del Duca from the transportation portfolio to Economic Development, and has tapped Minister Kathryn McGarry to replace him.

Lack of parking affects driver health; survey needs respondents

TORONTO, ON – A lack of truck parking in Southern Ontario is affecting driver health according to the preliminary results of a survey on the issue. More than 1,000 drivers have responded to the survey on truck parking being conducted for the Ontario Ministry of Transportation to asses the needs of drivers, but the survey's adminstrator Ted Harvey is hoping for 2,000 more to answer questions before the Feb. 28 deadline.

Creative solutions may be needed for capacity market: FTR

BLOOMINGTON, IN – FTR Intelligence is predicting the strong start for trucking in 2018 will continue, leaving fleets to get creative when solving the problems created by a market already at capacity. Avery Vise, vice president trucking research, says although fuel rates leveled in the first week of the new year, they aren’t expected to drop dramatically in the near future, contributing to record-level spot rates and rising contract rates he expects will peak and then fall sometime in late 2018 or early 2019, but will still remain high. The reefer market was also up in the first week of 2018, with a polar vortex creating an increased need for temperature-controlled transport to keep products from freezing.

Heavy-hauling heavy hitters join forces

QUEBEC, QC – QSL, Groupe Robert (Watson and Sycamore), and Express Mondor are joining forces to create Mondor-Watson – one of Eastern Canada’s largest heavy-hauling and oversized marine and land transportation consortiums. QSL will hold the majority of the shares, while Mondor’s team will be responsible for daily operations. Groupe Robert, meanwhile, will offer its expertise in transportation and logistics as well as establishing synergies with the rest of its network. QSL has a stevedoring network spanning Eastern Canada to the heart of North America, offering logistics services for ships, trucks, and railcars. Groupe Robert has 3,500 employees delivering logistics, distribution, and transportation services. Express Mondor has 170 employees focusing on specialized and oversized ground transport in Canada and the U.S.

ATA thanks retiring Transportation Chairman

WASHINGTON, DC – Fleets doing business across the border will see a new make-up to a major United States Regulatory body come November. Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure…

Proposed U.S. law aims to prevent underride crashes

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A Senate bill sponsored from members on both sides of the aisle is calling for mandatory impact guards on the side and front of trucks, as well as upgraded rear-guards in the United States. NBC News is reporting the Stop Underrides Act, introduced by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Sen. Marco Rubio, and Rep. Steve Cohen, would prevent passenger vehicles from being crushed underneath heavy-duty commercial vehicles in a collision.

CPC Logistics acquires In Transit Personnel

MISSISSAUGA, ON – Ontario-based In Transit Personnel has been acquired by CPC Logistics Canada. A truck driver and warehouse personnel services company, CPC’s Canadian division says it expects In Transit…

No new tax with N.B. carbon fund

DIEPPE, NB – As promised, the final version of New Brunswick’s carbon pricing program won’t add an additional tax to consumers. In a plan released by the government just days…

Exemption for CBs extended

TORONTO, ON - Drivers in Ontario can hang onto their CB radios for a little while longer, thanks to a temporary reprieve from a law that would have permanently silenced the units in the new year. An Ontario Ministry of Transportation representative says CBs won't be taken out of cabs until January 1, 2021 - a three-year extension on the earlier January 1, 2018 deadline - to "allow for the development of more viable hands-free technologies." As the first jurisdiction to make the wired CB radio illegal in moving vehicles, Ontario said it was doing so because the devices were a dangerous distraction to drivers. The latest delay is on top of the five-year timeline that was originally introduced to come up with alternatives. The continued exemption will allow the radios to be used by roadside assistance and service vehicles, taxis, street cars, delivery and courier vehicles, and drivers of construction or commercial motor vehicles. It applies to radios mounted on dashboards or worn on clothing. After the new exemption expires, the radios will be off limits for everyone except law enforcement officers, firefighters, and provincial offenses officers.

IN PRINT — Sleep Well: Researchers focusing on driver sleep

TORONTO, ON -- For most people, the time-honored New Year's resolution to get healthier will be toast by mid-February. But if you're determined to focus on health and wellness in 2018, experts say you should sleep on it.

Wildfires not affecting freight volumes: FTR

LOS ANGELES, CA - While some of the wild weather of 2017 had a dramatic impact on freight movements in parts of the United States, the Thomas wildfires moving through California isn't having an impact, according to analysts at FTR Intelligence. Hurricanes Harvey and Irma affected movements in the Gulf Region of the southern U.S. during the fall, but FTR says the current fire, which has destroyed more than 270,000 acres of land triggering the evacuations of thousands, has not disrupted freight so far.

Gallagher appointed president at Jake

BLOOMFIELD, CN - Dennis Gallagher is the new president at manufacturer Jacobs Vehicle Systems (JVS). Gallagher will direct all facets of JVS's global operations while meeting JVS's short- and long-term strategic initiatives. "We are confident that Dennis will bring a combination of keen business acumen and strong leadership skills to our organization," stated Pat Murphy, senior vice president, fortive automation and specialty and sensing technologies.

U.S. trailer orders up in November: FTR

BLOOMINGTON, IN – November saw net trailer orders in the United States rise 34% over the month before according to FTR Intelligence. Analysts said orders topped 42,600 units for the…

Bradley to join Titanium Board

BOLTON, ON - Titanium Transportation Group has appointed David Bradley to its board as an independent director. Bradley, outgoing president and CEO of the Ontario Trucking Association and the Canadian Trucking Alliance, will assume the new role on Jan. 1, where he will be joining the company's audit committee. A significant presence in the trucking industry for more than three decades, Bradley was responsible for leading key initiatives including the introduction of mandatory speed limiter activation, a universal electronic logging device (ELD) mandate, and mandatory entry level training (MELT) for truck drivers.