Drivers ‘deserve to be trained’, says BC widow calling for nation-wide standards

FALKLAND, B.C. – Pattie Babij is on a mission to make new driver training mandatory nation-wide. It’s been a difficult year for Babij. A little more than 12 months ago her husband Steve was driving his truck near Revelstoke, B.C. when another semi crossed the median and hit him head on – neither he nor the couple’s dog Zak survived the crash. To add to the grief, she’s being forced to sell her dairy farm because she’s unable to run it without her husband’s help.

Lowering the CDL age in the U.S. a mistake: OOIDA

GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. – The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) is calling on the U.S. House of Representatives to block efforts to lower the age at which a commercial driver’s…

NAFTA deal this month or not this year: Lighthizer

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A deal on NAFTA will be reached before the end of the month, or not until 2019 says U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer. Lighthizer will be meeting…

ATA to Congress: eliminate ‘patchwork’ of break and rest periods in the U.S.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The American Trucking Associations (ATA) is calling a move to unify rest and break periods for transportation workers in the United States a good one. A regulatory…

Day & Ross execs run the Boston Marathon

It's a run-derful life for Doug Tingley and Joel Clarke-Ames HARTLAND, N.B. – Most drivers wouldn’t call the trip from New Brunswick to Boston extensive, but for runners getting there it can be a long haul. The world’s oldest annual marathon played host this year to two executives from Day & Ross – president Day & Ross Freight, Doug Tingley, and director of operations Day & Ross supply chain and trade networks, Joel Clarke-Ames.

Texas driver gets life in smuggling deaths

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – A Texas truck driver will serve life in prison in the deaths of 10 people attempting to illegally immigrate to the United States last July. James…

Updated: Charities hit Truck World for a good cause

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Maxine Shantz says all it took was one year of volunteering with the Special Olympics Convoy and she was hooked. The Home Hardware employee took on tasks with the GTA branch of the project six years ago and has been more involved every year since. Including spending a day in the charity’s Truck World booth recruiting drivers, selling raffle tickets to raise money for the cause, and raising awareness. Shantz says the booth at the biennial convention brings good exposure to the cause, forming a sense of community for drivers around the event and shines a light on the good things drivers do in a climate where they are often portrayed in the media as the bad guys after incidents on the road.

What’s that in your bag? Swag

Gratuit. Livre. Zadarmo. However you say it, it’s free. At conventions it’s the Stuff We All Get - SWAG. At every trucking convention, nearly every booth features some kind of giveaway, and Truck World 2018 was no different. With more than 500 exhibitors - including more than 75 companies in the two-day recruiting pavilion – my mission was clear: hit every booth and come away with as much free stuff as possible. There was one simple rule – I couldn’t take for anything that wasn’t available to everyone. I didn’t include draws where there was only one prize awarded at the end, but did include gifts which required something from the giftee, as long as it was a simple ask and there were enough prizes for most people who completed the task. I also included prizes available only to children, although I didn’t take them home with me.

Nearly half of drivers report exceeding HoS to find parking

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. -- There’s no doubt about it - North America has a truck parking problem. With the introduction of mandatory electronic logging devices (ELD) in the U.S. last December the issue has become critical.

Westcan driver named 2018 Highway Star

TORONTO, Ont. – Doug McGowan of Westcan Bulk Transport has been named the 2018 Highway Star of the Year – recognizing Canada’s top truck driver or owner-operator. Selected through a…

Don’t discount AOBRDs yet says speaker

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. -- Mandatory electronic logging devices (ELD) are on the horizon for Canadian drivers, but Rihard Suler thinks fleets should consider holding off on upgrading to their systems for as long as they can.

Makin named fleet maintenance manager of the year

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. -- Jason Makin is just another good Kingston boy. Nine years ago, after a career as a technician with the Canadian Forces followed by some time at Toyota Motor Company, Makin and his wife decided to return to their hometown in Eastern Ontario. He took a job as the fleet maintenance manager with Cruikshank Construction. Nearly a decade later Makin is the Volvo Fleet Maintenance Manager of the year for 2018. Makin made the drive to the Canadian Fleet Maintenance Summit (CFMS) to be presented with the award.

Will the future include one SIM to rule them all?

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. -- The future of connected trucks lies in integration and reducing the number of entry points into a truck, according to industry experts. Speaking on a morning panel about data and “the internet of trucks” at the Canadian Fleet Maintenance Summit, Ric Bedard of Cetaris said some of his projects involved more than 400 connection and integration points because each technology manufacturer has its own proprietary system. That disjointed technology leads to problems ranging from a flood of data that is almost unusable, to introducing more access points for potential cybersecurity attacks.

GINCOR and Schmitz partner to bring new trailer to Canada

Mattawa, Ont. – GINCOR Truck and Trailer Werx is partnering with Schmitz Cargobull to bring the company’s temperature control technology to the Canadian market. GINCOR President and CEO Luc Stang…

New data security conference coming from ATA

ARLINGTON, Va. – A new conference aimed at helping fleets protect themselves in the digital world is debuting in June, hosted by the American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council.