Jim Park
Jim Park was a CDL driver and owner-operator from 1978 until 1998, when he began his second career as a trucking journalist. During that career transition, he hosted an overnight radio show on a Hamilton, Ontario radio station and later went on to anchor the trucking news in SiriusXM's Road Dog Trucking channel. Jim is a regular contributor to Today's Trucking and Trucknews.com, and produces Focus On and On the Spot test drive videos.
Switchin’ to Glide: Registering glider kits could be a problem
TORONTO, Ont. -- There are hundreds if not thousands of trucks rumbling across this land that aren't really trucks at all. They are legally defined as "an assemblage of parts" that someone has bolted together and turned into a truck. Otherwise known as glider kits, these vehicles create headaches for regulators -- and some may soon cause their owners a little grief as well.
Will in-cab cameras survive privacy challenges?
TORONTO, Ont. -- Canada has a lot of workplace privacy legislation on the books, some of which can be applied to driver-facing cameras. Some jurisdictions seem favorably disposed to the video monitoring of operators (drivers) in safety-sensitive positions, while others suggest cameras might be OK, as long as no other reasonable mechanism exists to achieve the same results.
Driving Force: Axles are at the heart of an electric revolution
TORONTO, Ont. -- We're at the dawn of a new era in the propulsion of heavy trucks. Electric powertrains are opening new packaging and integration possibilities, including driven axles. Traditional transmissions, driveshafts, power dividers or differentials are no longer required.
Deep Trouble: Repairing trucks and trailers after a flood
TORONTO, Ont. -- Water isn't kind to electronics or brakes or air systems or engines. The last thing short of a fire you could want to happen to your truck is to have it submerged in flood. Actually, a fire might be preferable -- the damage is obvious, and you'll get less argument from the insurance company about replacing it.
