What’s eating Canada’s trucking CEOs?

The TruckNews.com survey about the biggest challenges facing Canadian trucking executives in 2023 is a rich menu of column ideas. In the last issue, I covered two of them—people problems…

Trucking executives offered some words from the wise

As 2022 came to an end, TruckNews.com asked some of the country’s top trucking executives to list the biggest challenges they’ll face this year. My pal Scott Tilley, president…

Reasons to be happy after another year in trucking

What a roller-coaster ride the last 12 months have been. Let’s welcome 2023! At this time last year, the trucking industry was riding the tailwinds of the biggest freight boom…

Today’s spot market includes unique dynamics

For a long time “spot” was the dirtiest four-letter word in freight. Loads went to load boards and brokers after every carrier in the shipper’s routing guide had given them…

Customers trace shipments when they don’t trust carriers

When you’re a columnist, public relations folks send you emails pitching topics to write about. Most are quickly routed to the junk folder. Lately my inbox is filling up with…

Legacy carriers and newcomers have created two trucking industries

Earlier this summer I accepted a speaking gig at the Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario’s annual conference. The session, “Making cents (sense) of our industry,” was intended to be…

It’s time to end pay by the mile

No conversation about safety would be complete without a look at how we pay our drivers. Yet pay and safety are rarely mentioned in the same sentence. Many stakeholders, including…

Staying safe out there is harder than ever

I was touring a big distribution center recently and saw something that made me question whether I’d ever feel safe getting back on the highway. I watched someone who was…

Is the economic tide turning for trucking?

Truckers have been riding an epic wave of demand. But the tide is turning. Are we in a freight recession? Are we reverting to pre-pandemic supply chain patterns? Opinions are shifting fast. No…

It’s the right time for ‘Choose to Truck’

By all accounts the Canadian Trucking Alliance’s Choose to Truck campaign is knocking it out of the park. Image problems have plagued our industry for decades. I remember getting routinely…

Supply chain M&A activity will continue with a few twists

Based on sheer deal volume, last year was a record year for supply chain M&A. According to industry specialists Left Lane Associates, there were 53 announced deals that involved Canadian…

Moving from the C-Suite to ‘see ya’

As trucking leaders age, many aren’t prepared to retire or sell, even when they can see it’s time to pass the reins to the next generation. My magic moment came…

Brace for a wild ride in 2022

Last year was the best of times for truckers. It was the biggest freight boom in over two decades and every shipper in town was your new best friend. Most…

It’s time for trucking music and a movie

With the holidays approaching, it’s a great time to relax and lighten things up. There is no better way to celebrate our industry this season than to reflect on some…

How to hire a sales rep

Fleet owners often ask if I know of any sales reps with a big book of business who are looking for a new home. I…