Prepare your fleet for a pandemic pivot

While coaching my kids in minor hockey I was introduced to the concept of pivoting. On the ice, it’s a very effective skating tactic to elude the competition where a…

The promise and shortcomings of autonomous tech

Every truck driver knows what to do when they come to an S-curve: take it easy, accelerate gradually through the turns, and then get back up to speed. In technology,…

Should you lease or buy trucks?

When I purchased my first truck 25 years ago, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. The lease I signed for one truck could’ve bought me a small…

How to survive a post-Covid supply chain

Congratulations to Canadians whose collective response to the Covid crisis has been ranked among the best in the world. As we slowly reopen the economy I’m seeing signs of stability…

The office will be a different place when doors re-open

As the coronavirus curve continues to flatten, so does the enthusiasm for working exclusively from home. The office is a community and cultural place where chit-chat at the water cooler…

Prepare for more trucking industry work at home

There is no sugarcoating the reality that the world is in the throes of a deep recession. Not a trucker on the planet has experienced anything remotely close to this.

Lasting benefits will emerge in the Covid-19 fight

March felt like it had 120 days. Most Canadians passed the time social distancing while stressing about health, family and finances. Truckers, meanwhile, have been out there on the…

Now is not the time to isolate your business

With the ongoing freight recession and the chaos triggered by the COVID-19 crisis, you have to wonder how many more blows Canada’s trucking industry can take. Experts who said…

Prepare your fleet for a pandemic

Little did I know while writing last month’s column on “potential speed bumps for supply chains in 2020” that we’d start the year on the cusp of a pandemic. Hopefully…

Supply chain faces speed bumps in 2020

My favorite quote from The Irishman is when legendary Teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa, played by Al Pacino, bellows to a group of truck drivers at an organizing meeting, “If you got it, a truck brought it!” Ironically, until I watched the trucking/mob flick over the holidays, I thought that iconic saying was a trucking association tagline. The quote also speaks to the realities of being a trucker.

Opinion: Is your truck fleet ready to sell?

I was 47, and like many entrepreneurs of my vintage, most of my net worth was tied up in my trucking company, MSM Transportation. I was starting to think about how to turn that equity into long-term financial security for my family. Four weeks after that chance meeting in the Air Canada lounge, an offer to buy MSM rolled off the fax machine. My head was spinning!

Opinion: Join in the fight against human trafficking

The industry has a role to play in the fight against human trafficking, and Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) can help.

Opinion: Bad ink shouldn’t be a permanent stain

The first weekend in October started like every other weekend: my chair, an espresso, and TSN SportsCenter. Then I picked up the Saturday Globe and Mail.

Opinion: What’s behind the U.S. trucking bankruptcies?

In the first half of this year, 640 U.S. trucking companies shut their doors. Just 175 companies did that in the same period last year. Do you wonder why?

Opinion: Truck fleets should quit ‘disturb me’ marketing

Historically the trucking industry has relied on outbound marketing to attract new business. But inbound marketing can be an effective tool for fleets.