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Viewpoint: National Truck Week 2015
National Trucking Week, celebrated September 6 to 12 this year, is a good time to consider the truck driving occupation and what we can do to encourage the best candidates to enter a demanding and essential career that requires judgment, planning, know-how and a host of other skills. Unlike autonomous vehicles, drivers may be called upon to react quickly to unexpected incidents on the road, bringing all their varied experience about their equipment, the load they're hauling, and road conditions into play. The question is, is the trucking industry appealing to enough quality candidates to meet our needs today - and in the future? Planners of large-scale projects in Northern BC are realizing the pool of available drivers is diminishing at a time when they need it to grow. A report developed by a liquefied natural gas (LNG) provincial working group identifies "truck driver" is the 7th most in-demand occupation to complete these projects. Today, there are about 300,000 truck drivers in Canada - that's 1 percent of the population and 1.5 percent of the labour force. In BC, most truck drivers are male (96 percent), and nearly half (47 percent) are between the ages of 45 and 64. With less interest in the career from young men, the traditional labour pool for trucking, governments are funding programs to train women and Aboriginal candidates to be competent for the occupation.
Heads Up! Brake Safety Week Starts Now
GREENBELT, MD - As Canada is celebrating National Trucking Week Sept 6-12, one of the biggest industry safety events of the year will also be underway throughout North America with another right around the corner. Law enforcement agencies will conduct brake system inspections on large trucks and buses to identify out-of-adjustment brakes and brake-system violations as part of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's (CVSA) Brake Safety Week. The event is an annual outreach and enforcement campaign, organized by this group representing local, state, provincial, territorial and federal motor carrier safety officials and trucking industry representatives from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.
Westport and Fuel Systems Solutions Announce Merger
VANCOUVER, BC and NEW YORK, NY -- Westport Innovations Inc. and Fuel Systems Solutions Inc. on Tuesday jointly announced the companies have entered into a merger agreement to create an alternative fuel vehicle and engine company. The move comes after the two companies combined lost US$43.7 million in the first half of 2015, according to Transport Topics newspaper. Westport has a publicly stated goal of reaching break even by the middle of 2016 and the merger would only strengthen the company's ability to meet this goal, said a news release. The companies anticipate closing the transaction in the fourth quarter of 2015. Westport and Fuel Systems will operate as separate companies until that time.
