OBAC’s Ritchie taking a few “liberties” of her own on speed limiter debate

Think the debate over speed limiters in Ontario is over now that the province is enforcing the regulation? Think again.
In her latest editorial “Civil Libertarians? Darn tootin’ I am” in the upcoming issue of Truck News, Joanne Ritchie, head of the Owner-Operators Business Association, comes out swinging over certain remarks Ontario Trucking Association vice president Doug Switzer made recently regarding lingering opposition to the law.
Ritchie takes great offense at Switzer’s characterization of those opposed to speed limiters as “civil libertarians” similar to those who fought seatbelt and motorcycle helmet laws. And she then proceeds to tear a strip off Switzer and the OTA for their dismissive stance and support of speed limiters and the Ontario government for buying into OTA’s arguments.
All fine and good – nothing wrong with a good debate and Ritchie is an experienced debater. It’s part of the reason we run her column in Truck News, even if some of us don’t always agree with what she has to say. And any law passed can still be changed if proven to be ineffective.
Problem is that just as Ritchie wraps herself up in the civil libertarian cloth, she decides to take more than a few liberties of her own. I would like to address one in particular in this blog because I have evidence which I trust and which shows a completely different reality.
Ritchie takes Switzer to task for telling the media that it’s primarily “independent driver-owners” who oppose this law. “Nothing could be farther from the truth,” Ritchie writes. “MOST of the trucking industry – single-truck owners and fleets large and small – including many who already govern their trucks, find this kind of purposeless government meddling odious.”
Really Joanne? Where’s the evidence? What independent survey do you have that proves most Ontario carriers don’t support speed limiters?
Truth is, far as I know, we are the only ones who have been conducting truly independent surveys of fleet managers and executives as well as owner/operators on this topic for three years now. And this is what our latest survey (completed just this week) shows:
• 72% of for-hire fleet managers in Ontario support speed limiters compared to 28% who do not;
• 58% of private fleet managers in Ontario support speed limiters compared to 42% who do not;
• 74% of government fleet managers in Ontario support speed limiters compared to 26% who do not
These numbers are consistent with what our surveys have been showing the last three years: namely that although support among Ontario fleets is not complete, the majority of fleet managers and owners DO support speed limiters. The only area where it’s somewhat close is the private fleet sector and yet even there speed limiters have almost 60% support.
And the research also shows that although the distaste among owner/operators is very strong (80% oppose speed limiters) it also is not complete, contrary to what OBAC has been saying all along. One fifth (20%) of the owner/operators in Ontario responding to our survey support speed limiters.
Speaking as I am of numbers, it brings me to one final question I would like answered. A question that begs asking really and yet, curiously enough, no one seems to ask: OBAC presents itself as the voice of the owner/operator. Certainly government accepts it as such and Ritchie is certainly a vocal supporter of issues she perceives to be of interest to owner/operators. But exactly how many of the about 35,000 owner/operators in Canada are members of OBAC? An association speaking on behalf of owner/operators should not hesitate to answer such a question to ensure the industry and government it is not taking liberties with the information it puts out.

Avatar photo

With more than 25 years of experience reporting on transportation issues, Lou is one of the more recognizable personalities in the industry. An award-winning writer well known for his insightful writing and meticulous market analysis, he is a leading authority on industry trends and statistics.


Have your say


This is a moderated forum. Comments will no longer be published unless they are accompanied by a first and last name and a verifiable email address. (Today's Trucking will not publish or share the email address.) Profane language and content deemed to be libelous, racist, or threatening in nature will not be published under any circumstances.

*

  • Speed limiters are set too low for all truck driving cmpanies in ontario.The 105 kilometer law was made up by people in the truck driving industry and D.O.T.with absolutely no cosideration all of those opposed to it eventhough there has been sufficient evidence cocernig the tardiness of those trucks on hills and the frustration caused by motorist by holding them back from doing the speed limit and speeding up tp prevent them from passing.Now the the D.O.T.is threatening to add further frustration in Ontario by charging charging them $250.00 in Ontario and $350.00 in Quebec.If they are supposedly representing us then why are they forcefully and harmfully controlling us like a communist and socialist government.They have there head in the clouds way too much of the times.This law is such a no brainer law.Why is there mind so much in left field that they can’t understand that the speed limit should be governed no lower than 110kms for the hills and 110 kms highways.The D.O.T.,Ontario government and others who legislated this law should be learning how to represent us more aprropiately,meaning stop the communist socialist tactics and learn how to be logical.

  • I was curious about being an owner operator but now opposed to it because of the stupidity concerning all of those who legislated and enforced the 105 kms law for Ontario and Quebec.This law will cause havoc, distrust and disunity between the truck drivers and all of those who used their communist,socialist style tactic to legislate and enforce this no brainer law.They are narrow minded and need to learn how to coomunicate more effectively to the good resoning of all those opposed to this law.

  • I say with the trucks these days cut back (castrated as they are) and then cut the available top speed one might as well run with a small motor opened up cause we’re not utilizing the power available to maintain adequate road speed on even the smallest hills. Just take the Don Valley hill for instance.
    Trucks today with the big motors may have the power but these are cut way back for supposedly improved fuel milaeage? Then usually the wrong transmission is hooked to ’em such as 10 speeds instead of 13 speeds, but than again a lot of new drivers can’t driv’em.
    The loads hauled (tridems, multi-axle)with the cut back motors and now theyr’e thinking of LCV’s it ludicrous to even think of this without adequate power to pull ’em??
    I think these white collared individuals should be strapped into a truck and have the whip cracked to see if they like or can make circumstances work with the current H.O.S and the same deadlones and delays as was before the changes and se if they think a decent living can still be made??
    Let’s se how they like they’re earning potential being manipulated??

  • I was very involved in Quebec on the “Speed Limmiter” issue and I have talked with many small fleet owners as well as larger fleet management on the issue. To make it clear, I do not desagree with your numbers of fleets that are for the use of the speed limiting device. In all surveys, we can have the numbers wanted as long as the questions are asked to get these numbers turned towards or against the point that is aimed.
    In October of 2007, I blogged on the issue http://thetruckingblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/how-to-ask-question.html and personnaly, I have always stated that I don’t disagree with the use of a speed limiter as a management tool. Where I draw the line, and many fleet owners that think like me, is when the government comes up with a mandated speed limiter. To compare trucking in Europe, where speed limiters are mandated, and in North America, is like compairing lemons and tangerines. Both are fruits, both are citruses but with a taste very different.
    You can wish to impose such mandate. The speed limiting is just one asset of the way trucking is done over in Europe. The pay system is totaly different there but is compatible to a speed limited truck. That is not yet included in any law here and no carrier yet is offering it either to OTR drivers.
    The debate is not over yet.

  • Before you ask Joanne Ritchie how many operators are members of OBAC lets ask an even more important question. How many owner operators advertise in Truck News? (answer… none!) So what right does Truck News have commenting on owner operator issues? For that matter what right does OTA have commenting on owner operator or driver issues? Ontario Trucking Association is a lobby group for Trucking Companies (only representing drivers through unsubstantiated inference). Their positions and perspectives are grossly slanted to their member’s interest. Sometimes directly against the Canadian truck driver. The purest and most objective opinions relative to the Canadian Truck driver is held by OBAC and Joanne Ritchie. Her opinion (on speed limiters) is supported by 80% of operators (that’s 28,000 drivers, using YOUR numbers). Membership in OBAC is irrelevant! If she has just ONE member it is a higher quality voice than the OTA (which represents some companies that lie, cheat, abuse and jerk around their drivers until there is 40% turnover). Don’t think quoting current turnover is a defense, there is more pent up turnover demand by high quality drivers than ever recorded by driver placement services. Adding to those 28,000 operators OBAC also represents the non-operators within the 28%, 42% and 26% of fleets who REJECT speed limiters. Then we must also add the drivers who don’t like speed limiters but who work on fleets who support Bill 41. Let’s remember their opinion is falsely reported on your stats! The answer to your question about the membership numbers for OBAC is… “ONE MORE”! I just became a member today!

  • I would like to add that the LCV’s need over 425 hp to pull both trailers(minimum set by Ontario Gov), Automatic or standard. The maximum speed they will travel at is only 90 km’s an hour.
    I may be a little naive here, however where in Ontario is the speed limit 110 km.
    How can you use the words “Speed Limiter” and “Hours of Service” in the same sentence? Are you telling us that if you did not have the Speed limiter and you were late for an appointment, you would speed to get there? That statement adds fuel to the cause of keeping the law. Some people should read the “Impact Analysis” statement regarding the Hours of Service, instead of reading a certain newspaper that builds it sales on sensationalism.
    Educate yourselves first, then make an informed rank, if you will.
    Remember for every 1 professional out there,there are 10 who are un-professional.
    Seems like a lot of fuss for 110 k rather than 105 k. Could be just me…

  • Being a fleet owner I am completely in agreement with the 105 limiter law. The only problem I see is that this law has absolutely not teeth. Lets go back in time and understand why this law was implemented in the first place. The OTA upon recommendations from their top members asked the goverment to cut back truck speeds. Why you ask? For safety? For the enviornment? The answer is “kind, maybe, sort of”. Remember when trucking companies couldn’t get anyone to drive for them? They called it a driver’s shortage. OTA and it’s member got together and concocted a plan to lower the driving speed (most of the big player’s in the OTA already had a lower speed policy in place) so that driver would not have a choice of where to go based on speed. Why work for company who’s speed policy is say 62 mph when you can work for a guy around the corner with a policy at say 72 mph. You only travel say 5% of your miles in Ontario and are left to fend for yourself when traveling in the USA. If as a company owner you try to cut back the speed policy hold on to your shield cause the spears are being aimed right for your heart. I had a mutiny when I tried to do it. In come the OTA and the Government of Ontario and voila no more mutiny. The government takes the hit and we are innocent parties who have to abide by the legislation. As a fleet owner I couldn’t be happier. Congratulations Dalton.
    The problem I have is that I have recently been speaking to senior official at the MTO in the policy branch and they have told me that if you are caught at the scales ( and as of this writing as per my contact at the MTO there is only ONE scale capable of downloading your ECM codes)it’s only a fine. NO POINTS on your CVOR. This means out of province trucks can still flought the law and probably never get caught(remember only ONE SCALE in Ontario is equipped. This means that this great law only really affect you if you live in this great province. Take for example if you live say in Arkansas and get to the border at Detroit/Windsor and have the unfortunate luck of going over the one scale (Opps slipped up sorry) that is equipped to check your trucks ECM. You walk away with a fine of $250.00. If I were the guy getting the fine I would treat it like a parking ticket and throw it in the garbage. The province will not spend the money to chase any out of province truck to get the $250.00 back. If you are dumb enough to pay it then so be it because what he hell can really happen to you? Remember no points on your CVOR. Unlevel playing field. If you live in Ontario the Province will not allow you to renew your plates until you pay the fine. Unlevel playing field again. The Ministry also confirm that your truck will not be put out of service. That’s right just continue along and make a paper airplane out of the ticket and launch it out your window once your clear of the scale. The HTA specifically states : Section 68.(1) No person shall drive, or permit the operation of, a commercial motor vehicle on a highway unless the vehicle is equipped with a speed-limiting system that is activated and functioning in accordance with the regulations. 2008, c. 8, s. 1.
    Unless im reading it incorrectly once you are caught the law states that you can no longer operate or drive that vehicle. How can the government implement a law and then not follow in. Try doing that in the USA where “Get legal” is the law of the land. This puts all Ontario based trucking companies at a distinct disadvantage and I for one demand a level playing field first and foremost. As far as the OPP is concerned even when you are caught speeding in Ontario how can check that you ECM is properly set when they are incapable of doing the check. I for one have never heard of any trucker getting a double fine in Ontario, a speeding ticket AND a speed limiter ticket. If you don’t speed then or ever get near a scale why bother?
    So to sum everything up in a nutshell the odds of being caught are minimal. The fine is only $250.00. They cannot impound your vehicle so why cry about it. Isn’t it interesting that the government has come out and given us all these good reasons for implementing this law but in the end it’s simply a cash grab. This issue has nothing to do about safety or the enviorment. It’s a clear case of somebody in government owing someone in the private sector a favour. Do not however get caught in the Province of Quebec. That is one jurisdiction that understands the true meaning of the word “compliance”.
    Oh and just another fact worth knowing. Did you know that you can fail as many Facility Audits in the Province of Ontario as you like and your CVOR license will not be pulled. Why do we even bother trying to keep our CVOR thresholds below 35.
    Thats enough for now thanks for the chance to air my grievance.

  • Lou; It’s become evident over the past 2 years+ that, in your lofty position as editor, you refuse to get off your butt and get out there and really talk to individuals and companies out there. And as for that cheap shot at the amount of members in the OBAC, (to which I might point out doesn’t have the financial backing to pay over-paid employees such as yourself)the organization is growing quickly in terms of a support group for truckers & companies. The reason for this is an active involvement for the betterment of the industry and the people who work in it. Truckers & Companies’ only alternative would be to take the commentary you provide at face value, and become the Stepford-Wife to bureaucracy position you already fill. The Edward R. Murrow award, thankfully, never goes your way and the same can be said for the Pulitzer.
    So why don’t YOU try to bring some integrity, as an editor(?), to a supposed NEWS organization that clearly doesn’t count as one? Surely, for one as enlightened as yourself, you must tire of taking the side where the money and bureaucracy tell you to go. Joanne can handle herself quite well, so I need not defend her. But personally, as a member of OBAC, I know that in a debate on the issue, she’d clean your clock. I must, however, give credit where credit is due, and thank you for the comic relief your blog/editorials provide in an atmosphere that would be otherwise depressing. It’s good to know Gary Larson’s work still goes on.

  • I agree with Wally Horodnyk the reason this law was passed was all other things
    being equal Id take 72 over 62 mph. Having said that they trust us not to do 105 in a
    school zone or on other roads, just the safe controlled access highways we cant be trusted.
    Remember photo radar? lets vote this law away.

  • STOP! STOP! STOP! I agree with a lot of things that have been said here, especially Wally Horodnyk. And for the record I am opposed to this legislation as much as anyone. However Derek is absolutely wrong in his attack on Lou and Truck News. We will never change anything about this law as long as the opponents keep running their mouths like this guy!
    Also for the record I am not opposed to fleets speed limiting their trucks. I drove for four years (driver trainer for three years) for the company whose owner is the #1 proponent, I believe, of speed limiter legislation in Ontario. If I was in his position I would cut the fleet back to 60 MPH, from its current 63 not open it up to 65! Unfortunately, the reality is, that what he sometimes has to hire for drivers, means limiters are necessary for a fleet owner. The problem with the legislation is that they are taking taxpayers money in an attempt to deal with driver turnover,which, as Wally points out, is the real reason driving the fleet owners behind this legislation.

  • as an O/O i was forced to cut back MY TRUCK… the average speed i travel at is 98 kms / hr . but i also need that speed when i comes to oversize curfew… being stuck some where for three day’s because i could make the border in time is not right. how bout we limit every one’s work week to 27.5 hrs… work any more and you get fined…hmm.. i sure the general public would put a hell of a protest to that .

  • None of the American truck drivers or Western Canada truck drivers with motors governed at more than 105 kms will be driving in Ontario and especially Quebec so long as the socialist communist D.O.T.fines are in effect.The term socialist and cmmunist to me means no brainer laws created by certain members of our government and otheres in somewhat the same authorative position working together to rob us of our prosperity refering to the 105kms super dummy law.the result especially for all of those that are for this law will be thousands less owner operators, lots of owner operator companies closing down in Ontario and Quebec,corporations going out of business,company drivers running behind delivery time resulting from exstremely slow uphill climbs which will cause lots of friction between us and the American motorists especially truck drivers,a lot less American freight for the Canadien truck drivers than there is for the American truck drivers and nasty motorists on 2 lane highways that block Canadien truck drivers from driving the speed limit then speeding up to prevent them from passing causing lateness in freight being delivered which the boss may use as an excuse for firing the drivers.team drivers may be the only alternitive if the lead driver is not a trouble maker and causes half or most of his team partners job and causing lost profit resulting in team driver turnover.I am too nice of a person to be doing that kind of crap.All of these problems created will create an abnormal economic growth rate, keep the 2 provinces in a recession and eventually a depression.lets see how much those comunist socialist dictators are in favour of it then.

  • Lou I support seed limiters. so you can count me in .
    Set them at 120 kph or I do not support them at less than that.
    Survays can be misleading.

  • Speed limiters or no speed limiters. They have been in trucks since the very first one was built.It is called the accelerator pedal. Speed limiters are nothing more than another way of trying to make trucks on the road safe such like automatic slack adjusters, ABS brakes, Roll Stability Control Systems. The real reason behind a lot of this control is as one writer points out; the nut on the wheel has become better than the nut behind the wheel. In other words, the professionalism has just about dissappeared out of the trucking industry and with it has gone the fair wage/remuneration. I’ve been retired from the trucking industry now for a few years but we could see all of these controls coming back then. Professionals don’t need to be controlled with speed limiters or any other type of truck control system. Drive safe.

  • We need to get a very affective action plan action going for all the drivers who are against the communist dictating liberals speed limiter law.I say lower the boom on them with help from the American truck drivers and Westrn Canada truck drivers.They are putting way too much pressure with their comunist socialist law.We must prove to them that we are not the little guy that does not know how to fight the big bully.(The communist socilist liberals)We must fight them like soldiers and put as much pressure on them as they put on us until we win.The big bully is very much like deaf and dumb.

  • I am reading these blogs and I really wonder about the ones who think and those that are frustrated by everything.
    I am frustrated, by the traffic lights, by the taxes on my salary, by the taxes on my house, on my buying, by the pollution, by the garbages in the city of Toronto, by the speed limits, etc… I am frustrated.
    How many people are of this category? It has nothing to do with truck drivers, speed limiters, it has to do with atitude, accepting to live in a society with contradictions, differences, where people are trying to improve their situation, to reduce abuses and the have a better tomorrow.
    Yes, there is too many laws, yes there is not enough people to enforced the laws properly.
    BUT IF WE WERE IN A COMMUNIST SOCIETY AS SOME ARE PROCLAMING, THEN YOU WOULD KNOW WHAT HAPPEN WHEN YOU DO NOT RESPECT THE LAWS BECAUSE OVER THERE, THE LAW’S ENFORCER ARE LARGER IN NUMBER THEN THE REAL WORKER. lOOK WHERE THEY ARE TODAY.
    Freedom, common sens and values are the fundamental of our society, but where there is freedom, there is also delinquency, people who gets a free ride, people that takes advantages of the sytems and of the society in general. They are the ones that are asking for more freedom when they can not appreciate the freedom they have. The opinions I readed so far is the reflect of frustrations, WHY? Speed limits is 100 km on 25% of all the highway and 30,50,80,90 elsewhwere on 75% of the networks” I do wish there would be no tolerance in these dangerous zones, then the 100km on main highway would become a given.
    If we discuss trucking for a minute. Last week, having lunch, a driver was telling me that he just ordered a new vehicle. Surprised; I asked, in these tough times? Answer, yes. What did you buy? A PETE with an ISX 550, 18 speed, 3,26 ratio on 24.5. I said WOW; Then asked, what route are you travelling? answer; 401 and US. What about your fuel economy? I should be good for 7 mpg. Why such a big engine? I like power. Did you order with the new technologies? Such as disc brake, anti roll over, APU, etc… NO. I asked; why? Too expensive and not necessary for the work I do.
    My conclusions, this is trucking today, 2.5 times the power we had 30 years ago and the same stopping capacity. More intelligence and experience behid the wheel? I do not know, In facts, I doubt… More traffic and more speed? Yes. More risks? Yes. I still can not beleive what I read.
    This is it.
    Continuous improvement, doing more with less, getting more effecient and respectuous of the environment, this my life or what is left of it, I am sorry gentlemen, I just could not understand.
    I hope, I am not by myself in that group.
    Paul Duchesne

  • I wonder why Swift Transport in the USA up there speed limit. It was mainly because they were road blocks in states like Texas. The State government was going to take their operating privileges unless they up their speed.
    My foot was my speed limiter when I had my truck.

  • Just curious Lou, did your survey ask fleet managers if they were in favour of LEGISLATED speed limiters? I would be suprised if they were as our industry is already over legislated as far as I am concerned. I have no problem with fleets choosing to set their own operating parameters. But to encourage government to enact legislation to improve driver retention is BS. Speed limiters are not the root cause of driver turnover but they may be the straw that breaks the camels back. The fleets in favour of speed limiters claim they are thinking green but it definately is not in an environmental sense.

  • This comment is to Paul Duchesne. Freedom comes with being vigilant. Read Friedrich Hayek on concepts of ‘Freedom & Liberty’. You might learn something. This is just another case of bureaucracies exercising control over something about which they have no clue. However, in our society, it is a given that in most areas of control, the standard is “Follow The Money”. Where does the money lead to, Paul, and why?

  • A quote from Lou Smyrlis in his Truck News blog:
    “• 72% of for-hire fleet managers in Ontario support speed limiters compared to 28% who do not;
    • 58% of private fleet managers in Ontario support speed limiters compared to 42% who do not;
    • 74% of government fleet managers in Ontario support speed limiters compared to 26% who do not
    These numbers are consistent with what our surveys have been showing the last three years: namely that although support among Ontario fleets is not complete, the majority of fleet managers and owners DO support speed limiters. The only area where it’s somewhat close is the private fleet sector and yet even there speed limiters have almost 60% support.
    And the research also shows that although the distaste among owner/operators is very strong (80% oppose speed limiters) it also is not complete, contrary to what OBAC has been saying all along. One fifth (20%) of the owner/operators in Ontario responding to our survey support speed limiters.”
    Fleet managers amount to what? A couple of hundred people in the Province of Ontario? And yet Mr Smyrlis denounces OBAC because of it’s supposedly small membership. Surely he is not suggesting that these “fleet managers” represent the thoughts of all the thousands of drivers and owner-operators who work for their fleets? The only ones who even attempt to represent truckers in Ontario is OBAC

  • After reading some of these comments regarding the limiting of truck speeds to a mere 5k over the legal limit I cannot help but think that Archie Bunker and his commie pinko paranoia is alive and well even in this day and age. The dastardly government suppression theme doesn’t even apply to truck speed limitations since the whole intiative was generated by the trucking industry and offered to the legislators as a common goal. Myself, I would be embarrassed by the resistance put forward by the OBAC if I were a member.
    The need for speed is un-warranted in todays trucking environment. It smells of an industry full of operators who don’t think the rules apply to them. It draws a picture of the demonic trucker who needs all the forces of gas and gravity to prepare to climb the next mountain. It’s a good thing there’s no way a 4 wheeler would ever step put in front of a truck at that point of terminal velocity. You know, that point where a truck can stop on a dime.
    It occurs to me that we don’t exactly live in the Alps. How many insurmountable grades are there in 100k speed zones in Ontario?
    Then there are those who offer the need for speed to counter hour of work regulations. Need I say imbarassed again. If you think this is a viable argument you are a risk to yourself and those around you.
    Then of course there is the matter of fuel economy. The statistics on the amount of emission reduction that speed limiters will cause are impressive.
    I am not a mechanic but I know for sure that speeding trucks waste fuel and therefore money. Lots of it.
    “Money be damned, gotta go I’m late, if only I could do 120k for 5 hours I might make my window, then I can make it home in time for the anti-commie demonstration at Queens Park with the other 4 trucks that will be there.”
    Need I say more.

  • remember the old double nickle. everything governed for 55 mph.& smokie enforcing. this speed- limiter will go the same way as those who push for this idiotic law will slowly fall from grace & saner heads will prevail. it may work in the land of can do no wrong (ont.)& the land of we want it all (que.)but when an operator has to lose 5% of his yearly earnings to a small fuel savings he must increase his rates to maintain his standard of living. if you take the 5% over a year, the loss of earnings for an independant operator is 60 hrs./wk X 5km/hr X 52 wks/yr = 15,600 km or close to 10,000 miles.

  • i was just reading an article about the the double nickle being removed and found an interesting quote from a member of OOIDA (see below)
    “We couldn’t have asked for a better outcome than to add Illinois and Ohio to the list of states that have eliminated split speeds, thanks to a long campaign by OOIDA to inform and reform bad safety policy,” Todd Spencer, OOIDA executive vice president, told Land Line.
    “The only speed limit policy that makes sense is to have all vehicles traveling at the same speed. It is a welcome change in both states that is long overdue.”
    all vehicles at the same speed and yet they oppose speed limiters…….HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

  • Well this is has been interesting to read stats that can be manipulated to say or support just about anything. One thing I know for sure is that both sides are wrong and this is an obtrusive law. I own my truck as I own my personal auto. They need to enforce the speed limits and saftey standards already in place not try and use technology to do that for them. Do you think a truck is safer because it has a limiter set? Telling somebody to sleep and drive when hours of service ditate. I talked to a driver the other day that got pulled into the office because he didn’t drive and had two hours left to log. His answer was a good driver knows when to stop. The technolgy cannot and will not make things safer in an enviroment run and paid for by miles.As for enforcment the MTO has found all kinds of money(tax dollars) to buy technology to check that the limiter has been set, not all setting though. Seems to me the should have enforced the speed limits in the first place and save everbody a pile of money and time, but that would have been to easy HMMMMMMMMMMM

  • First of all, I’d like to point out that I’m firmly on the fence with the speed limiter issue, so I’m not picking sides here. However, I find it curious that some readers posting here are claiming that the survey results have been somehow manipulated to prove the author’s point. How exactly does one manipulate a yes/no survey response to suit their cause? “Do you support the Canadian Trucking Alliance’s call for mandatory use of speed limiters in trucks? Yes or No?” Seems pretty cut and dry to me. Outside of flat-out lying or making up statistics – neither of which are very likely – I’m not sure what kind of manipulation is possible with this kind of survey.

  • Regarding the speed limiters that Ontario and Quebec forced on the trucking industry. When those 2 provinces decided to force this issue were they thinking of the trucking industry that works in other provinces as well. I doubt it. The 105km might be ok for those provinces but when you drive west it makes it hard if not impossible to make alot of delivery times when you can’t drive the posted speed limit. In most of the other provinces the highway speed is 110km. When drivers are forced to drive under the posted speed limit it becomes a safety issue on the highway. For example when you hold up traffic from doing the speed limit you find alot of drivers passing on double solid lines to get around the trucks and this causes road rage on the part of the cars.I have to wonder if the government in those 2 provinces even took in to consideration the rest our country. It seems like they did this so they didn’t have to hire more police to enforce the posted speed limit. Just because Ontario and Quebec make up most of our federal government doesn’t give them the right to impose their ideas on the rest of the country. I always thought this was supposed to be a democracy not a communist country. I believe that imposing the speed limiters on everyone is wrong and that it makes it understandable why drivers don’t want to go east, also it makes it understandable why there seems to be such a turnover in the trucking industry.

  • I REMEMBER SITTING IN A RECRUITING AND RETENTION MEETING ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO AND LISTENING TO THE IDEA OF SPEED LIMITING ALL TRUCKS. WELL IT GOT THE SAME REACTION IT THEN AS IT DOES NOW. SO WHAT DOES THE THEN HEAD OF THE C.T.A.(CEO OF ROBERT TRANSPORT)AND THE O.T.A. COOK UP.WE’LL USE POLITICS TO GET WHAT WE WANT.SO THEY HELPED WITH THE FINANCIAL LOBBYING OF CERTAIN POLITICIANS TO GET IN THE WRIGHT PLACE AT THE WRIGHT TIME(M.T.O MINISTER)JIM BRADLEY,BECAUSE GOD KNOWS DONNA COULDN’T DO A THING TO CONVINCE ANYONE THAT THIS LAW WAS APPROPRIATE. SO THEY GOT IT PASSED. BUT WHY?FUEL ECONOMY,NO!SAFETY,NO!HOW ABOUT PLAIN OLD MONOPOLY.THESE BIG COMPANIES HAVE BEEN LOGISTICALLY SET UP TO OPERATE AT 65MPH SINCE THEY BEGAN BUSINESS AND FOUND THEMSELVES PARKING ALOT OF THEIR TRUCKS DUE TO LOST BUSINESS SINCE THE ARRIVAL OF J.I.T. SO FIRST STEP WAS TO MESS THE H.O.S. UP,THAT DIDN’T WORK, THEN THEY THEIR GOVERNMENT FRIENDS HELPED OUT BY RAISING FUEL PRICES, THAT DIDN’T WORK. SO THEN THEY BROUGHT OUT THEIR NAZI PRIDE AND IMPOSED THIS LAW OUTRIGHT AND IF YOU DON’T FOLLOW YOU LOSE.HAS ANYONE NOTICED THIS TREND. AS SOON AS THIS LAW WAS PASSED THEY STARTED RUNNING LCV’S ON OUR ALREADY OVERLY CONGESTED HIGHWAY’S.FOR EVERY 2 53’TRAILERS LCV COMBO’S GOING DOWN THE ROAD THERE’S ONE DRIVER WITHOUT A JOB. SO LETS RECAP. PUT THEIR BUDDIES IN GOVERNMENT,PASS A COMMUNIST LAW,GET RID OF COMPITITION,IMPEDE THE WORKING FOLKS RIGHTS TO OWN A FARE AND COMPETITIVE BUSINESS IN TRUCKING IN ONTARIO AND QUEBEC,PUT THE STOLEN BUSINESS ON LCV’S ENDANGERING THE PUBLIC AND THE REST ON CARGO TRAINS TO BE HAULED OUT OF PORT BY SOME UNTRAINED DRIVER IN AN AUTOMATIC TRANS UNIT TO ITS FINAL DETINATION, WHILE THE REST OF US JUST BITCH AND WHINE ABOUT IT OVER THE CB. YES SIR IT WORKED. WHY DOESN’T OBAC FIGHT BACK WITH USE OF MAINSTREAM MEDIA LIKE BILLBOARDS AND SUCH. IF THEY WOULD PUT THEIR BEST FOOT FORWARD, I WOULD BECOME A MEMBER A.S.A.P.

  • Well now you have been picking on Joann now for months about taking advantage of your publication on the speed limiters. Well I as an o/o have stopped travelling through PQ, and ONT. as a result of your large deep pocketed government subsidized old boys and womens trucking club , who probably could not drive maybe even start a big rig. Between not knowing much about gear ratios, tire sizing, etc to come up with the proper way of making the truck work for the fat cats that claim to own the company, but with the drivers they hire today they have to keep the speed down as most never sat in a class 8 truck till coming to Canada where the people with little brains think trucking is easy and requires little to no sleep so they put anyone with a heartbeat behind the wheel. I beleive you can see where this law is not working as the downturn in truck accidents is mainly because of less trucks on the road, check 4 wheeler accidents to see if their stats are the same. Thanks. PS. Crawling closer by the day to communism.

  • Lou,
    Like you, I enjoy Joanne Ritchie’s columns published in Truck News. She represents a constituency that needs to be heard. As a columnist for Motortruck Magazine I have to strongly endorse the consistent findings of your extensive survey results that prove Ms. Ritchie wrong and wrong again.
    Jim H’s posting on August 8th re-inforces how few transportation professionals realize that Fleet Managers are a large force, have great understanding and influence of the speed limiters issue. Their opinions need to be better heard.
    Lets repeat the findings again because some seem to doubt them.
    • 72% of for-hire fleet managers in Ontario support speed limiters compared to 28% who do not;
    • 58% of private fleet managers in Ontario support speed limiters compared to 42% who do not;
    • 74% of government fleet managers in Ontario support speed limiters compared to 26% who do not
    The results speak for themselves, editorial views are always welcome, but the authorities will always defer to data that has been assembled and collected in a methodical manner and similar for the last three years.
    What is Joanne Ritchie really try to tell us?
    Mark Borkowski, pres.
    Mercantile Mergers & Acquisitions Corp
    Toronto, Ontario

  • Accidents involving trucks are up 42% since speed limiter law has been implemented.(Cars passing trucks, trucks trying to pass trucks, trucks run off the road) Fuel economies on many owner-ops equipment is reduced by as much as 1 mile per gallon. The U.S. will eventually come up with something in retaliation to this Draconian measure. Government trucks & Buses aren’t being regulated. I talk to many owner-ops out there, Lou. This is a bad call by government, and must be rescinded. I’m sure the insurance companies are alarmed by these stats. Care to comment on rising insurance rates that will surely follow?

  • I maybe becoming to this debate a little late, my question is Ontario has the right to limit their trucks plated in their jurisdiction, what gives ONTARIO the right to limit other trucks from other provinces or that matter countries? Provincial speed limits are set provincially not Canada wide. Thats federal law. In California their anti-pollution laws are stricter than anywhere else in North America, however they dont force me to comply with their law when I am plated out of their state. Once again Ontario is showing their arrogance as they think they are the center of the world. Come out west where the speed limits are 110KPH on four lanes and will talk.. Maybe we should make a law out here that ever time a Ontario plated truck comes out here they cant be governed… and must be able to run 100KPH..Wont what be sweet

  • According to Mark Borkowski, fleet managers “are a large force, have great understanding and influence of the speed limiters issue. Their opinions need to be better heard.” But, just as Lou questions the numbers of owner-operators that OBAC represents, I am questioning how many fleet managers your survey represents. And you could also say exactly the same thing about owner-operators: they “are a large force, have great understanding and influence of the speed limiters issue. Their opinions need to be better heard.” I mean really, who better to speak about the effects of speed limiters than the people directly affected by them, who use them every day? It’s only common sense to listen to the people who are dealing with the results of this law every day. Fleet managers do NOT represent the industry as a whole. They represent only themselves. I am sure there are many more owner-operators out there than there are “Fleet Managers”. You have not even given us a definition of what a “fleet manager” is. Owners, dispatchers, maintainance managers? I have heard holders of all of these job positions referred to as “Fleet Managers” at one time or another, and each of their perspectives will be different, depending on the actual job role. Mark Borkowski says: “The results speak for themselves, editorial views are always welcome, but the authorities will always defer to data that has been assembled and collected in a methodical manner and similar for the last three years.” Mr. Borkowski, please remember that these are the opinions or, if you will, editorial views, of the fleet managers, not data, that Lou is referring to here. Lou has not presented any real “data” here, other than the fact that a large number of fleet managers are in favour of speed limiters. Proves absolutely nothing about the need for or the effectiveness of speed limiters. Some data in this regard would be GREATLY appreciated. Mr. Borkowski asks ” What is Joanne Ritchie really try to tell us? ” It seems to me that she is stating that the majority of owner-operators oppose this law.