Everything Sells: The Ritchie Bros. auction begins

by John G Smith

EDMONTON, AB - Everything sells. It's a firm rule at Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, and there is plenty on hand for the highest bidder. About 10,600 pieces of equipment will move through the company's sprawling Edmonton complex this week, easily setting a sales record and eclipsing last April's numbers by about 35%. Trucks dominated most of the sales on Tuesday, when close to 10,000 bidders had already registered for a piece of the action. Equipment such as cranes, rock catchers, and trailers will follow.

Cocooning: In conversation with WABCO’s Jon Morrison

by John G Smith

LOUISVILLE, KY -- We're approaching an era when trucks act more like trusted co-drivers than equipment alone. Optional Collision Warning Systems and Lane Departure Systems use things like radar and cameras to watch the road and sound the alarm if a driver fails to notice a hazard or drifts into danger. Collision Mitigation Systems - or adaptive cruise controls -- go a step further and actually begin to slow a vehicle before a driver reacts. And the technologies all come together in prototypes for "semi-autonomous" and "platooning" vehicles that promise at times to drive themselves. "The vision is about providing that 360-degree cocoon around the truck, to enable the truck and the driver to operate as safely as they can," says WABCO Americas president Jon Morrison.

Quite Wright: Tesla co-founder sets his sights on trucks

by John G Smith

Ian Wright co-founded Tesla Motors and developed the fastest street-legal electric car in the world. But these days he has set his sights on something bigger - an electric powertrain for commercial vehicles. Wrightspeed's range-extended electric powertrain known as the Route enters production in a matter of months, and the company CEO boldly predicts that electric waste trucks will overtake the sale of diesel models in as little as five years. There have been other attempts to electrify trucks in the past. One thing that sets the Route apart, however, is its Fulcrum turbine.

Gas Attacks: The challenges of environmental mandates

by John G Smith

Ear worms are funny things. You know them. They're the songs that invade your thoughts. The one ringing through my head right now is crooned by none other than Kermit the Frog. Yep. The Muppet. The one who taught us, "It's not easy being green, having to spend each day the color of the leaves." If you want to know how tough it is to be green, look no further than the environmental rules and regulations affecting today's trucking industry.

• Transportation

When it comes to insurance are you a victim or victor?

by Ray Haight

Let’s talk insurance, it’s not a well kept secret that I have had my share of dust ups with many an insurance executive. During my tenure at a couple carriers…

Legalized pot: Let’s call the whole thing off

by Harry Rudolfs

This is the new politics of our era–say the opposite of what people expect, they will elect you because they think you are a fresh and contrary voice. Lie if…

I-Crawl: A first look at Volvo’s I-Shift with crawler gears

by John G Smith

SHIPPENSBURG, PA -- It's strange to hear a truck maker bragging about how slow a truck can go, but that's exactly what Volvo recently showcased with a first look at the I-Shift's new crawler gears.

• Transportation

Include our Summit in your future plans

by Lou Smyrlis

In a couple of months the sweet distraction of warm and lazy summer days spent relaxing at the cottage will all too quickly fade to the sobering fall…

• Transportation

‘Don’t ask me what I think of you, I might not give you what you want me to’

by Roger McKnight

Thinking, let alone writing about taxes bores me because they’ve already bore a hole in my pocket. Just making a trip to the ATM these days can sometimes be a,…

A reluctant (but rising) star

by John G Smith

Metro Truck Group seems surprisingly reluctant to tell its story. When a meeting is finally scheduled, senior managers spend much of their time explaining that they don't normally do this sort of thing. The Freightliner dealership group based in Ontario's Niagara Region rarely participates in interviews. When its Brantford dealership moved into a new building this winter, it even did so without the fanfare of a grand opening. No ribbons were cut. No speeches made. But there is no escaping the spotlight of a reality show.

Tread Safely: Maximum speeds, inflation play roles in tire performance

by John G Smith

When it comes to vehicle safety, a lot of attention is being focused on the one truck component that actually touches the road. The Rubber Manufacturers Association proclaims the first week of June as Tire Safety Week. Days after this concludes, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance begins a special focus on tires as part of the annual Roadcheck inspection blitz.

• Transportation

So, how do I – an Energy Analyst – predict petroleum prices?

by Roger McKnight

 It is a rarity indeed when I feel the need to plead guilty to an over-exertion of negative enthusiasm (which is really a long definition of criticism) when I…

• Health & Safety

Step up and break the stereotype

by Lou Smyrlis

You know the stereotype: Truckers eat too much, don’t exercise enough and die too young. A quick look around your business and you likely see…

Demographic Demands: The business case for diversity

by John G Smith

Recruiters in Canada's trucking industry appear to be overlooking massive labor pools, and a recent report from Trucking HR Canada is making the business case to connect with several under-represented demographic groups. "We just want the industry to be aware of the demographics; that these are the labor pools we need to tap into," says CEO Angela Splinter, whose trucking-focused organization promotes best practices in human resources.

• Transportation

Why I don’t have great expectations when it comes to market analysts’ predictions of crude oil

by Roger McKnight

During my 30 years in the oil industry’s downstream operations, I have learned but one thing, and that is not to have great expectations of the market…