Blogs
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Spring’s an ugly time of year thanks to litterbugs
Driving along Hwy. 401 on the weekend, I couldn’t help but shake my head as I passed by literally thousands of pieces of trash along the highway. The ditches are covered in debris tossed aside by inconsiderate motorists who treat…
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US trucking industry says ‘We’ll pay more tax’
In a surprising move, the US trucking industry has actually said it would welcome higher fuel taxes. The caveat being, the money would have to be set aside for infrastructure funding. And we’re not talking bicycle paths here, which sadly…
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Jumpers ruin other lives on their way out
I spent a good half-hour in traffic this morning as the express lanes of the 401 were closed due to reports of a ‘jumper’ who apparently leapt to his death into traffic around 6 a.m. just past the DVP. For…
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Report from Americana 2007
I thought readers might be interested in notes I made at Americana 2007, where I was the “waste analyst” for the conference sessions pertaining to waste management. Despite spending quite a bit of time on the trade show floor, I…
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Live, from Louisville
Well, it’s that time of year again. The time of year when industry suppliers and those who write about them converge in Louisville, Ky. for three jam-packed days of new product announcements. It’s the Mid-America Trucking Show, and as journalists,…
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So that’s how much per hour?
Looking for a new job or a career change is not a desirable task for most people. I’ve recently put together a few resumés for friends desiring a change of pace and not once did I ever hear, “Wow, I…
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Changing trade patterns point to long-term challenge for trucking
Costs for Canada’s largest carriers are continuing to rise faster than revenues and that should be cause for concern on two fronts. First, obviously, because cost containment is proving particularly difficult and will remain so because fuel prices remain volatile,…
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Is Canada finally ready to invest in its infrastructure?
I’ve been hearing a lot of talk lately from both top ranking transportation ministry bureaucrats and their political bosses that they’re finally ready to start spending the money necessary to give Canada the infrastructure we need for the efficient movement…
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The Mexicans are coming – are you worried?
There’s a lot of concern south of the border about a recently-announced pilot project that will give 100 Mexican carriers the green light to operate inside the US. Like Canadian carriers, they will be forbidden from delivering loads from one…
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Road tolls, market forces and climate change
A news item caught my attention today (posted at the end of this entry). Toronto Mayor David Miller has stated he would consider tolling city roads — as London England did, with great success — in order to reduce commuting,…
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XM, Sirius to merge?
I never thought I’d see the day satellite radio rivals XM and Sirius agreed to merge as one. From a business perspective, the proposed merger makes a lot of sense. Double your subscription base and eliminate the need for half…
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Can you help solve this mystery?
A reader recently submitted a question regarding a strange occurrence at Hwy. 400 and the Anne. St. overpass in Barrie, Ont. Since we, at trucknews.com didn’t have the answer, we thought we’d call upon the power of the Internet and…
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Global warming: I’m hopping off the fence
Global warming is here and it’s real. That’s the message expected to be delivered by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which has been convening in Paris, France this week. Representatives from more than 100 countries are involved in the…
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Is industry consolidation about to slow down? Not a chance
Listening to the federal finance minister’s refusal today to either apologize for or reconsider the government’s plan to curb the growing trend towards income trusts, I’m left wondering what this will mean to the pace of industry consolidation in 2007.…
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OPP to rein in colourful Sgt. Woolley
It appears OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino has no sense of humour. According to reports in Toronto-area media this morning, Fantino is reigning in the affable Sgt. Cam Woolley –the longstanding face of the OPP in the media and a frequent…