An introduction and an invitation

by Mike Millian

After 21 years of leading the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada (PMTC), Bruce Richards has decided to step away from the day-to-day operations and take some much deserved time to pursue other interests.

Over his 21 years of being president of the PMTC, Bruce has left an amazing legacy. Bruce has built a great rapport with government agencies, industry suppliers and transportation companies over the years, and has positioned the PMTC in a role of great prominence and respect within the entire transportation industry. Bruce had a firm, yet respectful, leadership quality which earned him, and in turn the PMTC, a great deal of respect in the industry.

On a personal front, I have been a member of the PMTC since 2005, and have been on the Executive since 2007. In that time I was able to work with Bruce and see first-hand how the organization worked, and to discover why Bruce had the respect that he did. Bruce, you were a great leader of the PMTC and a champion of the transportation industry. Myself, the PMTC Board, members and the industry as a whole will sorely miss you!

I am honoured that the PMTC Executive and Board of Directors has endorsed me as succeeding Bruce in the role of president of PMTC. I pledge to do my best to ensure the PMTC continues to grow and remain a respected and prominent player in the transportation industry. While Bruce is stepping back, he has agreed to stay on in a consulting role, to help myself, and the organization, achieve as seamless a transition as possible.

As a brief introduction of myself, I grew up on a beef farm in the farming communities of southwestern Ontario. My background in trucking began 24 years ago, when I started as a local hauler of livestock at the age of 18. The various roles I have had in the industry also include being a long-haul driver of refrigerated and general freight, bulk multi-axle grain trailers and container chassis; driver-trainer at a fleet driving school; and a safety, compliance, training and fleet manager. 

I also sat on the Board of the former Canadian Trucking Human Resources Council (CTHRC), and now sit on the Board of Trucking Human Resources Canada, and also spent seven years on the Board of the PMTC. I was also recently the chairman of a fleet safety risk management insurance group captive. 

I believe that through this experience, and through the great leadership and support we have within the PMTC membership, together we will be able to continue to lead the PMTC effectively and successfully through this transition. The PMTC is a great organization, whose members freely share their ideas, and help each other out whenever questions or concerns arise. This, along with our educational conference in June, are just a few of the benefits being a member of the PMTC provides. 

One of the highlights of our conference every June is our awards program, and this year will be no exception. This year’s conference will take place on June 17-18, once again at the beautiful Kingbridge Conference Center located in King City, Ont., just minutes north of Toronto off Hwy. 400.

Most people don’t give a second thought to the professional men and women who safely pilot commercial motor vehicles up and down our highways over millions of miles every year. Despite the lack of praise from the general public, those of us in the industry know what a huge role the trucking industry, and its drivers, play in the economy. We know what a huge debt we owe to the professionalism and safe operation displayed by the vast majority of the people who put this industry, and the country on their shoulders each and every day. As a result, the awards program of the PMTC is one way we and our sponsors can proudly showcase the achievements of a few of these professional drivers and companies each and every year.

The awards program opened on Feb. 1 and here’s a brief overview. All entry forms and criteria are available at www.pmtc.ca or by calling the office. 

The Hall of Fame for Professional Drivers, sponsored by Huron Services, a CPC Logistics Company, inducts up to four professional drivers each year. The Hall of Fame resides on our Web site and a visitor can review the outstanding records of all the inductees dating back to 1990. 

The Private Fleet Safety Awards, which began in 1998, are open to all private fleets in Canada.  These awards recognize companies that have successfully integrated detailed safety programs as a key component of their operations, and whose programs deliver results. 

The Vehicle Graphics Design Awards, sponsored by 3M Canada add colour and drama to our annual awards luncheon. This is the 30th year of these awards and the competition attracts entries from across the country.

Top Fleet Employers, managed by Trucking HR Canada, is designed to bring a focus to Canadian private carriers. Top Fleet Employers Canada is a distinctly Canadian program, publicly recognizing Canadian fleets which take extra steps to support employees and operators. Online submissions are due by Feb. 27 and hard-copy submissions are due by March 27. Top Fleet Employers recognizes any fleets which meet standards of excellence in Human Resources. Visit www.truckinghr.com to enter.

The recognition continues after the event with award winners being featured in the PMTC’s own magazine, Private Motor Carrier, other industry magazines and on PMTC’s Web site.  So now is the time to prepare your entries for submission, and to make plans to attend the ceremonies at our conference in June.

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Mike Millian is president of the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada.


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