SAINT JOHN, N.B. – The trucking industry in Atlantic Canada is prepping for the latest technology information as part of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association (APTA) Technology and Maintenance Conference held at the Delta Brunswick in Saint John, N.B. Feb. 26-28.

“There are a lot of things happening and we only do this every two years, so there’ll be a lot of information that’s from the last two years but we’ve got a lot of stuff coming down the pipe as well,” said Doug Banfield, APTA Associated Trades chairman. “So hopefully we can give these guys some information to take back to their places of business and share it with their groups.”

After a meet-and-greet coupled with the popular “hospitality suites” Sunday night, attendees will hear opening remarks by Banfield and APTA chairman Vaughn Sturgeon on the morning of Feb. 27.

The conference will open with a seminar outlining the latest in ABS and anti-rollover technology for both truck and trailer. Up next will be a talk on DoT regulations, including vehicle compliance responsibilities and CVSA inspection updates.

Lunch will feature guest speaker Mike Marchese, national fleet manager with Grote Industries, a manufacturer and marketer of vehicle lighting and safety systems.

“He’s going to be talking about what’s new in lighting technology but also new technology in general with an overview of what’s happening in the industry,” Banfield said. “It’s going to be very informative.”

A seminar on shop safety and heath and safety compliance will be followed by the latest on the upcoming fuel and oils for the new 2007 engines. That session, lead by Rob Gardner of Irving Oil, will be followed by a tour of Irving’s refinery in Saint John, which recently received a $1 billion facelift to meet the demands of the new 2007 engines.

After an open visitation and Q&A Tuesday morning, attendees will learn what’s new in transmission technology.

“Most people seem to be going to the automatic technology (though) I haven’t seen a whole lot of it, even though it’s certainly with us now. I know a lot of people aren’t very familiar with it, so the session should be very informative,” Banfield said.

The grand finale at the conference will be the two-hour seminar concerning the future of truck engines, which Banfield said is easily the most important topic at the conference.

“From a customer standpoint, and certainly with these fleet guys, they need to get as much information as they can,” Banfield said. “They have to know what they have to do when they get (the new 2007) trucks in their facilities and they just want to make sure they can get all the information they can to do what they have to do to maintain these fleets.”

The panel representative from almost all the major manufacturers including CAT, Detroit Diesel, Volvo, Cummins and Mack.

But the whole event won’t be spent in seminars. Tuesday evening participants are invited to take part in the dinner and casino event, with casino tables provided by numerous companies including Atlantic CAT, Eaton and Haldex. All attendees will be also entered to win a grand prize draw for a Snap-On tool box valued at $3,200 and a Snap-On tool set valued at $500.

In all Doug Banfield has high expectations for the event and says he hopes the projected crowd of about 200 will find the conference informative and useful.

For more information visit www.apta.ca.