Four levels of government are working together to solve the congestion at the Windsor-Detroit border crossing.

Canada, the U.S., Ontario and Michigan have announced a call for expressions of interest to conduct a study aimed at improving traffic flow at the international corridor, one of the busiest international crossings in the world.

The study will assess the existing transportation network and long-range transportation plans in southeast Michigan and southwest Ontario.

The planning, need and feasibility study – the first stage in a complex process – is expected to take approximately 24 months to complete.

Companies interested in participating in the government study are invited to submit expressions of interest outlining their qualifications and specialties. More information is also being made available at the following Website: www.merx.cebra.com.

However, one company claims is has the answer to the congestion issue right now. In unveiling plans for what would be the third link between Canada’s southern most city and the US, Mich-Can International Bridge Company says a new four-lane span could be built about five kilometres south of the Ambassador Bridge. The proposed structure would link in with the E.C. Row Expressway at the Ojibway Parkway. Cost would be around US$600 million.

“We believe four to five years would be a reasonable amount of time to put a shovel in the ground,” says Reg Turner, a member of the company’s management team. This estimate would shave several years off government estimates if the work was completed without private involvement.

The plan also calls for an extension of the Lauzon Parkway to join in with Hwy. 401.

OTA examining truck tax reform proposed in Ontario

Ontario’s recent provincial budget contains a key proposal that, if approved, would change the way the Retail Sales Tax Act is applied to trucks registered under IRP and used in Ontario.

The plan would see the province replace the current retail sales tax on trucks with an annual prorated sales tax to be paid each year at registration.

The tax would be calculated based on the truck’s purchase price, and the amount of mileage racked up by the vehicle on Ontario highways. The end result would see truck owners paying a smaller provincial sales tax during the year of purchase, and yearly taxes through IRP registration.

The Ontario Trucking Association is currently examining the proposal, to see if it offers a viable solution to the industry’s tax woes.

“OTA’s preferred approach to sales tax reform, which is long overdue, would be harmonization with GST, or a straight exemption. However, the proposed retail sales tax is worthy of consideration and OTA has engaged tax professionals to help us analyze this form of taxation,” says association president David Bradley.

Licensing changes in the works for Alberta truckers

Sweeping changes to the Alberta Traffic Safety Act could include a number of movements that will affect truckers.

One of the proposals being tabled is eliminating a number of license classes the province feels are redundant. The Class 3 license plate would be eliminated from trucks and merged with existing classes. There would be no fee and the merging of classes would take place at registration time.

Another idea being considered is a non-compulsory apprenticeship program for young drivers.

The report also indicates that 70 per cent of respondents agree with a move to slap commercial drivers with demerit points for non-moving offences such as load securement and log book violations.

Cerno Research publishes new report on compensation

Canada’s trucking industry faces a national average turnover rate of 35.8 percent amongst its drivers, according to Cerno Research Inc., which has just published an updated report focusing on the compensation practices of Canadian trucking operations.

Turnover rates amongst other employees were lower, but well ahead of the rates reported in Cerno Research’s national manufacturing study.

With trucking companies looking at the possibility that they will need to weather an economic slowdown before realizing more growth, this is an important time to take a close look at the human costs affecting the bottom line, comments Stephen Harrington, special projects director with Cerno Research.

Cerno’s 2001 Trucking Operations Compensation & Benefits Reports are the only annual reports covering the trucking industry in Canada featuring both national and regional results. Produced in partnership with the Canadian Trucking Alliance and provincial trucking organizations, the 2001 trucking report is based upon survey data collected from more than 294 Canadian trucking operations. The wage levels of more than 90,000 employees are represented in 94 different job descriptions ranging from junior employees to senior executives.