Now that the calendar has turned to 2016, we are in full planning mode for the 2016 PMTC Annual Conference.

Many speakers and topics have already been lined up and this year’s conference promises to once again be one of the best educational and networking values in the industry.

The conference is being held June 16-17, once again at the Kingbridge Conference Centre in King City, Ont. One of the highlights of our conference each year is our awards program, which is expanding this year.

Most of the people in the general public only hear about drivers and the companies they work for when they are involved in an incident, have a mechanical defect, or when the industry is the subject of a sensationalized story to draw ratings for the evening news.

Positive stories about the industry and its drivers are few and far between within the media outside the industry.

That is an issue we have been trying to get in front of for years, but that is a story for another day.

Those of us in the business know what a massive role the trucking industry and its drivers play in the economy and we are fully aware that the majority of the companies in this business and the people who work in this industry are safe, courteous, professional operators, who are the best at what they do. 

The awards program is a way for PMTC and our sponsors to acknowledge the great successes of our industry, to celebrate the truly great people in it and to recognize their achievements.

It always brings a smile to the faces in the audience to see a humble, professional operator, who is always just happy to do their job without praise or acknowledgment, be truly grateful of the recognition they are receiving – and in our view, justly so!

Here is a brief overview of the awards program for PMTC.

The Hall of Fame for Professional Drivers, sponsored by Huron Services Group, 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 our inductees, dating back to 1990.

The Private Fleet Safety Awards, sponsored by Making Eligibility Easier (MEE), a division of ISB Canada, 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.

The Vehicle Graphics Awards, sponsored by 3M Canada, add colour and drama to our annual awards luncheon. This award is open to all fleets, private and for-hire, and attracts entries from across the country.

We have two new awards added to our program this year.

The PMTC Young Leaders Education Bursary will provide two PMTC young leaders with the funds to cover two of the four courses that are required to complete the PMTC Logistics Management Program. The courses have been selected from CITT’s extensive library of logistics programs.

Each bursary has a value of roughly $1,300. This program, when completed, will arm the new leader with the skills and confidence necessary to climb the ranks in his or her company and become a successful leader in their organization.

The second new award this year is the PMTC Professional Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Training Scholarship.  This scholarship will cover the costs for the recipient to complete a full training program through Kim Richardson Transportation Specialists (KRTS), or another training provider should the candidate be from outside Ontario.

This program is an intensive 200-hour course, which when completed, will arm the new professional driver with a high level of training as set by the Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario (TTSAO) and Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI) mandatory requirements.

These standards will provide the student with the skills and confidence necessary to become a successful professional operator and will help to promote investment in the training needs of our great Industry.

All entry forms, applications, and criteria are available at www.pmtc.ca, or by calling the office at 877-501-7682.  You can also e-mail info@pmtc.ca.

Please consider nominating someone from your company and allow them to receive the recognition they deserve in front of their peers.

Who knows, maybe we can convince someone from the general media to attend and cover these positive and truly remarkable stories from our industry as well.

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Mike Millian is president of the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada, the only national association that represents the views and interests of the private fleet industry. He can be reached at trucks@pmtc.ca.