WHAT’S UP WITH THE FIFTH WHEELS? AND IS THERE AN IRVING CONNECTION?

Changes are afoot at the Fifth Wheel truck stops in Ontario. The Dorchester location was shuttered at the end of 2013 and the Cornwall Fifth Wheel saw its restaurant and motel closed, while fuelling services there remain available. The rumour I...

MARKET TO REMAIN DEVOID OF 15L NATURAL GAS ENGINE…FOR NOW

News came last week that Cummins was putting development of its 15-litre natural gas engine on “pause”, which means the market will be without one for the foreseeable future. Westport announced last fall that it would stop taking...

IN WHICH I SPECULATE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF A 15L NATURAL GAS ENGINE AND WHY WE MAY NOT SEE ONE FOR A WHILE

In October 2012, I wrote in Hooked Up about the foresight of Cummins in developing a natural gas engine market as far back as 2002, when natural gas wasn’t yet at the forefront of anyone’s mind. Most engine OEMs at that time were...

WHY MULLEN GROUP’S SPENDING $100 MILLION THIS YEAR

Mullen Group recently announced its Board approved a $100-million capital budget it’ll use mostly to buy new equipment. About $25 million of that will go towards buying trucks and trailers for its trucking/logistics segment, Mullen...

A SPECIAL DELIVERY

Thomson Group this holiday season participated in a toy drive of sorts, that saw a truckload of toys delivered to children in 24 remote northern Ontario communities. Thomson donated the truck and driver, delivering donated toys to CFB Trenton,...

TRANSFORCE: GRINCH OR SANTA CLAUS?

The last time I wrote, on Christmas Eve, you may recall TransForce had submitted a “superior offer” for Vitran’s Canadian LTL operations of US$6.50/share, threatening to derail Manitoulin’s initial agreement to acquire...

CLASS 8 TRUCK ORDERS SURGE

If 2013 was characterized as ‘The Great Okay,’ then what will 2014 hold in store? Could it be the year of getting back to business? Early - and I mean very early - indications are that large fleet buyers are ready to invest in new...

MTO’S USE OF RADAR STIRS STRONG FEELINGS AMONG DRIVERS

In a Trucknews.com exclusive, I reported just before Christmas that Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation is looking to add radar to its arsenal, to help it enforce the province’s controversial speed limiter law restricting trucks to...

HYDRAULIC LINKAGES AND SELF-ADJUSTING CLUTCHES

I had an interesting conversation the other day about the introduction of hydraulic linkages on North American trucks and the risks of pairing them with traditional manual-adjust clutches. Certain OEMs are now offering trucks with hydraulic...

CONVERTING WASTE TO FUEL

Here’s an interesting tidbit that I picked up at the Natural Gas Vehicle Infrastructure Conference last October, and have yet to do anything with. One of the presentations at the conference was by Dan Pio, v.p. and COO of Progressive...

COLD SNAP IMPACTS TRUCKING

“Cold enough for ya,” said in my most obnoxious voice. Truckers and carriers (and truck writers) right across much of North America are currently coping with some unprecedented cold weather that’s doing more than just making...

‘THIS IS CANADA’

Up above, I wrote about how the extreme cold weather is impacting the trucking industry. It’s ugly out there. Marco Beghetto, v.p. of communications and new media with the OTA, said despite all the challenges, carriers and drivers are...

Pricing Power

TORONTO, Ont. -- Noel Perry of FTR Associates is holding up four fingers and one thumb. He had asked a room full of Ontario trucking executives, rhetorically, “how many dry van carriers or reefer carriers have the capability to bid - in a...

What’s in store for 2014

As we flip the calendar to 2014 and look back at the year that was, the main themes that emerged over the past year are likely to remain with us well into 2014.

Dealing with Requests for Proposals

Freight bids are becoming increasingly popular as a mechanism to negotiate freight rates and service. Initially seen as a temporary initiative by shippers to lower their transportation costs during the recession, they remain very much with us...