Dealing with downtime

The trucks on the market today are better than they’ve ever been before, and their engines also are remarkably efficient – when they’re up and running, that is. Excessive downtime has become the elephant in the room that OEMs...

Honesty the best marketing message

I’ve attended hundreds of press conferences over the past 20 years – supplier-orchestrated events designed to inform the media about new products, services, strategies and, on occasion, not much at all. And I’ve also seen...

Quebec truckers frustrated with lack of transponder compatibility

MONTREAL, Que. – The head of the Quebec Trucking Association (QTA) is calling on governments to create a uniform standard for electronic tolling, using the opening of the province’s new Montreal bypass as an illustration of the...

Ontario Fleet Safety Council puts out call to truck safety professionals

TORONTO, Ont. – The Fleet Safety Council of Ontario, at one time a very influential organization whose expertise was frequently called upon by regulators, is looking to enhance its profile in 2013.

Prime Inc. travelled a rocky road to prosperity

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – From the highest highs to the lowest lows and then back again, the eventful history of Prime Inc. is probably best told by its founder and CEO Robert Low. With his quick wit and self-deprecating sense of humour, Low...

Mega-move

WINNIPEG, Man. – It was a show that gave Winnipeg-area insomniacs – as well as those involved and interested rubberneckers – a trio of opportunities to witness something that doesn’t come along every day: the sight of...

Don’t get discouraged if your healthy living goals have been derailed

So how are you making out with those New Year’s resolutions you made? No doubt there were more than a few drivers that resolved to shed a few pounds, take a daily walk, or cut back on the junk food. If you resolved to adopt a healthier...

Keeping a positive attitude while on the road

There is a lot of negativity in our industry. Look at the disturbing trend of unreliability in our equipment that I highlighted in last month’s column and it’s easy to see why. We also have impending legislation that will shake up...

How to come up roses at tax time

Do you smell that? It’s February, something is brewing, and the aroma is wafting this way. It’s not the sweet smell of snowmobile exhaust. It’s just as toxic and oddly familiar. No, it’s tax season, and that smell is...

Walk this way

There’s an old adage that says a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step. I took that first step last fall, and as of mid-January I’d hiked over 780 kms, and placed one foot in front of the other no less than 1,319,418...

PMTC awards season is now open

As you read this, it is February or close to it, the deepest part of the winter in most of Canada. And while the skiers, skaters, and outdoor types are still enjoying the weather, the rest of us may be longing for something, anything, that we...

Whose loss is it anyway?

Imagine a carrier who dispatches a tractor to pick up a trailer at a shipper’s loading dock. The trailer is sealed for security reasons and the driver merely hooks on and proceeds towards the delivery point. Happens thousands of times a...

Natural gas brings new opportunities to Vedder Transport

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – Being an early adopter of liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered trucks has landed Vedder Transportation Group some new business opportunities, including the formation of a solid waste division, which seems an unlikely fit...

LNG truck for rent

SAINTE-JULIE, Que. – The first dealership in Quebec to sell a liquefied natural gas (LNG) truck has also become the first to rent an LNG truck. Sainte-Julie, Que.-based Excellence Peterbilt is increasing the availability of the truck,...

Operating habits can make a lasting difference in fuel economy

Truck, engine and component manufacturers have introduced a long list of vehicle enhancements in the name of saving diesel. Everything from aerodynamic fairings to engine speeds and tires are being tweaked to reduce a truck’s thirst for...