Ralph Boles of Bison Transport placed third in the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) Equipment Driver of the Year contest. Boles has been a driver with Bison Transport since 1974 and has logged more than 4.5 million accident-free miles during his career, according to TCA.

He has accumulated seven safe driving awards and two Driver of the Month awards from the Manitoba Trucking Association.

The Bison driver also sits on Bison’s Driver Advisory Board and its Accident Appeal Board. In this role, Boles is in a position to advise, review and discuss: policies that need to be changed; accidents and how they should be handled; and the concerns of Bison’s drivers and/or the general public.

Recently, he has undertaken a new challenge – serving as an in-cab instructor. This opportunity allows Boles to share his extensive experience in mountain driving, helping Bison’s new drivers who are participating in the new driver training program, according to Bison.

For his third place prize package, Boles receives $1,200 in truck stop gift cards, $750 cash, and a $250 Best Buy gift card.

•

Daimler AG announced several high-ranking personnel changes for its trucks division recently, including the retirement of Chris Patterson as head of Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA).

Beginning June 1, he will be replaced by Marin Daum, the company announced in a release. Patterson is retiring after 32 years in the North American commercial vehicle industry, 11 of which were with DTNA.

His replacement, Daum is currently head of operations at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Woerth, Germany.

Also on June 1, Dr. Albert Kirchmann will take over as head of Daimler Trucks Asia. He will also serve as president and CEO of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp. He replaces Harald Boelstler who is also set to retire.

•

The Ontario Trucking Association’s (OTA’s) senior policy advisor, Barrie Montague, retired on March 31.

He will continue to serve the industry as Commercial Vehicle Operators’ Registration (CVOR) facility audit consultant, the OTA has announced.

Montague joined the OTA in 1994, but first he served as the CEO of a major Ontario-based tank truck company and a member of the OTA board of directors rising to the level of vice chairman. He was also the chairman of the Washington, D. C.-based Tank Truck Carriers Association.

The OTA said that Montague established himself as a technical and strategic expert in the regulatory compliance field, particularly as it relates to the CVOR system, facility audits, safety ratings and the transportation of dangerous goods.

In addition to providing consulting services to the members on a fee-for-service basis, Montague will continue as OTA’s and CTA’s technical expert on dangerous goods and tank truck matters, for the time being.

He will also provide transportation of dangerous goods training on behalf of OTA, the association says.

•

The Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) has announced the passing of a prominent member and health and safety advocate, due to cancer on March 25.

John Tessier had worked with the Alberta trucking industry for many years as a driver and safety officer for carriers, and then with the Alberta Trucking Industry Safety Association and the AMTA. He retired in 2007 to follow this passion of worker health and safety as an industry consultant, according to the AMTA.

The AMTA is creating a safety award named after Tessier, to be presented at the annual Provincial Truck Driving Championship, another of his passions.