Now that the calendar has turned to 2018, we are in full planning mode for the 2018 Private Motor Truck Council of Canada (PMTC) annual conference. The speakers and topics have already been lined up, and this year promises to once again be one of the best educational and networking values in the industry. (Full conference details can be viewed on our website at www.pmtc.ca).

The conference is being held June 14-15 at the Crowne Plaza Fallsview in Niagara Falls, Ont., with our annual general meeting and cocktail reception being held the day prior. One of the highlights of our conference each year is our awards program, and this year is no exception.

Most people don’t give a second thought to the professional men and women who safely pilot commercial motor vehicles up and down our highways for millions of accident-free miles each year. These professional men and women ensure that essential products and services are delivered seamlessly so we can enjoy the benefits of the life that we live.

The awards program, in my view, is one of the most gratifying portions of our conference, as it is one of the few times that drivers, fleets, dispatchers, and safety personnel are recognized in the positive light that they so richly deserve.

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

The Rick Austin Memorial Dispatcher of the Year Award
The Rick Austin Memorial Dispatcher of the Year Award is a new award for this year, and has been established as a tribute to the memory of Rick Austin, fleet dispatcher at CPC, who passed away suddenly on March 15, 2017. He was assigned to the John Deere Fleet.
This award is designed to help recognize the exceptional – and often underappreciated ­– efforts of dispatchers who have made an outstanding contribution to their company in the past year or over the course of their career. This award is open to dispatchers of private and dedicated fleets, PMTC membership is not a requirement.

The Hall of Fame for Professional Drivers
This award inducts up to four professional drivers each year. It recognizes superior over-the-road performance of drivers employed by PMTC member companies. The Hall of Fame resides on our website and a visitor can review the outstanding records of all our inductees, dating back to 1990.

The Private Fleet Safety Awards
These are open to all private fleets in Canada. Membership in the PMTC is not required to enter this award. These awards recognize companies with superior over-the-road performance who have successfully integrated detailed safety programs as a key component of their operations.

The Vehicle Graphics Awards
These awards add color and drama to our annual awards program. This award is open to all fleets, private and for-hire, and attracts entries from across the country.

The PMTC Young Leaders Education Bursary
This award will provide up to 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 $1,800.

The Professional Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Training Scholarship
This scholarship will cover the costs for the recipient to complete a full training program through an approved training provider. 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.

All entry forms, applications, and criteria are available at www.pmtc.ca, or by calling the office at 877-501-7682. You can also email info@pmtc.ca. Please consider nominating someone from your company. There are many drivers and companies who deserve the chance to be recognized in front of their peers – let’s give as many of them as we can this opportunity.

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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.