News
U.S. in-transit shipments are almost back
WASHINGTON, DC -- The U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) agency is moving forward on a pilot program aiming to simplify Canadian shipments in-transit through the United States. That is, loads originating in Canada and ending in Canada but travelling via the U.S. en route. In fact, CBP's In-Transit Manifest Pilot Program will work to restore the once common in-transit practice that was curtailed by post-9/11 changes to U.S. border security procedures. Nine Canadian carriers involved in the program will be able to use a limited set of data when crossing the border, easing the administrative burden significantly. According to a notice published in the U.S. Federal Register yesterday, "Test participants will submit electronically an in-transit manifest with a relaxed validation for the value data element and they will not have to provide the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) number."
Low oil? Struggling fleet? Think positive, says speaker
BANFF, AB -- There is plenty of bad news to report. Alberta fleets can cite low oil prices and a lagging economy as just two examples. But Chris Cummins - a speaker who specializes in sales, leadership and personal development -- told members of the Alberta Motor Transport Association that they have the power to change things. It involves a positive attitude.
Is social media a waste of time for business?
BANFF, AB - I'm nervous about live tweeting this event. Sure, there are plenty of followers waiting on news from the Alberta Motor Transport Association. But Kimberly Allison, a certified social media specialist with Marketing RX, is asking whether social media is a real valuable tool or a real waste of time. It depends how you use it.
Automatic Decisions — what are you waiting for?
There's one question all fleets need to ask before spec'ing their first Automated Manual Transmission (AMT): Why did we wait so long? If you're considering a new truck today, the debate shouldn't be about whether or not the drivers will accept them; it's about how much you're giving up by limiting yourself to a manual.
Mullen blames ‘disruptive tech’ for low oil value
Murray K Mullen has seen the impact of low oil prices first hand. More than 100,000 jobs, $60 billion in earnings, and $33 billion in capital investments have evaporated, much of it in Alberta. The Mullen Group itself - the largest provider of specialized transportation for Western Canada's oil and gas industry - has laid off more than 1,400 people. Blame a disruptive technology known as horizontal hydraulic fracturing.
Cash-strapped Alberta rethinks approach to highways
BANFF, AB - A cash-strapped Alberta government is rethinking the way priorities are set for the province's highway network and related maintenance - both for the short term and decades into the future. Every proposed infrastructure project must now contribute to a "triple bottom line" that considers social, economic and environmental impacts, Alberta Transportation Assistant Deputy Minister Shaun Hammond said in a briefing during the Alberta Motor Transport Association's annual convention. Decisions to twin a highway will be based on more than traffic counts alone. And "you will see more and more (environmental issues) in the next few months." The department is already reaching out to the association in the search for ways to reduce emissions around Red Deer, where particulates from diesel engines have played a role in creating the worst air quality in Canada. And Alberta Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Brian Mason pledged earlier in the day to begin research into fuel-saving wide-base single tires "as soon as possible".
Mason highlights transportation projects in AMTA address
BANFF, AB - Alberta Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Brian Mason spoke to the Alberta Motor Transport Association's annual conference this afternoon, emphasizing investments being made in the province's road networks. "The global collapse in oil prices, our most vital commodity, is causing tremendous economic pain and anxiety," he said, adding that the province's infrastructure investments are designed to help spur economic growth. "Transportation is vital to building the Alberta economy."
ELDs, environmental focus among industry ‘game changers’
BANFF, AB - Mandated technologies like Electronic Logging Devices and an increasing focus on environmental standards will be among "game changers" for Canada's trucking industry, Canadian Trucking Alliance CEO David Bradley said in what will likely be his final address to the Alberta Motor Transport Association.
Alberta’s NDP government addresses trucking issues at AMTA conference
BANFF, Alta. – Alberta’s minister of transportation and infrastructure, Brian Mason, and assistant deputy minister of transportation, Shaun Hammond, addressed and answered questions during the Alberta Motor Truck Association’s (AMTA)…
