News
Institute makes case for side guards
ARLINGTON, VA - New crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) have demonstrated that well-built sideguards could keep passenger vehicles from sliding under the side of a semi-trailer. It was the first time that such guards were tested.
PEI reduces minimum truck licensing age
CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI - Eighteen-year-olds in the last stages of graduated licensing will now be able to earn Class 3 truck driving licences under amendments to Prince Edward Island's Highway Traffic Act -- aligning with other provinces and territories. A Class 3 licence applies to a truck or combination above 14,000 kilograms, including special equipment or gooseneck trailers. The amendments were made as of a result of the Federation of Agriculture's request to the government to help alleviate a shortage of truck drivers.
OTA seeking insight regarding CB/two-way radio rules
TORONTO, ON - As of January 1, 2018, specific exemptions for holding and using two-way radios, which includes hand-held CB radios, will expire and the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) is looking for industry insight regarding the use of two-way/CB radios in the trucking industry.
Driver exam crush ahead of mandatory training
TORONTO, ON -- An increasing number of would-be truck drivers are lining up for licensing tests at Ontario DriveTest centers as the province approaches a July 1 deadline to introduce Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT). The number of appointments has increased since the beginning of 2017 and was up 20% last March when compared to the same month in 2016, an Ontario Ministry of Transportation spokesman confirms. The surge was not unexpected, either. Extra examiners were trained, and more classified test slots had been allocated to respond to an increase in demand.
Daimler promotes two executives
PORTLAND, OR -- Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) has appointed Jeff Allen and Stefan Kurschner to its operating committee. Allen becomes senior vice president - production, quality and specialty vehicles on August 1. Kurschner will be the senior vice president for aftermarket business units effective July 1.
The Downspeeding Decision: Can it work with Canadian spec’s?
Spec'ing powertrains for Canadian operations is a tricky job. Americans take their powertrain spec's pretty seriously as well, but how tough is it to get something that will move 80,000-pound loads on interstate highways? To be fair, our southern neighbors are always pushing the proverbial envelope, but tricky takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to downspeeding.
