You’re tired, take a rest

KING CITY, Ont. – Imagine being able to roll back the clock and speak to a tired driver before they are involved in an accident. A high-tech, real-time fatigue advisory system being tested by Praxair's Canadian fleet is allowing the...

Truck News July 2011

Click here to download the July 2011 Truck News Digital Edition…

The new normal

TORONTO, Ont. - As shippers and carriers came together for this year's Transportation Workshop organized by Motortruck Fleet Executive and Dan Goodwill & Associates, the mood was noticeably improved compared to previous years.

Postal strike means headaches for some, opportunities for others

OTTAWA, Ont. - Twenty-four-hour rotating postal strikes by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers appear to be accelerating across the country as Canada Post Corporation has countered by announcing that it is cutting staff and services at postal...

Lamenting the decline of the traditional truck show

The truck show, as it's known today, is at risk of extinction. The type of truck that attracts observers and participants to show'n'shines across Canada is gradually being outlawed by overzealous enviro-minded regulators and replaced with...

Count on it – at last!

For years now I have complained that Canada was too far behind other countries in providing valuable statistical information on transportation and logistics areas. Just a couple of weeks ago I was speaking at an Idealease/PMTC event and...

ACI eManifest portal nearly finished

TORONTO, Ont. - The advanced electronic reporting of shipments at land border crossings will soon be a reality trucking companies will have to embrace if they are not already doing so.

Energotest fuel efficiency trials back on track

BLAINVILLE, Que. - Now in this, the fifth year and seventh set of Energotest track trials of technologies designed to cut fuel consumption, refined versions of familiar products were back for testing in late May. Four new client companies also...

From the passenger seat to the head of the class

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Amie McLean is all too familiar with the challenges encountered by female drivers in the Canadian trucking industry. Some of her earliest childhood memories involve bouncing around in the passenger seat of a big rig, handing...

Unspectacular growth numbers nothing to panic about, top economists advise

TORONTO, Ont. - The global and Canadian economies are shifting from a period of acceleration to a period of cruise control, according to top economists, and that is certain to create temporary headwinds for carriers looking to aggressively...

Navistar hosts Heavy-Duty Boot Camp for dealers

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - It was billed as a "Heavy-Duty Boot Camp," and saw North American Navistar dealers converge on Salt Lake City, Utah, to learn the ins and outs of their own products while also getting a close-up look at the competition....

Deducting the use of a car, van or pick-up for business

Last month I got a call from a client with questions about a vehicle he planned to lease for his business. We've been his accountant for a long time and know each other well.

Becoming a ‘Best Fleet’ to drive for

TORONTO, Ont. - Having completed its third year, the Best Fleets to Drive For program is beginning to provide real insight into what drivers and owner/operators value from their carriers.

A fundamental market reality: All key operating costs are on the rise

Market fundamentals dictate supply and demand, which ultimately is reflected in prices. Price x Volume (revenue) – Cost = Profit, or if costs exceed revenue, Loss. That’s economics and business 101.

Intention, commitment and knowledge

Last month in this space, I said there were three things I did that led me to a healthier lifestyle on the road. They are: intention, commitment, and knowledge.