No Excuse for Loading ‘Downer’ Livestock

CALGARY, Alta. - It's an all-too familiar situation for livestock truckers. You're loading the trailer and notice one of the animals is visibly limping. You question its ability to make the trek, but the producer is adamant about loading the anima...

Human Transportation of ‘Downers’

CALGARY, Alta. - "Non-ambulatory animals are a controversial example of at-risk animals. There is no common understanding of whether or not they are fit for transport," says Dr. Gord Doonan, Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) chief, humane tra...

Breakdown!

SASKATOON, Sask. - All trucks are prone to mechanical failure now and again, but when a breakdown occurs while hauling a load of livestock, it's essential to act quickly to protect the livestock on board.

Hauling Hogs in the Hot or Cold

CALGARY, Alta. - Unlike many of their four-legged cousins, hogs don't have the luxury of a fur coat to protect them from the elements when the mercury drops. Pigs that have been carelessly loaded and left unprotected from cold winter winds while i...

Enforcement View: A View From The CFIA

My name is Darren Malchow and I have been a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) health of animals inspector for 13 years, and was a federal meat inspector for 10 years previously. Among the many programs that I am required to work under in the...

Lost and Found: Part Three

The story so far...

Open-End Grain Trailers Dominate the Marketplace

CALGARY, Alta. - The grain trailer is evolving, with the closed-end variety all but disappearing from the Prairie landscape. Barry Burton, Fort Garry Industries regional manager for Saskatchewan, says about 95 per cent of grain trailers are now op...

Publisher’s Comment: Hockey Strike Will Hurt the Kids

As a kid, one of life's greatest pleasures was staying up late Saturday night to watch Hockey Night in Canada. My family would gather round the old black and white RCA and cheer for the blue and white.

Mullen Reaches New Records in 2003

ALDERSYDE, Alta. - Last year was a record setting one for Mullen Transportation, thanks to a strong oilfield services segment and improvements in the company's trucking operations.

Spec’ing Liners

SHERWOOD PARK, Alta. - Cattleliners - they're the most specialized types of trailers in the trucking industry. Yet they can be the most versatile as well.

Grace Cattle Carriers: Praying for An End to the Beef Ban

BROOKS, Alta. - At a feedlot south of Strathmore, Alta., a convoy of five cattleliners is lined up waiting to be loaded with fat cattle destined for Lakeside Packers. Each of the trailers proudly displays the green Grace Cattle Carriers logo, and...

Corrosion: Options Can Lessen Impact of Season

TORONTO, Ont. - The road salt season can wreak havoc with corrosion on truck parts but there are options available that can lessen the impact and maintain the clean, safe images that carriers and drivers want to project for their equipment.

Paralegals: How to Choose the Right One

DON MILLS, Ont. - Truckers and carriers in need of legal services should consider hiring a paralegal. But they should also be smart about who they hire.

Voice of the O/O: Getting Started as An Owner/Operator

When I started trucking in 1974, the standards of training were fairly informal - introduce the student to the complexity of the machinery, and demonstrate some basic defensive driving skills and rules of the road.

Editor’s Comment: Just Say “No” to Downer Livestock

One thing I've noticed as an observer of the trucking industry over the past few years is that there are an awful lot of associations in this business. There are associations representing truckers of every type of commodity available. There are as...