Truckers noticeably absent from oil sands transportation committee

EDMONTON, Alta. – The Alberta government is setting up a new committee to look at current and future transportation needs in the Athabasca oil sands region, though as constituted it doesn’t appear there’ll be any trucking...

Fit for duty

TORONTO, Ont. – In safety-sensitive industries like transportation, drug and alcohol use can become a defined safety issue that requires employers to determine “fitness for duty.”

Fleets, big and small, can work together harmoniously

One of the most infamous and deadliest feuds in history pitted the Hatfields against the McCoys. Although an official truce was declared in 2003, the actual feud commenced more than 100 years prior, and only lasted a little over 20 years.

Livestock safety should be a herd mentality

There was a time not so long ago when the majority of truck drivers migrated to the highway from the family farm, where handling live animals was as common as tossing around a mud rake.

Tax Rx: Three tips for deducting medical expenses

When you’re sick, the last guy you want to see is your accountant (he’s probably the only person who can deliver worse news than your doctor). But as you prepare your income tax return, it’s important to understand how medical...

AMTA calling for increase in allowable weight on wide-base single tires

CALGARY, Alta. -- The Alberta Motor Transport Association is working with the province to allow an increase in the allowable weight on wide-base single tires. An AMTA delegation met recently with Alberta Transport Minister Ray Danyluk to...

A bridge too far…from the loo

MONCTON, N.B. – Trucks gathering on the New Brunswick roadside waiting out Confederation Bridge closures are an accident waiting to happen, according to a driver who regularly makes the trip across the bridge. Stirling Provencher, a...

No time for training?

MONTREAL, Que. – This September past, Camo-route, a Montreal research and resource company specializing in the trucking, bus and taxi industries officially launched a program it calls ‘mutuelle de formation.’ One of the main...

Harnessing social media

TORONTO, Ont. – Between Twitter tweets, Facebook friending, profiling on LinkedIn, or posting the latest viral video on YouTube, social media’s buzzwords will be more or less familiar to all. But can social media bring value to your...

Ontario’s senior drivers still deserve better

Since OBAC is on “the list,” the month of December brings a plethora of greeting cards from politicians wishing me health, happiness, and a prosperous new year. It’s one of those things they do to make sure voters and...

Electronic tools offer more insight than ever before

Everyone who feels threatened by electronic recordings usually refers to Big Brother. There was no escaping the party leader’s menacing presence in the novel 1984. Posters warned characters that “Big Brother is watching you”...

Regularly stopping to inspect your load and equipment is, believe it or not, a law

There’s a law that drivers should be aware of, even though it seems there may be very little enforcement; another example of a ‘Gummy Law’: laws with no teeth.

CPAP machines: Are they tough enough for the truck?

Like many professional drivers, I have been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep disorder that causes the airway to partially collapse during sleep, preventing the sufferer from attaining any restorative rest.

Ground transportation costs rise for ninth consecutive month: CGFI

TORONTO, Ont. -- The cost of ground transportation for Canadian shippers increased 1.6% in November when compared with October results, according to the latest figures from the Canadian General Freight Index (CGFI). The results represent the...

Effective transportation system key to future growth, transport minister asserts

CALGARY, Alta. -- To build an effective transportation system for the future, Canada must recognize emerging trends and opportunities and adapt our systems and policies to capitalize on them, Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure...