The United We Roll Convoy for Canada wanted to make some noise, and this morning it did that very thing as it rolled up to Parliament Hill. About two dozen commercial vehicles and twice as many pickups -- many of which began their journey in Red Deer, Alta. – completed the final leg in a five-day journey, announcing their arrival with the blast of horns.
TORONTO, ON -- Action heroes. Comic relief. Horror movie villains. Hollywood has long loved the lore of truckers, giving us some memorable characters through the decades. And while they weren't all in classic movies, they made their mark in other ways. From the freaky to the supremely funny, here's our list of the 50 greatest truckers in movie history:
SURREY, BC - Leonard Kane Sr., founder of Len's Transportation Group, has died. Kane's family reported the elder Kane, 84, passed away peacefully in his home July 16 after a brave battle with cancer. Len's Transportation and the Kane family are inviting those that knew him to participate in a Heavy Truck Funeral Convoy, followed by a celebration of life at the Sandman Signature Hotel, on July 29. The convoy will begin at 3 p.m. pst leaving from the Ranger Transport yard in Surrey, B.C.
LOS ANGELES, CA - Volvo Trucks, alongside Partners for Advanced Transportation Technology (PATH) from the University of California in Berkeley, successfully demonstrated partially automated highway truck platooning in a real world simulation last Wednesday.
This year marked major milestones in the push toward autonomous vehicles. Freightliner unveiled a truck that could drive itself in Nevada. Platoons of trucks from DAF, Iveco, MAN, Scania, Volvo and Daimler made their tightly packed trips to Rotterdam in the Netherlands. A self-driving truck made possible by Otto delivered a load of beer to Colorado Springs. And Canada's first autonomous truck is part of a Suncor trial in Alberta's oil patch. Stay tuned for more. The march of technology continues.
PARIS, ON -- The Southern Ontario chapter of the World's Largest Truck Convoy for Special Olympics ran in Paris, ON the weekend of Oct. 17 when a total of 69 trucks made the 100 km loop from Paris to Ingersoll and back, raising $52,000 through pledges and sponsorships. On-site raffle drawings, contests and promotions brought a few thousand more into the coffers. This was the Paris Convoy's 11th year. Total donations to Special Olympics from this one source topped $580,000 with this year's tally. Each year a few dozen such events take place in cities across North America, including five in Canada, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to aid Special Olympics athletes in their quest for self-fulfillment and maybe even a few medals at sporting events. The Paris Convoy ran a month late this year due to some organizing challenges. In fact, the event almost didn't happen, but some heroic last minute efforts pulled everything together in less than a month.
It's the season for truck convoys and all the work that comes with them to raise money for charities. In less than two weeks is the Trucking for a Cure Convoy in Woodstock, ON, that begins at the TA Travel Centre, Exit 230 off Sweaburg Rd. There will be a lot of pink on display...on people and trucks. According to organizers, Trucking for a Cure is a support group on behalf of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation-Ontario. The group is made up of professional organizations and individuals in the transportation industry. Trucking For a Cure says it not only raises awareness and funds for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, but also builds bridges between commercial drivers, the industry, and the public at large, and hopes to unite trucking enthusiasts behind such a meaningful cause. This convoy on Oct. 3 follows a sister event held last weekend in Prescott, ON, which made its inaugural run in 2014. Together the two events raised $75,000 last year, according to organizers.