Truck
Right Place, Right Time: Canada Cartage Driver Saves Life
TORONTO, ON -- A Caanada Cartage driver last month witnessed the unthinkable but stepped up to help a crash victim in need, likely saving their life. On Sept. 23rd, at 9:30 a.m., on a remote section of Hwy. 32 in Eastern Ontario, Paul Peiris was traveling along the highway when he witnessed a car hit the shoulder and flip twice before landing on its roof.
U.S. Increasing Cross-Border Fees for Some Shipments
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced it will publish its final rule on Oct. 29 that adjusts the fees the U.S. government charges to recoup the costs of conducting agricultural quarantine inspections (AQI) at U.S. ports of entry for all modes of transportation and many in Canadian trucking are speaking out against the move.
Daimler Trucks Expecting Boost in 2016
PHILADELPHIA, PA-- "Expect class 6-8 truck orders for 2016 to be less than 2015, but better than 2014", says Martin Daum, President and CEO of Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) during his annual media recap at the American Trucking Associations' 2015 Management Conference and Exhibition held in Philadelphia a few days ago.
Nat-Gas Fuel System Maker Begins Partly Moving Out of Canada
SALISBURY, NC - A developer and manufacturer of natural gas fuel systems for heavy duty vehicles in North America celebrated the opening of their new manufacturing plant in Salisbury, NC as it transitions a big part of its operation out of Canada.
Muslim Truck Drivers Get Award in Religious Discrimination Suit
CHICAGO, IL -- A U.S. federal jury in Peoria, IL has awarded US$240,000 to two Somalian-American Muslims who were fired from their jobs as truck drivers at Star Transport, when they refused to transport alcohol because it violated their religious beliefs. The case was brought on their behalf by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which enforces laws in the country prohibiting employment discrimination.
Paris Convoy Pulls in $52,000 for Special Olympics
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.
TransForce Profit Jumps, Exiting Rig Moving, Eyeing U.S.
MONTREAL, QC - Trucking giant TransForce Inc. did more than just release its third quarter earnings on Thursday showing an increase in profitability. It announced it was getting out of one business while saying the next day where it was setting its sights for future growth.
N.A. Big Rig Sales Cool, Still Strong; Medium Duty Jumps
BLOOMINGTON, COLUMBUS, IN -- Two new reports show orders for big rigs in North America have eased a bit as the year gets closer to the end while a separate data shows sales of natural gas powered trucks in the U.S. are down this year from 2015.
Space Running Out for OTA Executive Conference
TORONTO, ON -- One of the premier trucking events in Canada is just around the corner and time is running out to join in. Nov. 4-5 at the Ritz Carlton marks the 89th annual Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) Executive Conference. This year's event will build on the successful theme of first-class networking, education and the entertaining awards dinner attended by senior trucking executives from across the province and Canada, according to the group.
PIT Group Boosting U.S. Testing Presence
PHILADELPHIA, PA and MONTREAL, QC - A Canadian engineering and research group for the North American trucking industry announced at the 2015 American Trucking Associations' (ATA) Management Conference and Exhibition this week the opening of a U.S. office and a significant increase in its presence in the United States. Performance Innovation Transport (PIT) Group is opening an office in Atlanta, GA and is adding the U.S. as the location for road testing of its technology certification process known as Energotest. Using stringent SAE/TMC testing protocols, PIT Group will now hold two Energotest events in Canada and two in the U.S. each year. "PIT Group has become the benchmark for precise, verified and unbiased data on the return on investment fleets can expect from green technologies in Canada," said Yves Provencher, director of PIT Group. "With the continual need to improve competitiveness and the increase in environmental compliance restrictions, the demand for green technologies has never been stronger. Our U.S. office will enable us to offer the level of service and experience we've been providing Canadian fleets and that U.S. fleets expect."
Research Links Personality Traits to Truck Driver Turnover
SOUTH BEND, IN - Preliminary results from a study show certain personality traits of truck drivers are predictive of turnover and safety performance. The research project with the University of Notre Dame began two years ago. It includes some carrier clients of the driver retention company Stay Metrics and 450 drivers from company fleets, which provided data for the study. Drivers completed an in-depth, online survey developed by professors Timothy Judge and Mike Crant from the Mendoza College of Business at University of Notre Dame. The survey was used to assess their personality traits while carriers provided safety scores and turnover data on the drivers throughout the course of the study. Their full study is currently in the peer review process and is expected to be published in academic journals within 12 to 18 months. Meanwhile, Dr. Judge, who is Stay Metrics' director of research, has used the results from the study to create two predictive models that link key personality traits of drivers to turnover and safety, respectively, according to Stay Metrics. Each model uses a predictive index based on four personality traits that strongly correlate with turnover and safety.
