Why small fleets tend to remain small

Believe it or not, I occasionally get e-mails about this column that are not calling for my head on a platter. In one last year, a gentleman was in complete agreement with my criticism of the rates and driver pay practices of large carriers, as...

Pay attention to the signs

How tall am I? How wide am I? How heavy am I? These are questions we do not often want to ask ourselves, but in the transportation industry, they are important questions that pertain to our equipment, our loads and our destinations. It is...

An effective retention program begins with the recruitment process

KING CITY, Ont. -- Does your company have a driver retention problem, or is it actually a recruitment issue? Tamara Miller, director of programs and services with Trucking HR Canada said the two causes of turnover should not be lumped together....

Understanding and combating driver fatigue

You may not yet realize it, but July 10 marked an important day in Canadian trucking history. The otherwise ordinary day marked the long-awaited launch of the North American Fatigue Management Program (NAFMP).

Trucking industry can embrace health and safety through education: IHSA

KING CITY, Ont. -- Every day in Ontario, someone wakes up for work and does not come home for dinner because he or she has sustained a critical injury or has succumbed to a fatal injury.

Canadian Trucking Alliance announces Project Momentum cargo crime event

The Canadian Trucking Alliance, in partnership with Verisk Crime Analytics Canada - CargoNet, police agencies and the Ontario Trucking Association has announced the official launch of Project Momentum -- an initiative to raise awareness of the...

Shop class in session

BRAMPTON, Ont. – Students enrolled in Bramalea Secondary School’s Truck and Bus program now have an impressive classroom to call home after the recent opening of a multi-million-dollar truck maintenance facility on school grounds....

Cutting corners

TORONTO, Ont. – Last year, Ontario’s Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU), together with industry, adopted a 200-hour curriculum for aspiring professional truck drivers.

Creating a health workplace

The secret is out among the best run trucking companies, that a formal health and wellness plan for drivers and other staff can deliver significant benefits to a carrier’s operations. It has often been said that a healthy driver is a safe...

Is natural gas a natural fit?

Is natural gas a natural fit to replace diesel as the fuel of choice in trucking? Skip back three decades to the early 80s and Canada was a pioneer in supporting the development of natural gas vehicle technologies.

Lessons from the best in the biz

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Just being nominated as a Best Fleet to Drive For and then going through the extensive evaluation process is an eye-opening process of self-awareness for fleets that have had the opportunity. Mark Murrell, president of...

Making better use of the drivers we have

First of all, I want to say hello to my first ever fan! I was in Regina waiting for a truck to pull off the dock so I could back in and get my load off. The driver of that truck, a flat-top Lowmax Western Star from B.C. came over and said he...

For the health of it

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Siphiwe Baleka was a world-class athlete before deciding to embark on a career as a professional driver with Prime Inc.

Talking ’bout the next generation

Can’t we all – as in motor carriers and shippers – just get along? Well, who says we can’t? In fact, despite popular folklore, many successful companies these days are pretty sophisticated in dealing with competing...

Get ready

Everybody remembers too well what trucking companies went through lately, specifically in 2008-2009. How many new enemies would I make by saying I feel strongly that the next wave of the economic slowdown is coming, and soon?