TORONTO, (April 5, 2005) — After almost 50 years serving the Canadian trucking industry, John Cyopeck will get his chance to lead it.

Cyopeck, 60, president and CEO of TransForce’s parcel courier division Canpar Transport, was appointed chairman of the Canadian Trucking Alliance today. He takes over for Evan MacKinnon, CEO of MacKinnon Transport Inc. in Guelph, Ont.

Described by the CTA as a “brave” and “well-respected and well-liked member of the carrier community,” Cyopeck has been widely credited with engineering the turnaround at Canpar in the 1990’s and making it a attractive and profitable company that was purchased by the Transforce Income Fund in 2002.

Cyopeck got his start in trucking early in life, by working in the small parcel industry after school and on weekends for his father at CN Express in Welland, Ont. at the age of 12. He started driving truck and working on the dock at Joe Harrison Motorways, a couple of years after that. He became a Teamsters steward for Local 879 during that time.

In the late 1970s he joined the TNT organization holding progressively more senior positions in Vancouver and Mississauga, Ont. including VP Transportation in 1986. During that time he started TNT Roadfast. He left TNT in the late 1980s to join Concord Transportation, before joining Canpar (then owned by CP Trucks) in 1989 as Executive VP and Assistant General Manager. He became president and CEO a year later.

However, it’s Cyopeck’s latest challenge that has the trucking industry in awe of him, says the CTA. Earlier this year, Cyopeck was diagnosed with a brain tumour, which was excised on February 16th. Tests showed that the tumour was malignant and Cyopeck is now embarking upon a series of treatments.

“Throughout his ordeal, John has amazed friends and colleagues in the industry with his positive outlook, his feistiness and his drive to take on the responsibilities of the CTA chairman,” CTA stated in a press release.

“It is with great pride that I accept the chairmanship of the Canadian Trucking Alliance. I understand that I am the first chairman in the history of the CTA to represent the courier/small parcel segment, but nevertheless I am a trucker and proud of it,” Cyopeck said in his acceptance speech at CTA’s annual general meeting today. “The next two years, will no doubt be as challenging as ever for the Canadian trucking industry and for CTA.”

Cyopeck cited border concerns, new hours of service regulations, changes to labour standards, environmental issues and an unpredictable economy, as issues the CTA will tackle during his term over the next two years.