Buyer Beware $5,000 Before I Realized What Was the Clock Is Ticking for Canadian Carriers Operating in the US to Install Happening,” She Tells Truck News
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
March 2017 Volume 37, Issue 2 TRUCK NEWS Eastern Canada’s Trucking Newspaper Since 1981 Delivering daily news at trucknews.com Page 18 Page 26 Page 46 Page 59 Who you gonna call? What fleets want Buyer’s market Youthful enthusiasm Heavy tow operators say a require- If you’re in the business of selling Used truck buyers’ tastes are evolving, An 18-year-old truck driver from ment to comply with H-o-S may leave parts to fleets, understand they want with spec’s such as automated Quebec discusses his passion for the trucking companies with fewer options. a technical advisor, not a sales rep. transmissions increasingly in demand. industry and how it attracted him. Hacked RETAIL ADVERTISING Small and mid-sized PAGES 47-53 carriers are easy targets for hackers By Harry Rudolfs B-Line Enterprises is a small, fami- ly-owned trucking company located in Raleigh, N.C. The company uses load brokers and vice-president Diane Burkle thought nothing of sending out standard contracts and invoices via e-mail. That is, until the payments stopped coming. “Most of them pay in 30 days but we usually wait 45 days before inquiring about the payment,” says Burkle. “That’s how I found out. Then I discovered their e-mails were blocked so I started calling them.” Hackers had obtained Burkle’s By the end of this year, Canadian carriers operating in the e-mail password. “Using my com- US must require drivers to electronically log their hours-of- pany e-mail, they submitted an service. Choosing the right device for your fleet is critical. ACH form to the brokers so they would get a direct deposit into an account they set up. They got into the back side of our e-mail so any replies would not come to my e-mail. They did this with 18 cus- tomers and got away with about Buyer beware $5,000 before I realized what was The clock is ticking for Canadian carriers operating in the US to install happening,” she tells Truck News. The situation became more con- electronic logging devices. The system you choose may be the most founding when Burkle requested pay- important decision you make this year. ment for the work B-Line had done. Continued on page 24 By James Menzies “It’s a registration process, it’s not a certification pro- cess with FMCSA at this time,” he points out. “FMCSA Careers: 6, 28-45 TORONTO, ONTARIO is not vetting anything.” Ad Index: 57 anadian carriers that operate in the US will This is an important consideration for fleets that are have until Dec. 18, 2017 to install electronic log- shopping around for a compliant ELD platform. A vendor’s Cging devices (ELDs) for the monitoring of driver appearance on the FMCSA website means only that the hours-of-service. To help carriers find a compliant sys- company has taken steps to ensure its system complies tem, the US Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administra- with the technical standard. If that system is discovered tion (FMCSA) has created a website listing registered in the future to fall short – whether by FMCSA, enforce- and “self-certified” devices. But it may come as a sur- ment officers or by the end user – the supplier will have prise to fleets that all that’s required to get on that list a limited time to bring its system into compliance or, if it is to submit documentation claiming to have met all fails to do so, the fleet will have to replace all its devices the requirements laid out in a 450-odd page technical and the product will be removed from the website. standard. There’s no further proof required. Recognizing the risk fleets are exposed to, Canada’s As of Feb. 8, there were 27 devices listed on the FMC- PIT Group has launched a third-party verification ser- SA’s website. Noticeably absent were the major players, vice. It’s voluntary for suppliers, who can choose to have the most recognizable ELD suppliers. PIT engineers verify their compliance and then earn the “Our message is going to be buyer beware,” warns Eric right to display a PIT-verified logo. Witty, vice-president, product, with PeopleNet. “I think, “The reason why we went into offering that ser- in general, there will be confusion in the marketplace vice is, fleets were alarmed,” PIT Group director Yves related to the vendors.” Provencher tells Truck News. “We even had lawyers call- Tom Cuthbertson, vice-president of regulatory affairs ing us, saying ‘What can we do to protect our carriers?’ PM40063170 with Omnitracs, agrees. Continued on page 12 Join ATA’s Technology & Maintenance Council! TRUCK NEWS ISSN 0712-2683 (Print) Contents ISSN 1923-3523 (Online) Lou Smyrlis Group Publisher 416-510-6881 [email protected] Kathy Koras Associate Publisher 416-510-6892 [email protected] EDITORIAL James Menzies Editor 416-510-6896 [email protected] Sonia Straface Associate Editor 416-510-6890 [email protected] Derek Clouthier Truck West Editor 403-969-1506 [email protected] Julia Kuzeljevich Contributing Editor 416-510-6880 [email protected] In Every Issue DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Carolyn Brimer, Beverley Richards, Marketplace .........47-53 Tim Norton Ad Index ....................57 ACCOUNT MANAGERS Announcements .......57 Heather Donnelly National Accounts Manager Newland Transport ...60 416-614-5804 [email protected] 42 Nickisha Rashid Al Goodhall – Opinion National Accounts Manager If the feds are doling out cash for fuel- 416-614-5824 efficient equipment and technologies, [email protected] shouldn’t driver training also get some Delon Rashid recognition? Sales & Marketing Consultant 43 – Western Canada 403-713-1054 David Bradley – Industry [email protected] In his farewell column, David Bradley says he’ll continue to watch Denis Arsenault the industry closely as it enters an Quebec Accounts Manager Feature Stories exciting time. 514-938-0639 ext. 2 [email protected] Used Trucks 45 Scott Taylor – Tax Talk Doug Copeland Are you in the market for a used truck? Make sure a properly No one likes to hear the term “audit.” Regional Accounts Manager functioning aftertreatment system is on your checklist. 46, 55 905-715-9511 Scott Taylor shares some tips on how to avoid them. [email protected] Vocational Paul Beelien We get an opportunity to swap out bodies on a real-world 56 Regional Accounts Manager Transformer truck from Western Star. How easy was it? 61 Fleet News 416-614-5806 TFI International has made two more [email protected] acquisitions, Manitoulin expands 5 31-37 presence in Wawa and the Best Fleets Truck News is published monthly by Editorial Equipment to Drive For are named. Newcom Business Media Inc. The numbers are in and Ontario’s long Tire prices are on the rise, Utility is combination vehicle program has rolling out new trailers and Mack CHAIRMAN & FOUNDER: been a success. has new products for concrete mixer Jim Glionna 7 customers. PRESIDENT In Brief 38 Joe Glionna The Fergus Truck Show has been Karen Bowen – Health VICE-PRESIDENT canceled for good and Truck News gets Are you getting enough sleep? Melissa Summerfield a facelift. Our resident health expert has some tips on how to stay alert. Director of Circulation 9-25 Pat Glionna Business 39 Ontario tow truck operators are now Mail Subscription Inquiries governed by the CVOR. How will this Donald Trump has the support Lilianna Kantor affect fleets looking for a late-night of some readers for his widely- 59 Phone: 416-614-5815 tow? And Toronto’s plan to toll major anticipated selection to head EPA. Profile Fax: 416-614-8861 arteries is overruled. We profile one of Quebec’s youngest Email: [email protected] 40 26-29 professional drivers. RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES Bill Cameron – Opinion TO: CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT, TRUCK NEWS Aftermarket Bill questions whether the term 58 451 ATTWELL DR., TORONTO, ON M9W 5C4 The relationships between “economies of scale” applies in the PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40063170 Mark Dalton in… CUSTOMER NO. 4006214 parts suppliers and major fleets trucking industry. The Mark Dalton Project are evolving. Find out how in our coverage from Heavy Duty 41 62 Aftermarket Week. Mark Lee – Opinion The Last Word Mark loves his electronic logs. We look in on Joseph Haulage’s Find out why his only regret is not operations and discuss where the We acknowledge the financial support of the adopting them sooner. Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund company’s future growth may occur. of the Department of Canadian Heritage. March 2017 • Truck News 3 Inside the Numbers with Lou Smyrlis Get USED to it Eastern Canada’s carriers see buying used as an option in updating their fleets Motor carriers from Ontario to the Maritimes are used to purchasing used when it comes to renewing their fleets. Our annual Equipment Buying Trends Survey Follow Lou on Twitter @LouSmyrlis. found that two thirds have purchased used trucks in the past and more than fifth plan to do so again this year. Purchased used trucks Plan to purchase Type of transmission most likely to prefer in the past used truck(s) in 2017 when selecting used truck(s) Manual Automatic NO YES NO YES 18-speed 29% 28% of respondents 9% Manual 10-speed Manual 35% 32% 68% 79% 21% 13-speed of respondents of respondents Most important factors in selecting a used truck (scale of 1 to 5) Main reasons plan to purchase used Brand 3.95 Current trucks have reached replacement mileage 37% Age of truck/mileage of respondents 4.34 GVW/payload capacity Increasing costs of repairs on current vehicles 27% 3.93 Type of transmission 24% 3.98 Looking to avoid new engine emissions standards Availability of preferred engine brand 4.16 Adding to fleet due to growth projections 31% History of truck 4.14 Availability of parts Looking to improve fuel economy 18% 4.29 NEITHER RAIN, NOR SNOW NOR 23 HOURS OF DARKNESS NOR THE FAILED MISSIONS OF TRUCKERS’ PAST NOR ACTS OF GOD.