Building the Gas Highway
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March 2012 Volume 23, Issue 3 Delivering daily news to Canada’s trucking industry at www.trucknews.com Building Waste not B.C. food haulers the gas put brakes on waste, feed the hungry highway By Jim Bray VICTORIA, B.C. – A Victoria, B.C. Shell plans natural trucking company co-owner with a passion for helping others has been gas corridor between recognized for an innovative charita- ble initiative that not only helps feed Calgary, Edmonton the needy, it also helps prevent per- fectly good food from being wasted. By Lou Smyrlis The award, issued by the Minerva PARK CITY, Utah – Shell sees a Foundation for B.C. Women, was pre- long-term future in natural gas as sented to Cold Star Freight Systems’ a viable option for transportation Jennifer Hawes on Nov. 30, for her phi- and an Alberta project is figuring lanthropy, service and volunteering in prominently in the company’s plans the community. The way Hawes tells to show fleets the potential for this it, however, her good work isn’t done alternative to diesel fuel. for the applause; it’s just part of how Shell’s Canadian Green Corri- she sees doing business and living life. dor, the company’s first large-scale Hawes not only co-owns Cold Star liquefied natural gas (LNG) proj- with her husband, Kelly, but does HR ect in North America, launches this duties there as well, and she makes it March. Initially employing a mobile sound as if all her good work isn’t re- refueling unit to service the needs ally a big deal. Yet the road she took of fleets running the Edmonton- to becoming a Cold Star executive and Calgary corridor, the company also honoured philanthropist was a coun- has agreements in place with three try-straddling one, from west coast to Flying J stations in the corridor for east coast and back again, in the pro- them to supply LNG starting in the cess dropping her and her husband third quarter of this year. into an industry they’d never even con- By the third quarter of next year, sidered to be a career path. Shell plans to be supplying LNG “Trucking came to us,” Hawes to the network from its own LNG says of their long and winding road. plant at the Jumping Pound facili- “There’s no way as a young woman I ty about 30 kilometres west of Cal- ever thought that this would be the in- gary. The new plant would produce dustry that I’d be working in.” 0.3 megatonnes per year of LNG, The Hawes’ journey to the world of natural gas that is supercooled into trucking began in the early ’90s when liquid form. Until the plant is opera- husband Kelly was serving in the mili- tional, a third-party distributor will giving back: Jennifer Hawes and husband Kelly stumbled into the trucking tary in New Brunswick. “I was young, be providing the LNG. industry and have made it a better place. Continued on page 15 Continued on page 14 Looking for a good deal? InsideInside ThisThis Issue...Issue... Mark Dalton O/O • What about us?: A committee is formed to address oil sands transportation requirements, but trucking is missing. Page 6 • Cargo crime 101: Cargo crime is a growing problem right across Canada. We offer some insight on how to avoid being victimized. Page 13 • Small fleet, big attitude: We debut a new column that will tackle big issues from a small fleet perspective. Page 28 • A new motor oil: Work is already underway on a new category of heavy-duty engine oil that will debut in 2016. Page 34 See page 16 Page 32 Reach us at our Western Canada news bureau To view list of advertisers see pg. 28 E-mail Jim Bray at [email protected] or call 403-453-5558 Careers: 8, 20, 22, 28, 38 PM40069240 pg 01, 14-15 tw mar.indd 1 15/02/12 3:24 PM Ask me about complimentary 3-year Extended Service Coverage. “I’m here to keep your truck on the road.” Turn to the expert. Your Cat® Dealer service technician is specially trained to help you avoid unexpected repairs and costly downtime. Add unmatched parts availability, warranty support and 24/7 online parts ordering, and you’ll be up and running—and earning—fast. And now, when you invest in your Cat truck engine, we’ll invest in you. Buy Overhaul Protection for Trucks, a Cat Reman Engine or a Precious Metals Overhaul Kit and we’ll give you three years of Extended Service Coverage at no extra cost. Ask your Cat Dealer about this and other special offers designed to ensure your engine is here to work today and for generations to come. www.cat.com/2012partsprograms ©2012 Caterpillar Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in USA. CAT, CATERPILLAR, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Yellow” and the “Power Edge” trade dress, as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission. TNews_Cat_Ad_2.10.12.indd 1 2/8/12 10:49 AM Caterpillar.indd 1 12-02-08 12:07 PM March 2012 TRUCK WEST Page 3 Have we reached the tipping point with natural gas? March 2012, Volume 23, Issue 3 There’s been so much talk over the the trucking industry sudden- Canada Post Canadian Publications past 12-18 months about natural ly transitioned to gas en-masse, ISSN 0700-5016 – Truck West (Print) Editorial ISSN 1923-3531 – Truck West (Online) gas being the fuel of the future for you can bet the feds would move Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40069240 the trucking industry, you had to quickly to tax natural gas in much “Return Postage Guaranteed” Comment expect an explosion – in the figu- the same way they do diesel today. 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON M3B 2S9 JameS MeNzIeS Sales: 416-510-6892 / Editorial: 416-510-6896 rative sense – was imminent. It’s a reasonable point. One we Fax: 416-510-5143 That explosion may have hap- need to pause to consider before Truck West, USPS 017-178 is published monthly by pened over the past few weeks. the company did promise to offer we go leaping headlong into nat- BIG Magazines L.P., a div. of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd., a leading Canadian information First there was Navistar Inter- up gas trucks for one-week trials ural gas. Still, the price gap be- company with interests in daily and community national announcing a partnership so fleets can gain some comfort tween natural gas and diesel is newspapers and B-2-B information services. US office of publication: 2424 Niagara Falls Blvd, with American gas supplier Clean with the technology. significant and expected to re- Niagara Falls, NY 14304-5709. Periodicals Postage Energy that effectively addresses It’s another forward-thinking main that way for the foreseeable Paid at Niagara Falls, NY. US postmaster: Send the two primary barriers standing initiative that should go a long way future. address changes to Truck West, PO Box 1118, Niagara Falls, NY 14304. in the way of the widespread adop- towards nudging natural gas closer It very well could be that we’ve SENIOR PUBLISHER – Rob Wilkins tion of gas-powered trucks: the to the mainstream. There’s good reached the proverbial tipping ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER – Kathy Penner EXECUTIVE EDITOR – James Menzies cost of the trucks and availability reason to consider natural gas as point and that natural gas is ready MANAGING EDITOR – Adam Ledlow of the fuel. In short, the two com- a potential fuel for the trucking to take off as the fuel of the future CIRCULATION MANAGER – Mary Garufi panies formed an alliance under industry. for the North American trucking CIRCULATION ASSISTANT – Anita Singh CREATIVE– Carolyn Brimer, Beverley Richards which they’ll provide fleets with For one, we’re sitting on vast industry. n V.P. PUBLISHING – Alex Papanou gas-powered International trucks quantities of the stuff – at least PRESIDENT – Bruce Creighton Circulation inquiries: 416-442-5600 ext. 3553 at the same purchase price as their 100 years’ worth – and new frack- – James Menzies can be reached Change of address: Please include subscription diesel equivalents, provided fleet ing methods are making it possible by phone at (416) 510-6896 or by number from mailing label. Subscription rates: Canada (Includes GST) – owners agree to fuel up at Clean and cost-effective to extract natu- e-mail at [email protected]. One year $40.60; U.S. – one year $66.95; Energy fueling stations. Clean En- ral gas from previously untapped You can also follow him on Twitter foreign – one year $66.95 Send subscription orders, address changes (incl. mailing label ergy will essentially offset the in- depths. at Twitter.com/JamesMenzies. from latest issue) to above address. On occasion, our subscrip- cremental cost of the technology There’s no oth- tion list is made available to organizations whose products or services may be of interest to readers. If you prefer not to and then charge a premium on the er way to look at receive such information, please write to us. Please allow gas for a period of five or six years, it; we’re sitting on 8 weeks for changes or corrections. We acknowledge the financial support of the but all the while the fleet will still a goldmine and, Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical enjoy fuel prices significantly lower as natural gas ad- Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. than diesel. vocate T. Boone For its part, Clean Energy has Pickens said at the committed to building hundreds Navistar announce- of natural gas fueling stations on ment, we’d be fool- Advertising inquiries well-travelled highways through- ish to let the oppor- Kathy Penner (416) 510-6892 out the US and eventually it vows tunity unused.