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December 2008 Volume 19, Issue 12

Delivering daily news to Canada’s trucking industry at www.trucknews.com Sterling brand What gets axed next? Daimler to focus on As diesel prices two-brand strategy return to normal, a By James Menzies shortage plagues ST. THOMAS, Ont. – Daimler Western Canada Trucks North America (DTNA) shocked the industry Oct. 14, by an- By Jan Westell nouncing it is discontinuing the CALGARY, Alta. – A calamity of Sterling Trucks brand. planned and unplanned shutdowns The surprising announcement among at least three oil refineries came just two months after Sterling in Alberta has created a shortfall of introduced a new sleeper cab and diesel, affecting the trucking indus- Class 8 natural gas vehicle, round- try in that province, as well as Man- ing out the most complete line of itoba, Saskatchewan, and northern Class 3-8 trucks in the industry. B.C. It’s a situation that has been “Plans based on an expectation underway for a couple months, but of brief, sharp market events driven has intensified recently. by regulatory change, followed by Brett Gundersen, an owner/op- periods of reasonable growth, are erator based out of Prince George, out of step with the emerging reali- B.C. who hauls propane to the Al- ties of the latter part of this berta oilpatch, has had his own decade,” Chris Patterson, president frustrations finding fuel. And de- and CEO of DTNA said in a re- spite reports of resumption of serv- lease. “We’ve examined every part ices with refineries that experi- of our organization in light of the enced shutdowns, Gunderson was changed economic environment.” still seeking fuel on Oct. 29. Here in Canada, the demise of “Yesterday I couldn’t get fuel Sterling delivers a triple whammy: in any Petro-Cans all way from Ed- brand-loyal customers (and there monton down to Calgary. I stopped were some) must find a new truck; at UFA (in Aidrie) and found some Sterling dealers must find a up there,” said Gunderson. new revenue stream; and the He felt that as a long-haul driver, 1,300 employees at the Sterling he had more choice on the road truck plant in St. Thomas, Ont. than a local hauler who might be must find new jobs. GOOD IF YOU CAN GET IT: Fuel prices are dropping like a stone in parts of the stymied by lack of supply. The St.Thomas plant will be shut- country, but in Western Canada a shortage has left some truckers facing rations “There are quite a few guys tered in March, 2009 concurrent and others having to pay late delivery fees to shippers. Continued on page 6 ■ Continued on page 5 ■ Spec’ing shunt trucks InsideInside This Issue... Mark Dalton O/O See pg. 18 • Convoy for a cure: The first all-female truck convoy was held in Ontario to raise money for breast cancer research. Will it become a national event? Page 8

• Private matters: How much personal information are shippers entitled to demand of drivers? Page 16

• Cash or credit?: Eric Berard examines the global credit crunch and its potential impact on OEMs and truck buyers. Look to pay more for credit – if you can get it. Page 20

• Watch your fuel: A new program from Volvo helps fleets set benchmarks and maximize their fuel mileage. Page 27 Page 26

To view list of advertisers Reach us at our Western Canada news bureau visit us online at Call Jan Westell at 604-943-1170 or e-mail [email protected] www.trucknews.com

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December 2008 TRUCK WEST Page 3 gram from August, 2003 to March, Giving credit where it’s due 2006 which refunded 20% of the purchase price. December 2008, Volume 19, Issue 12 A couple of months ago in this It was a great program – but Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40069240 space, I took aim at the federal Editorial it may well have been “Return Postage Guaranteed” Liberals over their misguided car- Comment underutilized. One retailer of cab 12 Concorde Pl., Suite 800, Toronto, Ont., M3C 4J2 Sales: 416-510-6892 / Editorial: 416-510-6896 bon tax policy which would’ve cost comfort systems told me that Fax: 416-510-5143 truck fleets and owner/operators James based on the number of claims ver- Truck West, USPS 017-178 is published monthly by thousands of dollars per year. Menzies sus the number of units sold by Business Information Group, a division of BIG Magazines L.P., a leading Canadian information Since that time, the Liberals manufacturers, only about 25% of company with interests in daily and community have been soundly defeated in a customers took the time to apply newspapers and B-2-B information services. US office of publication: 2424 Niagara Falls Blvd, federal election – may we never state, rebates have resulted in for the rebate. This retailer filled Niagara Falls, NY 14304-5709. Periodicals Postage hear the term ‘Green Shift’ again. some large volume orders of hy- out the rebate form for every cus- Paid at Niagara Falls, NY. US postmaster: Send address changes to Truck West, PO Box 1118, In all fairness, I should also ap- brid commercial vehicles, which tomer, but others couldn’t be both- Niagara Falls, NY 14304. plaud their Ontario counterparts will help bring down production ered to take the time to apply for SENIOR PUBLISHER – Rob Wilkins ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER – Kathy Penner for a recently-announced funding costs and consequently the pur- the rebate. EXECUTIVE EDITOR – James Menzies plan that will help offset the cost of chase prices of these vehicles. Hopefully, participation in the MANAGING EDITOR – Adam Ledlow hybrid commercial vehicles and Those participating in the Ontario program will be greater WESTERN EDITOR – Jan Westell CIRCULATION MANAGER – Vesna Moore anti-idling systems. Ontario’s Ontario grant program will have to and other provinces will follow CIRCULATION ASSISTANT – Anita Singh Dalton McGuinty Liberals, cash- monitor their fuel savings and that suit. CREATIVE– Carolyn Brimer, Beverley Richards strapped as they are, announced data will be shared with the indus- The trucking industry isn’t often V.P. PUBLISHING – Alex Papanou PRESIDENT – Bruce Creighton the $15 million plan last month. try. It’s already been proven that in the recipient of government assis- Circulation inquiries: 416-442-5600 ext. 3553 Beginning Nov. 28, fleets and the right application, hybrid trucks tance. Let’s remember those Change of address: Please include subscription ■ number from mailing label. owner/operators will be able to ap- can deliver a payback even without famous words: Use it or lose it. Subscription rates: Canada (Includes GST) – ply for funding to help pay for government incentives. One year $40.60; U.S. – one year $66.95; ‘green’ technologies. This carrot – This program will help increase – James Menzies can be reached by foreign – one year $66.95 Send subscription orders, address changes (incl. mailing label from rather than the stick approach fed- confidence that this is the case, and phone at (416) 510-6896 or by latest issue) to above address. On occasion, our subscription list is made available to organizations whose products or services may be eral Liberal leader (what’s his should result in the more wide- e-mail at [email protected]. of interest to readers. If you prefer not to receive such information, please write to us. Please allow 8 weeks for changes or corrections. name again?) was endorsing – is spread use of hy- PAP Registration No. 11065 exactly what the industry needs. brid vehicles. We acknowledge the financial support of the Why? Anti-idling sys- Government of Canada, through the Canada Magazine Fund, towards our editorial costs. Because the Canadian trucking tems, such as aux- We acknowledge the financial support of the industry needs a nudge in adopting iliary power units Government of Canada, through the Publications Assistance Program, towards our mailing costs. costly new technologies that will (APUs) will also significantly reduce fuel consump- be covered by the tion. It’s a show-me industry, and program. This is a Advertising inquiries most fleets are reluctant to shell great chance for out thousands of dollars up-front owner/operators Kathy Penner: 416-510-6892 for something that may save them to offset the cost Fax: (416) 510-5143 money down the road. of technology Hybrid commercial vehicles that will greatly have proven to deliver enormous reduce their cost savings in the right applica- idling time and tion. But their uptake here in improve their Canada has been slow – mostly profitability. due to the higher up-front cost. It’s not the first A medium-duty hybrid truck time a govern- Rob Wilkins Kathy Penner Publisher Associate Publisher can cost $30,000 or more than a ment funding (416) 510-5123 (416) 510-6892 comparable traditional drive vehi- program has rwilkins@ kpenner@ cle. Who’s going to make that kind been geared to- trucknews.com trucknews.com of investment without first seeing wards anti-idling proof that the technology will do systems such as what it is said to do? South of the APUs. The feds border, federal and in some cases had a rebate pro-

Don Besler Brenda Grant National Sales Mgr. National Account Sales We’re in the soup – it’s time to hunker down (416) 699-6966 (416) 494-3333 [email protected] [email protected] There’s no gentle way to say this the first nine months and projec- folks: it looks like we’re in the Viewpoint tions for continued growth next soup and we’re going to be in it for year, port authorities have now a while. trimmed their expectations for Any signs of hope – the unex- Lou Smyrlis next year’s growth down to 5% pectedly high volume of house Editorial Director from 7%. sales recently reported in the US, The drop in demand for consumer the gain in job numbers here and goods is also now being reflected in Doug Copeland Bill Gallagher Regional Manager Regional Manager the uptick in Class 8 truck sales in previous year while clothing was another telling indicator of econom- Man., Sask. & Alta. British Columbia September, the initial reactions of down 7.8%. ic health: the Baltic Dry Index, (416) 510-6889 (519) 589-1333 [email protected] Fax: (519) 395-5073 the stock markets to the US stimu- Vancouver, our largest port and which measures the cost to ship bulk [email protected] lus package or the strong results of a significant driver of west-to-east commodities such as coal and grain. TRUCK WEST is a proud member of the following the US election – are just that: truck traffic, has already been re- The index has gained a strong trucking associations: wishful thinking that we’ll some- porting fewer containers arriving reputation as a forecast of global

ALTA. MOTOR TRANSPORT ASSN. how avoid a long and painful during the critical pre-Christmas economic activity because the recession. season. Prince Rupert was expand- level of demand to move commodi- Reality is North America is ed to add much needed capacity ties is an indicator of the demand SASK. TRUCKING ASSN. MAN. TRUCKING ASSN. B.C. TRUCKING ASSN. probably already in recession. The on the west coast and can handle to produce finished goods.And the The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the contents figures that really matter all don’t 500,000 containers annually. But it Baltic Dry Index has dropped 90% of any advertisement and all representations or warranties made in such advertising are those of the advertiser and not of the publisher. The look good. The North American doesn’t look like that extra capaci- since May. publisher is not liable to any advertiser for any misprints in advertising not the fault of the publisher and in such an event the limit of the publisher's economy is driven by consumers ty will come anywhere near being If this is going to be a long-term liability shall not exceed the amount of the publisher's charge for such advertising. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, in all or in and they’re curbing their spend- needed this year. After the first recession, like what we experi- part, without the written permission of the publisher. ing. Any fleet or owner/operator nine months of the year, Prince enced back in 1973 to 75 and in From time to time, we make our subscription list picking up from any of our major Rupert has handled just a little 1981-82, it could take more than 15 available to select companies and organizations whose product or services may interest you. ports, aside from Montreal, has al- over 100,000 containers. months for any sort of recovery to If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact our privacy officer via ready been feeling the pinch. On the east coast, the Port of take root. one of the following methods: Phone: 1-800-668-2374 Lower consumer spending results Halifax saw a 16% drop in cargo Now is the time to ensure your Fax: 416-442-2200 in importers cutting back on or- volumes during the first half of this business is properly positioned to E-mail: [email protected] Mail: Privacy Officer. Business Information Group, ders of consumer goods, which in year. weather the coming storm. ■ 12 Concorde Place, Suite 800, Toronto, Ont., M3C 4J2 recent years have been manufac- And although traffic originating PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40069240 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES tured in Asia. For example, the out of the Port of Montreal is still – Lou Smyrlis can be reached by TO CIRCULATION DEPT. – TRUCK NEWS, amount of electronics arriving in looking good this year with a 9.9% phone at (416) 510-6881 or by e-mail 12 CONCORDE PL., SUITE 800, TORONTO, ON M3C 4J2 October was down 9.6% from the increase in container traffic during at [email protected]. pg 04 tw dec 11/12/08 3:18 PM Page 1

Page 4 TRUCK WEST December 2008

Monthly Class 8 Sales - Sept 08 Historical Comparison - September 08 Sales Motor Vehicle Production to Jan 08 OEM This Month Last Year Freightliner 379 335 Kenworth 246 449 Mack 137 373 International 609 121 Peterbilt 319 258 Sterling 181 153 Volvo 230 170 Western Star 98 93

TOTALS 2,199 1,952 With the days of coping with parts and materials shortages There were 2,199 Class 8 trucks sold in Canada this September, surprisingly higher than last year’s total for the month. Yet it was and record demand for new trucks nothing but a memory, still the fourth lowest monthly sales figure of the past decade. Sales were also about 700 units off the five-year average. It should truck manufacturers instead now face continuing to bring be noted, however, that five-year average includes the industry’s peak years of 2004 to 2006. It has been a roller coaster type of their operations in line with the reduced sales. They also are year. Sales started off quietly in the first quarter, rebounded in March, climbing above 2,000 units, April’s sales were higher than preparing for the next jump in sales volumes as fleets and last year’s, May’s were not far off last year’s pace and June’s and July’s were slightly better than last year’s. We’ve questioned owner/operators respond to the next round of engine previously if that pace could be sustained into the third and fourth quarter. It didn’t last year and it’s very unlikely it will this year, emissions standards in 2010 and the anticipated rebound despite September’s encouraging numbers. of the North American economy. Class 8 Sales (YTD September 08) by Province and OEM Historical Comparison - YTD

OEM BC ALTA SASK MAN ONT QUE NB NS PEI NF CDA Freightliner 271 620 176 158 1,335 563 210 93 0 17 3,443 Kenworth 399 1,105 171 134 624 589 27 53 0 0 3,102 Mack 112 199 99 142 548 159 35 37 0 0 1,331 International 198 606 67 221 1,971 1,055 175 62 4 91 4,450 Peterbilt 199 628 248 111 454 262 111 40 0 0 2,053 Sterling 174 272 97 50 555 390 25 54 0 10 1,627 Volvo 112 210 96 219 735 278 57 56 0 10 1,773 Western Star 155 280 33 22 240 126 42 33 0 3 934 TOTALS 1,620 3,920 987 1,057 6,462 3,422 682 428 4 131 18,713 Class 8 truck sales year-to-date stand at 18,713, about 900 units off last year’s admittedly slow pace and about 4,000 units off the 5-year average for Canada. Despite an improvement in sales starting in the spring, and surprisingly strong numbers in September, the market overall has not been able to overcome its slow start this year. In total, 2008 is ranking as the fourth worst sales year of the past decade. The pre-buy strategy employed by many fleets is having its expected effect and the now apparently spent North American economy does not bode well for hopes of a pickup in sales for the fourth quarter. 12 - Month Sales Trends Market Share Class 8 YTD 2007 2008 3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500

1.000

500

0 October November December January February March April May June July August September Sales 2,132 1,763 1,742 1,687 1,859 2,140 2,586 2,430 2,169 1,992 1,631 2,199

After four straight months of sales above the 2,000 units mark, truck sales dropped below 2,000 in International is entrenched in its new role as market share leader as it continues to range July and even further in August. The drop off in sales this August and July, combined with the significantly ahead of one-time front runner Freightliner. International, which wrestled economic meltdown in North America, make it unlikely for truck sales to top last year’s totals. The the market share lead from Freightliner last year, jumped out of the starting blocks with 2,586 Class 8 trucks sold in April marked the strongest sales so far this year with May’s 2,430 trucks a lead in the first quarter, capturing about 22% of sales. With very strong second and sold the second best. The 2,199 trucks sold in September marked the third-best performance of the third quarter showings, International added to that lead and now controls 23.8% of the year but it’s unlikely truck sales will remain at such a level the rest of the year. market with Freightliner falling back to 18.4% and Kenworth to 16.6%. Peterbilt is the only other truck manufacturer with a market share greater than 10%. Source: Canadian Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association

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December 2008 TRUCK WEST Page 5 CoverCover story Dealers, customers caught off-guard by Sterling announcement

■ Continued from page 1 sales will continue until stocks are with the end of an agreement with depleted. the Canadian Auto Workers The dealer network is expected (CAW),DTNA announced. to continue performing warranty It will also close a truck plant in repairs and maintenance services as Portland, Ore. in June, 2010, with well as provide replacement parts Western Star production moving to and technical support. a plant in Santiago, Mexico. Top- John Nelligan, dealer principal ranking officials from the CAW for Harper Truck Centres, said met with Daimler executives Oct. “While we are terribly disappoint- 21 and appealed for them to keep ed by the news, our organization is the truck plant committed to stand open, but to no behind the prod- avail. ‘Our organization ucts we have sold “We are confi- and to continue to dent that this for- is committed to service our cus- ward-looking strat- tomers with the egy for DTNA is stand behind the products that we the right measure to products we have represent.” address the chal- When all is said lenges in the North sold.’ and done, DTNA American market,” expects to realize said Andreas Ren- John Nelligan annual savings of schler, member of US$900 million by the board of man- 2011. It will cost the agement with Daimler AG. company about US$600 million to Daimler said it would continue eliminate the brand. All told, 2,300 producing Western Star trucks, fo- workers at the St.Thomas and Port- cusing on a two-brand strategy. land plants will lose their jobs while Sterling had “substantial overlap 1,200 salaried employees will also with offerings in the Freightliner be let go. Trucks product line,” the company “We are very mindful of the ef- said. Meanwhile, Sterling was only fects these decisions will have on able to reach one-quarter of the the lives of many of our employees market penetration that Freightliner and on our Sterling dealers’ busi- achieved. nesses,” said Patterson. The company said it will add to “We are committed to taking the Freightliner and Western Star measures to ease the transition for product lines to fill any holes left by all those affected and to emphasize Sterling’s demise. the support offered to those owning Daimler also said Sterling dealers and operating Sterling Trucks in the will continue to accept orders up wake of this announcement.” ■ LEFT OUT IN THE COLD: Sterling’s lacklustre market penetration was cited as until Jan. 15, 2009 and new truck @ARTICLECATEGORY:843; one reason the brand will be cancelled. Photo by Adam Ledlow

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Page 6 TRUCK WEST December 2008 CoverCover story

■ Continued from page 1 customers frequently so that they around Grande Prairie that aren’t know what’s happening, and what to moving at all. I have a friend that expect.” hauls fuel out of Prince George. He Diesel dilemma A fuel producer that did have an actually had a guy that runs some unplanned shutdown is Suncor En- drill rigs in Grande Prairie call him ergy. Shawn Davis, a spokesperson and ask him to haul fuel (from Van- Truckers have plenty of questions located at the Calgary-based head couver to Alberta). You can get fuel office, emphasized that SunCor’s sit- in (Vancouver) B.C., but you can’t following fuel shortage that uation is just “one of the pieces of get it in Alberta.” the puzzle” that’s gone into the re- Gunderson understands the need stymied the industry cent diesel shortage. for periodic shutdowns, but he ques- “There are certainly other con- tions shipping oil to the US, when the trucking industry is being put in some unplanned outages in the in- tributing factors,” she said in refer- that country is enjoying a surplus. the “unenviable and untenable” po- dustry in western Canada, that have ence to other producer shutdowns “It’s so wrong. We don’t have sition of deciding which of its cus- reduced the availability of supply.In which were related to maintenance. enough refinery capacity in Western tomers will be guaranteed service addition, for Petro-Can, it largely “So it just kind of all came together Canada, for one, to deal with what and which will not. was a demand issue, because there at once, unfortunately.” we’re doing. No one wants to build “How could this happen?” asked has been an unexpected increase in Davis said that Suncor had a new ones because they don’t make Bradley. “It is our understanding demand, based on our historical breakdown on Sept. 2 at its oilsands the same profit.” that this situation is a reflection of records and current estimates.” upgrader located north of Fort Mc- Mayne Root, the executive direc- both planned and unplanned refin- Seetal indicated that demand for Murray, Alta., but the repairs to its tor of the Alberta Motor Transport ery outages in the region.The Petro- diesel has been increasing steadily, hydrogen plant’s “hydrotreater” are Association, indicated that the situ- Canada refinery in Edmonton had primarily because there has been now complete. She said that Suncor ation has been building since late been closed for over a month for some significant growth in the indus- has off-road spec’ diesel being sold summer with the planned shutdown planned maintenance. However, the trial sector in western Canada. now in both Edmonton and Fort of one of the major producers for company conceded that it was As a result, there was an unex- McMurray, and its on-road diesel is renovation/upgrades to their refin- caught off-guard by an unexpected pected increase in demand for being put into inventory, via the ery in Edmonton. jump in demand. It was also being Petro-Canada, based on what cus- pipeline. “So, as soon as it reaches “Some unexpected glitches oc- reported that difficulties restarting tomers may have used historically, the terminal, where it can be sold to curred and they have been working the refinery were being experienced. and what it estimates would be re- customers, it will start being sold and to get back in operation, but do not The Suncor plant in northern quired in the future. we anticipate that to be Nov.1.” anticipate getting up to full produc- Alberta had In prepa- Imperial Oil also had a “required tion for at least another couple of been down ration for the maintenance” program, which weeks,” he said in late October. since August ‘Carriers were seeing their shutdown, caused a shutdown at its Strathcona “Combined with this, one of the oth- due to an Petro-Cana- refinery in Edmonton, a situation er major refineries had a planned equipment fuel supplies rationed by da built up which exacerbated the recent diesel maintenance shutdown during some problem. as much as 10-50%.’ inventory shortage problem. Work there be- of this time, and another producer Imperial Oil and made gan Oct. 17, and was expected to last had to go offline for unexpected had reduced David Bradley, CTA some third- “a period of weeks” according to problems as well. In addition, ac- production party supply Imperial spokesman, Jon Harding. cording to the producers there was a while it arrange- Imperial has experienced continu- higher than expected demand for makes repairs at its Edmonton refin- ments to serve its customers, according strong demand driven by the sol- diesel due to a late harvest season. ery.Problems at other refineries had ing to the spokesperson. However, id economic growth it has experi- As there was no reserve fuel, and the also been reported.” some of those third-party supply enced in western Canada, said fact that the producers have closely This is not the first time parts of arrangements fell through, as a re- Harding. He noted there was al- matched production with demand the country have experienced signif- sult of unplanned outages. Other- ready a situation of tight supply, giv- on almost a daily basis, there is now icant shortages of commercial-grade wise Petro-Canada’s shutdown en the industry turnaround and giv- beginning to be a real shortage of diesel fuel, noted Bradley. shouldn’t have been noticeable to en the high demand.“We regret any fuel for trucks, equipment and ma- In February, 2007, the Ontario the industry, stated Seetal, because inconvenience and appreciate the chinery in Alberta, Saskatchewan trucking industry suffered an acute Petro-Canada had made “appropri- patience and understanding of cus- and Manitoba.” shortage of diesel fuel that came ate arrangements and contingency tomers,” added Harding. For the Alberta trucking industry, “perilously close to a full-blown eco- plans” to provide product. Like Alberta, and similar reports this means that some carriers are be- nomic crisis.” The Petro-Canada refinery is now from Manitoba, the Saskatchewan ing rationed as to how much fuel Western Canada also experienced in a planned start-up, and the com- Trucking Association is feeling pres- they can purchase on a daily or a shortage last spring, though not as pany is bringing that plant back into sured by a low supply of fuel. Al weekly basis and some of the small- serious as the current situation, he production. However, as it is a newly Rosseker, executive director of the er carriers are literally running out added. “In each case, refinery issues reconfigured facility, it’s going to STA, has heard sporadic anecdotal of fuel as they search for a facility were the cause or at least major take some time since there are a reports of cardlocks in Manitoba that has fuel to sell, added Root. contributing factors,” stated the number of new units or revamped running dry, and other cardlock sys- “They are also taking additional CTA CEO. units,said Seetal.“Anytime you start tems operating at reduced hours. time and (using more) fuel to find Bradley suggested that the time a large facility,it’s a complex, lengthy “We had some of our carriers fuel supplies and the cost of diesel has come for the Canadian trucking process. It’s not like it will be some- phoned on two hours notice (and has not gone down as it has in the industry, and the government of thing that will happen overnight.” less) saying that you’re going to be rest of the country (as much as 14 Canada, and the Canadian Petrole- Petro-Canada has a three-part impacted by a fuel shortage. These cents per litre). Fortunately, the um Producers Institute (CPPI),to sit plan for that execution, which in- are from the producers phoning weather has not turned cold as addi- down and seek answers to this ongo- volves: continuing to bring in prod- them. It basically gives our carriers tional fuel is required to keep the ing problem. uct from outside the region;focusing enough time to phone the shippers vehicles operational during very According to a spokesperson for distribution on the larger, more effi- and other customers, to say ‘Your cold weather (-20 C and below),” Petro-Canada, the fuel producer has cient Petro-Pass sites,which is affect- load is not going to be there on time.’ said Root. been dealing with a planned shut- ing large commercial customers. It’s not good.” David Bradley, president and down at its Edmonton refinery, “The reason we’re focusing distri- The B.C.Trucking Association has CEO of the Canadian Trucking Al- which was scheduled to begin mid- bution on the larger, more efficient reported that B.C. carriers in com- liance is incredulous that diesel fuel August, and publicized a year ago to sites, is it enables us to serve a munities from Dawson Creek, Fort would be rationed in oil-rich west- other producers in Alberta – a greater network of customers,” ex- St. John, Fort Nelson, Chetwynd, ern Canada. situation which may have been plained Seetal. Terrace and Kitimat have all felt the “Carriers were seeing their fuel misinterpreted. The final step in that Petro-Cana- pinch, given that Northern B.C. gets supplies rationed by as much as 10- “The industry would call it a turn- da plan is managing how much and its diesel from Alberta suppliers. 50%,” he said in a mid-October around, but it really is a planned when customers can fill up, so as to However, the BCTA reports that news release. “The cardlock privi- shutdown,” said Sneh Seetal. “The spread out what diesel is available B.C.’s Lower Mainland and Vancou- leges for all new accounts were sus- shutdown for the Edmonton refin- among more customers, and also aid ver Island has remained unscathed, pended by at least one oil company, ery was to hook up some large in their ability to replenish inventory because these regions are supplied and the hours that cardlock service equipment because that facility has at the respective Petro-Pass sites, a by the marine terminal in Vancou- was being made available to existing been reconfigured to take an strategy that appears to be effective, ver. The CTA has recently informed customers were being restricted.We oilsands diet, as opposed to the con- according to Seetal. its members that there has been a were being told that things would ventional crude that it was process- “We are seeing some traction in telephone meeting with CPPI.A dis- not be returning to normal for at ing before.” terms of getting product into the cussion was held about the necessity least several weeks, if not for the rest Otherwise diesel supply in west- market and meeting some cus- of regular communication among oil of October and November.” ern Canada is currently “tight,” tomers’ needs. But definitely, as a companies, CPPI and CTA, in par- Given the current economic added Seetal, a situation brought on retail organizer, we recognize the ticular on the current shortage of fragility, this is something Canada by industry supply issues. value of a customer, and that’s why fuel, and as an ongoing preventative can ill afford, added Bradley, since “For example, there have been we’re communicating with our strategy in general. ■ pg 07 tw dec 11/12/08 10:06 AM Page 1

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Page 8 TRUCK WEST December 2008 CanadaCanada search. Champagne also raised a First female-only truck convoy a huge success total of $10,000 from sponsors, which she used to provide the fe- By Jan Westell male drivers a celebratory barbecue OTTAWA, Ont. – A woman at the and gift bags containing various wheel of a semi tractor and trailer is treats, including jewelry, gloves and still an unusual site in North coffee mugs. America – and a convoy of female Other sponsors also provided free drivers is particularly rare. fuel,a truck wash, and other perks.A Last July, Rachele Champagne breast cancer survivor, Anna was part of a three-truck female Capobianco-Skipworth, rode with convoy, while driving along Hwy. Champagne for the duration of the 401, a prominent corridor between convoy, and later spoke about her Quebec and Ontario. At that time, recovery. Champagne decided that a greater “You could have heard a pin drop celebration of female truckers was while she was speaking,” says in order. Within three months, she Champagne. “For half an hour she organized what she believes is the spoke about the importance of first female convoy, and decided to (breast cancer awareness): how to hold the event in concert with an ap- prevent it; how to deal with it if it propriate female cause – breast can- A DIFFERENT KIND OF CONVOY: Rachele Champagne, organizer of the first happens; and how to ask for help. cer awareness – which is annually all-female truck convoy led the pack for a stretch of the event, which featured 29 She tells her story in a humorous promoted during the month of trucks. Photo by Joanne Ritchie way that actually keeps people October. interested.” The first Female Convoy departed breakfast.After a distance of 62 km, greeted by friends, family, and event Sylvie Ouellette raised a total of from the Fifth Wheel Truck Stop in the 29 trucks all piloted by female sponsors. $1,600, the highest donation raised Cornwall, Ont., at noon on Saturday, drivers arrived at the 730 Truck Stop Participating drivers raised a total by any member of the convoy. For Oct. 18, following a complimentary in Cardinal, Ont., where they were of $15,000 for breast cancer re- her part in supporting the convoy initiative, Ouellette drove the lead truck. However, considering Champagne’s extensive involve- ment with the event, including solic- Glenncoe Transport is looking for experienced Drivers iting sponsors, she had one small re- based in Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, or the B.C. Interior quest: to be temporary lead truck before and after Ouellette’s turn. to move truckload freight. “Exiting and entering the truck stop, that’s all I wanted,” says Champagne, a single mother of two who lives in Gatineau, Que., when Glenncoe Transport is a truckload carrier serving she’s not driving for a trucking firm British Columbia, Alberta and the US Pacific Northwest. in Ottawa. When the female truck drivers ar- Glenncoe Transport, based in Kelowna, curently operates 160 trucks, rived at the Cardinal truck stop, it 550 trailers and employs more than 200 people. was inspirational for all involved. Glenncoe can...because we’re people driven! The convoy organizer remains amazed at her accomplishment, especially with putting together such a complex event over such a short Glenncoe Offers: You Offer: period of time. “I still have goose bumps,” she ■ ■ Late model assigned tractors 2 years of professional driving experience says, of a scene that had drivers ■ $0.41 per mile Canada ($0.42 effective January 1, 2009) ■ No preventable accidents in the greeting friends, family and spon- ■ $0.43 per mile U.S. ($0.44 effective January 1, 2009) last 12 months sors, in true trucker fashion – by ■ Company paid benefits ■ Mountain experience honking their horns and rocking their vehicles from side-to-side non- ■ A safe and secure career opportunity stop for about 15 minutes. The driv- ■ Plenty of miles without sacrificing ers were also very appreciative of safety or home time the greeting party’s tribute to female truck drivers, a scene that caused a great deal of emotion, not only from drivers but also from those who un- derstood the momentous event. “Tears are coming down their faces, because they can’t believe what they’re seeing,” says Champagne. “They can’t believe they are looking at 30 females behind the wheel, who just all came together for an amazing cause. To me, that was the most powerful moment of my day.” Even Capobianco-Skipworth cried during her drive with the convoy, not only for this unusual support for breast cancer research, but also as a reaction to her new friends, especially when the horns were blasting and the trucks were rocking. “She could not believe the girl power between us,” says Champagne. The dual purpose of the event, not only for breast cancer research, but also to promote gender equality, was intentional, according to Champagne. She emphasizes that Join the strongest and most successful she is not only proud to be a woman, For more information on trucking network in Western Canada! she is also very proud to be a truck Glenncoe Transport, please visit driver – maybe even more so. www.glenncoetransport.com Contact Driver Services 1.800.663.4009 Champagne says she chose the [email protected] breast cancer cause, because it’s a disease that touches thousands of pg 8-9 tw dec v2 11/13/08 9:26 AM Page 9

December 2008 TRUCK WEST Page 9

is with the communications branch of the Ontario Ministry of Happy New Year! Transportation,“We are preparing our speed limiter regulations. They Speed limiter laws to take effect Jan.1 have not yet been approved (as of Oct. 31). Subject to approval, the By Carroll McCormick buses, trailers, semi-trailers, detach- legislation will take effect on January QUEBEC CITY,Que. – In what ap- able axles and vehicles used for 1,2009.Following implementation of pears to be a virtual fait accomplis, personal purposes.” the law it will then be followed by a Ontario and Quebec say they will si- The Order does not specify the six-month education period.” CONVOY FOR A cure: Participants multaneously bring laws into force fine for non-compliance, but one During the education period there from the first ever all-female truck on Jan. 1, 2009, that will require source expects it will be $300. will be no fines for non-compliance. convoy for breast cancer research heavy vehicles to drive with their The Order is subject to a 45-day Details remain to be sorted out gather for a photo during the speed limiters set at 105 km/h.After comment period, plus 15 days. concerning the readiness of the festivities. a grace period that will likely last six “We are in a position to state offi- equipment Quebec’s enforcement months, police can start levying fines cially that the 105 km/h speed limiter officers will use to check trucks’ women every day. for non-compliance. law will be put into force on January speed limiter settings, but one thing “It just made sense to have a cause In Quebec, a Draft Minister’s 1, 2009,” says Transport Quebec’s is for sure: if a truck is clocked going that really relates to women. It does Order, published Oct. 29, 2008, sets Gervain Corbin. The exact date faster than 105 km/h, it’s a fair as- touch men as well, but mostly out which vehicles must comply and does, however, depend on the advice sumption that its speed limiter is not women.” which ones are exempt: “Heavy ve- of the Minister of Transport. set correctly and the driver may be Champagne says she is apprecia- hicles whose speed limiter must be “The way I read it is that the law speedily fined. tive of the support that she received, activated and set at a maximum will be in force on January 1, but I The announcement of a Jan. 1 especially the donations and the speed of 105 km/h are the heavy ve- think sanctions will start on July 1,” implementation date angered sponsors that were so generous hicles assembled after 31 December says Quebec Trucking Association the Owner-Operator Independent about supporting the convoy. She 1994 and whose gross vehicle weight president and director general Marc Drivers Association (OOIDA),which plans to organize another female rating is at least 11,794 kg, except Cadieux. said it would legally challenge the law convoy next year, but with the help emergency vehicles, tool vehicles, In Ontario, says Bob Nichols, who once enforcement begins. ■ of a small committee, and possibly on a national level. G E “I just have to find 12 people mo- T tivated like me. It would be really P A Y amazing, if in a year on the same P O E U date, we could have a convoy in R R hopefully every province, eventually and make it the biggest female convoy for sure.” For more information, refer to www.convoyforacure.com. ■ Western Canada’s Trucking Newspaper and Equipment Buyer’s Guide @ARTICLECATEGORY:862; Regina trucking firm calls it quits REGINA, Sask. – A Regina trucking company has closed its SUBSCRIBESUBSCRIBE doors, leaving its drivers wonder- ing what happened and when MOVING? they’ll get paid, according to a sto- READING SOMEONE ry published by CBC. ELSE’S COPY? REQUALIFY! SynLogistics is one of the Send us your new address province’s bigger trucking firms, Have your own! in writing on this form. with about 60 employees. NOW!NOW! SynLogistics was formed when Company ______Prud’homme Trucks merged with Name ______Title______Schneider’s Trucking last year. No one from SynLogistics Address ______was available for comment. City ______The Saskatchewan Trucking Province ______Postal Code______Association (STA) scrambled to find work for SynLogistics’ em- Telephone: ( ) ______Fax: ( )______ployees after hearing of the E-Mail ______bankruptcy. Some office staff, CHANGE OF ADDRESS ONLY mechanics, and drivers had not 1 1 4 been paid for two to three weeks, Serial # from code line on mailing label according to the STA, which also Canada USA Foreign Charge Card Cheque Enclosed noted that some owner/opera- $ $ $ tors were as much as two months Visa No behind in being paid. 41.28 99.95 99.95 1 Year Mastercard No STA past-president Denis (38.95 + 2.33 GST) Prud’homme has taken up the Amex No 2 Years 65.66 cause of SynLogistics’s work- (61.95 + 3.71 GST) Expiry Date force, and has been busy placing Signature Date workers with other companies. NB, NS & NF Add 14% HST to Price / Quebec Residents Add QST (7.5%) To Total The STA also reports that CLIP and MAIL Prud’homme has worked DO YOU WISH PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS diligently and at his own ex- TO RECEIVE OR 1) How many vehicles are based at or controlled from 5) Indicate your PRIMARY type of business by checking this location? Please indicate quantities by type: ONLY ONE of the following: With a) ■ For Hire/Contract Trucking (hauling for others) pense, to find employment for (CONTINUE TO — No. of Straight Trucks _____ No. of Trailers ■ SynLogistics’ workers. In this _____ No. of Buses b) Lease/Rental RECEIVE) — No. of Truck-Tractors _____ No. of Off-Road Vehicles c) ■ Food Production / Distribution / Beverages Payment to d) ■ Farming effort, the STA indicates that he 2) Does this location operate, control or administer one or more vehicles in any of the following Gross Vehicle e) ■ Government (Fed., Prov., Local) has canvassed various compa- Weight (GVW) categories? Please check YES or NO: f) ■ Public Utility (electric, gas, telephone) nies, many of which are currently 14,969 kg. & over (33,001 lbs. & over)... ■ YES ■ NO g) ■ Construction / Mining / Sand & Gravel 11,794-14,968 kg. (26.001-33,000 lbs.). ■ YES ■ NO h) ■ Petroleum / Dry Bulk / Chemicals / Tank interviewing the workers. 8,846-11,793 kg. (19,501-26,000 lbs.)... ■ YES ■ NO i) ■ Manufacturing / Processing 12 Concorde Place, ■ YES ■ NO ■ ■ 4,536-8,845 kg. (10,000-19,500 lbs.)..... YES NO ji) ■ Retail “I just wanted to see them Under 4,536 kg. (10,000 lbs.)...... ■ YES ■ NO Suite 800, jii) ■ Wholesale treated right,” said Prud’homme. 3) This location operates, controls or administers: k) ■ Logging / Lumber ■ ■ Toronto, Ontario Diesel powered vehicles...... YES NO b) ■ Bus Transportation “I know many of these people. Signature Refrigerated vehicles...... ■ YES ■ NO m) ■ Other (Please specify) ______They’re decent and hardworking; Pickups or Utility Vans...... ■ YES ■ NO M3C 4J2 Propane powered vehicles...... ■ YES ■ NO 6) Are you involved in the purchase of equipment or replacement parts? ...... ■ YES ■ NO they’re (now) on the street with 4) Do you operate maintenance facilities no paycheques.” ■ at this location? ...... ■ YES ■ NO 7) Are you responsible either directly or indirectly Date IF YES, do you employ mechanics?...... ■ YES ■ NO for equipment maintenance? . . . . ■ YES ■ NO TODAY! pg 10 tw dec v2 11/12/08 10:20 AM Page 10

Page 10 TRUCK WEST December 2008 ManagementManagement Reducing the risk High-Risk Driver program allows fleets to determine which drivers are most likely to be involved in an accident – before it happens. By James Menzies dustry,” Geller says. “Historically in TORONTO, Ont. – Imagine being the trucking industry, nothing hap- able to predict which of your drivers pens until there’s a crash.” are going to be involved in an acci- Markel has developed a Crash dent and then intervening before it Likelihood Chart, which places driv- occurs. According to Markel ers with a past moving violation or Insurance, a groundbreaking new accident into one of three cate- program offered by the company gories: Category 1 is used to describe allows fleets to do just that. the drivers most at-risk, those con- Rick Geller, national manager of victed of a careless driving violation; safety and training services with Category 2 includes a number of less Markel, says the company has com- severe moving violations as well as a PREVENTIBLE?: According to Markel, it’s possible to pinpoint which drivers are pleted two years of benchmark test- past accident; and Category 3 in- at the highest risk of ending up in an accident. ing that has validated the program. cludes violations ranging from ‘driv- One Canadian test fleet has realized ing too fast for conditions’ (which in- than $1.8 million in revenue to offset a savings of about three cents-per- creases a driver’s likelihood of being the costs. (And that is to say nothing High-Risk? Who, me? mile due to a reduction in crash involved in a crash by 62%) to an of the life lost in the accident involv- What exactly constitutes a high- costs, Geller claims. ‘out-of-service violation’ (which the ing a fatality). While it may be a fic- risk driver? According to Rick The program allows fleets to de- chart shows only increases the tional example, Geller says the most Geller, national manager of safety termine a driver’s likeliness to be in- chance of being involved in a crash the model has ever been out com- and training services with Markel volved in an accident, based on his by 16%). pared to real-life case studies is 6%. Insurance, “The way we define a or her previous moving violations According to Markel’s research, So where does a fleet begin? high-risk driver, is someone who and at-fault accidents. It draws upon about 35% of drivers fall into one of Geller says in the fictional case consistently engages in safety- extensive past research as well as the three risk categories. study, “There are three guys you’ve averse behaviour that increases forecasts conducted by Markel’s “As long as we know how many got to get in front of right away,” re- the probability of a crash.” actuaries. Geller says in two years of drivers a carrier has, we can predict ferring to the drivers in categories Safety-averse behaviour in- testing, Markel has determined its the number of drivers that are going one and two. cludes actions such as speeding, ability to predict the number of to fall into this high risk category,the “Any driver who falls into those tailgating, lane-hopping and run- crashes a fleet will experience, as number of crashes and the types of top two categories really needs a ning red lights, Geller explains. well as the drivers that will be in- crashes they’re likely to be involved hands-on defensive driving course, He also says fleets should be volved to be about 80% accurate. in, the carrier’s associated costs and something where there’s an over- wary of drivers that refuse to According to the program, a driv- the overall impact on their bottom the-road component,” he insists. accept responsibility for their er with a reckless driving violation, line,” explains Geller. “Very often what you’re talking actions and those who delay re- for instance, is 325% more likely to The insurer has developed a fic- about here is simply a bad habit porting violations and incidents be involved in a crash over the next tional case study to drive home the that’s crept into somebody’s driving. to their carrier. 12 months than a driver with an benefits of the program.A company But that little bad habit that got Geller said fleets should draw unblemished record. with 37 drivers would typically have them that speeding ticket in a re- on every possible source of infor- “That individual is virtually guar- 11 that fall into one of the three stricted speed zone has increased mation to identify high-risk driv- anteed to have a crash,” Geller high-risk driver categories. Based on their likelihood of a crash by 35%.” ers, including: driver abstracts explains. that, 11 collisions are forecast: seven Now that Markel is confident its (which should be checked twice Under the High-Risk Driver property-only accidents; three in- High-Risk Driver Program delivers per year); carrier profiles; elec- Program, fleets identify the highest- jury-related crashes; and one involv- a payback for its customers, it is tronic on-board recording de- risk drivers and then provide them ing a fatality. rolling out the program to the indus- vices; ECM downloads; violation with defensive driver training to cor- Assuming an insurance de- try. There’s a cost to join, as Markel notices; public complaints; and rect the behaviour that led to the ductible of $5,000, the fleet is going plans to train a fleet’s safety reps on maintenance records. charge, before an accident occurs. to pay $55,000 in deductibles alone – how to administer the program He also notes high-risk drivers “The High-Risk Driver Program not including all the related costs. themselves. For more info, contact all have one thing in common – is really a revolutionary way of ad- With a profit margin of 3%, that Markel at 888-MARKEL-1 or visit they think they’re great drivers. ■ ministering safety in the trucking in- fleet would need to generate more www.markel.ca. ■

THIS MONTH’S CROSSWORD PUZZLE A

Across Down n

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12. Gear protrusions 7. Haul an empty trailer 14. PEI component 8. "Dukes of Hazzard" tow-truck driver 16. Trucking company based in Eastern Ontario 13. Mack tractor, debuted in '06 19. Unwanted items in tire treads 15. US stock-car-racing association 21. Deep-voiced truck-stereo speaker 17. Local-delivery truck, often (4,3) 24. Cow Town 18. Patrick ____, star of "Black Dog" truck-

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December 2008 TRUCK WEST Page 11 ManitobaManitoba MTA honours its finest By Jan Westell dry van market, where typically WINNIPEG, Man. – After 6.6 mil- margins are very low and consider- lion collision-free kilometres over ably tougher in our current a 40-year period as a commercial economy.” truck driver, Burton “Bud” Rush, Murray credits her professional was named the 2008 CTA/Volvo satisfaction to the people she Trucks Canada National Driver of works with and to the time she the Year at a recent Manitoba spent on the road as a truck driv- Trucking Association (MTA) er. “I’m glad I drove for a while, awards dinner. because I know what the drivers The Oakbank, Man. resident, are going through,” she said.“I un- who drives for Armstrong Moving derstand where they are coming and Storage (a division of United from. I like the challenge in mak- Van Lines Canada), was intro- ing things work, (and) making the duced to trucking as a young man drivers and customers happy.” – during a period when he also an- Service to the Industry ticipated a hockey career. He was drafted by the Los Three other MTA members were Angeles Kings in 1969, but was also recognized for professional sidelined by a heart condition. excellence at a provincial level. DRIVER OF THE YEAR: Bud Rush receives his award as the Volvo Trucks/CTA That caused him to return to The MTA’s 2008 Trailmobile National Driver of the Year. Winnipeg, and trucking, after buy- Service to Industry award was ing a tractor-trailer and contracting presented to Don Streuber, presi- out to United Van Lines. dent and CEO of Bison Transport. During his 40 years on the road, Streuber was described as the Rush has not only earned an out- epitome of a “true Manitoban” by standing safety record, he has also MTA general manager, Bob shared his knowledge of first aid Dolyniuk. He was born and raised with the travelling public. in Manitoba; he attended and The truck driver has been the completed elementary, secondary first to arrive at many accident and post secondary education scenes, and more than once saved within the province; and he spent a life or provided comfort to an his entire working career in the accident victim. Rush’s road sto- same province. ries include a time he saved the Streuber’s arrival into the life of a man thrown from a vehi- trucking industry was timely. He cle, and another incident when he came in “at a time of challenges provided comfort to a trapped ac- and a never ending litany of cident victim, who ultimately did changes” said Dolyniuk, who indi- not survive the wreck. cated that under Streuber’s direc- Rush credits his training as a tion, the company became a volunteer firefighter with know- leader in the industry not only at MAKE IT TWO FOR MANITOBA: Janet Murray of Payne Transportation took the ing how to be effective in roadside the provincial, but also at the na- nation’s top honours as CTA/Shaw Tracking National Dispatcher of the Year. It’s emergencies. The generous driver tional and international levels. His the first time the Driver of the Year and Dispatcher of the Year hailed from the has also provided assistance both firm has embraced innovative same province. to the motoring public and to fellow technologies that “have con- transport drivers, when mechanical tributed to improving our envi- and an “industry jewel.” Provincial Dispatcher of the Year problems have stranded them on ronment and providing a safer en- “Our recipient has spent most the roadside. vironment for their driver force, of his career in our industry and Local dispatcher Robert Ellison, “Bud Rush exemplifies the out- and the general travelling public,” during that time, he has demon- who is employed by Con-Way standing truck drivers with whom added Dolyniuk. strated a strong desire to partici- Freight, received the 2008 Shaw Canadians share the road,” said Environmental issues have pate and contribute to our indus- Tracking Manitoba Dispatcher of David Bradley, CEO of the CTA. challenged the trucking industry, try,” said Dolyniuk. “He has, in a the Year award. Ellison received “It is a great honour to recognize and in response Streuber has led quiet and unassuming manner, four nominations from manage- him with this highly-coveted by example, stated the MTA. consistently provided support to ment at Con-Way Freight, which award.” Through various commitments to our association and industry, year indicated that some of the traits automated transmissions, auxil- after year.” Ellison possesses are his strong National Dispatcher of the Year iary power units, and aerodynam- Hartle started his career in the reliability and commitment to all A Manitoba dispatcher was also ic aftermarket products, to name trucking industry over three staff and drivers, and his excep- recognized with a national award a few, he has led his company to decades ago as a dock worker and tional customer service skills. at the same ceremony. Janet become environmentally-friendly. city driver. Brian Hrabarchuk, a driver Murray of Warren, Man., an em- These efforts have contributed He has since remained in the in- sales representative with the com- ployee with Payne Transportation, to over 15.6 million kg of dustry as a line-haul driver, own- pany, described Ellison as “a was selected as the CTA/Shaw greenhouse gas emission reduc- er/operator, driver supervisor, steady rock which anchors the Tracking National Dispatcher of tions annually. which led him to become a driver driver staff in Winnipeg.” The co- the Year. Streuber and his firm have sup- trainer and eventually manager of worker also said: “Because of Murray got her start in the road ported the MTA for many years, a driver training institute – a posi- Rob’s reliability and commitment transportation industry 13 years and have been committed to other tion he held for over 12 years. to us, this reassurance extends to ago when she obtained her truck industry associations in Canada as For the past 13 years, Hartle has our families as well, as they have driving licence so she could join well, including the Canadian been strongly committed and seen how he always does his best her husband, a long-distance Trucking Alliance, where Streuber extremely involved with the for us. Every driver in Winnipeg truck driver, on the road as a team represents Manitoba on the MTA’s Professional Driver knows that we can reach him at driver. After a period of time as a board of directors and executive Championships. any time – and have plenty of truck driver, the one-time nurses’ committee. He has held the position of times – whether it is due to a aide and administrative assistant, chairperson, where he has repre- breakdown, an accident, or an out Associate of the Year moved into the operations side of sented the association at both the of hours issue.” the trucking industry, where she The Payne Transportation LP’s provincial, and at the national lev- Debbie Coverdale, a senior earned the respect as a dispatcher. Associate of the Year award went el. He has also been the manager account executive with the com- “Janet has successfully grown to Wayne Hartle, manager of for the Manitoba team. pany, admired the dispatcher’s revenue-per-mile (for) five Reimer Express Driver Training “He has been a dedicated and commitment to his profession. consecutive years in her division, Institute, who is considered to be hard worker for not only his em- “Rob has exceeded all demands yielding higher margins each of well-known and respected in the ployer, but also for the MTA, its placed on him. Many times Rob those years,” said Tom Payne Jr., Manitoba trucking industry. membership, and our industry. has had to hop in a truck and president of Payne Transportation. Having held many positions in the Both he and his employer can make that pick-up or delivery to “Janet has a complete understand- industry throughout his career, he only be described as staunch and meet these expectations.” ■ ing of what it takes to survive is described as a “hard worker,” loyal supporters of our industry @ARTICLECATEGORY:4161; 863; in our industry especially in the “dedicated,” “entrepreneurial,” and association,” stated Dolyniuk. @COMPANYINARTICLE:024645832; pg 12 tw dec v2 11/12/08 11:38 AM Page 12

Page 12 TRUCK WEST December 2008 HealthHealth Because of the wind and cold, great no matter what season it is. moisture loss can not completely They are 17% on the sand and Time to winterize be prevented, so drink additional 80% on the snow and ice. liquids for your skin to draw upon Today, several products are to prevent dryness. Next, take available that combine oily, mois- Cold weather is upon us, and it’s short warm showers instead of turizing cream with sunscreen. time to make sure we are ready Preventive long hot ones. Remember your lips; avoid for the season. Maintenance Even though they feel great at chapped lips by using a lip balm You’ve already gone over your the time, long hot showers strip with the same strength sun block. rig and made the necessary me- Karen your skin of its natural oils, mak- Since the skin on your hands is chanical adjustments, but have Bowen ing it more prone to chap and thinner than in other areas of your you taken the same care with your flake. body, it needs extra protection body to ensure a healthy transi- In the shower, use a mild soap and care. So, pack mitts and tion from fall to winter? to cleanse but leave your natural gloves. Inside and out, your body needs spectrum light bulbs to trick your oils intact. Protect your hands from the special care to remain in tip top body into thinking the days are As soon as you get out of the cold air and low humidity. shape over the next few months. longer. shower, moisturize your skin. Be sure they are made from a So, give your body the healthiest Apply it while your skin is still material that does not bother your base you can by continuing to Flu: Some flu experts think that damp to allow the skin to absorb skin. maintain a healthy diet of fruits, winter triggers the flu virus to some of the moisture before it Some people layer their glove, vegetables, protein and starches. multiply rapidly after lying dor- evaporates. putting a cotton mitten next to the Additionally, consider the fol- mant throughout the summer and Switch to an oil-based moistur- skin and a woolen mitten over the lowing common winter com- fall seasons. izer and moisturize frequently. cotton one to keep their hands plaints and some suggestions to As well, since we stay inside The more oil a moisturizer con- warm and dry. avoid experiencing them. more, we have more opportunities tains the more it protects against to share our flu bugs with our moisture loss. Body temperature fluctuation: Heart attacks:At this time of year, family, close friends and fellow Moisturizers that come in oint- Layer your clothing so you can heart attacks are more common. drivers. ment form contain the most oil take off or add layers to maintain In our northern climate, deaths To protect yourself, wash your because an ointment is 80% oil a comfortable temperature. and hospitalizations for heart dis- hands frequently. and 20% water. If your clothes or shoes get wet, ease and stroke may increase by Wipe down your steering wheel This forms a protective layer on take them off as soon as you can. more than 50%. and any other place another driver the skin and makes it more “mois- Otherwise, your skin will be- Why? Perhaps unaccustomed may have touched with germy turizing” than creams and lotions. come irritated. exertion while shoveling, but ac- hands with a bleach wipe. Ointments are especially good Wearing wet clothing can also cording to the Harvard Health when humidity is low. contribute to hypothermia be- Letter, another reason may be Vitamin D deficiencies: Eat fish cause it wicks away body heat. that heart-related hormones get more often and/or consider taking Sun and windburn: To protect thrown out of whack by winter’s vitamin supplements such as yourself use sunscreen. It’s inevitable, the snowflakes will short days and long nights, making fish oils. Apply a heavy layer of moistur- fall and the roads will become the heart muscle less resilient. izing broad-spectrum sunscreen slick, even so, you can keep your To protect yourself, pay atten- Dry and irritated skin: To main- with an SPF of 15 or higher to health on track by following the tion to your body’s signals when tain healthy, strong skin, drink your face, hands, and any other ex- above hints. ■ you’re attacking the snow. plenty of water. posed skin, especially if you’re go- Stop shoveling immediately if Drinking eight 250 ml glasses of ing to be outside for a long time. – Karen Bowen is a professional you feel any heart-related pain. water per day will supply your Sunscreen is as important in health and nutrition consultant and To help your heart hormones, body with enough moisture to winter as the summer. she can be reached by e-mail at some recommend you use full- keep hydrated. The sun’s reflective powers are [email protected].

produce, plain water is fine. What is E.coli bacteria anyway? Similarly, wash your hands, utensils and kitchen surfaces with hot, soapy water before and after If you have been paying attention Shortly after that, watery diar- handling fresh produce or raw to the news lately, you will have Back behind rhea which may be bloody begins. meat. noticed that E.coli has been men- the wheel At this point, some people expe- Keeping raw foods away from tioned often. rience fever, nausea and vomiting. foods that are about to be eaten is So, what exactly is E.coli? Dr. Christopher If you have any off these symp- also a good idea. Basically, it is the short form for Singh toms it is important to seek help When eating ground beef, make a group of bacteria called from your physician as soon as sure that it is well done and Escherichia coli. possible. cooked to at least 160 F. Most of the strains of E.coli are person to person. If your physician suspects an There should be no pink show- harmless and normally live in the If someone has this infection E.coli infection he/she will take a ing in the centre. intestines of healthy humans and and fails to wash their hands well stool sample to see if any of the Never place cooked hamburg- animals. with soap after using the wash- bacteria are present. Currently, ers on the same plate you used for However, there are a few strains room, they may pass along the there are no specific medications the raw patties. of E.coli that can have very seri- germs to other people when they for E.coli infections. Finally, avoid drinking unpas- ous effects on people and even touch things such as doorknobs In fact, most doctors will not teurized milk or untreated water. cause death. or food. recommend taking any medica- Swallowing water from lakes, The majority of cases of E.coli Again, we see how important it tions to stop the diarrhea as they streams and even swimming pools infections are caused by eating is to wash our hands frequently will not allow the body to get rid is not recommended as it can be contaminated food such as under- and thoroughly. of the bacteria. contaminated with feces. cooked ground beef or unpasteur- By far the most dangerous The best treatment is drinking As you can see, E.coli bacteria ized milk. source of E.coli infection is con- plenty of fluid and rest. can lead to very serious illnesses Healthy beef and dairy cattle taminated water. The main complication of this and should not be taken lightly. may have E.coli present in their This was the case in the town of type of infection is dehydration. If As professional truck drivers intestines. Walkerton, Ont. in 2000 when the you are severely dehydrated, you you are constantly on the move Thus, it is possible that the meat water supply was contaminated by may have to go to the hospital and and come in contact with many or may become contaminated dur- farm runoff. have fluids administered through people on a daily basis. ing the slaughtering process. It was reported that at least an IV. Thus, it is even more important That being said, it is important seven people died from E.coli in- In order to reduce your chances for you to keep in mind these not to undercook your beef even fections and another 2,500 people of being exposed to E.coli, simple hints as they well help to if you like it rare. became ill. you can follow a few simple reduce your chances of getting Using a meat thermometer is The symptoms of an E.coli in- precautions. and E.coli infection. a good way to make sure that fection begin about seven days af- Firstly, wash all raw produce Until next month, drive safely! ■ your meat has reached a suitable ter you are infected with the germ. thoroughly using running water temperature. Normally, the first sign is severe and a scrub brush. – Dr. Chris Singh, B. Kin., D.C., Another common way to ac- abdominal cramping which begins It is not necessary to use soap runs Trans-Canada Chiropractic at quire an E.coli infection is from suddenly. or commercial cleaners to wash 230 Truck Stop in Woodstock, Ont. pg 13 tw dec v2 11/12/08 10:21 AM Page 13

December 2008 TRUCK WEST Page 13 SafetySafety Just remember that regardless Set benchmarks and measure your progress of the established reference points, any ultimate objective also It’s probably safe to suggest that compass every aspect of the deci- needs to be realistic. most fleet managers measure Ask the sion-making process that takes A goal of eliminating every col- their success against a series of fi- Expert place behind the wheel. lision may appear to be ad- nancial benchmarks. Unless they Trainers will focus on proper vi- mirable, but it is better to channel tracked any changes to income Albert sual skills, the need to scan the en- your efforts into steady reduc- and freight volumes, it would be Zimbalatti vironment around a truck, and the tions in the overall figures that ex- impossible to determine whether perception of risk. ist. It is all about taking a journey the business was growing or After that has been addressed, – and measuring your progress shrinking at any given time. safety measures that target the it is a matter of comparing along the way. ■ The number and severity of col- specific challenges. changes in the collision rates to lisions should be tracked in the Indeed, the root cause of most the individual benchmarks. That – Albert Zimbalatti is the manager same manner. crashes can certainly be ad- will determine whether a safety of special risks, safety and training By using a history of collisions dressed. program is achieving its desired services for Markel Insurance to establish a series of related As the industry’s general expe- effect. Company of Canada and has benchmarks, fleets can put them- rience might suggest, most issues The benchmarking process can more than 31 years experience in selves in a position to measure the fall within a driver’s control. even be expanded to include any providing loss control and risk effectiveness of any proactive Rear-end collisions and rollovers type of loss. A fuel hauler, for ex- management services to the truck- safety initiatives. The information are often linked to factors such as ample, may also want to track the ing industry. Send your questions, can even be used to predict the driver fatigue. And many T-bone frequency at which tanks are con- feedback and comments about this cost of future losses. incidents could be avoided if driv- taminated with the wrong grade column to [email protected]. Markel The importance of establishing ers were more aware of their sur- of fuel. Safety and Training Services, a di- these reference points cannot be roundings. Information such as that can be vision of Markel Insurance, offers over-stated. The use of a defensive-driving used to measure the effectiveness specialized courses, seminars and After all, it is impossible to course that embraces a system of any programs that are designed consulting to fleet owners, safety measure any progress without un- such as6320 Markel TruckPro FACTS- Promo HDPlus-Trico will en- - TruckNewsto reduce HR.pdf cargo05/11/08 losses. 18:03:26 managers, trainers and drivers. derstanding where you began. Each operation should base its benchmarks on factors that reflect the related business. Most over- Receive up to * the-road fleets, for example, will $ compare crash frequency per mil- when you purchase lion miles travelled. HD PLUS batteries In contrast, urban fleets may 60 want to measure their exposure andhavetheminstalledatTruckPro. Purchaseandhaveinstalled1TRICOExactFit by comparing crash frequency per power unit. wiperbladeatTruckProandgeta The important thing is to estab- discount on the lish a benchmark that will not be % affected by any changes in the size second wiper blade. of the fleet. (An overall shift in the number or severity of colli- 25 sions could simply reflect a change in the number of power units). Once these numbers are established, meanwhile, fleet managers will likely recognize some trends. In general, about 30% of all crashes involve the high-cost incidents that lead to the most in- juries and fatalities. Head-on collisions, the T-bon- Offer valid from November 15 to December 31, 2008. ing of vehicles, and collisions with * Mail-in-rebate: $15 per battery to a maximum of $60 per vehicle. This promotion is offered exclusively at participating TruckPro service centres. pedestrians, cyclists or the rear of Labour not included. other trucks fall into this group. These high-cost incidents also in- A network accessible all the way clude rollovers, jackknife situa- Visit our website for detailed contact info on our members across Canada www.truckpro.ca. tions or a general loss of control. The frequency of this category of collisions is particularly impor- Border Fleet Services Ltd. The Real McCoy Service Centres Les freins NBL inc. K.I.D.Truck & Trailer Service L.C.D. Entreprise ltée edafcgihjk abcdeghi acdefgiljk abcdefghiljk abcdegiljk tant to determine because it can Abbotsford, BC, 604-857-7939 Edmonton, AB, 780-453-8706 Laval, QC, 450-973-7700 Oakville, ON, 905-842-2942 St-Jacques, NB, 506-736-6310 Glasvan Trailers Inc. The Real McCoy Service Centres Ressorts Industriels inc. C.T. CAM Ottawa Trailer Repair Inc. Ressorts Mirabel inc. account for an astounding 75% of abcdefghiljk abcdeghijk abcdefijk abcdefgiljk abcde collision-related financial losses. Alliston, ON, 705-434-1423 Edmonton, AB, 780-468-1471 Laval, QC, 450-661-5157 Ottawa, ON, 613-741-0878 St-Janvier, QC, 450-434-4111 SimcoeTruck&TrailerLtd. Ken Lapain & Sons Ltd. TruckZoneInc. PeaceTruck&TrailerLtd. St-Laurent Suspensions inc. The leading cause of truck driv- abcdefgijk abcdefgiljk abcdefgiljk abcdefghijk abcdf Barrie, ON, 705-728-8222 Essex, ON, 519-776-6473 Lloydminster, AB, 780-875-7712 Peace River, AB, 780-624-8655 St-Laurent, QC, 514-336-1910 Ray & Doris Truck Parts er fatalities continues to include BoltonTruck&Trailer CHR-ACKParts&Repairs Drolet Ressorts inc. Ressorts d’auto et camion Rock inc. acdefgij abcdefghiljk abcdfgik abcdefghiljk Longlac, ON, 807-876-2687 abcdegiljk impacts with the rear of another Bolton, ON, 905-951-9111 Fort Nelson, BC, 250-774-3273 Québec, QC, 418-687-5222 St-Romuald, QC, 418-834-1010 Hydraco Industries Ltd. vehicle. Ressorts Rive-Sud ltée Goulais River Truck & Tractor Ltd. abcdefgiljk Edgar Blondeau inc. Sudbury Truck & Trailer Centre Inc. adbcfik acdefghiljk Medicine Hat, AB, 403-526-2244 abcdegik abcdefghijk Goulais River, ON, 705-649-4788 Sudbury, ON, 705-673-3613 In contrast, cases in which driv- Boucherville, QC, 450-641-1304 Glasvan Trailers Inc. Québec, QC, 418-651-6880 RCB Truck & Trailer Repair Bradvin Trailer Sales Ltd. abcdilk Suspension Illimitée inc. Partco Truck Parts & Service ers sideswipe other vehicles, hit acdefghiljk acdeilk Mississauga, ON, 905-625-8441 abcfik abcdefghiljk stationary objects or back their Brandon, MB, 204-729-9172 Grande Prairie, AB, 780-539-6260 Glasvan Trailers Inc. Québec, QC, 418-681-2226 Sundre, AB, 403-638-3414 Pyett Spring Service Ltd. Barton Truck Centre Ltd. abcefghiljk The Real McCoy Service Centres McGibbon Diesel Ltd. way into a collision will account abcdeij acdefghilj Mississauga, ON, 905-625-8441 abcdeghi acdefghiljk Caistor Centre, ON, 905-957-7033 Hamilton, ON, 905-544-2626 Fleet Partner Truck & Trailer Center Red Deer, AB, 403-343-8771 Sussex, NB, 506-433-4814 for about 40% of all crashes. Centre du Camion Pro-Cam HWY 4 Truck Service Ltd. abcdefghiljk A-Line Frame Oldtime Truck Wrenching Ltd. Saguenay inc. acdefghilj Moncton, NB, 506-383-1212 & Alignment Services Ltd. acdefgijk But it is also important to re- abcdefghiljk Hanover, ON, 519-369-5052 Les Ateliers abcdefik Topley, BC, 250-696-3222 member that they can lead to sig- Chicoutimi, QC, 418-693-0123 Serge G & D Repair deréparationB&Rltée Saskatoon, SK, 306-931-6612 Boudreau Développement 2000 ltée Lickman Truck & Trailer abcdefghilj acdefgijk KalTireSedgewick abcdefgiljk nificant financial losses of their Parts & Service Ltd. Hearst, ON, 705-362-5633 Mont-Laurier, QC, 819-623-2457 abcdefgilk Tracadie-Sheila, NB, 506-394-2000 abcdefghilj High Prairie Truck & Trailer Ltd. CVL Montmagny inc. Sedgewick, AB, 780-384-3665 Mobile Mechanical Services Chilliwack, BC, 604-793-9660 abcdefghiljk abcdefghiljk acdefghiljk own. Montmagny, QC, 418-248-0612 Garage Alain Bernier Ocean Truck Equipment Ltd. High Prairie, AB, 780-523-4777 Verner, ON, 705-594-1319 Ressorts Montréal-Nord ltée abcdefgljk A sideswiped vehicle may tend acdefgiljk Muskoka Truck Centre Senneterre, QC, 819-737-4275 Agri-Manic inc. Dartmouth, NS, 902-468-2555 abcdik acdefgijk abcdefgiljk Montréal, QC, 514-643-1121 Smithers Parts and to lead to a loss of between Huntsville, ON, 705-789-8600 Victoriaville, QC, 819-751-0099 Fleetline Parts & Service Ltd. Ressorts Universel inc. Service (2005) Ltd. $10,000 and $50,000, but it can acdefghiljk T.C.Trailer & Welding Service Ltd. abcdef abcdefgiljk Glasvan Trailers Inc. Digby, NS, 902-245-5833 abcdefgiljk Montréal, QC, 514-648-0820 Smithers, BC, 250-847-4287 abcdeilk Whitby, ON, 905-430-1262 also lead to a million-dollar claim. North Keele Auto Truck Jacksonville, NB, 506-325-1280 Tim's Truck & Equipment Mécanique Générale MPC & Car Repair Center Ltd. Parent Mechanical Service Inc. Rive-Sud inc. The remaining group of losses abcdefghiljk abcdefgijk cdefghiljk abcdefghiljk will encompass situations that are Downsview, ON, 416-638-5963 Kapuskasing, ON, 705-335-3617 Napanee, ON, 613-354-8467 Sorel-Tracy, QC, 450-742-2764 Voth Sales & Services Inc. Ressorts Lasalle inc. Pioneer Spring & Alignment Ltd. Garage Benoit Trudeau more challenging to control, such abcdefghij abcdefk abcdefghijk acdefgiljk as cargo claims, acts of God or a Eden, ON, 519-866-3459 LaSalle, QC, 514-365-8176 New Liskeard, ON, 705-647-8707 St-André-Avelin, QC, 819-983-1260 costly collision with a moose. Once a fleet establishes its own a SUSPENSION d TRAILER GENERAL REPAIR g EXHAUST SYSTEM l MOBILE SERVICE The largest independent service centre benchmarks, it will be in a posi- b ALIGNMENT e TRUCK GENERAL REPAIR h AIR CONDITIONING j OIL CHANGE network across the country tion to determine the impact of c BRAKES f DRIVELINE i ELECTRICAL REPAIR k PMP TruckPro is a network associated with UAP Inc. – Heavy Vehicle Parts Division. pg 14 tw dec v2 11/12/08 10:23 AM Page 14

Page 14 TRUCK WEST December 2008 TaxTax Talk As a sole proprietor, your meal year (ie. your Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 The bulletproof tax return claim must be based on receipts. If odometer readings) and detail the you’re claiming sole-proprietor kilometres you drive to earn busi- meal expenses based on logbooks, ness income. You must list the date, Do you feel it? You may not (yet) as here’s what the CRA’s audit letter destination, purpose, and the num- the weight of the world seems to be Tax will say: ber of kilometres you drive for each on trucking’s shoulders already, Talk ‘The simplified method for meals trip.What about leased service vehi- but there’s something else clinging is a CRA policy for transport em- cles? I hear it over and over:‘I lease to your back: a target. Canada Scott ployees set out in the Income Tax Act. my service vehicle so I can write the Revenue Agency (CRA) has deter- Taylor This way of calculating meals is not whole thing off.’ Or ‘I got a pick-up mined that the trucking industry allowable for truckers/inter-liners so I can write the whole thing off.’ should get more scrutiny from audi- that are self-employed. Self-em- Not true. You can claim 1% to tors this year. I questioned an audit sales journals to your bank records ployed individuals are allowed to 100% of your service vehicle ex- supervisor recently and she said the and check expense receipts against claim meals for their travels under penses if your actual business use industry is on the hot seat. cancelled cheques and credit card the Income Tax Act, but you have to supports it. You must back up your When the CRA focuses on a spe- statements. He’ll look to see that keep full records of your trips includ- claim with details on how you used cific industry or group, it’s called a you did in fact pay for the items ing receipts for meals consumed and your vehicle for the business. special project audit. Unfortunately, you’ve claimed and that your ex- logs recording each trip, total dis- trucking has a history of non-com- penses are reasonable. tance traveled and time spent away Expenses at home: Home phone, pliance and mistakes. If you’re It’s important for the auditor to from home.’ cell phone, satellite radio, uniforms – a small fleet or owner/operator, understand what is “reasonable.” Both the TL2 form and the CRA you can deduct these expenses or a there’s a good chance a CRA His caseload probably includes lots information circular describing meal percentage thereof only if they were auditor one day will set his sights on of different businesses, so don’t as- claims are for employees only. For incurred to earn income. You must you. When he does, you want to be sume that he understands trucking. years, CRA allowed the sensible ar- be able to show that you spent the bulletproof. Explain what you do, where you gument that if employee truck driv- money as part of your business travel, and safety requirements, ers can claim meal expenses with operations. Audit types carrier requirements, and customer the simplified method of reviewing If you’ve ever received a letter from requirements so he has the perspec- logbooks, then sole proprietor truck An experienced tax advisor special- CRA asking for information to sup- tive he needs. drivers should be able to do the izing in trucking can show you how port an item on your tax return, con- same. Not any more. to substantiate these and other de- Grey Areas gratulations. You’ve been audited. The only way to claim meals ductions so they’re not denied. No This is called a desk audit. Open the Now begins the fun of supporting without receipts is to incorporate. one likes the feeling of a target on envelope, read the letter, have your expenses as legitimate business ex- By incorporating, your meal claim is his back. But it’s much less of a con- accountant review it, and respond penses. For the CRA, there are no safely and legitimately calculated on cern when that target is taped to a before the deadline. grey areas here, only black, and they the TL2 form based on your away- Kevlar vest. ■ The second category is the field will aggressively challenge these from-home time recorded in your audit, where you’re asked for your types of expenses: logbook. – Scott Taylor is vice-president of full accounting records. In some Again, the CRA’s position on TFS Group, a Waterloo, Ont., com- cases, an auditor may want to meet Meals: Meal claims are one meal claims for sole proprietors: pany that provides accounting, fuel in person. Always involve your ac- reason CRA has been auditing receipts, receipts, receipts. tax reporting, and other business countant as the first step in respond- trucking operations so intently. The services for truck fleets and ing to a field audit. requirements have changed in Service vehicle: To fully support owner/operators. For information, The auditor will want to match recent years and there’s still some your claim you must keep a record visit www.tfsgroup.com or call 800- your carrier broker settlements or confusion. of the total kilometres you drive in a 461-5970. )FMQJOH ZPV ¾OE ZPVS XBZ

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December 2008 TRUCK WEST Page 15 OpinionOpinion around limited and unpredictable McElligott and his supporters Preventive maintenance home time is difficult, and arrang- founded the Professional Drivers ing medical visits on the road is al- Medical Depot (PDMD) and Many drivers take better care of most impossible. opened the first clinic in Knoxville, their trucks than their own bodies. Voice of Which is why I love Bob Lodge, Tenn. almost two years ago. Maybe we need to rearrange our the O/O owner of the 730 Truck Stop in There are now a half-dozen priorities? Cardinal, Ont. Thanks to his lob- PDMD facilities at truck stops in Most of us could be accused of Joanne bying efforts and an arrangement the US with plans to build a na- taking our health more or less for Ritchie with a Community and Primary tionwide network of walk-in granted. We work a little too hard Health Care team out of nearby health care facilities geared to and probably don’t get as much Brockville, an RV full of medical meet the needs of professional sleep as we need.We eat too much difficult and unhealthy lifestyle expertise sets up shop in his park- drivers on the road. of the wrong kind of food, and that is trucking. ing lot once a month to dole out What trucking needs is more gauging by the size of the T-shirts But like Anna’s breast cancer, medical help and advice to visiting folks like Bob Lodge and Dr. John, I’ve been selling lately, it’s pretty and so many other nasty diseases truckers. and we need more truckers to start obvious that we don’t get as much and conditions, early detection The mobile health unit, which is thinking of regular medical check- exercise as we should. greatly increases the chances the only one I know of in Canada, ups as the kind of insurance you I say we, because I’m as guilty as of successful treatment and even offers basic check-ups that could can’t live without. When was the any of you. I work into the wee survival. detect early signs of high blood last time you paid a visit to your hours of the morning, then get up It’s all well and good to talk of pressure and diabetes. The clinic doctor? I don’t want a confession to join the rest of the world for the improving lifestyle, but the chal- also does immunization and blood here, just a promise that you’ll start of the business day. I seldom lenges of keeping well on the road work and dispenses prescriptions, make it a priority. ■ eat a proper breakfast, and I cer- are significant. Don’t get me going if necessary. The unit has been in tainly don’t exercise as much as I on adequate rest and exercise or operation for about a year and has – Joanne Ritchie is executive direc- should. And my excuses are pretty improving nutrition on the road – recently extended its service to in- tor of OBAC. Are you ready to weak: I can’t spare the time, the that’s a column in itself – just think clude evening visits. check it out? E-mail her at gym is closed… about regular PM medical exams. South of the border, long-time [email protected] or call toll free So, my jeans are getting tighter, Scheduling doctors’ appointments truckers’ health advocate Dr. John 888-794-9990. and I often need an afternoon nap to help pay down some of my sleep debt. No big deal, right? Well, I can tell you that the older I get, the bigger deal it becomes. As we age, the impact of a unhealthy lifestyle is more likely to manifest itself in something worse than an expanding waistline, afternoon drowsi- ness, or aches and pains that we never used to have. I was reminded of our relative frailty recently when I got involved in the Convoy for a Cure, the first all-woman truck convoy which, incidentally, raised $15,000 for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation during breast cancer awareness month. I know many women who have battled breast cancer, some successfully,some not. In fact, the day of the convoy was the anniversary of the day my mother lost her life to the disease. I felt it was important for OBAC to get involved in this awareness- raising effort not only because breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Canada – men can contract breast cancer too – but because the convoy spoke to the need for all of us to do a better job of looking after ourselves. OBAC sponsored a post-convoy speaker who shared her own story of survival. Anna Capobianco- Skipworth of Montreal, who en- dured two mastectomies and lost both her ovaries to cancer over a 13-month period, moved the crowd to laughter and to tears as FUEL GAUGE. FULLY ENGAGED. she took us on a journey from the Best fuel economy on the Total support for the life of discovery of a lump, through fear, road today. your engine. denial, hope, and finally triumph. In recent fuel tests, the Cat® EPA 07 Whether you’re running a Cat® engine now As a survivor, Anna works to ® C15 engine with ACERT Technology or thinking about investing in one, you can promote breast health and to was shown to produce marked fuel be fully confident that you’ll get the highest- encourage wellness and healthy savings, resulting in significantly quality parts, service and support you need lifestyle choices. lower lifetime fuel costs. to maintain your engine and maximize Anna’s story left me thinking about all the things drivers can do profits down the road. to decrease the risk of going down the same path. The sedentary life www.cattruckengines.com of an over-the-road driver is a litany of compromises in diet and sleep routines, and some down- right bad habits. Professional drivers are at a higher risk than the general popu- lation for things like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and a variety of mus- © 2008 Caterpillar All Rights Reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, their respective logos, “Caterpillar culoskeletal ailments, many of Yellow” and the POWER EDGE trade dress, as well as corporate and product identity used herein, which can be traced back to the are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.

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Page 16 TRUCK WEST December 2008 FeatureFeature By Julia Kuzeljevich the trucking industry. OTTAWA, Ont. – Between tele- “It’s the area where you have the marketer calls, retailers’ requests most immediate use of new and government forms, it seems that Mind your business technologies,” Siegel noted, and barely a day goes by without some “a resulting continual tension creat- representative asking for bits of ed between security needs and pieces of personal information from identification.” the general public. Just how much personal Siegel said that companies are Now consider a trucker, who now spending a lot of time and faces background checks and re- information are drivers required effort on privacy compliance quests to show identification on a gathering. daily basis. It should come as no sur- “The trucking industry is very in- prise that truckers are more than a to relinquish to shippers? teresting because of the interaction little concerned about how that in- between the employer and third- formation is being used. parties but there’s a continual push And that concern, it would ap- measures such as using encryption Some truckers have been left and pull in terms of what is personal pear, is not misplaced. on laptops.” uneasy about information they are info and what is reasonable use The Office of the Privacy Interprovincial transport compa- being asked for, calling into ques- of it,” she said. Commissioner of Canada (OPC) is nies are covered by PIPEDA as well tion what situations warrant what She noted that some of the earli- charged with overseeing compli- as by provincial laws. With respect kinds of requests? est decisions in privacy law have fo- ance with the Privacy Act, which to employment data, depending on Trucker Shawn Nieforth contact- cused on the transportation sector. covers the personal information- your situation you will be governed ed Truck West about his concerns “Trucking companies need to be handling practices of federal gov- by PIPEDA. with the increasing number of ship- working very closely with the par- ernment departments and agencies, According to the OPC report, al- pers that ask for a driver’s licence ties with whom shipments are being and the Personal Information most nine in 10 people whose data upon arrival at yards and then carried to make sure there is a con- Protection and Electronic was compromised by a self-report- record the info. tinual interchange about what is ap- Documents Act (PIPEDA),Canada’s ed breach in 2007 were put at risk While Nieforth said that it was al- propriate, and what are the safe- private sector privacy law. because their personal informa- ready common to be asked for pic- guards.A lot of the problems arising In June 2008, the Privacy tion was held in an electronic ture identification to confirm the are in this context. Obviously truck- Commissioner of Canada released a format that was either not secured photo matched the driver, upon a ers need to have been told in ad- report on PIPEDA, stating that too or lacked adequate protection recent trip to a terminal in vance what to expect. Pre-clearance many data breaches are occurring mechanisms such as firewalls and Etobicoke, Ont. he was asked by a is a helpful step in dealing with iden- because companies have ignored encryption. security company for his driver’s li- tification,” said Siegel. some of the most basic steps to pro- Other breaches occurred because cence and then the number was She cited a couple of cases that tect personal information. employees had not followed estab- written down. went through the OPC that have “Many companies need to do lished company practices. “There was no official form or no- shed a lot of light on the privacy more to prevent inexcusable secu- For the trucking community, with tice they wrote it on, just a yellow issues in the trucking sector, with rity breaches,” said Privacy the increased security that sur- notepad,” he told Truck West. “One regard to what was found to be Commissioner of Canada, Jennifer rounds border crossings and access night I refused to give it and they reasonable. Stoddart. “Too often, we see per- to ports and yards, the need to re- asked for my health card number.” In a 2003 case, two individuals sonal information compromised veal one’s personal information has The incident was sparked, he said, (both truckers) complained when a because a company has failed to always meant a certain vulnerabili- by the fact that apparently there railway company asked that all driv- implement elementary security ty and reliance on the trust factor. had been a truck and trailer stolen ers entering and exiting its inter- out of the yard. modal terminal provide their “Through the week they were driver’s licence numbers and finger- just writing plate numbers down prints as part of its new driver iden- but at night and on weekends they tification system. were asking for more. At first it One of the truckers was also con- seemed to be the one security cerned that the company had not guard doing this and then all of taken adequate measures to safe- them were. There was a letter from guard the personal information it the (third-party) security company collected under this program. asking them to get this informa- The Privacy Commissioner found tion,” he recounted. that the company’s purposes for im- Nieforth went to his company to plementing the new system were question why they didn’t have a appropriate since it: “allowed the company ID card, like some of the company to better handle the large regular drivers delivering to the ter- volume of trucks entering and exit- minal, but was told it was a big deal ing the terminal, minimized liability to set up. for damage to railway containers, For Nieforth, the big issue was and reduced the potential for van- that his personal information was dalism and acts of terrorism to being handled so informally. property and cargo.” Truck West queried the shipper, The Commissioner also deter- which Nieforth identified as Nestle, mined that the railway had taken and the yard property owner, CP the appropriate steps to inform Rail, about procedures required for drivers of the new measures and security purposes. to obtain their consent through a CP Rail spokesman Mike driver registration form and LoVecchio said that while the com- through encryption of the collect- pany does not elaborate on its secu- ed driver’s licence numbers, ac- rity processes,“Canadian Pacific has cessible only to approved railway robust security measures in place, personnel. and I can confirm we take an inte- In a later 2006 case, at issue was grated approach to security with our the use of GPS technology and its partners,” he told Truck West in an effects on employee privacy. e-mail. Several employees of a telecom- At press time, Nestle had not munications company complained responded to queries regarding to the OPC when they learned that security procedures. their employer was installing GPS Are truckers, by nature of in their work vehicles.They believed their employment, more subject that the company was improperly to an abuse of their personal collecting their personal informa- information? tion, namely their daily movements Ariane Siegel, a partner with while on the job, without their Gowlings Toronto, is a specialist consent and without identifying the in the field of data protection and reasons for the collection of the privacy. information. “I haven’t seen greater issues of While the Assistant Privacy misuse but there is heightened sen- Commissioner cautioned organiza- sitivity around this area,” she said of tions about “function creep” and pg 17 tw dec 11/12/08 3:23 PM Page 17

December 2008 TRUCK WEST Page 17

the negative cumulative effects of various forms of technology on privacy,her ruling in this case accepted most of the company’s purposes for collecting and using personal information gathered by GPS and found that implied consent was present for these purposes. The company, meanwhile, agreed to develop and communicate a policy on the utilization of the data and to train its managers on the appropriate use of GPS. While the cases cited seem to weigh in heavily on the need for information-gathering in the work- place, despite “function creep” and the “negative cumulative effects of technology on privacy,” in the face of these demands, which won’t go away, the best measure of protection would appear to be information and better communication. According to Joanne Ritchie of the Owner-Operators’ Business Association of Canada (OBAC), it would appear that in some cases there is an increased need for dia- logue or written communication between shippers and truckers about DO YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW?: Truckers have been voicing increased concerns about the amount of personal security requirements and expecta- information requested by shippers. Could it come back to haunt them? Stock photo tions around the use of personal information. “Our position on all these creden- some members have also been carrier and said this is what our “I have been getting calls in the tials is it would be nice to see the in- asked for social security numbers as customer is asking for and is this last year (around this issue) but I dustry pick one and that be the plat- identifiers. something that’s been agreed upon? don’t know if it’s on the increase,” form for what ID needed to be OOIDA is participating in a I think at some point as an immedi- she said. shown,” she said. trucking security program as a sub- ate fix that they should have a dis- “I’ve talked to drivers who have “Also, if you have a regular cus- contractor with the HMS Company, cussion with the carrier about how been in the business for a lot of tomer and there’s security issues, it chosen by the US Department of to handle this,” said Ritchie. years and it’s not unusual to be would seem that the carrier/shipper Homeland Security. Carriers and shippers have a mu- asked for ID such as a driver’s li- would have some sort of under- “This is more about what you’re tual role in helping employees un- cence with photo. They want to standing or agreement in place.” watching for as homeland security,” derstand how their privacy rights make sure that they’re giving the Ritchie said OBAC is currently said Taylor. meld with the job requirements. It’s load to the right person.” working on developing its own pri- While this program wouldn’t di- just a question of meeting in the Ritchie said that especially when vacy policy, with a toolkit of infor- rectly address the release of person- middle with truckers, who could use there’s been double brokering, and mation for truckers on their rights al information for the purpose of a better handle on their rights in the you make your arrangements with and responsibilities under the homeland security, that would cer- context of the transportation sector. “XYZ” company,and someone else Privacy Act. tainly be something that could arise “Shippers I have talked to have is picking up the load, it’s under- Stateside, according to Norita as an issue, noted Taylor in a phone said we just want to verify that the standable to exercise caution. Taylor, of the Owner Operator call with Truck West, especially as in person who is picking up the right She has also heard of truckers Independent Drivers Association, the interest of anti-terrorism, truckload is the right person, in the case being asked for their health card questions about privacy rights are ers can only expect security meas- of a matching name, for third-party numbers “although I can’t see why also increasing. ures to get stricter. carriage. What kind of credential is it would be necessary unless it’s for “We’ve had a complaint from a In many cases and circumstances, appropriate to confirm that? The the photo.” driver about a driver’s licence being such as deliveries during off-hours problem is not having to have cre- Inconsistency from one shipper to put on a bill-of-lading to Mexico. and such, truckers may feel that dentials, it’s the issue of having to the next, and often from the same The driver said he did not get a sat- they cannot refuse a request for have many and not a consistent one shipper,around identification, is not isfactory answer from the compa- identification, however odd. that works for everybody,” said uncommon. ny,” said Taylor, who added that “Very few have gone back to the Ritchie. ■ What is personal information?: “Personal information” under Canada’s Privacy Act means information about an “identifiable individual.” It includes your: name, age, weight, height; medical records; income; purchases and spending habits; race, ethnic origin and colour; blood type; DNA code; fingerprints; marital status; religion; education; and home address and phone number. “Personal information” does not include the: name, job title, business address or office telephone number of an employee of an organization. How does the Act protect your personal information? The law gives you the right to: know why an organization collects, uses or discloses your personal information; expect an organization to collect, use or disclose your personal information reasonably and ap- propriately, and not use the information for any purpose other than that to which you have consented; know who in the organization is responsible for protecting your personal information; expect an organization to protect your personal information by taking appropriate security measures; expect the personal information an organization holds about you to be accurate, complete and up-to-date; obtain access to your personal information and ask for corrections if necessary; and complain about how an organization handles your personal information if you feel your privacy rights have not been respected. An organization may not need to obtain your consent if collecting trucknews.com the information clearly benefits you and your consent cannot be obtained in a timely way; or if the information is needed by a law enforcement agency for an investigation, and getting consent might compromise the information’s accuracy. ■ @ARTICLECATEGORY:862; pg 18 tw dec 11/12/08 3:24 PM Page 18

Page 18 TRUCK WEST December 2008 ShuntShunt trucks Spec’ing shunt trucks They’re small, but highly-specialized. Why spec’ing shunt trucks should not be taken lightly.

By James Menzies snow, salt and all the stuff they put TORONTO, Ont. – A shunt truck on the roads nowadays.” is a seemingly simple piece of The options for Canadian shunt equipment. Its sole purpose is to truck customers are seemingly shuttle trailers from one spot endless, and many of them stem to another. But when you think from discoveries made by about it, isn’t that also the pur- Canadian customers and dealers pose of a highway tractor – only themselves. You can specify: rear on a grander scale? So why is it air suspensions to reduce wear that only a fraction of the atten- and tear; driver-controlled traction that goes into spec’ing a high- tion locks for maintaining grip on way tractor is usually afforded the snow and ice; trailer counters to lowly shunt truck? measure productivity; and auto Spec’ing a shunt truck can be greasing systems to reduce main- ASK BEFORE YOU BUY: Spec’ing shunt trucks for the lowest cost of ownership every bit as complex as spec’ing a tenance requirements, just to can be a detailed process. It’s best to speak to a knowledgeable dealer to find highway rig, notes Mike Hignett name a few options. out how to maximize efficiency in your own operation. Photo by James Menzies of Capacity dealer Glasvan Great “All the trucks we bring in are Dane. custom-ordered,” says Hignett. previously powered its vehicles. vated fifth wheel on it are virtually For starters, customers must de- “We don’t take off-the-shelf “It used to take a tremendous gone,” Uppington says. cide whether their shunt truck will trucks because they’re not going amount of hours to diagnose elec- “We sell shunt trucks to guys who ever put rubber to pavement any- to work up here.” trical problems and it also caused only move two or three trailers a where other than the company’s He says Glasvan Great Dane electrical fires,” Hignett recalls of day,” adds Hignett.“The reason they own yard. If the vehicle will be op- takes pride in the fact it has been the old system. The current multi- buy it, is that it’s more efficient.” erated on public roads – even just recognized by Capacity as offer- plexed wiring eliminates about It’s easy to see why, when you to fuel up or shuttle trailers being among the most specialized 60% of the wires and simplifies crunch the numbers. tween facilities – then it must be shunt trucks across the OEM’s troubleshooting, he claims. Hignett points out a driver can spec’d with all the emissions con- dealer network. “You can basically figure out move five trailers with a shunt trols found on today’s highway “We tell them we have unique what a problem is within 10 min- truck in the time it takes to move tractors. customers – there’s no point in utes,” says Hignett. “Before, you one with a day cab. That’s a costly upgrade, but bringing up a truck that’s not go- could spend a whole shift just A typical shunt truck, mean- one that most Canadian cusing to work,” Hignett responds. tracing wires to find out what the while, consumes just 1.5-2 gallons tomers are willing to pay for the He says one thrifty customer once problem is.” of diesel per hour whereas a day added versatility. made the mistake of buying a Uppington takes pride in a cab will use about four. A typical Hignett estimates about 70% of shunt truck from a US Capacity solution Woodbine created for a shunt truck running 3,000 hours his customers opt for the road- dealer, because the price tag was customer that was suffering land- per year can deliver annual fuel worthy version. about $10,000 cheaper. ing gear damage due to dropped savings of $30,000 over a day cab, John Uppington, sales manager “They spent $15,000 retrofitting trailers. Hignett explains. for Kalmar (maker of Ottawa) it in order for it to work up here,” “We were able to devise a sys- And there are maintenance ad- shunt trucks at Woodbine Truck he adds. “You can get a cheaper tem where the fifth wheel would vantages as well, he adds. Centre, says “Historically, we al- truck somewhere, but you’re not only open when below a certain “Everything about a shunt ways sold more of the automotive going to like yourself in the morn- height,” recalls Uppington. “We truck is designed for efficiency,” (on-highway) ones because of the ing when you do that.” do all kinds of stuff like that.” says Hignett. versatility that they have. With a Among the most recent enhance- Dealers have been largely “A day cab is designed to hook road-legal truck you can go down ments to Capacity shunt trucks is successful in preaching the up to a trailer and move it across the street to get fuel and you can a multiplexed wiring system that efficiency benefits of a shunt the city or province – it’s designed use it to reposition trailers eliminates the rat’s nest of wires that truck, compared to moving to be backed up two to five times between facilities, which is not trailers with day cabs – a once- a day. A shunt truck is designed to uncommon.” common practice that’s fast be backed up two to five times in Because shunt trucks are pow- becoming obsolete. a 10-minute span. The compo- ered by the same Cat and “The days of buying nents on a Class 8 truck are Cummins mid-range engines a new tractor and designed to go forward. All com- found on medium-duty highway putting an ele- ponents on a shunt truck are trucks, the emissions controls are heavy-duty because every minute also the same.That means exhaust that truck’s getting slammed into gas recirculation and diesel par- the back of a trailer.” ticulate filters (DPFs) today. Cat Even a well-spec’d shunt truck will no longer produce road-wor- has its limits, however, and a thy engines for 2010, but careful driver can greatly Cummins will use selective cat- extend the vehicle’s life alytic reduction (SCR). expectancy. Just where shunt truck manu- “A lot of drivers get into facturers will mount all the addi- it, see how heavy-duty tional components required of everything is and think it’s a SCR remains a mystery, but battle tank,” says Hignett, Uppington assures that it is possi- painfully recalling a time he ble, and that field testing is visited a customer’s yard already underway. only to find drivers having The spec’ing process doesn’t bumper-to-bumper pushing end at selecting an on- or off-road contests during a lunch version. Canadian shunt truck break. “That kind of stuff dealers tend to offer highly-cus- will destroy the efficiency of tomized vehicles, capable of han- the truck.” dling the harsh environment typical A well cared for shunt truck in Canadian operations. can last for as much as 40,000- “If you take a truck that is 50,000 hours of use, says Hignett. working in the Port of Los But, he adds “If you don’t main- Angeles and stick it up here, that tain the truck, you can throw it in truck is not going to last,” points the scrap bin after 5,000 hours.” ■ out Hignett.“We spec’ trucks that @ARTICLECATEGORY:843; are going to last longer in the rain, Challenger West 11/12/08 3:26 PM Page 1

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Page 20 TRUCK WEST December 2008 EconomyEconomy gonna have as much issues as Trucking Association (OTA) – some other people. What it really among 90 carriers of all sizes, from comes to is what’s the cost for 10 or less power units to more Cash or credit? them to access that credit? than 250 – seems to confirm that (OEMs) will be able to lend to Canada’s trucking industry is The good news is that OEMs’ financial people who need pieces of equip- living a very similar reality. The ment but it might not be at the survey – for the entire results, branches have good access to credit. most desirable rate. I don’t think contact OTA at www.ontruck.org it’s a significant issue for these – indicates that 24% of respon- guys to access capital.” dents are generally optimistic, The bad news is that this credit is likely The question was worth asking, 34% are pessimistic and 41% are because one of the main problems unsure about the economical en- to get more expensive. with the current credit crunch is vironment. The good news is that that banks are reluctant to lend 90% of them say that their cus- By Eric Berard president of FTR Associates, an money to each other. And, in tomers are paying a reasonable MONTREAL, Que. – We’ve been American consulting firm special- many aspects, companies such fuel surcharge. hearing a lot about the financial izing in transportation forecast- as Volvo Financial Services, Sixteen per cent of the surveyed crisis that struck the US before ing, the answer is yes. Mack Financial Services, Paccar carriers think that over the next the entire world’s markets sunk as He made the following com- Financial, Navistar Financial or six months, freight volumes south- well. At the root of the problem ment during a teleconference call Daimler Truck Financial are very bound will improve, while 26% were hazardous housing loans, but held recently, when Truck West similar to banks, as their main think the same way about north- the transportation industry would asked him if the financial branch- source of revenue and profit is the bound US freight. The more pes- not be immune as the financial es of the North American truck interest on the loans they provide simistic carriers feel that these crisis evolved into a global credit makers would continue to have to their customers. volumes will decrease by 52% and crisis. Is there any credit out there access to credit: “In general, I But to lend money, you need to 28% respectively. Back to equip- available for trucking companies? think that they’ll have access to have access to it. Yet, a question ment buying (and financing), 20% According to Eric Starks, credit. I don’t think that they’re remains – are there any new say they plan to buy more tractors truck purchases to finance out in the next three months, 21% of there with carriers struggling them also want to increase the with low freight volumes? Yes, number of trailers in their fleet but not a lot. within the same period. But it might not be easy, as 72% say they Freight volume: feel that credit is tightening. worst since 1992 Access to capital During the same conference call, Noel Perry, managing director When speaking to companies and senior consultant, FTR such as Volvo Financial Services, Associates, said that he forecasts Mack Financial Services, Paccar 2009 to be the worst year since Financial, Navistar Financial or 1992 in terms of freight demand, Daimler Truck Financial, one no- underlining that profit margins tices that some of them are walk- were down for three consecutive ing on eggshells when discussing years in the trucking industry. the credit crisis’ impacts on their On the other hand, his partner own operations. Jon Starks, transportation analyst, And it’s quite understandable truck, trailer and rail equipment as, like in all markets, consumer market, thinks that most large confidence is key. fleets are generally very well- When Truck West asked if credit managed and that aging truck availability was an issue for fleets will have a huge impact on Paccar Financial, Robin Easton, new equipment demand. Paccar treasurer and spokesman “The small guys will be dispro- replied: “Paccar’s excellent AA- portionately impacted. Cash flow credit rating helps the financial and asset purchases will be more services business to consistently difficult as credit lines become access the capital markets for its stricter, become smaller or simply funding needs.” trucknews.com not available. Larger fleets on the Commenting on the situation other hand will continue to have on behalf of Volvo Financial access to capital, though for them Services, Jim McNamara told us it may cost more to get less,” he that “In general, obtaining financ- said. ing to purchase trucks has been a FTR Associates president, Eric challenge for some customers, Starks, thinks that 2009 will be a particularly new businesses. tough year for truck dealers. “But Volvo Trucks is still in a MISSING “You buy a truck, a trailer or a position to offer financing to cus- rail car for one reason: because tomers with strong credit profiles you have freight to move. If you through our captive finance arm, ZAINA TALIB don’t have freight to move, you Volvo Financial Services.And our don’t buy the equipment, it’s pret- offerings in this regard are com- 5620-P ty much that easy.” prehensive and competitive. D.O.B.: April 14, 1999 On a more optimistic note, he Volvo Financial Services’ finance added: “But the upside is that if policies are comparable for the Missing since: November 11, 2005 the recession is not too long, some US and Canadian markets.It fleets might do some pre-buy in maintains a consistent approach Missing from: Toronto, Ontario 2009 to avoid EPA2010. But it’s to lending and leasing throughout gonna be tough to do so because a business cycle which allows Height: 4' 6" of the credit environment.” He VFS to remain active during the concluded by saying: “There are current period. Also VFS’s rates Weight: 80 lbs. good years to come. If people can are comparable to other lending get through this time, then they sources in the Canadian market.” Eye Colour: Brown can make good money beyond McNamara added that “VFS 2010.” does not take unwarranted risks Hair Colour: Black to foster sales, and it remains in a OTA survey confirms position to offer financing to cus- Characteristics: Hair long, straight, usually kept in a pony tail US trends tomers with strong credit profiles. Anyone with information please contact: All Calls Confidential – No Name Required It’s important to remember that As always, Volvo Financial FTR Associates is an American Services continues to exercise due company and that it prepares its diligence throughout its US and forecasts from a US perspective. Canadian financing operations.” CHILD FIND 1-800-387-7962 That being said, a recent survey Yet, Volvo’s sister company, conducted by the Ontario Mack, has been very aggressive on pg 20-21 tw dec 11/12/08 3:28 PM Page 21

December 2008 TRUCK WEST Page 21

the financing front and “sales fos- should not be overly impacted. tering,” announcing three differ- “We need to strike a balance ent packages from Mack Financial that supports our dealers and cus- Services to incite US customers to tomers during this time of volatil- buy or lease Mack trucks through ity in the credit markets. The its in-house financial arm. volatility has its costs, but we have Many may not know this, but taken the position not to pass on Canadians who buy International the cost of the volatility to our trucks get financing through GE dealers and customers because we Capital. But south of the border, are partners for the long haul.” customers are taken care of by But what about financing crite- Navistar Financial, whose vice- ria? Daimler Truck Financial president, CFO and treasurer Bill claimed, “We continue to buy McMenamin, said about GE’s ap- deals that meet our lending crite- proach in Canada: “GE has al- ria.We have seen more challenges ways been very supportive of our with owner/operators and small dealers and customers in provid- fleets because of a decrease in ing the financing to help them be revenue. We evaluate the ability successful.”About the US market, of the customer to make pay- he said “Navistar Financial con- ments. Many lenders have exited tinues to have access to capital to the owner/operator segment be- help finance our dealers and cus- cause of the economy.” tomers. We have recently com- On the subject of tightening the pleted two important deals: the financing criteria, especially for early renewal of our $800 million owner/operators and smaller dealer floor plan funding facility; fleets, Navistar Financial’s and the extension of our $100 mil- spokesperson said that it will not lion retail accounts conduit fund- occur in the immediate future. ing facility.We were able to obtain “The criteria we’ve been using this funding because our expertise to make credit decisions remains in the transportation industry has effective, as evidenced by appro- built the trust of our lenders. CAN YOU GET YOUR HANDS ON IT?: Credit for buying equipment is still avail- priate levels of repossessions and “We’ve been doing this for able, but it could cost you more as the global credit crunch continues. losses within our portfolios. Our nearly 60 years, and we know our credit parameters remain about industry inside and out. This ex- achieve a profitability threshold profitability,” said McMenamin. the same, but interest rates have pertise allows us to make sound to ensure our continued access to We heard similar comments risen as we have been forced to credit decisions and to maintain capital, and that means pricing from Steven E. Goodale, vice- pass on our higher borrowing the strong portfolio performance our rates in line with the market- president of credit at Daimler costs to our end customers.” our banks require. That said, place. So, yes, as the cost of financ- Truck Financial. Underlining that Daimler Truck accessing liquidity is never easy – ing increases for all companies, we “As the captive finance compa- Financial has been in business for nor should it be. Regardless of are going to need to share some of ny supporting the sales of many years, Goodale offered a market conditions, we always the increase with our dealers and Daimler Trucks North America, comparable answer when dis- undergo a rigorous due diligence customers.” we support our manufacturing cussing credit criteria. process to prove ourselves credit- But the good news is that partners, our dealers and our cus- “We look at credit-worthiness, worthy to our lenders.” Navistar Financial is going to off- tomers for the long haul, in good the ability to pay, and cash flow. set some of the impact. times and in difficult times such as There have been no fundamental Higher interest rates “We are in business to help we are experiencing now. changes in our credit positioning. Our understanding of dealers and customers purchase Obviously, the current economic We are in the market for the long- McMenamin’s answer to Truck International trucks, and we al- situation affects Daimler Truck term.” West’s question is that, yes, credit ways consider absorbing as much Financial as well, but we continue For most companies we spoke is available, but prepare to pay as possible of the fees we are to support our dealers and our to, the financing strategies (inter- higher interest rates. He con- charged, regardless of market customers.” est rates, exposure to risk, etc.) are firmed this. conditions. But at the same time, And when asked about a poten- no different in Canada than in the “Yes, the cost of funding has our lenders have always required tial increase of interest rates for US. So, cash or credit? If you risen dramatically across the us to strike a balance between Daimler Trucks’ customers, he picked credit, prepare to pay board. Like all lenders, we need to supporting sales and maintaining added that dealers and customers more cash for it. ■ Trucking analyst expects economic turnaround in late 2009 By James Menzies come out of it in 2009,” predicted housing market has collapsed. overvalued by 20% when it HALIFAX, N.S. – Ray Mawhinney. Year-to-year, Mawhinney said the peaked last November. Mawhinney, chair of RBC Asset While the US still has not tech- US housing market is down 15% “We think it may see some re- Management, delivered a refresh- nically slipped into recession, and it could fall by another 10%. newed strength as we enter 2009, ingly optimistic overview of the Mawhinney noted the economic However, there are signs the but we don’t think it gets back to US economy and its trucking in- stimulus package passed in May, worst may be over, he said. the 60 cent range and we don’t dustry during the Atlantic 2008 artificially buoyed GDP “The good news is, on a month- think we’ll see $1.10.” Provinces Trucking Association’s growth in the second quarter and over-month basis, the rate of On the trucking side, first ever International Trans- kept it from recording two con- change is slowing,” he explained. Mawhinney noted several trends portation Summit here. secutive quarters of negative Instead of dropping by as much as in the US which he expects to con- Although he began with a dis- growth. 3% each month, US house prices tinue, such as a decrease in aver- claimer that he’s not an econo- “(US consumers) had money in are now falling by only about 1%. age length of haul and rising mist, Mawhinney’s role is to ana- their pockets, and it buoyed the Mawhinney predicted the housing bankruptcies. lyze US economic conditions and economy artificially for at least market could begin to recover by He said an increase in US truck specifically the health of the US one quarter,” he explained. the latter part of 2009. tonnage earlier this year may trucking industry for investors. Much of the economic prob- Mawhinney said his group is have been misleading, since it had While he acknowledged the US lems plaguing the US stem from predicting GDP losses in the US more to do with a rise in exports economy is on its way into reces- the sub-prime mortgage crisis. of: 1% in Q3; 4% in Q4; and 2% in and flooding in the US mid-west sion this quarter, he said “it’s not Mawhinney said that only 10% of the first quarter of 2009. that put rail lines under water, insurmountable.” US mortgages were held by sub- He said that should be followed than any economic rebound. He pointed out the current prime borrowers in early 2005. by positive growth of 1% in the He also said while freight rates economic meltdown pales in com- That number ballooned to 40% second, third and fourth quarters have risen in the US, again it’s de- parison to past events because the by the end of 2005 and in 2006, of 2009. ceiving because much of that is losses (US$1.5 trillion and count- nearly half of all US mortgages “Our feeling is that it’s not due to the fuel surcharges which ing) represent a smaller percent- were sub-prime. Today, said going to be a major rebound, it’s will be reduced as diesel prices age of overall GDP than during Mawhinney, 20% of all sub-prime going to be a modest recovery,” decrease. events such as the Great mortgages in the US are in Mawhinney said, noting US con- The overall verdict? Depression or even the Japanese default. sumers are still struggling with Mawhinney said he expects the banking crisis in the 1990s. “It ends up being toxic through- heavy debt loads. US to emerge from a recession in “We’re going to have a difficult out the system,” he said. As far as the Canadian dollar is late 2009, paving the way for a spell first, then we’re going to Another side effect is that the concerned, Mawhinney said it was better 2010. ■ pg 22 tw dec 11/12/08 3:29 PM Page 22

Page 22 TRUCK WEST December 2008 TechnologyTechnology New tool provides in-cab coaching for drivers

By Jan Westell REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. – Technology originally created to control teen drivers may have found a home in the trucking industry. GreenRoad inventor Ofer Raz was driving home from work one night and noticed some teenagers who were driving very aggressively and dangerously. He ap- proached this problem with his friend Hod Fleishman. The tech- nologically astute pair subse- quently designed a safety monitoring device which would monitor driving maneuvers of all types, whether it was driving too fast, following too close, handling corners aggressively, making inap- propriate lane changes or heavy braking. The driving maneuver is recorded by a tiny monitoring device, FLEET REPORTS: Fleet managers can generate reports to see which drivers are at the highest risk of being involved in an which displays the safety level of a accident, based on their driving behaviour. particular driving action, with lights of green (safe), yellow cles that deliver from 90 facilities (moderately aggressively) and red across Canada and the US, is (severe). more than pleased with the The small device sits on the side results. of the dash, and provides immedi- The manager of health and safe- ate feedback to the driver for ty says the company has had a suc- each maneuver, which can be used cessful pilot project with independently by the driver or GreenRoad since May of this shared with fleet management. year, with 100 trucks based in the Drivers are offered additional US connected to the technology. safety reinforcement tools Walter Kruk adds that Arctic through a link to the company’s Glacier has allowed the system to Web site. work independently with the driv- That information is collected ers, without corporate interfer- wirelessly, and the driver can later ence. be alerted by e-mail or with more “We don’t really interact with detailed reports, through the our drivers at this point in time INSTANT FEEDBACK: A dash-mounted device uses colour-coded lights to company Web site. GreenRoad is for the trial purpose, because signal whether or not a maneuver was safe. considered a “coaching tool” and we’ve backed off and said this designed to improve driver be- isn’t going to be a big brother haviour is provided to a potential- software and sent to the haviour, according to Pete Allen, approach,” Kruk says. ly over-confident driver, the end GreenRoad safety centre Web the vice-president of North “We’ve let the drivers basically result would be a personal adjust- site, where the driver and fleet American sales for GreenRoad. handle it themselves. We’ve seen ment of driving habits. Also, the manager can review that data. “They designed the initial con- some pretty amazing results just driver or fleet would not only Fleet managers can create re- cept of the product to measure doing that.We have more than cut operate the vehicle safer, but the ports by driver, fleet, trip, depart- every working driving behaviour our risky driving behaviours by vehicle would also achieve greater ment, maneuver, etc. to identify that a driver can make, with any 50%, and this is just within the tri- better fuel economy. trends over time. GreenRoad type of vehicle, and do it in a way al period, from when we initially “The fuel is intuitive,” says scores drivers on each action, and that you could provide positive put the equipment in the truck Allen. “If you drive the vehicle offers a final score for all maneu- feedback to the driver immediate- until today.” properly you automatically get vers during a particular driving ly, and give them reinforcement More specifically, here’s how better fuel economy.” period. tools to reinforce how they drive.” the technology works: Green- In better understanding how “Eighty per cent of fleet drivers After the pair built the product Road puts an accelerometer (or GreenRoad is effective, Allen change their behaviour by them- from their design headquarters in sensor) in the vehicle, which suggests examining human behav- selves. So, there’s very little man- Israel, they put the new technolo- measures G-forces on an X and Y iour. If 10 people were asked if agement involved. And then the gy into trials with the initial intent axis, essentially measuring forces they were a good driver, he says other 20% is what the manage- of focusing on teenage drivers, a front, back, and side-to-side of that eight or nine of those ques- ment focuses on, to reduce the strategy that eventually expanded the vehicle and everything in tioned would respond that they risk even further.” to include truck fleets. between. were, “because everybody thinks The GreenRoad system doesn’t Formerly known as Drive What makes GreenRoad everybody else is a bad driver.” monitor where the operators Diagnostics, the company was unique is an ability to accurately But, if there was a tool that told drive, nor does it track them or in- launched globally about a year identify risky maneuvers as the in- a driver how good he or she actu- vade their privacy by putting a ago, with an office in the U.K., cidents occur, according to Allen. ally was, or what particular areas video camera in the driver’s face, an office near San Francisco, Using proprietary algorithms, the the driver had problems with, Allen says. “So once drivers un- and a subsequent name change. software determines what type of such as corner handling, braking, derstand what it does, they’re ac- GreenRoad Technology is now di- maneuver was made. lane handling and acceleration, tually very receptive to it.” recting the bulk of its marketing Feedback is then sent to the there might be an adjustment of Allen is reluctant to divulge efforts towards the commercial driver via the in-vehicle device on that behaviour. how many companies have en- fleet industry. the dashboard, and later via e- “If you knew what your prob- dorsed GreenRoad’s product, but Allen states that North mail, and through GreenRoad’s lem area was, and it was constant- he does indicate that globally it American fleets that are using the Web reporting. ly reinforced to you while you has 2,500 units installed with “sev- product have been extremely pos- “It can tell you if you’ve had an were driving, and through e-mails, eral very large well-known com- itive about the monitor. aggressive lane change, for exam- and different (wireless) means, if panies.” “There hasn’t been a company ple, and if it was to the left, or to you wanted change, you would While GreenRoad has not ag- that has tried our product and de- the right,” says Allen. “It can tell change your behaviour,” he rea- gressively pursued the Canadian cided not to continue forward,” he you at what speed you were going, sons. market, according to Allen, it is says. “They all love the product. It and what time that happened.” The green, yellow and red lights waiting for a substantial installa- does exactly what we say it does.” The idea behind GreenRoad’s on the small monitor that sits on tion to make the effort worth- Arctic Glacier, which has a head technical and philosophical ap- the dash are considered no more while. For more info, visit office in Winnipeg and a private proach to preventing accidents, is intrusive than a turn signal. All www.greenroad.com.■ fleet of between 800 to 1,000 vehi- that if information about risky be- that information is captured by @ARTICLECATEGORY:865; pg 23 tw dec 11/12/08 3:30 PM Page 23

December 2008 TRUCK WEST Page 23 OEM/DealerOEM/Dealer News Shell Lubricants earns spot in Guinness Book of Records By Jan Westell HOUSTON, Texas – Shell oil was recently involved in a collaborative test that set a fuel economy record for the Guinness World Book of Records, using a Mercedes-Benz Actros Class 8 truck that ran on Shell premium diesel fuel and a synthetic Shell lubricant. The truck’s fuel economy went from approximately 6 MPG, to 12.1 MPG, or 19.44 litres per 100 km – a new European record. “We provide lubricants to Mercedes and the product that we were using over there was a product called Shell Rimula R6LME, and that is a 5W30 engine oil that was designed for use in these Mercedes engines,” Dan Arcy, Shell Global Solutions’ OEM technical manager, explained during a recent media technology event. According to the Guinness World Records, the record was set last spring. It took place at the Nardo Technical Centre, a testing facility with a 12 km (7.46 mile) circle track. The truck, fully-loaded to 40 tonnes, was driven in both directions for an entire week, 24 hours a day. During this time, it stopped only to refuel, change drivers and change driving direction. One week and 12,728 km (7,909 miles) later, the average fuel consumption of the truck was established as being 19.44 litres per 100 GO WITH THE FLOW: Shell demonstrates the cold flow properties of its synthetic lubricants. Conventional lubes are on the km – a new record. left with new and used (far right) synthetic lubes pouring much more freely after chilled to -35C. As result, the Mercedes-Benz Actros earned “The most fuel-efficient 40-tonne truck” record by every 90 days. We don’t want to be Guinness, a test that had the truck seeing them only twice a year, or haul over 25 tonnes of payload at an something. We’d rather see them average speed of 80 km/h around every 90 days, and be able to fix lug the track.The test vehicle had an au- nuts that are broken, or seals that tomatic transmission, wide-base are leaking, or broken mirrors, or tires, full fairings and other aerody- such, so the driver doesn’t have to namic devices, according to Arcy. worry about dealing with that when Driving conditions were optimum he’s on the road’,”Arcy recalled. at the track, including perfect There are also a number of areas weather, noted the technical manag- where synthetics have some benefits er. “There were a lot of things that over conventional oils, and one of were all in place, along with the lu- the key benefits is that synthetics of- bricants, the fuel, and the way the fer a wider viscosity range, accord- truck was outfitted. They still out- ing to Arcy.The Shell Rotella T SAE performed and set the record,” he 5W-40 Synthetic can meet the low said. temperature performance of a 5W, A CLOSER LOOK: Brian Papke, tribologist with Shell Lubricants, inspects wear Rimula R6LME was designed for while still retaining high tempera- and tear on metal from within the engine. Mercedes with a lower phosphorous ture performance of an SAE 40 level than what is typically desired grade, he added. ter the product had been exposed to thickened to a gel. in the US, according to Arcy. “Because of having that wider cold temperatures, at -35 C. Shell’s “Imagine if you’re in the middle However, that product is not range of performance, it actually formulator tribologist,Jason Brown, of winter, and you trying to start an available in North America, “at this gives you the ability to pump easi- explained the purpose the test. engine, and it’s a Class 8 rig with time,” according to Arcy, who noted er,” he said. “Again, it may only be “We’re trying to simulate temper- 15,000 to 20,000 miles on it. You that a similar product, the Shell 1%, but we claim up to 1% benefit, atures in really, really cold climates, need that oil to flow, because what it Rotella T Synthetic SAE 5W-40, is and 1% in a Class 8 truck right now, because we want to make sure that has to do is lubricate the parts. If it’s the closest lubricant that Shell can is somewhere around $800 a year when you start your engine, the oil not doing that, you have high wear. offer on this side of the Atlantic. He savings in fuel, if you’re going pumps and flows,” said Brown. “If You want something with excellent noted that the two products do 120,000 miles a year.” all goes well, then our synthetic cold temperature flow,like synthetic share some similarities. In addition, he added, synthetics SAE 5W-40 sample should flow bet- SAE 5W-40 oil in there, because “They’re similar in the fact that offer better oxidation stability. ter than the conventional SAE 15W- even when it’s really cold, it’s going they are both full-synthetic prod- “So low temperature perform- 40 sample.As well, if you look at the to pump. So you’re going to get oil ucts, but they do differ in the fact ance and high temperature per- comparison of the new and used protection,” explained Brown. that they are SAE 5W-40, versus formance are gained through our synthetic SAE 5W-40, they should The new synthetic SAE 5W-40 Europe (requirements) which is product. I’m not going to say that flow about the same – which is a tes- flowed easily,while at the same time SAE 5W-30, and they do differ in that’s indicative of all synthetics out tament to how robust synthetics are, the used conventional 15W-40 was their chemical composition.” there, but it is with our product, on versus how non-robust convention- barely out of the vial, unlike the syn- Synthetic lubricants are in greater the high temp side. That’s really al oils are. But it’s a different formu- thetic used lubricant which also demand in Europe than in North your main reason for improved per- lation feature that we have in our poured faster than the conventional America, and Arcy indicated that formance out of the synthetics.” SAE 15W-40. One of the nice things new or used lubricant, a result which this mindset is likely to change on Shell demonstrated a number of about synthetics is, they do very well did not surprise the tribologist. this continent, eventually. He says lab tests at its Houston facility, to for oxidation and temperature con- “We’ve got the same kind of part of the European preference for show the benefits of synthetic lubri- trol, so they tend to keep more con- pour characteristics (with used synthetics is a difference in the way cants, including a four-vial pour test, sistent viscosity.” synthetic lubricants) which is a tes- fleets operate in Europe versus the with one vial each of new and used Shell’s conventional SAE 15W-40 tament to the same kind of per- US. synthetic lubricant (SAE 5W-40), new and used lubricants, both formance we had at new state.”■ “One fleet (operator) told me, and one vial each of new and used spread out in the pour test, covered @ARTICLECATEGORY:855; ‘Hey, we want to see these trucks conventional oil (SAE 15W-40) af- the width of the test pan, and @COMPANYINARTICLE:071038999; pg 24 tw dec 11/12/08 3:31 PM Page 24

Page 24 TRUCK WEST December 2008 OEM/DealerOEM/Dealer News Getting to know SCR By James Menzies GREENSBORO, N.C. – During a recent visit to Volvo Group’s North American headquarters, a group of trade press journalists was challenged to identify which of two seemingly identical trucks was equipped with selective catalytic reduction (SCR). Short of guessing, there was no way to get it right. It certainly wasn’t possible to visi- TAKING A PEAK: The SCR catalyst bly discern the difference between is located on the passenger side of the two vehicles, one of which was the truck, but hidden from sight by rigged with an EPA07 emissions sys- the side fairings. tem and the other with SCR, which BIRD’S EYE VIEW: First Truck Centre is expanding into the Vancouver area, with Volvo and most other OEMs will lyst where a chemical reaction oc- the 60,000 sq.-ft. facility seen here. use to comply with the more strin- curs, converting NOx into harmless gent 2010 emissions standards. nitrogen and water vapour. The same could be said for the The engine itself will look the First Truck Centre expands way the truck operated on the high- same, but since NOx will be elimi- way – the truck with SCR looked, nated downstream in the SCR felt and sounded the same as any catalyst, Fancher noted Volvo will into Vancouver area other Volvo VN. use less exhaust gas recirculation Outside having to keep an eye on (EGR) and reprogram the engine By Jan Westell shop, a heavy-duty frame straight- diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) levels, for improved performance and fuel SURREY, B.C. – After an unas- ener, and a 60-ft. down draft paint the transition to SCR-equipped ve- economy. suming start in Lloydminster, booth. hicles in 2010 should be seamless for “We will continue to optimize our Alta., First Truck Centre is now 30 The centre offers parts, service the driver. software and the engine operations years old, with a dealership net- and bodywork to Class 3-8 trucks, Volvo’s Jim Fancher removed even long after we release (SCR en- work that has grown to include among other vehicles, the compa- the side fairings from the SCR- gines) with January, 2010 produc- four locations: the original in ny says. equipped VN on display to reveal tion,” Fancher said. Reducing EGR Lloydminster; two branches in First Truck Centre will integrate what exactly will comprise the sys- levels is good for fuel economy, and Edmonton; and most recently, an its commitment to customer serv- tem that will be used in 2010. also has the added benefit of allow- expansion to the west coast. ice within the new Vancouver “The system will consist of three ing the engine to produce more In October 2008, First dealership, according to a major components,” Fancher ex- NOx in-cylinder, which allows for a Truck Centre added the B.C. spokesman for the organization, plained. more efficient DPF regeneration cy- Freightliner dealership to its net- who notes that this commitment On the driver side is a heated cle, the company claims. work. The new facility is located has garnered First Truck Centre DEF tank, which is easily-identified “NOx is one of the major ele- within the Metro Vancouver re- the coveted Freightliner Aspire by a blue cap. Volvo will offer two ments used in the regeneration to gion, at 18688-96th Ave. in Surrey, Award as one of the top 10 dealer- tank sizes: 10 gallons for day cabs clean out the carbon,” Fancher ex- B.C. ships in North America for three and straight trucks; and 13 gallons plained. “So by putting more NOx First Truck Centre Vancouver years running, from 2004 to 2006. for long-haul. In long-haul applica- out of the engine, we enhance the provides seven day a week sup- “The desire of the team in tions, a truck should be able to run passive regeneration of the DPF.” port to Freightliner Trucks, Vancouver to be the premier 4,000 miles between DEF tank re- One drawback of SCR is that the Thomas Built Buses, American heavy-duty truck dealership in the fills, Fancher said. DEF will be con- system occupies a considerable LaFrance Emergency Vehicles Lower Mainland, makes it a natu- sumed at about a 2-4% DEF-to- amount of frame rail space. and E-One Emergency Vehicles ral fit with our culture, and the diesel ratio. (Two to four gallons of “We’re trying to maintain as much product lines. synergistic potential is exciting,” urea will be required for every workability with the vehicle as pos- With a staff of 129, First Truck says Patrick Ozirny, president of 100 gallons of diesel the vehicle sible even though we are taking up Centre Vancouver operates out of First Truck Centre. consumes). some of that critical frame rail real a 60,000 sq.-ft. facility, on an 11- For more information about the The DEF tank features a narrow estate,” Fancher said. acre property, offering a full line new location, call the company at filler neck, to prevent a driver from The system will also add weight, of services that include a body 604-888-1424. ■ mistakenly filling it with diesel. but just how much weight is still up The other two SCR components in the air as Volvo continues to tin- are an injector and an SCR catalyst, ker with the layout of the system. which are both located on the pas- But from a driver perspective, senger side of the vehicle.The diesel there appears to be little to worry particulate filter (DPF) will not about. change in 2010, except at the outlet Unless you’re accustomed to run- where the DEF injector is located. ning more than 4,000 miles at a time, The injector doses DEF into the you may never even have to seek exhaust stream as it leaves the par- out DEF, which should be widely ticulate filter. available at truck stops and dealers It then travels into the SCR cata- by 2010. ■ Raydan moves into Ontario facility EDMONTON, Alta. – Raydan Manufacturing, maker of the Air Link suspension, has moved into its new Baden, Ont. facility and closed its Alberta parts and service centre as part of a restructuring initiative. The Baden facility, northwest of Kitchener, will be home to the company’s work on twin steer axles and chassis modifications for the vocational truck market. The company said the new, 10-bay facility will shorten wait times for customers in eastern and central markets. Raydan management also said the “added convenience of servicing OEMs and end-users in their own backyard will provide opportunities for the company to maximize the potential of its engineering team.” The company blamed the poor performance of its Edmonton parts and service centre for recent operating losses. GIVING BACK THROUGH GOLF: Barbara Palmer, marketing coordinator The closure of that facility will free up funds for ongoing operations, the with Chevron Lubricants (left), presents Ellen Campbell of the Canadian Centre for Abuse Awareness with a cheque for $8,500. This was the money company said in a statement. the Truck West/Chevron Annual Golf Event raised for the charity this past “The convenience for our customers is now secure no matter where they summer. The Canadian Centre for Abuse Awareness is dedicated to eliminat- are located,” said Ray English, president and CEO of Raydan.“Focusing on ing child abuse through advocacy, education, public awareness and preven- our core values in product development, manufacturing, chassis modifica- tion programs, and to providing accessible support, healing and individual tions and military applications in both Alberta and Ontario allows us to empowerment for children and adult survivors, their families and caregivers. maximize our resources to deliver our products to our customers in a timely and cost-effective manner.” ■ Shell ad.indd 1 11/12/08 2:25:48 PM pg 26 tw dec 11/12/08 3:35 PM Page 64

Mark Dalton

FICTION Part 3

By Edo van Belkom "Go ahead," the CBP officer said, shotgun. "Let me hide in your truck." more attention," Manny said, defeat in waving Mark into the United States. Mark shook his head. "I don't think his voice. But instead of heading for the distribu- that's a good idea." Mark put a hand on Manny's shoul- The story so far... tor's warehouse in Buffalo, Mark pulled And then the officer was on them. der. "Next time you'll be better pre- Mark has a coffee with two other drivers who up alongside Manny's truck and parked "Hi there," he said. Then he noticed pared." work for Bud. One of the drivers, a constant Mother Load. Mark was there too and he waved. A sigh. "I supposed you got through complainer named Manny Giron, wants to know "Mark!" Manny said. "Mark is that Mark returned the wave, then gave his with no problems?" why Bud gives Mark all the best loads while he's you?" friend a wink. "Buddy," Mark said, enjoying the mo- getting only local runs. Mark can't speak for Bud, Mark climbed down from Mother "What now?" Manny asked. ment for all it was worth. "They couldn't and takes offense to Manny's assertion that Load and did his best to look concerned. "These carpets may be subject to quo- let me in this country fast enough." Mark is paying Bud kickbacks. Just as the con- "What's wrong, buddy?" ta restrictions," said the officer. "I'm won- "Why am I not surprised?" versation starts to get heated, Bud enters the "Everything," Manny said, the frustra- dering if you know the carpet's "You've got to look at the bright side coffee shop. tion evident in his voice. Harmonized Tariff Schedule classifica- of things." Bud admits that Mark gets better loads than "It can't be that bad?" tion number." "How's that?" Manny and he explains why. Mark takes what- "But it is! You gave me a load of car- Manny looked at Mark, and then at "I'd been driving over eight years be- ever Bud gives him without complaint. Mark's pet made in Spain. It came into Canada the officer. "Shouldn't you know that?" fore I learned everything you're learning reliable while the same can't be said for Manny. through Montreal..." He lifted his hands. "Yes, normally I would, but our com- today. How long have you been driving But Manny's not listening, he wants what Mark "Why on earth didn't they just bring it puters are down and it would have been for?" has, even though Mark's been working for Bud into the US through an American port?" a lot easier if you knew the number." A "Ten months or so." for years and Manny's still on his first. Mark de- "I don't know," Mark lied, knowing shrug. "No worries, I'm sure it's some- "So you should consider yourself cides to teach Manny a lesson by switching loads exactly why, because he'd been through where in the office in some book." And lucky, being seven and a half years with Manny. Manny will go to Tampa, while this before. The company that imports with that he spun on his heels and ahead of me on the learning curve." Mark gets the load to Buffalo... the carpet into Canada has the rights to walked away. "I don't feel lucky." this Spanish carpet for all of North "I don't believe this," Manny said. "Believe me, you are," Mark said, America. They house it in saying good-bye and "Are you sure you want Manny to take their warehouse a few walking off toward that load into Tampa?" Bud asked out- days to mark up the Mother Load. side the coffee shop after everyone had price, then ship it to the As he got into his rig, gone their separate ways. US so they can take their Mark took one last look “Why? Don't you want him to take the cut. The problem is that at Manny. The man load?” carpet is a textile which was sitting on a con- "No, I don't." is a complicated import, crete curb, holding his Mark put a hand on Bud‘s shoulder. especially when it's des- head in his hands and "Relax, Tampa's not that far away, real- ignated for resale – like looking as if he didn't ly. He'll be there in no time." this carpet. There's also have a friend in the "It's not the distance I'm worried a question about quota, world. about, it's the getting there." which might or might not But of course he did "You want him to learn, don't ya? He be a factor with this par- have a friend, a friend needs to gain some experience, you told ticular load. named Mark Dalton. me that yourself." "The guy in there..." When Mark was on "Yeah, I suppose." He indicated the CBP the outskirts of Buffalo, The two men started walking, Bud to- building with a jab of his he took out his cell ward his car and Mark toward Mother thumb, "...it's like his sec- phone and made a Load. ond day on the job and call. "But I'm warning you," Bud said. "If he's trying to impress his "US Customs and there's a penalty for whatever reason... boss with my load." Border Protection, you're paying it." "Yeah," Mark said flatly. "Some loads "Could be worse." Fillinger speaking." Mark thought about it and agreed. to the US can be tricky." "Yeah, how?" "Hey Joe, this is Mark Dalton calling." "Sure, it'll be worth it." "Tricky? This is more like unreal." "You could be hauling a load of knock- "Hi Mark, I saw you there, but I didn't • Manny sighed. "He's asking me what off Gucci bags and Steve Madden shoes want to say anything. But I did get the Mark took his time getting underway. the purpose of the carpet is, like I would that would be confiscated along with the right guy, right?" Manny had been eager to get to Tampa know that." trailer they're sitting in." Mark had met Joe Fillinger in a steak- and had left an hour earlier. Even so, "What'd you tell him?" "Okay, so it could be worse...that house in Niagara Falls, New York a few Mark had a feeling he'd be catching up "To put in a room and walk on." doesn't make this situation any better." years back when Mark was on a with Manny at the Queenston-Lewiston Mark said nothing at first, but he was "I suppose," Mark said, "but I'm won- stopover and Joe was just starting with Bridge. It was just after seven in the thinking, bad answer. Finally, he asked. dering why this is happening to you at the CBP. They'd kept in touch, talking evening when Mark reached the bridge. "What'd he do then?" all. Didn't you use a Customs brokerage about sports and US Customs whenever He took his time pulling up to the cross- "He started getting real nasty with me, for this load." they could. ing, searching for Manny's rig on the asking me if this was a formal consump- "I did." "That's him." other side of the border. Although it was tion entry and if it was, did I file a formal "Which one?" "Most of his paperwork’s okay. dark out, Mark had no trouble finding warehouse entry? Then he asked if I'd "The one I always use." There’s not a lot more I can do." Manny's bright yellow Volvo parked in filled out an entry summary and ac- "The one that quoted you the cheap- "Hang onto him for another hour or the US Customs and Border Protection's quired a CBP Bond?" est price?" so, then cut him loose. I think that should secondary inspection lot. "Well, did you?" Manny's eyes swept the pavement. be enough to give him the full border "What a surprise," Mark said under "I think so. I don't know. I've filled out "How'd you know?" crossing experience." his breath. He pulled up to the booth so many forms my fingers are aching." "You know the saying, 'You get what "Will do." and presented his invoice and his bill of "You don't have to fill out all that many you pay for?' Well, it's an old adage be- "Thanks again. I really appreciate lading. He was hauling Manny's origi- forms," Mark said. "Just the right ones." cause it happens to be true." this." nal load – a trailer load of Canadian Just then the CBP officer exited the "But they're a big company." "Hey, if it makes him better prepared beer to a distributor in the US. He'd building and started walking toward "Nothing wrong with that, except big the next time he enters my country," said made this run several times before and Manny and Mark. companies deal with lots of clients and Joe, "then I'm just doing my job." ■ the distributor had been in business for- "Here he comes," Mark said. they don't always have the time to spend ever and had worked out all the Customs Manny looked left and right, like a on one trucker's single load." – What’s next for Mark Dalton? Find out next issues years ago. scared animal at the business end of a "Well, this one could have used a little month.

The continuing adventures of Mark Dalton: Owner/Operator brought to you by MICHELIN NORTH AMERICA (CANADA) INC. pg 27 tw dec 11/12/08 3:36 PM Page 27

December 2008 TRUCK WEST Page 27 OEM/DealerOEM/Dealer News ers, alerting them when to let off Maintenance the throttle or decrease RPM. Focus on fuel efficiency Through Fuelwatch, Volvo will Dollar signs appear when a driver also work with customers to en- is running in the sweet spot and a Volvo taps into logged vehicle data to sure they’re properly maintaining trophy can indicate when a certain their trucks. Factors such as tire fuel mileage target has been met. help customers optimize fuel economy pressure, wheel alignment, faulty Fuelwatch, however, will also in- fuel systems and air system leaks volve driver training by Volvo-cer- By James Menzies a glance whether a truck is idling can all hinder fuel mileage, said tified representatives. Fuel man- GREENSBORO, N.C. – too much, running too fast or be- Gruber. agement consulting services will Information is power…if you ing driven too aggressively. Volvo helps customers develop be offered by Volvo in the second know what to do with it. But Volvo can generate customized maintenance schedules, including half of next year in what’s being there’s little value in having reams reports for fleets that show how ef- daily, weekly and seasonal checks. referred to as Phase 3 of the of data if you don’t know how to ficiently their trucks are being op- program’s roll-out. (Other driver Monitoring results interpret it. erated in comparison to similarly- development services will be Volvo Group says it is able to spec’d vehicles across North Volvo customers receive a free launched earlier, in the first quar- tap into logged vehicle data (LVD) America. The data can even be two-year subscription to Volvo ter of 2009. Phase 1, including to establish benchmarks and re- broken down within a fleet, so a Link’s Sentry service when they spec’ing assistance and dealer motely monitor the performance customer can create their own purchase a new vehicle, which gen- training is already underway). of its vehicles around the world. benchmarks. erates weekly reports on vehicle Courses will be delivered by certi- This allows the company to identi- In some cases, fleet owners may performance. Volvo Link has fied driver-trainers or dealer reps fy vehicles that aren’t reaching even receive an unexpected call proven to be particularly popular and an e-Learning option will also their fuel mileage potential and from Volvo, alerting them to per- in Canada, where it’s used by be available. then proactively work with the formance-related issues they did- about 96% of customers, said There will be a charge for the trucks’ owners to improve how n’t even realize they had. Gruber. consulting portion of Fuelwatch, those vehicles are operated. “We go in (to a fleet) proactively but Gruber said “it’s a quick Driver development Performance-related data is au- and say ‘The performance isn’t return on investment.” tomatically collected every time a there and this is why’,” explained Spec’ing, maintenance and moni- A 5% fuel mileage improve- Volvo engine is plugged into a di- Dawson. toring will all contribute to im- ment, which Volvo officials said agnostic tool for service. The raw The collection of LVD to meas- proved fuel mileage, but it’s still is easily attainable through data is stored in a central data ure vehicle performance has pro- the driver that has the greatest im- Fuelwatch, will save a fleet about repository and then scrutinized by vided the foundation for Volvo’s pact on fuel economy. It’s often US$3,692 per truck each year. Volvo engineers using proprietary new Fuelwatch program, which been said there can be a 30% fuel Over a four-year lifecycle, that’s a analytical software, explained Bill is aimed at helping small- and mileage gap between a fleet’s best savings of US$14,768 per vehicle. Dawson, senior vice-president of mid-sized fleets optimize their and worst driver. Even a 1% fuel mileage improve- customer satisfaction with Volvo fuel economy. The aptly-named “You can do all these things cor- ment will save a fleet US$738 per Trucks North America. Fuelwatch focuses on four key ar- rectly, but drivers are still the truck each year, Volvo pointed “We’re able to show our cus- eas: proper spec’ing; maintenance; biggest piece of the puzzle,” out. tomers what the performance (of monitoring results; and driver de- Gruber said. Medium-sized fleets that don’t their vehicles) is on a gross, aggre- velopment. Over the last two years, Volvo have their own full-time fuel man- gate and individual vehicle basis,” has offered an on-board coaching ager on staff stand to gain the Proper spec’ing he explained during a recent system dubbed Performance most, according to Volvo. ■ demonstration. “To be able to ad- Seth Gruber, director of business Guide via its driver display. Icons @ARTICLECATEGORY:3361; dress and understand what is caus- solutions, marketing with Volvo, provide real-time advice to driv- @COMPANYINARTICLE:019064360; ing those operational results and said dealers have always helped how to improve them on a vehicle- their customers spec’ their trucks by-vehicle basis is unique to us.” for optimum performance. But Previously, Dawson said Volvo with fuel overtaking labour as the spent “an inordinate amount of largest cost of operating a vehicle, time” trying to determine what the spec’ing process is evolving. was causing certain vehicles to un- Volvo dealers have been derperform. Now, the company equipped with software that gen- can simply run the LVD through erates colour-coded reports high- its software and within minutes de- lighting components that may not termine if a vehicle is being poorly be best suited for the customer’s operated or whether it was proper- specific application. ly spec’d for its application. “There’s no one size fits all,” “How we chase problems and said Gruber. “There’s always how we solve problems has totally something unique.” changed from what we used to do The spec’ing process takes :LVKLQJ\RXDVDIHDQGKDSS\ to what we do today,” said everything on the vehicle into ac- Dawson. count, from the powertrain to KROLGD\VHDVRQ Peter Blonde, aftermarket engi- aerodynamics and even the trailer neer with Volvo, is one of the folks gap. who is specially-trained to inter- “Ten inches of additional trailer pret the reports generated through gap equals a 1% degradation in Volvo’s LVD. Often, he can tell by fuel economy,” noted Gruber.

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Page 28 TRUCK WEST December 2008 OpinionOpinion Ontario incentive program is a step in the right direction

The recent announcement of the refer to megatonnes. It is estimated that an APU can four-year, $15 million Ontario Publisher’s In 2014 a 6% reduction will be save up to 7,200 litres of diesel anti-idling technologies grant is a Comment equal to 61 megatonnes “relative annually. great beginning. to business-as-usual.” Do the math. If any of you have purchased an Rob In 2020 the reduction moves to Even without the rebate, under APU retroactive to August 2007, Wilkins 99 megatonnes “relative to busi- normal operating conditions that you’ll be able to apply for a hunk ness-as-usual,” etc. unit is going to pay for itself with- of that money back. Of course, my next question is in a year to 18 months. An APU can run up to $10,000 By 2014 they plan on cutting just what exactly is “business-as- Take advantage of this offer if so this will go a long way in back by 6% compared to 1990 usual?” you can. achieving a quick return on your levels. I couldn’t find that answer from If you don’t have an extra 10 investment. By 2020 (this guy hopes to be the report I read. (I do admit, it grand hiding under your bed (Providing of course that the in- retired), that reduction moves to was 45 pages long and not exactly (I wouldn’t get out of bed if I frastructure is in place in order to 15% below 1990 levels and by bedtime reading, so if it was there did) it may be worth financing the process claims in a reasonable 2050 (this guy will be long gone), and I missed it, please accept my investment. length of time. In the beginning, that number screams to 80% be- apologies). It’s not often our politicians passenger car rebates took low 1990 levels. In all probability, it’s based open their checkbook, so let’s months. Maybe this time they will I suppose 1990 should be on an internationally accepted take advantage. ■ get it right). deemed “the year of gas” or some- standard that a group of environ- @ARTICLECATEGORY:862; Applications for this rebate will thing along those lines. mental experts deem safe. be available Nov. 28. It is being used as the bench- Love it or hate it, the recent – Rob Wilkins is the publisher of Ontario’s action plan on reduc- mark of environmental irrespon- legislation mandating the use of Truck West and he can be reached ing greenhouse gas emissions is sibility. speed limiters is also part of the at 416-510-5123 or by e-mail aggressive. All of the above reductions same provincial initiative. at [email protected]. New ProductsProducts BBTS publishes tire fuel economy guide MUSCATINE, Iowa – Now that Economy provides fleet customers fuel has become the top op- with practical recommendations erating expense for most fleets, that take into consideration the Bridgestone Bandag Tire Sol- real-world factors that affect fuel utions (BBTS) is releasing its economy.” fourth comprehensive fuel econo- While the cost of fuel has cer- my guide for large trucks. Tires tainly changed since the fuel econ- and Truck Fuel Economy – a New omy guide first appeared in 1984, Perspective looks at what BBTS the questions fleets ask haven’t, has learned over a quarter-century BBTS officials say. In addition to of studying the relationship of focusing on how tires fit into the tires to large truck fuel economy. overall fuel economy picture, Tires “Our customers have told us and Truck Fuel Economy address- that trucking is a business of pen- es how speed affects fuel econo- nies. And the same is true for fuel my,how to select the best tire for a economy,” said Singh Ahluwalia, fleet operation, and how to bal- president of sales and marketing ance the cost of tires over their for BBTS. “There’s no one single lifetime with their affect on fuel thing you can do to be a financial economy. success in the trucking business, This guide is a special edition and there’s no one single thing you |f BBTS’ award-winning Real can do to maximize your fuel Answers magazine. economy. Fleets who wish to receive a “The good news is, practically copy can ask their Bridgestone trucknews.com everyone can do a better job Bandag sales representative, of getting the most out of a gallon call 888-694-0469 or visit of fuel. Tires and Truck Fuel BridgestoneTruckTires.com and click on the “Catalogs and Reference” button to fill out the “mail to me” e-mail form. ■ ComingComing soon!soon!

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December 2008 TRUCK WEST Page 29 FleetFleet News UPS makes landmark purchase of hydraulic hybrids By Jan Westell “We continue to be pleased with ATLANTA, Ga. – UPS has an- the progress and potential of the hy- nounced its first purchases of draulic hybrid system,” Eaton chair- hydraulic hybrid vehicles – which is man and CEO Alexander M. Cutler designed to produce both dramatic said at the press conference. “The fuel savings and environmental market for this technology is truly benefits. global, and it can provide significant The technology, originally devel- improvements in fuel economy and oped in a federal laboratory of the emission reductions for trucks, buses Environmental Protection Agency, and off-road vehicles of many stores energy by compressing hy- shapes and sizes.” draulic fluid under pressure in a “EPA and our partners are not large chamber and then using that just delivering packages with these pressure to help launch the vehicle. UPS trucks, we’re delivering envi- UPS asked to road test the tech- ronmental benefits to the American nology two years ago and now people,” added EPA administrator becomes the first delivery company EARLY ADOPTERS: UPS is the first company to purchase hydraulic hybrid Stephen L. Johnson. “With this in- to place an order for hydraulic delivery vehicles such as this one. vestment in fuel-efficient technolo- hybrid vehicles (HHV). gy,UPS is doing what is good for our “There is no question that hy- transit buses and refuse trucks. transmission. environment, good for our economy, draulic hybrids, although little Abney was joined by representa- The vehicle uses hydraulic pumps and good for our nation’s energy known to the public, are ready for tives of the EPA, Eaton and and hydraulic storage tanks to cap- security.” prime time use on the streets of Navistar at a news conference in ture and store energy, similar to “The diesel hydraulic hybrid vehi- America,” said David Abney, UPS’s Atlanta’s Centennial Park in an- what is done with electric motors cle has the potential to offer our chief operating officer. “We are not nouncing UPS’s decision to place an and batteries in a hybrid-electric truck customers something very declaring hydraulic hybrids a order for seven of the hydraulic hy- vehicle. unique – performance and reduced panacea for our energy woes, but brids. UPS will deploy the first two In this case, the diesel engine is emissions with dramatic improve- this technology certainly is as prom- of the new HHVs in Minneapolis used to periodically recharge pres- ments in fuel economy,” said Steve ising as anything we’ve seen to during the first quarter of 2009. sure in the hydraulic propulsion sys- Guillaume, general manager of date.” Eaton, which helped develop and re- tem. Fuel economy is increased in Navistar’s medium trucks division. Disclosing the results of its road fine the vehicle’s hydraulic hybrid three ways: vehicle braking energy UPS’s current “green fleet” totals testing on Detroit routes for the first power system, will monitor the vehi- that normally is wasted, is recov- more than 1,600 low-carbon vehi- time, UPS and the US EPA said the cle’s fuel economy performance and ered; the engine is operated more ef- cles, including all-electric, hybrid- prototype vehicle had achieved a 45- emissions in the Minneapolis area. ficiently; and the engine can be shut electric, compressed natural gas 50% improvement in fuel economy The additional five HHVs will be off when stopped or decelerating. (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG) compared to conventional diesel de- deployed later in 2009 and early The EPA estimates that when and propane-powered trucks.In ad- livery trucks. UPS says it believes 2010. manufactured in high volume, the dition to the hydraulic hybrid, UPS similar fuel economy improvements With a diesel “series” hydraulic added costs of the hybrid compo- has road-tested hydrogen fuel cell and a 30% reduction in CO2 are hybrid of the type being purchased nents can be recouped in less than delivery trucks. UPS began deploy- achievable in daily, real-world use. by UPS, a high efficiency diesel three years through lower fuel and ing alternative fuel vehicles in the The EPA believes the technology engine is combined with a unique brake maintenance costs. 1930s with a fleet of electric trucks in can perform equally well in other hydraulic propulsion system, replac- Eaton began working with New York City. applications such as shuttle and ing the conventional drivetrain and the EPA in October 2001 under The HHV vehicle order follows a Cooperative Research and the company’s May purchase of 500 Development Agreement involving hybrid-electric and CNG vehicles Mackie Group turns 80 hydraulic hybrid systems and com- and the April deployment of 167 ponents. new CNG vehicles in Atlanta, By James Menzies As part of Eaton’s role in design- Dallas, Los Angeles, Ontario, San OSHAWA, Ont. – The Mackie Group of Companies celebrated 80 years in ing and developing hybrid technolo- Ramon, Fresno and Sacramento. business in October, hosting a customer and supplier gala that attracted a gies, the company’s engineers were With UPS’s new purchases, the who’s who of the industry as well as municipal, provincial and federal digni- co-located at the EPA’s Ann Arbor company’s “green fleet,” already the taries. Other events were held earlier in the week to honour the company’s facility. Eaton also earned a number largest private fleet in the trans- 400 employees.The Mackie Group was founded in 1928 by Charlie Mackie, of hybrid power system patents and portation industry, will total more who hauled lumber, produce “and just about anything he could” around continues to work on a number of than 2,100 vehicles. ■ South River, Ont. (near North Bay), Norm Mackie recalled. Charlie’s son other hybrid vehicle initiatives with @ARTICLECATEGORY:843; 3041; Merle carried the torch and in 1934, his own son Ross was born. UPS and others. @COMPANYINARTICLE:057790612; Ross Mackie was all smiles at the gathering,greeting and reminiscing with past drivers, managers and partners. Norm recalled how his grandfather Merle would haul lumber and tomatoes in the Greater Toronto Area, and then convert his stake-and-rack truck on weekends, placing bench seats in the back and driving skiers from downtown Oshawa to the ski club in CALL TODAY nth free Raglan. for a one-mo Manifest Merle dabbled in household moving in the early 40s and began trading Avaal Ace e- loads with other independent household moving companies across Canada, We are the experts in trial Norm explained. In October, 1952, Mackie Moving Systems became part of low-cost, fast and secure the North American Van Lines network, a relationship that still exists today.Ross grew up, married and had four sons: Norm; Paul; Dean; and Scott. All are active in the company today. E-Manifest Transmission In the 1960s,Mackie Moving Systems opened a branch in North Bay, providing household moving for families serving the National Department of /(786+(/3<28 Defense.The company also began hauling for General Motors that decade. Dean Mackie said he and his brothers began driving for the company in the • FLAT RATE. No transaction fees! AVAAL ALSO OFFERS: 70s.At this time, Mackie began hauling expedited parts for GM as the con- • User-friendly web interface • Customs Clearance cept of just-in-time delivery was born. The result was the formation of • Live, real-time status reports Mackie Transport Ltd.,which is still one of the group’s largest businesses to- • Dispatch and Logistics day,Dean noted. • 24/7 live telephone support Training In 1988, Mackie moved into its current headquarters just off the 401 in • Fax service • C-TPAT, PIP and CSA Oshawa. In 2003, the Mackie family continued to grow its business, opening &HUWLÀHGZLWK86&%3 Certification Mackie Harley Davidson across the highway from its headquarters. The • Authorities and Permits company has also added an 80,000 sq.-ft. warehouse in Mississauga and a WE GUARANTEE YOU WON'T FIND A • Co-Pilot Truck GPS & 40,000 sq.-ft. warehouse in Montreal to its stable. It also runs 500 pieces of 025(&267())(&7,9(5(/,$%/(6(59,&( Cyber Trucker equipment, employs 200 drivers and offers a range of services including: $1<:+(5((/6( warehousing and inventory management; open- and closed-vehicle trans- • Corporation Registration portation; high-value goods transportation; general freight hauling; trailer www.avaal.com rentals; and commercial and household goods relocation. Contact Dara Nagra Phone: Today, Ross has 14 grandchildren, some of whom work for the company 2 Automatic Rd. Unit #110, 1-877-995-1313 ■ in the summer. Brampton, ON L6S 6K8 Email: [email protected] pg 30 tw dec 11/12/08 3:22 PM Page 30

Page 30 TRUCK WEST December 2008 TSQTSQ BOWMANVILLE, Ont. – There’s to the states take loads we nor- no getting around it, the global Truck Stop Question mally do.” credit crisis has had an effect on • Canada and all industries are feeling the crunch. Jason Sahlani Special to Truck News The current economic downturn has investors running, stock mar- How is the current economic kets plunging and insiders saying that we’re on the brink of a reces- crisis affecting your job? sion. But what does this mean for the trucking industry here in Canada? soon as the housing starts coming Claude Truck West went to the Fifth back, I’m looking for a big upturn Loiselle Wheel Truck stop in Bowmanville, in the flatbed business.” Ont. to find out how the trucking • industry is coping with the current Mario Duval, a driver for Ste- financial crisis. Anne-de-Prescott’s Charlebois It isn’t just more drivers compet- • Transport, points out another ing for the same loads. As After 35 years of driving, Paul Paul problem for Canadian truckers Windsor, Que.-based Transport Hamilton has been on the road Hamilton that is a result of the tanking Michel Marcotte driver Claude long enough to know these mar- American economy. Loiselle notes, the need for a ket trends are cyclical.“Right now “We’re getting less work, I strong American housing industry the housing industry in America is mean it’s been really slowing is just as important for many very slow so a lot of the building Transport driver. “A lot of mills in down since September,” said the Canadian companies as it is for products we used to haul to the New Brunswick are closed, but veteran driver. “I haul shingles, those to the south. United States we don’t anymore they’ll probably re-open them and I only do Ontario and “I know one thing, we depend because the mills are closed,” said when the exchange rate and the Quebec, but it’s still showing over on the US because all of our ex- the Plaster Rock, N.B.-based K&T market get to be favourable. So as here because people not hauling ports go there,” he said.“I’m not a politician, but I know if things stay this way,something will have to be done before long. Everything’s closing up all over the place, but I guess time will tell.” • John Clearwater, who has been driving for 15 years and is currently with Winnipeg-based Arnold Bros. Transport, echoes Loiselle’s concerns. “We rely a lot on cross-border shipments and if the Americans aren’t going to be buying our freight it’s going to be harder for us to get trips down there,” he said. Clearwater did make note of the positive effect the state of the economy has had on fuel prices, but added that dropping fuel prices aren’t enough to balance the effect of the economy industry-wide. •

Kevin Bimm

Not all the drivers we spoke with have been feeling the crunch of RENTALS LEASING the economy. “I’m not out there on the edges Our national rental ﬂeet includes newer- Our national leasing division oﬀers as an owner/operator who’s going model tractors, straight trucks, and trailers full-service truck and trailer leases, including to take the full hit with the fuel including vans, reefers, and decks. contract and mobile maintenance. prices, and it hasn’t affected my runs as of yet, so I’ve been quite fortunate that I haven’t really felt it,” said Kevin Bimm,a driver with Bison Transport,based in Mississauga. “As a company driver I’m insu- lated, Bison being a big company, and I think they have some locked in contracts, so the downturn really hasn’t affected me.” ■ @ARTICLECATEGORY:862; VISIT US ONLINE AT WWW.MAXIMINC.COM TO FIND A LOCATION NEAR YOU – Jason Sahlani is enrolled in VANCOUVER CALGARY SASKATOON WINNIPEG MISSISSAUGA Humber College’s Accelerated 604 540-2400 403 571-1275 306 657-5600 204 790-6599 905 564-5955 Journalism program and will EDMONTON PRINCE ALBERT REGINA BRANDON MONTREAL be working this fall as an 780 448-3830 306 922-1900 306 721-9700 204 725-4580 514 354-9140 intern at Business Information Group. He can be reached at [email protected]. Great Dane 11/12/08 3:41 PM Page 1

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