As we say good bye to the ravages of 2009, here is a list of some of the trends that will have an impact on shippers and carriers in 2010.

1. Modest Economic Growth

There are many signs that the economy is improving. The consensus view among economists is that we will see economic growth in 2010 but it may not feel too buyout. In an economy where consumers drive 70% of GDP growth, high unemployment, a weak housing market and tight credit will serve as strong headwinds.

2. The Jobless Recovery of 2010

With tepid growth, companies will remain cautious about hiring staff. As a result, there will be continuing pressure on worker productivity. The quoted unemployment figure of 10% in the United States and less than 9% in Canada mask the true level of unemployment. There are millions of people who have given up, who are working part time, who have started their own businesses or are underemployed. The true unemployment figure of 16 to 20% will continue to be a drag on the economy and freight volumes. Some experts are predicting a “jobless recovery” that could take four to five years to replace the jobs that were lost last year.

3. Freight Rate Increases are Coming to Town

As volumes increase and capacity shrinks due to the industry consolidation, freight rate increases will become prevalent as carriers seek to reverse the revenue erosion they have suffered in 2009.

4. Frugality Fatigue is Setting In

There are signs that consumers are getting tired of holding off buying a new Smartphone, HD TV, electronic book reader or netbook computers. Frugality fatigue will likely set in as consumers begin to wade into the water and buy items that they have been holding off purchasing during the recession.

5. The Push for Pull

Ultra efficient retailers are developing supply chains that manufacture “fast-fashion” apparel in small batches and have information systems in place to obtain real-time feedback on their popularity. These nimble supply chains only stock items that consumers want, thereby maintaining below average inventory levels. The concept turns “push” manufacturing on its head by trusting buyers will “pull” a product into the market.

6. Inventories Start Growing Again

Low sales volumes in 2009 resulted in uncomfortably high inventory to sales ratios. Many companies spent the year drawing down their inventories. As business picks up in 2010, this will drive manufacturing which in turn will result in inventory replenishment.

7. 10 + 2 and You

The new 10 + 2 Importer Rules take effect in January 2010. For any importers that have not initiated a compliance program, they run the risks of monetary penalties and shipment delays.

8. The Freight Industry Consolidates

There are some major carriers sitting on the bubble. The banks have been reluctant to push trucking companies into bankruptcy since there is such a limited market for freight terminals and other trucking company assets. Look for the banks to make a move on carriers that have no chance of paying back their debts as the economy improves. As the weaker players depart, this will serve to consolidate the industry.

9. Get Ready for CSA 2010

The United States Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) plans to fully implement a new safety initiative known as Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 or CSA 2010. The goal of the program is to achieve a greater reduction in large truck and bus crashes, injuries and fatalities, while maximizing the resources of FMCSA and its State partners and it is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2010. The implementation of CSA 2010 will result in three major changes. The motor vehicle record or driver abstract will be changed. Individual drivers are going to be audited and each will be given a personal safety rating. An updated safety rating for each driver and trucking company will be issued every 30 days.

The personal safety rating will determine whether or not the driver is considered eligible to continue driving, requires some sort of “intervention,” or is deemed “unfit” to continue operating a commercial vehicle. Similarly motor carriers will face increased scrutiny under CSA 2010 and will face harsh fines, corrective action plans and even risk having their entire fleets placed out of service due to violations.

10. The Miniaturization of Freight Continues

This movement has been under way for years as MP3 players and mini computers replace the large stereo systems and desktop computers of the past. This movement continues to grow. Electronic book readers are the latest pieces of technology to gain traction. Over time, more and more people will begin reading newspapers, magazines and books on their electronic book reader. This will hurt the pulp and paper industry, the book publishing and newspaper industries and the transportation industry that carries the truckloads of newsprint and books today. Similarly the Smart Car and the Tata represent two examples of how the automotive industry is undergoing miniaturization.

11. The LTL Industry Reshuffle

The current state of the LTL industry in North America needs to be transformed and would be transformed with the possible bankruptcy filing of YRC. This would serve to move their 18 to 20% market share over to the remaining players. It would reduce the level of rate cutting. The good news for shippers is that additional freight density would improve the health of the remaining LTL providers. The bad news is that LTL freight rates would go up, in some cases significantly.

12. Smart Shippers Will Lock In Capacity

In 2009 shippers took advantage of their pricing leverage to secure freight rate reductions. As time evolves, supply will come into line with demand. Shippers will need to lock up capacity by signing multi-year contracts with the strong survivors to protect the integrity of their supply chains.

13. Intermodal Length of Haul is Decreasing

Schneider National, Pacer and J.B. Hunt will compete in 2010 to increase market share in the intermediate distance markets of 750 to 1000 miles. Schneider has paired with CSX while Hunt has inked a deal with Norfolk Southern. For Hunt this strategy will be a continuation of their 2009 strategy that allowed them to increase eastern network loads by 38% in April. Schneider’s efforts are focused on the Chicago-Florida, Chicago-Northeast, Florida-Northeast and St. Louis-Northeast routes. The lower fuel consumption levels using intermodal transport help shippers achieve sustainability objectives.

14. Wal-Mart’s Packaging Initiative

In addition to the miniaturization movement, Wal-Mart has been the leader in the green revolution. This initiative to reduce cube utilization through packaging changes goes hand in hand with their push to improve fuel efficiency. This will continue to be a major trend that will gain followers from other industries and companies.

15. China, India and Brazil

This is where the action is. The growth in these economies will likely outpace the growth in North America. Canada needs to diversify its economy away from its overdependence on the United States. It needs to harness and leverage the expertise of its large immigrant population. As an example, the Indian economy is expected to grow by 6 to 7 percent in 2009, significantly more than Canada. With more than 1 million Canadians tracing their family origin to India, and with skills in the high tech industry, there is immense scope for Canadian companies in India. India’s middle class of 300 million is roughly the size of the United States. Smart Canadian companies will move forward with their market diversification strategies.

16. Lean Manufacturing

This trend that has been around for years will continue to gain prominence. The elimination of waste and non-value added capabilities (for which a consumer will not pay) has proven to be a particularly effective way of reducing costs.

17. Smartway

Despite the limited outcomes of the recent Energy Conservation Summit, fuel conservation is here to stay. With limited supplies of fossil fuels and energy demand increasing, particularly in the developing nations, the drive for energy efficiency will continue in 2010. Hybrid vehicles are also an element of the energy efficient movement.

18. Oil Prices Only Have One Way to Go

The emerging markets and the Middle East are consuming 20 million barrels of oil a day. They are projected to consume 42 million barrels a day in 20 years. The reserves are not going up and the alternatives are going to take time to develop. As economic activity increases in 2010, the price of oil only has one way to go.

19. It is Hard to Fix It If You Cannot See It

Cash will likely still be king in 2010. Inventory management tools provide shippers with real-time data to see exactly where their products are in their supply chain, how much they have in stock and how much product their suppliers can provide. While these visibility tools cost money, they can provide shippers with the data they need to take excess costs out of their distribution networks.

20. Transloading will be revisited as a Strategy in 2010

Transloading in its most basic form is the transferring of cargo from 40-foot marine containers into domestic 48- or 53-foot containers or trailers to reduce inland transportation costs. The economic downturn along with significant reductions in warehouse rental rates and higher fuel costs are causing shippers to revisit the economics of transloading to see if it will now work. The stability of intermodal service and the additional cubic capacity of 53 foot equipment may make this a viable strategy for some shippers in 2010.

Thank you for supporting this blog in 2009. I wish all of you a healthy, happy and prosperous 2010.

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I wrote this a few years back and sometimes when I review old pieces I’ve wrote I find things I really like and this is one of those, with some minor editing!

Ever noticed how ridiculously easy it is to find people who love to complain in this industry, why is that? Is it just the nature of the beast? Are we all pre programmed is there something in truckers DNA that has us looking to the dark side of everything we see first, I don’t think so? I think that as is usually the case most whiners believe in the squeaky wheel gets the grease theory. It’s probably a fairly reasonable guess that 20% of drivers do 80% of the winning and they will continue their rant until you join their club. Whiners need validation by consensus and will be relentless in their victim stories until they get agreement from those around them, don’t let it happen, this is one club you don’t need to belong to.

Trucking has been very good for the last couple of Haight generations and I know there are many of you who feel the same way with your own families. I have no reason to complain and am always conscience when I have felt to close to one of these types that I don’t allow myself to get caught up in their negative world. Would I change some of the things I’ve done, of coarse wouldn’t we all, one thing I’ve learned is that regret for the past is a waste of spirit and over my time the good stuff has far outweighed the bad.

When you think of what’s at the core of what we do, it’s really very honorable, we keep North America functioning. The old warn out slogan still stands tall “If You Got It A Truck Brought It” is as true today as it ever was that’s why its never been replaced I guess. (By the way Bill MacKinnon takes credit for creating this saying and I have no reason to doubt him.) We keep everything in tune and functioning like a well-oiled machine and we do it well, very well. This is an honorable profession and I believe that more so now than at any other time in my lifetime.

So here’s the common rant, no money in this game, no respect from the public or the shippers. My company takes advantage of its drivers, no one is fair to us it all sucks, right? Wha Wha Wha, etc, etc!

So why keep on trucking? Try this on; in what other profession would you get the opportunity first hand to see what’s happening in all corners of the country without getting bogged down in its minutia. I remember many times creeping through towns at 4 am and wondering if I was seeing more of what the local’s surroundings than most of the citizens do in their 9 to 5 existences.

I always felt a little sorry for that person who was stuck on the dock riding a tow motor for eight hours a day loading and unloading trailers to destinations they would never see; now there’s a trap. Was I envious that they got to go home every night to their family’s or go out after work for a few drinks with their buddies? Yes for the drinks and being home piece but defiantly not for being glued to a tow motor all day. I drove away from those docks thinking that an hour or two at that place was plenty for me, I couldn’t imagine 8 hours a day 5 days a week for 30 plus years, please! Not this cowboy.

Those people will never experience those golden moments that came along once in awhile for most drivers. I’ve had more than a few one I remember was when I was on my way to Sacramento I was quite young at the time and had been trucking for a couple 3 years. I was in Nevada on I-80 when I woke up before dawn; I had an egg, got cleaned up and was down the road before the sun broke through. For the next hour I was as close to perfection as driver can imagine. I came off a high plane and could see the road straight ahead of me for miles not a car or another truck in sight. My drivers side window was down with my arm hanging out the temperature was perfect as a bright red sun broke through the morning over my shoulder onto the road and the rock cut around me. I had a soft country tune playing on the stereo that still let me hear the rhythmic sound of the engine as it powered me effortlessly through the desert and all was right with the world.

This is one of a many memories that stand out for me in my 10 years driving, memories that people in other jobs won’t come close to and I wouldn’t trade for the world.

I also recall 33 years ago loading out of London Ontario headed to Texas when I saw a pretty little girl on a tow motor sliding skids onto a trailer. I was preoccupied all the way to Texas and back and finally worked up the nerve to ask her out. My wife Connie and I celebrated 33 years of marriage in 2009. The moral is, keep your eyes wide-open driver you never know what you might find on the dock and some of its pretty dam good.

Here’s my advice, don’t fall into the victim trap that many drivers like to rant about, the world isn’t out to get you unless the paranoia driven drivel of a few is what you are focusing on. This is a great industry full of fantastic people and I am fortunate to be able to call many of them my friends.

Times are tough right now, no doubt but life is what you make of it no matter what you direction to go in, focus on what’s good and not what might go wrong from time to time. Believe me if you do you will be able to draw on those golden memories forever, I hope you have a have a great 2010.

Take Good Care
&
Safe Trucking

RJH

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It’s Christmas Eve and it’s pretty quiet here in the office. But before I head out to spend time with family, I wanted to leave you with two heart-warming stories that will hopefully provide some Christmas cheer at the end of an otherwise difficult year.

By now you may have heard of the sudden closure this week of Arrow Trucking in the States. The 1,400-truck fleet reportedly closed down unexpectedly, locking its doors, cancelling its fuel cards and instructing drivers to turn their trucks in to the nearest Freigthliner or Kenworth dealership.

As many as 1,000 drivers were stranded all across the US – many without money for food, fuel or a ride home. (Daimler Trucks was providing Greyhound bus tickets in exchange for their truck, but it was an imperfect solution for many of them, since they were flatdeckers and carried a lot of gear with them).

So far it doesn’t sound like a very nice story at all, but what happened next was extraordinary. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers’ Association (OOIDA) set to work and set up a Facebook site to help arrange rides home for stranded Arrow drivers. The site exploded that evening and within hours hundreds of professional drivers were posting their location, the direction they were headed and their contact numbers.

Drivers were offering rides, hot meals, showers – even a place to stay and in some cases money for food or shelter. The offers continued pouring in and still do today, although it’s hoped most Arrow drivers have found their way home in time for Christmas. You can check out the Facebook page here, it’s bound to put a smile on your face.

Some major carriers such as Swift and Schneider also got in on the act, instructing their drivers to help out any stranded Arrow driver they come across. (Smart PR move, by the way. These drivers will forever remember who gave them a ride when they were in need and who do you think they’ll want to drive for in the future)?

Job offers were also posted as well, which should give many of the displaced Arrow drivers some comfort, knowing they may not be out of work for long. It was really nice to see our American truck driving friends rally to look after one another and I’m confident the same would have occurred here had the need arisen – thankfully it has not!

The other trucking-related story that caught my attention this morning came from Moose Jaw, Sask., where several professional drivers arrived at the yard for work to find a litter of six puppies abandoned in a crate and left outside in -18 C weather.

The truck drivers took the puppies to the Humane Society, but there was no room at the inn (to borrow an analogy from the original writer). So the drivers returned to the yard and ensured they found a good home for each of the pups. Whoever coldly abandoned the puppies must have known that truckers are good people and would ensure they were taken care of.

In both instances, professional drivers provided a refreshing reminder that getting the load to its destination on time is not always the most important priority. Helping our fellow man (and man’s best friend) in their time of need still trumps any delivery of freight.

On that note, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, enjoyable holiday and Happy New Year. It’s been a tough year for nearly everyone connected to this industry, but let’s all hope for a more prosperous 2010!

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In writing an article on Alberta’s new licence restrictions for those who take their road test using a truck equipped with an automated or automatic transmission, I got to searching the various provincial government Web sites for background information.

As always, the regulatory regimes vary widely from province to province. Canada sure is a hodge-podge of rules and regulations – how we manage to conduct interprovincial trade is beyond me. But as always, you can count on Ontario to have the most hairbrained schemes of them all.

Ontario, as you may know, has a ‘Restricted’ A/Z licence for those who take their road test using a truck with an automated transmission. Fine. Other provinces do as well. But in the other provinces that have such policies in place, the restriction simply prevents them from operating a truck with a manual transmission. Not in Ontario, however. Here, drivers holding a ‘restricted’ licence are also forbidden from operating a vehicle with air brakes or trailers longer than 45 ft.

So consider this scenario: An owner/operator – for argument’s sake, an experienced driver who downgraded their licence and got out of the business for a while - shows up to take their road test in their own truck with an automated transmission pulling a 53-ft. trailer. They take their road test and pass with flying colours. They are then given a ‘Restricted’ A/Z licence – and it’s now illegal for them to drive their own truck and trailer home! Never mind the fact they have no intention of driving an 18-speed or any other standard transmission-equipped truck.

Think I make this stuff up? It’s all here in the MTO’s FAQ.

Of particular interest is Question 7, pertaining to drivers who show up with a truck that has an automated transmission:

What if I decide to continue with the road test and I pass but my vehicle can't be driven with a restricted Class A licence?

In this situation the applicant has brought in a vehicle that does not meet their needs… Applicants who choose to proceed and pass will receive a Class A licence with the restrictive "R" condition code but will not be licensed to operate this vehicle unless being taught by an accompanying driver who holds a full privilege Class A licence.

So there you have it. As far as MTO is concerned, that truck with auto gearbox “does not meet their needs” even if that’s the truck the owner/operator plans to operate day in and day out.

In fairness, last month the MTO eliminated the standard transmission requirement for senior drivers taking their annual road tests. That’s a step in the right direction. But why should any driver who takes his/her road test using an automatic be prevented from operating a truck with air brakes or pulling a 53-ft. trailer? (There’s a separate test for air brakes and the transmission does not affect the maneuverability of the tractor or the length of the trailer)!

Then again, government types with better educations and bigger salaries than mine come up with these policies, so there’s got to be a good reason behind it…right?

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I know many of my friends appreciate people who get right to the point, or in other words: ”Cut to the Chase”

Cutting to the Chase is also a great thing to remember to do when dealing with conflict. Let's just say that someone bursts into your space with their voice up, body animated and is more or less really upset about something.

My advice: Cut to the Chase

Consider this: Joe (a workmate) barges into your space and starts screaming “I can't believe you're asking me to do this now! It is due tommorrow and it means I'm going to have to stay late to get it done. I'm NOT Happy.” You can add in any expletives that might normally accompany those words.

Cutting to the Chase means separating thoughts from feelings.

What are Joe's feelings? They are definitely anger and frustration. If you react to those you're in for a fight. On some days, this might seem appealing, especially if you are looking to unload some frustration as well, but we all know it won't help either of you in the long run. When you put someone's “nose out of joint” they won't see past it to hear what you are actually talking about. Arguing resolves nothing.

Effective Communicators address the thought of a statement. Always ask : What are they really asking me for?

Given Joe's comments, what he is really asking you for is to respect his time.

Cutting to the chase means your response should be something like:

“Wow Joe, my intention wasn't to frustrate you that much. How much lead time do you need in the future for these types of requests? You shouldn't have to put in overtime to get this done.“

When you cut to the chase, you actually solve issues that need resolving instead of wasting time on unproductive and unhealthy conflict that gets zilch done.

By the way, my experience has been that as you cut to the chase, Joe usually ends up coming back later that day saying something like “Sorry for blowing up like that this morning.. it just hasn't been a good day. I know you didn't mean to frustrate me.”

We've all had days when were frustrated and angry with other people. Its a natural emotion. As people approach you with those emotions, just cut to the chase to get things done.

p.s. I realize there is a line between normal, everyday anger/frustration we've all seen and abusive behaviour.
Abusive behaviour should be met with zero tolerence and does require you to cut to the chase as well but will be different in nature.

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Though the constant barrage of advertising media can be tiresome – see pop-ups, commercials, flyers, e-blasts, spam and even good ol’ billboards for more details – I have to admit, I’m a sucker for a good slogan.

My obsession with a good motto began in grade school, where coming up with a good slogan for my various imaginary businesses was almost as important as the business itself. I was rooting through a container full of old school things a few months back and I actually happened across some business cards from one such business: Adam’s Pest Control. Apparently, I doled out these cards to other students in hopes that they would like me to kill some of the numerous flies buzzing around our country classroom. But it wasn’t the silliness of the business itself that got me, it was the slogan: We pester your pests. Why any seven-year-old uses the word ‘pester’ is beyond me, but I thought it was pretty clever, all the same.

Though my pest control, landscaping, bodyguard and rent-a-cartoonist businesses are now defunct, my love of the slogans associated with them has lived on. So it seemed only natural that I would take a liking to certain trucking company slogans when I joined Truck News almost five years ago.

And so, I present my top three favourite for-hire trucking company slogans:

1) If it’s on time...it’s a ‘Fluke’ (Fluke Transport Group, Hamilton, Ont.)
2) Another Cool Move (Erb Transport, New Hamburg, Ont.) – love this one for the reefer hauler
3) We take a load off your mind (TransX, Winnipeg, Man.)

Honourable mentions go to Woodstock, Ont.-based Ayr Motor Express (“The best is the least we can do”) and Quik X in Mississauga, Ont. (Never satisified...until you are!) for some decent customer service-based slogans. Have you got a favour slogan, trucking or otherwise?

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Can you believe that in a couple of weeks we start a new decade? To me, it seems like yesterday that as a first-time father I was spending my December weekends shopping for the right-sized generator to provide us with power in case the Y2K bug knocked out the power grid to start off the year 2000. (hey, I live in the country – I wasn’t that bad a purchase.)

Being in the mood to reminisce, I decided t look back through our magazines to the year 1999 to see just how much things have changed for the industry, or not. Well, we all remember Y2K of course, and I wasn’t the only one pressed into needless action by overhyped concerns. One of our stories that year quoted Dennis Hamilton, CEO of Crisis Response Planning, warning “there are so many things that can go wrong that the probability that something will affect some part of your business is one hundred percent.” As is turned out, the only thing that was one hundred percent was that a lot of computer programmers got rich that year.

Speaking of “not working out quite as planned” I found a story entitled “Is there relief at last”, in which we wrote that “The national highway system may not end up paved in gold but all signposts suggest the federal government’s next budget will put a large amount of green into Canada’s blacktop.” Liberal MP Joe Comuzzi, chairman of the National Highways Program, even told us “we’re very serious.” I guess in the end, they weren’t quite that serious. Funny thing is we also ran a story about the Auditor General leaving no doubt about the cost of negligence on road maintenance. He noted that the cost of basic preventive maintenance such as sealing cracks or patching of asphalt roads is between $500 and $1,000 per lane kilometer. But if such preventive work is ignored, the need for rehabilitation measures will arise sooner than it should – typically at 12 years. And by then repairing the road costs $80,000 per lane kilometre.

If only we had listened.

But it’s not just politicians who learn their lessons too late. Ten years ago we were writing that fleets were in a buying mood. A strong domestic economy and a booming transborder market were giving carriers plenty of confidence to invest in new equipment. Demand for new iron was so hot in fact that order boards were suffering delays of eight months or more. Just a few months later, Challenger’s Dan Einwechter was warning that a bull market can make anyone look intelligent and worried about troubling signs ahead, a spike in diesel pricing chief among them. Within a couple of years, spiking diesel prices and insurance costs, coupled with the impact on the economy of the dot.com bubble burst saw a quarter of the nation’s small carriers disappear.

Sound familiar?

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It never ceases to amaze me, how we as an industry are the first to get darts thrown at us, and accused of everything under the sun. Our fault for smuggling, our fault for imporoper Customs entries, our fault for poor maintenance, our fault our drivers are not trained, our fault the driver got a ticket, (what the heck Mr. O.P.P. let's give the company they work for a ticket at the same time), Our fault we want Fuel surcharges, Our fault the rates go up down sideways, Well I am sure you get the picture..

In the last few years, I have had the good fortune to attend quite a few Seminars. Now please lets get something straight up front. I do not get paid by anyone I mention in my blog. Driving For Profits Seminars ( sponsored by NAL KRTS AND FREIGHTLINER) CSA 2010 (KRTS AND LOADSURFER) C-TPAT (Upstate N.Y. U.S.C.B.P.) MARKEL Insurance Company of Canada, ATBS (MR. RAY HAIGHT) and the list could go on. However a few people stick out in my mind as for the industry. Especially in Ontario and the ones I am aware of out West.

I feel we should all be giving a huge THANK YOU, to KRTS and its PRESIDENT KIM RICHARDSON. Kim is as he refers to himself a TRUCKING BRAT. Yet, he cares about what he does, sponsors different seminars, Is always out there, trying to help us all operate better, attends seminars, he is not involved in, and his passion is more than apparent in what he does and how he does it.. KIM WE AS AN INDUSTRY SALUTE YOU, (I do anyways). NAL and the " Trinity" that keeps them going Chris Henry, Gary Lindsay, and Aaron Lindsay. A company offering Living Benefits, and Financial benefits to the Professionals that drive the vehciles every day. What more can be said about a company, that offers these to drivers, and takes the time, to organize seminars 4-5 times a year, and offers a realm of ideas to those in attendance. Mr. Gord Box of PTR, has also helped, in NAL sponsoring the Trucking For Wishes program, and is firmly rooted in the industry as a whole. Of course Lou, Adam, and James of this webiste and its associated publications. Roy Craigen out West at TRANSCOM and Dan Goodwill of Dan Goodwill and Associates.

I could go on and on, but what strikes me every time I deal with any of these people is the Passion for the industry, and the interest in everything they say and do. I have been involved in this industry for over 33 years, and sometimes I feel like a rookie being around some of the aforementioned. I am still learing everyday, I have a long way to go. Certainly I respect anyone who not only has the knowledge but takes the time to impart it, teach it, share it, and has the patience to enjoy it at the same time.

I only hope the next generation coming into this business, are willing to learn the hard way. Are willing to do the hours. Are willing to start from the ground up. Are willing to attend seminar after seminar. Are willing to learn and learn and learn and learn some more. More importantly I hope that our government, soon relaizes what an industry we have, and the opportunites to be a world leader in Transportation is right here under our noses. If only they reached out more often to some of the many industry leaders, and elders. What an opportunity to learn from everyone. Not just Trucking but Airfreight, Oceanfreight, Customs, Rail, and Courier.

I believe even C.I.F.F.A. and The Logistics Institute saw the writing on the wall and joined foces this year. I took the C.I.F.F.A. program in 1979, and even then was exposed to warehousing, airfreight, oceanfreight and truck freight. It was a pioneer way back then. C.I.T.T. has also changed over the years. Every course imagineable has changed with the times, best of all so have we involved in the industry. We have forums such as this, to share our ideas, work together, prosper together. JUST LIKE THE NIKE(C) SLOGAN 'JUST DO IT"

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That little is written about truck culture and history might surprise some. After all, it's been such an important trade on this continent since early European settlement, and only until recently (2006 census) has it been displaced as the number one occupation for Canadian males. But compared to the volumes of text devoted to railways, we're almost an empty shelf. This is puzzling considering the large numbers of people involved in antique truck collecting and restoring. Surely they understand that there's a narrative accompanying their recreations and treasures. But the lore, stories, canon, and historical record of trucking is largely oral, and not enough of it gets passed down.

That's why it was such a treat to discover 100 years on Trucking in British Columbia by Andy Craig (Hancock House, 1977). I found it several years ago in the stacks of the Scott library at York University (I hope it's still there). Athough long out of print, some used copies can be bought on Amazon.ca from $90 to $248. This is a far cry from the golden days when Andy himself used to travel to truck shows and sell the book out of his 1936 Indiana open top 2 ton. He had a narrow bunk built into the box's nose where he slept when he was on the road.

You can see his red and silver Indiana near the front door of the Teamsters and Freight Carriers Museum in Port Coquitlam, BC ( a suburb of Vancouver), where it still gets out for parades and Canada Day celebrations. He and his Indiana were honoured by the citizens of British Columbia when they were the first to roll across the newly-completed Coquihalla Highway in 1986, a year before he passed away. The highway is an engineering marvel that runs from mountaiin hip to mountain hip, between Merritt and Hope, B.C., and cuts a couple of hours off the old Franser Canyon route.

Andy Craig was an industry pioneer who started trucking for his father in 1929 driving a Model TT Ford dump truck with an “Armstrong” manual hoist. In 1937, along with a couple of associates he started Inland Motor Freight running the Indiana between Vancouver and Penticton. He must have cut quite a figure. Early photos show him in knee-high boots wearing a rakish cap. As he writes in 100 Years of Trucking: “High boots, jaunty caps and leather breeches were the truck drivers’ garb for the long and hard treks through the Fraser Canyon in the 20s and 30s.

“In those days we hauled everything you can imagine on the up trips; and on the down-trips we searched the country over to get contracts on ore, mercury, hides horses, cattle, pigs, wool, canned goods, kegs, empty beer bottles, and everything else that would make up a load.”

Wayfreighting, was a means by which drivers could supplement their income. As the driver drove through the towns, he’d often be asked to deliver a suitcase or a crate to a destination along his route.

“Way-freighting wasn’t much fun in the worst seasons of the year, when we were fighting miles of unploughed snow, or in the spring break slugging through gumbo. It still makes me shudder to think of those stops in deep winter, when you dropped from the heat of the cab into the shock of freezing weather, then the trip around to the tail-gate, and frozen ropes. And the tarp stiff as a piece of steel. Before you got the tarp on the roof, and sorted through the load for the pieces to be delivered, then wrapped everything up again and collected monies due, and got the waybill signed, your fingers would be so stiff and chilled that for miles after you would be sitting first on one hand then on the other to bring back the circulation—and man, how they would hurt! And meanwhile you were still trying to shift gears and keep the rig on the road, and thinking, “Damn the way-freight!” You modern drivers are lucky; you don’t have a clue what it was like. All you do now is drop off a semi-trailer, couple on another and away you go.”

Craig goes on to describe the very tough driving conditions of that era: “Washboard, slides, gumbo, and narrow twisting up and down, in and out, on rutted, rotten, dirty roads…We seldom made a trip without finding some unlucky soul who had hit a rock slide, or gone over the bank, or broken through an old bridge…Two of the worst problems for drivers were metal fatigue, where a ball socket or spindle might break; and brake failure, when you really had to look out because the load of freight was so high behind it usually rolled the truck over…Most of us had gray hair prematurely, and a nervous stomach, and the bad habit of smoking two or more packs of Millbanks a day.”

Craig enlisted in the army during the second world war and worked at various logging operations in the post-war period, finishing off his career at Hayes Mfg.--a fitting role for a great Canadian trucker, to end up working for a great Canadian truck manufacturer (Hayes trucks are legendary throughout the world, especially in the logging industry). Andy must have shed a tear when the plant was closed in 1975 after being sold successively to Mack and Paccar.

But it's the writer Andy Craig that I'd like to thank. The rest of Canada has its share of trucking history (although it's disappearing almost daily with the passing of the old masters), but it was in the mountains of British Columbia that the real trucking was done.

Early Hayes pulling more than its share!

End notes: One more crack at the Dave Nemo trucking show on XM Sirius radio this Wednesday Dec. 9th at 9am Central, 10 am Eastern. This is the legendary Dave Nemo who should also take a bow...the Larry King of Truck Radio, he's been the trucker's friend and companion since I can recall picking up Dave Nemo's Road Gang on AM radio early in the morning in the 1970s, usually from WWVA, Wheeling West Virginia, or somewheres like that. He should write a book, too. These days he does his show for satellite radio from Nashville, Tenn.

Kudos to Nemo for taking an interest in trucking history and my Canadian contributions. This week, I think we're going to talk about the Alaska/Canada highway built in response to the expectation of a Japanese attack on Alaska.; trucking heros like Andy Craig, Highway Hank Stroud, and maybe the Cannonball TV show that was filmed in Toronto in 1958 and had repercussions right into the Whitehouse, with supporting actors like JFK, Sam Giancana, Old Blue Eyes and of course the Klingon Empire. You'll have to tune in to find out more. Keep the shiny side up!

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