I’ll admit it: I have a somewhat unhealthy obsession with both milestones and coincidences. When my car’s odometer rolls over to 222,222 km in a few short weeks, chances are I’m going to pull over and take a picture. When I heard the latest Harry Potter movie had passed the billion-dollar mark at the box office a week or so ago, I marked the date on the calendar. If I find myself in a room where more than half the people’s names start with the letter “J”, I struggle to keep myself from making an announcement.

So it’s not much of a surprise that this week’s hybrid of both a milestone and a coincidence has piqued the interest of my peculiar passion. So what’s all the hubbub? Both Truck News and I are turning 30.

For myself, the milestone has been a long time coming. As a husband, father, dog owner, homeowner, commuter and careerist, I feel 30 these days. But for Truck News, I feel like 30 is the new 13, as the magazine continues to grow and mature through constant changes – in both the industry and the magazine itself.

In the six-and-a-half years that I’ve been with Truck News, I have seen a continuous evolution. The move to 100% glossy pages. The genesis of our WebTV show, Transportation Matters. Diving headfirst into the social media game with the likes of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn. Two Web site redesigns – and a third coming early next year that’ll knock your socks off.

Today’s Truck News has changed – and improved – so much since my early days at the publication that I can only imagine the pride felt by staffers like associate publisher Kathy Penner (with nearly 28 years under her belt at the magazine) when looking at how far we’ve come.

So as we say goodbye to our roaring 20s (on Aug. 19 for anyone looking to do some late shopping), both Truck News and I come into our 30s a little older, a lot wiser, and with more than a few tricks still up our sleeves.

It’s not a coincidence that we’ve been around this long, but it sure is a milestone worth celebrating.

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It’s been more than a year since the government of Ontario installed its ban on the use of handheld devices while driving – and driver apathy is finally starting to show. When the legislation went live in October of 2009, I really didn’t think drivers would pay much attention, continuing with their usual “let’s send a text while changing lanes” hybrid that I have come to know and dread.
But surprisingly, within those first few months of the launch, I actually noticed a difference. Drivers’ eyes were on the road instead of down towards their furiously texting fingers. Cars were braking slowly and thoughtfully – and in unison! – instead of the usual “every man for himself/two feet on the brake” mentality caused by drivers distracted by their smartphones. In general, I noticed the mass of traffic was acting the way it’s supposed to. Frankly, I was a little freaked out by it.
But now, with a number of months gone by since the ban’s genesis, drivers are slowly reverting back to their old ways. I’m seeing more and more drivers using handheld devices with zero regard to the fact that a) it’s illegal, but even more important that b) it’s dangerous, especially in the wintertime.
Just last week, I was out walking my dogs in my neighbourhood, when this twit decides he’s going to take a corner onto a residential street at about 50 km/hr with one hand on the wheel and the other holding his cell up to his ear – with about three inches of ice, slush and snow covering the roads. One reckless slide into the adjacent curb later and does he bother to put down the phone? Nope. He decides to gun the engine instead and tear up about 10 ft of someone’s snow-covered lawn.
And while it’s been mostly four-wheelers I’ve spotted playing chicken with the handheld ban, truck drivers are by no means innocent. On Superbowl Sunday, my wife and I were in the midst of passing a transport truck – one from a major carrier, at that – when the truck’s wheels drifted about three feet into our lane for several seconds before the driver lazily corrected himself. My wife peered into the driver-side window, and wouldn’t you know it? There he is, texting away.
If three TTC drivers can get canned for texting while on duty, shouldn’t truck drivers also be held accountable?
What Ontario’s highways need is a good old-fashioned blitz to scare drivers straight. If the sight of multiple accidents littered about the shoulders of the 401 all winter long – with more than a few of those caused by distracted driving, I’m sure – aren’t enough to get drivers to put down their handhelds and pick up a Blutooth, maybe the $155 fine will. If drivers woke up one Monday morning to find 100 drivers had been fined across the GTA over the weekend for ignoring the ban, I think we might see a return to the early days of the legislation when the focus of motorists saw a marked returned to their primary purpose – concentrating on the road and the road alone.

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I was browsing on Yahoo! News this afternoon when I came across a story titled, “Top 10 Jobs for People Who Hate People,” written by a rep from a US-based company called LiveCareer. While a few of the occupations mentioned, and indeed the article itself, were obviously intended for laughs, (e.g. Undertaker, because “dead people don’t give boring PowerPoint presentations or talk loudly on their cell phones all day”), when I saw “trucker” added to the list, I felt saddened more than anything else.

For starters, since the general public doesn’t usually perceive truckers in the most positive light, chalking truckers up to be a group of “people haters” is probably not going to do much for their public relations game.

But besides that, it was the description of why trucking was such a great job for people who hate people, which was summed up in one concise point, that really irked me: “Spend your days – and even your nights – alone in your truck,” the article quips.

While, of course, the article is more or less intended to be tongue-in-cheek, this description highlighted to me one of the great struggles of the long-haul trucker: loneliness.

I hate being away from my family for any length of time, so I can’t imagine the difficulty of being on the road alone, all day and all night, for days on end.

What the article fails to address is the fact that most truckers don’t choose the solitude of trucking for its misanthropic benefits – they do it because they have to; they have to for us as consumers and they have to to provide for those family members – those people – that they love at home.

It might be easy to dismiss truckers as a group that thrives on the seclusion that the highway provides, and for some, maybe that’s true. But people haters? Hardly. Truckers are usually one of the first road users to stop and lend a hand when needed. Look no further than Bridgestone’s Canadian Truck Hero award program for ample evidence of that.

For my part, I’d like to think that the reason why most truckers stay with the industry is that they care enough for their fellow man that they’re willing to sacrifice their own time to keep our society functioning. And there’s nothing to hate about that.

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I was at the Fifth Wheel Truck Stop in Bowmanville last week, gathering trucker opinions for my monthly Truck Stop Question column, when I happened across a trucker named Linda. At the time, she had only been in the business for about four weeks and we chit-chatted a bit about the question (Would introducing tolls on the 400 series highways push you to an alternative route? Look for it in the August issue of Truck News) before she was on her way.

But as I watched her pull out of the lot, I had a bit of a “huh” moment: I couldn’t remember the last time I’d interviewed a woman trucker for the column. I’ve been doing the TSQ for more than five years now and in that time I’ve probably interviewed about 500 truckers – and been denied by about 2,500 more – but I could probably count the number of women truckers I’ve encountered on my two hands. Where are you, ladies?

I know that there are PLENTY of women who work in the trucking and transportation industries, taking on roles as dispatchers, managers, logistics professionals, sales reps, insurance peddlers, recruiting specialists, you name it. But in terms of actual truck drivers, my experience has been excessively male-dominated.

And for the most part, I get that. It’s a “guy” job, if there ever was one, at least historically. It’s not the type of job that most parents are pushing their daughters (or sons, in many cases) into pursuing either. But I know that the women truckers are out there; the question is just where.

The going estimate on the number of women truckers in the industry is usually less than 10%, but for an occupation that boasts some of the highest numbers of employees in North America, that percentage really adds up.

Maybe it’s the venues I frequent. Maybe women truckers steer clear of truck stops more than I realize. Or maybe the sight of a trade journalist is enough to send them clamouring for their bunks. All I know is that in general, when I’m out conducting interviews with truckers, the ladies just aren’t represented.

But we’d like to you be and we’d like to hear from you.

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I’m sure a bunch of you clicked on this blog expecting me to ream out trainers of commercial drivers, but alas, that will have to be for another day. Today my ire is directed at those that train our beloved four-wheelers out there.

I was heading home from work earlier this week up the 404 when I spotted a car with a training school sign on top. For purposes of this blog, let’s call it Clueless Driving School. There were four people in the car, as it’s customary these days for driving schools to give group lessons, with each novice taking their turn at the wheel.

While I usually pass these training vehicles carefully and without much thought, this day, I couldn’t. For one, because the car was simply going too fast, weaving in and out of the crowded lanes with reckless abandon. “The trainer had better set this kid straight in a hurry or they’re going to cause an accident,” I thought.

After another minute or so of following the car – with difficulty – I now noticed that the Clueless car was lazily drifting onto the shoulder, about a foot past the rumble strips, every 30 seconds or so. “Geez,” I thought, “the trainer really needs to wake their student up here and help them straighten out.”

After another couple of minutes watching the Clueless car following FAR too closely to the person in front of them (I was taught that a car-length-and-a-half should be the minimum distance between cars and this kid was probably less than half a car-length at best), we both started making are way onto the 407 ramp, which has a posted speed limit of 70 km/hr. Determined to get a look at this kid, I sped up a little. 80 km/hr…90 km/hr…100 km/hr. At 110 km/hr, I gave up once I realized they were actually gradually pulling away from me. What was this trainer thinking? You’ve got a brake yourself on the passenger side, buddy! Give it a tap!

With the ramp behind us, I finally get up beside the Clueless car and what do I see? The trainer himself in the driver’s seat, barking instructions and occasionally taking BOTH hands off the wheel to gesture a point to his three helpless students!

How are those students supposed to learn how to driver properly if the instructor himself can’t set a good example? And exactly what is the criteria to run a driving school these days? I found the whole thing baffling. I certainly wouldn’t want to share the road with three more Clueless fools like the ones that instructor has likely produced.

One of the complaints I often hear from truckers is that the government needs to make a point of better teaching four-wheelers how to handle themselves around big rigs, but if companies like Clueless can’t even help students master the basics, I’m not sure how much hope there is for creating truck-conscious car drivers in the future.

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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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On my way into work this morning, I saw a decal on the back of a tractor-trailer which showed a picture of a baby with some text that said something along the lines of, “Just about the only thing not delivered by truck.” Cute, but true, and something that Joe Q. Public tends to forget more often than not.

If I had a nickel for every time a trucker complained to me about four-wheelers cutting them off and slamming on the brakes, flipping them the bird or honking their horns when they’re not moving fast enough, or just treating truckers like a general nuisance, I would have a serious nickel collection.

But whether you like sharing the road with big rigs or not, that fact that they (literally) drive the economy is undeniable. “You know, if truckers got together and decided to strike, life as we know it would grind to a halt. No TVs, no cell phones, no food, no nothing. We should really do it some day.” I hear this comment all too often and I can’t help but feel for the guys. They’re out there trying to make a buck, just like everybody else, and the “holier than thou” attitude perpetrated by a large number of the non-trucking community doesn’t make it any easier.

Which brings me – strangely enough – to a children’s book I picked up a couple weeks ago called Brutus the Big Red Truck. The book was put together by a pair of employees from one of Navistar’s assembly plants in Ohio, who have combined their artistic and literary skills to create a work with a great message.

Without being too much of a spoiler, Brutus tells the story of a truck who thinks he’s biggest, toughest and coolest truck on the road, thumbing his nose (hood?) at a trio of other vehicles that he feels are inferior. But all that changes when the titular character gets himself in an accident and finds he needs the assistance of all three – those three being a beat up pick-up with a radio, a tow truck and an ambulance.

While the book is supposed to be teaching kids about equality, the message is still a good one for us adults.
Sure, maybe trucks are bigger and slower than you might like and maybe you don’t always like sharing the road with them, but their role in keeping the economy moving is essential, and for that we owe all truckers a large debt.

So to all the truckers out there, keep your chin up; here’s at least one non-trucker who respects what you do and the space you need on the road. And to the four-wheelers who cringe at the sight of a big rig, try to relax and show some respect: like Brutus, you never know when you’ll need these guys.

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Well, I’m officially a twit. That is to say, I’ve broken down and joined the ranks of yet another social networking site: Twitter.

Like MySpace and Facebook before it, Twitter attempts to further shrink our constantly contracting world by asking one very simple question: What are you doing? And as it turns out, people are awfully interested in what everyone else is up to.

Millions of users have entered the Twitisphere to follow not only what their friends and family are up to, but also the very famous. From US President Barack Obama to actor Ashton Kutcher to singer John Mayer to skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, you can keep tabs on just about anyone with a Blackberry and 20 seconds to type out what they’re eating, reading, thinking, listening to or what bill they’ve recently signed into law (if you’re Obama).

These 140-character blurbs give us a little snapshot into that person’s world in an instant and interactive way like never before.

So what can you expect to get by reading my Twitter posts? I’ll be sharing links found on our Web page, sharing insight on a variety of industry topics, letting you know when, why and who I’m interviewing (and maybe even give you the opportunity to pose a few questions yourself), and keeping you abreast on any developments at conferences, video shoots and other events I’m attending. And I may throw in some personal bits and random thoughts just for fun.

Along with our blogs, videos and Cyber CB feature, it’s just another way that TruckNews.com is striving to provide a total media experience every time you pay us a visit.

So be sure to keep tabs on myself, James and Lou, as we tweet and twiddle the day away ‘til twilight. Sorry. I'm still not used to the lingo.

Check us out here:

Twitter.com/adamledlow
Twitter.com/jamesmenzies
Twitter.com/LouSmyrlis

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I'm no racecar driver. In fact, I was the kid who used to get kicked off the go-cart tracks for showing a complete lack of aptitude for the sport (and causing more than a few cases of whiplash, I'm sure). So it was a mixture of bemusement and terror that crossed the faces of organizers at the Bridgestone Racing Academy when I retold this story before plunking myself into one of their $72,000 Van Diemen formula cars.

Myself and a group of journalists from across Canada and the US were treated to a day of racing school about two weeks ago at the fabled Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ont. Not knowing quite what to expect, I was surprised to see that, yes, we would in fact be driving racecars. No more lawnmower engines for this guy.

The morning began with introductions and an emphasis on safety - not just our own, but the safety of those $72,000 Van Diemens. We moved through the day learning about safe stopping and following distances, shifting (only an up and down shift, which was neat), our good friend centrifugal force, and, of course, what to do if you feel yourself losing control (especially around the concrete wall on corner 12). "And did we mention the cars are worth $72,000? Yes? Okay. Moving on."

After about two hours of in-class instruction, we were suited up with racing gloves, socks, shoes, balaclava, helmet and full-body suit. Suddenly things were getting very real and my cold, clammy hands could no longer be blamed on an over-active A/C unit.

We received further instruction on the track during a walk-around the car ($72,000), and then we were ready to ride. I was mercifully slotted into Group B, meaning I would at least see some fellow amateurs in action first before seeing images of security escorting me off the premises flash before my eyes.

The first group made a successful run (with only one driver who couldn't drive a stick having difficulty) and then it was our turn. I was grouped - of course - with the guys who brought their own racing suits and helmets, recanting stories of their best times on other tracks. My goal? Avoid a lawsuit.

The group was instructed to follow a lead car at a pokey pace until we got into the swing of things. I revved the RPMs up past 2,000, eased off the clutch and took that first corner. Didn't stall. Good start. We couldn't have been going much faster than 30 km/h for that first handful of laps, but you certainly got the feeling of the car's handling capabilities. The Van Diemen certainly put my Elantra to shame (no offense, Hyundai).

After only one stall (touchy clutch) we broke for lunch before getting ready to get back out there again. My second run? Exhilarating. I read an article recently about a celebrity who likes to race cars in his spare time because it's the only place where he can stop thinking about the hustle and bustle of Hollywood. I know exactly what he means. When you're driving, your mind's thinking about that next corner and nothing else.

The cars pack 170 hp, which doesn't sound like much, but when you consider the car only weighs 1,000 lbs, you're talking more like 500 hp plus. So when you hit the straightaway before the last turn and floor it, your lips are folded neatly behind your ears. What a rush!

After two more rounds of laps (we did maybe 100 laps total on the day), we packed it in for the day (the rain started on cue about five minutes later). I had done it. No crashing, no spinning out, no security, no lawsuit.

As you looked around the racetrack at the end of the day, there was a grin on every face. Drivers were trading war stories: "Did you see me take that last turn? Are you car number 2? How fast do you think we were going? Are you sore too?"

Bottom line: it was an awesome day. The Bridgestone Racing Academy is open to the public and considered to be among the elite racing schools in North America, even compared to some of the monster operations down south. It's not cheap, but then again how often are you going to get the chance to drive a real Formula racecar?

I highly recommend the experience and encourage others to check it out here: www.race2000.com. Many, many thanks to Bridgestone and the staff for allowing me to put their 24-year injury-free record in jeopardy. Not to mention their car. How much was that worth again?...

Oh, and if the staff at the Magical Midway in Orlando are reading this, is it possible for you to remove my name from the blacklist? Thanks.

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Any weekend spent at my in-laws house in Parry Sound will undoubtedly end with my wife Jennifer's poor Honda Civic being laden down with an excess of "new" items for our new house. Whether it's a "decorative" rusty old milk jug or an eighth gravy boat for those you-just-never-know-when-you'll-need-it occasions, my in-laws have been more than generous when it comes to unloading any extras kicking around their basement. This past Easter weekend was no different - though I must say we got some great stuff this time 'round.

Once the car was packed nearly to the roof at the end of the Easter holiday - with the wet/dry vacuum, the pressure washer and a couple of old propane tanks mingling with our usual weekend gear - I couldn't help feeling a little uneasy as we made our way to the highway. Though my father-in-law and I had done our best to at least secure the propane tanks, in reality, I was one hard-brake away from having the "Shop-Vac" logo permanently emblazened on the back of my head.

So when I was on CBC.ca this morning and read about a 25-year-old girl who was killed when her unsecured laptop became a projectile during an car crash in Surrey, B.C., I couldn't help but get a knot in my stomach. Investigators have said she would have survived the crash had it not been for the laptop. As someone who tends to leave whatever items he has rolling around his backseat chronically unrestrained, I had a definite "That could've been me" moment when reading the CBC story.

Which brings me to an upcoming article in Motortruck Fleet Executive, titled "Beware the UFOs (Unrestrained Flying Objects)." In it, frequent contributor John G. Smith warns truckers to properly stow away loose gear to help avoid injuries in the event of an accident. I learned some interesting stuff in this article. For example, did you know that a 50-lb refrigertor packs 750 lbs of intertial force at a crash of only 15 mph? At 30 mph, that number quadruples. That's scary stuff. Other safety spec'ing tidbits offered by Smith include the proper choice and use of inverters to protect against cab fires, sizing cables properly, and even spec'ing your dashboard with a design which isn't too overwhelming. You can check out this article, and several others from the Technology and Maintenance Council, in the March/April edition of Motortruck Fleet Executive. Until then, keep those cabs safe and secure!

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I received an e-mail recently from a man who (I assume, he didn’t say outright) is a retired officer for the New Brunswick Department of Transportation. He relayed a story to me about an “old-time trucker” that he had “locked horns” with more than once during his career. With his career now behind him, the man, named D.C. Butterfield, and the trucker met up again recently and were able to cast aside their former grievances and discuss the “good old days” without incident. This exchange of mutual respect prompted Butterfield to write the following poem, where the author poeticizes a roadside meeting between the two in years past. Enjoy!

Routine Check

The day was dull and drizzly
The kind that makes you brood
When everyone is sullen
Or else they're "in a mood",
I'd simply pulled him over
For the usual routine check
But he was one crusty dilly
A hackneyed pain-in-the-neck,
He started with 'verbal judo'
"It's a good thing we're out here to rob!"
I discreetly dodged the put-down
With, "Sir, I'm only doing my job.
The Regulations are there for a reason
And safety has got to come first
The incidents that happen without them
Quite often are always the worst,
I can't turn my back and not see it
Give in and just walk away
You're a proud professional person
Respect me ... for earning my pay!
You can't bulldoze me or bluff me
For I've been called every name in the book
But you see, my friend, in the long run
I'm the one that's left on the hook!
You might cruise as clear as the blue sky
Then, you might end up in the ditch
Or, something else I may have prevented
And - conscience is always a bitch!
You may think I'm a hard-hearted ole buzzard
But in your head you know it ain't true
I've explained the risks of the defects
Don't tell me - it's got to get through,
You remember the big wreck last summer
That almost finished their fleet
The awful pain and the anguish
Stopping distance - is measured in feet,
Now, I'm not pointing a finger
I'm only concerned with what's here
It was something he just couldn't live with
And put an end to his trucking career!"
"It takes balls to do what you're doin'
But you're right, in making your stand!"
With that - he climbed in and parked 'er
After quietly shaking my hand.

--D.C. Butterfield

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As Ingrid Phaneuf pointed out in her front-page story "Limiters: It's now the law" in Truck News' March issue, speed limiter enforcement kicked off with little more than a whimper Jan. 1. Though Phaneuf was talking about the less-than-lively response from the MTO and other pro-speed governing agencies, considering the fanfare leading up to the big day, I personally expected something a little more spectacular from truck driving dissenters to ring in the New Year. But instead, the day came and went, as did the many days that followed it, with the only peep from the truck drivers - besides the usual grumbling I hear every month at the truck stops - being a sparsely attended protest at Queen's Park March 2.

And so I asked myself: "Why aren't drivers kicking up more of a stink? They must be experiencing all those problems they were complaining about, right?" Then it occurred to me that they really don't have anything to complain about if they aren't actually governing their rigs to 105 km/h.

So, I decided to take a drive to find out if there's a noticeable difference in truck speed and traffic on the highways. I drove from Toronto to Montreal and back. And what did I discover? Many, many trucks going well over 105 km/h. Most offenders were subtle, around 110 km/h, but some were up to 115, 120, and there was at least one guy driving a flatbed that I couldn't even catch.

Since most truck drivers are aware that full-on enforcement (the issuing of tickets and fines to offenders) doesn't kick in in Ontario and Quebec until July 1, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that some are getting in their last "unrestricted" runs while they still can.

Interestingly, I found that the closer to Quebec I got, the more likely drivers were to be driving 105 km/h and under. Anyone else notice this?

And just in general: what experiences have you had with speed limiters since the law came into place? Have you noticed any changes on the highways? Elephant races? Safety/merging issues? Let us know.

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During my 45-minute commute every morning, I've seen every manner of dangerous habits from four-wheeler and trucker alike: gabbing on the cell phone, fiddling with GPS maps, texting feverishly on the Blackberries, and among the latest techno-distractions, watching video on dash-mounted flatscreens. Up until now I thought this was solely the pursuit of car drivers (a least from what I've seen), and it's usually been used to sedate fussy child-passengers in the backseat.

But in an article I read from the Associated Press this morning, it seems some truckers are getting in on the action as well. A British trucker has had his license suspended after alledgedly watching episodes of Battlestar Gallactica on his laptop set atop his dash. Though the driver's lawyer claims he was accessing Google Maps while listening to the show, the driver pleaded guilty to dangerous driving at an earlier hearing. I guess I know why they call it the "boob tube."

And now I'm just curious: Has anyone actually seen another trucker watching TV while driving? What's the most ridiculous thing you've seen a trucker doing while driving? Did you report it?

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It’s been more than a month since the gruesome killing of a 22-year old man on a Greyhound bus in Manitoba, and as the news coverage surrounding the story began to subside, I found myself breathing a sigh of relief. Never in recent memory has a news story disturbed me to such a great extent that I found myself thinking about it for days on end. Frankly, I found the details horrifying, and I won’t go so far as to repeat them here.

But yesterday morning, after that lull in coverage, I happened across a new person involved in the story. A Manitoba trucker has spoken out for the first time, telling the CBC of his role in the aftermath surrounding the killing. Long-haul trucker Christopher Alguire told the national news agency that he pulled over after noticing trouble on the bus in question, and after assessing the situation, corralled many of the passengers to a safe location, and even boarded the bus with the bus driver before helping barricade the door to prevent the suspect from escaping.

Though I found the story to be a little more “pat-on-the-back-ish” than I typically like for hard news, I was even more disappointed when I read further to hear Mr. Alguire’s criticism of the RCMP.

While sparing the details of the actual murder, suffice it to say that the victim was long since dead before police arrived on scene. But Alguire claims that his efforts to move passengers out of the sight of the bus – therefore out of sight of what was happening inside – were spoiled when the RCMP chose to move the people in front of the second bus, allowing the forcibly trapped suspect and his victim to once again enter their sight.

Alguire claims he was further disappointed by the RCMP’s decision not to shoot and kill the suspect. "I told the cops a few different times to shoot him, because he has no reason in this world to live anymore," Alguire told the CBC.

Now I cannot presume to understand exactly how I would feel in that situation as I wasn’t there, but what I do know is that Alguire’s occupation ends with trucker and does not carry forward to judge, jury and executioner. The RCMP are perpetually damned if they do, and damned if they don’t. If the police HAD decided to shoot and kill the suspect, they would most certainly have an even greater number of human rights activists on their backs than people like Alguire looking for swift and brutal justice.

I’m sure there was a reason to move the passengers to their new location and I’m sure that that reason was not to provide a better view of the atrocities happening from within the bus. I am also sure, that if the suspect was held fast inside the bus and no others were in any immediate danger, that the police did the right thing in not taking on the role as executioner, but chose to apprehend him that he may stand trial.

Having had a month to reflect on the events of July 31, I would have hoped that Alguire would approach the situation with a clearer head instead of a vengeful one. Hotheaded responses like Alguire’s do nothing to promote Canada as a civilized and judicious country.

In the end, all trigger-happiness does is cause more bloodshed and I don’t have the stomach for any more carnage after stories like this.

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I hate how a lot of my blogs end up being traffic reports where I’m “telling on” other drivers, but with this most recent situation, I just couldn’t resist. I was heading south on the 400 near King Road on Friday, when up ahead I saw traffic was being directed off the highway to the nearest exit. I flicked on 680 News and heard that there was a major accident ahead, so I would have to head home using Highway 27, a slower, but adequate two-laner.

In front of me were two 53-ft. tractor trailers, one directly behind the other. At first I sort of groaned to myself, knowing that I would likely be driving a pokey 70 to 75 km/h in the hilly 80 km zone. But since it was already past 11 p.m. and I wasn’t in any particular rush, I decided to sit back and enjoy the ride.

The truck in front of me, however, had other ideas. We weren’t more than two minutes off the 400 when the truck to the rear started flashing their high beams at the truck in front of them, riding dangerously close to the back of the front-runners trailer, and weaving in and out of their lane, looking for an opportunity to advance. This nonsense continued for no less than 10 minutes before the truck in front was eventually forced to pull over to allow the other truck to pass.

I couldn’t believe how ridiculously arrogant and impatient that driver was. To put it into perspective, it was bad even by four-wheeler standards. Now that’s bad. The truck to the front was travelling somewhere in between 75 and 80 km/h the entire time; not an unforgivable speed given the darkness of the hour, the frequency of animals crossing those roads and then fact that that, oh wait, yes, he was driving the speed limit.

A four-wheelers driving like a jackass is one thing, but watching a trucker putting the life of a fellow trucker in danger was a deplorable thing to observe. So much for sticking together, I suppose. I guess it’s every trucker for themselves.

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I made my way out to the little ’burb of Stirling, Ont., just north of Belleville, this past weekend to check out the second annual Eastern Ontario Big Rig Truck Show and Shine, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. For a small community, they put on a pretty good show! I think about 90 show trucks were entered in the show and shine and I would say several hundred people from the community braved the blistering heat check things out. (My nose is still peeling. Note to self: always remember sunscreen).

One of the most original things I thought the show had to offer was the “Come and Drive a Big Rig Truck” event. Scarily enough, the event permitted anyone with a regular driver’s license to get behind the wheel of a big rig and take it for a spin. To be honest, I had no idea how they would pull this one off. I pictured the truck ploughing through the fairgrounds, picking off vendor’s booths like pylons before embedding itself in the side of a barn. Call me a pessimist, I guess.

But no, the novice driver was confined to an enclosed track, with the instructor’s foot at the ready, hovering above his own personal brake (a dead stop in a tenth of a second, I was told). And yes, even I, an admitted big rig rookie, decided to give it a shot. Thankfully, I was spared the pain of learning to double-clutch and instead learned the fine art of the slip shift. And with a brief two-minute lesson, there I was, on top of the world (or at least a bit higher than usual) making my way ’round the track just like all the drivers I’ve written about.

My instructor, Randy, said that many of the women who gave it a shot spent most of their lessons screaming with delight as they rounded each corner. Though I didn’t spend any of my lesson screaming, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a big smile on my face the whole time. Driving a truck might be old hat for you guys, but it was quite a rush for me!

I must say, I thought the event was an original – if not slightly daring – addition to the show, and the perfect way to educate the public on what it’s like to be a truck driver. Kudos to the organizers for pulling it off!

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Thanks to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s people-pleasin’ budget released earlier this month, the meal tax deduction limit for truckers slowly will be slowly creeping its way from 50% back to 80%, hitting its goal around the 2010 mark. So all drivers from all types of fleets across the country can count on reaping the rewards, right? Well, some will – but maybe not all.

Scott Taylor, vice-president of TFS Group, has written two articles for Truck News (March and April 2007) which point out that not all truckers are created equally in the eyes of the Canada Revenue Agency. The columns (appearing on pages 43 and 74, respectively) outline how the Income Tax Act treats all manner of truckers differently. From private fleets to for-hire carriers, from self-employed drivers to company employees, from longhaul drivers to shorthaul drivers; a different set of rules applies to each category (and every combination in between). Taylor takes away all the guesswork in his articles, which serve as vital sources for any trucker unsure of his tax claiming rights. Check out the issues on newsstands or search for them in our print archives at www.trucknews.com/archives.asp.

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When doing my monthly Truck Stop Question, I usually end up having a little chit-chat with the driver even after the initial interview is over. Typically this is an opportunity for the driver to vent about whatever happens to be bothering him about the trucking industry, and what I should be doing – or writing – to make things better.

The top two complaints I hear are usually focus on the high costs a driver must incur (including the high price of fuel) and how most four-wheelers don’t have the slightest idea how trucking works. The latter complaint includes, but is not limited to, cars cutting trucks off and slamming on the breaks, cars riding in trucks’ blind spots, cars not letting trucks change lanes; just a general distaste for the egocentric mentality of the automotive community.

Well, I’ve got news for you truckers: you’re far from perfect. During a half hour drive from Scarborough to Bowmanville this week, not once, not twice, but THREE times I saw big rigs driving more than 130 km/h, one which nearly ran a car onto the shoulder while making a last minute lane change. Does this sound like the actions of someone who’s concerned about conserving fuel? Does this sound like the actions of someone who is ready to hit their brakes and prevent thousands of pounds of freight from steamrolling the vehicles in front of them? I think not.

Having said that, are truckers still the best drivers on the road? Almost certainly. Are car drivers usually at fault with most car-truck accidents? Yes, the majority of the time, but that’s no excuse for barrelling down the highway like you’re driving a sports car instead of an 80,000-lb. behemoth. There’s such a thing as respect for your freight, your fellow motorists and your job. It’s time for truckers to take some responsibility instead laying all the blame on four-wheelers. Drivers should be approaching these reckless cowboys in their own companies or the industry’s name will continue to be dragged through the mud.

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My monthly trips to the truck stops to do the Truck Stop Question column have never ceased to be eye-opening experiences. Having never worked in the trucking industry prior to my appointment to Truck News, I found initially found the cornucopia of issues facing the average truck driver shocking. I truly had no idea what a trucker faces on a regular basis and the drivers I spoke with were quick to remind me: “My rates are too low,” “The roads are in terrible shape,” “I don’t see my family enough,” “_____ regulation is unfair/confusing/ridiculous,” “My company treats me like unfairly,” “Truckers don’t know how to driver anymore,” “Four-wheelers still don’t know how to drive.” The list has been endless.

But once the initial shock of how disgruntled so many of these drivers were wore off, I began to realize the problem was even more complicated. Despite these drivers having an overwhelming list of complaints – and most of them quite content in using as much of my time as needed to complain about them – about half of them still balk at the idea of having their names or pictures printed in the magazine.

For some reason I assumed – perhaps rather naively – that these truckers would welcome my presence and jump at the chance to have an outlet to voice their opinions. But month after month I have drivers who flit away as though I were a pursuing member of the paparazzi, waiting for that perfect moment to swoop in and ruin their lives. And it never ceases to annoy me.

The purpose of the Truck Stop Question is to get driver’s opinions on a topic related to trucking, not to pit drivers against each other or their employers. Believe it or not, our readers would actually like to hear what you have to say.

If you’re concerned your employer won’t like what you have to say, guess what? It’s time to get over it. Your opinion doesn’t reflect that of your trucking company and your boss should be swift enough to figure that out on their own. As long as your response to the question doesn’t include, “…and that’s why I hate my company and my boss,” I’m guessing you’ll be safe.

What irks me even more is when drivers will give a very non-controversial answer to the TSQ and still decide they don’t want their name used. I’m dying to know why. An opportunity is have your say is being handed to you on a silver platter and you still wish to remain anonymous, even though no one in their right mind would find your comments offensive. It’s mind-boggling.

For those drivers who do give their names, I still get about 50% of those who play camera shy as soon as a picture is mentioned. I had no idea truckers were so vain. If I worked for Chatelaine that would be one thing, but I’m pretty sure most Truck News readers will bite their tongues if you haven’t shaved in a couple of days or your hat is on crooked. Seriously, it’s okay.

The usual run-around I get doing my TSQ isn’t so much angering as it is disappointing. My respect and admiration of truck drivers has increased leaps and bounds since starting this job, but when I sometimes get shot down 10 to 15 times by rude and indignant drivers, my positive convictions begin to wane.

The bottom line: I want to paint a picture of truckers as they would like to be portrayed and the only way that can happen is if they act that way in the first place. Don’t make me lose my faith in truckers already. Last time I checked, truckers were real people with real emotions and real opinions, and the necessary chutzpah to back them up.

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We at Truck News often receive letters from readers filing personal complaints against their boss, co-worker or company and requesting that the magazine do its part to disparage their reputations to exhaustive lengths. Obviously, such action would both be irresponsible and unprofessional on our part, especially when the viewpoint is habitually biased, so more often than not we are forced to tiptoe gracefully around such squabbles.
But every now and then we’ll receive a letter that doesn’t pull any punches, but rather gets to the core of a much larger problem. In this one particular case, the writer doesn’t even go as far as to mention the name of the company. The complaint wasn’t about rates or hours or quality of equipment, it was about showing a little human decency to your workers.
The letter was originally a blog entry by the wife of a trucker whose mother had recently passed away. Because he was on the road at the time she died, the sad news was relayed to him by his wife over the phone. He was heartbroken, she recalled.
But when he called his company to tell them he needed to come home for his mother’s funeral, they wouldn’t allow him to simply drive back bobtail – he would have to pick up a load first. On the eve of the funeral, when most families are gathering together to comfort each other, the husband was still not at home. Originally, the wife feared her husband wouldn’t make it back for the funeral in time, but now, writing the blog the night before the funeral, she was simply fearing for his safety as he was hurriedly making his way home. I never did find out if he made it.
The wife referred to the company’s actions as “cruelty to the worst degree” and I couldn’t help but agree with her. If every company behaved this way, the industry would be defunct in a matter of months. No wonder trucking has such a hard time retaining drivers. The human function of a truck driver is so far removed from the company’s mind that they are often considered as lifeless as the very commodities they carry. Companies should remember that treating drivers like people, rather than simply a means to an end, will ensure that they will stay loyal and happy for many miles down the road.

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Next time you’re sitting on the subway, in the mall or in a crowded restaurant, have a quick look around you. People of all ages, colours, shapes and sizes abound, but as the old saying goes, you can’t always judge a book by its cover. Chances are there is more to those people than meets the eye.

Whatever their age, sex or background, many of those strangers probably have some kind of hidden talent. The runny-nosed youngster with her Bratz backpack may in fact be a piano-playing prodigy. The elderly couple huddled over their early bird dinner may be spending their weekend scaling the jagged face of a mountain. The young woman pushing a stroller may in fact be the local Rock Paper Scissors champion or maybe she can hold her breath underwater for three minutes.

While some people may choose to keep those hidden talents hidden, others may prefer to display their odd gifts in the limelight. So for all those extroverted truckers out there, consider this your chance to show the world there’s more to your life than just driving a truck.

Truck News is looking for truckers with hidden talents for an upcoming article. So come one, come all, whether you be a painter, scriptwriter, ventriloquist, amateur stuntman or lion tamer, Truck News wants to hear about it. Feel free to post your talents on our blog or if you’re feeling a bit Web-shy you can always drop me a line at aledlow@trucknews.com.

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What is it that gives truck drivers their trademark demeanor? I’m not talking that lane-hopping, bumper-riding, slow-as-molasses highway jockey image so often projected by the public. I’m talking the courteous truck driver, who not only shares the road but is often first to act when another motorist is in trouble.

I had the privilege of attending Goodyear’s Highway Hero ceremony at the Mid-America Trucking Show on Mar. 23, when the industry’s most selfless, caring individuals are honoured for acts of heroism over the past year. Though only one could emerge the victor, my hat goes off to each one of the four finalists: Douglas Crawford, Danny Wallen, Robert A. Starr and Michael Knott. Through their noble actions, drivers like these shine as a beacon not just for other truckers, but for all of us.

In my experience, such drivers are by no means an anomaly. Almost every time I speak with drivers at a truck stop, a few always seem to have some story of intrepid heroism. The sheer normalcy with which they spin their tales tells me that most consider such actions a standard, however infrequent, part of their job.

But it’s not just the literal life saving that gets me. It’s the small acts of courtesy which really put truck drivers in a category a cut above.

Early in November, I was travelling with my girlfriend, Jennifer, to interview Lee Howard of Inferno Kustom Werks, when Jennifer fell ill on the car ride up. I had okayed having her with me for the interview, but hadn’t intended arriving on Lee’s doorstep with a sicky in tow.

When we finally completed the nauseous three-hour trip to Coe Hill, Ont., Jennifer announced that she would just stay in the car while I completed the interview.

Lee’s wife Linda wouldn’t hear of it.

Not only was Jennifer brought inside, she was fed, given medication and wrapped in a blanket on Linda’s couch where she slept the afternoon away. I myself was treated to lunch and hot chocolate to compliment the unrivalled hospitality from my hosts. I was blown away. We left with a “to-go” care package not only feeling revitalized by the nourishment, but by the fact that good people still exist in this world.

Back in February, while interviewing for a recent Truck Stop Question, I ended up having lunch with Phil and Phyllis Jordan, a lovely couple running teams from Moose Jaw, Sask. Though we’d only just met outside the Husky Truck Stop that day, the Jordan’s were so warm and receptive, we ended our afternoon exchanging numbers and speaking like old friends. They even offered up their home should I find ever myself in Moose Jaw.

And just last week, while conducting a phone interview with Danny’s Custom Truck Fenders’ founder, Danny Campbell, I received a no-strings-attached offer to come and stay at their home in P.E.I. anytime I felt like visiting the East Coast. This from a man I’d know for all of 16 minutes!

These offers join numerous others from drivers who have offered me a spare room. Countless others have graciously offered their passenger seat to me should I ever want to ride along. Even when I’m driving on the highway, truck drivers always seem to be the first ones to pull over if another motorist ever needs a helping hand.

So what is it that gives truck drivers this generous spirit? Perhaps long, lonely hours on the highway have given them a greater appreciation for human interaction. Maybe meeting people from all walks off life while travelling across the country has made them realize how similar we are, rather than how different.

Regardless, I am constantly amazed at the number of drivers who show such graciousness, generosity and valour on a daily basis. I can only hope that one day the general public will return the favour.

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Truck News received a letter from one of our readers recently describing the decrepit road conditions in southwestern Nova Scotia (including highways 101, 103, 10 and 8). According to the reader, the roads are in complete disarray; few warning signs for curves in the road and no truck rest areas are apparently just some of the problems plaguing the region, not to mention the damage the poorly maintained roads are causing to the trucks.
I’m looking for drivers who work in this “forgotten” region to give me their own accounts of the road conditions in the area. I’ll also be speaking with local politicians, so please use this blog as mouthpiece to vent your frustrations, and I’ll try and include your thoughts in my interviews.

Thanks in advance,
Adam

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I took a drive from my North York apartment to visit a friend on the West side late last week and decided to forgo my usual highway route in favour of an in-town trip. It was about 5 p.m. when I headed out – peak traffic time for the city. Normally I hate hitting the core at that time of day, but I was in no hurry, so I putted along at an easy pace and just went with the flow.

After about 10 minutes of reasonable traffic conditions, I was forced to slam on my brakes when a van that was appeared parked by the curb decided to lurch unannounced back into traffic. People in the city tend to be aggressive drivers as a rule, so I initially ignored it, until I realized the driver had been on his cell phone. Further down the road, traffic slowed again when a woman unloading her luggage from a taxi left a bag sitting halfway into the centre lane. Cars creeped and squeezed their way around her as she squared up with the cab driver, clueless to the annoyance she was causing.

By the end of the 25-minute trip I had seen no less than seven cars or pick-up trucks sitting in the right-hand lane – most either dropping people off or talking on their cell phones and all of which slowed traffic to a crawl.
I saw but one truck during the drive: a cube van hugging the right-hand curb while making a delivery. My fellow commuters and I passed around the truck with relative ease compared to those other seven cars we’d already passed. For one, at least we could see that the truck was stopped from further away simply because the truck was much taller than your average Honda Civic. The trucks’ four-ways were also flashing and the orange pylons had been placed behind the truck to allow motorists more space when maneuvering around it. In all, I felt much less hostility toward that truck driver than I did towards those other seven motorists.

Toronto Councillor Michael Walker's proposed ban would remove these trucks from the city’s downtown core during peak rush hour times, but who will remove these careless four-wheelers? How can we expect both truckers and their customers to put their lives and their businesses on hold while cars continue to block those same lanes – and in much greater numbers?

Walker’s proposal seems to be a quick-fix solution for a problem that extends way beyond trucks slowing traffic. It’s more of a general distaste for trucking. Walker’s ban would only serve to tarnish the public’s already shaky view of the industry. The feeling that “trucks are big and slow and they get in my way” is the same egocentric view that causes drivers in Toronto to be so thoughtless in the first place.

If Walker’s ban goes through, it will impede the flow of goods and services in a way that the public just doesn’t understand. Without trucks delivering four-wheelers’ cell phones and luggage, how will they be able to block traffic?

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