Truckers are often villainized in the mainstream news (see my previous blog entry about a column in the St. Catharines Standard for a prime example), so it’s nice when I get a call about a trucker who went out of his or her way to lend a helping hand.

I received one such call this morning. A lady named Alice called from Scarborough to recount an incident that happened between Christmas and New Years Eve a year ago. When travelling to Orillia with her grandchildren, her car ran out of gas. The gas gauge indicated there was plenty of gas left, but it had become stuck, leaving her stranded and worried for the safety of her grandchildren and herself.

Along came a big Dodge diesel pickup truck and out hopped a friendly long-distance trucker to see if she needed help. When they determined the car had run out of gas, he drove the stranded motorists to the nearest gas station (which wasn’t very near at all, Alice says) and then drove them back and put the gas into the car for them.

Alice recalls he was very friendly and when she offered him some money for the gas, he refused to accept it, instead asking her to extend the same courtesy to someone else if the occasion should arise. Alice didn’t get the driver’s name or company he hauls for, but even a year later she remembers his kindness. This simple gesture on his part helped her realize truckers don’t all fall into the stereotype that many would have you believe.

Anyways, if you’re out there, and you know who you are, then Alice would like to extend a belated ‘Thanks.’

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One thing that has to be said about Canada’s minority Conservative government, is that it’s not tip-toeing around the issues. While many suspected a minority government would shy away from any controversial issues, Stephen Harper and his Cabinet have made several bold moves during their short reign.

So it makes perfect sense to try to resurrect some old issues that the former government repeatedly refused to address. One such issue that will impact most of you, is an attempt to restore the 80% meal deduction limit for Canadian truckers.

The 80% deduction limit was reduced to 50% in 1994, and that’s where it has remained. This while US truckers have been gradually inched upwards, back towards that 80% limit. The 1994 reduction was aimed at big-spenders in suits and ties who would wine and dine key clients at posh restaurants. Sadly, it was the truckers – those who spend most of their time away from home and have little choice but to eat out while on the road – who were once again caught in the middle.

Here’s an example that shows the impact of the 50% deduction limit: A driver on the road five days a week for 50 weeks of the year with an annual gross income of $50,000 is going to spend $12,750 on meals using the CRA’s receipt-free rate. At the current 50% deductibility rate, the driver will be taxed on $42,125 of taxable income. Using the proposed 80% rate, the driver will be taxed on just $38,300, resulting in a difference of $1,343.

So, if the industry’s lobby groups (in this case the Canadian Trucking Alliance, OBAC and the Teamsters union) are successful in their bid to have the 80% limit restored, it’ll save you an average of over $100 per month. More importantly, it will put you back in line with your US counterparts, who can already claim nearly 80% and will be able to claim the full 80% by 2008.

It’s nice to see OBAC and the CTA working together on this issue. O/Os and carriers don’t have to be constant adversaries, there are many issues they can work on together for the common good. Now, it’s up to you to do your part. Fill out the ‘postcard’ at our Web site (www.trucknews.com/brownbag) and send it in. There’s strength in numbers and here’s our chance to be heard. I sent mine in this morning.

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The old saying ‘There’s no such thing as bad press’ doesn’t necessarily ring true in the trucking industry. This is an industry that has a bad rap – and for the most part, undeservingly so. Negative stories about the trucking industry appear regularly in mainstream newspapers, and unfortunately many of them are not warranted.

A reader (thanks, Aaron Sweet!) recently forwarded me a column published in the St. Catharines Standard. I was shocked to read the scathing attack on our industry.

Written by Roy Scott, the column blasted truck drivers, categorizing them along with ‘inebriated drivers.’ He suggested law enforcement begin targeting “the jockeys that race these mammoth machines.”

“Regular travel throughout the Golden Horseshoe will provide any driver with ample opportunity to witness the insanity on our major arteries,” he blasted. He went onto say he’s dodged “garbage, stones, metal and large sheets of ice flying from these rigs.” And he also claimed he routinely has to weave through large chunks of rubber from exploded truck tires.

The author must have pretty bad luck. I spend over two hours per day commuting on major highways and only once in my life have I had to dodge anything coming from a transport truck (a tie-down strap that broke off in front of me). At the time that happened, I refused to paint the entire industry with the same brush due to an isolated incident, and I still do today.

“On dark, rainy nights, we’ve all experienced oversized trucks flying past at breakneck speed when we can barely see the pavement. In good weather, it’s worse,” Scott wrote.

When the weather’s bad, I find myself looking for a transport truck to tuck in behind, knowing the professional driver behind the wheel will help guide me to safety through fog, rain or snow. Driving through Saskatchewan on a foggy October morning last fall, a Bison Transport driver helped me carve through particularly dense fog at a safe and reasonable speed.

“They own the road. Trucks follow so closely, it's not safe to make a lane change, or they cut you off making improper lane changes. Then you're blind to anything ahead of you as they have just created a wall on wheels,” Scott wrote. “In the recent past, I have been cut off numerous times, at least twice causing me to swerve to the left to avoid a collision. Fortunately, my diversion did not cause one, but these narrow escapes cause enormous stress.”

The tirade went on and on and on. Perhaps I should just shrug off such drivel and accept the fact Johnny Four-Wheeler will never come to accept the fact truck drivers are, for the most part, the safest drivers on the highway and the drivers of our economy. But I take these attacks personally, and never get sick of throwing the following stats out there: Accidents involving heavy-duty trucks have decreased over 20% in the past 10 years (despite a steady increase in truck traffic); Only 2% of highway crashes involve tractor-trailers – and of those, the truck driver is at fault less than 20% of the time.

But unfortunately, sometimes the facts get in the way of a good story. I thought about responding directly to the author of the article, but was unable to locate his e-mail address. I once e-mailed the editor of the Calgary Sun after that paper published an equally unfounded column berating truckers and the industry in general. To her credit, the editor ran my response in the next day’s paper, along with the comment ‘Thanks for offering a different perspective.’ Not only that, but she took me up on an offer to spend a few hours in a truck to see what you folks have to go through on a daily basis.

My buddy Ron Singer of Ron Singer Truck Lines took her out in his Western Star gravel truck for an afternoon and she stepped out of that truck with a new appreciation for professional drivers. It’s often been said that all motorists should be required to spend some time in a transport truck before they get their licence. Maybe that holds true for journalists as well.

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Since its inception, Truck News has been a trusted source of information for all-things trucking. The publication has broken many big stories throughout the years and has helped truckers learn about and understand changes that affect them.

I've pored through 25 years of back issues and assembled this list of the 25 most significant news stories to be covered by Truck News. It's nearly impossible to compile a list of this nature that everyone agrees on, so take the rankings with a grain of salt.

Not everyone will agree on where each of the following news stories should fit in, but enjoy the stroll through memory lane and if you feel compelled to discuss any of these events in more detail, feel free to add your two cents!

Continue reading "The top 25 stories in 25 years" »

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Imagine being able to haul loads from point-to-point in the US, reducing empty miles and improving your vehicle utilization. If a trio of forward-thinking transportation professionals have their way, the practice of cabotage will be permitted – at least on a small scale trial basis for starters.

Bob Dolyniuk, general manager of the Manitoba Trucking Association, Barry Prentice, professor at the University of Manitoba Transportation Institute and Richard Beilock, professor at the University of Florida, jointly developed the idea after a casual discussion at a conference nearly two years ago. The further they explored the benefits of allowing cabotage within Canada and the US, the more excited they grew about the idea.

“It started as an offhand idea, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was both feasible and probably the best way to nudge North America toward the kind of system it must eventually have,” Beilock recently told Truck News. He feels North America will eventually have no choice but to embrace cabotage, if it wishes to remain competitive globally, and Prentice agrees.

“It seems incongruous to me that we have the free movement of goods but not in the trade of transportation services that are necessary to complete our continental exchanges,” Prentice says. “If North America wishes to maintain its competitiveness with Europe, then we have to accept free trade of transportation services.”

A more detailed article on the subject will appear in the November issues of Truck News and Truck West. But if you want to read the proposal itself, and even comment on it, visit the trucknews.com main page and select the link that read Open Prairies Proposal in the Special Supplements section (on the right hand side of the page, below the blog).

The Call for Papers link allows you to comment on the proposal and it’s hoped a healthy debate may result. Here’s your chance to have your say.

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It seems truck hijackings are happening more and more frequently these days. It’s a scary thought, especially since the thieves seem to be getting more brazen. And they’re so organized that they often get away with their crimes.

Recently, Donald Woods was found dead in his truck in Pickering. He was last seen at the 10-Acre Truck Stop in Belleville late on Wednesday, June 21. It’s believed he left Belleville early on June 22. He was hauling a refrigerated trailer full of chicken. Chicken! It appears he lost his life over a load of chicken.

Is there anything these thieves won’t steal? I have spoken with several drivers at truck shows who have expressed an increased level of concern for their safety. Many know or have worked with a driver who has found himself staring down the barrel of a gun and ordered into the sleeper cab while his load is pillaged.

What can be done about it? These thieves aren’t your typical thug – they can disengage a GPS tracking system in seconds and be on their way. A crackdown on this type of cargo theft is needed before more drivers are killed. Hopefully, when arrests in this case and others are made, the judge will toss the book at them. It should be treated no less severely than a home invasion.

If you have any information about Donald Woods, contact the Durham Regional Police Homicide Unit at 905-579-1520. Detective David Henderson at ext. 5326 or Det. Mitch Martin at ext. 5405 would like to hear from you.

If you can’t help out in that case, please feel free to share your thoughts on the increasing risk of cargo theft and truck hijackings here. I know it’s something that would be on the back of my mind at all times given recent events. Be careful out there.

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Trucking can be a thankless job. The independent nature of trucking means that often nobody is there to witness the little things you do on a daily basis to get your loads where they’re headed on time in a safe and efficient manner.

When the load doesn’t make it on time – often for reasons beyond your control – that’s when you hear about it. Throw into the mix the many tasks that come with owning your own truck and it’s a wonder any loads get delivered. Maintaining your own rig, doing the necessary bookkeeping and running the business is a full-time job unto itself.

That’s why it’s a pleasure to be able to recognize one outstanding owner/operator each year through our annual Owner/Operator of the Year Award. We’ve been doing it for 13 years now and I’ve been fortunate enough to be involved in the process for six of them.

It’s always a pleasure to pore through the entries and it’s comforting to know there are some truly remarkable owner/operators out there. Guys and gals who not only find the time to drive day in and day out while managing their own business, but also contribute to their community and help out when called upon at the scene of an accident. Who says truckers are no longer the knights of the highway? They should read through the nominations we receive each year.

I only wish we could award more than one owner/operator per year, as there are many deserving candidates. We’ll be making this year’s presentation Friday night (July 21) at the Fergus Truck Show at about 8:30 p.m. on the main stage. I hope many of you can make it out to help us recognize one of the industry’s finest owner/operators.

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Anti-smoking activist Heather Crowe died on Monday without ever having smoked a cigarette. You may recognize her from the TV commercial where she spoke of her battle with lung cancer – a disease she was stricken with after working in a smoky restaurant for nearly 40 years.

Meanwhile, next week Ontario will essentially become a smoke-free province – in public places at least. The Smoke-Free Ontario Act promises to “ban smoking in all enclosed public places and workplaces as of May 31, 2006, including restaurants, bars, schools, private clubs, sports arenas, entertainment venues, work vehicles and offices.”

Which brings us to trucking. Since your truck is your workplace, will the smoking ban extend to the cab of your truck?

What if you’re an owner/operator? In that case your cab is essentially your home away from home – shouldn’t you be allowed to light up in the privacy of your own cab? Will it depend on whether you’re on- or off-duty? Whether the wheels are rolling or not rolling? It appears the answers to these questions are shrouded in a cloud of smoke.

While the province of Ontario has reported in the media that its anti-smoking law should supercede any federal mandates, the Ontario Trucking Association has argued that the federal rules (which exempt vehicles) should be enforced.

I can imagine how we’ll find out the final answer. You’ll be driving along the 401, minding your own business when one of Ontario’s finest will flash his lights and pull you over. Panic will strike as you wonder if your load has somehow come loose? But nope, the officer will instead hand you a hefty ticket for driving along with the window down with a cirgarette butt dangling from your fingers.

Just what this industry needs – more regulation! Of course, there are times when smoking in trucks should be forbidden. If you’re a company driver and share your vehicle with others, for instance. No amount of air freshener will remove the smell of smoke from the upholstery and non-smokers shouldn’t have to deal with that while on the job. It’s also not unreasonable for a company to enforce a strict no-smoking policy in all its own trucks – after all, who can blame them from wanting to protect the interior from burn marks and smokestains?

As far as the owner/operator is concerned, however, I hope they don’t get burned by this new rule. Stopping on the side of the road several times a day to have a cigarette is not only inefficient – it’s downright dangerous. While the intentions of the Smoke-Free Ontario Act are admirable, I’m of the opinion longhaul truckers should be exempt from this rule.

And this is coming from a non-smoker.

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Trucknews.com and Shell Canada Products are offering visitors to the blog a free Shell ROTELLA SuperRigs 2006 Calendar.

While it may already be March, this calendar is a true collector’s item. It features some of the snazziest work trucks from across North America. The images will truly blow you away. The trucks featured in the calendar were participants in the ROTELLA SuperRigs competition, held at the 75 Chrome Shop in Wildwood, Fla. The calendar features 14 stunning photographs of the trucks, which were shot on location in the Sunshine State.

While the calendar is highly sought after - even with a retail price of $10.95 - Shell Canada Products has made a number of these calendars available for free to visitors to the Trucknews.com blog!

If you would like to receive one, be one of the first 150 people to send your mailing address to me at jmenzies@trucknews.com. Please enter ‘Calendar Offer’ in the subject line. We’ll take care of the rest and Shell will send you this collector’s item.

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I just returned from a couple days in Houghton, Michigan where I had the chance to drive some trucks on hard-packed snow and ice. Driving on snow and ice may not sound like a lot of fun to most of you – but this was a controlled environment and the worst I could do was stick it into a snow bank (which happened, by the way, but fortunately not while I was behind the wheel).

The purpose of the trip was to test first-hand Bendix’s ABS-6 with ESP (an electronic stability system).

I have some experience with electronic stability systems, but this was the first time I had the chance to drive ESP-equipped vehicles myself. Sliding sideways at 35 mph in a mixer truck is not an enjoyable feeling. However, with the ESP system activated, I was able to maintain control of the vehicle when pulling the exact same maneuver. Technology is a wonderful thing!

You have to admire the engineers who work on systems like this. Those involved in cold-weather testing spend weeks at a time working outside in remote regions where the temperature is well below freezing. The weather in Houghton certainly made Toronto feel balmy in comparison.

A full report about the experience will be in the April issues of Truck News and Truck West.

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Well, the weather in Florida is gradually becoming more Florida-like and I think we’ve finally hit the 70s. The news here has also gotten hotter. Two significant announcements have come out of TMC thus far.

Firstly, Volvo announced it will cost about US$7,500 more for a Class 8 tractor in 2007. I had the chance to sit down with Mack president and CEO Paul Vikner yesterday morning and he agreed that the number Volvo threw out there is reasonable. It’s important to remember that it’s not only the cost of the engine that is reflected in that increased purchase price, but also the changes that must be made to the chassis to accommodate the new engines. The good news is – the engines should be fuel-neutral. Of course, much of that depends on application, and more information about that will be available in the April issue of Truck News.

The other major news announced at TMC is that the American Trucking Associations is launching its own speed limiter campaign – one that would see truck speeds mechanically limited to 109 km/h (68 mph) right across the U.S.

There were plenty of critics – myself included – that suggested U.S. carriers would never comply with the OTA’s plan to mechanically limit truck speeds in Ontario. Now, with the ATA launching a similar initiative, things are about to get very interesting.

Having said that, a report down here in the U.S. suggests that American carriers serving Ontario are concerned about the OTA’s proposal to limit truck speeds.

Bill Joyce, president of the New York State Motor Truck Association, told Transport Topics that U.S carriers serving Ontario “will have to pay a repair shop to have the (governor) microchip recalibrated to comply with the rule and have the chip recalibrated again when they cross back into the United States so they can drive the allowed speed limit on roads here.”

I’m not sure that’s true, as I saw a Cummins rep demonstrate how to adjust the governor first-hand and it was a pretty simple process. It took less time than it would take to order a coffee and all he needed was a handheld palm-pilot. But I’m confused as to why the ATA and OTA wouldn’t come up with a common proposal and launch it in unison? Why 105km/h versus 109 km/h and why November versus February? Harmonizing these two policies would have gone a long way towards bringing government onside – but then again, from what most of you are saying, it’s just as well it didn’t happen that way. It will be very interesting to see what driver reaction is from south of the border. Those of you who drive down there can respond to this blog entry and let us know what you think.

The ATA announcement certainly adds a new dynamic to the debate and it will be very interesting to see how it plays out.

A full report about these latest developments will be available in the April issue of Truck News – and we fully expect to have a decision from the Ontario MoT by that time as well.

See ya at the next stop,
James

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Welcome to the Truck News blog! The addition of the blog to trucknews.com not only makes the Web site more interactive, but it will also provide you with a look behind the scenes of Canada's largest trucking newspaper.

In addition to providing thought-provoking industry commentary, we will also share some of our own stories about our experiences covering the industry and a look at the lighter side of the job we do.

I am writing my first blog entry from St. Petersburg, Florida...but you wouldn't know it by the weather. I am here to cover the ATA's Technology and Maintenance Council meetings. If you've never been to TMC, it's quite a show. In fact, technical editor John G. Smith will be accompanying me on the trip to ensure we can properly cover all this show has to offer.

I must admit, I was pleased to hear the show was taking place in Florida. It is February after all, and although there's little time to relax here, the prospect of soaking up a few rays definitely appealed to me. But when the plane landed and they opened the doors a gale-force wind swept through the aircraft. I feared I had mistakenly boarded a flight to Winnipeg. It is cold and miserable outside, but alas, I'm here to work anyways.

There's a lot going on at TMC this year. Many of the industry's top suppliers are hosting press conferences over the next few days. I'm a bit surprised, considering the Mid-America Trucking Show (the industry's favourite venue to debut new products) is just around the corner. I take it as a sign of a healthy industry. Check for updates all week on www.trucknews.com to find out what's new and what's coming up down the road.

As I await the first of these press conferences, the waves are crashing against the shore outside my hotel room. The taxi driver who drove me here said not everyone is upset about the weather. "You should have brought your wet suit," he said. "Surf's up!" Maybe next time I'll check the weather report. One final note about this unseasonable weather we're experiencing here. The same gale-force winds that swept through the plane when the doors were opened made for a hairy landing. A poor kid two rows ahead of me proceeded to fill not one - but two air sickness bags on our descent. It's the first time I've seen one of those things used. I felt bad for the kid, but worse for the poor old codger who happened to be seated next to him.

Well, that's all for now. I hope you check back regularly for updates from the Truck News editorial staff. Despite the weather, this promises to be an exciting week for the industry with plenty of new product announcements expected. In addition, technical guru John G. Smith will be scribbling furiously in his notepad during the technical sessions. The April issue of Truck News and Truck West will carry a full report from him.

See ya at the next stop,
James

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