July 2017 Volume 37, Issue 6
TRUCK NEWS Eastern Canada’s Trucking Newspaper Since 1981
Delivering daily news at trucknews.com
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Head-to-head
Taking to the track
On the road
Yardwork
This year’s Energotest to determine which tire brands are the most fuel-efficient.
We take you on a tour of Daimler’s new test track in Madras, Ore.
Driving the new Volvo VNR regional haul truck on the highway and in the city.
Fleets are spec’ing fancier terminal tractors to improve operator retention. ntion.
Showdown in the Six
RET ADVERTAIL ISING P AGES 39 -
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Top Toronto region truck drivers compete By James Menzies BRAMPTON, ONTARIO Bruce Leonard of J.D. Smith Transport was named grand champion at the Toronto Regional Truck Driving Championships (TRTDC) May 27. Leonard topped the hotly contested tandem-tandem category. The grand champion award is given to the driver who achieves the highest points margin above the average in his or her category. About 33 drivers took part in the driving championships, held at the Powerade Centre in Brampton, Ont. Competing drivers completed a knowledge test, a pre-trip inspection under the watch of a Ministry of Transportation enforcement officer, and then tackled the obstacle course. Five categories were contested: Straight truck; single-single; single-tandem; tandem-tandem; and B-train. The top four drivers from each category will advance to compete in the provincial championships July 7-9, back at the Powerade Centre in Brampton. The Continued on page 16
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J.R. Manning holds son Samuel, whose premature birth inspired his parents to launch the Trucking for Kids show. J.R.’s wife Colleen Manning and their daughter Madison are pictured at right.
Giving back Trucking for Kids show raises big bucks for children’s causes By James Menzies ILDERTON, ONTARIO When Colleen Manning and her family received the help of Ronald McDonald House Charities and the Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre after the premature birth of their son in 2015, she knew she had to give back. And when it came to finding a way to give back, she knew she could rely on trucking. Manning’s husband J.R. is an owner-operator and is well connected with other drivers in the area through social media. With son Samuel fully recovered from arriving here early, the couple set out last year to start a truck show aimed at raising funds for the two charities that helped them out so much. “My husband and I had a premature baby born three weeks early on June 30, 2015,” Colleen Manning told Truck News at the second annual Trucking for Kids show June 10. “He was in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for two weeks. We stayed at Ronald McDonald House because we were an hour from London. That place is phenomenal and all the nurses and staff at the hospital were phenomenal. So, we wanted to give back.” Ilderton, Ont., is now home to one of Ontario’s largest truck shows. In its first year, more than 100 trucks were
on show, and about $30,000 was raised for the two charities. All money raised through the event goes directly to the charities, Manning noted. This year, the show was even bigger, with at least 160 trucks taking part. No awards are presented – it’s all about pride in the profession. “There are no awards at all,” she explained. “It’s just for the drivers to get together and for kids to come out and have fun. We don’t want the politics that go along with awards.” Many of the trucks were from Southwestern Ontario, but there were also some from the Ottawa area. In addition to the truck show, there were kids’ activities, antique cars, food trucks, and vendors. The trucks began rolling into the Ilderton Fairgrounds – just north of London, Ont. – at about 11 p.m. Friday June 9 and many were there through Sunday morning. The organized kids’ activities ran from 11 a.m. till 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 10. Last year’s inaugural fundraiser was a huge success, and while the total collected this year hadn’t yet been tallied by press time, Manning assured it would be far greater than last year. “This year we went into the show with $30,000 already,” she said, attributing the running start to event sponsors. Visitors to the show can make a donation of any size to get past the gates – there’s no set entry fee. TN