Issuu

August 2017 Volume 37, Issue 7

TRUCK NEWS Eastern Canada’s Trucking Newspaper Since 1981

Delivering daily news at trucknews.com

Page 12

Page 27

Page 31

Page 40

Where there’s smoke

Inflation extinction

Run on less

How will you pay?

We examine how the legalization of marijuana has affected trucking in the U.S.

Michelin showcases an airless, rechargeable concept tire that’s fully biosourced.

A special demonstration this fall will highlight how to consume less fuel.

Examining the key considerations when financing your next truck purchase. e.

Experience pays off

RET ADVERTAIL ISING P AGES 41 -

Familiar faces win top spots at Ontario championships By Sonia Straface BRAMPTON, ONTARIO A couple of familiar faces took home the top trophies at the Ontario Truck Driving Championships (OTDC) held at Brampton’s Powerade Centre on July 8. Grand Champion Clary Ward and Highest Points of the Day winner, Preetpal Nijjar, are no strangers to the competition, and in fact, some would even call them the contest’s darlings. Both have been participating in the competition for close to a decade and both took home first place in their categories, singlesingle and tandem-tandem, respectively. “It really feels fantastic,” Ward, who drives for XPO Logistics, said upon winning the Grand Champion award. “It’s the first time for me winning this award and since I’ve been competing for so long, it feels extra nice to finally win it.” Other category winners included: Gerry Morgan, Morgan Firewood, straight truck; Sebastian Tatar, XPO Continued on page 18

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Despite the damp conditions, 260 trucks were on display at the fan-favorite Clifford Antique Truck Show June 30-July 1.

A classic celebration Soggy show grounds couldn’t dampen spirits at the Clifford Antique Truck Show By James Menzies CLIFFORD, ONTARIO Heavy spring rains made swampy grounds of Rotary Park in Clifford, Ont., over the Canada Day long weekend, but the Great Lakes Truck Club Clifford Antique Truck Show went ahead with undampened enthusiasm. The show is a unique showcase that brings together a mix of antique trucks and modern-day show trucks, but the focus is squarely on the older variety. Antique trucks are invited to come as they are, and every year, more of these gems seem to be discovered and put on display. “These guys are building trucks just to come to Clifford,” show coordinator and Great Lakes Truck Club vice-president Verdun Zurbrigg told Truck News. “That’s where this is going. Guys have a place to take it and that’s where we come in. I had one guy bring in a truck who has never shown a truck in his life. He said he’s never had a truck good enough for a show, and I said ‘It’s no problem, just wash it and bring it.’ That’s the type of people we’re targeting.” There are no awards handed out at the show, and it’s just as well. It would be nearly impossible to choose winners and losers among such a vast collection of trucks from all eras. Zurbrigg said there were 260 trucks on dis-

play this year, down slightly from last year when 270 took part, but a good showing considering the iffy weather. Zurbrigg thinks the show would have drawn more than 300 trucks if the weather was more promising in the days leading up to the event and if the show didn’t compete with Canada’s 150th birthday celebrations for attention. Nonetheless, organizers were pleased with the turnout – especially since the show grounds were so soggy. “A week before Saturday, that park was up to your knees in water,” Zurbrigg said. Organizers laid down wood chips to keep pathways navigable and show-goers shed their shoes and soldiered on through the mud to ensure they didn’t miss any of the highlights. Despite the challenges created by the wet spring, Zurbrigg said the show was never in doubt. “We were gonna do’er, it was gonna happen,” he insisted. “The worst thing that can happen is you cancel the event. Then it takes a long time to get it back. We had a plan.” Trucks began rolling into the grounds Thursday, June 29, and continued to arrive through Friday, June 30. The rain, for the most part, let up over the weekend. “We can’t complain. We did well. It could’ve been a lot worse,” Zurbrigg said. “We missed a lot of the rain.” A key attraction this year was the Kenworth Corral, which featured dozens of old Kenworth trucks. Each Continued on page 19

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Inside the Numbers with Lou Smyrlis

RETHINKING RETREADING? Cheap offshores proving a disruptive force in retreading practices Retreading has long been a staple of sound tire maintenance practices. However, the availability of cheap “offshore” tires coming into the North American market from places such as China and India are proving a disruptive force. About 8 in 10 managers responding to our annual Equipment Buying Trends research indicate they have used retreaded tires in their fleets over the past five years and half expect their retread tire use to remain steady over the next five years. However, 30% indicate they would consider using new offshore brand tires instead of retreading their brand name casings.

If retread and an “offshore” tire were the same price which would choose?

YES

22%

78%

Used retreaded tiress U last five years

OFFSHORE

RETREAD

Drive axle position

37%

63%

Trailer axle position

46%

54%

Trend in retread vs new tire use expected next five years

Trend in retread vs new tire use last five years Retread use has remained the same

Follow Lou on Twitter @LouSmyrlis.

Expect use of retreads to remain the same

39% of respondents

50% of respondents

1% Expect to start using retreads

39%

21%

Used fewer retreads than new tires

23%

Used more retreads than new tires

Expect to use fewer retreads

YES

70%

30%

18%

Do not plan on using retreads

YES

32%

W e” Would use “offshore” tires instead of retreading brand name casings?

Expect to use more retreads

68%

Retread “offshore” tire brands?

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4 Truck News • August 2017

TRUCK NEWS

Contents

ISSN 0712-2683 (Print) ISSN 1923-3523 (Online)

Lou Smyrlis Director Business Development 416-510-6881 lou@newcom.ca Kathy Koras Associate Publisher 416-510-6892 kathy@newcom.ca A. (Tony) Hohenadel Publisher - truckandtrailer.ca 416-614-5800 tony@newcom.ca Dan Robinson Director Digital Marketing 416-510-5123 dan@newcom.ca EDITORIAL James Menzies Editor 416-510-6896 james@newcom.ca Sonia Straface Associate Editor 416-510-6890 sonia@newcom.ca

In Every Issue

Derek Clouthier Truck West Editor 403-969-1506 derek@newcom.ca

Marketplace ............ 41-47 Announcements .......... 49

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Carolyn Brimer, Beverley Richards, Michael Chimienti, Tim Norton

Ad Index ....................... 49 Mark Dalton ................. 50

ACCOUNT MANAGERS Anthony Buttino National Accounts Manager 416-458-0103 anthonyb@newcom.ca

Newland Transport ...... 52

Nickisha Rashid National Accounts Manager 416-614-5824 nickisha@newcom.ca Delon Rashid Western Accounts Manager 403-713-1054 delon@newcom.ca Denis Arsenault Quebec Accounts Manager 514-938-0639 ext. 2 denis@newcom.ca Tony Jelicic Regional Accounts Manager 416-614-5813 tonyj@newcom.ca Doug Copeland Regional Accounts Manager 905-715-9511 doug@newcom.ca Paul Beelien Regional Accounts Manager 416-614-5806 paul@newcom.ca Truck News is published monthly by

Newcom Business Media Inc.

CHAIRMAN & FOUNDER: Jim Glionna PRESIDENT Joe Glionna VICE-PRESIDENT Melissa Summerfield Director of Circulation Pat Glionna Subscription Inquiries Lilianna Kantor Phone: 416-614-5815 Fax: 416-614-8861 Email: lily@newcom.ca RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT, TRUCK NEWS 451 ATTWELL DR., TORONTO, ON M9W 5C4 PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40063170 CUSTOMER NO. 4006214

Obituaries

Feature Stories Classics in Clifford

How will you be paying? If you’re in the market for a new truck, how you pay for it is as important as the truck you choose. We examine some options and potential pitfalls for the owner-operator. 40

27-35

If you’re still spec’ing trucks the way you always have, you may be doing it wrong.

Michelin has revealed an airless, rechargeable concept tire, Cummins is working on an electric powertrain, and the first Run on Less demonstration will show fleets and owner-operators how to stretch their fuel consumption.

8-21

Business Michelin’s Movin’ On conference examines sustainable mobility, we look to the U.S. to see how the legalization of marijuana has affected trucking employers, and why the CSA enforcement regime in the U.S. is flawed.

Karen Bowen – Health As a professional driver, your eyesight is one of your most important assets. Karen Bowen discusses cataracts and symptoms you should be looking out for.

Dr. Chris Singh – Health Truck drivers, even those who are sitting for long periods of time while driving long-haul, are susceptible to herniated discs. Dr. Chris Singh has some insights to help keep you off your back.

Al Goodhall – Opinion

Canada Day festivities were not the only events to celebrate our history over the July long weekend. The Clifford Truck Show once again attracted some of the country’s most unique antique trucks. 19

Editorial

The trucking industry recently lost two pioneers, who have both left their mark on the industry through the companies they created.

Equipment

A tire failure in Northern Ontario gives Al some extra time to think, and he discovers that sometimes being disconnected from the world isn’t a bad thing.

Scott Taylor – Tax Talk If you’re an incorporated owneroperator, you must have a separate bank account for your business. Our resident tax expert Scott Taylor explains why this is the case.

Joanne Ritchie – Voice of the O-O Has fake news come to trucking? Joanne takes issue with an O.P.P. release that paints the trucking industry as unsafe and in need of further enforcement.

Mark Lee – Opinion Our intrepid owner-operator, Mark Lee, has taken the plunge and purchased a glider. But it wasn’t an easy process, as Mark explains in this month’s column.

Angela Splinter – Human Resources How well do you know your company’s workforce demographics? Angela Splinter writes that it’s important to not only know who your employees are, but how to create a workplace that appeals to them.

August 2017 • Truck News 5

The shape of trucks to come

You recognize big change when you see it. The new Volvo VNL looks fast even before it starts rolling. On the road, turbo compounding and streamlined aerodynamics help to save up to 7.5 % more fuel. Inside, drivers will notice remarkably enhanced work and living spaces. A new 70-inch sleeper featuring a reclining bunk and telescopic ladder. A game-changing, one-of-a-kind steering wheel, a high-end infotainment system and the most ergonomic seats on the roadâ€”just a few of the innovations deďŹ ning the shape of trucks to come. For a more complete picture, check out the Top 10 Stories at volvotrucks.ca

INTRODUCING THE NEW VOLVO VNL

Editorial

The spec’ing process has evolved, and you must too If you’re still spec’ing trucks the way you used to do it 10 years ago, chances are, you’re doing it all wrong. Powertrains have advanced substantially, especially over the last few years. Smaller engines now produce more power. Faster rear axle ratios improve fuel economy, but increase torque loads on downstream powertrain components, which may need to be fortified. Truck spec’s are being designed for every imaginable application. Go out heavy, come back empty? There’s a spec’ for that. Run light U.S. payloads cross-border? There’s a spec’ for that. Never even considered an 11-liter? In the right application, it may be your best option. But old habits die hard, and many owner-operators still want to spec’ the 600-hp engine they always ran. This topic came up during a recent conversation I had with an Ontario-based dealer rep. He said it drives him nuts when owner-ops come into the dealership and can’t be talked into a more efficient powertrain package than what they’re demanding, simply because they like being the first to the top of the hill. Let’s be real. The cost of a new truck has skyrocketed. You can thank the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for that, as well as the falling value of the Canadian dollar. We all know rates haven’t kept pace with this increase in

costs. So, how can you afford not to spec’ the most efficient truck possible for your application? When it comes time to spec’ a new truck, I urge you to speak with a knowledgeable dealer representative. The OEMs have vast engineering departments and have invested a truckload of money into equipping dealers with the tools they need to spec’ out trucks for optimum efficiency and performance. No, they may not get you up the hill the fastest, but they’ll ensure you have more money in your wallet when you get there. You don’t have to be a large fleet with servers full of big data at your disposal to figure out your costs and to spec’ a truck that will maximize

operator in Mississauga can respond to a Kijiji ad listed in Saskatchewan for a dump truck with a price that’s too good to pass by. You bring the truck to Ontario only to find it’s illegal to operate here, because the lift axle’s in the wrong position or the weight distribution won’t allow for full payloads. Then what? This is where a knowledgeable dealer can once again play a valuable role in the buying process. Trucks – and especially their powertrains – have undergone major advances over the course of the past few years. Old rules about spec’ing don’t always apply anymore. The next time you’re in the market, do yourself a favor, and ask for help in determining the right spec’ for your application. Do so with an open mind and you may not end up with the truck you thought you would, but you’ll likely be happier with it in the end. TN

your profits. The dealers can help you with this, and to not take advantage of that free service is shortsighted. Even the savviest owner-operator can’t stay on top of all the advances in powertrain design on their own. There’s no shame in asking an expert for help. Another common pitfall that came up in this conversation, and others I’ve had with dealers, is that many truck buyers are making purchases online only to find the truck is illegal in the jurisdiction they plan to run. It has become so easy to buy trucks online. A trucker in Quebec can be sitting at his computer and bidding in real-time on trucks at an auction in Alberta. An owner-

James Menzies can be reached by phone at (416) 510-6896 or by e-mail at james@newcom.ca. You can also follow him on Twitter @JamesMenzies.

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August 2017 • Truck News 7

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Business

Roundabout solution A quick response in Nova Scotia will keep the oversize loads rolling By Carroll McCormick TRURO, NOVA SCOTIA After some oversize load drivers found that they could not get through a nearly-finished roundabout just off the Trans-Canada’s Exit 12 between Truro and Amherst this June, a productive meeting with representatives from the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal (TIR) resulted in a simple solution. “It is excellent that they came forward and that we could react. In this case, we were not made aware of these vehicles. We had the solution, we just had to know where to apply it,” says Keith Boddy, senior highway design engineer with TIR. The roundabout, the province’s 32nd, is at the junction of the old Trunk 4 and a connector crossing the Trans-Canada. It was installed to slow Trunk 4 traffic to safer speeds and reduce the risk of high-speed collisions. The intersection is near the Double C Truck Stop, a favorite haunt for truckers, and a safe haven for drivers of oversize loads looking for a place to park. The 60-meter inscribed circle diameter of this roundabout was designed to accommodate a 53-ft. trailer hauled by a tractor with a sleeper. “We allow for it to be on asphalt all the time,” Boddy says. While even longer trailers could go ’round and ’round the roundabout all day long, some drivers found that their super long trailers, like those hauling wind turbine blades, could not negotiate the exit that would let them reach the Double C. While trucks operating with special permits are responsible for scoping out drivable routes, in this case, the Double C got involved, and elevated the problem beyond being just a one-off pain, to a design issue that had to be fixed. Following a meeting this June at the Double C with TIR representatives, TIR staffers went back to their computers and tweaked the exits. With some truck configuration information in hand from the trucking representatives at that meeting, TIR quickly figured out what to do. “I think we used a 110-ft. trailer (in the modeling software) as the maximum length usually going through there. They gave us a couple of configurations, and my co-work-

8 Truck News • August 2017

ers built it into the modeling software,” Boddy says. The solution was to add what is sometimes called grass stone on parts of the exits’ shoulders. These are honeycombed blocks with the strength to handle a lot of weight, but with holes through which grass can grow. It is standard to put grass stone in the center of roundabouts as an override surface for long trucks. Not many were needed, as the computer simulation showed just where the long trailers’ wheels would drop off the asphalt. After examining how trucks passed through the roundabout, TIR crews applied the grass stone treatment to a number of locations, including two exits and three entrances. Peter Ross, dimensional load manager for TDR Transport in Dartmouth, N.S., was skeptical that the improvements would do the trick, and sure enough, the rumor mill lurched into gear when, a few days later, an oversize load being delivered by Transport Bellemare International from the Ceres Terminal in Halifax to Ottawa was not allowed in the roundabout. A quick call to Serge Turcotte, chief dispatch, oversize transport, Transport Bellemare International put the rumor out of its misery. On that day, contractors were diverting

all traffic away from the roundabout because they were paving. “When we arrived at the place, it was in construction,” Turcotte says. The asphalt was really fresh. Every car was routed through the Masstown Market. “For us it went very well.” Turcotte also noted, “Our guy told us that the roundabout is small… (but) all roundabouts are complicated for us. You can take every roundabout from Halifax to Thunder Bay, and you will have difficulties. We used to pass through Mattawa, in Ontario, without difficulty. Then they built a roundabout and now we have difficulties.” Truckers in Nova Scotia should not be shy about getting in touch with TIR when they spot issues of concern. “The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewa l work s closely w ith industry,” Boddy says. “We welcome the interaction, as a design group and as a department. For us to effectively communicate with (the trucking industry) before a design is very difficult. We are a small shop and can deal with these things quickly, because we do the work in-house. We can take a query, and within a day there are 10 sets of eyes on it, and have a solution out the door.” TN

THIS MONTH’S CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Female drivers honored with salute at Atlantic Truck Show By Sonia Straface MONCTON, NEW BRUNSWICK The second annual Canadian Salute to Women Behind the Wheel took place at this year’s Atlantic Truck Show in Moncton, N.B. on June 10. The salute honors female truck drivers for their hard work and dedication to the truck driving profession. The first ever salute was in 2009 at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky. But now, with the help of Joanne Ritchie of the Owner-Operators’ Business Association of Canada (OBAC) together with the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association (APTA), the Trucking Human Resources Sector Council, and Women in Trucking, the salute promises to be an annual event at select industry trade shows. This year in Moncton, a total of 16 female drivers with 300 years of combined experience were celebrated and honored with donated gifts. But according to Ritchie, the event is much more than a way to give thanks to these drivers, it’s a way to encourage more women to enter the industry.

Sixteen female drivers took part in the second annual Canadian Salute to Women Behind the Wheel. “It’s refreshing to see more and more women joining the industry over the years and I think this trend will continue,” Jean-Marc Picard, executive director of the APTA said. “It can’t be easy for women to join such a male-dominated industry but kudos to those who broke down that barrier…and it’s because of initiatives like this. We are in full support of the salute and Joanne’s initiative.” TN

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August 2017 • Truck News 9

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Business

The next automotive revolution Movin’ On to return to Montreal By James Menzies MONTREAL, QUEBEC Canada is on the brink of an automotive revolution, the likes of which hasn’t been seen since the introduction of the automobile. That was the opinion of Marc Garneau, Canada’s transportation minister, when speaking June 13 at Michelin’s Movin’ On conference on mobility and sustainability. Garneau pointed out that in 1908, not everyone was happy about the arrival of cars in this country. In fact, in P.E.I., cars were initially banned, and eventually allowed to operate on only Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The ban was partially lifted in 1913, and prohibition there was fully lifted in 1919. But opponents to the automobile were fearful of the noise, smoke, and collisions cars brought. Garneau said similar fears today over autonomous vehicles must be overcome. In the early 1900s, government played a role in facilitating automobiles. “Roads had to be paved, parking spaces created, traffic laws enacted, and drivers educated to take more care,” Garneau said of those early days. “The automobile brought us an unprecedented degree of freedom, comfort, and convenience.” Likewise, government must now play a role in accommodating autonomous vehicles. “We are going to see smart vehicles on smart roads in smart cities,” Garneau said. “We are going to see seamlessly integrated multimodal systems with traffic flow management systems to optimize efficiency.” Garneau acknowledged, “Realistically, these new vehicles will bring new challenges, including some we can’t even see clearly right now. For example, how will we manage the transition from non-automated to fullyautomated vehicles when both types of cars are on the roads? It will be as confusing as the time when horsedrawn carriages and early automobiles competed for the right of way.” Garneau said autonomous vehicles will have to be able to respond to unforeseen circumstances, such as cargo falling on the road or wildlife on the highway. “What is government’s role in all this?” Garneau queried. “It is our duty to have a modern and efficient road system which will safely integrate novel technologies.” To this end, Garneau said the feds have already presented a strategic plan for the future of transportation, dubbed Transport 2030. It is also tasking Transport Canada with updating regulations and infrastructure to accommodate autonomous vehicles and new transport technologies. The government has also invested $1.26 billion into a five-year strategic innovation fund. “Connected and automated vehi-

cles will have many benefits besides convenience,” he said. “Most accidents are caused by human error, so in theory, if you reduce the human factor, you will reduce the number of accidents and as minister of transport, this concerns me greatly. It will also improve efficiency and environmental performance, and has the promise of reducing congestion and therefore pollution.” Among these emerging technologies Garneau touched on was truck platooning, which he said has the potential to reduce fuel consumption by up to 14%. “That’s important when you consider almost a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada are produced by the transportation sector and most of those emissions come from cars and trucks,” he said. Garneau also said the federal government, along with its provincial and territorial counterparts, will do more to promote the use of zero emissions vehicles. “Putting more zero emissions vehicles on our roads is essential in our drive towards the decarbonization of transportation and clean roads future,” he said, noting today only one in 200 cars bought is emissions-free, largely because they’re more expensive. TN

MONTREAL, QUEBEC Movin’ On, a sustainable mobility conference hosted by Michelin and attended by about 4,000 people in June, will return to Montreal in 2018. The company made the announcement upon closing the inaugural edition here June 15. Pete Selleck, chairman and president, Michelin North America, touched on the company’s Canadian connection during a speech to visiting journalists. He noted Michelin expanded into Canada before the U.S., after a chance encounter on a flight between Robert Manuge, an economic development officer with the province of Nova Scotia, and a lady whose husband worked for a Michelin subsidiary. She hinted Michelin was looking to expand into North America and Manuge reached out to Michelin leadership to promote Nova Scotia as an ideal destination, Selleck related. “A meeting occurred, and in the years following, Michelin opened three plants in the province of Nova Scotia,” Selleck said. “It was only after our success in Canada that Michelin chose to move into the U.S.” Today, Michelin is focusing on sustainable mobility, which it considers to be among its core values. Claire Dorland Clauzel, Michelin Group executive vice-president, brands and external relations, said 70% of the global population will live in cities by the year 2050. “The need for mobility is increased everywhere in the world,” she said, adding road transport will triple, or possibly quadruple, by 2050 compared to 2010. “Mobility drives economic progress,” she added. “It’s not a matter of reducing mobility, but instead, of mitigating its impact on society and the environment.” Selleck said one way Michelin is achieving this is by designing more fuel-efficient tires with lower rolling resistance. It designed its first “energy” tire more than 20 years ago, Selleck explained, adding 93% of the environmental impact a tire incurs is while in use due to rolling resistance. “One tank of every three used by a heavy truck is used simply to overcome the rolling resistance of the tires,” he said, adding Michelin has reduced rolling resistance by more than 25% since the launch of its first energy tire, reducing fuel consumption by more than 4.5 billion gallons. TN

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12 Truck News • August 2017

Smoke signals With legalization of marijuana looming, we look into the U.S. experience By Derek Clouthier DENVER, COLORADO Whether you agree with the legalization of marijuana or are against it, most would agree that for those in the transportation industry, safety managers will have to be on high alert when the substance becomes legal. Many companies south of the border know all too well the challenges that come with the legalization of marijuana, but for Peninsula Truck Lines from Federal Way, Wash., the process has been made easier due to the staff it has on-board. “We employ good people who understand the implication of drug use as a CDL driver and for other safety-sensitive positions,” said Curt Burhenn, safety director for Peninsula Truck Lines. “We have been a very fortunate company in our ability to hire great professionals who understand the dangers of drug use, not just because it is off limits as federally regulated employees. We have historically had a very low occurrence of positive drug tests and that trend has not changed with the legalization of marijuana.” Despite Peninsula’s success in circumventing issues surrounding marijuana use, Burhenn admitted he was against the substance’s legalization. “I think legalization of a federally controlled substance in just certain states opens the door to a lot of confusion, and being in a federally controlled industry makes drawing the line even more challenging,” said Burhenn. “This also opens the door to possible attempts for federal legalization, which would have far greater negative implications on the trucking industry.” In Colorado, where marijuana is also legal, Patti Gillette, vice-president of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, said education of drivers was an initial concern. “We were concerned that drivers would think they could use marijuana products since it was not going to be illegal, and put their jobs and future livelihood at risk,” Gillette said. And at first, this concern did become a reality, with a huge uptick in positive drug screenings from commercial drivers. “Unfortunately, that resulted in many drivers losing their jobs and having to complete a substance abuse program as mandated by the Federal Department of Transportation,” said

Gillette. “That has since fallen off with outreach and education.” Gillette said concerns remain over impaired driving, an issue she feels is one without a current solution. “The difficulty with that is there does not exist a good roadside tool to measure marijuana impairment,” she said. “Accident statistics have trended up, but it is unclear how much is due to marijuana impairment versus distractions, or other factors, but in speaking offline with law enforcement, the officers believe there is a strong correlation.” Sheri Call, executive vice-president of the Washington Trucking Association, said the legalization of marijuana has made it more difficult to find “clean drivers.” “It is already tough as is to attract new people to the industry and our driving labor force is suffering because of it, then you add an element such as legal marijuana and it just makes it tougher, nearly impossible to attract drivers,” Call said. “In the U.S., it is illegal federally; our drivers are subject to federal rules, so it’s not just a matter of company policy.” Burhenn said though he is not familiar with Canadian regulations regarding the use of marijuana, companies in the U.S. have a right to be drug-free, which includes placing a prohibition on the use of cannabis. “I would say, check the laws to see if you can do so,” he said, “and then implement an in-house drugfree policy.” Peninsula has always enforced a company policy on federally controlled substances, including alcohol and marijuana, which states no use within four hours of reporting for duty, and with regards to alcohol, be within federal limits. These rules fall within U.S. regulations and are not simply a company policy. Peninsula reinforced its policy following the legalization of marijuana in the state of Washington to remind its employees that the substance was still federally controlled and off limits. “Our policy in short is that a confirmed positive drug test result of any federally controlled substance will result in termination of employment,” Burhenn said. “Marijuana is no exception.” One of the major hurdles in dealing with the possible legalization of marijuana in Canada is the absence of an impairment testing method, which has not yet been developed. Dr. Melissa Snider-Adler, chief medical review officer for DriverCheck, advised during a Private Motor Truck Council of Canada (PMTC) session in Calgary, Alta., that companies should look at the issue the same as they would with alcohol, and take a zero-tolerance approach. The PMTC has noted that in Colorado, where marijuana is legal, marijuana-related traffic deaths have increased 32% in one year, 92% from 2010 to 2014, and marijuana toxicol-

ogy results for DUIs (driving under the influence) have risen 45% in the past year. For Peninsula, drivers are all on a federally-mandated drug and alcohol testing program, and there is no choice in the matter. The company also does random testing on anyone doing safety-sensitive work, such as forklift drivers, anyone loading trucks, and mechanics. As for office workers, only those subject to safety-sensitive work are on a random testing program. “However, any apparent use of drugs or alcohol during work hours is not acceptable even for office staff,” said Burhenn. Canada’s federal government said despite concerns from some provinces and those in the industry, it plans to move ahead with the legalization of marijuana by July 2018. TN

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August 2017 • Truck News 13

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Business

Bison, Maxim raise big bucks WINNIPEG, MANITOBA Maxim Truck & Trailer and Bison Transport collectively raised more than $360,000 during the Challenge for Life 20-kilometer walk for charity June 10. Maxim’s efforts were led by company CEO Doug Harvey, with 90 employees taking part in the event as walkers and volunteers, raising more than $200,000 for CancerCare Manitoba. “I’m proud of the staff, customers, suppliers, and friends who continually support and participate in activities that give back to our community,” said Harvey. “Giving back is part of our culture at Maxim.” Bison Transport raised more than $162,000 through corporate fundraising, a charity barbecue, and personal initiatives in support of CancerCare Manitoba. More than 110 employees and family members registering to either walk 20 kms, or work for 200 minutes. It was the eighth year the Blazing Bison team participated in the fundraising event, and has raised more than $860,500 over that time. “I’m extremely proud of our team at Bison for once again stepping up in support of such an important cause,” said Rob Penner, president and CEO of Bison. “At Bison, part of our core values are to foster a spirit of family, fun and giving back, and it’s events such as the Challenge for Life that really exemplify these values.” Challenge for Life started in 2008 and has garnered nearly $9 million to help battle cancer and support patients at CancerCare Manitoba. TN

Driver turnover remains low in U.S. ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA Driver turnover at U.S. truckload fleets rose slightly in the first quarter, while remaining at historically low levels, according to the latest stats from the American Trucking Associations (ATA). “The slight uptick in turnover, despite weak freight volumes in the first quarter, may be indicative of a tightening in the driver market,” said ATA chief economist Bob Costello. “The situation bears watching because if the freight economy picks up significantly, turnover will surely accelerate – as will concerns about the driver shortage.” Driver turnover at large U.S. truckload fleets rose 3% to 74%, down about 15% from this time last year. The turnover rate at small truckload fleets rose 2% to 66%, a 22% decrease from this time last year. Turnover at less-than-load carriers remained low, rising 2% to 10%. TN

August 2017 • Truck News 15

Business

Report finds FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System flawed WASHINGTON, D.C. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released its long-awaited review of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Safety Measurement System (SMS) June 27 and concluded that several features of the system need improvement. The 132-page mandated report outlines a number of recommendations for the SMS. The report recommends that “over the next two years, FMCSA should develop a more statistically principled approach for the task, based on an item response theory (IRT) model – an approach that has been applied successfully in informing policy decisions in other areas such as hospital rankings. If the model is then demonstrated to perform well in identifying motor carriers that need interventions, FMCSA should use it to replace SMS.” The review also found major flaws in a number of data quality issues. The report recommends the FMCSA should work together with states and agencies to improve the collection of data on vehicle miles traveled and crashes, since this data is often missing. “FMCSA should investigate ways of collecting data that will likely benefit the recommended methodology for safety assessment,” the report reads. “This includes data on carrier characteristics – including information on driver turnover rate, type of cargo, method and level of compensation, and better information on exposure.” The review argued that compensation levels are relevant because it is known that drivers who are paid well have fewer crashes. Those who conducted the review were unable to recommend whether SMS percentile rankings should be part of the public domain. American Trucking Associations (ATA) officials were pleased with the review, saying it confirmed much of what the association has been advocating about the program for a while. “We appreciate the work the National Academies of Science has done in helping motor carriers, FMCSA and the general public learn about the limitations of CSA,” said ATA president and CEO Chris Spear. “This report has confirmed much of what we have said about the program for some time: the program, while a valuable enforcement tool, has significant shortcomings that must be addressed and we look forward to working with FMCSA to strengthen the program.” Specifically, ATA said the study validates the trucking industry’s concerns about the inclusion of certain types of violations in the CSA system, that geographic enforcement disparities can have a signifi-

cant impact on carriers’ scores, and that the collection and use of clean inspections is critical to the accuracy of the program.

“It’s a moment in time where perhaps, a less combative, more inclusive partnership can be developed and we can re-boot from the very controversial launch of CSA in 2010.” – Steve Bryan, Vigillo ATA director of safety policy Sean Garney added: “We also see great potential in the Academies’ recommendation that FMCSA overhaul the current CSA methodology in favor

of a new, more adaptive, data-centric model with the potential to address serious flaws in the system. To maximize CSA’s potential, there is an urgent need to address issues regarding data sufficiency and accuracy – specifically when looking at crash and carrier exposure data. Until more study – and correction – of these issues is complete, ATA strongly believes FMCSA should continue to keep CSA scores out of the public domain.” Steve Bryan, president of Vigillo, a SambaSafety company that offers fleets insights into their CSA performance, offered up his comments June 29. “I hope the FMCSA accepts the recommendations of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering,

and Medicine (NAS) and seriously begins to work on the next phase of CSA, or whatever we call it,” Bryan said. “FMCSA must strike a more collaborative relationship with the industry, and demonstrate absolute transparency in how they are collecting, analyzing, and taking action on this new data model. NAS suggests that outside experts be hired, perhaps from academia, maybe there are some of us in the industry that know a little about this too. It’s a moment in time where perhaps, a less combative, more inclusive partnership can be developed and we can re-boot from the very controversial launch of CSA in 2010.” The full report can be downloaded at: http://tinyurl.com/csa-report. TN

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Trucking Championships

Results of the Ontario Truck Driving Championships Continued from page 1

BIG NEWS ABOUT THE HUSKYPRO CARDLOCK NETWORK

Forty-four drivers participated in the Ontario Truck Driving Championships on July 8 at Brampton’s Powerade Centre. Above, a driver weaves his way through the serpentine obstacle.

Clary Ward (left) took home the Grand Champion trophy. Logistics, single-tandem; and Stephen Hughes, Canada Cartage, B-train. Rookie of the Year went to Waste Management’s Norman Doyon. All 44 drivers participating on July 8 had a long day of testing. First, they had to take a written exam, then they had to find planted defects on a truck while being watched over by a Ministry of Transportation (MTO) officer. Finally, contestants had to weave their way through a tight obstacle course, consisting of a serpentine, an alley dock, and diminishing cones, among other things. Having competed at the event so often, repeat competitors like Ward and Nijjar could tell whether or not they had a winning run. “I was pretty confident after my run, that I would place first in tandem-tandem,” Nijjar said. “But winning highest points of the day was a surprise. It really was the gravy on top.” The same went for Ward, who was shocked he won grand champion honors. “I felt I had a really good, clean run without many errors so I thought I would be up in there,” he said. “I was surprised to get Grand Champion because today I did struggle on the alley dock. It was harder this year, but I’m happy I won.” This year, the provincials were a little different since all drivers went into the competition knowing this was the furthest they could go. Earlier in the year, it was announced that the National Truck Driving Championships, which were to be held in Manitoba, had been canceled. Rob Jackson, president and chairman of the OTDC committee, said the cancelation is only “for this year” and that he will work tirelessly to get these drivers competing further. “I’ll have meetings with the national committee for next year to see if they’re going to hold it,” he said. “If they’re not, I’m going to talk to the United States and see about joining down there. My idea is, I’d like to make it a North American competition, but we’ll see what happens with the national committee. Obviously, I’d like nationals to happen next

18 Truck News • August 2017

Preetpal Nijjar (right) won the Highest Points of the Day. year, it’s my first priority. But if they’re not going forward with it, then I’ll be going to the U.S. committee and see if we can get our drivers in there. “This isn’t going to stop. I’ve been with the committee for 25 years, so the only thing that will change is where the drivers will go from provincials, if they go to nationals or if they go to a North American competition.” For Ward, knowing this was the highest honor he could get this year, was a little bittersweet. “I feel it puts a damper on things, because I always liked making it to the nationals,” Ward said. “Sometimes, it can be your year too, so that’s discouraging. Hopefully next year they’ll be back.” Nijjar, who drives for JD Transportation, also stated his disappointment in the news, saying that the championships are good for the industry as a whole. “These championships should be happening in every part of the country,” he said. “It encourages drivers to polish their skills and compete with other professionals. I also find it helps spread the word and overall, it helps road safety too.” Despite the cancelation, Jackson said that participation in the provincials has gone up and sponsors are still holding strong. “The cancelation hasn’t affected turnout or numbers this year at all,” he said. “We still have a great turnout in terms of entrants. We have lots of sponsorships and companies involved and the drivers are still really excited to participate this weekend. Because other provinces do what they do, it doesn’t mean Ontario isn’t going to keep going strong.” And that’s good news for competitors who look forward to the weekend each and every year. “My favorite part about competing every year, is coming out and meeting new people and seeing the guys who are out here year after year,” Ward said. “They become your friends and I always look forward to seeing them and competing.” TN

Truck Shows

The classics come to Clifford Continued from page 1

year the show focuses on a different truck brand in the corral. While it hasn’t yet been decided, there’s talk of featuring the ‘Big 3’ – G.M., Ford, and Chrysler – next year. White remains to be featured, and then, the cycle will likely start over with Mack, Zurbrigg hinted. “Those feature trucks are pretty good,” he said. “People love that.” Highlighting a different truck make each year also helps attract first-time attendees and their trucks, who usually return each year thereafter. While some of the newer show trucks added sparkle to the event – and provided a neat juxtaposition against the muddy backdrop – Zurbrigg said the show is really a celebration of antique trucks, though show trucks won’t be turned away. “This is all about the old trucks,” he said. “This is what we’re about, that’s what we’re known for, is our old trucks.” He also said the focus on older trucks attracts a different crowd than other shows, with rowdiness strictly discouraged.

“People are so happy here. It’s so laid back,” Zurbrigg said. “This is a big get-together and that’s the way we’ll keep it.” The show is also home to some wheeling and dealing. Several trucks on display changed hands over the weekend. “Last year, we sold seven trucks at that show,” Zurbrigg noted. And every truck, it seems, has a story behind it. As an example, Zurbrigg pointed to the ‘Dirty Dozen’ antique Peterbilt, which appeared in Smokey and the Bandit II. “You won’t find too many trucks there that don’t have a story to them,” he said. About 1,425 visitors attended the show – entry fee was only $5 – on Saturday, July 1. “If the weather would ’ve cooperated, I think we would’ve had a lot more people,” said Zurbrigg. “But I can’t say anything bad about it.” For more information on the truck show, visit www.GreatLakesTruckClub.com. TN

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Road Today Show promotes road safety, recognizes Del Duca’s efforts BRAMPTON, ONTARIO The ninth annual Road Today Show was held at the Brampton Soccer Centre May 27, with a focus on road safety. The City of Brampton proclaimed the date Road Safety Challenge Day, and the safety theme was on display at the show. “We are encouraging people to be safe, to have their selfie taken with a pledge to leave their phone alone, because distracted driving is a huge problem,” show organizer Manan Gupta told Truck News. He noted the Ministry of Transportation booth was busy all day, raising awareness about existing and impending legislation. “We are trying to remove those apprehensions,” Gupta said. “Education is always key to the community.” The show featured supplier exhibits, fleet recruitment, and children’s activities. There were also safety demonstrations and equipment on display. Also at the show, Ontario’s Transportation Minister, Steven Del Duca, received the Road Today 2017 Leadership Award. Del Duca was recognized for his dedicated public service, community involvement, commitment and vision towards promoting road safety in Ontario. He was also acknowledged for the leadership in creating better opportunities for a safer & thriving trucking industry since appointed Ontario’s Minister of Transportation in 2014. TN

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August 2017 • Truck News 19

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Business

Exhibit space for inaugural NACV show 98% booked

Canada, U.S. freight volumes strong in May

ATLANTA, GEORGIA The inaugural North American Commercial Vehicle Show (NACV) has added Peterbilt and Kenworth dealers to its roster. The exhibition space is now more than 98% booked, organizers say. “Kenworth and Peterbilt dealers understand that the NACV Show is the foremost North American gathering place for anyone involved in the business of commercial vehicles,” said Larry Turner, president and CEO of Hannover Fairs USA and co-organizer of the NACV Show. “Securing all the leading brands on the show floor to showcase their latest innovations reinforces our vision for this new and important industry event.” President of Newcom and co-organizer of the NACV Show Joe Glionna said, “We expect North American fleet decision makers, leaders, and influencers to convene at the show to not only learn about the newest and latest innovations from the leading manufacturers but to meet, network, and conduct business onsite.” The NACV Show is open to the press only on Sunday, Sept. 24 and is open to exhibitors and their guests only on Monday, Sept. 25. General admission for fleet decision makers is on Tuesday Sept. 26 through Thursday, Sept. 28. More info on the show is available at www.nacvshow.com. TN

TORONTO, ONTARIO Freight volumes in Canada and the U.S. were strong in May. TransCore Link Logistics saw spot market freight volumes climb 31% year-over-year in May, reaching the second highest level ever recorded in the month of May. They were 17% better than April 2017. Intra-Canada loads accounted for 27% of the volume, reflecting a 40% improvement from 2016. Loads leaving Canada to the U.S. were also up 30% and loads entering Canada climbed 29% year-over-year. TransCore reported a truck-to-load ratio of two to one, down from 2.84 trucks chasing each load over the same period last year. In the U.S., the American Trucking Associations (ATA) reported for-hire truck tonnage increased 6.5% in May. That marked a 4.8% improvement year-over-year, the largest y-o-y gain since November. “After three straight declines totaling 2.6%, truck tonnage snapped back in May,” said ATA chief economist Bob Costello. “One month does not make a trend, but the nice gain last month fits more with the anecdotal reports I’ve been hearing from fleets, at least more so than three straight months of decreases. Despite the robust jump in May, I still expect moderate growth going forward as key sectors of the economy continue to improve slowly.” TN

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Health Preventive Maintenance

Keep an eye out for cataracts As a professional driver, your vision is one of your greatest assets Good eyesight is vital for a truck driver. Yet, the hours spent peering through your windshield day after day in both sunny and snowy conditions does affect the health of your eyes and increases your risk of developing cataracts. Cataracts are responsible for half the blindness and one third of vision impairment throughout the world. When a cataract forms, it causes the usually clear lens of your eye to become cloudy. Your lens, the clear part of the eye that lies behind the iris and the pupil, helps focus light or an image on the retina. The lens is composed of mostly water and protein, precisely arranged to remain clear, which allows light to pass through. To enable you to clearly see objects up close and far away, your lens adjusts to focus. In a healthy eye, light passes through the transparent lens to the retina – light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye – where the image is recorded and changed into nerve signals that are sent to the brain for interpretation. For the retina to receive a sharp, distinct image, the lens must be clear. If a lens becomes cloudy from a cataract, this image becomes blurry.

Cataracts usually develop slowly as the protein begins to clump together and form a small cloudy area in the lens. People with cataracts perceive images as though looking through a frosty or fogged-up window, making it difficult to drive a vehicle (especially at night), read, and/ or complete any detailed tasks. In the early stages, this condition won’t affect your vision. However, advanced cataracts make driving and completing other visiondependent tasks impossible. With cataracts, even before your lens becomes noticeably cloudy, your vision may be affected as follows: blurry or cloudy images; less vibrant colors; deteriorating night vision; double vision; spots or dots appearing in your vision; multiple images in one eye; glare, where headlights, lamps and/or sunlight seem too bright; difficulty focusing on reading materials; and/or frequent changes in eyeglass or contact lens prescriptions. Since these symptoms can also indicate other eye problems, I recommend that you check with your eye care professional to ensure your vision meets the standard for a professional driver.

Most cataracts are related to the regular effects of aging, but eye trauma, radiation exposure, skin diseases, and medications can also contribute to their development. Cataracts occur more frequently in people with other health issues, too. The following factors increase your risk: excessive exposure to sunlight or glare; diabetes; obesity; family history; inadequate Vitamin C intake; high blood pressure; extended use of corticosteroid medication; smoking; excessive alcohol consumption; and/or previous eye inflammation, injury, or surgery. So far, studies have discovered no way to prevent cataracts from forming, but doctors still recommend the following strategies. Wear sunglasses that block UVB (ultraviolet B) rays, especially when driving. Wear a brimmed hat to shade your eyes from sunlight. Lower your truck’s sun visor to reduce glare and reflected sunlight. Manage personal health concerns (especially diabetes). Quit smoking. Reduce alcohol consumption. Get seven hours of good quality, uninterrupted sleep nightly. Include antioxidant-rich foods in your diet, such as colorful fruits

Karen Bowen is a professional health and nutrition consultant, and she can be reached at karen_bowen@yahoo.com.

and vegetables. As well, research shows that pycnogenol, an antioxidant found in pine bark extract, may help reduce your risk. Unfortunately, once a cataract begins to form, it will continue to develop – no medications effectively treat cataracts. Early symptoms can be resolved with prescription glasses. For advanced cataracts, surgery, a safe, effective remedy, removes the cataract and replaces it with an artificial lens. Because this artificial lens can also correct other eye conditions, such as astigmatism, you may get the additional benefit of no longer requiring corrective lenses. Surgery is generally performed on an outpatient basis using local anesthesia, so you can often go home on the same day as the operation. As a trucker, your livelihood depends on clear vision; keep an eye out for your eye health. TN

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Health Back behind the wheel

Healing and dealing with a herniated disc Truck drivers are vulnerable to disc herniations One of the most common causes of lower back pain in professional truck drivers that I encounter in my clinic is lumbar spine disc herniation. In order to understand this type of injury, itâ€™s a good idea to review the anatomy of a spinal disc. I always tell my patients that a disc is built similarly to a jelly donut. It has a softer, jelly-like center, surrounded by layers of

tougher exterior fibers. A herniated disc occurs when some of the jelly pushes out through a tear in the outer fibers. In most cases, disc herniations are due to everyday wear and tear on the disc, called disc degeneration. As part of the normal aging process, spinal discs tend to lose their elasticity due to decreased water content. This in turn makes the disc

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more prone to tearing or rupturing under stress. Although some disc herniations are caused by a single catastrophic event such as a fall, the vast majority occur gradually. There are several risk factors for disc herniation, the first of which is excess body weight. This causes increased compression and stress on the spinal disc. Secondly, physically demanding driving occupations may increase your risk. Even for long-haul truck drivers, prolonged hours in a seated position put stress on the disc. Finally, some people are genetically predisposed to developing a herniated disc. The symptoms associated with a disc herniation largely depend on the location of the injury. The lower back is the most common location for a disc herniation to occur. However, they can occur in the mid-back and neck on rare occasions. Lower back disc herniations generally cause pain and stiffness in the lower back and buttocks region. If a nerve is compressed by the disc herniation, pain may radiate in the leg and foot. Similarly, pain may radiate into the arm and hand if the disc herniation is in the neck. Numbing and tingling in the upper and lower limbs are also a commonly reported symptom of disc herniations. In more severe cases, muscle weakness may be experienced in the areas supplied by the affected nerves. It is important to note that not all disc herniations are symptomatic. In some instances, individuals have disc herniations without knowing it. It is important to seek medical attention if you suspect you have a herniated disc. Your doctor will usually be able to diagnose a disc herniation by taking a detailed medical history and performing a physical examination. During the examination, your doctor will check your reflexes,

Dr. Christopher H. Singh runs Trans Canada Chiropractic at the 230 Truck Stop in Woodstock, Ont. He can be reached at 519-421-2024.

muscle strength, and your sense of touch. If necessary, your doctor may recommend more sophisticated tests such as an MRI or CT scan to better visualize the affected disc. These tests will allow your doctor to determine the severity of the herniation, as well as whether it is contacting a spinal nerve. In addition, a nerve conduction test may be performed to assess the level and location of the nerve injury. The good news is that most disc herniations resolve within a few weeks with conservative treatments. Treatment usually consists of rest and over-the-counter medications such as Ibuprofen. Your doctor may also prescribe a muscle relaxant and pain medication. If the disc herniation does not heal within a few weeks, physical therapy may be recommended. In rare cases, surgery is required to fix a herniated disk. The most common type of surgery involves removing the small portion of the disc that is protruding. Patients tend to recover from this type of surgery quite well. As I always say, prevention is the best treatment. As far as discs are concerned, maintaining good spinal f lexibility and strength is key. This can be accomplished by performing a regular stretching and strengthening exercise routine. Also, utilizing proper lifting techniques that focus on lifting with the legs and not the back is very important. Keep these simple tips in mind and you will be well on your way to maintaining a healthy, pain-free spine. Until next month, drive safely. TN

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the tire during a press conference here. “It’s an airless tire made from biosourced and completely recyclable material. It’s a light, efficient structure, never any downtime, ultimate mobility and never a flat.” Gettys acknowledged the tire is still a concept, yet he said it’s one that’s realistic. “It’s a very realistic dream,” he said. “All the components are currently the topics of active research programs at Michelin and we can deliver on those solutions.” In the absence of air, the Vision tire uses an interior alveolar architecture that can support the weight of the vehicle and its load. Its design isn’t susceptible to explosions or blowouts, Michelin claims. It’s also connected. Gettys said sensors provide real-time information about the tire’s condition. TN

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focus for the company, which will design, develop, and sell current and future automated transmissions for medium- and heavy-duty applications globally. Rumsey also touted the company’s efforts when it comes to alternative fuels, saying, “While we believe it’s important not to lose our focus on the diesel power system, we also recognize the importance of developing alternative energy options.” Cummins has invested in new natural gas technologies for onand off-highway, as well as being ready for any potential moves toward bio-fuels, synthetic fuels, and hydrogen. “Cummins is doing all the right things in the right way,” said Furber. “And we are prepared to disrupt, to grow, and keep becoming better and better.” TN

Cummins to put fully electrified powertrain system on road in 2019 By Derek Clouthier COLUMBUS, INDIANA Cummins has announced it will have a fully electrified powertrain system available for its customers and on the road by the end of 2019. Making the announcement via teleconference June 14, Julie Furber, executive director of electrification business development for Cummins, said in addition to the 2019 release, the company will also unveil a range of extended electric vehicles by 2020. “We believe that we know some things about electrification that maybe others don’t,” Furber said. “The first commercial markets that we see moving are transit bus, pickup-and-delivery, and material handling. And then longer term, we believe that electrified power will come to all of our markets in one way, shape, or form, but not tomorrow, and not next year, despite all the chatter you may be hearing.” Furber said there will be several factors pushing the electrification of vehicles, including regulations on emissions levels and internal combustion engines, demands for noise reductions in urban environments, and increased social pressure and expectations for environmental sustainability.

“We believe that we know some things about electrification that maybe others don’t.” – Julie Furber, Cummins Tom Linebarger, Cummins chairman and CEO, said the company is increasing its investment into electrification, as well as telematics and digital technology, but is also maintaining its investment into diesel, as the company believes the fuel will endure in several markets for years to come. Linebarger did, however, emphasize that Cummins is not simply a diesel engine company, as many have come to recognize it, but rather goes far beyond that. “We are a technology company,” Linebarger said. “Technology, innovation, and empower is what we do. The trucking industry was built on the back of Cummins.” Linebarger said electrification is coming, particularly in the urban market, and that Cummins will not only look internally to bring advanced technologies to customers, but also externally, which is why the company is able to be a leader in electrification, telematics, and digital technology.

“There’s no question that electrification is here,” he said, “and we have real experience in this market. Innovation for long-term growth is our focus today. We will actively look for ways to disrupt ourselves, rather than allow others to disrupt us.” Furber, who leads the company’s electrification unit which was launched earlier this year, said one of the biggest hurdles for electric vehicles in the past was cost, something that has come down in recent years making them a more viable option for many customers. On the diesel engine side, Jennifer Rumsey, chief technical officer for Cummins, said the company’s next generation heavy-duty engine,

which is currently under development, will provide improved efficiency and power from a package that is smaller and lighter than its current X15. She added that Cummins sees an opportunity to provide engines to countries around the world that are looking to improve emissions standards in the coming years. “We believe this continued focus on the engine system is critical,” Rumsey said, “but a broader focus on the power system is necessary to provide a market-leading solution to our customers.” Rumsey highlighted the EatonCummins automated transmissions technology as a key area of

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Seven fleets to participate in Run on Less demonstration ATLANTA, GEORGIA Seven U.S. fleets have signed on to participate in the North American Council for Freight Efficiency’s (NACFE) first Run on Less demonstration. Each fleet is contributing a fuelefficient truck and driver to be tracked for a three-week period in September, as they go about their scheduled deliveries. Their fuel economy will be monitored and regularly posted and the participating fleets and drivers will share insights into how they maximize their fuel economy. The fleets taking part in the Run on Less program represent nearly 11,000 tractors and 26,000 trailers. They include: Albert Transport, PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay division, Hirschbach, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Nussbaum Transportation, Ploger Transportation, and U.S. Xpress. Mike Roeth, executive director of NACFE, said they represent a broad cross-section of the industry, and include an owner-operator, as well as a mix of small-, medium-, and large-sized carriers. “We’re excited to have these top fleets show how business can collaborate and innovate when it comes to efficiency. Collectively, these fleets are leading the way in entrepreneurial solutions to help the trucking industry remain profitable while reducing its emissions,” Roeth said. The trucks will be monitored as they perform in their everyday routines, hauling various product over different types of terrain. The idea is to showcase the various methods employed to maximize fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. Their movements will be tracked and displayed on the new www.RunOnLess.com website, and their fuel efficiency will be recorded and posted. Participating fleets and drivers, as well as event organizers, will also post information on obtaining good fuel economy. Fuel consumption will be measured by sponsor Geotab, which will install its device on all participating trucks. Fuel usage, cruise control usage, idle time, and other details will be recorded and shared. Roeth acknowledged during a conference call to discuss the program that it wasn’t easy to get fleets to sign on and share their trade secrets. “When we started planning the Run on Less road show, that was one of a handful of things people said, ‘I don’t think you can do this, I don’t think fleets will want to share their decisions they’re making on fuel efficiency’,” Roeth said. “We just kept at it and we were able to get these fleets to participate.” Participating trucks include three Freightliner Cascadias, two International ProStars, and two Volvo VNLs. Roeth said it’s expected they’ll achieve about 9 mpg during the demonstration, thanks to fuel-efficient driving techniques and

the use of a variety of technologies. He noted one benefit of participating is that fleets will raise the level of awareness about certain technologies, hopefully bringing economies of scale that will reduce acquisition costs and increase availability. “We are most excited to join Run on Less because we want to demonstrate the success that can be achieved when pairing a trained and educated driver with the latest technologies in fuel efficiency,” said Brent Nussbaum, CEO of Nussbaum Transportation. The Run on Less event will begin in early September, and conclude at the inaugural North American Commercial Vehicle (NACV) show in Atlanta, Ga., Sept. 25-28. TN

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In conversation with Michelin COO Ralph Dimenna By James Menzies MONTREAL, QUEBEC Demand for new truck and trailer tires has been “stronger than anticipated” this year, thanks to strong freight volumes and signs of life in the energy sector, according to Ralph

Dimenna, chief operating officer of Michelin Americas Truck Tires. Dimenna sat down with Newcom Truck Group editorial staff for a wide-ranging discussion at the company’s Movin’ On sustainable mobility conference in Montreal, Que., in mid-June.

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“Overall, we’re optimistic,” Dimenna said of current industry conditions. “We hope to get a little bit of a boost from additional infrastructure spending, that can only help. We’re not counting on it, but nobody will be complaining if it comes.” Michelin began noticing the decline in truck and trailer tire demand – power units, especially – towards the end of 2015. The drop in demand was more severe than expected last year, but the recovery was also faster, Dimenna explained. Dimenna said offshore tires continue to be a factor in the North American market, but that their market penetration seems to have leveled off since about 2015. “Now they represent more or less, one third of the market, and they’ve been sitting in that position over the last couple years,” Dimenna said of offshore tires. “I know from our business, we see people really flock to value as the economic conditions have gotten tough. We haven’t seen any decline in our Michelin brand sales. Where we have seen growth is with the introduction of the Uniroyal brand. In a down market, we took a significant amount of share out of the market with the launch of an intermediate brand, backed by the Michelin Group.”

Ralph Dimenna Uniroyal has been successful, Dimenna said, in part because it promises excellent retreadability for an intermediate brand. And against the backdrop of its Movin’ On conference all about sustainability, Dimenna emphasized the importance of retreading. “We are absolutely believers in the total life-cycle cost of tires,” he said. “When it comes to tires, we absolutely believe in retreadability…We put so much technology into that asset, that to not retread it is simply a misuse of a huge amount of materials.”

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Test He also noted imported tires are generally heavier than those Michelin produces, and when you combine that with potentially poor retreadability, Dimenna said they’re much worse for the environment. “There’s a 10-12 kg difference between a Uniroyal and competing imports and that’s a massive amount of material you’re throwing away if you’re not retreading that tire,” he pointed out. Dimenna said the initial success of the Uniroyal brand in both the U.S. and Canada has exceeded expectations, “in terms of our ability to capture market share in a down market in a segment that wasn’t growing, from competition we haven’t traditionally competed against.” Asked what Michelin gets out of investing so heavily into a conference on sustainable mobility, which covered a broad range of topics reaching far beyond the realm of tires, Dimenna said it’s not necessarily about selling tires, but about inspiring progress. At the closing of the conference, it was announced Movin’ On will return to Montreal in 2018. And who knows what technologies will be on display then? Dimenna said Michelin and the rest of the tire industry is just beginning to tap the potential of technology when it comes to truck tires. “We are nowhere close to seeing the end of technology on tires,” he said.

Dimenna vowed Michelin will continue to develop not only more advanced products, but also services, which are necessary to appeal to an increasingly sophisticated fleet buyer. “It’s all about data,” he said of today’s fleet customer. “Previously, it was all about experience… Now, the new generation says ‘Okay, we’ve experienced your product for 25 years, show me. Tell me. You cost 25% more than that guy, what are you delivering?’ Now, it’s all about data. They are very technologically savvy and they want to be able to buy online and they want service at their fingertips. ‘You told me you guaranteed a road call in 120 minutes and it took 123 minutes, I don’t accept that.’ That, to me, is what is changing. It’s more sophisticated, it’s more demanding. They’re measuring everything. Every truck is connected somehow, every trailer is connected and the savvy operators are bringing in people to analyze that and get information from that and now every conversation is not, ‘Give me a tire I can run from Montreal to Miami and get 300,000 miles on,’ now the conversation is ‘Why am I having more tire failures in Iowa than I do in Nebraska,’ or ‘Why is your dealer in Iowa taking four minutes longer on road calls than your dealer in Nebraska, when they’re the same distance away?’” TN

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Ph: 1-888-564-8161 I Fax: 705-436-9706 I email: recruiting@kelseytrail.com August 2017 • Truck News 35

Insights You say tomato, I say tomahto

Getting the glider on the road The glider has finally hit the road. There were times when I didn’t think it was going to happen. As I wrote before, it all depended on selling my truck. As the deal I was offered as a trade-in wasn’t what I was looking for, it was a huge learning curve and there were some nerve-wracking moments. Trading a truck is always going to come at a cost. You may be

offered top dollar for the trade-in, but then you can’t get such a good price for its replacement. Or, you get a great deal on the new truck, but take a hit on the old one. That’s the nature of the beast; truck sales is all about one thing, making money for the dealer. They’re not going to do anything for free and you shouldn’t expect them to.

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This situation was unusual, in that I wasn’t actually looking at replacing the truck. It was only the fact that the glider was available that the deal happened at all. As much as I wanted a glider, I was also very happy with the truck I had. It had been very reliable, it got decent miles per gallon, and my driver loved it, saying it was the best truck he had ever driven. So, there was no real need for me to replace it. In fact, had I been able to find a good driver for it, I would’ve kept it, but expansion needs to be planned out carefully and being out on the road myself, that was not going to be possible to do in a way I was comfortable with, so it had to go. Fortunately, the market for gliders is very small and I was able to stretch the deal out until I sold my truck for the price I wanted, but that wasn’t a simple process. Finding a buyer was easy enough; I advertised it on one of the truck sales websites and got a bite almost right away. It was the rest of it that kept me awake at night. The buyer had to get his financing in place, I had to deal with my financing both for the sale of the old truck and the purchase of the new truck, and there were constant phone calls I had to make as I was the middle man. I also had to deal with my carrier to get the old truck signed off and the decals and satellite equipment removed from the old truck and installed on the new truck, all while I still had to put miles under the bumper and make sure my driver had a truck to drive when the old one came off the road. It was a crazy couple of weeks and anyone thinking of trading in for a new truck would be wise to work out whether the extra work and time involved in doing things yourself is worth the hassle. It could be a better and cheaper option to drive into

A fourth generation trucker and trucking journalist, Mark Lee uses his 25 years of transcontinental trucking in Europe, Asia, North Africa and now North America to provide an alternative view of life on the road.

a dealer in your old truck and drive out in your new one. So now that I’ve got the glider, what am I expecting to gain compared to a new truck? Quite a lot, actually. As I wrote last month, there are a multitude of benefits, the lack of a Check Engine light being number one in my mind. It’s not that I’m expecting 100% reliability – there hasn’t been a truck made that doesn’t break at some time. However, the pre-emission engines were not so fragile and that’s what I’m concerned about. If I break down now it will be because something has physically broken, not because a piece of electronic wizardry has shut down the whole operation. I’m also expecting residual value to remain strong, not because I plan to sell it, but you never know what’s around the corner. The market for gliders is small, yet the people who do want one are well aware of their value. Plus, it won’t be long before the old-school longnose trucks are no longer available. The day the announcement is made that you can no longer order a new one should increase their value overnight. All trucks are depreciating assets, but long-term I think the glider will hold its value better than anything else. Unless they’re outlawed by legislation at some time in the future, but as far as I’m concerned, this glider is the best truck I could buy. TN

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Insights Human Factors

How well do you know your workforce? Trucking is experiencing a shift in workforce demographics unlike any other industry in Canada. Our ranks are increasingly diverse by age, gender, and culture, and this affects human resources (HR) as you look to hire, train, manage, and retain an entirely new generation of workers. Let’s take a look at some of these trends and how to address them. Aging workforce The average truck driver is now 49 years of age, seven years older than the average worker in Canada. We’re seeing similar trends in other occupations. Managing an aging workforce has its challenges. Older workers are more likely to develop disabilities requiring some form of accommodation in the workplace. They may need to reduce working hours, requiring a re-think of traditional approaches to scheduling. They are also more likely to require training or up-skilling as new technologies or techniques emerge, and you may need to be flexible in order to find a training approach that works best. The effort is worth it. Retaining older employees may require flexibility on your part, but their knowledge, experience, and institutional memory are assets to your business. Millennials While on the topic of f lexible approaches, let’s talk about millennials, people born from the early 1980s through the mid-1990s. Pay attention to what this generation is looking for – and accommodate and manage it – and you will soar above the competition. At Trucking HR Canada, we surveyed young people in trucking to gauge what attracted them in the first place and what it will take to keep them in it. Work-life balance is important. So is career advancement; coaching and mentoring; and investments in training and professional development. This applies to every occupation, from truck driver to safety manager. We also surveyed employers about millennials and were surprised that only 50% have formal initiatives to recruit and retain younger workers. To the other 50%: it’s time to get started. Women in the workforce The low representation of women in trucking is a trend that needs reversing – a challenge for a maledominated industry. We see this particularly in recruiting and retaining truck drivers but also in other occupations as well. The industry needs new approaches in order to ensure that it can reach 50% of the available labor pool. As employers focus on iden-

tifying and addressing barriers that impede women’s interest in our industry, and support their professional success, we will see gradual change. Through our national Women with Drive initiative, we are starting to see some change. Our annual leadership summit has emerged as the go-to industry event on the topic. In 2018, we will include a panel that brings more male managers into the discussion, recognizing that this issue is vital to everyone in Canada’s trucking industry. On a practical level, employers may also want to consider more

mentorship initiatives. In our industry surveys, two out of three women stated that they wanted more access to mentorship opportunities. Know your own demographics If you want to address and manage demographic shifts more effectively, you need to understand the makeup of your own workforce. I’m often surprised by the number of fleets that don’t take this simple first step. Knowing your own workforce means not only knowing who they are, but what matters to them most. Engage with them and ask them directly. Then, act on it.

Angela Splinter leads Trucking HR Canada, a national not-forprofit organization dedicated to addressing the human resources challenges and opportunities in the trucking and logistics sector. Learn more at www.TruckingHR.com or follow them @TruckingHR.

Your HR person or personnel also needs to be in the loop on all aspects of your business. Including your “people” plan as part of your overall strategic business plan will keep everything aligned and in gear as you smoothly shift your HR approaches. TN

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August 2017 • Truck News 37

Obituaries

Don Anderson Haulage mourns loss of founder STOUFFVILLE, ONTARIO Don Anderson, founder of Don Anderson Haulage, passed away at his home July 1 at the age of 80, his family announced. “Through all the successes of his life, my dad always retained a sense of integrity and humbleness,” company president and son Michael Anderson said. “Don was always with you on the good jobs, the bad jobs, the terrible weather, and the long hours,” added Ray Jollymore, a 35-plus-year employee of Don Anderson Haulage. Those who knew him say Anderson was known as a workaholic, a demanding boss, but an adaptable and honest leader. He started the business with a single gravel truck in 1960 and grew it into specialized industries including infrastructure, oil and gas, and energy. It became one of Ontario’s most successful trucking companies. In 2006, Anderson received the Ontario Trucking Association’s Service to Industry award. Anderson is survived by his wife Maris and their four children, Michael, Elizabeth, Jane, and Susie. Michael has been president of the company since 2002. TN

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or e-mail info to nelsontavares@tbmgroup.ca 38 Truck News • August 2017

Polaris founder, Larry Cox, passes away MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO Polaris Transportation Group founder and president Larry Cox passed away June 14, at the age of 71. “Larry started Polaris in 1994 with very little money and an abundance of drive. He was the consummate entrepreneur and took many risks that paid off, accelerating our success. Larry was passionate about building Polaris Transportation into a leading LTL cross-border carrier and I think it’s fair to say he accomplished just that,” Larry ’s son David Cox wrote in a tribute posted on the company ’s website. “I was fortunate to be able to work with and learn from my father for the past 20 years. Before he passed, Larry shared his vision for Polaris. It’s a vision I agreed with 100% and I gave my solemn promise to carry it through.” TN

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Insights Over the Road

Disconnect, and rediscover joy of the open road A few weeks ago, I was camped out by the side of a lake in Northern Ontario between the towns of Wawa and White River. It’s a peaceful spot, just shy of the halfway point between my home terminal in Southwestern Ontario and our company’s terminal in Winnipeg. It’s peaceful to the point of not having any cell or data service available. You’re truly off the beaten technology path when parked here, as I discovered when I woke to a flat tire on my tractor on Sunday morning. I had satellite service to the truck, so I was able to communicate with dispatch and get a tire repair service out to me – but it took a few hours. The funny thing was even the local repair service didn’t have cell service in this area, which was a gentle reminder to me about the accessibility of our technology infrastructure. The thing is that we, as truckers, can still choose to turn everything off if we want to. The world doesn’t end as we know it when we make that choice. There is much discussion at the present moment of the impending deadline for electronic logging devices (ELDs) in our trucks. One of the key points in opposing this technology is the negative impact it has on the driver, because it enforces the 14-hour cap on our workday. It’s hard for people outside the industry to get their heads around that point. Exactly why would anyone be upset with having their workday limited to 14 hours? The answer to this, of course, is simple. Truckers are being forced to work within a set of rules designed to protect them, ostensibly, while continuing to perform their daily tasks as they always have done. You can’t just change the rules that affect daily life without changing the culture that goes along with it. That takes time. So, waking up to a world that I could not contact through my ever-present handheld device really drove home the point that the future of being constantly plugged in to the global network is totally dependent on accessibility for everyone, everywhere. How ironic that accessibility to the Internet and constant contact is a cause of daily stress whether or not you’re connected. But that’s a choice we make, not something that is imposed on us. I constantly see drivers heading down the road with their Bluetooth headsets on, engaged in heated discussion over something or other. Throw the damn things into the overhead and enjoy the drive.

Turn your ELD-enabled satellite service off by killing the volume so you can’t hear it and turn off the screen so you can’t see it. It will still work behind the scenes while you go about your day. This is the best way to take back your freedom, or at least your perception of it. Put your devices on airplane mode, turn off your data or roaming feature, send your incoming calls to voicemail. Being constantly connected takes away your sense of freedom – it doesn’t imbue it.

There is nothing like driving in parts of the world that leave you disconnected from everyone and everything. It is a reminder of what it is to stand alone and the sense of personal independence that comes along with it. I spend a good deal of time thinking about how technology, especially artificial intelligence, is going to change the world for my grandchildren. I believe we are at a turning point in our social evolution and how we deal with one another and

Al Goodhall has been a professional long-haul driver since 1998. He shares his experiences via his blog at www.truckingacross canada.blogspot.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @Al_Goodhall.

the world around us. The need to be able to step away from the hive is one of the keys to our health and wellbeing. That’s what waking up to a flat tire served to remind me of. TN

August 2017 • Truck News 39

Financing

Seven tips for financing your rig When shopping for a new truck, how you pay for it is as important as what you buy

If you’re in the market for a new truck – whether it’s your first time or you’re an experienced owneroperator – the financing options can seem endless. Do you go to your bank? Or do you arrange financing through the dealer or OEM that’s selling you the truck? Maybe a lease makes more sense? Or perhaps you should take advantage of that lease-purchase plan being offered by the carrier down the street? There’s a lot to consider, so we caught up with an accountant, a sales rep, and an owner-operator for some tips on how to finance your next truck. Buy only what you need… Peter Horn, general manager of Hamilton, Ont.-based Eastgate Truck Centre, becomes frustrated when owner-operators buy more truck than they need or can afford. “This 600-hp stuff drives me crazy, it’s just insane,” he says of customers who want the biggest engines for applications that are easily handled by smaller, less expensive, but more efficient power options. It’s not just the cost of the engine that’s higher, he notes, but higher horsepower engines also drive more wear on components and burn more fuel. All for the sake of getting up the hill faster? “Buy what you need,” Horn advises. …And can afford “A lot of people don’t know their costs to run a truck,” Horn adds. Every owner-operator wants to spec’ out a high-horsepower, condo-style sleeper cab, but sometimes the payments will be cost-prohibitive. Horn says owner-operators need to calculate their income before they finance a new truck. One good way to do this is to spend a few years as a company driver with the fleet you plan to sign on with. There’s no magic formula to what an owner-operator can afford in truck payments, Horn acknowledges. “One old rule that usually works is, one week (of revenue per month) goes to the truck payment, one week

goes to fuel, one to maintenance, and the fourth week is money in your pocket,” he says. Mark Lee, a Winnipeg, Man.based two-truck owner-operator, also stresses the importance of keeping payments manageable. “You may be approved for a certain amount, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you can afford it,” he says. “When things are going good, no, you won’t have trouble making the payment. But when things are tight, then what are you going to do?” Lee also suggests forking over as much as possible as a down payment. “Go with the maximum,” he suggests. “That is what’s going to give you the biggest bang for your buck.” Time your purchase The best time of year to buy a new truck, according to specialized trucking accountant Scott Taylor, vice-president of Transport Financial Services Group, is late in the year. That allows you to write off its expenses for the latter half of the year, even if you’ve owned it for just weeks. “Buying at the beginning of your business year, you’re giving up the opportunity to write off too soon,” Taylor explains. “You won’t get the maximum effect of a write-off for what you’re actually putting into it. Revenue Canada assumes everyone buys new equipment in the middle of the year, which is what they call the half-year rule. So, if you buy before the middle, you’re giving up an opportunity to expense more than you really paid. This is the bonus of buying in the last half of the year.” Don’t fixate on the interest rate Another mistake buyers commonly make is focusing too much on the interest rate, and not the total payments, says Horn. “It’s amazing how many times you have a financial institute that

40 Truck News • August 2017

claims its rate is, let’s say 5%, and Institute B says its rate is 6% and when you get your payments, the payments to Institute B are actually lower,” he explains. Sometimes low interest rates can come at a cost, in the form of hidden charges and fees. Horn recalls seeing a contract in which a big bank was charging a $4,000 filing fee that was buried in the terms and conditions. The interest rate may have been more attractive, but in the end, the owner-operator’s borrowing costs were considerably higher. “Instead of worrying about the rate so much, what are the payments? And what financial institute can actually work with you to tailor something that can work for you?” Horn asks. Consider a lender that knows the business Arranging financing through the dealership, a specialty financial company, or the OEM’s financial services arm may be advantageous, because these companies have an interest in seeing their customers succeed – so they can sell them more trucks – and because they understand the business. If your application is seasonal, it may be possible to work with these companies to develop a customized payment plan. “There are a lot of different options that the truck OEMs can offer that a bank or private lender can’t,” Horn says. For example, a logger may be able to arrange to make payments on the interest only during spring thaw when mud keeps the truck parked, and higher payments during the busy season. OEM financial companies are also usually more flexible when an owner-operator experiences financial hardships, Horn adds. “They understand truck stuff. If a fellow has fallen on financial hardships, suffered an injury, had excessive breakdowns and things are tight, call (the finance company), tell them what happened, don’t BS them, and quite often they’ll restructure the deal and tack a payment on the end as though nothing happened. They’re willing to talk,” Horn says. For Lee, working with a financial services company connected to the trucking industry had another benefit. “If you use a bank for financing, they could use your house as security,” he says. “Personally, I would never do that. I like to keep my home and business separate. It’s me borrowing money against the truck, so if anything goes wrong and I can’t make my payments, they take the truck back.”

“Most OEM financial companies don’t want any of your assets, such as your house, tied in,” agrees Horn. “With a lot of the other lenders, you have to have to cross-collateral your house.” Horn also notes OEM financial companies often won’t have buyout penalties if you pay your loan early. Own the asset While leasing provides owneroperators with predictability and some additional peace of mind regarding maintenance costs, it also means they don’t actually own the truck they’re driving. “Ultimately, when you own something and you have a loan, if there’s equity in that, you can use that for something else,” Taylor says. “When you have a lease, you don’t own it so you don’t have any equity to show anybody.” Taylor recalls an owneroperator customer who went to the bank looking for a $10,000 loan to cover licence renewals. “They wouldn’t give him anything, and he was stunned,” says Taylor. “He had leases, so he didn’t own anything. If he had owned those trucks and they were worth more than he owed on them, he could have used that equity to support getting the loan for his licence renewals.” Lease-purchase plans Lease-purchase plans offered by carriers have gotten a bad rap, because some unscrupulous carriers have exploited the dreams of prospective owner-operators by putting them into a truck they would never be able to pay off. These schemes have been dubbed “never-never” plans and have left many aspiring owner-operators broke and frustrated. However, Horn says they can offer a company driver who wants to run their own business a toehold into the business. Just be cautious and aware of the limitations, he advises. “Realize you’re tied to that carrier for a period of time and investigate them very closely,” he says. “It’s not always the best way to get into a new truck.” One of the risks of such arrangements, Horn points out, is that the owner-operator is usually contractually obligated to run for the carrier over a period of time. A sketchy carrier could use this as leverage to force onto the owner-op poorpaying loads, or to pressure them to run illegally. If the owner-operator misses a payment, the carrier could take the truck back and start the process over. In some cases, Horn acknowledges, lease-purchase plans are beneficial to both parties. He suggests driving for the carrier for several years as a company driver to get a good understanding of how they run their business and treat their drivers and owner-operators. TN

August 2017

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Announcements Navistar shuffles leadership; PMTC honors professionals; and OTA/CTA announce three staff promotions Navistar has named Michael A. Cancelliere its new president of truck and parts. Cancelliere replaces William R. Kozek, who will assume a planning role focused on emerging industry opportunities. In his new role, Cancelliere, 58, will oversee all aspects of the company’s truck and parts business. Most recently, he served as senior vice-president, global parts and customer service, a business he most recently led to three consecutive years of record profits. Cancelliere has been with the company for more than 37 years in a variety of truck and parts sales leadership positions. Richard Lalonde continued serving the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada (PMTC) for two years after his retirement from Praxair Canada, earning him the prestigious PMTC President’s Award. The award goes to someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the PMTC or the industry. Lalonde first became a PMTC board member in 2003, and was active with the organization for many years prior to that. He retired from Praxair in 2014 but continued representing the PMTC until December, 2016. He was chairman of the group from 2006-2008. The PMTC also presented several other awards at its conference, including its Professional Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Training Scholarship. It went to Dylan Ramsay of Superior Propane. The scholarship will allow the 25-year-old to receive training to obtain his A/Z licence. The PMTC also provided education bursaries to two young leaders, through its Young Leaders Group. These went to Andre Parent of Superior Propane, and Edwin Chestnut from Sleeman Breweries. The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) and Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) have announced three policy team promotions. Geoffrey Wood has been named senior vice-president, policy, for both the

OTA and CTA. He previously served both groups as vice-president, operations and safety. Jonathan Blackham has been promoted to the role of director, policy and public affairs. Previously he was policy and government affairs assistant. Lak Shoan will assume the role of director, policy and industry awareness programs. He’s been with the associations for about three years. The Private Motor Trucks Council of Canada (PMTC) took time at its annual conference to celebrate some of the industry’s safest drivers. Joining the PMTC Hall of Fame for Professional Drivers were: Andre Goyette, driving for Cardinal Health; Jim Wigwood and Dan Bezpaly, both driving for Home Hardware Stores; and Gerard Cormier, driving for Superior Propane. Their names will be added to the PMTC Hall of Fame, which resides on its website at www.pmtc.ca.

Action Trailer Sales............................. 41

Ocean Trailer .................................... 47

Atlantis Radiator ................................ 43

Onroute Towing & Heavy Recovery.......... 45

Capacity of Ontario (Div. of Altruck Group)..... 46

Texis Truck Exhaust ............................ 43

Curtainsider ..................................... 44

Eastway Tank & Emergency Vehicles ....... 42

Truck Convoy for Special Olympics ......... 46

King Radiator Inc. .............................. 45

Trufco Truck Repair Finance Company ..... 44

Morgan’s Diesel Truck Parts ................. 44

XL Radiators ..................................... 46

ALPHABETICAL LIST Accutrac Capital Solutions .................... 13

Magic Transportation........................... 27

April Superflo ....................................21

Mack Trucks ..................................... 56

BF Goodrich – The Last Word ................. 54

Michelin ...................................... 14,50

Blue Water Bridge............................... 15

NACVS ..........................................7,53

Burrowes Insurance Brokers ................... 8

Newcom Events .................................. 7

Career Opportunities ...................... 26-39

Ontario Drivers Medical ........................ 21

Carmen Transportation ........................31

Penske ............................................ 20

Castrol/Wakefield Canada ...................... 8

Rideway Tranport ............................... 34

Challenger Motor Freight ...................... 26

Schneider ........................................ 36 Stateside Consultants .......................... 51

Cimtran Transportation ........................ 34

Surface Transportation Summit .......... 22,51

(CITT) LBC Capital .............................. 12

Tankmart International ......................... 23

Contrans Flatbed Group........................ 31

Texis Crossword Puzzle/Solution ...... 9,43,49

Country Transport............................... 36

The Erb Group ................................... 27

C.U.T.C. Inc ....................................... 51

The Rosedale Group ............................ 30

Fleet Safety Council ............................ 24

Thorsons ......................................... 38

Forbes-Hewlett Transport ..................... 37 TMC ............................................... 16

Freightliner ...................................... 2,3

Trailer Wizards................................... 17

Great Dane Trailers ............................. 55

Transcourt Tank Leasing....................... 11

Healthy Trucker (A Division of NAL Insurance)...12

Transport Financial Services .................. 49

Holmes Freight Lines ........................... 38

Truck Pro ......................................... 15

Howes ............................................ 13

TruckandTrailer.ca .............................. 48

Husky Energy ................................ 18,19

Alex Vitale has been named CEO of TP Commercial Solutions’ North America operations. The company, which produces Pirelli brand commercial truck tires, says Vitale brings more than 20 years of global tire industry experience to the position as it looks to expand its presence in the commercial truck and fleet markets in the U.S. and Canada. He was previously general manager of the Agro/OTR Global divisions of Pirelli Tires. TN

Trison Tarps ..................................... 42

Kingpin Specialists ............................. 46

Chevron – Inside the Numbers................. 4

Huayi Tire Canada (HTC), distributor of Double Coin tires and associated brands, has named Robert Vetter its new east region fleet sales manager. Vetter brings nearly 50 years of tire industry experience to the role, th e c ompany announced. He has held positions with Firestone Canada, Goodyear Canada, and Bridgestone Firestone Canada. Most recently, he was director of sales, Canada, for American Pacific Industries.

The Truck Exhaust Place ...................... 44

Dependable Truck & Tank ..................... 45

Hyndman/A Celadon Company............ 28,39

Uniroyal – Newland Transport ................ 52

Icon Transportation Logistics ................. 34

Villeneuve Tank .................................. 35

International Navistar........................... 10

Volvo Trucks ...................................... 6

International Truckload Services ............. 29

WestTransAuto .................................. 27

Kelsey Trail Trucking............................ 35

Wiersma Trucking............................... 35

Kris Kay Truck Lines ............................ 27

Wilson Truck Lines .............................. 29

Laidlaw Carriers - (Dumps-Bulk) ......... 32,33

XAN Systems .................................... 38

Liquid Capital Classified ....................... 21

Young Transportation........................... 38

Luberfiner ........................................ 25

Z Source .......................................... 24

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August 2017 • Truck News 49

Fiction Mark Dalton: Owner-Operator By Edo van Belkom

With plenty of time to kill, Mark stepped into the convenience store to buy a soda pop, a couple of readymade pre-wrapped sandwiches and a magazine forecasting the upcoming NHL season. “You know, you can’t park there,” said the man behind the counter. He was a middle-aged man and by the looks of the things he had close at hand, spent a lot of time in the store. Most likely he was the owner. “I’m not parked,” Mark said. “I’m broken down and a tow truck can’t come by until morning.” “This isn’t the kind of neighborhood where you should leave your truck overnight.” “Yeah, I kind of got that impression.” “What have you got on board?” Mark thought about answering the man’s question with a lie, like, “I’m empty,” or, “scrap metal,” but he didn’t think he could be convincing enough. Besides, the truth was almost just as good. “Farm tractors,” he said. “That might save you.” “What do you mean?” “What are people around here going to do with farm tractors?” “They could sell them.” “To who? No one around here knows any farmers.” “So, I should be alright, then?” “No. The cops will be by soon. There’s no parking in front of my store. It’s a loading zone.” Mark had an idea where the man was going with this and decided to get to the point first. “I could always say I’m making a delivery to your store.” “But you aren’t.” “But you could say I am.” “And what’s in it for me?” “Fifty bucks,” Mark said. No

Illustration by Glenn McEvoy

THE STORY SO FAR Mark is transporting a load of highend farm tractors to P.E.I. and has a major breakdown at the junction of Hwys. 400 and 401. He gets off the highway and pulls onto a side street only to have Mother Load unable to move. A mobile mechanic can’t get him going and a tow’s not available until the next morning. He’s forced to spend the night in a rough part of the city…

Dalton has a breakdown, Part 2 response. “Seventy-five?” Nothing. “How about $100?” “That’ll do it.” And so, Mark wouldn’t be lying if he told a police officer he was making a delivery. He was making a delivery of a crisp new $100 bill – the one he’d kept in his wallet for months for just such a circumstance. Mark handed over the money. “Have a good night,” he said. “I will be here until midnight,” the store owner said. “After that you’re on your own.” Mark was sorry to see the $100 go, but he felt better knowing someone would be around for at least part of the night. Inside Mother Load, Mark got behind the wheel and tried to take a nap. It didn’t seem to be working until…there was a knock at the door. “Evening,” said a Toronto police constable through the window. Mark turned the key in the ignition and powered down the window. “Hey, how are you?” “You can’t park here.” “I’m not parked. I’m making a delivery.” “With your eyes closed, sitt i n g b e h i nd t he w he e l? ” “I am,” Mark insisted. “Check with the owner of the store.” The officer looked at Mark skeptically, but after a long pause, he stepped down and walked around

the front of Mother Load to get to the convenience store. After a minute had passed, Mark got out of the truck and went inside the store where the officer was talking to the owner. “Yes, I am waiting for him,” the owner said. “Ah, there you are! Hurry up! The police are here now. You can’t take all night.” Mark realized what was going on and decided to play along. “Me? I was waiting for you!” “For me?” the man said angrily. “Don’t give me excuses. You are lazy!” “Okay. Okay,” said the officer. “I’m out of here. Just make sure I’m not called back here tonight for an assault.” “If he starts working there will be no problem,” the store owner said. The officer waved goodbye and left the store. When Mark was sure the man was in his cruiser and gone, he said, “Thank you.” “It worked once. Let’s hope he doesn’t come back.” It was 3 a.m. when there was another knock at the window. Mark looked but couldn’t see anyone there. But then he heard voices. He scanned his rearview mirrors and saw several dark figures lingering around his truck. Mark usually kept a small baseball bat in his cab, primarily for doing thump checks on his tires, but also for situations just like this. He

grabbed the bat, got into the driver’s seat for a moment, then quickly jumped out of the truck. “Get lost!” he shouted, rushing around the back of the trailer, banging the side of it the entire way. Behind the truck, there were two men who looked surprised to see Mark, but that was it. There was absolutely no panic on their faces. Mark raised the bat, ready to swing, when it was suddenly gone from his hands. He turned around to see two more men, one holding his bat and the other holding a knife out to Mark’s chest. “What’s in the truck?” the one with the knife said. Mark looked up and down the street in search of someone – anyone – to notice what was going on and call the police. But the street was deserted as if everyone but Mark knew this was not a street you wanted to be on in the middle of the night. “Nothing you’d be interested in,” he said at last. The knife moved closer to Mark’s neck. “I’ll be the judge of that. Open it up.” Mark struggled with the seal on the trailer, but a moment later there was a knife there and the seal was sliced open. “Open it.” Mark opened the first door, and even before he had the second door open, three flashlights were shining into the back of the trailer. “Tractors?” said one of the men. “They’re no good,” said another. “But they’re worth a lot of money,” said a third. “Trust me,” the one holding the knife said. “They’re not worth it. Now let’s get out of here before someone calls the cops.” In a moment, they were gone and Mark was left alone in the street under the dim light of the convenience store sign. The word must have gotten out on the street about Mark ’s load because he didn’t see another soul the rest of the night. TN Mark Dalton returns next month in Part 3 of Dalton has a breakdown.

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50 Truck 50 Truc Tr ucck News Ne N ew ews wss • August Au A ugu ugu gust st 2 2017 0117 0

Insights Tax Talk

Your business needs its own bank account Recently, we had two new clients come to us with similar problems. First, they got bad advice from their previous accountants, and second, they were using a single bank account to handle all of their business and personal finances. If you’re a sole proprietor and want one bank account for everything, that’s fine. I don’t advise it but legally, you’re okay. But these clients are incorporated. A corporation is its own legal entity, and revenues, expenses, assets, and liabilities need to be properly separated from your personal finances, even if you’re the only shareholder. Imagine the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) auditors’ first impression when they see your corporate bank account statements full of mortgage payments and withdrawals for groceries, clothing, and liquor. Their hair is going to stand up on the back of their necks as they assume you are claiming some or all of these items as business expenses. They’ll be on high alert as they review your returns. Your bookkeeper will have a similar reaction. Why are you paying me and using my time to wade through your personal charges and record them to a drawings account? What if I make a

mistake and misallocate a business item as personal or a personal item as business? Pretty easy to do when it’s all mixed together. If you want to make me and CRA happy, maintain two bank accounts and transfer lump sums of money from the business into your personal account. Keeping things separate does take discipline and a little more work but it’s worth it.

Having separate bank accounts will help you keep two budgets, one for your business and one for your personal needs. A shareholder may, in the course of running the business, make purchases or pay expenses with their own money on behalf of the corporation. When this happens, write a check to reimburse yourself so now you have a clear trail showing the company paid for the items. When the corporation is being formed or is low on cash, it’s best that you loan the company money rather than paying for items yourself. You

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should deposit into the corporate bank account the $1,000 or $10,000 that the company needs. That way all receipts will be clearly paid by the company and just as importantly invoiced to the company. The corporation will then owe the full amount back to the shareholder. When it’s paid it is tax-free because it is a loan repayment and clear and easy for CRA auditors to follow. If you used your line of credit or credit cards to loan this money then you can charge any interest charges back to the corporation. Essentially, if these expenses are forgotten, you will end up paying additional tax for both the corporation and personally. This is because these items will not be deducted from your taxable income in the corporation, and when you take money out of the business you will be taxed on it as a draw rather than receiving it as a loan repayment. Too many times I have seen where clients think their company still owes them money from when they initially lent it funds. Unfortunately, their previous accountants have shown on the books that this money was repaid already by reducing their wages taken in a particular year.

Scott Taylor is vice-president of TFS Group, providing accounting, bookkeeping, tax return preparation, and other business services for owneroperators. Learn more at www.tfsgroup.com or call 800-461-5970

Having separate bank accounts will help you keep two budgets, one for your business and one for your personal needs. Your personal budget is a good tool in determining the amount of money you require from your business, while the business budget will determine whether it is able to pay it. Without a home budget and set transfers from the business to your personal account you’ll just end up spending everything. Then you and I will have a long phone call about why your personal taxes are so high because there’s no way you spent that much money. Incorporating is the best way to bring order to your personal and business finances. Step one is to have two bank accounts. Step two is to get good advice from your accountant about how to set them up right. TN

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August 2017 • Truck News 51

Fiction

ic gets a call from a cousin of his who is also a truck driver. The man is excited about a new company he’s started working for and is wondering if Vic might be interested in driving for them too.

By Edo Van Belkom

“They paid me $5,000 for the trip... and that was on top of my usual mileage rate.”

ic congratulates his cousin on making such good money. He’s been working hard to provide for his family for many years and never seemed able to get ahead. But while it’s great that his cousin is doing so well, Vic wonders how a company – any trucking company – could afford to pay so well?

$$$

ic decides it wouldn’t hurt to talk to someone from this company and see what they have to say. “Sure,” he says. “Why not?”

“They are always looking for more GOOD drivers,” his cousin says. “That’s why I thought of you. You’re one of the best drivers I know.”

“Great, I’ll set up a meeting.” Vic thinks about it. Like anyone else, he and his family could use extra money. He needs a new used family car... his son needs braces on his teeth and his wife is talking about a trip back home. An extra $5,000 here and there would make a big difference in everyone’s life.

Two days later Vic meets with his cousin and another man who represents the new company his cousin is working for.

“So, your cousin says you’re a good driver,” the man says. “He’s the best,” says his cousin. “We need guys like you in our company.”

“They found cocaine on my truck in a secret compartment in the trailer.”

Two days later Vic gets a phone call. He thought it was going to be about a load for the new company, but instead it’s his cousin calling him from jail.

“What have we got ourselves into?”

ic feels the blood drain from his face. He feels terrible for the situation his cousin is in and wonders what will happen now that he’s agreed to take a load for the very same company.

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Vic isn’t sure about it after meeting with this man, but the money is just too tempting to walk away from. He agrees to drive for them and they shake on it. In a while he convinces himself the money he’ll be making will be a good thing for his family and he’ll be able to start giving them a better life.

Insights Voice of the owner-operator

Has fake news come to trucking? Nothing gets me more wound up than shocking headlines that misrepresent our industry. We’re already fighting mistaken public perception and negative stereotyping, much of it perpetrated by careless and ill-informed mainstream media reporting. But when the alarming headlines are fed to the media by those who have access to the facts, it’s doubly disturbing. In mid-June, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) teamed up with other law enforcement agencies for Operation Corridor, the annual 24-hour inspection blitz for trucks, and not surprisingly just about every media outlet, from national networks to small regional papers, picked up OPP’s press release and ran shocking headlines: “Transport trucks involved in one in five crashes on Ontario roads” and “Transport truck-related collisions take a toll on human life,” were two of the more popular renderings. But the kicker? The OPP’s press release with its list of “deadly and dangerous” truck-related accident statistics was issued before the blitz even took place. Moreover, I’m having a hard time reconciling the OPP numbers with data published each year in the Ontario Road Safety Annual Report (ORSAR). I learned all about playing around with statistics at MBA school, but even allowing for subtle nuancing of words and phrases that the media rarely picks up (ie. fatal collisions vs. fatalities, OPP-patrolled roads vs. other roads in the province, crashes involving, not caused, by trucks), some things just don’t add up. The OPP press release states that between 2012 and 2016, 330 people were killed in accidents involving heavy trucks, or as they put it, a transport truck was involved in one-fifth (or 20%) of all fatal collisions in Ontario. According to ORSAR reports over the same five-year period, there were 2,589 people killed on Ontario roads. By my math, trucks were involved in 12.75% of those collisions, but hey, what’s a percentage point here or there? Even if the OPP stats are accurate, they could just as easily have said that 80% of all fatal collisions in Ontario did not involve transport trucks. Another disturbing statement made by an OPP spokesperson is that recent data show a “significant number of collisions were caused by transport trucks in poor operating condition.” Again, according to the 2014 ORSAR report (the most recent final report available), only 4% of large trucks involved in fatal crashes had any apparent defect that may have contributed to the crash. The number was also 4% for 2013, and zero for 2012. By OPP’s numbers, over the past three years, six people died and 37 people were injured in crashes involving transport trucks in poor operating condition. Given that over

69,000 vehicles were involved in fatal and personal injury crashes last year alone, I question the implication that the number of unsafe trucks on the road may be responsible for a “significant number” of crashes. Don’t get me wrong. I applaud law enforcement for every errant truck driver they reprimand or educate, and every unsafe truck they take off the road. I’m also in favor of campaigns targeting local trucks that don’t usually take highways and thus bypass the scales, the trucks of local tradespeople, say, or dump truckers who don’t even consider themselves part of the “trucking industry.” But when an OPP spokesperson gleefully announces that “We’re

going to be targeting commercial motor vehicles in order to help keep our highways safe,” I despair. And thousands of people on Ontario’s roads who risk death or injury by 80% of vehicles other than trucks certainly aren’t getting their taxdollars’ worth of protection. There’s no question that in any collision between a truck and a smaller vehicle, the smaller one is usually the loser, so measures to lessen the number of trucks involved in accidents is not the problem. In fact, I’ve long been a proponent of giving law enforcement the resources they need to get the truly unsafe drivers and vehicles off the road. But wouldn’t road safety be better served if the headlines told the real

Joanne Ritchie is executive director of OBAC. Who’s faking it now? E-mail her at jritchie@obac.ca or call toll-free at 888-794-9990.

story? For example, in those fatalities “involving” large trucks, the truck driver is more likely to be driving properly than the other drivers (involved in the same crashes) more than 75% of the time. Rather than fueling public angst and motorists’ fear of big trucks, more reliable media reporting could go a long way toward educating “four wheelers” and others on how to share the road with big trucks. TN

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August 2017 • Truck News 53

The Last Word

East coast charm By putting its employees and customers first, Atlantic Pacific Transport stands out from the rest By Sonia Straface

Fillmore said that he believes his drivers are happy because of the good company image and culture that is bolstered by the fact it is one of just 17 carriers in the Maritimes named as one of the Trucking Human Resources Sector Council Atlantic’s Employers of Choice. To be recognized for the award, fleet owners must demonstrate the company is dedicated to responding to the needs of its employees.

our best to eliminate stress for our customers,” he said. “We want to CLAIRVILLE, NEW BRUNSWICK make their transportation the easy A little east coast charm goes a long part for them…because we look way. In fact, for some, it’s a way of at our customers as partners. We doing business. always ask ourselves, how can we In the heart of Clairville, N.B. lies make this a better partnership for Atlantic Pacific Transport, a comthem? So that’s a big thing for us. pany that oozes charm out of each Focusing on service. And uptime. of its exhaust stacks. It’s a small famAnd on-time delivery.” ily-run business that claims to have Fillmore said there are many an impeccable driver turnover rate, instances when his modest staff and a customer-service dedicawent above and beyond to tion that is hard to match. deliver on this standard, The business was started by but one that stuck out in Donnie Fillmore Sr. in 1989 after particular was when a dishe decided he had enough expepatcher delivered a load to rience in the industry to start his a customer. own trucking business with a “It was the weekend, and friend. Donnie Sr. had been drivwe were in a pinch,” Filling for years, and even ran the more recalled. “For some show at someone else’s company reason, our driver couldn’t before taking the leap into owndeliver the load, and we ership. Initially Donnie Sr. and his didn’t want our customer business partner split the comto wait, so I actually had pany into equal parts but after a dispatcher volunteer to a few years, Fillmore bought his deliver. He had his Class 1 partner out and Atlantic Pacific and he said ‘I’ll do it’ and became his own. off he went. The load was Today, while Donnie Sr. still delivered and the customer helps out with the business, it’s didn’t know any better.” officially run by his sons, presiAnd while right now dent Donnie Jr. and vice-presiFillmore has all the staff dent Mark. The two brothers work he needs, the driver issue together to make sure operations is still looming like a dark run smoothly and each load is Donnie Fillmore Jr., president of Atlantic Pacific, says cloud over an otherwise delivered on time and with care. the business is successful because it sees and treats sunny day. Atlantic Pacific lives up to its its customers like partners. “Finding qualified drivname as it services Canada and the “I think we’re a supportive maners is still a big challenge,” he said. U.S. from coast to coast. It mainly agement team and that we create a “Just because it’s not an issue right transports building supplies and great place for our drivers and staff now for us, doesn’t mean it won’t be construction materials like drywall, to work,” Fillmore said. “That’s our in the future.” lumber, coils, heavy equipment, and goal every day. To make sure our What he’s most concerned about structural steel. people are here because they want right now though, is the ongoing disPut neatly, “We’ll move anything to be here.” cussion about marijuana legalizathat’ll fit on a flatbed or float,” DonAnd it’s a give and take, Fillmore tion in Canada. nie Fillmore Jr. said. said. Because as much as Atlantic “How we’re going to deal with marThe company has seen growth Pacific gives to its employees, they ijuana legalization is going be a big since its inception and now boasts give back to the business. Fillmore challenge next year,” he said. “Right close to 50 trucks and 90 trailers. said from the beginning, the businow, we have policies in place, and “We’ve been really fortunate here, ness has focused on selling service we do drug testing like everyone as all of our trucks are full,” Fillmore and his employees live and breathe else, but I can’t help but think about said. “We’re in a good position today, that belief. how is this going to affect us when even though there have been times “We all try to focus on the pain we have a driver who wants to conwhen it was difficult.” points of our customers and work sume marijuana on the weekend and

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works as a driver during the week? Where’s the impairment level going to rest? I think it’s going to be a big hurdle for the trucking industry.” Looking towards the future, like many business owners, Fillmore hopes Atlantic Pacific can grow steadily and expand its service capabilities. “We hope in the next five to 10 years, we can grow and with that, make our business stronger,” he said. “We hope in our growth that we can better serve our customers and serve new customers by diversifying a bit, and maybe working to serve different industries and helping more businesses out. We’d love to look at that.” Being a family business, Fillmore did say the possibility of him handing over the reins to his children is an option in the future. It’s a career path he said he wouldn’t advise against, as trucking has served him well since he joined the business in 1993. “I have children, so the possibility of the family business being run by the third generation is possible,” he said. “I have one that seems interested in joining though she’s still quite young. So, we’ll wait and see. Time will tell. It wasn’t on my radar when I was young but 24 years later I’m still here. It’s been a great career and a great industry to me. I know quite a few faces across the country because of my job and some of the brightest and most inspirational people I know are in trucking. It’s been great to me, so if my kids join the business, I hope only the same for them.” TN

Sonia Straface is the associate editor of Truck News. She has been covering the Canadian trucking industry since 2014.

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