Truck News December 2017

December 2017 Volume 37, Issue 11

TRUCK NEWS Eastern Canada’s Trucking Newspaper Since 1981

Delivering daily news at trucknews.com

Page 18

Page 25

Page 35

Page 40

Crackdown coming?

A new Anthem

In the crosshairs

Laying rubber

The trucking industry is concerned about truck restrictions being discussed by the City of Montreal.

We climb behind the wheel of the new Mack Anthem and take it on an 850-mile run.

A series of fatal truck crashes in Ontario has the industry facing greater scrutiny.

Simple tips for implementing a tire management program any sized fleet cann follow.

Slow, sustainable growth sets stage for a strong 2018

RET ADVERTAIL ISING P AGES 41 -

46

By James Menzies ORLANDO, FLORIDA Demand for trucking services in the U.S. has increased, and in a more sustainable way than it has in the past, setting the stage for a strong 2018. That was the feel-good consensus expressed at the popular All Eyes on the Economy session at the American Trucking Associations’ annual Management Conference & Exhibition. Bob Costello, the ATA’s chief economist, noted truckload load volumes have increased across dry van, flatbed, reefer, and tank truck segments. Over the last five months, year-over-year load growth has averaged 4%, well above the average 2.6% growth seen from 2010 to 2014. Truckload loads are up 2.5% this year, compared to a 0.1% increase last year. The LTL segment in the U.S. has seen tonnage increase 1.1% this year, after dropping 0.7% in 2016. “I think (demand) has picked up, and in a more sustainable way than in some of these prior years,” said Derek Leathers, president and CEO of Werner Enterprises. Continued on page 14

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The U.S. electronic logging device mandate takes effect Dec. 18. Will the industry be ready?

ELD Day As the clock counts down to the Dec. 18 electronic logging device mandate in the U.S., many fleets have yet to implement a solution By James Menzies ORLANDO, FLORIDA Roadside enforcement officers will be prepared to enforce the U.S. electronic logging device (ELD) mandate that comes into effect Dec. 18, and don’t expect a “soft enforcement” period. That was the message from Collin Mooney, executive director of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), who was addressing the ELD mandate at the American Trucking Associations’ annual Management Conference & Exhibition Oct. 21. “On Dec. 18, enforcement begins,” he warned. “We will be writing violations, citations, and warnings. There is no delayed enforcement – we are not using the term soft enforcement at all.” The CVSA has indicated it won’t place drivers out-ofservice for violating the ELD rule until Apr. 1, 2018, but Mooney cautioned this is being done to allow CVSA to better understand the industry’s readiness for the new rule, it’s not a postponement of enforcement. “This will give us a handle on what this will look like, how big a problem this is,” Mooney said. “There is a way

for us to track this within our current inspection selection process, so hopefully when Apr. 1 rolls around, a lot of fears will subside that we are not placing the whole industry out-of-service for ELD non-compliance.” Virtually all Canadian fleets operating in the U.S. will have to use electronic logs beginning Dec. 18. Anyone requiring a paper record of duty status today will need to use either a current generation automatic on-board recording device (AOBRD), or an ELD that meets the new technical standard. Only AOBRDs currently in use will be allowed beyond Dec. 18, for a twoyear grandfather period. Fleets can continue using these systems on existing capacity, but can’t install them in added capacity. The only exemptions will go to: drivers operating within a 100 air mile radius; drivers who are required to prepare record of duty logs for no more than eight days during any 30-day period; drivers conducting driveaway/tow-away operations; or those driving trucks with engines manufactured before the model year 2000. Joeseph Delorenzo, director, Office of Enforcement and Compliance with the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), reminded fleets that come Continued on page 8

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Inside the Numbers with Lou Smyrlis

Freight forward Majority of Eastern Canada’s shippers expect freight volume growth in 2018 Eastern Canada’s shippers are optimistic about growing their freight volumes next year, our recently completed annual Transportation Buying Trends Survey indicates. The survey, conducted in partnership with CITT and FMA, shows that half the shippers based in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes are expecting to increase their freight volumes in 2018, spelling a continued uptick in business for carriers. The survey also found that 40% of shippers expect to do more business with TL carriers while 36% expect to grow their business with LTL carriers. Sector represented

$5M-$15M Less than $5M

21%

11%

Retail

of respondents

Resources

10%

2%

$15M-$30M

12%

of respondents

2% Wholesale

Size of company – annual revenues 3PL

Freight forwarding

Follow Lou on Twitter @LouSmyrlis.

10% 3%

NA

15%

6%

12%

34%

Distribution

18%

Manufacturing

21% $100M-$500M

$500M-$2B

1%

Expect to increase use of mode

Freight volume expectations in 2018

Freight volume trends in 2017 Down more than 20%

$60M-$100M

7%

Over $2B

23%

$30M-$60M

Down more than 20%

of respondents

1%

Rail

of respondents

31%

of respondents

Down 10-20%

7%

Down 10-20%

0%

Truckload

40%

Down 5-10%

9%

Down 5-10%

3%

LTL

36%

About the same

37%

About the same

44%

Private fleet

17%

Up 5-10%

22%

Up 5-10%

33%

Courier

35%

Up 10-20%

14%

Up 10-20%

14%

Marine

23%

Up more than 20%

8%

Up more than 20%

3%

Air cargo

21%

Not sure

2%

Not sure

0%

Intermodal

34%

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4 Truck News • December 2017

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

Contents

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 ............41-46

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

Announcements .......... 51 Newland Transport ...... 53

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.

Feature Stories

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

Joanne Ritchie – Opinion

On the road We take the new Mack Anthem highway tractor on an 850-mile test drive, after its glitzy launch in Allentown, Pa. 24

Workplace bullying isn’t a topic that gets a lot of attention in trucking, writes Joanne Ritchie, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

39

Charity

Implementing a tire management program doesn’t have to be complicated, or expensive, even if you’re running a small fleet. 40

Trailcon recently made three generous donations to the industry, and trucking came together through Trucks for Change to raise funds for Toronto food banks.

7

35

48-49

It behooves the trucking industry to voluntarily deploy safety systems that can save lives. Don’t wait for government to force our hand.

A series of fatal crashes in Ontario involving trucks has law enforcement promising a crackdown, while Volvo envisions a future with no road fatalities.

8-23

36

Trucking groups want NAFTA protected, the City of Montreal looks to put restrictions on trucks, and Daimler’s North American truck boss has an optimistic outlook for the 2018 truck market.

While most owner-operators and small fleet operators don’t begin thinking about taxes until April, you should start planning now, Scott Taylor contends.

Get with the program

Editorial

Business CHAIRMAN & FOUNDER: Jim Glionna PRESIDENT Joe Glionna

38

29-31

Karen Bowen – Health Don’t ignore your chronic cough, writes Karen Bowen.

Safety

Equipment

Scott Taylor – Tax Talk

37

Petro-Canada gives an update on the new category of heavy-duty engine oils, Navistar rolls out a new Uptime Command Center, and Mack is optimistic about the year ahead.

53

Fleet News Canada Cartage makes an acquisition and refreshes its branding, Polaris breaks ground on new facility, and the Top Fleet Employers are recognized.

54

Mail

The Last Word

What’s on drivers’ minds this month? Electronic logging devices, of course.

How Hercules is flexing its muscles in the industry.

32-33

Mike Millian – Industry PMTC president Mike Millian challenges Ontario law enforcement for painting the entire trucking industry with the same brush after a series of fatal collisions.

24

Al Goodhall – Opinion Al writes that he’d never go back to paper logs, having made the switch, but wonders if ELDs are being brought in for the right reasons.

December 2017 • Truck News 5

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Editorial

Life-saving technologies should be more widely adopted Why is it that when the trucking industry makes the headlines, for all the wrong reasons, it happens in bunches? Whether it be wheel separations or fatal crashes involving trucks, it seems these things happen in threes or fours, and it magnifies the scorn heaped on the industry from the mainstream media, the public, and of late, even from law enforcement. We can’t ignore the series of fatal crashes that heavy trucks were involved in over the past few weeks (see pg. 35). I think the media and even the police were too quick to lay blame, before all the facts were evident, but nonetheless, these incidents gave the trucking industry a black eye and we can’t dispute our involvement. The loss of life was devastating, regardless of who was at fault. As Canadian Trucking Alliance chief David Bradley has said many times over the years, ours is an industry that shares its workplace with the public. As such, we have a tremendous responsibility to those we share the road with to hold ourselves to a higher standard and to defend our well-earned reputation as operating the safest vehicles on the road. What’s frustrating to me when I hear of these fatal crashes, is that many of them didn’t have to happen. I’m not talking specifically of any one crash that recently made

headlines – I don’t have all the details, so I’m not commenting on any specific wreck. However, truck crashes in general can mostly be prevented by employing readily available safety systems. We have at our disposal safety technologies that are proven to be effective, and aren’t cost-prohibitive when you consider their ability to reduce crash and insurance costs. Encouragingly, many of these systems are being standardized by truck OEMs. Disc brakes are one example of a way to effectively shorten stopping distances and to lessen the impact in a rear-end collision, if not avoid it altogether. Better yet, forward-look-

ing collision mitigation systems can identify a moving or stationary vehicle and apply the brakes faster than any human driver can, again preventing or mitigating the impact. Rear-end collisions involving tractor-trailers have devastating consequences, yet many of them can be avoided by deploying these technologies. I’ve sat in trucks and experienced the capabilities of these systems first-hand, and I’m surprised more f leets aren’t spec’ing them. Sure, they add to the cost of the vehicle, which is already incredibly expensive, but not by more than 1-2%. I applaud truck OEMs such as Volvo that are making these collision mitigation systems standard. Electronic stability control helps to greatly reduce the likelihood of rollovers, potentially saving many lives. The government has seen the benefits and while I generally prefer to see these systems gain traction on their own merit, it’s hard to argue against impending government regulations that will require the installation of stability control on new tractor-trailers. Going a step further, lane departure warning systems can alert a tired or distracted driver who is straying from his lane. Daimler recently announced it’s working to commercialize a lane-keeping

assist system that will take control of the steering when necessary to keep the truck in its lane. Combined with a collision mitigation system, a truck could be safely brought to a stop even when the driver suffers a medical incident and is unable to control the vehicle. These are incredible technologies, capable of saving many lives and greatly reducing truck crashes. The tragedy is that they’re not being widely enough deployed, despite the reasonable costs and tremendous potential to save lives and money. Sooner or later government, like it did with stability control systems, will step in and require the adoption of all these technologies. It behooves the trucking industry to voluntarily deploy these life-saving technologies before government steps in and forces it to. TN

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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December 2017 • Truck News 7

Business

ELDs coming Continued from page 1

Dec. 18, they’ll have but two options: to continue operating AOBRDs that were installed prior to that date, or to run ELDs. It’s up to ELD providers to self-certify their devices with the FMCSA, which then includes them on an online registration site. “It’s important that if you are a new user and purchasing (an ELD) that you have a conversation with the vendor about what they have done and how it fits with your operation,� Delorenzo warned, adding there were 135 devices listed on the FMCSA website as of the week of Oct. 16. “I’d ask questions about self-certification so if you’re making a purchasing decision, you’re making a good choice.�

While it may seem late to be shopping for an ELD, Jim Ward, president and CEO of U.S. f leet D.M. Bowman, said he believes many fleets are not yet ready for the impending rule. “I was in a meeting this week with several fleets and when I asked how many of them were using some sort of ELD, about a third of the people in the room raised their hands. There’s a very short time period right now to effect change going forward,� Ward said. At D.M. Bowman, Ward admitted there was some initial pushback from drivers, but that subsided when they saw the productivity gained by using e-logs. “If there is a way to be able to do something more productively and more efficiently and save some time, they’re going to use it,� he said. “The

hours-of-service hasn’t changed – just the way we’re monitoring it has changed. They started to realize we were using data to be better planners of their day, so long-term they benefited from the use of the data and they saw that as a very nice benefit.� A side benefit, according to Ward, is that the company was better able to demonstrate to shippers and receivers that held up drivers and equipment that this was choking productivity. “We average 6.8 to 7.2 hours of drive time in our fleet,� he said. “This is a huge opportunity to get working with the shipper community (to reduce delays). When you can get good data, people will listen to you and improve the system. The supply chain will get better as a result of what we’re doing.�

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8 Truck News • December 2017

Concerns remain, however, about the enforcement community’s readiness for the new rule. There are two options to transfer e-log data to an enforcement officer: using telematics, such as webbased services and e-mail; or local connections such as Bluetooth or an encrypted USB drive. “I think in the overwhelming majority of cases, we’re going to be looking at web-based services,� said Delorenzo. “It’s the fastest, cleanest, easiest one for us to work with.� He said the log inspection process will be faster, which will also benefit drivers as they’ll spend less time at roadside having their paper logbooks scrutinized. Mooney addressed the issue of enforcement community readiness, by assuring f leets that enforcement officers will be fully trained by Dec. 18. A number of three-day train the trainer sessions are currently being held across the U.S. Those trainers will return to their jurisdictions and then train all other inspection personnel, Mooney explained. “By Dec. 18, most, if not all, will be trained,� he insisted. The enforcement representatives also took issue with any idea that the ELD mandate will take flexibility away from drivers. “A lot of folks are tying the ELD to the hours-of-service rules themselves,� said Mooney. “All violations we find at roadside will be documented on roadside inspection reports. A number of folks in the industry refer to that as their wiggle room. Technically, there never was wiggle room.� Mooney pointed out that as with paper logs today, annotations can be made to point out exceptional circumstances (ie. hav ing to exceed drive time bec au se of u n foreseen ba d weather). Asked what will happen if an ELD on the FMCSA’s list of self-certified devices is found not to comply, Delorenzo said those instances will be managed on a case by case basis. But he’s hopeful most shortcomings will be able to be rectified remotely with a software update. “If it can’t be done, if the vendor goes out of business, those things are going to have to be addressed on a case by case basis,� he said. “Each one is going to have to be done differently, depending on what the situation is, how many there are out there – those we’ll handle as they come up.� While there remains some unanswered questions and concerns about the impending ELD mandate, Ward said fleets should benefit from the transition to ELDs in the long run. “It’s been a good experience for us,� he said. “And it has had a very positive effect on us, from a safety perspective.� TN

OOIDA continues to push for Earliest Canada will see ELD mandate is spring 2019 delay to ELD mandate GRAIN VALLEY, MISSOURI A growing list of organizations requesting exemptions and delays to the U.S. electronic logging device (ELD) mandate is proof the impending regulation is flawed, according to the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA). It says 12 organizations have filed exemption requests, while 31 have requested a delay. “The reasons cited in the requests are not unique to just a single company or one sector of the trucking industry,” said Todd Spencer, executive vice-president of OOIDA. “Many of those same concerns apply to all affected by this onesize-fits-all mandate.” OOIDA says there has been no consistency in the FMCSA’s decisions to deny or grant the requests. In its denial to one group, the agency said that the request did not demonstrate how, without using ELDs, they would maintain a level of safety equivalent to, or greater than, the level achieved without the exemption. But in granting exemptions to two other groups, the agency made no mention of

safety, Sp encer cont ended . “It’s the Nightmare on ELD street,” said Spencer at the end of October. “Confusion and concern surround this issue. The best solution is an alternate ending to the frightening scene by way of a delay.” OOIDA itself is pushing for a delay to the mandate, until it says the FMCSA can address “numerous unresolved issues and real-world concerns.” These concerns include the certification of devices (or lack thereof), connectivity problems in remote areas of the country, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and the ability of law enforcement to access data. “The ELD mandate is estimated to cost impacted stakeholders more than US$2 billion, making it one of the most expensive federal transportation rulemakings over the last decade,” said Spencer. “This is a massive, unfunded mandate that provides no safety, economic, or productivity benefits for those ensnared by the mandate. This is another example of a costly regulation imposed on small-business truckers that has no bearing on safety.” TN

THIS MONTH’S CROSSWORD PUZZLE

By Sonia Straface

have an ELD installed and active in their truck.” The catch is, if you have an automatic on-board recording device (AOBRD) installed – which is not compliant – before the Dec. 18 deadline, the deadline for your fleet to get ELDs is extended until December 2019. This has created a loophole, Millian said, that some fleets have taken advantage of. “Some people have a strategy that they are going to rush out and get

MILTON, ONTARIO With the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate in the U.S. just around the corner, Mike Millian, president of the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada (PMTC), took the opportunity at a seminar Oct. 19 to refresh everyone on the U.S. ELD rules, and give an update on where Canada is with its own mandate. “Compliance in the U.S. is Dec. 18, 2017,” Millian reminded the room. “So, anyone operating in and to the States as of the 18th has to

Continued on page 11

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Canadian ELD mandate stalled Continued from page 9

AOBRDs that aren’t compliant so they can bypass the regulation for another two years,” he said. “That is a flawed strategy at best.” Plus, he said, even though the deadline is two months away, if you don’t have ELDs in your trucks by now, and you have trucks going to the U.S., you’re already behind on what you should be doing. Millian said the only exemptions are for those who drive less than eight days out of a 30-day period; driveaway and towaway operations; trucks rented for eight days or less; and trucks older than model year 2000. Millian’s biggest frustration with the rule is the fact that there is no third party certifying ELDs and manufacturers have been given the go-ahead to self-certify that these products meet FMCSA requirements. “The FMCSA is not certifying these devices,” he said. “I cannot stress that enough – just because they are on the FMCSA website on the list, doesn’t mean they are compliant. It’s the most asinine thing I’ve ever heard but that’s what the government has decided – they take the manufacturers’ word for it.” Some of the manufacturers even self-certified their devices before the FMCSA rules even came out, he said. Unfortunately, Canada looks like it also may be adopting the same self-certifying process. “Transport Canada has said it will not be certifying ELDs,” Millian said. “However, the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) is looking for a body to certif y ELDs in Canada.” Right now, Canada is still waiting for an ELD mandate to be officially set in motion. According to Millian, Transport Canada was scheduled to meet with the Treasury Board in October, but the appointment has since been

pushed back to December. Right now, the earliest time that the ELD mandate could be set in Canada is spring 2019, he said. Because of all the delays, Millian said he thinks instead of a two-year phase-in period for Canada, there will only be one. “We will push back hard to get two years,” Millian said. “One year is pretty short to have all those devices installed.” TN

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December 2017 • Truck News 11

12 Truck News • December 2017

Business

Attracting women to trucking is about visibility By Sonia Straface MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO If you want to attract women into your fleet, you have to show them they can work for you. That’s according to Jane Jazrawy, CEO of CarriersEdge, who spoke at this year’s Fleet Safety Council conference Oct. 20 about gender inequality and promoting diversity in trucking. Growing up, Jazrawy said she wasn’t told she could be an astronaut, or a police officer, or anything she wanted, like her male counterparts were. She was told she had to be pretty and look good. This message was hammered home by media images of women growing up to being nurses and secretaries, and not much else. And these images are still out there today, Jazrawy said. So, if trucking wants to attract women, it needs to put images that show women can be drivers.

“If you want women drivers, you must think about harassment. You don’t want to think that it happens, but it does.”

“If you want women drivers, you must think about harassment,” she said. “You don’t want to think that it happens, but it does. It happens everywhere all over the world. So, if you’re not thinking about what to do, you’re failing your drivers.” She warns against just having an “open door” policy that is up for interpretation by most. “If you want women in this industry, ask for it,” she said. “Show them they can do it. Show them doing the job in your advertisements. At truck shows, have your women drivers attend to represent your company.” TN

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December 2017 • Truck News 13

Business

Positive outlook Continued from page 1

In past upswings, Costello noted trucking was still taking market share from rail, which is no longer the case, resulting in less impressive growth. But he agreed with Leathers that this slower growth is more sustainable. This also means there’s less likelihood of a recession, Costello noted. “This is going to be now the second longest expansion we’ve ever had,” he said. “But we are not growing that fast. We are growing at 2-3%, that’s nothing. There’s not anything on the horizon we’re worried about at this point. Certainly, it can happen, but we’re not growing fast enough – it’s anemic growth.” Stronger freight demand coupled with tightening capacity should benefit trucking providers. Costello said large truckload fleets in the U.S. reduced their tractor populations by 5.8% in 2017. “At the time demand is picking up, capacity is not picking up,” Costello said. This could already be contributing to improving pricing. Costello said the U.S. Bank Trucking Shipper Spend Index in the third quarter showed an 8.3% increase in pricing – the best quarter-over-quarter gain since Q4 2014.

“Freight is getting better, tractor growth is more limited, the ELD rule is coming, and if things don’t change, I’m looking at 2018 as a pretty good year,” Costello said. Leathers agreed. “The reality is, this capacity is going to be very difficult to come back in at a rapid rate,” he said, citing the driver shortage, and depressed used truck pricing, which makes it difficult for fleets to sell used equipment and buy new trucks. Costello noted fleets are seeing fuel costs decrease, but labor costs rising as companies offer more attractive pay packages to lure drivers. “As an industry, we all have to do our part,” Leathers said of improving driver pay. “These men and women out there are serving our nation every day, and they have to be paid to do so. I think the industry is doing a good job getting pay where it needs to be. To do that comes at a price. Some of that is offset by more fuel-efficient trucks and better mpg, and our better ability to manage costs.” But operating costs for carriers, explained Costello, have risen about 25% over five years if you remove lower fuel costs from the equation. Despite improving driver pay, the shortage of qualified drivers will continue to be a major issue facing the industry. In fact, an American Trucking Research Institute (ATRI) survey

published at the event revealed it’s the top concern among trucking executives for the year ahead. Truckload driver turnover rates in the U.S. during the second quarter were at 90%. Costello said the U.S. trucking industry is short 50,000 drivers, a new all-time high. The ATA predicts that if nothing changes, the industry will be short 174,000 drivers by 2026. “If we get there, it’s going to be a problem,” he said. “The real issue we’re all faced with, is the quality driver shortage,” said Leathers. “Our ability to go find drivers in a tight driver market that meet the criteria and expectations we all have.” Leathers said there’s more visibility into a driver’s past transgressions, making fewer candidates suitable to hire. This year, Werner hired only 2.7% of its applicants. “That’s an issue,” Leathers said. “There’s a larger population than ever before that’s not meeting industry criteria and we have to do a better job of reaching out to better folks and offering better training.” If the driver shortage reaches 174,000 by 2026, noted Costello, “it will start to impact supply chains. It may be the day you get to the grocery store and instead of 10 different types of apples, you have seven, because they just couldn’t get there.” The U.S. trucking industry must hire nearly 900,000 new drivers over

the next decade. It won’t be easy, since 57% of the workforce is 45 years of age or older, and only 4.4% of the workforce is from the 20- to 24-yearold age bracket. Leathers said that to attract more young people, he’d like to see carriers allowed to hire younger drivers through some sort of graduated licensing process where they get trained on the job. “There is no one solution to the driver shortage,” said Costello. Another hot topic during the discussion was NAFTA, an issue Costello said ATA is “working very diligently on.” He noted trucks haul 71% of the value of surface trade between the U.S. and Canada. Truck-transported trade since 1995 has increased nearly 76% between the two countries. There are more than 12 million commercial truck crossings at the northern and southern U.S. borders each year. “Trucking and trade are synonymous,” Costello said. “It shows how important NAFTA is to our industry.” Costello also noted the U.S. actually added manufacturing jobs after NAFTA was implemented – the big decline didn’t come until China joined the World Trade Organization in 2000. “I don’t think that’s a coincidence,” he said. Every year, more than 46,000 U.S. trucking jobs are due to trade with Canada and Mexico. “The numbers speak for themselves,” said Leathers, whose com-

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14 Truck News • December 2017

pany hauls product into both Canada and Mexico. But he said a reworking of NAFTA could be beneficial. “The reality is, the NAFTA agreement is over 20 years old,” he said. “There are things in the NAFTA agreement that need to be improved upon. I’m of the mindset that as long as we’re looking to remodel the house and not do a teardown, then this process has some good promise…I don’t think we should apologize for reviewing the agreement, nor do I believe the agreement is ready to be thrown in the fireplace.” Costello said that if NAFTA is terminated, the immediate effect will be increased tariffs. The longer-term risk would be more plants being relocated to Asia, reducing the cross-border truck trips that are needed today to feed plants within North America. “It would give (Asia) a competitive advantage and we wouldn’t have the intermediate flow of goods back and forth across the border,” Costello explained. TN

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Trucking groups issue joint statement on NAFTA ORLANDO, FLORIDA Trucking groups in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, came together to produce a joint statement on the importance of NAFTA. The Canadian Trucking Alliance was joined by the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and the Cámara Nacional del Autotransporte de Carga (CANACAR) to voice their joint opinion on the trade agreement, which is currently being renegotiated. “It’s imperative that NAFTA negotiators keep trucking top of mind in a new modernized agreement,” said CTA president Stephen Laskowski. “This will keep North America competitive internationally.” In the joint statement, the national trucking associations explain how all three countries have enjoyed significant economic benefits from NAFTA. The groups urged negotiators to modernize the agreement. “CTA looks forward to working with ATA and CANACAR in consultations with each of our governments to help achieve a modernized agreement that works for all three countries moving forward,” added Lak Shoan, director of policy and industry awareness programs. “Trucking and trade are synonymous,” said ATA president and CEO Chris Spear. “In the more than two decades since NAFTA was enacted, we have seen strong growth in trade – the majority of which is moved by truck – between the United States, Mexico and Canada. It is vital to the health of our industry and our economy that we maintain and strengthen these relationships.” TN

December 2017 • Truck News 15

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16 Truck News • December 2017

Business

‘Real reciprocity’ is what Canadian trucking execs want from NAFTA talks By Sonia Straface MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO Reciprocity is what most are looking for on this side of the U.S.-Canada border when it comes to NAFTA discussions. That’s according to some of the trucking industry’s most prominent players who gathered at a special Canada-based Truckload Carriers’ Association (TCA) event called Bridging Border Barriers, to talk about their opinions on the NAFTA negotiations and what they believe the ideal outcome would be. “These are difficult times,” said David Bradley, president of the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA). “What we’re looking for in NAFTA is things that would improve the efficiency and the productivity of trade across the Canada-U.S. border. So, things like enshrining the current intransit pilot, and making it an actual program. Because a pilot (program) can be taken away quite easily.” Bradley also said it would be nice if borders were properly resourced. “We are also looking for, making sure that we have real reciprocity when it comes to the security programs, many of which have been introduced in the last couple of years. For example, making sure you only have to apply for a FAST card in one country and it’s recognized in the other – those sorts of things,” Bradley said. “Do I think that NAFTA is going to deal with these issues? I think it’s difficult, because they’re not top of mind/front page type of things. But what I’m hoping is, at least in NAFTA we will establish some new processes for dealing with these sorts of issues that make an agreement work better.” Ultimately though, Bradley said he hopes these NAFTA negotiations result in anything but the agreement dissolving entirely. “If we can maintain the agreement that we’ve got now, that would be better than the alternative, which is to get rid of it,” he said. According to John Lybolt, TCA president, the association wants free trade and wants NAFTA to continue. “The bottom line is we want free trade,” Lybolt said of the TCA. “Since 1993, when NAFTA was first brought into play, we’ve realized a gain in freight movement and profit, so the true success of the trade agreement according to the TCA, is making certain we have harmonization within the trade agreement. The transportation of goods internationally is in all of our best interests.” On the carrier side, Geoff Topping, vice-president of human resources at Challenger Motor Freight, says that his hope is that with an already thick border to get through, that

these negotiations don’t confuse things at the border even more. “We need the border to be a faster, more efficient process for the driver, for the carrier, and ultimately for the exporter or importer,” he said. “There’s too many delays, and in order to have good trade amongst our countries we need that border to run smooth.” Echoing Topping’s remarks, Bison Transport president Rob Penner said, “We want as few transactions at the border as possible. The equipment’s pre-cleared, the driver’s precleared, we don’t understand how these shipments need to be physically cleared at the border anymore.”

Wendell Erb, president of Erb Group of Companies, said he is hoping for some reciprocity to help ease the painful process of going through the border as well. “As truckers, we are punching bags for whatever regulations come down the line,” he said. “Honestly, I think there’s a complete lack of trust and you see what we go through for inspections, and when it’s crossing the border, it’s the same inspection. You would think there could be some reciprocity, where what’s good in Canada is good for the U.S.” Bradley said an added bonus of these NAFTA trade talks is that they could provide an opportunity

for Ottawa to start talking about the second crossing at the WindsorDetroit border again. “The completion date is 2022, but we haven’t seen a shovel in the ground yet,” he said. “One has to think if NAFTA is terminated, it raises the question as to will we need that bridge? Having said that, the Ambassador Bridge is falling down. They need to build a new stand on that bridge. I’ve always said, it’s not either/or, we need whatever capacity we can get because if NAFTA is terminated one would think down the road, we would hope to see a normal trade relationship again and then we’d need that bridge.” TN

December 2017 • Truck News 17

Business

Carbon tax not enough to meet GHG targets It will be tough, but not impossible, for Canada to reach GHG emissions target By Sonia Straface WINDSOR, ONTARIO Canada has its work cut out for it to hit its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals, according to Michael Burt of the Conference Board of Canada. Burt, the director of Industrial Economic Trends Group, said at the Canadian Transportation Equipment Association’s conference Oct. 24 in Windsor, Ont., that for Canada to reduce its emissions by 30% from 2005 levels by 2030, as promised, it will have to do a lot more than just introduce a carbon tax. “We are going to have to work hard to achieve these objectives of helping reduce global emissions,” Burt said. “It’s possible…we can transition to a low carbon economy, but it’s going to be a great challenge. Carbon taxes alone will not get us to our targets.” And, unlike our neighbors to the south, Canada doesn’t rely on much coal-fired electricity, so that low-hanging fruit has already been picked, explained Burt. Eighty per cent of Canada’s electricity already comes from clean solutions, so simply phasing out and shutting down coal plants has already been done, he said.

Freight transportation will not escape scrutiny, as it contributes 9% of Canada’s total emissions. Today, Canada’s GHG emissions total roughly total 722 megatonnes. Reducing emissions by 30% means getting rid of more than 200 megatonnes of GHG emissions in less than 15 years. “This is not going to be easy,” Burt said. “Just to give you an idea of how much we need to reduce by 2030 to reach our goals…even if we shut off all of our electricity, that’s only 80 megatonnes.” Last year, the federal government revealed its carbon reduction plans. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in October 2016 that a minimum price of $10 per tonne would be put in place in 2018 and

would rise $10 a tonne per year until reaching $50 a tonne in 2022. This plan, however, only reduces GHG emissions by about 40 megatonnes, Burt said. Additionally, this carbon tax will raise fuel prices, Burt said. If the $10 carbon tax per year increases until 2025, that means at $80 per tonne, fuel prices will be up 18 cents a liter from where they are now, Burt explained. “I don’t know about you, but I live in Ottawa, and sometimes I see gas prices vary across the city by 10 cents in one night,” he said. “This carbon tax is just not enough.” Burt believes that Canada needs to do more to change people’s

behavior to really make a change in its carbon footprint. “We have to change people’s behavior,” he said. “Changing fuel prices by 18 cents is not enough.” Transportation is going to be a big part of Canada’s GHG reduction, as almost one quarter (24%) of Canada’s GHG emissions come from transportation – 9% of Canada’s total emissions come from freight transportation. What the transportation industry can do to help reduce emissions, said Burt, is fuel switching and fuel economy. For heavy trucks, Burt said, f leets need to start thinking about moving away from diesel, and thinking about biofuels. “Right now, however, first generation biofuels still need to be mixed with diesel, so hopefully second-generation biofuels won’t need to be mixed,” he said. In the future, Burt said it would be beneficial to look at an eastwest power grid system so provinces can buy and sell power to each other and to find ways to change people’s behaviors if we want to hit the 2030 goal. “It’s not impossible,” he said. “But it’s going to be very challenging.” TN

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Trucks and traffic Proposed changes may have a big impact on trucking in Montreal By Carroll McCormick MONTREAL, QUEBEC Shorter trucks, restricted delivery hours, forbidden zones, and ways to help truckers better see pedestrians and cyclists are part of a buffet of possible changes Montreal is considering to improve safety and traffic fluidity. Last year, the City of Montreal developed a “Vision Zero” strategy “to ensure safe and harmonious travel for everyone on its territory.” This May, the 30 recommendations were adopted to help achieve that goal. Among them are quite a few that will, if they survive the move from paper to pavement, have a big impact on the trucking industry. The following should be understood as recommendations, not castin-stone action items, as the Commission on Transport and Public Works has pledged in its recommendations to work closely with stakeholders, including the trucking industry, in its implementation of Vision Zero. Also, some of the recommendations are begging for pushback from the trucking industry and its clients. “There is no bill yet. We are being consulted. I was told by the mayor that the trucking industry would be part of the discussion to find solutions,” says Marc Cadieux, president and director general of the Quebec Trucking Association. As a show of sincerity, Montreal will install rearview cameras on its fleet of heavy vehicles, and provide ongoing training to its truck drivers. These changes will quickly spill over into private trucking, as the Commission recommends that the city’s suppliers in tenders requiring the use of heavy vehicles, be equipped with sideguards (intended to make it harder for cyclists and pedestrians to fall under trucks’ rear wheels), when deemed necessary. The Commission also recommends that information be pulled together on systems that will reduce blind spots on heavy vehicles – ie., convex mirrors, side and rear cameras and “new technologies of assisted driving.” And following the lead of other cities that have done it, trucks with big blind spots will gradually be banned. (This could take the form of a vision standard, like the one reportedly being developed by Transport for London, in England, that rates the size of blind spots of different makes of trucks, and will be used to gradually ban those with the poorest ratings). The Commission has not forgotten that cyclists and pedestrians must also play their part, and its recommendations also include awareness campaigns. After all, as Cadieux points out, “There is more to be done on that issue. We do

have to keep on educating people to respect the rules.” What some might find unsettling is that the Commission, while acknowledging the need for awareness campaigns, emphasizes that heavy vehicle drivers have “the overriding responsibility.” It brings to mind the ease with which governments make new, restrictive rules for the trucking industry, and Cadieux’s observation: “I always say that when you come at these ideas a la carte, you don’t analyze the impact of the changes. It might make good arguments on the political side, but not having to live the impact of those decisions afterward.” On that theme, consider the Commission recommendations to limit the maximum length of trucks, the number of trucks, restrict local delivery hours, restrict the parking of heavy vehicles on some local streets and “reduce the number and size of trucks on the roads during morning and evening rush hour.” Or, “when the network is overloaded, by modulating the bans.” Cadieux raises a number of concerns that flow from such recommendations: “What do you do with trucks? This is not the first time that the approach has been to limit trucks in rush hour. We are in rush hour all the time. What do you with those trucks that are rolling in from the U.S., Toronto? Where do you go to park them? What do you do if you subtract hours from rail delivery times?” And, “A lot of those small industrial parks – how many of these industries have night shifts? Practically none. If you start impacting the industries with all kinds of restrictions, how is the merchandise industry going to function? At a meeting I said, ‘Let’s get some reaction from a federation or association that represents retailers. Why don’t we get issues and arguments from the retailers that will be affected.” And, “What also came up was restricting the size of trucks. You will have more trucks. We are facing a shortage of drivers. Do we want to make the Island of Montreal the most expensive place to move goods?” The above recommendations are considered “short-term” moves, although the time frame is left unspecified in the Commission recommendation. Medium- and long-term recommendations include “Collecting relevant data to better understand the habits and needs of the logistics and trucking industry,” and, to “finalize the feasibility study to establish transshipment centers that would reduce the size of heavy vehicles in dense urban

Trucks operating in the City of Montreal could soon face restrictions. (Photo by Carroll McCormick) environments to favor more environmentally friendly freight transportation, such as electric delivery vehicles or cargo bicycles.” Where all this will go remains to be seen, but, Cadieux warns, “There are a lot of secondary and negative side-effects to these ideas. These were arguments that I gave in my

exchange with elected officials. Carriers will suffer at the beginning, but then the industry will adjust, and it will become more expensive in Montreal. We will probably look at our rates and set rates between this and that postal code. The market will set the rate. We will not operate at a loss. That was said very clearly.” TN

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DO RETREADS

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TIRE SAFETY? R

etreaded tires are nothing new, yet the topic can still divide fleet managers. While some have fully supported the innovation, others are hesitant to try retreads: can they really stand up to cross-country trips, over rough terrain or on icy highways? Of course, performance isn’t the only element to consider. When a damaged tire blows out, sending shreds of rubber whipping across the lanes, it puts the truck and every vehicle around it in danger. You’ll want to make sure retreads can hold up in every situation, and that any savings you enjoy aren’t compromised by a greater safety risk. Retreads have earned their good reputation for a number of reasons, but simply using retreads won’t make or break your fleet’s safety record or performance standards. In order to stay safe and profitable, you’ll have to consider how your retreads can fit into your wider risk management practices.

Why use retreads? Retreads have come a long way since their invention in the early 20th century, and today fleets of all sizes routinely retread the tires on their trucks. Here are a few reasons to consider choosing retreads over brand new tires. EFFICIENCY – Modern retreads are durable, and they’re not a one-time solution – tires can be retreaded multiple times. That can translate to an extra 800,000 km of use before the tire is spent! ¹ Proper inflation can both increase performance and extend the life of the tire, allowing it to be retreaded up to three times. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT – Clearly, retreads beat new tires when it comes to carbon footprint, since there’s less waste going to a landfill. In fact, over 65 per cent of scrap tire material in Canada is managed and recycled, and retreaded tires are an important feature of the nation’s growing tire recycling program. ² SAVINGS – Tires are a huge expense for any trucking company – they’re right up there with fuel and payroll. If you can avoid replacing the entire tire, you should be able to save yourself a good amount of money. VERSATILITY – It may seem like retreads are only appropriate for specific circumstances; in reality, they’re generally fit for any terrain or season. The crucial point is that you match the tire to the application in order to increase fuel efficiency and prolong function.

Aren’t retreaded tires risky? While early retread technology left something to be desired, times have changed. In fact, experts point out that the gators and tire scraps you’ll see on the highway are just as often from new tires as they are from retreads. In most cases, the problem comes down to improper maintenance, misalignment, overheating, and road hazards – not retreaded rubber. Replacing old tires is simply not enough: you need to add frequent monitoring, professional maintenance, and good driving habits to the mix if you want your tires to perform safely and efficiently for as long as possible.

¹ How retreads help fleets lower their cost and environmental footprint, Bandag. 2017. ² Re-tired and put back to work, the Globe and Mail. May, 2014.

By Bonnie Learn

Driver training plays a big role in tire safety Routine tire checks and better response to road hazards are keys to improving tire performance and safety, but your staff must commit to these steps for your business to benefit. As an owner or manager, you need to effectively communicate the company’s best practices in order to reduce the risk of tire damage or disintegration. As you compile your training and maintenance strategy, you can incorporate these tips to help prevent tire damage and failure: • Check tires at least once a day. • If you drive through road debris or over rough surfaces, be sure to inspect all tires at your next stop. • Check tire tread and sidewalls for signs of damage. Look for punctures, excessive scuffing, or misalignment. • If you find defects, don’t take the risk of driving with a damaged tire – replace the tire as soon as possible. • Tire pressure can fluctuate more in cold weather. When the temperature dips, check tire pressures more frequently. • Rotate, balance, and align tires periodically to ensure even wear. • Choose an appropriate tire and tread design for the current weather conditions.

Invest in expertise Knowing what to look for and how to fix tire problems can be more difficult than it seems. It makes good sense to work with tire professionals as needed, and raise the bar in the workplace with focused training and education. • Experience is a virtue: use a professional tire installer to install, replace, and repair tires. • Opt for a reputable tire supplier, whether you’re purchasing new tires or retreads. • Educate maintenance staff on how to safely inspect all tires for defects and damage. • Train drivers on how to identify the signs of tire failure and how to report defects according to company policy. • Provide a defensive driving course that focuses on active road scanning and safely avoiding hazards. Tire safety applies to the workplace, too. Use safety equipment like tire cages to protect staff from undetected hazards (such as zipper defects) during tire inflation, and make sure your equipment is always in good working order. If you’re not sure where to make changes, a consultation from a risk management professional can get you on the right track and help keep your fleet rolling along. Interested in improving and maintaining your tire safety program? Connect with our Risk Services professionals at www.nbins.com/retreads. Bonnie Learn has worked in a variety of roles in the transportation industry over the past 25 years, and joined Northbridge Insurance as a Risk Services Specialist in 2016.

Northbridge Insurance and Northbridge Insurance Logo are trademarks of Northbridge Financial Corporation, licensed by Northbridge General Insurance Corporation (insurer of Northbridge Insurance policies). This article is provided for information only and is not a substitute for professional advice. We make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information and will not be responsible for any loss arising out of reliance on the information.

Business

International predicting stronger truck demand By James Menzies ORLANDO, FLORIDA Navistar International sees stronger truck demand carrying into 2018, and expects to increase its share as demand increases. Michael Cancelliere, president of truck and parts for Navistar International, said at the American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference & Exhibition that the company is bullish about the economy and truck demand for the remainder of this year and into next. “Our momentum is tracking well with the momentum we’re currently experiencing as an industry,” he said during a press conference. He noted the U.S. economy is trending well, and that economic growth should strengthen during the rest of 2017 and into 2018.

A side-effect of this is that commodity prices are also rising, so the cost of International trucks must go up as well. He said customers should

anticipate a price increase of up to 2% on 2019 model year trucks. Cancelliere said Class 8 truck orders are poised for recover y, w ith freight grow th showing signs of stability. Solid Classes 6/7 demand will continue, he added. This year, through August, Classes 6/7 orders are up 14.3% year-over-year, heavy-duty truck orders are up 39%, and severe service truck orders up 25.5%. He said spot market prices haven’t been this high since December 2014. “Our market share position is improving in every segment,” said Cancelliere, noting it’s up about 1.4% across all segments year-overyear. “The key enabler for this is the focus we’ve placed over the last couple years on product development.” TN

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Business

DTNA optimistic about year ahead, continuing to push technology By James Menzies ORLANDO, FLORIDA Roger Nielsen, president and chief executive officer of Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), is anticipating a strong year for truck sales in 2018. “We see a strong finish to 2017, as well as good business next year,” he said during a media roundtable at the American Trucking Associations’ annual Management Conference & Exhibition. Recent orders are supporting that belief. Nielsen said DTNA over a recent weekend took orders for 5,000 units, from four customers operating in four different business segments. “This tells us business is going well across the industry,” Nielsen said. “We are pleased with how the year is going and excited about our prospects for 2018.” Through September, DNTA’s share of the NAFTA Classes 6-8 market inched up 0.2%. However, it was down 3.9% in Canada. Nielsen attributed this to the recovery of the oil and gas segment – which is not DTNA’s strongest – skewing the numbers. “Honestly, the market growth there is not in the segment where we’re the most competitive,” he explained. “But we’re going to solve that.”

Western Star sales were a bright spot for DTNA, up about 30%. Nielsen said this is mostly due to the success of the 4700 model, which has given it in-roads into municipalities and lighter-duty Class 8 applications. As for its top-selling new Cascadia, Nielsen said further improvements in fuel efficiency are already being developed. “We have a whole series of developments on the vehicle side and the powertrain side that will increase the fuel efficiency of our products,” he said. “Some are in line with GHG Phase 2 and others in line with what our customers expect, which is year-over-year that we get better and better.” As for those GHG Phase 2 rules, Nielsen is hoping the current administration doesn’t change them, as they are focused on driving improved fuel economy. “We believe we owe it to our customers to continue to provide fuel efficiency improvements. We are watching the discussion on GHG Phase 2 and on what the EPA may or may not do, but for sure it’s not modifying our path. We are encouraging EPA to keep with the standard as written – we don’t see a need for rescinding it,” Nielsen said. “We believe that what’s agreed upon is great for the industry.”

Nielsen also spoke of connectivity, and how that’s bringing benefits to fleet customers. Detroit Connect is standard on all DTNA trucks and helps predict breakdowns. Over-theair software updates are another way DTNA is reducing downtime. Asked about emerging technologies such as truck platooning and autonomous driving, Nielsen said while Freightliner is testing platooning, he’s convinced lane keep assist needs to be an element that comes first. “We are not ready to announce a market availability of platooning,” he said. “But you will see us coming out soon with active lane keeping as another advanced driver assistance system.” Nielsen said the following drivers in a truck platoon can become fatigued when staring at the back of a trailer at close range all day, so lane keeping assist is necessary for safety. Nielsen also threw water on the idea trucks will be driverless in the near future. “The driver does more than steer and brake and accelerate,” he said. “He provides quite a service to shippers and the fleet he drives for, pretrip inspections, post-trip inspections, and handling issues that come up on the road.”

Instead of trying to replace the driver, Nielsen said DTNA’s focus is on making his environment safer. Truck platooning appears to be more practical, but this will initially at least only be possible with like trucks. “We don’t believe in promiscuous pairing,” Nielsen joked. “We definitely believe it is intraf leet, and if two f leets with common equipment would like to pair, we have the technology to open up the devices so that Fleet A and Fleet B can cooperate, but definitely not mixed brands. I think this is a bridge too far at the moment.” On the topic of electric trucks, Nielsen confirmed a Cascadia-E is being developed. “We believe it’s a technology worth exploring,” he said. “We need to increase the power density and get rid of the weight penalty to make sure the total cost of ownership makes a viable business case.” Heavy-duty electric trucks from DTNA may be put into service in applications where it makes sense as early as 2018, he said. However challenges remain, such as determining the value of a truck after the battery pack expires. TN

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22 Truck News • December 2017

Pot, ELDs, and NAFTA top issues facing Canadian transportation By James Menzies MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO The legalization of marijuana, the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate, and the possible reworking of NAFTA are three of the biggest issues facing the Canadian transport industry, according to panelists at the Surface Transportation Summit Oct. 11. Stephen Laskowski, president of the Canadian Trucking Alliance and Ontario Trucking Association, said Canada has dropped the ball when it comes to protecting employers when marijuana becomes legalized next July. “The decision was made to legalize marijuana. That’s fine, we’re moving on. But the issue here is, the government must have the fortitude to stand up beside employers and say that in safety-sensitive positions we’re going to allow drug and alcohol testing,” contended Laskowski. Employers will have difficulty determining whether or not their employees are high on the job, as there is currently no test available that determines impairment. “This was rushed from the beginning,” Laskowski said. “It’s a complicated issue.” The rail industry is equally concerned, according to Gerald Gauthier, vice-president of public and corporate affairs with the Rail Carriers Association of Canada. “Our concern is the impact of marijuana on safety-sensitive positions,” he said. “It’s a drug. It has an impact on your concentration.” Gauthier shared Laskowski’s concern that employers won’t be able to easily determine when employees are using the drug on the job. “It’s not always apparent the person is under the influence and we currently have no means to test it,” he said. “There is no legal impairment level set by the government and no technology that is ready to use.” The Canadian version of the U.S. ELD mandate should soon be posted in the Canada Gazette, Laskowski said. “It’s not going to change the hoursof-service rules, but it’s going to change how it’s reported, and that’s a big change,” he explained. He said shippers will need to work with carriers to better manage the supply chain. Bob Ballantyne, president of the Freight Management Association of Canada, said his members are eager to do so. “There’s going to have to be a lot of cooperation,” he acknowledged. Laskowski said it’s estimated only 30-40% of carriers are currently using ELDs. Implementing them, he said, can require a 12- to 18-month transition period.

Asked if drivers and owneroperators will exit the business rather than adopt ELDs, Laskowski said most fleets report drivers come to like them. “Time is money,” he said. “Drivers no longer have to fill out paperwork. It’s easier to audit. There are a lot of other time savings that equal money at the end of the day.” The renegotiation of NAFTA was another concern listed by the panel. Ballantyne said three quarters of Canadian exports go to the U.S., and half our imports originate from there.

The impending legalization of marijuana next summer will create issues for employers, who should be allowed to conduct drug testing, the CTA contends. “So, in terms of trade, it’s the most important relationship we have,” he said. “We had big trade with the U.S. before NAFTA existed

and we will continue to have trade, regardless of what happens. But there could be disruptions and that would be bad.” But Laskowski said the ongoing NAFTA talks at least provide an opportunity to get trucking issues back on the table with government. He noted the CTA made submissions to government on more than 13 areas that could be improved with regards to border operations. “Getting the attention of government on some of our micro issues in transportation is difficult,” he said. “Here is an opportunity…we have a wonderful opportunity to modernize NAFTA. There are a number of issues we’d like to work on as the trucking industry, and hopefully we’ll get an opportunity to discuss them.” TN

December 2017 • Truck News 23

Test Drive

Driving the new Mack Anthem Who says efficiency and bold traditional styling can’t co-exist? By James Menzies DULUTH, GEORGIA The Black Dog led a convoy of 10 Mack trucks on an 850-mile journey through seven states after the launch of the new Mack Anthem highway tractor in mid-September. After a glitzy launch event in Allentown, Pa., Sept. 13-14, the trucks had to make their way to the North American Commercial Vehicle (NACV) Show in Atlanta, Ga., where they made their official public debut. CDL-holding editors were allowed to participate in the convoy, driving a number of Mack Anthems of various configurations, as well as a Granite and Pinnacle sporting the new shared interiors. This was a unique opportunity, and one that I enjoyed from start to finish. We had a lot of fun along the way, but the real treat was getting some meaningful time behind the wheel of the all-new Mack Anthem. The Anthem looks like nothing else on the highway, and its bold design commanded a lot of attention along our route. Every time we pulled into a truck stop, the trucks

attracted a crowd – especially the Black Dog, an all-black Anthem with decked out interior that was the undisputed star of the show and

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Love’s travel plaza in Raphine, Va., Mack reps handed out free t-shirts and hats. There are undoubtedly more Mack Trucks fans today than when we started our trip. The high interest in the newlook truck was obvious, among truck drivers and even the motoring public. We turned our share of heads on the highway, and that’s a pretty good feeling when cruising down the road in a rig that truckers and even four-wheelers deem worthy of a thumbs-up. The Anthem seems poised for success because it boasts a throwback design, while also improving fuel economy by up to 3% compared to the Mack Pinnacle with sleeper cab. Who says efficiency and bold traditional styling can’t co-exist? From the oversized, boxy headlights, to the squared fenders and robust grille, this is a trucker’s truck. And it’s been built around a Mack powertrain that performs beautifully; the mDrive automated transmission and the MPseries engines have been dialed in to work in harmony. The mDrive shifts precisely when needed and the MP8 provides ample power to pull some significant grades at typical gross vehicle weights. The engine brake was quiet, yet effective, able to hold back the truck even down the long, intimidating Fancy Gap grade averaging 4.5% over six miles. I only tapped the brakes twice on the descent and never felt out of control. Here’s something you won’t see: a Mack with mDrive using one of those runaway truck lanes. I spent most of my time driving two Mack Anthems with 70-inch sleepers, powered by MP8 engines spec’d with 505 hp and 1,860 lb.-ft. of torque. Both had the 12-speed mDrive overdrive automated transmission – a great combination capable of handling most on-highway applications, payloads, and routes you’ll encounter. Both Anthems I drove were also equipped with Bendix Wingman Fusion, and I spent most of my driving time using the adaptive cruise control. This adjusted the truck’s speed to account for nearby traffic, maintaining a safe following distance but only intervening with engine and foundation brake applications when absolutely necessary. Some of the brake inputs were a little harsh, but it did the job. I was impressed that when the truck was okay to resume its cruise speed, it did so in a controlled, efficient manner, and didn’t charge back up to the set cruise speed with a complete disregard for fuel economy. It was a nice way to drive.

I appreciated the mDrive when we were in stop-and-go traffic due to construction; a tap of the throttle will prompt the truck to putter along at a slow, steady speed. The 13-liter Mack MP8 was sufficiently powered to pass other trucks on uphill climbs and we were loaded to more than 60,000 lbs. At no time did I feel more power was needed. I did use the kickdown feature a few times for an extra boost of horsepower, which was handy when completing a pass. Drivers who were drawn to the truck by its new exterior, were equally amazed when they poked their heads inside, and for good reason. The interior has also been completely revamped. The steering wheel has a racecar-inspired flat bottom. This is a unique attribute that’s also functional, as it provides a little extra belly room and makes it easier to climb inside the truck or into the sleeper. I like the look of the flat bottom steering wheel and it didn’t interfere with my preferred hand positions at any time or while backing. The steering wheel has been kept relatively simple, with minimal buttons placed on it. The cruise control and radio can be adjusted on the steering wheel, but it’s not overwhelming. The gauges have been repositioned and are much Continued on page 27

Nextran Truck Centers sets a new standard Man cave? Art gallery? Or, truck dealership? By James Menzies DULUTH, GEORGIA Having safely delivered 10 Mack trucks from Allentown, Pa., to Nextran Truck Centers in Duluth, Ga., journalists were treated to a tour of the new f lagship store. But to refer to Nextran’s newest location, opened in May, as a store, or even a dealership, is to do it a disservice. It’s much more than that. Nextran runs 15 Mack and Volvo dealerships in the Southeastern U.S., but went allout with the design of its newest location. The facility is 55,000 sq.-ft., the shop has an overhead crane that spans 112 feet, the driver’s room features comfortable leather chairs and a bigscreen TV, and even the artwork is incredible – and not what you’d expect to find in a truck dealership. Nextran commissioned a New York City artist to create a hanging piece of artwork in the showroom that from one side appears as the Mack bulldog and from the other, the completely differently shaped Nextran logo. Another piece of artwork hanging on the wall consists entirely of parts from a Mack engine. But the facility was also designed to be efficient. The company says it has increased its activity daily and monthly since opening, and its parts sales grew 43% in August over July. “Every detail was considered in the building design, from the stone hard material shop f loor with grid for non-slip to the LED lights throughout,” company officials explained. “We are seeing a safe, efficient workplace that contributes to positive experiences for customers and employees. The same can be said for the parts department – the

The specially commissioned art appears from one side to be the Mack bulldog, and from the other, the same piece appears as the Nextran logo. parts lift and stack system minimizes forklift use in the warehouse. These elements of the facility and more have been terrific both for customers and for employee morale.” TN

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Mack Anthem Continued from page 25

more stylish. The rocker switch icons are etched in to prevent fading, and the entire dash lights up beautifully after dark. All interior and exterior lighting is LED, which provides better illumination while drawing less power. Mack has modernized the instrument cluster while maintaining a truck look and feel. It’s not as car-like as other recently introduced interiors, and I suspect that’ll appeal to many truck drivers. But touch points have been enhanced and the dash and instrument panel are of better quality than those previously found in the Pinnacle. The new interior has been given to the Mack Granite and Mack Pinnacle axle-forward models as well. The Anthem replaced the Pinnacle axle-back model, and will be its top seller, but the axle-forward Pinnacle will be retained and rechristened, simply, the Pinnacle. Pinnacle and Granite customers will appreciate the new interior, which completely revitalizes those models. I spent one leg of the trip driving the Granite, and the new interior makes this workhorse a nicer truck to drive. I can also attest to the quality of the new sound system – who can resist a little AC/DC while cruising down the open road? Mack loaded the Anthem interior with storage. They claim to offer an industry-leading 27 cubic feet, and I wouldn’t dispute their calculation based on an exploratory inspection of the sleeper. They put storage bins and compartments everywhere possible. The redesigned seats are comfortable and easy to position. The door must be closed by the handle, which struck me as odd, but it felt durable. The sightlines are much improved, thanks to a hood that slopes down, and both one- and two-piece windshields are available. The hoodmounted mirrors are perched atop the hood, which makes them look like space alien antennae, but this was done for a reason. They’re aligned with the side mirrors to improve airflow, and they do provide exceptional visibility alongside the truck and trailer. I spent one leg of the trip sprawled out in the sleeper. It takes little effort to get comfy back there and I suspect the Anthem would make an excellent team truck. The sleeper curtain is now attached by magnet rather than Velcro, so a driver who needs to access the bunk while his or her partner is sleeping can do so quietly without tearing back a Velcro curtain. The new stand-up sleeper provides plenty of head room and the radio and temperature controls are well placed for easy access while lying down. The Anthem can be spec’d with single

or double bunks. Numerous sleeper configurations are available. Day one of our road trip saw us travel from Allentown, Pa., to Greensboro, N.C. It took about 12.5 hours with stops and gave me a real appreciation for what professional drivers do on a daily basis. Next morning, we were right back at it for the 300-mile run down to Nextran Truck Centers in Duluth, Ga., where the trucks were put on display for a few days, staged, and then transported to the NACV Show in downtown Atlanta. It was exhilarating to pull into the Nextran parking lot, all 10 trucks in formation, air horns blasting, as dealer reps shot video and took photos. The new Mack Anthem is a sharp looking truck, loaded with storage, with a more modern, higher-end interior. The powertrain is dialed

in and a pleasure to operate. The truck’s also efficient. What could make it better? Maybe a Canadian edition with our flag displayed on the Anthem badge, and a Maple

Leaf tastefully stitched somewhere inside the cab? After all, national pride isn’t just an American thing; a Canadian Anthem would be a beautiful thing. TN

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Health Preventive Maintenance

Calming a nagging cough With winter nearly upon us, we are entering the season of snow, ice, and coughs. Although coughing is not particularly pleasant, it is an effective, protective reflex that helps maintain our health by pushing harmful germs, dust, and mucus out of our lungs. Most coughs are just an inconvenience which ends after a few days. However, some coughs can extend for months, or even years. A cough that lasts eight weeks or more is called a chronic cough. A chronic cough is more than just an annoyance. By continually interrupting your sleep, it can lead to exhaustion, impaired concentration, and reduced work safety. A chronic cough will often be accompanied by these other symptoms: a runny/stuffy nose; hoarse voice; sore throat; frequent need to clear your throat; wheezing; heartburn; vomiting; stress incontinence; fainting; lightheadedness; excessive sweating; and/or headaches. As well, some less common, but more severe, symptoms include: broken ribs (from extreme coughing

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

fits); coughing up blood; night sweats; shortness of breath; fever (high and/ or prolonged); chest pain; and unexplained weight loss. If your chronic cough includes these more severe symptoms, see your doctor immediately. To treat chronic cough, it is necessary to first identify the underlying medical issues. Once the underlying cause is treated, chronic cough usually disappears. The following (alone or in combination) are the most common causes: smoking is the leading cause. In addition, postnasal drip, in which sinuses produce excessive mucus, which drips down the back of your throat, triggering the cough reflex. Infections can also be a cause. After the other symptoms of upper respiratory infections (flu, pneumonia, and a cold) are resolved, a cough may persist. Asthma can be a cause if you have exposure to seasonal allergens, chemicals, fragrances or extreme cold air may trigger coughing. COPDs (chronic bronchitis,

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Health

Nagging cough Continued from page 29

emphysema) results when ongoing inflammation of your bronchial tubes triggers a cough that produces blood in the sputum. GERD (gastro esophageal reflux disease) consists of irritating stomach acid flowing up from your stomach into your esophagus, which can trigger chronic coughing. ACE inhibitors can also be a cause. One side-effect of medications commonly prescribed for high blood pressure and heart failure is chronic cough. Less common causes include: aspiration of food; bronchiectasis (damaged airways); bronchiolitis (infection of the bronchioles); cystic fibrosis; lung cancer; non-asthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis (airway inflammation not caused by asthma); sarcoidosis (abnormal inflammatory cells in different parts of your body, most commonly the lungs); whooping cough; and/or heart failure. To reduce your cough on your own, try using an over-the-counter cough suppressant that contains dextromethorphan (such as Mucinex or Robitussin) to relax the cough reflex. Suck a cough drop or hard candy and/or pack a thermos of fluids, particularly warm liquids (broth, tea, or juice) to drink and soothe your irritated throat. Between trips: breathe moisturized

air, using a kettle, humidifier or steamy shower to reduce irritation; perform nasal irrigations to help flush away excessive secretions; avoid tobacco smoke ( first- and second-hand), and other air-born pollutants. If your chronic cough persists, consult your doctor, who will prescribe an appropriate treatment plan after identifying your particular underlying causes. If an ACE inhibitor medication is the cause, an alternative prescription that doesn’t trigger coughing as a side-effect may be substituted. If allergies or postnasal drip is diagnosed, antihistamines, glucocorticoids and decongestants may be prescribed. For asthma, inhaled asthma drugs (glucocorticoids and bronchodilators) will reduce inflammation and open your airways. For COPDs, bronchodilators and inhaled steroids will improve your airflow. For a bacterial infection, antibiotics may be recommended. For GERD, medications that block acid production may be offered. Very rarely, surgery may be required. If your doctor prescribes a cough suppressant such as benzonate (Tessalon Perles, or Zonatuss), be sure to read the label to ensure it can be used safely while driving. Some cough medicines contain the narcotic codeine or hydrocodone, which may also cause dizziness, drowsiness and blurred vision. Quiet your nagging, chronic cough, and enjoy the holiday season. TN

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Painted with the same brush Recently, the mainstream news has been littered with stories about unsafe transport operators. Even OPP Commissioner Vince Hawkes has taken aim at truckers. A series of fatal incidents lately involving transport trucks on 400-series highways in Ontario has been terrible, and the scene north of Barrie on Hwy. 400 Oct. 31 was especially horrific. It involved 14 vehicles – three of which were transport trucks – and the death of three people, at least one of whom was a truck driver. My thoughts are with the families who lost loved ones, and whose lives have been altered forever by these tragic events. A large portion of the media was quick to paint the entire trucking industry and its drivers in the most negative light possible. I f ielded three calls myself that day from media outlets who wanted to discuss the apparent epidemic of inattentive truck drivers, drivers under undue pressure and unrealistic delivery timelines, who were no doubt operating beyond hours-of-service limits and being improperly trained.

I dispelled these myths at every turn, and let them know how truly safe the industry is. I explained the policies, procedures, and oversight that most companies in the industry already have in place. I expect these types of opinions and remarks from some members of the general media; it has been proven over the years that this type of reporting sells, and scaring the public gets attention. As an industry, we have been dealing with this negativity for years. What particularly upset me on this occasion, however, was that these opinions and fear were being fed to the media by comments from the OPP itself. In the last month, this has become an all too common theme. The constant railing on the transport industry by OPP Commissioner Hawkes, in my view, is reckless, uncalled for, and not helping matters. Comments calling trucks “missiles on wheels,” and putting commercial drivers “on notice for being inattentive while behind the wheel,” and stating, “the trucking industry should take a close look at the way they conduct their business,” are not helping.

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These types of statements are irresponsible and fear mongering, and are not backed up by statistics. We need to work together to solve road safety issues, not point fingers and blame one specific sector, especially when statistics show that the professional truck operator is at fault in less than 30% of incidents involving heavy trucks. In 2016, there were 483 fatalities as a result of collisions in Ontario, 96 of these fatalities (20%) involved large trucks. In 2015, the numbers were 503 fatalities, 95 of which involved large trucks, or 19%. In 2014, there were 517 fatalities and 109 of these involved large trucks, or 21%. In the same time frame, licensed drivers have increased from 9.7 million in 2014 to 9.9 million in 2016. These numbers indicate we are showing improvement when placed in context. So far, this year, with 70 fatalities involving large truck collisions as of the end of October, according to OPP figures, we are on pace for roughly the same numbers, and actually a slight improvement. This does not appear to be an epidemic spiraling out of control, as claimed. With all this being said, let me be clear, one fatality on a roadway as a result of a collision is one too many. Our industry and our drivers share their workplace with the public. As an industry, we are committed to doing whatever we can to ensure

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we reduce the number of collisions our trucks are involved in, and their severity. We realize distracted driving is an issue for the trucking industry, as it is for society as a whole. Speeding in construction zones on 400-series highways is also a huge issue for all types of vehicles. I applaud the Province of Ontario’s recent announcement of plans to increase penalties for distracted driving. No matter what the penalties are, however, unless we have increased enforcement, they will have limited effect. If we hope to change behaviors, we need to increase enforcement, increase enforcement visibility, charge those that are guilty, and work with the industry and public on education. We want to work together, we understand we need to do what we can to make our roads even safer, however let’s not lump the entire industry into one bucket. TN

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December 2017 • Truck News 33

Insights Over The Road

Are ELDs being implemented for the right reasons? Implementing the use of electronic logging devices (ELDs) may be the start of a perfect storm within the North American trucking industry. This law will force all drivers to work to rule. Authorities cite improving road safety as the primary reason for this legislation. Amidst all the discussion and debate surrounding this topic, that’s the predominant message. It’s a weak one at best. The trucking industry has a big problem. People have always been attracted to truck driving for the independence and freedom that it offers. You don’t have anyone look-

ing over your shoulder and you have the ability to manage yourself. It’s the closest you will get to being self-employed while still enjoying the benefits of being an employee. It’s a great gig in that regard, and that was the big attraction that drew me into this line of work. But the management style for many large companies over the past decade has been to employ a big stick a nd d r ive thei r f leets from the front office. By micro-managing each power unit, costs could be reduced and profits maximized.

Enter big data and the tools it needed to collect all those data points. But these tools and this style of management has taken control away from the driver. Drivers have been disempowered. This is why independent drivers are so opposed to the implementation of ELDs. They are seen as an unnecessary financial burden and a threat to their way of life. If I was an independent business owner running a couple of trucks, what would be the benefit? I’m not saying there are not any benefits to switching to a digital system. What I’m saying is that those

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34 Truck News • December 2017

Al Goodhall has been a professional longhaul 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.

benefits have never been sold. The choice has always been to implement the big stick. But it doesn’t have to be so. It’s been about six years since I first tested an automatic on-board recording device (AOBRD). I’ve never used a paper log since, and have no desire to go back to using one. Logging my time electronically has proven to be a huge benefit. But discovering those benefits took some time. A good business plan requires some foresight. The leaders within our company recognized the technology trend many years ago and started to implement change on their own timeline. Now ELDs are simply another tool we use in our daily business. I don’t think there is a single driver in our organization that sees an ELD as being intrusive or contributing to Big Brother syndrome – the feeling that you are always watched and need to be on your guard. The bottom line is that there is a high degree of trust across our organization. That is powerful. There is no doubt in my mind that ELDs have been deployed by many companies to give them eyes into the cab of every one of their trucks with a short-term goal of increasing profitability. In the long term, this way of thinking has saddled the industry with a crippling shortage of qualified drivers. Why is the broader industry blind to the simple fact that people want to be treated well and compensated fairly? The ELD debate raging across social media highlights how deep the divide is between drivers and management/legislators. That’s the issue that should be addressed if we want to improve road safety. As I’ve been working on this column we have experienced another horrific accident on Hwy. 400 here in Southern Ontario. It was a fiery inferno that resulted in three more deaths. This isn’t something that will be prevented from happening by employing ELDs in every commercial vehicle. We can only reach zero deaths on our highways if drivers are engaged and focused 100% of the time. That will never be achieved with forced compliance to a set of rules. My sense is that driver morale across the industry has never been lower. The ELD mandate is only adding to that anxiety. TN

Safety

String of truck crashes has industry under fire

have been far too many accidents lately, and many with tragic consequences. We all need to do our part and work together to ensure

By Sonia Straface

Volvo envisions a future without traffic accidents

TORONTO, ONTARIO A recent rash of fatal truck collisions on Ontario highways has the media, motorists, and enforcement up in arms, and the trucking industry under scrutiny. After the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) announced the charges in three separate fatal collisions involving commercial trucks in late October, it vowed to crack down on truck drivers going forward. All three collisions occurred this summer and claimed the lives of six people. The first collision occurred on July 27 on Hwy. 48 in Georgina, Ont. The second in Chatham-Kent on Hey. 401 on July 30, and the third near Port Hope on Aug. 3, also on Hwy 401. OPP Commissioner Vince Hawkes said at a press conference that all three wrecks were caused by trucks slamming into slowed or stopped traffic, creating a domino effect, with several fatalities. “This is driver inattention at its worst and the most tragic reminder in recent history of the tremendous cost to innocent men, women, and children when transport truck drivers are not paying full attention to the road or his fatigue,” Hawkes said. “Many of our officers assigned to highway patrol will tell you they see numerous commercial trucks that are being driven safely. And we commend those that are doing their part in keeping our roads safe. But there are those who are not part of that group of safe drivers. And it’s these people who pose serious risks to our roads and have caused these victims to be here today.” He added that the OPP will be pursuing fatal collisions harder than before and hold at-fault drivers accountable “to the full extent of the law.”

The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) responded by stating that truck drivers are the safest drivers on the road. “Our industry is committed to safety. The stats reflect that, as do the actions of the vast majority of the professional operators on Ontario’s highways,” said OTA president Stephen Laskowski. “It is OTA’s goal – a goal shared by the Ontario Provincial Police and the Ministry of Transportation – to enforce the full extent of the law for the minority of carriers and drivers who do not share this commitment to safety.” OTA is part of an upcoming working group with MTO and the OPP to develop strategies to reduce distracted and aggressive driving. “OTA and its member carriers are dedicated to developing improved road safety policy strategies with our partners by better utilizing technology, education, improved roadway design and strategic enforcement,” added Laskowski. “There is a reason why since the mid-90s we have seen a 66% decline in the fatality rate from large truck collisions despite an increase in truck traffic of 75%.” Most recently, after a fiery collision on Hwy. 400 on Oct. 31 late at night, the industry once again felt the heat as transport trucks were involved in the fatal crash. So far, there has been no formal statement on which vehicles were at fault. “Our deepest sympathies go out to those involved in the crash on Hwy. 400 late Tuesday night, and those who have lost their lives as a result,” Private Motor Truck Council of Canada president Mike Millian said in a statement to Truck News. “As an industry we are always looking for ways to improve road safety and ensure the highways are safe for our drivers and the motoring public as a whole. There

we improve the safety of our highways, share the roads safely, and look for ways and means to reduce collisions of any kind.” TN

ORLANDO, FLORIDA Volvo Trucks shared its vision for a world without traffic accidents, during a seminar at the American Trucking Associations’ annual Management Conference & Exhibition. “Each year more than 1.2 million people per year are killed on roads around the world, and we must change the world,” said Carl Johan Almqvist, traffic and product safety director, Volvo Trucks. “Often times it’s not until a traffic accident or fatality personally affects our lives that we take note of the problem. We know that about 90% of all accidents are a result of human factors, so real progress requires a change in mindset so we don’t tolerate accidents and their contributing behaviors.” Volvo officials said the company continues to develop safety systems to prevent crashes. It made Volvo Active Driver Assist collision mitigation standard on its new VNR and VNL trucks. Its stability system, Volvo Enhanced Stability Technology, has been standard on on-highway models since 2007. “Technologies can certainly help improve safety and show even greater promise in the future, but we must always recognize the human element in safety,” said Almqvist. But he acknowledged that safety is a complex issue that’s further complicated by growing congestion. “All road users are part of the problem and we must all be part of the solution. Collaboration is key because no single entity can solve the problem alone,” said Almqvist. “Eliminating traffic accidents requires truck manufacturers, authorities, infrastructure planners and other experts around the world to work together.” TN

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December 2017 • Truck News 35

Insights Tax Talk

The real tax deadline A little last-minute tax planning now can help you end 2017 on the right foot While everyone traditionally circles Apr. 30 on their calendar, a more pressing tax deadline is really just days away. If you are a sole proprietor, then Dec. 31 is an important deadline for business decisions. If you are incorporated then whatever your business year-end date is also a critical deadline. Here are a few tax and accounting items to consider as we approach the end of 2017: 2017 income and expenses Make sure 2017 income and expenses are reported on your 2017 return.

Businesses use the accrual method of accounting. That means you report income in the fiscal period you earn it, not when you receive it, and you deduct expenses in the fiscal period you incur them, whether you actually paid them in that period or not. For example, your first broker settlement in 2018 probably will be for a pay period ending Dec. 31, 2017. That income counts toward 2017. Likewise, the cell phone bill dated Dec. 28, 2017, is a 2017 expense even though you’ll pay it just before it’s due in the third week of January.

Make a big purchase If you’re planning a major purchase, consider doing so before Dec. 31. There’s an advantage to loading up on deductible expenses in a high-income year. Spending $3,000 on tires in December could save you $900 owed to CRA when you file your 2017 tax return this April. Buying those tires in February 2018 will delay your savings until April 2019. Make a really big purchase There’s a rule of thumb in accounting that says the best time to acquire new equipment is at the end of your tax year. It’s generally true as long as

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36 Truck News • December 2017

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

you’re financing the vehicle with a loan and not a lease. That’s because CRA lets you expense a half-year’s depreciation on the asset purchase even though you may have only owned it for a month or two. Since CRA allows a 20% depreciation expense during a truck’s first year, that’s a good chunk of change on a new vehicle. You could be writing off far more than you actually paid out during the short time you’ve had it. Leasing a new asset close to yearend doesn’t offer the same taxrelated benefit. That big initial lease payment is considered to be a pre-paid deposit which you cannot expense all at once. You have to divide it by the number of months in your lease contract and expense that amount each month in addition to your regular lease payment. People in trucking tend to use the words “buying” and “leasing” interchangeably. If your accountant advises you to buy a new truck, don’t go out and lease one. Purchasing and leasing have totally different effects on your tax planning. Interest expenses Any time you pay to borrow money, and that money is used to help you earn business income or provide working capital, the expense is tax-deductible. This includes interest paid on the loan, the cost for the loan to be set up and managed, and any fees for related legal, accounting, and bookkeeping services. Loan-related expenses aren’t like most business expenses. Interest and other fees may be amortized over the life of the loan and wrapped into monthly payments. Up-front administrative or documentation fees may be buried in the fine print. Your accountant can clarify precisely which borrowing expenses are business and which are personal. For instance, you might think your tax accounts (including personal tax, corporate tax, payroll source deductions, and GST account) are business-related. But CRA says you cannot deduct the interest charged to these accounts or any loans you may get from financial institutions to pay these amounts. Also, any loans to buy RRSPs or fees charged within your RRSPs are not deductible. We’re all looking forward to a happy, prosperous 2018. A little last-minute tax planning now can help you end 2017 on the right foot and enter next year a step ahead. TN

Mail Why not accommodate older workers? Dear Editor: With the apparent driver shortage, why would the industry not try to entice all the older guys who have quit for whatever reason, back into the industry? They have a wealth of knowledge and experience. This could be used not only to fill the immediate gap, but also to partner up with new people and possibly mentor them and therefore create some really good new people in the industry. Paul Paton

ELDs stripping drivers of their freedom Dear Editor: I have been a trucker since 1991, and enjoyed the freedom of the road and not having anyone looking over my shoulders. Now, with the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate, this obviously changes trucking. I believe this has absolutely nothing to do with safety whatsoever. I feel more like an Android: I now have to drive even though I am tired, to use the windows this piece of crap gives me. I used to pull over when I needed a nap, but I also have to make a living, so safety is out the window and I need to push it. ELDs are only pushed for by the big companies to force little ones out of business, to gain total control of the market, thus dictating the prices. The fight for more information about individuals is raging, and a little bit more freedom is gone thanks to controlling and analyzing drivers, studying their behaviors, making mindless automations out of them. I will definitely think about doing something else, the drive to do my job is wearing thin. The big guys know this and some day, the old guard will be gone and young replacements will know no better. Roland Baranek

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Many questions remain about ELD mandate Dear Editor: Re: The biggest risk of the ELD mandate isn’t what you think it is, November Truck News You are quite right that training time is needed for electronic logging devices (ELDs). But how do you deal with it if your chosen ELD provider gets bought out by another company, just after most of your drivers are trained? Or when the program is revamped (and with some components delayed), so your drivers have to start their training over again? How are inspectors trained and how prepared are they? Will there be longer than usual inspection times because inspectors are not fully trained on all ELD programs? S. Clark

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December 2017 • Truck News 37

Insights Voice of the owner-operator

Putting the boots to bullying When Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, unveiled new legislation in early November aimed at cracking down on harassment in federal workplaces, it went largely unnoticed in the trucking world. If you work in a trucking operation that crosses provincial or international borders, you are among a number of federally-regulated industries, like banking, telecommunications, and others, that are covered by the Canada Labour Code, so the upshot of this regulatory overhaul will apply to you. The legislation follows a year-long government consultation which set out to shed light on the prevalence of bullying, sexual harassment, and

violence at work in Canada. What emerged from the series of discussions and surveys is that millions of Canadian men and women say they are victims of, or witness, bullying and harassment of one kind or another in the workplace, on a daily basis. Issues of harassment and violence in federally-regulated workplaces are already covered in a number of separate labor standards under the Canada Labour Code, but the Code clearly isn’t working to make things better for large numbers of Canadian workers and employers. To begin with, much workplace harassment goes unreported; the most common reasons for workers not reporting an incident or situation of harassment are fear of retaliation,

or concern that they will lose their job. As well, when complaints are brought forward, they are often not taken seriously, and thus not dealt with effectively. For the 92% of Canadian workers who aren’t covered by federal regulation, employment standards that regulate conditions of work are defined by provincial or territorial ministries of labour. But slogging through the complex, multi-layered pieces of legislation at these levels, trying to understand how each handles the various types of harassment, can be a real challenge. Certain laws regarding harassment and discrimination fall under human rights legislation in Canada, and aren’t addressed at all at the provincial level.

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A couple of provinces have made prohibitions against workplace bullying and harassment expressly clear, but for others, it often falls under the general duty of employers to protect employees from risk at work, and isn’t specific to, say, bullying. Bullying is an interesting example; when we hear about bullying, we immediately think about children in the schoolyard or teens and cyberbullying. But workplace bullying is very real. Some examples of bullying or “psychological harassment” at work include rude or offensive remarks, ridicule, shouting abuse, or making fun of personal choices, but also include belittling or ignoring employees, assigning unreasonable duties or workload in a way that creates unnecessary pressure, or setting impossible deadlines. Does any of this sound familiar? Drivers have been telling me for years about incidents that are clearly abuse or harassment, often perpetrated by a co-worker, but just as likely to come from an individual in a position of authority. For example, dispatcher/driver relationships are often seen as coercive with a one-sided power balance; I don’t think I’ve met a driver who doesn’t have a “dispatcher from hell” story. And what about those times drivers have been expected to use equipment that may have a defect? This is clearly a safety issue, but if the driver feels pressured or coerced, is it bullying? So, are tougher laws the answer? Raising awareness and getting the conversation going is never a bad thing, but this complex issue needs a multi-faceted approach by government, labor, employers, workers and the public. The law may provide a supporting context, but can it really regulate employer-employee relationships or repair a dysfunctional corporate culture? Recognizing workplace harassment as not only an issue of social justice, but an issue of economic prosperity as well might be a good beginning. Companies need to be aware that there is a strong economic argument to creating safer, harassment-free workplaces. Companies that have high degrees of harassment, and bullying tend to also have high levels of absenteeism, poor mental health among workers, lower productivity, and rapid turnover. Companies that take care of employees and foster healthy environments tend to not only attract the best talent, but to keep it as well. Perhaps recognizing the recruitment and retention implications of the issue might be just as effective as tougher legislation when it comes to trucking. TN

Charity

Trailcon makes donations BRAMPTON, ONTARIO Trailcon Leasing recently made donations to three important causes, aiming to encourage the next generation of leaders in the trucking industry. The company donated a 53-ft. tridem trailer to Mohawk College’s City School Program. It provides a mobile classroom that travels across Ontario to bring trades training programs directly to various community hubs. It offers tuition-free college credit courses and workshops, taught by Mohawk faculty and staff. “Trailcon has always been dedicated to supporting future generations who choose to work in the transportation industry,” says Mike Krell, vice-president, sales and marketing, Trailcon Leasing. “By donating this trailer, we are providing reliable equipment to support new and innovative education programs and encouraging youth to consider our industry as a promising career path.” The company also offered a Trailcon Leasing Trailer Service Technician Scholarship to a student in the truck trailer service trade program at Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ont. It was awarded to Ian Taylor. And rounding out its donations, Trailcon donated a trailer to be used in a series of training videos for would-be truck drivers studying at Loyalist College in Belleville, Ont. The videos will be produced in collaboration with the OTA. TN

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Trucking chips in with Food Sort Challenge ETOBICOKE, ONTARIO The Trucks For Change annual Fall Food Sort Challenge raised more than $32,000 for Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank this November. The annual food sort challenge sees teams from the trucking industry sort thousands of pounds of food as fast as they can for the Daily Bread Food Bank. In total this year, 13 carriers and allied trades teams participated – the highest participation yet for the event. Overall, the teams sorted more than 44,700 lbs of food in two 90-minute shifts. Team Tandet was the winner of the first shift, sorting 53.33 lbs per minute. Team Bison came in first place during the second shift with an average of 58.82 lbs per minute. “We spent the afternoon working for a great cause, bringing employees that have never met face to face together, and an evening socializing,” said Steve Schroder of Tandet Group. “While the goal was to help the Daily Bread with its great need, I feel that Tandet gained far more than we gave.” TN

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December 2017 • Truck News 39

Tires

Four elements of a successful tire management program By James Menzies Tires represent one of a fleet’s largest operating costs, so having an effective tire management program is essential. But that doesn’t mean it has to be overly complex. Even small fleets without a dedicated “tire guy” can put in place a simple, but effective, tire management program. Mark it on the calendar Mike Buck, president of MCB Consulting, is a fan of using a calendar, and his consulting firm has helped several fleets reduce tire costs by implementing one. Most tire manufacturers offer tire calendars that can be installed on tractors and trailers. “It can be used to manage your tires if you can’t afford air inflation systems and you can’t thoroughly inspect every tire in every yard every day,” Buck explained. Every time a unit’s tires are given a thorough visual inspection – inflation, tread depth, wear patterns – the day of the month is written into that month’s square (ie. a 3 would be placed in the November box to indicate an inspection was done Nov. 3). “It’s located right by the grab handle and everybody walking the lane visually knows those tires were checked on the third,” Buck explained. “Long story short, now you have calendars on your entire fleet.” Buck noted even good tires lose two to four psi per month, just due to temperature fluctuations. He said thorough tire inspections should be done every 60 days. “It’s not a perfect system, but it’s better than having to try to inspect every tire every day,” he said. Tire calendars also make it easier to get drivers involved in tire maintenance, as they can tell at a glance when their tires were last inspected. “It takes a little bit to get started, but I’ve implemented a tire calendar in numerous companies and it really turned their tire program around,” he said. Create a manual Fleets of all sizes should also produce a tire manual, which can help keep tire vendors accountable. It can be as long as 25 pages and should include information such as tread depths, when tires should be pulled, recap spec’s, wheel finishing information, etc. “There’s no gray area, it’s right there in that tire manual in black and white,” said Buck. He said vendors should sign off on the tire manual and agree to follow the policies contained within, rather than using their own discretion when it comes to replacing tires.

“We review the document with vendors and they’re going to sign off on it – if not, we get a new tire vendor,” Buck said. “If you don’t have those things in black and white, they may recap a tire that’s 10 years old and has had four repairs. That’s what the tire manual is all about, holding them accountable to your exact spec’s.” Buck also recommends having a simple two-page, laminated tire guide in the shop that mechanics can reference when making tire decisions in the shop. It should include details such as inflation pressures, and the tread depth at which tires should be pulled. Pressure points The most effective way to reduce tire-related roadside service calls is to monitor inflation pressures – and not only with the thump of a hammer. “It has to be part of normal business. If a unit comes into the shop for anything, check the tires,” said Taki Darakos, vice-president of maintenance for Transervice. “We have master gauges in our shops and air gauges that can be calibrated. On occasion, we have found that our vendors’ gauges can be out of calibration. You could end up with a fleet where air pressures are consistent, but maybe over- or underinflated.” Buck agreed. “You have to have a master gauge and mechanics have to check it a minimum of once weekly. It should be calibrated once a quarter and it has to be dead on.” Both insisted thumping the tires with a hammer is not an adequate way to determine if their inflation pressure is on spec’. “Lots of folks say they can (tell),” said Darakos. “If a unit is severely

40 Truck News • December 2017

underinf lated, maybe you will notice, but the experts will tell you that it’s not good enough to just thump a tire and I trust them.” Buck put this theory to the test. He did a tire blitz with one fleet he worked with, and challenged tire experts to identify tires at 80, 90, 100, and 110 psi using only a hammer. He even offered $25 to anyone who could identify each tire using the thump test. “I never lost a dime,” he said. “Not one of them could tell the difference between psi and these were tire guys who’ve been doing tires all their lives.”

Inspect your scraps Before discarding scrap tires, inspect them with your tire vendor to identify possible causes of premature failure, advised Darakos. “Do a monthly scrap audit with your dealer,” he suggested. “There are a lot of lessons learned from looking at tires pulled off, set aside for disposal or to be retreaded. In some cases, you can pick up warranty dollars or maybe identify an issue. This helps the relationship and also allows you to see what is really going on with the fleet. It should be done monthly so that the piles of tires do not get too high.” TN

If tires could talk When Craig Matta of Stand Alone Tire visits a fleet’s yard, he is drawn immediately to the rubber. He’s not just looking for tires with obvious signs of damage, such as puncture holes – he examines the tires closely to identify issues within the fleet that could be contributing to reduced tire life. So, what exactly is he looking for when he can be seen running his hands over a tire tread? “Basically, I’m looking for any irregular wear,” he explained. “A lot of trailers have alignment issues, and the inside shoulder is often wearing a little faster than the outside shoulder. If there’s more wear on the inner shoulder, then I’ll tell the customer the trailer has some alignment issues.” He also looks for flat spots, “especially with winter coming, because a lot of guys are leaving before their trailer brakes are disengaged – which is caused by the air lines freezing up – and they’re dragging their trailers.” Matta will also measure tread depths to ensure a set of duals is not mismatched. “A lot of times, tires will get replaced on the road and the guy will put a brand new tire on beside a tire that’s half worn down. You have to match them up to be at the same tread depth,” he explained. He has even seen instances where a tire vendor replaced a blowout with a wrong sized tire at roadside, because it’s the closest match they had with them. This results in one tire carrying a disproportionate load. In some applications, tires on one side of a truck or trailer will receive more abuse, so rotation is advised. “With trailer tires, you’ll get more scrubbing on the right-hand side, just because they scrub the curb,” Matta noted. TN

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Equipment

Petro-Canada gives update on new oil categories New oils performing well, but FA-4 sales sluggish By James Menzies

most part the industry has done pretty well,” Humphrey said. “With the full backwards-compatibility of CK-4, people were quite comfortable moving to that product. We didn’t feel it was necessary to carry over the old line of CJ-4 and for the most part I think people found it fairly easy to slide over to the new products.” The FA-4, however, hasn’t seen much adoption as of yet. It’s only approved so far by Detroit, and on newer engines.

TORONTO, ONTARIO Nearly a year after Petro-Canada Lubricants rolled out its new CK-4 and FA-4 heavy-duty engine oil categories, the company says it has successfully converted its customers to the new products. In an update Oct. 26 at its Toronto lubricants plant, Barnaby Ngai, category portfolio manager, heavy-duty engine and driveline oils, said the company opted to convert completely to the new category oils last Dec. 1, and that it has proven to be the right decision. “We don’t want to create any more complexity. We know our CK-4 is back-serviceable, we know it’s better. There really is no reason why you wouldn’t move to a CK-4,” Ngai explained. “We have been able to successfully transition our entire customer base over to the new platform.” The CK-4 and FA-4 oils offer fleets performance benefits, better protection, and the opportunity to extend drain intervals. The better-performing oils were demanded by engine manufacturers, and represented the first category update in about a decade. “It was roughly 10 years since we saw CJ-4 and industry users were very familiar with CJ-4,” Ngai said. “This is a whole brand new ballgame, so it’s a big milestone in the industry and for ourselves at Petro-Canada.” Petro-Canada’s heav y-dut y engine oil now consists of: Duron HP 15W-40; Duron SHP 15W-40 and 10W-30; Duron UHP 10W-40, 0W-40, 0W-30, 5W-30, and 5W-40; and Duron Advanced FA-4 10W-30, with a 5W-30 coming later. “All the way around, the new product line is superior,” said Ngai. Brian Humphrey, OEM technical liaison, heavy-duty driveline, said the industry has transitioned quite well to the new oils. “It was a pretty big move for them this year to slide over, but for the

“All the way around, the new product line is superior.” – Barnaby Ngai, Petro-Canada “It’s not flying off the shelves,” Humphrey admitted of FA-4, even though its high temperature-high shear properties mean it will deliver the best fuel economy of the new oils. “It’s not really a surprise. People who operate expensive equipment are a conservative bunch. The bigger the engine and the more it costs, the more resistant to change they are.” Humphrey said he expects FA-4 to gain popularity when more engine manufacturers become comfortable with its ability to fully protect the engine and when fleets convert fully to current generation engines. But engine OEMs want to see more data before widely permitting its use. John Pettingill, product specialist, offered test results that show the new oils offer better protection than their predecessors. Most testing was done hauling 140,000-lb GVW loads, he noted. Shear stability testing showed the new Duron HP 15W-40 offers improved shear stability and less metal wear within the engine. At 70,000 kms, testing showed just 50 PPM of iron.

“That’s amazing,” Pettingill said. “We’ve come a long way to provide wear protection.” In another test with a Toronto-area waste hauling company, Duron SHP 15W-40 drain intervals were doubled from 400 hours of operation, to 800 hours. Jepson Petroleum, a Calgary, Alta.-based petroleum hauler extended drain intervals by 50% from 500 hours to 750. Ngai said the company has been able to use its Duron Challenge to convert fleets to Petro-Canada oil. Petro-Canada provides the benchmark testing, free oil for a number of units, and oil analysis support. DLM Trucking, based in Yakima Valley, Wash., converted to Petro-Canada from the oil supplier it had used for 30 years after extending drain intervals from 20,000 miles to 40,000 miles and eliminating oil consumption in the first 20,000 miles, which had been a problem. Despite the transition to lower-viscosity engine oils, Ngai said the 15W-40 grade continues to dominate the market, with about 80% penetration. But he pointed out OEMs are now factory filling with 10W-30 and convincing fleets to make the change to lower-viscosity oils, which improve fuel economy and cold weather pumpability. The switch to FA-4 oils could take longer, as Humphrey admitted it’s difficult for fleets to measure the potential 1% fuel economy improvement in real world applications. “To be frank, in the real world measuring things in the order of 0.5-1% fuel economy improvement is difficult,” he said. “The chances of a customer just taking a couple of units, throwing the oil in and a month later asking the guy ‘Did you pump more fuel into the truck or not,’ you’re just not going to get a good answer to that.” Ngai’s suggestion is to incorporate fuel-efficient oils into a broader overall initiative to improve fuel economy to get the best results. TN

FAST

ORLANDO, FLORIDA Mack Trucks will hold its ground in construction and refuse segments where it has traditionally been strong, while growing its longhaul segment presence. That was the commitment from Jonathan Randall, senior vice-president of sales, who spoke at a Mack Trucks press conference at the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) annual Management Conference & Exhibition. Randall is expecting a healthy truck market for the remainder of 2017 and into 2018. Mack recently upped its projections for 2017 North American Class 8 truck retail sales from 225,000 units to 235,000. “Next year’s forecast is going to be higher than this,” he said, citing a strong economy, increasing manufacturing levels, and steady construction activity. Randall said Mack is projecting more demand for longhaul highway trucks, and now with the introduction of the new Mack Anthem, the truck maker is planning to take a bigger bite out of this segment. This year, only 41.8% of Class 8 truck registrations in the U.S. and Canada through August have been for longhaul tractors, down from the traditional range of about 48%. “Beginning next year, this number is going to start to climb back up into its rightful high-40s as percentage of the total market,” Randall predicted. “Anthem puts Mack back in that segment in a big way.” So far, 2017 has been a good year for Mack, which has retained the 1% market share improvement it captured last year. “We are going to continue to maintain that, and the only thing we’re going to do from here – especially with the Anthem – is grow that market share,” Randall vowed. TN

Brought to you by the editors of Newcom Trucking Group, in partnership with Imperial Oil Limited

FORWARD

PART III VOLUME 2

ADAPTING TO A

DISRUPTIVE FUTURE

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48 Truck News • December Decembe 2017

Mack vows to hold ground in strongest segments, grow longhaul

International opens Uptime Command Center, launches online marketplace

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

Kingpin Specialists ............................. 45

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

King Radiator Inc. .............................. 42

Canadian Loadshare Suspension Inc. ...... 43

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

Capacity of Ontario (Div. of Altruck Group)..... 42

Ocean Trailer .................................... 46

Curtainsider ..................................... 45

Texis Truck Exhaust ............................ 45

Dependable Truck & Tank ..................... 44

The Truck Exhaust Place ...................... 43

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

XL Radiators ..................................... 45

ALPHABETICAL LIST Navistar International has launched a new Uptime Command Center to ensure trucks like its new RH regional tractor are kept on the road and spend less time in the shop. ORLANDO, FLORIDA International Truck has announced the launch of its new Uptime Command Center, with the aim of getting trucks back on the road within 48 hours of a problem. The program was announced at the American Trucking Associations’ annual Management Conference & Exhibition. The command center is already operational at the company’s Lisle, Ill., headquarters, said Michael Cancelliere, president, truck and parts, with Navistar. “Our customers are all laser-focused on uptime, uptime, and more uptime – and so are we,” said Cancelliere. “The Uptime Command Center steps up our commitment to lead the industry in uptime. We’re separating ourselves from the industry’s traditional, reactive approach to maintenance and establishing a new paradigm – one that’s proactive, predictive and collaborative.” The Uptime Command Center consists of a “dedicated, cross-functional team” of uptime specialists, said Cancelliere. The goal is to get trucks back on the road no longer than 48 hours after diagnosing a problem. It’s a three-pronged program, Cancelliere explained. It aims to be proactive and predictive, by monitoring OnCommand Connection data generated by 325,000 trucks traveling more than 8.8 million miles per day, to

predict potential part breakdowns. Cancelliere said International will even pay for parts replacement before the part fails if it’s still covered under warranty. The program is also meant to be collaborative. International is urging its dealers to offer 24/7 parts and service availability, which includes such options as hotshotting parts from parts distribution centers to the dealers. “The Uptime Command Center puts all these dimensions together for maximum impact,” said Cancelliere. The company also announced its OnCommand Connection Marketplace would go live Oct. 27. It’s a new, open architecture, cloud-based e-commerce platform for telematics services and related driver support tools such as electronic logging device apps. It is open to customer-created and third-party apps, like the App Store. “The OnCommand Connection Marketplace is another way we are helping our customers become more profitable,” said Cancelliere. “The OnCommand Connection team developed the Marketplace to give drivers and fleet managers centralized and easy access to applications and other resources that aid in dayto-day operations.” It can be found at: www.OnCommandConnection.com/marketplace. TN

Accutrac Capital Solutions .................... 13

Michelin .......................................... 50

Alutrec ............................................ 22

Transportation Growth Summit ................ 7

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

Northbridge Insurance ......................... 20

BTC Express-Bezco Flatbed ................... 28

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

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

Paul’s Transport ................................. 00

Bison Transport ................................. 37 Burrowes Insurance Brokers .................. 18 Career Opportunities ...................... 26-39 Carmen Transportation ........................ 31 Castrol/Wakefield Canada ..................... 23 Chevron – Inside the Numbers................. 4 Child Find-Missing Kids ........................ 51 (CITT) LBC Capital .............................. 15

Penske ............................................55 Petro Canada – Duron.......................... 56 Petro Canada – Wholesale .................... 10 Premier Bulk Systems .......................... 29 Prestone Command ............................. 6 Schneider ........................................ 35 Scotlynn Commodities ......................... 30

Connected Vehicles ............................. 25

Snowbirds Autol Connection .................. 31

Contrans Flatbed Group........................ 39

Stateside Consultants .......................... 51

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

Surface Transportation Summit .............. 51

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

Tank Truck Transport ........................... 32

Doyle Transportation ........................... 33

Tankmart International ......................... 14

Eberspaecher .................................... 15

Technology & Maintenance Council .......... 12

Esso ............................................... 16

Texis Crossword Puzzle/Solution ...... 9,45,49

Fast Forward .................................... 48

The Erb Group ................................... 31

Forbes-Hewlett Transport ..................... 36

The Rosedale Group ............................ 38

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

Thunderstruck Trucking........................ 32

General Components ........................... 19 Healthy Trucker (A Division of NAL Insurance).. 17 Howes ............................................ 13 Hyndman/A Celadon Company................ 27 Icon Transportation Logistics ................. 32 International Truckload Services ............. 39 IPS Invoice Payment System ................... 8 J&R Hall Transport .............................. 29

Transport Financial Services .................. 49 Tremcar........................................... 11 Trison Tarps ...................................... 24 Truck World ...................................... 47 TTSAO ............................................ 11 Uniroyal – Newland Transport ................ 52 Villeneuve Tank .................................. 31

Kris Kay Truck Lines ............................ 33

Warren Gibson................................... 33

Laidlaw Carriers - (Dumps-Bulk) ............. 26

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

Laidlaw Tank..................................... 34

Wilson Truck Lines ............................. 37

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

Young Transportation........................... 29

Maintenance Best Practices................... 53

Z Source .......................................... 18

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December 2017 • Truck News 49

Fiction Mark Dalton: Owner-Operator THE STORY SO FAR Mark gets a call from Bud informing him that the OPP are looking for him. Mark immediately shuts down his phone and does his best to avoid any contact with the police… • Further south on Hwy. 400, Mark came upon the Ministry of Transportation’s Inspection Station outside Seguin, Ont. It was a bleak sort of stop, so much so that Mark had forgotten it was coming up. When he saw the flashing lights signaling trucks to pull in for inspection, Mark’s heart seemed to leap into his throat. “I’m screwed now,” he said aloud. Mark was pulling an empty trailer, so weight wasn’t an issue. And he’d done several good circle checks on this trip, so the condition of Mother Load and the trailer wasn’t in question. Even his logbook – something so many drivers fudged or altered to get a load delivered or otherwise bow to the demands of their employer – was in perfect order. No, all Mark was worried about was that he was wanted by the OPP and if he pulled off the highway or onto the shoulder or otherwise tried to avoid the inspection station, he’d be fined and no doubt discovered. This was it, he thought. He had no choice but to pull into the inspection station and let whatever happened happen. Mark geared down, slowly easing Mother Load into an idle and gliding onto the scales. His weight wasn’t an issue and even from a purely visual standpoint his rig looked to be in top shape. Still, the MTO officer in the chicken coop signaled for him to pull over. And even though his heart was already racing, it skipped a beat when he saw an OPP cruiser sitting in the secondary inspection area. “They didn’t have to come looking for me,” Mark said. “All they had to do was wait until I drove into their web.” Mark pulled to a stop and left Mother Load idling. An MTO officer exited the chicken coop and headed toward him. At the same time the OPP constable got out of his cruiser and met up with his MTO counterpart. Together they closed in on Mark. Mark got out of Mother Load to meet them head on. “This shouldn’t take long,” the MTO officer said with a smile. “It looks like you take care of your truck.”

Illustration by Glenn McEvoy

By Edo van Belkom

Canada’s Most Wanted – Part 2 Mark smiled back at the woman. Sure, he thought, play it cool, then close in for the kill. As she began her inspection of his rig, Mark decided to beat them to the punch. He turned to the OPP officer. “Okay, you got me!” “What are you talking about?” the officer said. “You guys are looking for me.” “We are? Why is that?” “I don’t know,” Mark said. “But one of your officers has been trying to find me for a while now.” “And you don’t know why?” The officer’s eyebrows rose up slightly at the question, hinting a bit of sarcasm. “I really don’t. But you’ve got me now so let’s get this over with.” “Okay. Do you have any weapons on you or anything that might hurt me?” was the first thing the officer asked, his tone suddenly all business. “No.” “Come over here to my cruiser. I just want to give you a quick pat-down search for my safety.” Mark followed the officer over to his car and put his hands on the hood. “You have any mental health issues, sir?” he asked, emptying Mark’s pockets of their belongings. Mark was stunned by the question. “No, why?” “Standard question.” He gave everything back to Mark except his driver’s licence then asked him to get into the

back of his cruiser. Inside, the officer ran Mark’s driver’s licence on his mobile computer, then accessed his identity on CPIC, the Canadian Police Information Computer. “Well, well, well…” he said. “What? What is it?” “You show up a lot on the system.” “I do?” “Yeah, but it’s usually as a witness or someone assisting during an incident.” Mark didn’t know what to think. “I do tend to help people a lot. I didn’t know that kind of stuff would turn up on the police computer, though.” “All kinds of things show up on the system. Some good, some bad.” “Like warrants for my arrest?” The officer nodded. “That would show up here, but there doesn’t seem to be anything current on you. As far as I can tell, no police agency in Canada is looking for you. If they were, we’d see a ‘Hold’ or something and I’d have to take you into custody.” “But there isn’t one.?” “Nope, as far as I can tell you’re good to go.” The officer got out of the cruiser and opened the back door so Mark could get out. “He’s clear,” the OPP officer told his MTO counterpart. “And your truck’s good too.” “You mean I can go?” “Yes, please.”

Mark hurried back to Mother Load and wasted little time getting back on the highway. He was relieved, but also perplexed “What in the world are they calling me about?” • Back on the 400 heading south, Mark turned on his cell phone to see if he’d missed any calls. There were plenty, especially from Bud and someone calling from an unknown number. Just then the phone came alive with the familiar “This Buds for You” jingle. Mark answered, “Hey Bud’s.” “Listen, that copper keeps calling me. Why don’t you answer your phone?” “Would you answer?” “You haven’t been answering my calls either.” “I shut off my phone.” “That’s no way to run a business in this day and age.” After a pause, Bud said, “You know, this isn’t something this cop is going to forget about. It’s not going to go away by ignoring it.” “No, I guess not.” “He left his number again. You want me to give it to you?” “No, I’ve got it,” Mark said. He took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. “I’ll call him.” “Good, you’ll feel better for it.” Mark hung up on Bud and dialed the officer’s number. Mark was surprised that it was a direct number, not something that went through OPP dispatch. “Frauds, Constable Camacho speaking,” the officer answered. “Uh, constable? My name is Mark Dalton. I understand you want to talk to me.” “Oh, hey, yeah, how are you doing? I’ve been calling you for what seems like days.” “Well, you got me now. What’s the bad news?” “No bad news. Actually, it’s good news. The OPP wants to give you a civilian citation for your help breaking the Chennai trucking case. That put a big dent in insurance fraud in the trucking industry all across Ontario.” Mark was speechless, but managed to say, “You mean you’re giving me an award?” “Yes, sir. There’s a dinner to attend and everything. It’s actually a pretty big deal. Congratulations!” TN Mark Dalton returns next month in another adventure.

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Announcements

Tallman Group names new president; Polaris brings on new v.p.; Consolidated Fastfrate promotes Wonfor Tallman Group has named Roger Poirier its new president, and announced Kevin Tallman is transitioning to the CEO role. Poirier is co-founder and former managing director of Cormark Securities, and has 20 years of experience in the financial services marketplace. Tallman Group says he’ll bring to the position strategic planning abilities and a successful track record in executing debt and equity financings, as well as mergers and acquisitions. • Polaris Transportation revealed that John Brodigan has accepted the newly created position as vice-president of U.S. operations. Based out of the Canadian head office in Mississauga, Ont., Brodigan will be responsible for creating greater efficiencies and communication with the Polaris cross-border team, linehaul operations, and carrier relations for its cross-border service. Brodigan has a 30-year background in transportation and was most recently the general manager of Roadfast, the truckload division of Quik X. • Consolidated Fastfrate has appointed Kim Wonfor as its

new vice-president of sales for Ontario. She was previously director of cross-border operations, where she led the expansion of Consolidated Fastfrate’s LTL services in the U.S. and Canada. • The Private Motor Truck Council of Canada has announced that Matt Richardson is the new chairman of its Young Leaders Group (YLG). Richardson, who has been a director with the YLG since its re-launch in 2015, will take over the chairman position from Michael Colwell, transportation superintendent at Praxair. Colwell has been the chairman of the YLG for the past two years, and will move into the past chairman’s position on the YLG executive. • Navistar International has named Josef Kor y its new senior vice-president of parts. Previously, Kory was vice-president, supply chain, where he was responsible for logistics, aftermarket parts distribution, and remanufacturing operations. He will report to Michael Cancelliere, president of trucks and parts. •

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During her time with the AMTA, Card was involved in such initiatives as the approval of single wide-base tires in the province, pushing for better rest stops for drivers, and working toward mandatory entry-level training in Alberta. Card will remain in her position with the AMTA until the end of April. TN

JUSTIN POLLARI Missing Since: December 7, 2001 Date of Birth: January 31, 1987 Missing From: Hilton Beach, Ontario Height: 5’9” Weight: 140lbs Eye Colour: Blue Hair Colour: Blond

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December 2017 • Truck News 51

Fiction

“I’ll probably “What if be okay.” something bad happens?”

ic gets a load of auto parts headed for two distributors in east Texas. He’s happy to have a nice long haul to drive, but he’s not too thrilled with the destination. Each time he has gone deep into the southern United States, he has been hassled, arrested, or just treated poorly. However, it’s a good load, good money and could turn into a really good regular run.

V

By Edo Van Belkom

Illustration by Glenn McEvoy

His wife has concerns and doesn’t want him taking the load, but Vic assures her he’ll be fine, even though he’s not all that sure himself.

ater in the day, Vic picks up the load and heads south. Just over the border, he stops at a truck stop for fuel and some food. In the convenience store at the stop, Vic sees a bunch of red ball caps on sale with “POTUS,” “FLOTUS,” and “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” embroidered on them.

L

ic can’t be sure if the display is a joke or he was in some sort of Republican stronghold. He wasn’t all that far south yet, but then maybe the store owner was a fan. Regardless of why the hats were on sale here, Vic knew he had to be careful... or bold. Vic buys a “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” hat and looks forward to showing it to his wife when he gets back.

V

“What are you stupid? I already told you.”

Later, Vic crosses the border into Texas. As he’s driving he notices other drivers taking extended looks into his cab as they drive by. They must not see many Canadian drivers in these parts, he thinks. When Vic arrives at the first of his two stops, he puts the hat on the passenger seat so no one could see it while he was being unloaded. The receiver walks around with a scowl on his face and when Vic asks a question, the man snaps at him.

“Hey brother, there’s coffee in the office if you like.”

ic wants to believe that this receiver was a kinder, gentler man than the first, but he knew he was being treated differently because of the hat and the message it was putting out.

V

ic was never so glad to get away from somewhere since he left Africa. But the first visit gave him an idea. At the second stop, Vic puts on the red hat and wears it into the warehouse.

V

The hat seemed to work like a charm, as he’d never had a pleasant delivery this far south of the border.

After completing his delivery, Vic gets a return load back to Canada. At this stop, he wears the hat and he is in and out of the yard in no time at all. Some of the other drivers even waved at him as he was leaving. Vic had taken the hat off somewhere between Indiana and Ohio and left it on the passenger seat the rest of the way home. He had time to think about it and he’d decided he was never going to wear that hat again. Vic had never tried to be something he wasn’t before in his life and he wasn’t going to start now. It pained him to pretend he was okay with everything the hat represented and he vowed he would never do it again. When he reached his Canadian delivery destination, the first thing Vic did was toss the hat into the first trash bin he saw.

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Fleet News

Trucking HR Canada gives out awards at annual gala By Sonia Straface TORONTO, ONTARIO The nation’s best fleets to work for were celebrated on Oct. 12 at the second annual Top Fleet Employers Awards Gala Dinner. The event was put on by Trucking HR Canada, the industry’s go-to organization for all things human resources-related, to honor those fleets who made its Top Fleet Employers list this year. The Top Fleet Employers are companies within the trucking industry that go above and beyond to make their workplaces better for their employees. This year, Trucking HR Canada named 48 companies through its Top Fleet Employers Program. At the gala, awards for the Top Private Fleet, Top Small Fleet, Top Medium Fleet, and Top Large Fleet were given out. And as a new addition, achievements of excellence were also handed out. The Top Private Fleet award went to STG Fleet Services. One For Freight was the recipient of the Top Small Fleet Award. The Top Medium Fleet award went to Kriska Holdings. And rounding out the fleet awards,

was Bison Transport, which took home the Top Large Fleet Award. The achievement of excellence awards were broken down into five categories. The recipient for workplace culture achievement of excellence was Westcan Bulk Transport. XTL Transport took home the award for achievement of excellence of workplace diversity. The recipient of the HR innovation achievement award was Challenger Motor Freight. The employee engagement achievement award went to Sutco Transportation, and taking home the achievement of training and skills development award was Bison Transport. The night’s most coveted award – the HR Leader of the Year – was saved for last. “Nothing ever changes without leadership,” said David Bradley, acting CEO of Trucking HR Canada. “The HR Leader of the Year award recognizes an individual who exemplifies human resources best practices within their organization. Eligible nominees have to be employed by a 2017 Top Fleet Employer and provide HR management to Canadian employees and

This year’s Top Fleet Employers as chosen by Trucking HR Canada. currently hold a senior HR management role. Nominees are scored on various criteria which reflect their accomplishments, leadership, and HR development.” Brenda Cuthbert of Siemens Transportation Group was named this year’s HR Leader of the Year. She has more than 25 years of HR experience in the trucking industry. Cuthbert was unable to attend the gala and accept the award due to travel complications. One of the most notable absentees of the night was Angela Splinter, Trucking HR Canada’s CEO. Earlier this year, Splinter announced she would be taking a temporary medical leave of absence as she battles cancer. However, Splinter did write a letter to be read to attendees that night. A part of it read:

“It is unfortunate that I cannot join you in person tonight. I have been temporarily sidelined by cancer. I am focusing all of my energy on getting rid of it as fast as I possibly can…I know the team at Trucking HR Canada are doing a wonderful job and I hope you all enjoy a well-deserved gala evening…we know how much this recognition means to each of you – you all go to a lot of effort in your applications and this gala evening is a way of recognizing that.” Trucking HR Canada’s Top Fleet Employers Program is open to any Canadian fleet, and recognizes fleets that meet Trucking HR Canada’s standards of excellence in human resources for the trucking industry. To participate in the program, visit www.TruckingHR.com. TN

Canada Cartage buys Doyle Transportation

Polaris breaks ground on new facility

GUELPH, ONTARIO Canada Cartage has announced its acquisition of Doyle Transportation. Doyle provides dedicated fleet outsourcing, full truckload, and less than truckload services to customers, both domestically and cross-border. The company has a 20,000 sq.-ft. facility in Guelph, which includes four cross-dock doors, warehouse space, and truck maintenance bays. Canada Cartage says it is bringing on all 60 Doyle Transportation employees. The company said in a release the acquisition strengthens its service in the Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, and Guelph areas while complementing its own Southern Ontario terminal and warehouse network. The company also announced it’s consolidating its branding to better reflect its offerings. Previously, the company operated its warehousing division under the Direct Distribution Centres name, and the managed freight division under the Vanguard Delivers banner. Going forward, these divisions will be consolidated under the new banner of Canada Cartage Logistics Solutions. The firms dedicated fleet transportation services will be marketed under the Canada Cartage Fleet Outsourcing banner. TN

MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO Polaris Transportation Group (PTG) announced Oct. 31 that it has started construction on the expansion of its Canadian head office in Mississauga, Ont. The additional office, cross-dock, and warehousing capacity is being created to meet the demands of business grow th within its supply chain, European-based LCL ocean freight and IT initiatives, the company said. The project is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2018. “We have turned up the volume on sustainable growth these past few years,” Dave Cox, president of PTG said. “We’ve made great progress with our cross-border LTL program, providing overnight service to destinations where two-day service is the norm. We have raised our profile internationally, such that we can serve the North American distribution requirements of international clients. There’s a lot to be said about the benefits derived from pushing the envelope of service excellence to higher levels. Status quo and good enough are not in our vocabulary at Polaris.” TN

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The Last Word

A labor of Hercules

ees,” he said. “Senior management spends both amounts of time equally with the front office, and the back. So, there’s lots of opendoor communication. I have a glass wall, that looks into the main office. This lady’s been here 15 years, she’s been here eight. I’m here almost 20, you know? Everyone I’m looking at is long term, I don’t have any new people in front of me.” However, despite all of this, Hercules isn’t immune to the driver shortage. “We’re still hiring from the same available amounts of people in the market,” Warren said. “But we try and offer them whatever they’re not getting from everyone else. So, if they’re having to go sleep overnight away, we try to keep them on runs where they’re going to get

How Hercules Forwarding is living up to its godly name By Sonia Straface TORONTO, ONTARIO Living up to a name like Hercules is a hard thing to do considering he is one of the most famous – and strongest – gods in Greek mythology. But Hercules Forwarding is doing quite a good job, flexing its muscles and showing its customers and competitors that it’s one of the best carriers in the country. Hercules Forwarding was started in 1985 in the Vancouver, B.C., area by Bruce Boles and Martin Burnham. Back then, the business was a freight forwarder serving Canada and the U.S. with one terminal in Vancouver and one in Chicago. As time passed, Hercules grew from west to east, expanding into Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec and Ontario. Today, Hercules has 26 terminals across North America (six are in Canada) and more than 1,000 pieces of equipment, hauling mostly general freight across the border. It employs close to 500 people across all its terminals and a majority of its drivers are company drivers. Its success, according to Eric Warren, vice-president of business development, is thanks to its unique business model. “We operate very differently from the American cross-border carriers and we operate very differently from the Canadian domestic carriers who have U.S. partnerships,” he said. “We aim to be different from the American LTL carriers by running direct from our U.S. terminals into our Canadian terminals. For example, if a load needs to go from California to Toronto, some American LTL carriers will move through five terminals before getting to Toronto. Because it’s really moving freight that’s going from California to Arizona, or California to Missouri, or California to Illinois, or California to Michigan… because it’s all this U.S. domestic freight that is the primary source of all their business.”

The same goes for its Canadian competitors, Warren explained. “There are Canadian LTL carriers who have U.S. affiliations, and there’s a hand-off at the border with those carriers,” he said. “When we come across those types of competitors, it’s a totally different company handling it on the U.S. side of the border. And with that, there’s some tracing issues, when they have problems, who owns the problem? And sometimes that delays the response for the customer.” Not only does its business model set Hercules apart from its competitors, but it also has other benefits, Warren said. “This model gets our damage rate dow n , b e c a u s e anytime you touch LTL freight, there’s damage,” he said. “And we’re not misrouting freight to a bunch of terminals, because the less you touch it, the less you misroute it.” Drivers like this model too, Warren Eric Warren of Hercules says the company’s success added, saying that comes from its unique business model. since Hercules has drivers on both sides of the U.S.-Canhome every day. We’re in a position ada border, drivers are always able to here, in Toronto, where we can do go home every night because they this, but I have some challenges in can switch trailers with other Hercertain markets in the U.S. right cules drivers at one of its terminals, now. I think we have more proband turn around and go home before lems right now in the U.S., over they are out of hours. the border, getting drivers than This abundance of home time we are here.” results in a low turnover rate, Its main focus these days, is on Warren said, along with a slew finding new technology to help of other benefits the company Hercules and its customers concurrently. It was an early adopter provides its employees, like new equipment, automated transmisof electronic logs. sions, set routes, and an open“From a business owner standdoor policy. point, this drive to technology, it “We’re a large company, but we was a more of a selfish drive for crestill have been holding on tightly ating efficiency,” Warren said. “Inito trying to have that connectivtially, we did some of these things for ity from the owners, and down selfish reasons, to try and scrape out through all the different employa margin in an industry that’s diffi-

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cult to meet margin at. And then we realized, there were so many benefits for the customer.” One of the biggest examples of how customers benefit from technology, is the handheld devices used by all Hercules drivers. The handhelds were initially used to streamline work for terminals. Instead of having someone at the terminal manually key in the name of the person who signed for each individual shipment, now, with the handhelds, it’s all done electronically. Quite a time savings for Hercules, which delivers 30,000 shipments a month, Warren said. “Our drivers have the handhelds, similar to courier companies,” he said. “So, they have the courier-level traceability when you make a delivery, and the delivery is signed for at your house, or at your office, or whatever. That’s visible online, minutes later, so we have that same technology. So, customers love it. That’s a selling feature, for sure, against some of our competitors who don’t have that. Especially with carriers who have the hand-offs at the border. Because usually there’s no traceability function.” In the future, Warren says Hercules is looking to expand even more and has feelers out for acquisitions. “In 10 years we’ve purchased three carriers, and we have a good footprint now,” he said. “There are a couple of areas through acquisition we could purchase into growing our footprint, but really our game plan is to drive more density to our existing network. But we are looking to purchase. We’re actively looking, were actively interested in talking to people.” TN

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

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