December 2017 Volume 37, Issue 11
TRUCK NEWS Eastern Canada’s Trucking Newspaper Since 1981
Delivering daily news at trucknews.com
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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 -
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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