February 2018 Volume 38, Issue 1
TRUCK NEWS Eastern Canada’s Trucking Newspaper Since 1981
Delivering daily news at trucknews.com
Page 14
Page 22
Pages 34-39
Page 40
Firing on all cylinders
A new Sprinter
Human Factors
Automatic decisions
The U.S. trucking market is hot, thanks to a strong economy and constraints on capacity.
Mercedes-Benz teases a new cargo van it says is designed for a connected supply chain.
A special section on human resources-related issues in the trucking industry.
The secondary truck market is warming up to automated transmissions, as mproved. reliability has improved.
Pay day
RET ADVERTAIL ISING P AGES 41 -
Carriers increasing driver pay to take advantage of strong market
47
By James Menzies TORONTO, ONTARIO Driver compensation is on the rise in 2018, as fleets in Canada and the U.S. compete for drivers to take advantage of a strong market. “Everybody is upping their pay. Everybody,” said Jane Jazrawy, co-founder of Carriers Edge, which runs the Truckload Carriers Association’s Best Fleets to Drive For program. She was in the process of evaluating driver and fleet surveys for the 2018 program and said driver pay among the Best Fleets nominees rose 3.61 cents per mile (U.S.) from 2017 to 2018, from 50.71 cents in 2017 to 54.32 cents in 2018. That’s an extra $21.66 for a 600mile day. Average pay for owner-operators also climbed slightly, with revenue up about 1% on 2% fewer miles. Jazrawy said more of the Best Fleets are also offering some form of guaranteed pay, which appeals to drivers by eliminating uncertainty and inconsistencies in their pay expectations. Continued on page 37
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Careers: 26-39, 55 Ad Index: 49
Kriska professional driver Louis Carette shows federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau how electronic logging devices work.
On the clock Canada to require ELDs by 2020 By James Menzies BRAMPTON, ONTARIO It’s official. On the day the U.S. electronic logging device (ELD) mandate went into effect Dec. 18, Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau gathered with trucking industry leaders bearing an early Christmas gift, in the form of a law that would by 2020 require ELDs to be used in Canada as well. “We’re constantly looking at how technology can improve road safety, and electronic stability control and electronic logging devices fit the bill,” said Garneau. “These new measures not only make trucks and buses safer, but they also have a trickle-down effect of making the roads safer for all Canadians.” It was a long-awaited and welcome announcement for many in the trucking industry, but a contentious requirement that is still loathed by many owner-operators, drivers, and small fleets. Garneau was accompanied at the launch, hosted by Trailcon Leasing, by Ontario Transport Minister Steven Del Duca, the only provincial transport boss who has yet publicly endorsed the mandate. “Ontario has a strong record of adopting and supporting initiatives that further improve road safety. Three years
ago, our government became the first in Canada to publicly endorse the use of electronic logging devices,” said Del Duca. “I commend Transport Canada for taking this important step toward making these devices mandatory.” “Minister Del Duca has been a great partner for OTA in improving truck safety. ELDs are going to reduce fatigue in commercial drivers, which will have a positive impact on reducing distracted driving collisions and increasing safety for our sector,” added Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) president Stephen Laskowski. The OTA and Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) have been pushing for an ELD mandate in Canada for years, and OTA said after the announcement that it wants to see the regulation enforced as soon as possible. That wish was echoed by CTA chairman Gene Orlick. “CTA knows Minister Garneau wants to see enforcement of this important safety regulation as soon as possible. During the comment period of the Canada Gazette 1 process, our sector will be working with all provincial stakeholders to support Minister Garneau’s safety vision,” said Orlick, who is owner and president of Orlicks Inc. in Calgary, Alta. “The U.S.’s experience in implementing ELDs has shown us that even with two years to prepare, there Continued on page 8