October 2009 Volume 29, Issue 10 Delivering daily news to Canada’s trucking industry at www.trucknews.com
Laying it all on the line Widow hopes one trucker’s tragedy will serve as a warning to others By Jim Bray WOODSTOCK, Ont. – On Hwy. 21 in southern Ontario, there’s a cross that burns with a bright white light – a lighthouse-like symbol that guides drivers safely through darkness, snowstorms and fog. The cross stands not only as a beacon, however, but as a memorial to a driver who practically gave his life to get his load – and himself – home to his beloved wife. The story of Ron Foulis’ final months on the job could serve as a cautionary tale for any driver who ranges far from home. It’s a tale of frustration and heartbreak, peer pressure and economic pressure, and it illustrates the importance of knowing your health and your insurance coverage, knowing your own body and the signals it sends you, and knowing your rights and responsibilities. Foulis had been driving for more than 30 years, but the last few hadn’t been kind. He’d been involved in a fatal accident in Alberta, in which his truck had backed over a man and though, according to his wife, no fault had been found with his actions, it affected him greatly and caused him to be off work for an extended period. “Ron had been seeing a trauma
HIGH FIVES ALL AROUND: Industry analysts applauded the summer’s major trucking acquisition, with MacKinnon Transport acquiring Walker Group. Pictured, Julie Tanguay of Walker Group and Evan MacKinnon of MacKinnon Transport celebrate the new deal which creates the newest Canadian truckload powerhouse.
By Lou Smyrlis GUELPH, Ont. – This summer’s most sizzling acquisition announcement – the purchase of the St. Thomas, Ont.- based Walker Group of companies by MacKinnon Transport – is getting two thumbs up from industry analysts who believe it to be the start of further consolidation in Canada’s beleaguered truckload sector. The deal, announced at the end of August, creates a combined entity that will operate out of MacKinnon’s head office in Guelph where the company will now manage over 1,300 pieces of equipment and employ a workforce of 420 people. The Walker Group consisted of LE Walker Transport and Mid America Freight Systems, both major players in the dry van and flatbed marketplaces in North America. The Walker Group was led by the highly visible Julie Tanguay, current chair of the Ontario Trucking Association. Tanguay will now have joint ownership in the combined entity and will take on the newly-created role of executive vice-president sales, heading up sales efforts for the combined fleet. “I think this is a very interesting play for MacKinnon and Walker. I think it’s the right move and I expect more consolidation in the TL sector,” said Elian Terner, a director of investment banking with Scotia Capital. This also represents a different type of deal than what the industry has seen in the recent past. A lot of the mergers and acquisitions the market had seen prior to the Continued on page 7
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One quiet shhh-unt truck
Inside This Issue... • Rough seas: Maritime fleet operators say service at Marine Atlantic must improve. Ferry execs say it’s coming.
See page 34
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• Maine Street: The state of Maine is looking at hiking weights
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on its Interstate system to 100,000 lbs. We take a look at some typical Quebec-based loads to see if it’ll pay for fleets. Page 16
• Fuel focus: As diesel prices begin to creep back upwards, we look at some cost reduction strategies employed by some of Canada’s best-run private fleets. Page 30
• Hands on Trucking:
History repeats itself at a certain shipper, piquing Dalton’s curiousity. Page 44
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