February 2013 Volume 33, Issue 2 Delivering daily news to Canada’s trucking industry at www.trucknews.com
The A-30 has arrived
Gas Gains
Is this Canada’s greatest new infrastructure development since the Confederation Bridge? By Carroll McCormick MONTREAL, Que. – Forty-four years after construction began on Quebec’s Autoroute 30, the final section, the 54-kilometre ring road around the west side of the Island of Montreal, opened for traffic Dec. 15. Drivers now have a speedy alternative to the badly congested Island routes. The Canadian trucking industry will reap many benefits: Shorter trip times will improve carrier productivity. Drivers will not burn up hours-of-service sitting in traffic. Owner/operators will log money-paying miles instead of sitting in traffic. Fuel consumption and wear and tear will decrease. Trip schedules will not have to be padded to accommodate delays. For carriers running long combination vehicles, the dream of an unbroken divided highway from Halifax to Toronto is now just a few sections of the 185 between
Bison’s first LNG Peterbilt hits the road
Canada’s first LNG rental truck gaining ground: In 2012, natural gas made significant headway as a viable fuel for the trucking industry. We highlight some of the latest developments in this special section. See pages 30-41.
On the road in one of the first ProStar+ tractors with ISX engine.
Continued on page 10
ACI eManifest roll-out causing problems
Vedder launches solid waste division with LNG trucks
Navistar’s transformation
Riviere du Loup and the New Brunswick border short of coming true. The achievement surely rates as Canada’s most significant highway project since the Confederation Bridge. Oddly though, Transports Quebec and the Nouvelle Autoroute 30 Consortium, the private partner with an enormous investment to recoup, have been borderline somnambulant about publicizing it. Last summer’s Festival de Jazz got tons more buzz. Here are some clues to its existence: Eastbound truckers should look for signs announcing the new A-30 exit just outside VaudreuilDorion, just west of the Island. Hang a right onto the A-30, drop $0.75 per axle at the 12-gate tollbooth and steam along without a care for just over an hour until you pick up the eastbound A-20 heading to Quebec City.
OTTAWA, Ont. – The Canadian Trucking Alliance has informed Canada Customs and Border Services Agency (CBSA) that member carriers are still experiencing difficulties and delays with the ACI eManifest program since the beginning of the informed compliance period which took effect on Nov. 1, 2012. In a letter to the CBSA directorship, CTA’s senior v.p. Stephen Laskowski characterized the problems as “above and beyond what could reasonably be attributed to learning curve issues,” which are adding costs to carriers. “It is clear from feedback and complaints from CTA members that there is a significant lack of consistency among border service officers in the level of knowledge and application of ACI policies,” wrote Laskowski, who addContinued on page 8
Inside This Issue...
• A rocky road: Prime Inc. founder Robert Low talks about the
company’s formative years, in which it cleared a million bucks one year and then nearly lost it all the next . Page 16
• Manitoba mega-move:
A look at the logistics involved in moving three gigantic power transformers for Manitoba Hydro. Here’s a hint: it took 320 wheels. Page 20
Our mufflers are stronger, last longer and save you $$$!
• Discussing downtime:
Fleets talk about the true cost of downtime to their businesses. Page 51
• Collision Course: Mark Dalton finds out that insurance fraud
Page 56
is anything but a victimless crime.
Page 60
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