April 2016 Volume 36, Issue 4
TRUCK NEWS Going green
An Ontario fleet has found a new way to go green, by planting a tree for every shipment.
Tech talk
Delivering daily news at trucknews.com
With technicians in short supply, the only way to win the talent war may be to develop your own.
Page 56
Even private fleets are now feeling the pinch as a result of the shortage of qualified drivers.
Page 36
Drivers needed!
Page 32
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Canada’s Trucking Newspaper Since 1981
Canadian trucking’s leading ladies
Get comfortable
We take a look at the most popular anti-idling systems available and weigh the pros and cons of each.
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Emerging leaders take centre stage at Women with Drive Summit
By Sonia Straface
MTO enforcement officer Anas Bijabhai inspects a trailer wheel.
TORONTO, ONTARIO Trucking HR Canada’s second annual Women with Drive Leadership Summit that took place on March 3 at the Crowne Plaza Toronto Airport Hotel saw record numbers in attendance, Hurricane Hazel McCallion as its opening speaker, and several educational panels and presentations. Trucking HR Canada first put on the event last year in an effort to help its Women with Drive campaign – a national project that was launched to help attract more women into the transportation industry. This year, one of its panel sessions focused on emerging leaders gave four young female leaders in the industry a chance to tell the audience how being a woman has helped them become successful, manage work/life balance, and understand the importance of mentoring. Panelists included: Andreea Crisan, chief operating officer and executive vice-president of Andy TransContinued on page 28
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We have a problem A spike in wheel separations has Ontario enforcement officers cracking down By James Menzies TORONTO, ONTARIO
A
flurry of high-profile wheel separations in Ontario over the past five months, including two that resulted in fatalities, has placed the issue of wheel safety back under the public spotlight and led to heightened enforcement activities. There have been 27 reported wheel separations in Ontario this year to date through March 3, putting the industry on pace to record a startling 157 incidents, which would be the most since 1998. Wheel-offs were down in 2015, to 127 reported incidents compared to 148 in 2014 and 147 in 2013. However, each of the last three years was markedly higher than the 97 reported in 2012 and every other year dating back to 1998, during which no more than 99 wheel separations were reported in any given year (see chart, pg. 34). Still, Chris Davies, strategic program and policy advisor, regional operations branch with the MTO, said there are some explanations for the uptick. Firstly, separations occur more often during the winter months, when cold temperatures cause fasteners to expand and contract more frequently. Also, snow and ice accumulation on the wheels can cause some drivers to overlook warning signs during their pre-trip inspections. So there’s a chance the high monthly numbers reported early this year will level out as warm weather arrives. And as for the three-year spike seen from 2013-2015
compared to the previous 15 years, Davies said it could be in part due to the fact MTO has appealed to its enforcement partners in recent years to do a better job of reporting wheel separations. “We have strengthened up the reporting with our police partners,” Davies said in an interview with Truck News. “It looks like there has been a spike. But at the same time, in our refresher training for our officers and with our police partners, we enhanced the reporting and sure enough, we got more reports.” Whatever the reason for the increase in reported wheel separations in recent years, the MTO is taking the issue seriously. On Dec. 22 it launched Operation Wheel Check and since then it has inspected more than 29,400 wheel assemblies and placed 20 vehicles out-of-service for wheel-related defects. The program places a “laser focus” on wheel safety, Davies explained, and allows zero tolerance for trucks and trailers found to have any wheel-related issues. “When wheel defects are found, the vehicle is immediately taken off the road and prohibited from operating until it is brought into compliance,” he explained. In addition to the 20 vehicles placed out-of-service, another 110 have been held by MTO until repaired. According to MTO data, 90% of wheel separations are hub and fastener related. Avoiding wheel-offs begins with a proper wheel installation, which can prevent nearly all sepContinued on page 34
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