February 2017 Volume 37, Issue 1
TRUCK NEWS Keeping pace Industry veteran Mike McCarron explains why fleets need to update their traditional sales strategies.
Test drive We take the new Mack LR refuse truck for a drive on garbage day in Allentown.
Delivering daily news at trucknews.com
Page 59
Canadian Tire has stepped up its pursuit of 60-ft. containers thanks to a Canadian invention.
Page 24
Going long
Page 19
Page 17
Canada’s Trucking Newspaper Since 1981
Meyers Transport closes
GPS for truckers On-road editor Harry Rudolfs test drives a new GPS device designed for professional drivers.
RE T ADVERTAIL ISING PAGES 47-52
Weak conditions blamed for closure of LTL business with 90-year history BELLEVILLE, ONTARIO After 90 years in business, Meyers Transport announced that it will be ceasing its LTL operations. The news of the closure came in early January with final closing planned for Jan. 20, when the company said it will officially stop moving freight. Natalie Meyers, chairwoman of Meyers Transport, admitted that the closure was “not the best way to start the year” however, it was a difficult decision that had to be made. Meyers said the main reason for the closure of LTL operations was economical. “The profitability just wasn’t there,” she told Truck News. “The current conditions with the volume of freight, increased competition, and a downward pressure on rates…it was hard enough to keep your lights on. So we decided we would rather make the decision to close the company on our own terms than to have that decision made for us. We’ve seen that happen with other carriers.” Continued on page 57
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Ramandeep and Harwinder Dhaliwal
Happily ever after
How a 20-something couple is finding success – and happiness – through their shared experiences from behind the wheel By Sonia Straface BRAMPTON, ONTARIO
A
lmost every professional driver will tell you, one of the worst aspects about being a truck driver is that it can be a lonely occupation. Days turn into weeks on the road and if you have a spouse waiting for you back at home, things can get stressful. So it only made sense that somewhere along the line, a driver had the idea to invite their spouse with them on the road, not only to keep them company but to earn some extra cash as their team driver. Usually, the average 50-something driver invites his wife on the road (Women in Trucking Association says the average age of a female truck driver is 52) with him after the kids are out of the house. Together they can earn more money and travel North America without missing each other. This trend has caught on, and more and more husband and wife driving teams are popping up across North America. Some say it could help solve the driver shortage by getting more people into the industry and could also assist in getting more women get behind the wheel. But husband and wife driving team Harwinder and Ramandeep Dhaliwal, are different. What makes the Dhaliwals noteworthy is that they are the ideal drivers almost every fleet in North America is looking to hire. They’re young – both just 29 years old. They’re both visible minorities – Harwinder was actually
born in India. And they both have a passion for learning and driving trucks with an ambition to grow their careers in the industry. Today, they drive for Speedy Transport as owner-operators and are loving every minute of it, forming a team both on and off the road. So what brought them into trucking in the first place? “The money,” admits Harwinder. Harwinder moved to Canada in 2013 from India when he decided that he’d give trucking a go. “In my community, a lot of people were trucking and they told me it was good money so I figured I would try it out too,” he recalls. “I got my licence and started doing long-haul because I didn’t have much experience. I was on the road for five days at a time and I was only home with my wife for a day-and-a-half.” Eventually, Harwinder got a gig as a short-haul driver at a company that had many husband and wife driving teams. Curious, he asked his company if he could train his wife so she could join him in the truck. “They said I could train her and she wanted to learn, so I did,” he said. Ramandeep started her driving career as a team driver in 2014 and so far, she loves it. What attracted her most to the career is something a lot of other millennials could find intriguing about the job: the independence she gains from the open road and the fact she can travel on the job. Continued on page 42
2017-01-13 10:23 AM