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Go big
Easing trade
Now hiring
Canadian Tire and CP unveil the 60-ft. container in Calgary.
Industry hopeful new CFTA pushes regulatory harmonization.
Industry’s employment outlook in Western Canada appears strong.
JUNE 2017 VOLUME 28, ISSUE 5
Reach us at our Western Canada news bureau Contact Derek Clouthier Derek@Newcom.ca or call 403-969-1506
WWW.TRUCKWEST.CA
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More can be done More women are entering the trucking industry, but stereotypes remain
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By Derek Clouthier
Increased duties on softwood lumber exports entering the US will impact Canadian forestry companies and carriers that haul their product.
Softwood skirmish
CALGARY, ALBERTA The numbers are getting better, but Trucking HR Canada CEO Angela Splinter would like to see more women choosing the trucking industry as a career. During the inaugural Western Women With Drive event May 10 in Calgary – a collaboration between the Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) and Trucking HR Canada – 115 attendees became privy to the myriad of ways trucking companies could entice more women to come on board, and how a lack of knowledge could be playing a role in why the industry remains dominated by men. As it currently stands, 27% of those working in the industry are women – 48% of Canada’s workforce is female. Of those 27%, 18% are senior managers, 15% supervisors and only 3% are engineers or technicians. “To me, these numbers mean more can be done,” Splinter said. “We need to make sure we are reaching out to all talent pools. It’s not about affirmative action, it’s about not overlooking 50% of our labor pool.”
Canada cries foul over increase in US-imposed duties on Canadian softwood lumber exports VANCOUVER, B.C. There’s no question the Trump administration made some waves during its first 100 days in office, and imposing up to 24% duties on subsidized Canadian softwood lumber was one ripple that hit Canada’s shores, making some in the industry uneasy. “We are very concerned about the potential for the effects of these duties flowing down the supply chain to the logging contractors in British Columbia,” said David Elstone, executive director of B.C.’s Truck Loggers Association. “Over 90% of the timber harvested in this province is done by independent timber harvesting contractors. The duties are unjust and we expect our industry will vigorously defend against them.” Elstone said he was waiting for the next shoe to drop on the softwood lumber dispute, with a preliminary
determination on anti-dumping duties expected to be announced June 23. “The combined duties could potentially have a severe impact on our industry,” he said. This is certainly not the first time Canada and the US have had disputes over softwood lumber exports heading south of the border. The US has claimed for several years that Canada unfairly subsidizes lumber that is harvested on Crown lands, which in turn results in cheaper timber that US companies cannot compete with, as the majority of American lumber is garnered from private lands and is therefore not subsidized by the government. In 2006, Canada and the US established the Softwood Lumber Agreement, which expired in October 2015. “We appreciate today’s actions by the Department of Commerce, which has examined massive amounts of evidence presented by the coalition, the Canadian industry and the Canadian federal and provincial govContinued on page 15
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