July 2010 Volume 21, Issue 7 Delivering daily news to Canada’s trucking industry at www.trucknews.com
AMTA’s annual conference sees changes ahead
for Riddle because of his wholehearted appreciation and support of CFMS, the arena that has been home to the award for the past 22 years and to which Riddle credits much of his career’s success. “The relationships that I built with suppliers, manufacturers, other fleet men, other people in the repair
By Jim Bray BANFF, Alta. – Take a gorgeous mountain setting, add nearly 180 participants, sprinkle liberally with information sessions, awards, networking and fine food, and you have the 2010 Alberta Motor Transport Association’s Management Conference at Banff’s Rimrock Resort Hotel. And while the typical southern Alberta springtime may have thinned the crowd a little, it didn’t stop the event from going forward successfully. “We were hoping for more (people),” admits Mayne Root, executive director of the Calgarybased organization, “and we actually had more registered, but the weather scared some people off.” Root was referring to a major blast of Old Person Winter the day before the conference kicked off that wreaked havoc on southern Alberta highways, causing major angst for anyone trying to move around the region – though it also provided fodder for goodnatured griping from those who braved the elements. “It was too bad,” Root says, “because when you actually got to Banff it wasn’t bad at all.” The annual affair has been held at the Rimrock since 2004 and Root reports that “Everybody had a good time, everybody was relatively well-behaved, and the events worked out well.” The conference featured an address by Alberta’s Deputy Minister
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it’s no joke: Jim Riddle of William Day Construction (right) was named this year’s Canadian Fleet Maintenance Manager of the Year. He was presented with the award by Volvo’s Don Coldwell. Photo by Rachel Ongaro
The Riddle behind a great shop By Adam Ledlow MARKHAM, Ont. – It is a fitting outcome of Jim Riddle’s 30-plus year career in maintenance that he should be named Canada’s Fleet Maintenance Manager of the Year at the Canadian Fleet Maintenance Seminars. Not just because Riddle, the current director of maintenance for Sudbury, Ont.-based William Day Construc-
tion, was one of those responsible for creating the award in the first place more than 20 years ago. Nor simply that he embodies the many characteristics attributed to him by Don Coldwell of Volvo Trucks Canada, the award’s sponsor, including pride, professionalism, dedication and a commitment to safety and education. No, the award seems most fitting
A five-minute oil change? Shell says it’s possible with LubeExpress
Inside This Issue...
Mark Dalton O/O
• Know the risk: Do you know who your riskiest drivers are? There are ways to identify them and take proactive measures before an accident happens. Page 8
• Pardon me?:
Proposed changes to Canada’s pardons system has some truckers scrambling. But is there good reason to rush out to get a pardon? Page 14
• A new standard:
Fuel economy standards are coming for heavy trucks. How will they affect you? Page 19
• Beer run: We profile a private fleet that may offer one of the
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best gigs going for professional drivers.
Reach us at our Western Canada news bureau E-mail Jim Bray at jim@transportationmedia.ca or call 403-453-5558 PAP Registration No. 11065
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To view list of advertisers see pg. 29
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