Truckstop Canada is the Information Center and Portal for the Trucking Industry, Trucker Forum, Photo Gallery and Live Chat

Truck News golf tourney teeing off June 5

TORONTO, Ont. -- The seventh annual Truck News/Chevron charity golf tournament will held on June 5 at Wooden Sticks Golf Club in Uxbridge, Ont.

Proceeds from the event will go to Make A Wish via Trucking for Wishes. Trucking for Wishes is a charity founded and run by NAL Insurance.

"It is a chance to have fun, network and raise money for a great charity," founder Brenda Grant of Truck News announced. "We are happy to be working with Trucking for Wishes again to send one or two children with life-threatening conditions on their dream vacation."

A full field of 144 golfers is expected. The entry fee includes all competitions, prize draws, lunch, dinner. To book your foursome, go to golfingforwishes.com.

Calgary couple's trucking business destroyed by flames

Two Calgary business owners are tallying their losses after a fire ripped through their trucking and trailer repair shop in the Foothills Industrial Park early Thursday morning.

Calgary fire crews responded to the call at around 3:40 a.m. They arrived to find a building in the 5900 block of 94th Avenue S.E. engulfed by flames.

"I'm shocked, I'm totally shocked," said Frontier Inc. co-owner Wendy Pixley.

Still wearing her pyjamas, Pixley watched nervously this morning as firefighters tried to save her family business.

"It's a trailer repair shop and we have a trucking company, and we run trucks all the time," she said.

By mid-morning it became clear the building and all the trucks inside it were destroyed.

Marvin Pixley, Wendy's husband, created the company 15 years ago.

He left the shop last night at 6 p.m. and came back this morning after getting a call about the fire.

"I thought, ‘Oh God, I don't need this’," he said.

"We have insurance, somewhat” he said. “I haven’t had to look at it for many years, so hopefully it's good."

As firefighters put out hotspots during the morning, Pixley called his employees to tell them not to come to work.

No one was injured and the fire department is investigating the cause

Source: CBC NEWS

Kriska captures employers' award

PRESCOTT -- Kriska Transportation is among North America's best fleets for drivers, according to a continent-wide trucking company competition.

The Prescott-based firm is part of this year's elite group of 20 winners selected by the Truckload Carriers Association and CarriersEdge in their fourth annual "Best Fleets to Drive For" contest and survey.

The contest identifies North American for-hire trucking companies that provide the best workplace experiences for their drivers.

"Kriska is very proud to be recognized as one of North America's Best Fleets To Drive For," Mark Seymour, the company's president and chief executive officer, said in a prepared statement.

"We would like to thank all of our drivers who contributed in our recognition of this prestigious award."

The Truckload Carriers Association is a Virginia-based trade association focusing on the truckload segment of the motor carrier industry. The association represents dry van, refrigerated, flatbed and intermodal container carriers operating in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Meanwhile, Markham-based CarriersEdge describes itself as the leading provider of online driver quality improvement solutions.

According to the contest website, Kriska was one of 73 companies nominated.

Company drivers and owner operators (drivers in business for themselves who operate on contract for a company) were asked to nominate carriers that operate 10 trucks or more.

CarriersEdge interviewed human resources representatives and executives of the nominated fleets about their corporate direction, policies and programs. It also spoke to some drivers, comparing their input to that of management and incorporating it into the final score.

Criteria in the evaluation included a company's total compensation package, health benefits, pension plans, professional development opportunities, advancement opportunities, the annual driver turnover rate and the fleet safety record.

Other areas evaluated include the company's commitment to employee personal growth, including work-life balance, driver family support and employee- directed charitable contributions.

Along with the other winners, Kriska is now in the running for the two grand prizes to be announced in March: Best Overall Fleet for Owner Operators and Best Overall Fleet for Company Drivers.

Other than that, contest organizers note, there is no rank: "The Top 20 is not a countdown to number one, but rather a collection of fleets that are providing exceptional workplace experiences for their drivers and/or owner-operators. Different fleets do that in different ways."

Since Mark Seymour took over Kriska's leadership from his father, Ken, in 1994, the trucking firm has grown from 40 trucks to a fleet that now has more than 400 trucks pulling 1,200 trailers, employing more than 500 people and reaching more than $75 million in annual sales.

Kriska now has locations in Mississauga, Ottawa, Ingleside, Montreal and Sarnia.

The company's recruitment manager, Caroline Blais, said this is the first time Kriska has competed in the contest.

"We are so proud," she said in a telephone interview from the Mississauga office, adding one of the company's drivers nominated the firm.

"We were fortunate that somebody thought we were worthy."

"We know that a lot of our drivers refer other drivers to our company," added Blais.

Kriska's policy on home time is especially popular among drivers in an age when work-life balance is increasingly important, she said.

"Our drivers are home every week, and we know that is important to a lot of our employees."

Blais expects to get Kriska's full scoresheet from contest organizers once the top two are announced, giving the Prescottbased firm a clearer picture of how it made the top 20.

Source: The Recorder&Times

B.C.'s fading road markings causing concerns

Truckers and other drivers say they are seeing a deterioration of lane markings on many of B.C.’s roads and highways and say the conditions could be compromising safety.

“It's really hard to find the road and for people who don't see as well at night, seniors maybe, it's got to be frightening,” motorist Brent Caughy, told CBC News.

Caughy spends at least two hours every day commuting from Mission to Surrey.

On most major highways, he said he sees faded lane markings, missing reflectors and unmarked shoulders.

The B.C. Trucking Association said it has seen a spike in driver complaints.

“Generally, the pavement markings seemed to be rubbing off or seemed to be rubbed off very quickly,” said the association’s Louise Yako. “[Drivers] were having difficulty seeing the middle and the edge of the road. There's obvious safety implications for that."

Part of the problem is weather. On high-volume highways such as the Coquihalla, wear and tear can't be avoided, according to Ed Miska, an engineer with the B.C. Transportation Ministry.

“You have snowplows. There are vehicles with chains on that are striking the markings. We put winter aggregate on the road and all these things in combination will take a substantial toll,” Miska said.

Mainroad Pavement Marking Ltd. looks after many roadways in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island and the Okanagan.

Oil-based paint banned

Road markings are repainted once a year, but new environmental rules mean road crews can't use heavy oil-based paints anymore.

“Simply going to a water-based paint has an issue, because humidity plays a huge factor,” said Jamie Hiebert, of Mainroad. “If you have areas with high humidity, water-borne paints, you typically can't get them to dry.”

The company is trying other paints that meet the environmental guidelines, but it's sometimes a case of trial and error, especially if it's raining.

“You get that asphalt that has that kind of mirror look when it's wet and then you don't see the paint,” said Hiebert.

On routes with lower visibility or higher traffic volume, inlaid lines — which are grooved right into the pavement — may soon be the way to go.

The lines are a hit on the Sea-to-Sky Highway and Malahat Highway and may be tried on other major routes, Hiebert said.

Souce: CBC NEWS

Regina underpass seems to have more than its share of woe

A tow-truck driver steers the cab of a dual semi tractor-trailer unit as a tow-truck tows the rig north on Winnipeg Street from 8th Avenue after the semi tractor-trailer collided with the top of the underpass on Winnipeg Street just south of 8th Avenue in Regina on Feb 01, 2012. The collision peeled back the metal of the first trailer.Photograph by: Don Healy, Regina Leader-Post

REGINA -- Motorists travelling down Winnipeg Street on Wednesday morning were delayed by a semi-truck stuck under the Winnipeg and 8th Avenue underpass - again.

That section of road has had its share of incidents, said Al Rosseker, the executive director of the Saskatchewan Trucking Association.

"It's a low clearance subway," he said. "It would be great if the city could excavate it and make it deeper."

Rosseker said there are a number of reasons that contribute to the trucking mishaps on that section of roadway.

"It could be an inexperienced driver," he said. "It could be someone who is not well-versed in city traffic."

He said for that underpass, winter conditions can also be a contributing factor.

Rosseker said ice buildup, although it does not have any impact on cars and other passenger vehicles, does affect trucks and trailers.

"Whatever the clearance is, you will have to subtract an inch or an inch and a half of ice," he said. "Now the ice, as we all know, could be built up just in one area so that one tire is right down to the pavement, which is fine, but the other tire maybe on an inch or inch and a half of ice. Wham! That's going to throw the measurement out."

Rosseker said the truck that was stuck in the under-pass Wednesday morning was hauling two trailers, which can make things even more difficult.

"We have to accept the blame in some cases, when the driver should have realized his load was too high," said Rosseker. "At that bridge there used to be an indicator light that would say 'Level too high.' "

He's not sure what happened to the light, but believes such a tool would likely help alleviate some of the mishaps.

Rosseker has no statistics on how many times trucks get wedged in the underpass.

Sometimes early in the morning there are trains on the CP Rail track, so going over Park Street is not an option, especially if time is a factor for drivers.

The Regina Police Service also does not have statistics on the number of incidents that take place each year.

"We would be only involved if there is traffic control or injury or in an assist role," said Lara Guzik, spokeswoman for the RPS.

Mohammed Amin, senior engineer for the city, said the city does not keep track of such statistics but does track significant incidents.

In 2011, five serious incidents occurred in that area.

He said the city is only responsible for the roadway and that CP Rail is responsible for the structure.

Kevin Hrysak, spokesman for CP Rail, said it also only tracks significant incidents or events. If there are serious incidents CP Rail will send out someone from its track maintenance or its bridge structure department to take a look. He said to date there are no records of any serious incidents at the Winnipeg and 8th Avenue underpass.

Source: Leader Post

Navistar partnership with Clean Energy takes sting out of cost of NG-powered tru

Two of the biggest barriers to transitioning the long-haul trucking industry to inexpensive natural gas - the cost of the equipment and availability of the fuel - have been addressed through a new partnership between truck maker Navistar International and gas supplier Clean Energy Fuels.

The companies jointly announced this week a program that will allow a customer to purchase natural gas-powered trucks from Navistar at no more than the cost of a diesel equivalent and then pay for the technology through slightly inflated gas prices over a five-year period, while still enjoying fuel costs significantly lower than diesel.

To participate in the program, customers will have to agree to purchase most of their fuel through Clean Energy's rapidly growing US fueling network. Clean Energy has vowed to open 70 liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueling stations in the US by the end of 2012, with another 100 to follow in 2013. And for its part, Navistar has promised to develop a natural gas version of every one of its medium- and heavy-duty products, so customers can choose the product that best fits their requirements, making natural gas viable in virtually every trucking application.

Typically, natural gas-powered trucks cost $30,000-$40,000 more than their diesel equivalents. The higher up-front purchase price has prevented many fleets from making the transition to gas, even though the fuel costs about $1.50 per equivalent gallon less than diesel.

Under the Navistar/Clean Energy program, customers will commit to purchasing their natural gas through Clean Energy's facilities and will pay a premium on that gas for the first five years or until the incremental cost of the NG technology has been covered. For example, a trucking company that commits to purchasing 1,000 gallons of natural gas a month through Clean Energy may pay an extra $500 per month for a six-year period until it has covered the cost of the technology, all the while still paying considerably less than the cost of diesel. Ideally, the program will allow the industry to transition to natural gas-powered vehicles without relying on government handouts, explained Dan Ustian, chairman, president and CEO of Navistar.

"This is going to work far differently than any other program in this field for alternative fuels," he said. "It can stand on its own and stand very tall and that's why it's going to be successful."

Added Jim Hebe, senior vice-president of North American sales operations: "If you do business within this alliance of companies, your cost to go from diesel to natural gas is zero."

It's a compelling proposition, since the cost of natural gas is significantly lower than diesel and expected to remain that way. Trucknews.com asked Hebe if Canadian customers would qualify, to which he said: "We can make something work." In order to purchase a qualifying amount of natural gas through Clean Energy's US-based sites (it does have some stations located in B.C.), it would seem the program would best fit Canadian fleets running north-south routes.

The program has already won the support of a major US carrier, and it's a big one at that. Jerry Moyes, chairman and CEO of Swift Transportation was on-hand at the announcement and expressed an interest in taking part in the program. Moyes noted Swift buys about a million gallons of diesel every day and welcomes the opportunity to move to a less costly fuel.

"We're very excited about the potential of natural gas. We've been testing it for about a year with a couple different products and we like what we see," Moyes said. "There is a savings to it. We're very restricted on the product we can buy today, which is what is holding us back, but we're making progress in that arena...I think within three to four years (NG) could be up to 30-40% of our fleet."

Former oil tycoon turned natural gas crusader T. Boone Pickens was also at the announcement, commending both Clean Energy (of which he's a stakeholder) and Navistar for making gas more accessible to the long-haul trucking industry. He said new fracking technologies have made low-cost natural gas more widely available than ever before. He said there is at least an untapped 100-year supply of natural gas in the US.

"The cheapest fuel in the world is in the US, so this opportunity cannot go unused," he said. "We've got to get off OPEC oil and this is the first step to accomplishing that."

Source: Truck News

Truckers appeal to minister to rethink hikes in ferry fees

The Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association wants federal Transportation Minister Denis Lebel to intervene in hikes to Marine Atlantic ferry rates.

But in an email response to The Telegram for comment, Lebel’s office said Marine Atlantic is arm’s length from the service’s day-to-day business.

“As a Crown corporation, Marine Atlantic is arm’s-length from the Government of Canada and is responsible for its own operations, including fare structures,” said press secretary Pierre Floréa.

Fees for commercial trucks are to increase four per cent, another $50 per load on drop trailers which represents a 24 per cent increase and a $3.50 security fee.

Extension of national highway

The new fees, which take effect Feb. 13, don’t give the trucking industry time to analyze what the fees will do to operating costs, the association said in a letter to Lebel.

“Marine Atlantic’s ferry system is an extension of the Trans-Canada Highway, which means it should be kept at a reasonable cost and competitive to other modes of transportation for commercial goods,” association’s executive director Jean‐Marc Picard wrote Lebel.

“This increase will not only impact some carrier’s ability to continue to serve this market, but they will lose customers and potentially their businesses. They can’t possibly pass these fees on to their customers as they have another option to move their goods to Newfoundland. The trucking industry is Marine Atlantic’s largest customer and without us, the government wouldn’t be able to justify or sustain a ferry service to the province of Newfoundland.”

Picard said the issue will have huge repercussions on the economy in Atlantic Canada and trucking firms.

“This issue needs to be addressed immediately; such increases are unheard of and irrational. No company can possibly merit a 24 per cent increase and Marine Atlantic’s management team should have enough experience and education to run an efficient ferry system without imposing these kinds of increase to their largest customers. Here we are with a big mess on our hands,” Picard said.

Source: The Telegram

Discovery Channel announces new 'World's Toughest Trucker' series

Eight truck drivers from six different countries will put their driving skills to the test in a new Discovery Channel series, World’s Toughest Trucker, premiering at 10 p.m. EST on Monday, Feb. 13.

The new series features truck drivers from the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, Australia and Sri Lanka. All are competing for a $150,000 prize.

According to the release, truck drivers will compete in three-day challenges in some of the harshest environments on earth, including the Australian Outback and icy roads in the Himalayas.

Drivers must face “unusual cargo, massive rigs, lethal roads and each other” as a driver is eliminated in each episode for “slow times and penalties.”

Courtesy of LandLine Magazine

Trucking Industry Input on Border Talks Critical

WASHINGTON — The Canadian Trucking Alliance went to Washington this week to begin discussions on the recent border agreement announced in December between President Obama and Prime Minister Harper.

While the CTA noted that the discussions were short on specifics, they are positive that the meetings scheduled for this winter in New York and Washington will begin to put "more meat on the policy bones."

The bones are the in-transit movements, mutual recognition of trusted trader programs, FAST cards, pre-inspection, pre-clearance, border inspection fees, RFID, and wood packaging material policy – all to be dealt with in more detail in the coming weeks, the CTA said.

Still, though, the next few months will be critical in how governments and industry on both sides of the border come together on implementing the objectives in the border agreement, said CTA’s VP of Customs, Jennifer Fox.

Fox said that while it is clear that stakeholders on both sides of the border are working together, “it also appears that industry will be under pressure to react to proposals in a swift manner.

"Participation and input by industry over the next six months regarding these matters will be critical to their success."

Source: Today's Trucking

Truck driver who died in fiery Hwy. 101 crash was on drugs

The Grover Beach truck driver who was killed when his truck struck a car on a bridge and plunged into the Nojoqui Creek on Jan. 12 was under the influence of drugs, according to a toxicology report released today by the California Highway Patrol.

Charles A. Allison Jr. was under the influence of both methamphetamine and amphetamine when his big-rig truck rear ended a passenger car on Highway 101 just south of Buellton and plunged approximately 100 feet into the creek and burst into flames.

The crash left 36-year-old Kelli Groves, from San Juan Capistrano, and her two young daughters dangling precariously from the bridge for hours in their mangled BMW.

The crash stopped freeway traffic in both directions for hours

.Source:Santa Maria Times