Dave brings to you 38 years of valuable experience in transportation, management, business and compliance. Dave has driven in every condition across North America and overseas as military, police, company driver to owner operator to now Publisher Editor of Canadian Trucking Magazine.
Proud for the fourth year to have Western Star on the front cover! On the Center page that is an awesome truck not to mention the moron masher on the front by HERD. I keep hearing time after time where the Moron Masher has saved the drivers life, down time and thousands in repairs when an animal or 4 wheeler takes it on. Beaver in case you did not know won the 2011 Canadian Dealer of the Year Award for Volvo NA because of you and the way you have been respected by Beaver as more than just a customer. The new look to CTM in this and the January February Editions have received a ton of feedback and everyone likes the new look. Let me know what you think. I was down to MATS the Mid American Truck show this Month to sport our new looks. The MATS is the worlds largest truck show and if you were in Kentucky the 23rd of March I am sure you were amazed. I have a new writer in my magazine this month with an introduction story. He is Buck Black a friend of my friend Sandy Long who writes for us here and is well know with Women in Trucking and her own web sites. Trucking is hard on my Broth-
ers and sisters and here is someone you can reach to. Also bring a copy home to your better half to read. To them I offer this valuable advise. Your partner is out on the road for endless hours with loads of time to just think. Please if something bad happens at home that your Trucker cannot fix from the road don’t bother them till they can. Bad news or something broken at home you might want to vent, but your trucker with carry that in the truck like being hit with a sledge hammer. Wait till the end of the driving day or till they get home before unloading bad news. Try to always be upbeat and end the call with an I love U, things can happen real fast on the ribbon of blacktop and you don’t want your last words to be something you regret. People this is the future we are in, unlimited cell plans, laptops with video and voice, no reason to not be in touch with each other and the family daily. Most of all Brothers and Sisters, be careful out there and say Hi to me at the truck stops. I look forward to the delivery each month just to sit down and hear your stories . I would rather hear from you then about you! HAPPY TRAILS ! Dave
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Trucker Therapy by Buck Black
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When I first started out as a mental health therapist, I found that I had several clients who were truckers. Quickly, I realized that my clients were unable to keep appointments because they were out on the road. Therapy was quickly ineffective for them. I also had clients who would take weeks off work (usually unpaid, of course) so they were able to see me for weekly office visits. This was also not very helpful to the client. I knew there needed to be a more effective means to help the truckers. After a great deal of thought, I remembered my skills of volunteering at a crisis hotline (more than 500 hours). I started networking with the trucking community by leaving business cards at truck stops and through word of mouth. Then, Twitter and Facebook started to become more popular. Now, I’m proud to say that I talk with truckers every day who are seeking help, as well having casual conversations over Facebook and Twitter. Not only do truckers suffer from having great difficulty accessing therapy and other healthcare, but there are many problems related to the profession itself. For example, truckers have a high rate of depression related to the isolation of being out on the road for days and weeks on-end. Because most people are social creatures, the isolation of driving a truck can really take a toll on one’s mental health. Also, relationship problems are very frequent, as well. It is very difficult to keep a relationship going when one is away from home for extended periods of time. As there are more arguments and/or isolation with the trucker’s loved ones, life becomes more and more
stressful. Dispatchers, receivers, and all of the four wheelers on the road only compound the stress. What is Trucker Therapy? Trucker Therapy uses phone and Skype so the trucker can stay on the road and improve themselves at the same time. Couples can also work on their relationship, either with teams or when the trucker is on the road and the other is at home. For couples that are away from one another, I use conference calls and/or Skype. For those who are passing through, visits are also available in my Lafayette, Indiana office. Anger, Stress, and Relationships are the primary focus of trucker therapy, but many other issues may be discussed. Trucker Therapy is only part of what I do. I also work in private practice where I see people in my office for anger management, anxiety, and couples therapy. I am also active in the community by giving trainings to other healthcare providers and the general public on these topics. You can learn more by going to www.TruckerTherapy.com and www.BuckBlack.com. Follow me on Twitter @TruckerTherapy or on Facebook.
Kelly Anderson Sugar Coating Confuses the Message
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One of the services Impact offers is Management Development and Coaching, as a result I recently had the opportunity to observe a Manager having a corrective action conversation with one of his employees. This Manager like many others doesn’t like conflict and will only have corrective action conversations as a last resort. So the day came when he could no longer ignore the unacceptable behavior of an employee and finally took the initiative to have a conversation with the employee. I was able to observe the entire event. The Manager called for the employee to come to his office. Once the employee was there he explained the she wasn’t in trouble but he needed to talk to her. Then he went into a long and circuitous explanation of the situation and the need for improvement. At the end of the conversation I sat there wondering what the problem was and what he expected as improvement. I had the opportunity to ask the employee what see took out of the conversation and she told me she wasn’t in trouble and other than that she really wondered what he was talking about and what he wanted from her. This situation is replayed on a daily basis by Managers that really don’t like to have difficult conversations. The first thing I tell all my students is “being a Manager is not a popularity contest.” Managers that try to be liked by everyone usually aren’t liked or respected by anyone. So how should Managers handle employee discipline? First, you need to be consistent. Employees can’t hit a target they can’t see and they can’t hit a moving target either. With this in mind, Managers should outline clear expectations. This document should show what they expect from the employee and what the employee can expect from them. Another document that is very powerful is a
written outline of the Managers vision and goal for the department. The departmental vision and goal should support the corporate vision and goals. As Managers we need to empower our employees within their area of responsibility and also create ownership, responsibility, and accountability. Responsibility and accountability without empowerment will demotivate employees and will foster stress and anger. By communicating our vision and goals for the department and outlining our clear expectations employees will know what you expect and will be empowered to make decisions that are in alignment with accomplishing the departmental goals. When a Manager observes unacceptable behavior they need to stop that behavior immediately. Their silence can be construed as acceptance. However, there is no training opportunity in the heat of the moment. Managers should get the employee away from the situation and discuss the situation with them. A good outline for corrective action contains three parts: • Description of Unacceptable Behavior • Description of what you Expect • Description of what could happen if Employee Continues with Unacceptable Behavior Talk about the situation and the conduct, don’t attack the person. There’s no need to be rude or angry, just review the facts of the situation and what you expect in the future. Don’t confuse the employee by telling them they’re not in trouble – they are in trouble and it can get a lot worse if their conduct doesn’t improve. Don’t put off difficult conversations, it only makes it worse. By putting it off the employees may think you condone the behavior, and on the other side you will stew about it and this will make the situation bigger in your mind than it really is. Your entire department will appreciate and respect your responsiveness and clear consistent direction.
http://impacttrans.com/
Smuggler’s, if you think you’re going to get away with it, think again!
March 1, 2012, 51 pounds of cocaine hidden in the gas tank of a Nissan Sentra, the cocaine was wrapped in 20 bundles, was worth an estimated $513,700. The cocaine was discovered after a 22-year-old woman was pulled over at a checkpoint on Interstate 8 near Pine Valley in San Diego County. The packages were uncovered by agents with the help of a drug-sniffing dog, authorities said. The woman's name was not released. She is a United States citizen. The woman and cocaine were turned over to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. On February 23, 2012, Canada Border Services Agency seized a handgun and hollow-point ammunition during secondary examination. Mr. Graeff, a U.S. resident, was referred for a secondary examination after attempting to enter Canada at the Lansdowne Point of Entry in a commercial vehicle. During the secondary examination, border services officers were preparing to search his vehicle, Graeff admitted to hiding a disassembled firearm throughout the cab of his vehicle. They located the disassembled parts of a semi-automatic .40 caliber handgun in the cab, and found a 16-round magazine containing 15 rounds of hollow-point .40 caliber ammunition on his person. Graeff was charged with making a false statement and smuggling under the Customs Act, and with possession of a prohibited device and unlawful importation of a firearm without authorization under the Criminal Code.
By: Dawn Truell, President, Cross Border Services On January 7, 2012, border services officers identified a suspicious cargo shipment off a flight from Iraq that was declared as spare car parts. Upon search CBSA Officers observed that the centre of a steel gear could be accessed and was not consistent with commercially manufactured machine parts. With the assistance of a detector dog it was determined that suspected opium was concealed in the steel gear. 10 kilos of suspected opium, with an estimated value of $600,000, at Toronto Pearson International Airport, Air Cargo. This is the second seizure of suspected opium concealed in car parts for the Greater Toronto Area this year. On February 21, 2012, CBSA seized a large cache of firearms and weapons at the Coutts, Alberta port of entry. A Florida resident, 54 years old, arrived at the port of Coutts, transiting to Alaska. When asked by CBSA officers if he had any
firearms, he declared that he had none. Officers began a secondary examination of his pickup truck; here they discovered 75 firearms, including 48 handguns four of which were loaded one blowgun, one pistol crossbow and 12 high capacity magazines. This is the largest handgun seizure in the history of the port of Coutts. He was arrested and turned over to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. On January 9, 2012, border services officers identified a suspicious cargo shipment off a flight from Iran. Documentation accompanying the shipment identified the goods as spare parts. The shipment contained shock absorbers which were found to not fully compress. With the assistance of X-ray technology, the border services officers were able to identify over 13 kilos of opium, with an estimated value of over $820,000.00. The opium was found concealed within the shock absorbers. The drugs were seized and turned over to the RCMP
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Smuggler’s, if you think you’re going to get away with it, think again!
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On January 7, 2012 while attempting to enter Canada from Rochester, New York by bus at the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie, a woman was found with a bag containing food, hidden in these food items border patrol officers, with the assistance of a detector dog handler and his dog KC, discovered a quantity of suspected narcotics including marihuana, psilocybin and oxycodone. She was charged with three counts of importing under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. On January 11, 2012 a Winnipeg man attempted to enter Canada at the Peace Bridge when he was referred for a secondary inspection. During this examination, border services officers discovered a laptop computer in the cab of his truck containing sexually suggestive images that appeared to be child pornography. CBSA's criminal investigators attended and charged him with attempting to smuggle, possession of illegally imported goods, and non-report of goods. The Niagara Regional Police Service was contacted and laid further charges under the Criminal Code. A CBSA and NRPS joint investigation is ongoing in this case. On January 12, 2012, a Montana man arrived at the Blue Water Bridge in Port Edward seeking entry into Canada. He did not declare any firearms. He was referred to secondary screening for verification of his declaration where officers discovered a loaded handgun in the vehicle. He was charged with three counts under the Customs Act including smuggling, failure to report goods upon importation to Canada, and willfully evading or attempting to evade compliance with any provision, and two counts under the Criminal Code including unauthorized possession of a firearm and unauthorized possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle. Ottawa, Ontario, February 22, 2012, Canada Border Services Agency announced today the arrest of Steven Dyer, a U.S. fugitive wanted in Arizona for 13 counts
of sexual misconduct with a minor. As reported by "America's Most Wanted", Dyer was released on bail and failed to appear for his court proceedings. He was convicted in absentia on April 16, 2002, on all 13 counts of child molestation, and faces a minimum term of 169 years behind bars. In December of last year, as a result of an intensive investigation, CBSA determined that Dyer had fraudulently assumed the identity of a Canadian citizen and was residing in Vancouver. It also learned that Dyer was outside of the country and was able to identify him upon his return to Canada. On February 21, 2012, the CBSA arrested Steven Dyer at the Montréal Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport. He is currently detained in Montréal. In the U.S., authorities charged 29 people with smuggling $325 million in counterfeit consumer goods from China, including phony Nike sneakers, Coach handbags and cigarettes through a New Jersey port. Agents secretly watched and listened, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said. Agents infiltrated two overlapping criminal rings and lured them to use a front company run by the government. Prosecutors said they used phony paperwork to import the goods; they used distributors and wholesalers, to launder March is Fraud Prevention Month: Recognize it, Report it, Stop it! Royal Canadian Mounted Police are attempting to inform the public and to prevent Fraud. "Organized crime presents a serious threat to Canadian communities and is linked to a wide range of criminal activity, including fraud," said Public Safety Minister, Vic Toews. "Public awareness is critical to fighting fraud and our Government is committed to the development of initiatives that help inform Canadians on how to protect themselves and their families from fraud-related crimes." For further information please contact Dawn Truell, President, Cross Border Services, at: www.crossborderservices.org, crossborderservices@cogeco.net.
Hair Follicle Drug Testing By Sandy Long
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“Dec 09, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- TravelCenters of America LLC (TravelCenters) has announced the opening of the first on-site Statcare medical clinic within the TA and Petro Stopping Centers branded travel center network. The Statcare clinic, operated by Family Statcare of Northeast Ohio, LLC, is located at the TA travel center at 8834 Lake Rd., Seville, Ohio.” That sounds great does it not. It was great; a trucker’s clinic right in the middle of a major hub for trucking, but it did not last long though. Shortly after the above press release, the Westfield Township zoning inspector visited the clinic and shut it down for not meeting the zoning code. Come to find out, the area is zoned for eating places, motels, truck stops and repair shops, and even sexually oriented businesses, but not medical clinics! Ken Filbert, the owner of Family Statcare, said that he met with a chiropractor who was located at the TA just before his clinic opened. When he asked the zonong inspector why the chiropractor was allowed to operate, but not the clinic, the zoning inspector informed him, “that he didn't know the chiropractor was there, but we caught you.” Filbert is well-intentioned concerning truckers, he says, “truckers do so much for this country, I wanted to start this clinic providing low cost, affordable, reachable medical services for the truckers in return, I wanted to give them something back. This clinic is close to home for my company, so we are in hopes of fine tuning it here, then expanding across the country to help truckers.” Filbert reported that Westfield Township has not offered any quick solutions to the zoning issue. “They did not offer a temporary zoning permit while we work in the paperwork, or to have a spe-
cial session of the township to expedite the permit process, it will take three months or more to get the zoning changed once we get the paperwork done.” Some of the services the clinic will offer are drug testing, DOT physicals, illness care, and minor wound care. Filbert even arranged with a local pharmacy to deliver medications directly to the truck stop within an hour of calling the prescription in for truckers who needed them. “I understand both the difficulty of getting a 70 foot rig to a drug store and the problem of drivers getting home for doctor appointments with their own doctors so that many run out of medications.” He said. Tongue in cheek, Filbert quipped, “Here I am trying to help truckers and perhaps other travelers by providing fast access to healthcare, and rather than cooperation on the part of the city, I get closed down immediately. Yet, if I had opened adult video store or a strip club, Westfield Township would not mind a bit. Go figure!” Filbert has a petition at the TA truck stop in Seville OH if you stop by there, or you can sign an online petition at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/reopen-the-truck-drivers-clinic/ . By gathering signatures, Filbert hopes that Westfield Township will see how much people do care about trucker’s health and expedites the process or at least does something positive. “This is the cold and flu season and trucker’s need medical care now!” Filbert says, “We have to get this clinic open so we can provide those truckers that care.”
Ya’ll be safe and I wish you peace and some serenity in your busy lives.
(www.facebook.com/theoneandonlytv), email (trkrsvoice@thetruckersvoice.net), or twitter (@trkingsantas).“ Street Smarts: A Guide to a Truck Driver's Personal Safety
Do not cuss a trucker or a farmer with your mouth full!
www.albertamissingpersons.ca Amber Alyssa TUCCARO
20 Years old at time of disappearance Height: 155cm; 5’1” W eight : 65kg; 143 lbs Hair Colour: Black E ye Colour: Brown
Date Last Seen: August 18 , 2010 Place Last Seen: Near the Nisku Place Motel, Nisku, Alberta File# 20101010799 RCMP Leduc Detachment (780-980-7200) Information: TUCCARO was last known to be in Nisku, Alberta. She has not been heard from since. th
Peter Kory BUTLE
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22 Years old at time of disappearance Height: 188cm; 6’2” We ight : 86kg; 190 lbs Hair Colour: Brown Ey e Colour: Brown
Date Last Seen: March 15, 2008 Place Last Seen: Riders Nightclub, Whitecourt, Alberta File# 2008312401 RCMP Whitecourt Detachment (780-778-5454) Information: BUTLER was last seen in the early morning hours leaving Riders Nightclub. He has not been seen or heard from since.
Stephanie STEA W T R
70 Years old at time of disappearance Height: 157cm; 5’2” W eight : 48kg; 105 lbs Hair Colour: Grey Ey e Colour: Blue
th Date Last Seen: August 25 , 2006 Place Last Seen: Athabasca Fire Lookout near Hinton, Alberta File# 2006-1025177 RCMP Edson Major Crimes (780-723-8838) Information: STEWART was reported missing on the morning of August 26th while on duty at the Fire Lookout. Extensive searches were conducted however STEWART has not been located.
Dustin yR an MCMILLAN
23 Years old at time of disappearance Height: 177cm; 5’10” We ight : 75kg; 165 lbs Hair Colour: Brown Ey e Colour: Blue
th Date Last Seen: September 30 , 2010 Place Last Seen: Edmonton, Alberta File# 11-006932 Edmonton Police Service (780-423-4567) Information: MCMILLAN reportedly left Edmonton on September 30th and was last known to be around the Manitoba/Ontario border. He has not been heard from since.
Any information in regards to any missing person you are asked to please call the investigating agency at the numbers provided or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-2-2 TIPS (84)7 .