Dave brings 40 years of valuable and interesting experience in transportation, management, safety, business and compliance. Dave has driven in every condition across North America and overseas as Military, Police, Company Driver to an Owner Operator to transportation management. Now our Celebrity Editor Publisher of Canadian Trucking Magazine bringing you articles and entertainment in print and on the web. Join Dave on Face Book for real time updates and meet at your favorite stop or truck show! Be Happy to say Hi and maybe get a picture or two. See you down the road.
What an exciting month with hitting all the truck stops and talking to you on “TRUCKERS BUZZ�, on FaceBook and Trucking across NA. On the COVER is Terra Ward daughter of my good friend the late Darrell Ward and Terra is in the Centerfold, Pet Page with more in the Expanded Web Edition. To the bottom right Terra is sitting there getting ready for a long day of shooting. Terra will be at the Canadian Trucking Show and Convoy June 3rd in Winnipeg. In the Expanded Web Edition, click on this picture for a video. Inside this month we talk about Petron Plus and Xp3 and what it can do to save you Fuel and much more. We also have a great story called Truck Drivers Daughter. We look forward to more from you as well. If your Betterhalf or child wants to write a brief story about you on the road, we will publish that! Also Mike Zelek gives us a piece on Shelley Uvanile-Hesch and Women's Trucking Federation of Canada a great group who will also be in the CONVOY!
Hope to see a lot of you bring your Truck, Car or Bike to the Convoy and Fight Cancer. To register just go to: http://convio.cancer.ca/goto/CanadianTruckingShow See more in the digital magazine and the next few pages, digital does not limit the amount of good stuff we can provide you! So every month we print you a 48 page hold in your hand glossy magazine and then add to it on the Web Edition up to 120 pages of entertainment and detail, built for you! This Edition built for you by you as CTM is family. If you have any ideas, this being your magazine, please let us know. I will be on the open road a lot in May, June and at Global Petroleum Show,meeting up with you and yes driving a Big Truck looking forward to seeing you. Read on ,,,,,
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To the right at the top here shows everyone loves CTM !!! My grandson enjoying seeing papa in the Centerfold with Monica. June 3rd 2017 another Convoy this time in Winnipeg !!!! At the Canadian Trucking Show one day only Saturday June 3rd a Convoy of trucks will raise funds to fight Cancer, please register here; .http://convio.cancer.ca/goto/CanadianTruckingShow Click “Join this Team”, then “New User”, “Join as a new Participant” and start fundraising and fighting Cancer. Look who we caught on camera at Jeremy's Country Restaurant & Truck Stop in Narin Centre ON on Hwy 17, of course Sharon & Sandra who are sisters and awesome! Jeremy’s is worth the stop with Great Food and Awesome People! Just like the Oakpoint Restaurant on Route 90 in Winnipeg MB a good meal at a good value. Most important people who treat you like Family. We are thinking of doing a contest, 10 best stops to eat in NA and why and starting this on our FaceBook Page. CTM has hit a reach of over 1.5 million viewers on FaceBook with over 458,000+ fully engaged at times. WOW Hard to wrap my mind around that and now 25,000+ LIKES to the CTM FaceBook Page, if you have not, Please do LIKE it and invite friends to join us and set the notifications so you know when we are LIVE with special guests. For the last decade we have broadcasted live videos on the FaceBook Pages & YouTube from the events we attend, please LIKE it if you are on FaceBook, real Truckers to Truckers building entertainment for Transport people.
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Another thing I recommend is listening to them on your Blue tooth while going down the road, a great way to kill a few hours or in our language a couple of hundred miles. After a decade of doing these Videos for you, first on YouTube and now LIVE on FaceBook, I have learned how to act like a goof, throw some jokes in so it is not just a dry talk radio.
The LIVE FaceBook Videos are built for you and your Entertainment. Just like your Canadian Trucking Magazine Small enough to fit your pocket but big enough to entertain. I travel in a big truck pulling a load so I can feel what is happening in our industry and broadcast right from the trail. This way we are up to date. Plus I have Diesel in my viens and love the road and trucking. Plus I get to meet good friends OTR like all the people in the crossword pictures. My good Friend Eddy Mann is there and will be at the Convoy with his truck and testing out Xp3. Talk about Great people above is the Danny Thompson Band heading to the Canadian Trucking Show to kick off the Convoy and bring us some of thier shirts and CDs. Come early and get a seat to watch them as we prepare for the Convoy as they play the music you will enjoy! Bottom right corner here is again a great stop on Hwy 17 in ON. Gilli’s Truck Stop New Liskeard here I am with Scott Perkins and our awesome server. I ate the special with soup main course then home made cheery pie for dessert all for under 15 bucks and was full and happy. Gilli’s you will for sure hit our top 10 restaurant award list! Thank-you Keystone Western for your support in our CTM with an Ad this month and sponsor of the Show!
TIP, I keep telling everyone get a Lick & stick Camera for your vehicle. That DashCam can save you big time as all the videos on our FB page have shown. Also I keep reminding you to pick up a smoke detector for your truck. You sleep in there and have you seen the number of lives lost in vehicle fires. Also dont forget to lock your doors all the time as there has been too many Truckers being robbed in thier trucks with violence. Jim from First Class Train Centre brings the simulator out to the Canadian Trucking Show so everyone can have a go, it is a blast. Hoping you enjoy Truckers BUZZ on FaceBook as much as your CTM set your notifications so you can see us live. I like to say again thanks for reading CTM and I look forward to hearing from you, than about you. See you at the CONVOY..... Be safe my friends! Keep On Trucking, All the Best!!!!!!
Happy Trails.....
Dave
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See a great joke you want to share, send it to CTM to print this is your magazine, and enjoy more jokes on the next pages and extra on the web
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Look what Bruce Querel & Richard Wiebe has at Querel Trailers! Trailers for work or home of all sizes. We had this one at the Canadian Trucking Show and it worked great! Thanks Querel
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Drug-Smuggling Trucker faces Justice By Dave MacKENZIE over 30 years LawEnforcement
Fate has it in for convicted drug smuggler Baldev Singh. The Torontoarea trucker, who has been on the lam for 2½ years, was picked up last month in a routine traffic stop. The officer who stopped him saw the warrant for Singh’s arrest and late last week had him returned to Windsor to finally face justice. Singh, 49, of Maple, Ont., was convicted in September 2014 of crossing the Ambassador Bridge with 69 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a shipment of oranges. Over the objections of the prosecutor in the case, a Superior Court judge allowed Singh to remain free on bail until his sentencing. Singh never returned to court. After protracted hearings, Superior Court Justice Renee Pomerance sentenced Singh in absentia to 12 years in a federal penitentiary.
Singh finally began serving that sentence late last week. Fate had originally struck Singh on the morning of March 19, 2009, when his truck was randomly selected for a training exercise with a drug-sniffing dog at the Ambassador Bridge. The dog handler went about hiding a dummy stash in a crate in Singh’s trailer. She removed a bag of oranges to find 21 bricks of cocaine hidden underneath it. While Singh testified at his trial that he had no knowledge of the drugs, suitcases in the cab of the truck told a different story. There was cocaine residue on one of the bags. Impressions left on the top of the bins containing the oranges matched the wheels of the suitcase. The trial also heard other suspicious testimony. When Singh crossed the border in to the U.S., his truck had signs on it that read Omni. On the way back into Canada, the signs read East West Trucking Inc.
CALL BORDER WATCH~ 1.888.502.9060
Note from Dave!
If you see suspicious activity, persons asking you for a ride across the border in your vehicle, a loose lipped driver talking about smuggling loads of weapons or drugs, do us all a big favour and contact authorities. Try to get as much information as possible without becoming involved and shut these bad guys down. They are bad for our business.
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Singh will be returned to court in Windsor to face a charge of breaching his bail conditions by not appearing in court when required.
Singh was free on $210,000 bail when he fled after trial. Only $40,000 was deposited with the court. The rest was pledged. A judge later ruled that the family member who put up the $40,000 could get her money back. After Singh absconded, his sureties — the people who pledged money and promised to supervise him and make sure he showed up in court when required — argued their financial circumstances had changed and they were therefore no longer able to keep their commitment to the court.
At a subsequent hearing over the bail amounts, Pritam Hansra, who had pledged $140,000, was made to pay $35,000. Singh’s sister, Sarbit Kaur Cheema, was made to pay $10,000 of the $30,000 she pledged. At the hearing, both Hansra and Cheema denied any knowledge of Singh’s whereabouts.
• If you have information about suspicious cross-border activity, please contact the CBSA Border Watch Toll free Line at 1-888-502-9060.
• If you have information on suspicious or criminal activities please contact your local police, the Ontario RCMP at 1-800-387-0020 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS). 11
EVENTS IN JUNE
So many how can you attend them all?
The great answer is you can, if not in person, through the CTM Team that will be there doing “LIVE” videos for your entertainment and information.
We will start off at the Canadian Trucking Show in Winnipeg MB Canada at the Red River Exhibition Park with a Cancer Fighting Convoy June 3rd one day only Saturday.
Then to the APNA Truck Show at the Tradex Centre in Abbotsford BC June 10th & 11th.
June 13th to 15th the Global Petroleum Show at Stampede Park Calgary AB Canada.
Set your notifications on the Canadian Trucking Magazine Facebook page and don’t miss a thing!
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By; Ellen Voie CAE, President/CEO Women in Trucking
Women In Trucking Association (WIT) is pleased to announce Andra Rush as the winner of the 2017 Women In Trucking Association’s Distinguished Woman in Logistics Award (DWLA). The announcement was made today during the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) 2017 “Capital Ideas” Conference and Exhibition in Las Vegas, Nevada. The award is sponsored by Truckstop.com. Rush was chosen among three finalists for the third annual award. The other finalists included Lacy Starling, president, Legion Logistics, LLC and Karen Duff, president and CEO, International Express Trucking, Inc. (IXT). Rush is chair and CEO of Rush Trucking Corporation, CEO and president of Dakkota Integrated Systems,
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and chair, CEO and president of Detroit Manufacturing Systems. She leads the largest woman-owned business in Michigan, and one of the largest Native American-owned enterprises in the U.S. Her mission from the very beginning has been to create sustainable job opportunities in underserved communities. Today, Rush Trucking transports goods for Fortune 100 companies across the U.S. and Canada with 1,100 trucks and 700 drivers. The auto supplier was named Supplier of the Year for quality and world-class manufacturing by Chrysler Group in 2013 and Supplier of the Year for three consecutive years, 2013, 2014 and 2015, by General Motors. President Barack Obama acknowledged Rush during his 2014 State of the Union address for creating manufacturing jobs in Detroit with the June 2012 opening of Detroit Manufacturing Systems – the first such plant opening in the city in decades. Rush served two terms from 2013 to 2016 as a member of the U.S. Manufacturing Council, which regularly advises the U.S. Commerce Secretary on matters related to government policies and programs and their impact on the U.S. manufacturing sector. She was honored in 2015 by the Michigan Women’s Foundation with its Women of Achievement and Courage Award, and inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame in 2014 for innovative job creation and manufacturing ingenuity.
“Andra Rush is an amazing leader who epitomizes the type of woman we honor with this award,” said Ellen Voie, president and CEO of Women In Trucking. “She is someone who has set a higher bar for all of us to attain and who continues to inspire us with her accomplishments.” The Distinguished Woman in Logistics award was established to promote the achievements of women employed in the North American transportation industry. It highlights the vital roles of women in the dynamic and influential field of commercial transportation and logistics. “Women In Trucking has done a fantastic job of promoting women in the transportation industry and the Distinguished Women in Logistics award further proves that,” Truckstop.com Chief Marketing Officer Brent Hutto said. “As a company, Truckstop.com is proud to be a part of this award and we stand behind the continuing efforts of Women In Trucking to recognize deserving women in the trucking and transportation industry.”
About Truckstop.com Truckstop.com is the one-stop connection between carriers, brokers, and shippers. Founded in 1995 as the first freight-matching marketplace to hit the Web, Truckstop.com has grown to provide load planning and optimization, transportation management, telematics, rate benchmarking, and powerful negotiation tools. Truckstop Pro, Truckstop.com’s most recent and most advanced software subscription, offers users a real-time load board and enhanced transportation partner search and qualification. Across North America, Truckstop.com is Women In Trucking Association, Inc. is a nonprofit association established to encourage the employment of women in the trucking industry, promote their accomplishments and minimize obstacles faced by women working in the trucking industry. Membership is not limited to women, as 17 percent of its members are men who support the mission. www.womenintrucking.org
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CloudHawk
Accurate, Affordable GPS Tracking
By Dave MacKENZIE,
If your business has vehicles and other assets to manage, you know that having visibility into where they are, utilization, and overall efficient operations is hard to get right. But yet it is a critical aspect of an efficient, profitable business. Developed by Spark Tech Labs, CloudHawk is an innovative and trusted GPS tracking solution for monitoring vehicles, fleets, trailers, cargo and equipment. With the ability to maintain a constant GPS signal on vehicles and assets while well concealed, CloudHawk provides valuable operational information, real-time visibility, and peace of mind. It is accessible anytime, on any browser or any mobile device. CloudHawk trackers are compatible with cellular networks globally. For customers in North America, standard subscription plans include coverage throughout Canada and US without roaming charges.
About Spark Tech Labs;
Spark Tech Labs is Waterloo, Ontario based technology company that got started in 2011 and is expanding thier product CloudHawk. They make a high performance GPS tracking solution that provides the flexibility of adding various sensors for any fleet vehicle or asset, including transportation and logistics based businesses, or construction equipment that is intuitive to use and super-fast to deploy. They help your business maximize productivity, and help increase efficiencies. Spark Tech Labs leadership team is an experienced group of thought leaders in wireless technologies, software development, and antenna design. The organization’s focus is on really listening and understanding the customer’s environment and business goals, and bringing together innovation and a differentiated in-house designed product than brings significant business value. Check out CloudHawk today and protect your investments! www.cloudhawk.com
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Margaret Foster, the founder of Furry Hobos and Hiway Heroes, along with her Ambassador Dog, Pickles pose outside of Thunder Bay, Ont. (Jeff Walters/CBC) Rescue dogs and lost pets who need a ride home have a new group of allies in Canada: truck drivers. A group based in Thunder Bay, Ont., will help coordinate rides for animals who are heading from one part of the country to another. Furry Hobos and Hiway Heroes is the creation of Margaret Foster. A former truck driver, she took it upon herself to help coordinate rides for those with four legs. "It actually gives them something they feel good about. I mean, you go up and down the road here, you see the accidents and everything else that happens," said Foster. She said nearly 300 dogs have been transported through the group to their new homes, anywhere in Canada. She said some trucks in the United States are also now part of her 'network', allowing for international movement of the animals in need. Foster said drivers are not compensated, but she asks for a donation of home baking, or a gift card for coffee. Help from the community Foster said many of the drivers
have their own animals in their trucks, that they refer to as 'An Ambassador.' The one ambassador cat of the group, named Turtle, recently got out of a truck in Granby, QC. Foster said she's overwhelmed, as it seems the whole community wants to find the cat. She said the Ambassador animals are a key part of the program. "The dogs are so relaxed, they introduce them before they come into the truck." " They show them the bunk, like 'this is where we can lay and sleep' and it just keeps them really really calm and collected. And, they enjoy it." As for continuing to help ferry rescue animals, or those who are lost and found to their proper homes, Foster said most drivers can't get enough of it. "[One driver], he gets a hold of me all the time and says, 'Margaret, I'm getting tired of laughing at my own jokes, you'd better give me a dog.'" Visit on FaceBook; Furry Hobos N Hiway Hero"s. Dog gone Truckin! Thanks Margaret!!
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Blackthorn Safety Solutions Inc. was created with the vision to assist carriers with their ever demanding need to be compliant and to offer solutions tailored for their specific needs. In the fast paced world of transportation, carriers are not only under extreme pressure to meet client demands and generate revenue but are held to very high regulatory standards. Many small to medium sized carriers have challenges becoming compliant let alone staying compliant. Some carriers do not have the resources necessary to achieve what they need to and in turn find themselves facing audits or even worse, sanctions from governing authorities. This is where Blackthorn Safety Solutions can help! Blackthorn Safety Solutions is a business that is scalable to each carrier’s needs and can offer such services as consulting and fleet oversight from a very high level to driver training and compliance monitoring on a daily basis. As stated, these solutions are scalable and individually crafted for each business model. If preparing for a facility audit is needed, Blackthorn has very knowledgeable and experienced staff to assist in getting prepared. If programs and policies are required, we have these solutions available as well. We can also manage your day-today compliance needs too! Do you need your logs managed and maintained? We have a solution for that! We offer driver hiring and due diligence services to assist you in making the right hire from criminal background checks, reference checks, PSP and abstract searches as well as US DOT and non-DOT drug and alcohol 20 testing solutions.
Maybe you need assistance with or an outright outsourced solution for fuel tax filings? Blackthorn has very experienced fuel tax specialists that can relieve this burden, not to mention the ability to monitor and manage your permits and authorities. Collisions and claims are one of the largest issues faced by all carriers in the industry. Blackthorn can help with offering services to assist in managing your losses, recognizing the true costs to your organization and put in place measurables to effectively manage the risks and effectively train your fleet. Effective collision monitoring and management directly translates into lower risk with insurance providers which in turn, can translate into better insurance premiums and lower deductibles. This can be as little as consulting and recommending corrective measures to completely outsourcing the solution and have us manage the process for you! Blackthorn Safety Solutions is serious about safety and we can be a valuable resource for your existing safety program. If safety programs are an area that needs attention we can analyze your current program, identify gaps and assist in closing those gaps or can create a totally customizable solution for you. The choice is yours but whatever solution you choose, Blackthorn will work with you to make it happen!
For more information contact Blackthorn Safety Solutions toll free at
1-844-323-6515
or visit us on the web at
www.blackthornsafety.com
Safety Solutions not just a good idea, a requirement! By Dave MacKenzie Outsoucing, cost effective, best way to do business. Within the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) Operational Model, the Safety Measurement System (SMS) quantifies the on-road safety performance of carriers and drivers to identify candidates for interventions, determine the specific safety problems that a carrier or driver exhibits, and to monitor whether safety problems are improving or worsening. The large companies have extensive safety departments that handle all aspects of training and enforcement to ensure they meet the requirements of SMS. A great deal of skill and training is needed in order to maintain levels acceptable should an audit come in play. Blackthorn on the following page offer services to those companies that seek to be compliant in a cost effective way with experience Blackthorn members to run programs that meet and exceed CSA requirement from the skills that have manifested in these Blackthorn members from years of being compliant. SMS keeps you the driver safe on the road turning wheels making a living while not putting your health and safety at risk.
SMS has replaced SafeStat in the new Operational Model. SMS uses a motor carrier’s data from roadside inspections, including all safety-based violations, State-reported crashes, and the Federal motor carrier census to quantify performance in the following Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs). After a measurement is determined, the carrier is then placed in a peer group (e.g., other carriers with similar numbers of inspections). Percentiles from 0 to 100 are then determined by comparing the BASIC measurements of the carrier to the measurements of other carriers in the peer group. A percentile 100 indicates the worst performance. Now that we have covered the SMS in these short pages if you don’t have a dedicated safety department to meet or exceed these requirements have your company contact Blackthorn and get those ducks in a row. Blackthorn a CTM top rated Safety provider, talk to ownership today about outsourcing to Blackthorn a win win for everyone. .
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Danny Thompson Band LIVE June 3rd Canadian Trucking Show
Although Danny Thompson has been riding high following a prestigious nomination as Best New Country Artist by New Music Weekly for the single Miles & Miles, he’s no newcomer to the music scene. Danny has been writing and performing for more than four decades. After working with the group Contraband on the Belaire record label under the direction of Bob Cousins back in the eighties, he joined Lenny Wilde’s Shotgun Record label. That’s also when every song on Danny’s first album, Rockin’ Myself to Sleep, made onto the charts. One cut in particular, Small Town Blues was played on stations across Europe including the BBC. Miles & Miles is a tribute to Thompson’s son Jamie. The young trucker died tragically in an accident involving his rig, just before Christmas of 2012. He was just 33-years-old. The Danny Thompson Band is a family affair with daughter Danielle playing piano and providing vocals while son Jordan plays bass for the group.
To the right,, a cartoon of the Danny Thompson Band by our fav Bruce Outridge Productions Click here for his FB Page See Them LIVE 10am June 3 Canadian Trucking Show
Although the Brantford, Ontario based singer/songwriter/musician has been writing and performing all these years, the nomination for Miles & Miles puts him in the same category as former heavyweight nominees like Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan. Danny recorded Miles & Miles in Nashville where he completed his brand new album with producer Bill Watson. “Dan is providing excellent song writing and a great voice, two things I don’t get an opportunity to work with very often,” said Watson. Meantime, Shawn Connelly who is engineering the album’s tracks has worked with the likes of The Oakridge Boys.
The brand new album Miles & Miles will be released this fall. The Danny Thompson Band has been very busy this summer performing many tour dates for 2016. Contact info: Website: www.dannythompsonband.com Promotion: www.logginspromotion.com Email:dthompson@rcsa.ca
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SEMA 2017 if you don’t want to miss it start booking now! Below the CTM Gang @ the Oakpoint Restaurant Wpg MB Great People ~ Great Food
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MyDenny’s App Adds Value for Frequent Diners
It's all about you. Your preferences, your tastes, your cravings. It's your Denny's, so why not have it all? Make Denny's yours with MyDenny's, the only app that earns you perks with every bite you take. Denny’s Restaurants has been a staple of Canadian dining for the last 45 years, providing classic diner fare, an inviting atmosphere, and great value for all their guests. With 59 locations across the country, many located along major transit routes, Denny’s is a dining staple for drivers, providing a bit of comfort and familiarity when away from home. Denny’s has always placed a high importance on being a good value, but with their recently relaunched Loyalty Program they have found a way to make dining an even better deal, especially for their loyal customers. With a simple download from Google Play or the App store, the free MyDenny’s mobile app allows guests to earn points for every purchase at participating stores. Every purchase also earns a stamp on their digital loyalty card. Once the card has been filled in, members earn a special $5 reward coupon and a new card is started automatically. One of the big questions about the app, has been how hard is it to get enough points to get the rewards? Well the answer is it’s easy, and there are lots of added incentives to sign up! New members automatically get 50 points for registering and there are opportunities to earn bonus points by completing polls on the app and entering promo codes that are posted on social media or emailed to their members. It doesn’t take long to earn enough points to redeem for rewards such discounts on purchases or free food and beverages. Every week Denny’s is giving away one thousand points to a new member, so there is an added incentive to sign up. With over 45,000 members and growing quickly, the app is proving to be highly successful for both Denny’s and their customers. One of the cool new upgrades to the app is the ability to scan a QR code on the bottom of each receipt, making it quick and easy to add the points to your account. Members can also use the app to send invitations to meet up with friends and share points back and forth with other members. For the non-smartphone users, there is a desktop version of the loyalty program available at www.mydennys.ca providing all the perks, promotions, and contests available through the app. If you are a Blackberry user, you can use the mobile web version on your phone’s Internet browser, also at mydennys.ca.
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Phoenix Raceway has been a part of the motorsports scene since 1964. From it's genesis as an open-wheel destination through its present-day status as a stock car haven, the one-mile desert oval has built a reputation both on the way it challenges drivers and as a memory maker for all who step across its threshold. To the right the Monster Energy Raceway Gals read more & Videos in the Expanded Web Edition about the PIR.
Want more NASCAR Action !
Canadian Trucking Magazine has it, on the Expanded Web Edition now enjoyed by over 570,000 readers a month and up to date events on the Canadian Trucking Magazine Face Book Page ~ LIKE US !
AVONDALE, AZ - MARCH 19: Ryan Newman, driver of the #31 Grainger Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Camping World 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 19, 2017 in Avondale, Arizona 36
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AVONDALE, AZ - MARCH 19: Kyle Busch, driv Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Camping way on March 19, 2017 in Avondale, Arizona.
ver of the #18 Skittles Toyota, pits during the g World 500 at Phoenix International Race-
Summary: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Camp- driver to advance to Round 3. The following cars were within ing World 500, Second Practice one-tenth of a second of the cutoff: No. 3 Ty Dillon and No. 24 Drew Herring. The practice session began at 9:02 a.m. At 9:03 a.m., Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster En- Round 3 began at 10:52 a.m. At 10:53 a.m., No. 00 Cole ergy Ford, set the fastest lap of 27.313 seconds (131.805 Custer set the fastest lap at 132.052 mph. At 10:53 a.m., No. mph). The second fastest lap was Kyle Busch, driver of the 11 Blake Koch set the fastest lap at 132.724 mph. At 10:55 No. 18 Skittles Toyota with a time of 27.488 seconds a.m., No. 9 William Byron set the fastest lap at 133.215 mph. (130.488 mph). The third fastest lap was run by Aric At 10:55 a.m., No. 20 Erik Jones set the fastest lap at 133.432 Almirola, driver of the No. 43 Smithfield Ford. At 9:07 a.m. mph. At 10:56 a.m., No. 9 William Byron set the fastest lap at Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire 133.467 mph. Round 3 ended at 10:57 a.m. with No. 9 & Auto Center Ford, set the fastest lap of 26.689 seconds William Byron the fastest with a lap of 133.487 mph (26.969 (133.521 mph). After ten minutes of practice the top three seconds), followed by No. 20 Erik Jones 133.342 (26.980), were Chase Elliot, driver of the No. 24 NAPA Chevrolet, with No. 2 Austin Dillon 133.033 (27.061), No. 11 Blake Koch a lap of 26.475 seconds (135.512 mph), Joey Logano, driver 132.724 (27.124), and No. 7 Justin Allgaier at 132.694 mph of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Chevrolet, with a lap of 26.575 (27.130). seconds (135.466 mph), and Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Alliance Truck Parts Ford, with a lap of 26.633 sec- No. 9 William Byron earns pole position for the DC Solar 200. onds (135.171 mph). At 9:15 a.m. Kyle Larson, driver of the In just four starts at Phoenix Raceway, this is his second caNo. 42 Credit One Bank Chevrolet, set third fastest lap of reer pole; he took the pole for last November's Lucas Oil 150 26.602 seconds (135.323 mph). After a half hour of practice, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race and led 112 of the top three were No. 24 Chase Elliott with a lap of 26.475 the first 138 laps only to suffer an engine failure and be classeconds (135.977 mph), No. 22 Joey Logano with a lap of sified 27th. He has two other starts here. In the 2015 Lucas 26.575 seconds (135.466 mph), and No. 42 Kyle Larson Oil 150, he qualified fifth but crashed on Lap 6 to be classified with a lap of 26.603 seconds (135.323 mph). The session 31st. In his debut here, the 2015 Casino Arizona 100 in the ended at 9:57 a.m. without change to the top three on the NASCAR K&N West Pro Series, he qualified third and finspeed chart. ished second. DC Solar 200 Qualifying Summary Camping World 500 (Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series) – Practice Session Summary: Round 1 will determine the 24 cars that will advance to The practice session for Sunday’s race began at 11:32 a.m., Round 2. with Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Round 1 began at 10:05 a.m. At 10:06 a.m., No. 52 Joey Ford) setting the fastest lap out of the gate, running at 27.146 Gase set the fastest lap at 128.237 mph. At 10:07 a.m., No. seconds (132.616 mph). Busch’s younger brother Kyle (No. 51 Jeremy Clements set the fastest lap at 127.716 mph. At 18 Skittles Toyota), topped Kurt two minutes into the practice 10:08 a.m., No. 16 Ryan Reed set the fastest lap at 131.272 session, running a lap with a time of 26.865 (133.904 mph). mph. At 10:13 a.m., No. 48 Brennan Poole set the fastest Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) topped that time lap at 131.550 mph. At 10:14 a.m., No. 2 Austin Dillon set a minute later, with a run of 26.865 (133.904 mph), but was the fastest lap at 131.738 mph. With 10 minutes of Round quickly outdone by Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Alliance Truck 1 complete, the top three were No. 2 Austin Dillon, followed Parts Ford), who turned in a lap time of 26.789 (134.384 by No. 48 Brennan Poole, and No. 16 Ryan Reed. At 10:16 mph). At 11:36 a.m., Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Tide Toyota) a.m., No. 9 William Byron set the fastest lap at 131.839 mph. moved to the top of the list, with a fastest lap time of 26.762 Round 1 ended at 10:25 a.m. with No. 9 William Byron seconds (134.519 mph). Friday’s Gatorade Pole winner for fastest. No. 8 Matt Mills set the 24th fastest time with a lap the Camping World 500, Joey Logano (No. 22 Shell Pennzoil of 128.225 mph and was the final driver to advance to Ford), turned in a time of 26.719 seconds (134.736 mph), five Round 2. The following cars were within one-tenth of a sec- minutes after Kenseth’s run to take the fastest lap of the pracond of the cutoff: No. 52 Joey Gase and No. 92 Jordan An- tice session. The red flag was displayed at 11:43 a.m., when derson. No. 97 Josh Bilicki withdrew from the race before Daniel Suarez (No. 19 ARRIS Toyota) spun out coming out the qualifying session. All 40 other cars will start the race. of Turn 4. Suarez had a flat right front tire following the spin out, but did not make any contact. Round 2 will determine the 12 cars that will advance to Round 3. DC Solar 200 Post-Race Quotes Round 2 began at 10:33 a.m. At 10:34 a.m., No. 62 Brendan JUSTIN ALLGAIER (No. 7 BRANDT Chevrolet) – 1st Place Gaughan set the fastest lap at 131.133 mph. At 10:35 a.m., Q: What did it take for this new team to finally get you back No. 7 Justin Allgaier set the fastest lap at 132.285 mph. At to Victory Lane? 10:37 a.m., No. 9 William Byron set the fastest lap at A: "Just hard work and perseverance. First I've got to give it 132.548 mph. At 10:38 a.m., No. 20 Erik Jones set the up to my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. Last year was tough. fastest lap at 132.778 mph. Round 2 ended at 10:43 a.m. We had really good runs all year and were never able to get with No. 20 Erik Jones fastest. No. 16 Ryan Reed set the to Victory Lane, but these guys fought hard, like the same 12th fastest time with a lap of 131.892 mph and was the final group of guys that we had last year. And to be able to do it
here at Phoenix, obviously first race for the XFINITY's Dash 4 Cash, so a huge thank you for what they do for our sport. All of our partners at JR Motorsports. Rick Brandt (CEO and President of Brandt co.) right here, he's been wanting to get in Victory Lane for three or four years now, 81 races. But a huge thank you to everyone back at the shop; Chevrolet, Hendrick engines and chassis shop, all of our partners: Brandt, Hellman's, Degree, Suave Men, Breyer's, Valvoline, Advance Auto Parts, Cessna, Axalta, Northeastern Supply, Goody's. I mean this was a team effort. We had four really good JR Motorsports hot rods today and how cool was it to get a Camaro in Victory Lane here at Phoenix?" Q: How hard did you drive, knowing how good your car was and that you had the ability to win today? A: "I knew we were going to have to get a short run and I was really disappointed at the end of the first stage. I knew we had a better car than what we finished in that first stage. These guys didn't give up, the pit crew did awesome, they gave me great pit stops. I knew it was going to come down to a short run at the end and I knew we had the car. We just needed a restart at the end, and we got that. TJ (Majors, spotter) up in the spotters stand was calling it out and it's so hard to know how hard to go in those last couple laps. It's just so cool to be here in Victory Lane."
Q: What does this mean to you, winning the Dash 4 Cash money, being a part of this, and knowing that in the end you can win one million dollars? A: "To finish first, first you must finish. We've gotten the first finish out of the way, now we've got three more to do. These guys (XFINITY), what they do for our series, and most importantly what they do for the sport, the sport of NASCAR. We have the best fans in the world. I hope everybody enjoyed watching on their XFINITY service. This is what this series is all about. I'm so proud we were able to come out and do what we did here today."
Q: You had to go through two more restarts near the end -- what was going through your mind? A: “Yeah every time we had a restart you know I was bummed on the flipside I knew we had a really good short run car so I wasn’t super disappointed because I knew that our car was going to fire off strong and so I knew I was just going to have to trust in the spotter, trust in what I knew and go out there and lay the hammer to it and hope that we came out of the other end successful and we did that today. Huge thank you to XFINITY for all they do for our sport and to win the Dash 4 Cash to be eligible now to go for a million bucks you know we got three more to win but we’re going to be on a streak now this team has fired off the last two weeks with incredible race cars and I just can’t wait to get to California next week."
RYAN BLANEY (No. 22 Discount Tire Ford) – 2nd Place Q: Describe the first few laps moving up the field. Any major obstacles as you worked your way forward? A: “It’s just all about being patient and aggressive at the
same time, working your way up, making sure you don’t hurt your car or anything like that. We had a great long run car, spectacular drafts, after about 30, 35 laps. After that just kept getting better and better. Unfortunately we didn’t have many of those in the end, just kind of played it into his hands, what are you going to do about that? I can’t thank Discount Tire enough for putting me in the right Ford. We’re getting close, we just need that little bit more.”
Q: Did the damage on the left front of your car affect you at the end? A: “No, I don’t see any damage. I don’t really know what you’re talking about, but I thought we had a good Discount Tire Ford Mustang. It was really good on long runs. Unfortunately, we didn’t get any of those at the end. The No. 7 was spectacular on short runs, so it just kind of played into his hands. We had a shot at it, just not quite enough. I think this team is getting really close, and I can’t thank Discount Tire enough for letting me do it.”
ERIK JONES (No. 20 Reser's Main St. Bistro Toyota) – 3rd Place Q: You guys took two tires on the last stop. Was that the right call? A: "Yeah I think so. It was the only chance we really had to get some track position back and at least get up in the fight again. We had kind of fallen back on that restart, we got run up the hill there a little bit. But it got us back in the hunt. We never really had the car. In the first segment I thought, man we look better than I thought we'd be and we just kind of faded throughout the day, which was alright. The Reser's Camry was good, just not quite good enough to challenge for the segment."
WILLIAM BYRON (No. 9 Axalta/Ameristar Chevrolet) – 4th Place “I just couldn’t believe I hit the wall early. That took a lot of grip out of our car, but the guys did a really good job getting this Axalta Chevy back to the front. We just had some good restarts there at the end, and I was able to make it up. I was really proud of the whole JRM team. We had three really good cars, and hopefully we can carry that to California.”
ELLIOTT SADLER (No. 1 OneMain Financial Chevrolet) – 5th Place “Well, you just want to win the money. You know, anytime XFINITY puts up that kind of money for the Dash for Cash, you want to win it. But, I’m proud of everyone on this OneMain Financial Chevrolet. We were really good on long runs, a little free on short runs. But did you know you can loans on the same day when you go into OneMain Financial? That’s how fast they are, and that’s how fast JR Motorsports was today. Three in the top five, and congratulations to Justin Allgaier for winning the race to day and bringing home the money. Proud of our team and the way we ran here last year. To come out and run in the top 5 all day makes me proud of (crew chief) Kevin (Meendering) and the guys
AVONDALE, AZ - MARCH 17: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, poses with the Coors Light Pole Award after qualifying in the pole position for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Camping World 500 at Phoenix In ternational Raceway on March 17, 2017 in Avon dale, Arizona.
Camping World 500 Post-Race Quotes
KYLE LARSON (No. 42 Credit One Bank Chevrolet) – 2nd Place Q: Did you not know Ryan Newman was dive bombing you? A: “Yeah, my spotter said clear and I started turning down. I guess I just didn’t anticipate him driving in as far as he did. Maybe I should have just run the middle lane there just to be safe. But all in all, it was a good effort for our Credit One Bank Chevrolet. And you know, dang it, I wish I wouldn’t have gotten sideways there in the middle of Turn 1 and 2 and I would have stayed close enough to (Ryan) Newman that I probably would have got him down in Turn 3 and 4 coming to the whites. You never know though, that’s how the races play out. Maybe I made a mistake there into Turn 1. This one stings because I felt like I was in the best spot out of anybody there, lined up fourth with two tires. It’s really, really cool to be the point leader right now. That was a goal of mine going in to today. So, thanks to everybody at Chip Ganassi Racing for all your hard work. I hope we continue to have this kind of speed in our race cars, and maybe close some of these races out.
“I knew I was sitting in the best spot there. I got a good restart, and I thought I was clear of the No. 17. My spotter said we were clear there for a second. I think he maybe drove in harder than I anticipated. I turned down and he was there. I got sideways and it killed our run off Turn 2 and allowed the No. 31 (Ryan Newman) to get out there a good ways. I thought I still could catch him. Yeah, he was not better than I was there. I lost too much ground off Turn 2 to gain enough. This one sucks. It’s still good to finish second. I believe we are the point leader, so that’s awesome. That was a goal of mine going into today. To come out the point leader is pretty cool.”
That’s how we were at the tests. We finally got track position there at the end. I had to pass a ton of cars to get it, but it was a fun, solid day being able to pass cars instead of just kind of riding around. I was really bummed. I was hoping the best fastener company was going to win today, but we missed it by a little bit but definitely something to build on for this Fastenal team.”
Q: You finished fourth. Man, that paid off. A: “Yeah it did. Brian Patty and the boys made a lot of adjustments overnight to get our car competitive. We've still got work to do, but I'm really proud of the effort that they put in this week. We struggled, didn't qualify well, but we passed a ton of race cars. We were really good on the long run and I was hoping the No. 42 was going to be able to go up and win, because I knew that I got a bad restart, but we'll definitely take putting this Fastenal Ford in the top five after a mechanical failure last week, so I'm really proud of the team.”
KYLE BUSCH (No. 18 Skittles Toyota) – 3rd Place; led race-high 114 laps “Everything’s great. We got a top-five. That’s what we set out to do here today. We got a third, so we should be pumped about that and the way this Skittles Camry ran today. It was just awesome there at the end. Guys made some really good calls on it all day long. (Crew chief) Adam (Stevens) and the guys did a good job about being able to make some good adjustments and make it feel better for me. Once we got out front, thanks to my pit crew, that car really liked clean air. So we just fought a little bit in traffic early on in the race, but we were mindful of that and we just kind of bided our time and got up to the front when we did and then had a little miscue there on pit road with Kurt (Busch). From there, it was just too many cars that stayed out. If it was only two that stayed out, maybe, but we definitely needed the outside like (Kyle) Larson had. Overall, we should be proud of our run today and we move on."
RICKY STENHOUSE JR. (No. 17 Fastenal Ford) – 4th Place “(Crew chief) Brian (Pattie) made a lot of adjustments overnight to make our Fastenal Ford Q: You had all this wrapped out and then the cauwhere it was. We were really good on long runs. tion breaks out and all heck breaks lose.
A: “Yeah, that’s about it. The guys gave me a great Skittles Camry today -- that thing was fantastic there in the long runs. It was really, really good -- it had some good speed to it, especially when we got out front. We kind of struggled a little bit in traffic, but the car liked the clean air and you know we were sitting pretty, but that’s racing.”
LUKE LAMBERT (Crew chief for No. 31 Ryan Newman) “We had a great Grainger Chevrolet all day. We just weren’t really good taking off on cold tires. For whatever reason, our setup just didn’t really like fresh tires, so it made it a pretty simple call from my standpoint. I figured we’d roll the dice on getting a little track position and see what happened. Ryan drove the wheels off to bring it home."
draulics, the list goes on and on. But man, just a gutsy call by Luke (Lambert, crew chief). I called for two tires and he called for none. I've won more races with no tires than I ever have before, so I'm just proud of these guys. We had a good car all day, kept it out of trouble, and collected in the end."
Q: A couple of years ago you used up Larson to make the Chase. Were you thinking about that at all as he was chasing you down? A: “Trust me, I went into (Turn) Three looking in my A-post mirror, I knew he was down there. But it took my car forever to get going and we lacked air in the tires, so I'm spent man. I had the chills at Lap 150.”
Q: You've got your victory sticker, Ryan Newman. Welcome back to Victory Lane. A: “Yeah I haven't gotten here since they started giving these (stickers) out, so I'm just proud of these guys. Heck of a team effort. I have to thank Grainger, Caterpillar, Chevrolet, Coca Cola and everybody that makes this thing go around in a circle. It's pretty special. I wish my wife and kids were here, but I just got to talk to them on FaceTime.”
RICHARD CHILDRESS (Owner of No. 31 Grainger Chevrolet) Q: Congratulations on being back in victory lane. A: “Thank you. I’m just so proud of all these guys, Grainger, Caterpillar, everybody that’s backed us. And Ryan Newman, we all knew all along he could win and it was just our day today. It’s so great to be back in the winner’s Q: How difficult is it as driver to go through such circle here.” a long winless drought and keep your confidence up? Q: As the leader of this race team how hard is A: You just wonder if you can do it again man. You it to make sure everybody stays positive? don't doubt yourself, but man it keeps getting A: “You know we got so many great people tougher and tougher. This is a big day for us, for working for us. Eric Warren (Vice President of the points, the Chase, everything. It means a lot Competition), Mike Dillon (Vice President of for our sponsors, it probably means more for me.” Competition), all those guys push real hard, and we all have confidence. So, we’re going to get Q: How much did the track change for you and it, this won’t be the last.” this team? A: “It didn't really change a whole lot. We just RYAN NEWMAN (No. 31 Grainger Chevrolet) stayed on top of what we needed to and Luke – 1st Place (Lambert, crew chief) made a great call in the Q: How does it feel to be back in Victory Lane? end.” A: "I lost track of how long it's been. I've gotta thank Grainger, Caterpillar, Coca Cola, Monster Energy for supporting our series, Chevrolet, all of the people that help us out, Aggressive Hy-
Ryan Newman, driver of the #31 Grainger Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Camping World 500
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Since opening our doors in January 2012, First Class Training Centre Inc. has been providing the highest standard of training to our clients in a personal relaxed learning environment. From the beginning we recognized there was a need for a high quality Class 1 driver training program preparing the students for a promising career ahead of them. Becoming a professional truck driver takes years of experience. Any truck driving school can teach you how to drive a truck, but at First Class Training Centre we are interested in teaching you how to get industry ready. All aspects of the job are covered in the training. We don’t limit our instruction to the things that will help you get your licence; we want to help individuals to go out and get a job. We’ll do this by sharing the kind of insight that can only be earned by spending years doing the job, and helping you prepare for a career in the industry, not just a road test.
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All of our instructors at First Class are career veteran truck drivers. These instructors have combined on-the-road trucking experience that exceeds two centuries! That’s a lot of experience teaching the students. Our instructors will give you the training you will need to take on the challenges of the transportation industry. Demand for our high standard of training and unique perspective on the trucking industry has been fuelling our growth, and we now have eight instructors on staff in Winnipeg and one in our new Brandon location. As well as training locally, we have also done out of town projects as far north as Thompson, Manitoba, but the down fall to out of town training was to find a suitable location for a classroom and transporting our air-board to do proper air-brake training. That’s when my partner, Jeff Esslinger and I, decided to custom build a mobile classroom for training that we can bring almost anywhere in Manitoba.
This 48 foot trailer has a classroom with 8 air-ride truck seat for the students, a fully functional tractor trailer air board system and a state of the art driving simulator. Our passion at First Class is not just developing new drivers for the industry but we have a passion for the trucking industry as a whole. We invite trucking firms to take advantage of our mobile training unit to refresh or enhance their drivers with the use of the driving simulator. We will book and bring the trailer and instructor right to your work place almost anywhere in Manitoba for as many days as needed so you are able to assess your drivers. With the driving simulator, First Class can develop a company specific curriculum to suit the organizations particular needs, including complete orientation programs for newly hired drivers.
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It seems like yesterday but 40 years ago Jack Shields and his 3 sons (Clarence, Jim & John) started their first restaurant an A&W, in a small northern town called Fort McMurray. At that time there were less then 5,000 people living in that community. From there they expanded to include the Fort’s first Smitty’s Pancake House & Diary Queen franchises, the Garden Cafe, Willies and Oriellys & the Stags Head Inn. As Fort McMuuray continued to grow so did the Shields family business. In 1986 after the introduction of the Liberal National Energy Program the family lost all their business and were forced to start all over again. Some 25 years ago Jack and Clarence started all over again by operating a restaurant located the Nisku Truck Stop. From there they continued to grow acquiring the Airways Country Inn and numerous other business interests. Brother Jim and his wife Jody ventured off to start a successful greenhouse operation, while John continued on with an award winning career in radio. Blackjacks Roadhouse and Games Room is a brand new building been created to host Clarence’s latest vision, this outstanding and beautiful building features amazing truss work and a 2nd floor grand stage over- looking our room. They boast the best buffet in the area, as well as a great Canadian & Chinese cuisine menu. Our games room is furnished with 25 V.L.T.s, 5 Minute Keno, Sports Select. Watch and play all the sports from our comfortable lounge. Trucker Friendly Please come by anytime and enjoy our menu and great service. Open 24 hours a day featuring specials daily. Spend some time wandering around looking at one of the largest collection of oilfield, trucking and car racing memorabilia dating back some 100 + years. BLACKJACKS always look forward to the opportunity to be of service.
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Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada By Mike Zelek
While there is a fairly equal balance between male and female staff members in my office, the imbalance is great among our professional truck drivers. Of the roughly 300 drivers that Caravan employs, only 13 of them are female. That is around 4%. It is a shockingly low number however it is right in line with the industry average of 3%. I had the pleasure of speaking with the CEO of the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada, Shelley Uvanile-Hesch about the gender imbalance and about women in trucking in general. Shelley has transportation in her blood; her father was a long haul truck driver. When she was old enough to get her license she first drove a school bus before getting behind the wheel of a big rig for the past 17+ years. Safe to say that she knows a thing or two about the industry. Shelley thinks the percentage of
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women drivers is actually closer to 6-7% as the last survey was done in 2011. This is still a low number, though she has a few ideas as to why. First of all it is very expensive to become a driver. If you want to go through the proper channels and go to a reputable driving school, you can be looking at $10 000 and four months of your life (4 weeks at driving school and 6-10 weeks training with the company). Ten grand is a lot of money and couple that with the inability to work full time as you train and you can see why the financial aspect could be troubling. In addition to the cost, the impact on ones’ family life is substantial. Unlike driving a school bus, young children are not allowed to accompany the driver on the road.
Home time is often inconsistent, where drivers can be out on the road for 1-3 weeks at a time depending on the types of lanes that they run. This means they miss hockey games, gymnastics, concerts and many other events. So for someone envisioning the 2.3 kids and the perfect family, the trucking industry is not a fit. So how do we get more women behind the wheel? It starts with better options coming out of school. You need to be 18 to drive a truck in Canada and 21 to drive in the US. So it is possible to start driving shortly after high school as long as you are within Canada. Shelley noted one team that had one driver only drive in Canada and the elder driver would do the US miles. This allows valuable US experience without technically “driving” in the States. Spreading the word that women do have a presence in transportation is essential. This can be done through groups like the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada as well as magazine articles, social media and transportation events/trade shows.
Let women know that they have the option to have a driving career and to enjoy the freedom on the open road. Do I ever expect there to be an equal number of women as men on the road? No, not in my lifetime anyway. However I do think the number of women driving will continue to rise and they will have people like Shelley UvanileHesch to thank.
ABOUT
The Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada’s aim is to build bridges between drivers and all areas of the trucking industry; carriers, enforcement, training organizations, and safety groups, as well as citizens and the media. An important part of this goal is getting more involved with young people at the high school level, or even elementary school, We aim to help our youth better understand trucking and to promote trucking as a viable career option. Commercial truck drivers should be portrayed as qualified professionals and perceived that way by the general public. The Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada will shift attitudes in that direction by promoting training standards, safety, and encouraging unity. There are organizations for nearly every profession in the workforce. An organization is a synergistic group, meaning that the effect of a collection of people is greater than just one person. So, how exactly can becoming part of this synergistic group help further your goals? Here are some benefits of joining an organization. For most people, creating professional relationships is important, and joining a group allows you to have a sense of security and trust. From this, you are able to support and help one another in reaching your professional goals. Organizations can sponsor numerous events throughout the year that allows you to connect with your peers. You can share ideas, ask for advice, volunteer to be a speaker or become a member of a committee. Since most organizations have International or local conferences, you can participate and have the opportunity to learn about breaking news in your group, learn “best practices” or new ideas, hear about key achievers in your field and also meet and brainstorm with others who are also looking to share and learn new information. Another benefit of enhancing your organization is that you may find a mentor to help you with your professional needs or you may be in a position to become a mentor to someone else. Giving back can be the greatest reward and benefit. Participating in forums, chat groups or discussion boards sponsored by the organization is also a great way to grow your network. This allows you to use your peers as sounding boards and often make some great friends with the same interests as you.
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Truck Drivers Daughter By Tiffany Richards
My father has been a truck driver for almost 30 years. I have been asked time and time again what’s it like being a truck drivers daughter? My answer is pretty simple. It’s no different than a parent in any other career aside from two major things; my dad spends all week away from home and is only home on weekends. And while most people have a vehicle with four wheels, the typical vehicle in my driveway has ten. Now don’t get me wrong, I love my father’s job. It has taken us on some pretty cool and amazing adventures.
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Often times I still find myself wishing he had a regular one though so that he had been around more often. Some people will probably feel like I’m being selfish but they don’t understand how it feels when it’s your graduation day and you’ve been told that your father won’t be able to make it. It’s completely heartbreaking and truly makes me wonder what other big things he may miss out on; my wedding, the birth of his grandchildren. My friends complained that they were forced to sit at the table and eat dinner with their families; family dinner is my favorite thing in the world. It’s the time when I finally get to see and spend time with my dad, when he finally puts his phone on silent and becomes Dad, not another hard working driver constantly on the phone. My dad does have a pretty interesting job, but the most terrifying thing is hearing on the news that there has been an accident on the route your parent takes and you can’t reach them because that area just happens to have bad cell reception.
As an adult I’m not the angry child I once had been from my dad missing out on so much. Now I’m an adult who has an immense amount of respect and admiration for the man, the truck driver that sacrificed missing out on all my childhood events so that other families got to share in those activities. Without truck drivers, the essential thing we need in our normal day to day lives wouldn’t make it to the stores. In the end, no matter how old I get I will always be a truck driver’s daughter. The daughter of a hard-working man, who never complains about the small things, the driver who loves his job and does whatever he can to be the best parent he can There is another side to truck driv- be. ing parents that we children don’t get to see very often however; Mom or Dad at work! But oh those moments when you get to crawl up the steps into the big truck while insisting that you don’t need help because you are a big girl and settling into the passenger seat, seeing the world from such a higher level are so incredible. My dad used to let me sit in his lap and steer (with his hands still holding on without me knowing) down the highway; we’d wave to the other drivers and honk when kids asked us to. To this day I still wish I was small enough to grab a pillow and curl up around the gear shift, the rumble of a transport beats white noise by a thousand percent in Thanks Tiffany, my books. Do yours have a story they I never fall asleep as fast or stay would like to tell about growing asleep as long as I do in the truck; the rum- up in a truck driving family? ble and the rocking are the perfect combiKids or the Betterhalf, send it nation for the best night’s sleep. into us! So being a truck driver’s daughter is the same as any other child, Like John Wayne MacKenzie we just seem to grow up a little faster. pictured here above!
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Mike “Bad Apple” Simmons IRT will lead the CONVOY at the Canadian Trucking Show this year with one of his Pilot Trucks shown to the right. CONVOY starts at NOON
Truck Parking starts at Friday June2nd
Mike “Bad Apple” Simmons IRT See Him and his BABS @ the
Canadian Trucking Show 2017 Get your Bad Apple Gear