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.
HAPPY NEW YEAR my Brothers & Sisters and CTM readers. I believe 2014 is going to be the best year ever for transportation and hoping for you and yours. Tonnage is up, people are spending some of thier money which boosts the economy for everyone. I must say in Canada and the Northern USA the weather has sure given us a good kicking. Roads closed or ice covered with freezing temperatures. Key thing is the load should always arrive just after you safely do. I know as I just came off the road after a western drive in a big truck. Of course I hit snow and closed roads and a few hours where I could snap a 2x4 with my butt checks. Sure is a great sight to see the lights of the truck stop.
Ellen Voie the President & CEO of Women in Trucking writes a good story this month on page 14 that you should grab an extra copy of CTM for your neighbors. On page 38 I did a write up on safety and although you might think it is extreme, it might save someones life. Share it please. I have to thank you the readers for the support and visiting our web expanded magazine that has recorded over 80,000 hits in a one month period. Also those of you that face book, visit our Page please and like it. You can track where I am as I travel Canada and the USA and meet up and say hello. Of course we thank our advertisers without them there would be no CTM. You can thank them for us, by dealing with them and mentioned you saw them in CTM, get your discounts too. More to tell you in the next pages and on the web! continued page 4
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The Dog in Regina, one of my most favorite stops along the way as all the people there are GREAT! Val the Truckers Pal was with Jerry who is back on Sirius Radio March 25th. Will was co-pilot again and got in front of the camera more than behind it! He was a trooper and assisted in the shoot for the center page this month, again. Tough job, but not as tough as deciding which picture to use. So glad we have the expanded web edition on our web page so we can share the really good ones with you there. On the front cover and the center fold I have my favorite Volvo that our friends from Beaver Truck Centre in Winnipeg MB made sure it was ready to roll before I hit the road. It was really cool, because first time with one shot I have 4 advertisers pictured in the centerfold and front cover. The Volvo, of course, Beaver, the BFG on the front from Big Front Grill, Caravan owns the Volvo, back cover advertiser. And this is a working truck Caravan let me take for a trip west and soon a ride down I29 and I35 to Texas.
Above Will working hard on the set of the January 2014 CTM Centerfold shoot. See more of it in the Expanded Edition on the web site.
Our models are without a doubt DAB’s fans and not only wore the shirts and hats for the shoot, but wore them home too. Also DAB’s Repair has introduced CTM to Brittany from Stilletto Trailer Service that CTM plugged on Page 39. Ever used Trappers new touchless Truck Wash in Winnipeg MB? I ran the Volvo through Trappers before the BFG went on and the shoot. Awesome is all I can say and fast. No waiting, fast and clean, I will use it again for sure. I do enjoy a clean ride and the comfort of a stainless steel BFG, Moron Masher on the front. Adds only 200+ pounds but the comfort of knowing bambi or worse has to come through that to get at me. Some of my friends from the Oakpoint Restaurant in WPG MB on 90 are pictured on the crossword this month from thier famous Christmas Day they have each year. Thanks Oakpoint you guys are the best, but you are making me fat! So please tell our adHappy Trails...... and I vertisers that you saw them in would rather hear from you CTM and keep our magazine than about you! going and look forward to see2014 our Best Year Ever! ing you at the stops for your Dave valuable input each month.
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QUEREL TRAILERS by Dave MacKENZIE
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Querel Trailers December’s front cover of CTM and about time, with Bruce Querel and Richard Wiebe. This is a CTM favorite as Bruce has put an article in CTM in the past and more in the future I hope as he is in my opinion the trailer expert. Not only how they are built and what is junk and what not, but what you can legally use and what you should be using. Querel Trailers has been providing contractors, road builders, forestry professionals and long haulers with quality new and used semi-trailers for over seven years. With 35 years trailer sales experience behind it, Querel Trailers has the industry expertise needed to ensure its customers get topquality products at reasonable prices. Querel's Trailers has a large inventory to choose from. The company stocks 50, 55 and 60 tonne lowbeds, C/W Jeeps and boosters, tandem steel and aluminum end dumps with box liners, triaxle steel and aluminum end dumps and mechanical detaches. You might not be pulling one of these now, but I bet you
know someone who is. Querel also specializes in the forest industry. Through its manufacturers, the company has a wide range of pulp trailers including tandems, triaxles and super Bs. Querel also has storage trailers and storage containers for sale. Querel is based in Manitoba, but can and does provide service across the country thanks to unrestricted territorial agreements with manufacturers. As part of its commitment to service, Querel will deliver trailers to its customers' home place of business, anywhere between Ontario and British Columbia. Querel staff offers extensive product and industry knowledge meaning an informed comparison can be done right in the shop. Not only will they provide everything a customer needs to know about the trailer and its components, but Querel staff is well-versed in regulation requirements and restrictions so customers can make sure they leave with the right purchase. Querel Trailers comes backed by a solid reputation that makes the company name synonymous with quality products and exceptional service. This is where I go to!
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By Dawn Truell ~ CBS ~ Biggest drug smuggling tunnel ever found Imagine the amount of Have you h e a r d hours and people it would a b o u t have taken to dig that! The tunnel was amazthis drug s m u g - ingly complex and was even gling tun- equipped with rail tracks stretchn e l ing the entire length, push carts, equipped ventilation system, lighting and with electricity, ventilation and electronically controlled steel a rail system found connect- doors. The cost of this tunnel ing San Diego, California, and would have been millions. Tijuana, Mexico? The exact length has During the discovery not been revealed but the Mexican media reported that more than eight tons of mariit’s near the Tijuana airport, so juana, 325 lbs. of cocaine and from San Diego to the Tijuana 22 tons of various drugs were airport geographically speak- found inside the tunnel. ing would be about 25 miles or To date there have been 36 km and the depth is report75 such secret tunnels found. edly 35’.
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In San Diego, Otay Mesa to be exact, there are warehouses that receive and store these drugs. We sure don’t hear that in the news! Since the discovery of this highly sophisticated tunnel, the tunnel has been shut down, the persons arrested so far face 10 years in prison for drug trafficking; doesn’t seem enough of a sentence to me, people get life in prison for less severe crimes than this.
For information regarding anything mentioned in this article or information on the fight against smuggling, terrorism, C-TPAT, FAST, PIP please contact
Dawn Truell Cross Border Services 905-973-9136 dawntruell@gmail.com www.crossborderservices.org www.c-tpat-certified.com.
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.
CALL BORDER WATCH~
1.888.502.9060
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Eight things your neighbor probably doesn’t understand about Professional Drivers by Ellen Voie CAE,President/CEO Women in Trucking
The public perception of professional drivers has often been based on misunderstanding due to the media and movie industry’s portrayal of these hard working men and women. Although there are numerous image campaigns in the trucking industry, most of them focus on the importance of the industry itself instead of trying to change the image of the person behind the wheel. Your neighbor might not understand what your life is like as a professional driver and more importantly, how your job affects their lifestyle. Here are eight things your neighbor probably doesn’t know about you, but should. This list isn’t comprehensive and I’m sure you can think of many more things you’d like your friends to know about your career, but this is a start.
#1. Driving a truck for a living is not an easy job. You can’t just hop into a tractor-trailer and take it out on the highway without extensive training. It’s not an unskilled job that just anyone can do. It takes time and effort to learn how to shift and how to turn corners and how to back into a dock. It’s not easy!
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#2. Being a professional driver isn’t just a job, it’s a lifestyle. When your neighbor goes to work each morning and returns home at night, his or her kids might not even know if their mom or dad changes jobs or careers because it doesn’t affect them in the same way it will affect the child of a professional driver. It was years before my daughter learned that some daddies were home every Wednesday!
#3. Just because you are away from home a lot doesn’t mean you are unfaithful or that your marriage is in trouble. Your neighbor will judge your family situation based on their own. So, if they think you stay away because you’re unhappy, it’s their perception. Many folks still assume that you’re unfaithful because you travel often and have the opportunity to cheat on your spouse. Remind them that cheating relates to values, not time apart.
#4. You can’t just make plans for a week from Thursday because you don’t know if you’ll be home or not. This one was always one of the most difficult aspects of the trucking lifestyle to explain. No, I cannot RSVP to your daughter’s wedding next June, so it’s easier to decline the invitation. People just don’t understand how unpredictable your job can be when you’re delivering loads around the country.
#5. Remember who is the professional! If I had the choice of driving alongside a family in an SUV in a snowstorm, or running alongside an eighteen-wheeler, I would chose the big rig. I just don’t trust non-commercial drivers as much as I do those professionals who are well trained and more observant. When people complain about big trucks sharing the highway, I remind them that the professional is the one who is more capable and trustworthy on the road than those drivers with less training.
#6. Yes, trucks do own the road! Without trucks paying for the taxes that fund road projects, the highways wouldn’t be the same. From fuel taxes to IRS taxes, to tolls to mileage taxes, the trucking industry pays for the roads and their upkeep. Those four wheelers just don’t realize how little they pay, and don’t even think about how little those electric vehicles are paying for our roads!
#7. If your neighbor only understood that your job keeps his kitchen stocked, his car’s tank filled, and his children clothed. He doesn’t always understand the supply chain and how you and your truck allow him to enjoy the products he uses every day. Maybe he needs a lesson in the importance of the trucking industry and its effect on the economy.
Feel free to show this article to your neighbor the next time you feel misunderstood. You just might change his or her opinion of you, one neighbor at a time.
For more information visit;
www.womenintrucking.org or call 888-464-9482
Ellen Voie CAE, President/CEO
Note from Dave~~ If you are a women in trucking support those who support you, call WIT today.
#8. You’re not driving a truck until you find something better. For some, being a professional driver is the job of last resort, but for most of you, it’s your career. Sure, there are people who are always look- Want More CTM ~ Visit the CTM ing for something that pays better and Expanded Web Edition @ allows you to have a different lifestyle, www.canadiantruckingmagazine.ca 15
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Dave our Celebrity Publisher Editor working hard on the green screen to produce the January’s CTM Center Page for you!
Email CTM and let us know which is your favorite picture and the first 25 emails get a free CTM T Shirt!
Dave Would Like to Thank Madison & Kelsey for a great shoot!
See more on the CTM Face Book Page and LIKE us there for more updates!
Will worked behind and again in front of the camera this shoot. Thanks for the hard work Will!
Just a Fun Shot during the January Shoot!
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More Jokes to make you laugh, share with your friends! See more on the CTM Expanded Web Edition
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Jennifer Jo Cobb, driver of the #10 Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing Chevrolet, stands in the garage area during NASCAR Preseason Thunder at Daytona International Speedway on January 13, 2014 in Daytona Beach, Florida. 36
www.canadiantruckingmagazine.ca
Want more NASCAR Action !
Canadian Trucking Magazine has it, on the Expanded Web Edition now enjoyed by over 80,000 readers a month and up to date events on the Canadian Trucking Magazine Face Book Page ~ LIKE US !
JANUARY 09: Miss Sprint Cup Madison during NASCAR Preseason Thunder at Daytona International Speedway on January 9, 2014 in Daytona Beach, Florida.
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Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, signs a Daytona International Speedway on January 9, 2014 in Day
autographs for fans during NASCAR Preseason Thunder at ytona Beach, Florida.
(R-L) Action Express Racing drivers Christian their overall win in Gatorade Victory Lane fo Speedway on January 26, 2014.
n Fittipaldi, Joao Barbosa and Sebastien Bourda or the 2014 Rolex 24 At Daytona at Daytona Inte
The GS class podium finishers in Gatorade Victory Lane Performance 200 on January 24, 2104 during the IMSA Ro Beach, Florida.
following the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge BMW olex 24 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona
Big Name Inductors And Active Drivers Add To NASC
A brother, a contemporary, a rival, a colleague and a friend will all take the stage to induct this year’s Class of 2014 into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Richard Petty, Waddell Wilson, Harry Gant, Humpy Wheeler and Blake Shelton will induct the fifth class – Maurice Petty, Fireball Roberts, Jack Ingram, Tim Flock and Dale Jarrett – on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C. The five legends, who account for 15 NASCAR championships, will also be joined on stage by five current stars, combining for 15 national series championships of their own. Aric Almirola, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart will all take part in the evening’s festivities.
It’s going to be an emotional time, it will be a tough seven or eight minutes to get through with some of the things I have to say.”
As long lasting as they are varied, this year’s inductee-inductor relationships are uniquely special – each with a story all its own…
· Maurice Petty built the engines that propelled his brother Richard to seven NASCAR championships and most of his 200 wins. · Fireball Roberts won the 1963 Southern 500 with an engine built by Waddell Wilson. · Jack Ingram and Harry Gant had a fierce rivalry that helped build the popularity of what is now the NASCAR Nationwide Series. · Tim Flock worked with Humpy Wheeler at Charlotte Motor Speedway for more than 30 years. · After an introduction by former teammate Elliott Sadler nearly a decade ago, Dale Jarrett and country music star Blake Shelton have become close friends.
The Induction Ceremony begins at 7 p.m. ET and will air live on FOX Sports 1, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Tickets start at $45 and are available at www.nascarhall.com/inductees/induction-ceremony and the NASCAR Hall of “I couldn’t have all four of my Fame box office. kids as inductors, and I couldn’t just ask one. I wanted my dad to be able to Jarrett has experience as an enjoy the moment with my mom and the inductor, joining his brother Glenn and rest of my family. So it just kind of sister Patti Makar to induct father Ned opened up the opportunity,” said Jarrett. into the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s second class. “This sport brought a lot of really good things to me. It gave me “That was really a cool place to a chance to be a competitor, an opbe and see the pride on his face, and to portunity to compete at the highest be able to show him how proud we level and win, but it also has allowed were of him,” Jarrett said of inducting me to make some really good friendhis father. “This time will be a little dif- ships and Blake Shelton is one of ferent as I'm the one handing out the those people.” ‘thank-you’s’ and accolades to others.
AR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Star Power
The NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will kick off with a media red carpet entrance in the Great Hall at the NASCAR Hall of Fame at 4:15 p.m. ET. The formal presentations begin during the Induction Dinner, where the inductees will receive their NASCAR Hall of Fame jackets. Chris Economaki will also be honored as the third recipient of the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence. About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™, NASCAR Nationwide Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series, one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) governs the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series.
Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe.
For more information, visit www.nascar.com and follow NASCAR at www.facebook.com/NASCAR and Twitter: @NASCAR. About the NASCAR Hall of Fame Conveniently located in Uptown Charlotte, N.C., the 150,000-square-foot NASCAR Hall of Fame is an interactive, entertainment attraction honoring the history and heritage of NASCAR. The hightech venue, designed to educate and entertain race fans and non-fans alike, opened May 11, 2010, and includes artifacts, hands-on exhibits, a 278-person state-of-the-art theater, Hall of Honor, Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant, NASCAR Hall of Fame Gear Shop and NASCAR Productions-operated broadcast studio. The venue is open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. seven days a week and has an attached parking garage on Brevard Street. The five-acre site also includes a privately developed 19-story office tower and 102,000-squarefoot expansion to the Charlotte Convention Center, highlighted by a 40,000-square-foot ballroom. The NASCAR Hall of Fame is owned by the City of Charlotte, licensed by NASCAR and operated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. www.nascarhall.com
Protect yourself and Family with Knowledge by; Dave MacKENZIE Security Expert
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Everyone should take 5 minutes to read this. It may save your life or a loved one's life. In daylight hours, refresh yourself of these things to do in an emergency situation... This is for you, and for you to share with your wife, your children, & everyone you know. After reading these 9 crucial tips, share them to someone you care about. It never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in. 1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do :The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do! 2. If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you... Chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION! 3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy.. The driver won't see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives. 4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON'T DO THIS!) The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR , LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.. If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE OFF, Repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your Air Bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it. As soon as the car crashes bail out and run. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location. 5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage: A.) Be aware:look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor , and in the back seat. B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars. C.)
Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side.. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.) 6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!) 7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; and even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN, Preferably in a zig -zag pattern! 8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim. 9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird.. The police told her 'Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door..' The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.' He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby.. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night. 10. Water scam! If you wake up in the middle of the night to hear all your taps outside running or what you think is a burst pipe, DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE! These people turn on all your outside taps full blast so that you will go out to investigate and then attack. Stay alert, keep safe, and look out for your neighbors!
I recently stopped by Dabs Repair Ltd in Winnipeg and bumped into the lovely Brittany from Stilletto Trailer Service. She is an up and coming asset to our trucking industry here in Manitoba. She provides a trailer shuttle service here in Winnipeg and within 100 Kms of Winnipeg. Friendly staff and prompt service has made Stilletto a terrific addition for those stressful days we often face in this industry. Maybe we will get her for a shoot in a CTM Edition. Contact Brittany today at 204-999-9069.
The Entertainment Test This is pretty amazing. Mine turned out to be "Raiders of the Lost Ark". I was surprised how this worked. Be honest and don't look at the movie list till you have done the math! Try this test and find out what Entertainment is your favorite. This amazing math quiz can likely predict which you would enjoy the most. Don't ask me how, but it really works!
Movie Test:
Pick a number from 1-9. Multiply by 3. Add 3.
Multiply by 3 again.
Now add the two digits together to find your predicted favorite Entertainment in the list of 18 Entertainments of all time below. Entertainment List:
1. Gone With The Wind 2. E.T. 3. Beverly Hills Cop 4. Star Wars 5. Forrest Gump 6. The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly 7. Jaws 8. Grease 9. Canadian Trucking Magazine 10. Casablanca 11. Jurassic Park 12. Shrek 13. Pirates of the Caribbean 14. Titanic 15. Raiders Of The Lost Ark 16. Home Alone 17. Mrs. Doubtfire 18. Toy Story
Now, ain't that something.....?
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Situational Awareness BY: Kerry Sauvé
If you’ve read any of my blogs in the past or attended any of my Personal Safety and Self Defense courses, then you know I’m a big proponent of Situational Awareness. Situational Awareness can be defined as the perception of environmental elements in relation to time and space, the comprehension of their meaning and the projection of their status after some variable has changed. It is part of a field of study that is concerned with the environment critical to decision making in complex, dynamic systems. When it pertains to your Personal Safety, Situational Awareness involves being aware of what is happening in our vicinity, in order to understand how the situational dynamics, available information and ones actions will impact your safety both now and in the future. Situational Awareness is an important skill set not just for your Personal Safety, but also as a fundamental building block in your overall Personal Security and Self Defense plan.
In order to understand the concept of Situational Awareness and why it plays such a large role in keeping you and your family safe we only need to look at the world around us and see how this mindset is often relegated to the back burner of our brain, rather than up front and center where it will do the most good. Allow me to give you a prime example. Recently I was working downtown teaching Personal Safety and Self Defense courses to one of my clients in the energy field. Since I spend a great deal of time during courses extolling the virtues of Situational Awareness and its ability to drastically reduce our risk of becoming targets for crime and violence. I always like to observe people in and around the areas I’m working in so that I have a frame of reference when for teaching. On this particular occasion I arrived at the corporate offices where the course was scheduled to run early. As I watched people going about their business it became blatantly apparent how out of touch most people were with their surroundings. Since I had lots of time to kill, I decided to engage in a little social experiment to observe people’s reactions to a potential threat in their environment. After I stopped at Starbucks for a coffee, I walked through a large atrium and food court to wait for my course to start. I took my large equipment bag and left it sitting unattended approximately 30 feet from where I was sitting with my coffee to observe the reactions of workers, shoppers and security personnel.
Given many of the problems faced by corporations such as Active Shooter scenarios, bombings and numerous other activities designed to injure or kill as many people as possible you’d think an unattended bag would attract the immediate attention of security, with everyone else quickly leaving the area as soon as possible. I even stood around acting suspicious and filming the whole production on my cell phone. The result of my experiment was nothing happened. The bag was left unattended for 30 minutes and people either ignored it completely or simply detoured around it. Initially I thought that it may be due in part to the fact that the bag was in a low traffic area, so I moved it directly into the middle of a high traffic area with no change to the results. Everyone including the security staff continued to ignore the bag and simply went on with their day. Now you have to understand when I teach courses, I need to drag a lot of equipment with me such as matts, focus mitts, training weapons (knives, guns, and batons), handcuffs, duct tape, ropes and various other implements that should cause eyebrows to be raised when viewed in a corporate environment.
The fact that no one batted an eye at what could have potentially been an improvised explosive devise or the equipment necessary for mass murder left me more than a little shocked and surprised by the lack of awareness of a potential threat by the people in the area. When I relayed the story to the group I was teaching, they initially laughed and thought it was funny; until I started pulling hand guns, knives and handcuffs out of the bag. When I asked the class if they should be concerned that a stranger was able to enter their building with 6 guns, numerous knives and enough restraints to take over their building the smiling stopped. Situational Awareness; at least when it relates to your Personal Safety is more of a mindset than a skill. This means that it is something that can be developed and implemented by anyone, not just military teams and other highly trained groups of warriors. It serves not only to protect us from criminal threats, but also provides us with the ability to recognize and proactively act on threats to our safety and security. In order to develop this mindset we first have to acknowledge that threats to our safety and security exist. Too many people take the head in the sand approach to their Personal Safety and lead with the “It won’t happen to me” philosophy. This type of mentality drastically reduces your ability to react to threats and saying that something won’t happen, is not the same thing as the reality that it might. Secondly we need to take responsibility for our own safety. The police and our laws are there to protect us, but unfortunately all too often they are responding to the aftermath of an incident not preventing its occurrence.
The police cannot be everywhere at once and their resources are limited and far too often stretched thin. When I teach, I’ll often encounter individuals who have been targeted or victimized by criminals and predators. When we talk about the dynamics surrounding the incident, often I find that those individuals have ignored the cues being screamed at them by their intuition, the environment and by the situational dynamics. Learning to trust your gut feelings is often the best pre-incident indicator that bad things are coming our way and one of the most often ignored by those who would benefit from its wisdom. This is where it becomes difficult for many people. Understanding that we should trust our instincts and putting it into practice are often two different things. It requires a diligent, concentrated effort to be aware of and take heed of what our instincts are telling us, especially as we go about our busy days. Our lives are rife with distractions, worries, needs, and the laundry list of tasks we must complete as we make our way through life. Our minds cycle through different states of awareness based on our environment, perceived threat levels and the information that is available at the time. Knowing which states we occupy on a regular basis will provide you with the information needed to begin developing a Personal Safety mindset.
The first state is being on “Autopilot.” This is a common state of awareness that we all find ourselves in when we’re in environments where we are comfortable and able to function semi-effectively on autopilot. Think of driving in your car. How many times have you arrived at your destination only to realize you have no conscious recollection of having driven there, or if you stopped at any traffic lights etc. If you’re like most of us you’ve been in the zone many times in your day to day life, both inside and outside of the office. The second state is a relaxed state of awareness called “Normal.” This is how most of us navigate the reefs and shoals of our daily lives. We are relaxed, but still aware of what is going on around us and able to respond if a potential threat presents itself (a car swerving into your lane or a child darting into the street). This type of awareness is not taxing on our conscious or sub-conscious and we are able to maintain it for extended periods of time without a noticeable change in performance or attention. The third is “Focal Awareness.” Focal awareness requires an enhanced degree of concentration such as when I arrive on a Unit in the prison where I work and need to deal with a problematic inmate. When I’m engaged in this type of activity, my entire focus is on the individual, the environment and on the dynamics and factors that will influence my ability to accomplish my goal of keeping everyone safe while the issue is resolved. Fourth is “Enhanced Awareness.” You know when you’re going into an Enhanced awareness situation as it’s generally accompanied by the Adrenal Stress Response.
This is where the inmate I’m removing from the Unit suddenly stops following my directions and turns towards me in an aggressive manner. There is a certain amount of fear that often accompanies this state of awareness, but proper training and conditioning allows you to continue to function with a high degree of skill to mitigate the threat. The last state is “Fixated Awareness.” This state is also known as Condition Black This is the deer in the headlights freeze response that occurs when we are not confident that we have the skills, training, or ability to confront the threat. Condition Black can also occur when the threat being faced is unfamiliar and our reaction times limited. Condition Black is part of the Adrenal Stress response and directly related to your heart rate. By the time our hearts are at over 145 bpm most of our ability to think and function tactically has ceased to exist if we haven’t trained specifically for the type of threat(s) we are facing. In these times our primary senses are severely compromised and our fine motor skills are nonexistent. Combined with fear, potential injury and any other variables that can affect survivability and you’ve got a potential disaster in the making. It’s important to note that we can’t maintain Focal Awareness or Enhanced Awareness for long periods of time as it places a great amount of stress on our body and taxes the entire system eventually leading to a breakdown of our abil-
ity to understand the difference between what we perceive as a threat from the real threats to our health and safety. It’s imperative to understand that hyper-vigilance is not desirable and in many cases places us at just as great a risk as having no Situational Awareness at all. I see this a lot with many of the military clients I work with and is able to be maintained for only short durations before mental and physical exhaustion kicks in. The Adrenal Stress response is a vital adaptation to surviving dangerous situations, but it cannot be maintained indefinitely. For this reason, for the vast majority of our lives we should strive to maintain normal states of awareness when we are going about our daily lives and activities. This mental state is easy for us to maintain for long periods of time and provides us with all of the environmental cues and clues we need to either ramp up our Situational Awareness or prepare to meet and neutralize any potential threats. We can improve our Situational Awareness through training and education. Paying close attention to potential threats and hazards in our environment and mentally running through the response options available is an excellent way to start improving your Situational Awareness and also is vital in the second portion of the Personal Safety Triangle “Target Hardening.” Paying close attention to the potential threats in our environment goes a long way towards eliminating many unacceptable risks to your safety and reducing the impact of many that we can’t eliminate. Good Situational Awareness can reduce your chances of being targeted for crime or violence by up to 75%, add proper instruction into Personal Safety and Self Defense into the mix and your chances of surviving a violent incident increases up to 90%.
Kerry Sauvé http://www.streetsensesafety.ca
Dave MacKENZIE with Marc Springer ~ of Snortn’ Boar Transport
time and learned a lot about hockey and life. I played with many great hockey players and this is where I developed my competitive nature that I use everyday in my trucking business. Trucking is something I tried out, found out I had diesel in my blood and fell in love with everything about it.
In this article, Dave MacKENZIE, Celebrity Publisher Editor of Canadian Trucking Magazine, a silver back driver with over 40 years of commercial driving, and one of North America's top advocate for transportation professionals, talks to Marc Springer of Snort n’ Boar Transport from Seattle, Washington on getting serious about Fuel Savings.
Dave: Marc, before we get into this month's topic on how people can save money on fuel, what do you do when you're not on the show? Marc: When I'm not on on the show, I'm still hauling. If you check my uShip profile, you'll see that I haul loads for customers all over the U.S. and Canada. The truck you see on TV is the same truck I've been using to haul everything from scrap metal to construction equipment. You've heard the says and it's true, "if you got it, a truck brought it".
Dave: What got you into trucking? Marc: I've done a lot of interesting things before I got into the trucking business. Believe it or not, when I was a kid, I dreamed of joining the National Hockey League. I moved up to a small hockey town in Manitoba -- Dauphin -- to improve my hockey skills. I had a great
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Dave: Can you share some of your best tips for people looking into becoming an owner operator? Marc: Sure, first of all, get some help right up front or be ready to make some very expensive mistakes. Learning on the road is an expensive way to go, just ask Jarrett. Get your authorities, or even better, run under someone else’s authority to get started. You'll need to make sure you have access to some start up cash and buy the right equipment up front. In the long run, the right equipment will help you make more money -- not cost you money. Speaking of money, watch your costs like a hawk. Fundamentals of the trucking business are very simple, to make a profit, spend less per mile than you get paid per mile. Also, being knowledgeable about products that help you burn less fuel is key. Adding high quality additives to your engine & fuel systems ensures that your iron runs better for longer.
Dave: From the cover of this month's issue, I can see that you're reaching out to our readers with ways to save money on fuel. Marc: It doesn't take long for an owner operator to realize that painful chunk of their income gets burnt up the stacks. Over the years, I've tried and used different additives, but found that many of them don't live up to my expectations or even worse, can even damage your iron. I use a diesel additive called Xp3. Xp3 has exceeded my expectations in it's per-
formance and everything else it does for my Kenworth. My belief is that fuel additives should not only save you money on fuel, but also bring down maintenance costs and reduce down time over the long run.
Dave : Can you tell us more about Xp3? Marc: Yes, Xp3 is one of those products you can confidently tell your readers about and they will come back to you with positive results. Every professional trucker today should be using some form of fuel additive, and if they're not, they are putting their business at risk. Basically, if you take care of your equipment, it will take care of you. That sounds like a cliche, but it isn't. Let me give you an example; I do a lot of trucking up north and have to deal with a lot of changing weather conditions and cold weather. I don't trust just anyone to treat my diesel, so I do it myself to make sure it's done right.
Dave: Why is it so important to use a fuel additive in your diesel? Marc: Because today's diesel is mandated to have very low sulphur levels. In the past, our the fuel system's lubricity used to come from sulphur. Because of new emission standards and to reduce pollution, sulphur has been removed from our diesel fuels. This is why it's so important to add lubricity in your diesel with a reputable fuel additive. It will ensure proper and efficient operation of your engine, give you more power and save you money on fuel and maintenance. Dave: How much does Xp3 cost to treat your diesel?
Marc: I don't think of a fuel additive as a cost, I think of it as a money maker, because for every dollar of Xp3 I use, I get back about three dollars in fuel savings. Xp3 costs about 2 to 4 cents per litre to treat your diesel, which is about 8 to 14 cents per gallon. When I'm getting the extra miles out of my tank, it makes a real difference to my bottom line, especially on a tight job. Plus, Xp3 gives me that extra piece of mind against a possible batch of bad diesel fuel. Dave: With so many products and choices out there, how do you decide which ones to use? Marc: Getting access to the latest and greatest technology is a bit easier for me than most people. Since being on the show, I see all kinds of products out there, but I do my own research and testing before putting my recommendation on any specific products. For me, Xp3 is a no brainer. I also run a tuner on my Kenworth to get the most power out of my engine. Between the tuner and the Xp3, I get the best of both worlds, maximum power and maximum fuel economy. I also use solar panels to keep the battery on my trailer's pony motor fully
charged and use CounterAct balancing beads in all my tires to extend their life.
Dave: In closing, what would you recommend for non-diesel engines as an additive? Marc: Xp3 also has a gas formulation that I personally use in all my other toys. To get the best performance out of my jeep, motorcycles, boats, trucks and anything I run that burns fuel, I put Xp3 in the tank. For me, Xp3 has lived up to my expectations and I recommend your readers to try it first hand for themselves.
Dave: Thank you for your advice Marc. I'm looking forward to more of your tips in future interviews together.
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Have your heart checked at the Husky Truck Stop in Headingly Manitoba
Marc Palud of BetterTrucker.com gives a Cardio Screen a try at the Husky Truck Stop in Headingly. Marc & Dave met and spoke to Guy at the Headingly Truck Stop. Both Dave & Marc gave it a try which means they just put it on a finger and received a print out. Worth the money just to see where you stand.
Fast and simple and just a few dollars! If you are going through Winterpeg and have a minute to stop at the Dog and check it out. Anything you do to prevent a health issue before it gets worse is worth it. Guy has great tips too!
It’s true! Now professional drivers, while taking a break, can benefit from new, pain free technology that measures the age of their arteries in a few minutes. My name is Guy Sinclaire and I am a certified technician for the digital pulse analyzer device. I look forward to screening your cardiovascular system when you are next at the Husky Truck Stop. You may be aware of the Truckers Healing Stop (www.truckershealingstop.com) in southern Indiana and I offer truckers a similar service in the Winnipeg area. It is my mission to create awareness about cardiovascular disease which is the most preventable disease, yet is the #1 silent killer of Canadians. Truckers are particularly vulnerable to cardiovascular disease because of long periods of inactivity sitting behind the wheel of their truck. I can inform truckers about cardiovascular disease and together with a screening of their arteries and a detailed report, we can keep them safely on the road and feeling on top of their game. The whole screening process and report discussion takes about 15 minutes and costs just $45.00. Pulsewave analysis has been around for 130 years as an indicator of cardiovascular health, but only recently has become digital as a result of today’s technology. What is pulsewave analysis? Each time your heart beats, it creates a pulsewave down the linings of your arteries to your fingers and toes and then travels back to your heart. This is what we measure and we will immediately produce a report for you. The screening is non-invasive, meaning no needles, no blood and no pain.
The comprehensive screening literally shows how a person’s lifestyle has impacted (good or bad) their arteries! The analysis of the DPA print out is a very dependable indicator of cardiovascular risk with a 99.7% accuracy rate. I believe that because heart disease is the number one killer of North Americans today, early detection is paramount. Most people don’t know that heart disease can be reversible and so if the results are not positive there are natural options a trucker can take. A re-screening is recommended after 3 months to see what impact the natural options are having. The screening will indicate if your medications and supplements are doing what they are supposed to do? The major culprit of most heart diseases and other cardiovascular diseases is the slow, silent and steady build-up of fatty plaque deposits within your arteries which carry oxygen-rich blood to your heart, brain and limbs. When one of these vessels narrows and blood flow is reduced, a heart attack or stroke can occur at any moment and often with no prior warning. How often have you heard, “he dropped dead of a heart attack?” Sadly, the first symptom of heart disease can be death! Invest a few minutes of your time and a small cost so that I can screen your cardiovascular system to determine the state of arteries.
If you are heading my way, please call to arrange a screening.
Guy Sinclaire Certified DPA Technician 204-296-9497
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