Over the Road June 2023

Why DRIVE YOUR CAREER!

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Peter Charboneau peter@otrgroup.ca Director of Operations & Editor-in-Chief

Cathryn Charboneau cathryn@otrgroup.ca

Account Executive Luke Zentil luke@otrgroup.ca

Account Executive

Earle Madden earle@otrgroup.ca

Graphic Design & Advertising lennykuiper.com lennykuiper@gmail.com

Controller Estela Navarrete estela@otrgroup.ca

Office Manager Mary Charboneau mary@otrgroup.ca

All advertisements, and/or editorials are accepted and published by Over the Road on the representation that the advertiser, its advertising company, and/or the supplier of the editorials are authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. The advertiser, its advertising company, and/or the supplier of the editorials will defend, indemnify and hold Over the Road harmless from and against any loss, expense or other liability resulting from any claims or suits for libel, violation of privacy, plagiarism, copyright or trademark infringement and any other claims or suits that may rise out of publication of such advertisement and/ or editorials. Press releases are expressly covered within the definition of editorials.

Keep Your Company Moving With Online Training

During this time of crisis, we need to ensure two things continue to happen:

● Continued transportation of vital goods and necessary food items.

● Open communication with drivers, dispatchers, and other employees.

COMPLIMENTARY TRIAL ACCESS WITH ONLINE TRAINING

We are offering 30-day complimentary access to our system to assist companies in maintaining driver safety training, including tracking and reporting. The Coronavirus pandemic has proven the critical need to Limit face-to-face interaction between employees. But how can your company encourage remote work and still bring on new drivers safely and effectively? How can you keep your drivers up to speed on safety content that would traditionally be covered in safety meetings?

Remote online training allows you to do both:

● Ensures participation and comprehension

● Consistently delivers important elements of your orientation

● Quickly gets your trucks moving safely

● Saves time, resources and money

● Simple to implement quickly and with very little effort on your part

There are no shortcuts when it comes to consistency and quality Infinit-I Workforce Solutions offers a communication and learning management system that allows you to simplify orientation through remote, online training. Spread Coronavirus awareness by distributing messages and policies from your company to your entire fleet.

to increase the Take advantage of our 30-day Complimentary Trial efficiency of your orientation. Keep your company moving!

For additional Coronavirus resources for Trucking & Logistics, visit https://www.infinitiworkforce.com/ppc/comp-access-cn-2/

www.infinitiworkforce.com

“Amazing support staff.”

Robert D. Scheper

Learn to be a Better Operator

I was interviewing a new client the other day and asked him what was his fuel costs per mile? He did not know. Since he was an owner-operator (running percentage) I asked him how he determined if any freight was a good enough rate to take? He just looked at me and shrugged his shoulders… a little embarrassed. He then sheepishly asked how to do that? Well, at least he asked.

Tracking costs as an operator is critical to all your success. I am not aware of one high-quality operator that can’t tell within two fuel-ups if his truck is performing “normally”. All quality operators know their running costs. However, most operators are neither “high quality” nor “low quality”. Too many operators track their fuel costs by a “gut feeling” or “intuitive guessing”. They have a mental image of what the approximate distance is that they believe a tank should take them… if it meets their estimate, they are satisfied and question nothing further. If they don’t… they may run some calculations, either roughly or exactly depending on how “off” their estimate was. Though this practice is better than nothing, it fails to contribute meaningful information to valued future choices and decisions. When rates are so low and sporadic, knowing

your future costs may be the difference between survival and failure.

Fuel costs contain two variables: consumption and price. The biggest impact on cost (both positive and negative) is consumption. The operator has more control over his running costs with aggressive consumption management than with aggressive price management. It’s almost always a matter of the foot, not the head.

Hauling heavy through the mountains in winter with winter fuel (of course) will give an operator a certain fuel cost per mile. Hauling that same load in summer may provide a very different result. Operators MUST know what their approximate costs will be BEFORE accepting a load. If the numbers are calculated AFTER the load… it’s too late. Your losses are locked in. There are nearly infinite variations or combinations of experiences that need documentation.

Hauling something with high wind resistance through the prairies or from Windsor to Fort Lauderdale, FL. will produce a certain result that needs to be remembered when deciding to accept a similar load for a particular rate. Hauling empty will produce a specific

cost per mile… it must be calculated into the choice of whether to stay put or travel empty, or more importantly, whether to accept that load that got you to the freight desert in the first place. To calculate if your freight pays well enough you must consider the entire loop you’re considering, not just the rate you’re getting on the first leg. Whenever an operator doesn’t know the rate for the back haul(s) they are totally at the mercy of the carrier, the carrier’s customer base and reputation. It’s the business situation of white-hot liquid TRUST… will they get you back home with a profit?

If a truck is replaced, much or most of the research must be entirely redone. It generally takes two years for the average operator to gain a clear understanding of how the equipment (truck) performs. It depends on the many variations and combinations of freight hauled, environment and topography to develop a comprehensive fuel consumption schematic. The calculations should never end. The more data you accumulate, the better the choices that can be made. Operators NEED to KNOW how well or unwell their truck is performing in consumption.

Fuel prices, as stated, produce a minor effect on running costs. That’s not to say prices don’t affect profitability or costs, of course, they do. However, on a trip from Windsor to Fort Lauderdale, choosing locations to fuel, saving (or overpaying) 20-50+ cents per gallon doesn’t impact the bottom line as much as how heavy

your foot pushes on the accelerator, how often you stop and restart your travelling, how heavy your freight is, how fast you go or how much wind resistance occurs. Consumption will nearly always trump price shopping. But just because it’s of less impact doesn’t mean a good operator isn’t aware of the value of price planning your trip. Those who thrive know, the survivors learn and those who are too busy become insolvent.

Whether the operator has a fancy spreadsheet or a little blue booklet, it doesn’t matter that much… knowledge and understanding are knowledge and understanding. A good operator knows their costs to within 10% of any situation. If you don’t know… then just become a better operator… learn.

About the Author:

Robert D. Scheper is a leading Accountant and Consultant exclusively serving the Lease/ Owner operator industry in Canada. His first book in the Making Your Miles Count series “taxes, taxes, taxes” was released in 2007. His second book “Choosing a Trucking company” is the most in-depth analysis of the independent operator industry today. He has a Master’s degree (MBA) in financial management and has been serving the industry since he and his wife came off the road in 1993. His dedication, commitment and strong opinions can be read and heard in many articles and seminars. You can find him at www.makingyourmilescount.com or 1-877-987-9787.

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Chris Harris

You Just Had a Crash. Now What?

I know that your safety department may have told you things like, “Don’t talk to the media” or perhaps they also said, “Protect the scene”, and likely, “Take pictures, lots of pictures”.

These previous statements are all true. But what do they really mean?

Protect the scene means to make the area safe so that you or the vehicles involved in the crash are not struck by another vehicle. Right after you have turned off your truck, this is the very next step after an incident. Now that you have placed your triangles correctly and protected the scene, before you call 911 or your company, survey the scene. You are about to be asked many questions. Some of which are: number of injuries or fatalities, number of vehicles involved and your location. Gather this information and then follow your company policy. It may be different than what I outline here.

Call 911 and report the crash. Call your company and report the crash and if necessary, call your insurance company.

Who you call first is likely company policy. But Call! Everyone that you call will be asking you if you are okay, then they are going to ask about others, the people, and any other vehicles.

Next “don’t talk to the media”. Now, if you can’t talk to the media, can you talk to anyone? And what can you say?

First, you should know your company’s policy on this. Many companies have a policy that you speak only to the investigating officer, and you give them the information needed to complete their documentation. This includes your name, company name and company insurance information.

Please notice, I did not say to make a statement as to what happened. Drivers at the scene of the crash are most often very upset. This is an event that either has never happened to you or happens so infrequently to you that you forget the last collision. Therefore, this is a reminder that you don’t have to give a statement, and for many companies, it is against policy to give a statement.

The company knows that you are upset. They also know that you want to tell your side of the story, especially if you believe the crash was not your fault. But many companies tell you not to say a word. They believe that it is better to let the officer investigate the crash and have the evidence speak for itself. Whatever you say may be used in the courts by the prosecuting attorney and perhaps used against you. It is very necessary to know your company policy and what you should do after a crash. You may speak to your insurance company’s investigator. They are on your side working for you and your company.

Lastly, take pictures. Yes, do take pictures, but pictures of what?

Pictures of the location. For example, if the accident occurs at an intersection, take pictures from the direction that you were travelling. Take several from different distances. Then do the same from the opposite direction. Then take pictures from the direction that the other vehicle(s) were travelling. Again, from several distances. And then again from the opposite direction.

Make sure that you include in your photos, if possible, items that will likely still be at the accident scene years from now, such as a building, or tree. Also, include any obstructions to your vision or to the other vehicle operator’s vision.

There may be a large bush blocking someone’s vision.

So yes, take pictures and lots of them. Include the damage to the vehicles and take a picture of all four sides of a vehicle. Take pictures of the licence plates of the vehicles involved and even undamaged units. And speaking of undamaged units, you may consider taking pictures of them as well on all four sides. This shows that they truly did not have any damage.

There you have it… what to do at the scene of the crash. Protect the scene, don’t speak to the media, and take pictures.

As soon as you are released from the scene, you should legally park your truck and start making your notes if you have not already done so. Every truck should have an accident package in it. Use this to jog your memory and make good notes. You don’t know what may happen in two years. You may be sued, and you will be glad that you made great notes.

Chris Harris

Top Dawg, Safety Dawg Inc. 905-973-7056

chris@safetydawg.com

@safety_dawg (twitter)

Networking. Support. Empowerment.

Ellen Voie

The Story of Clare; the Truck Driver Doll and a Series of Coincidences

The Women In Trucking Association was searching for ways to reach the next generation to introduce them to careers in transportation. The idea of a doll was considered, and we reached out to Mattel to see if we could get a truck driver Barbie doll.

Since the original 1959 Barbie, Mattel has given her over 250 careers and has given her many body types, skin tones and disabilities. Barbie’s many careers include a veterinarian, a doctor and even a gymnast and a ballerina. However, Mattel wasn’t interested in expanding their doll line to include a role in the trucking industry.

One evening, while sitting in the Sky Club lounge in the Minneapolis airport, I began chatting with a woman sitting near me. I commented on her shoes, as they were stylish, but looked comfortable. She responded by telling me she spent a lot of time on her feet while attending trade shows. This conversation initiated the first coincidence.

As I am a frequent trade show exhibitor, I asked her what type of events she attended, and her response surprised me. “I’m the president of a toy manufacturer,” she said. That’s all it took for me to pursue a truck driver doll and the deal was sealed within minutes. We created Clare, the truck driver doll with HABA toys.

We were able to choose her clothing (jeans and jacket with a white t-shirt and a ball cap over her long blond hair) and to include our logos

and the “I Heart Trucking,” slogan on her shirt. We ordered 3,000 dolls! The packaging box told the story of her training at the National Transportation Center, our partner in the project.

Why was she called Clare? It was my personal connection that spanned five generations. My great-grandmother’s name was Clara, so my middle name is Clare in her honour. My granddaughter was given my middle name as well, so we decided to give the doll the name Clare to keep the momentum!

The dolls were a hit, and many Girl Scout Troops ordered them for their events that they held for the girls to earn a patch in supply chain management. An accompanying activity book called “Scouting for Cookies” was published to add to the curriculum.

A Facebook page was created to allow drivers to post photos of Clare during their travels. “Where’s Clare” was the slogan to follow Clare as she delivered her loads, did her pre-trip inspection, and even visited the truck stop. Drivers bought clothing for her and included her on their family vacations.

Clare accompanied me to events and had her photo taken with the FMCSA Administrator, Legislators, and even the Secretary of Transportation, Elaine Chao. Parents bought her as gifts for their children and grandchildren, and companies gave them away as gifts and promotional items. The Pennsylvania Motor

Trucking Association gave away dolls when a member could identify where her photo was taken within the state.

The original goal was to start the series with a truck driver doll and then expand to other occupations and include more ethnicities. A Hispanic diesel technician and an African American safety director were on the list. However, the doll began and ended with Clare, as the minimum order of 3,000 took years to sell and the warehousing and shipping became costly. I stored the pallets of dolls in my shed and as they shipped out, I put the UPS label on them and sent them on their way.

This is where the story ends with one more coincidence. My UPS driver has been picking up cases of dolls for the past few years. He knew what was in the boxes, but he didn’t know the story of Clare.

As we were shipping out the last few cases, it occurred to me to show him the doll. I asked him if he had a granddaughter. He smiled and told me his daughter had recently had a baby girl, his first grandchild. I handed him a box and told him to give the doll to his new granddaughter.

When he saw the doll, he abruptly stopped as he read the name on the box. We both were truly shocked at this coincidence. He told me his new granddaughter’s name is… Clare. Yes, even the spelling was the same.

My UPS driver gave his new grandbaby her very first doll, one that shares her name! Maybe it’s a sign and she’ll be a truck driver someday! It might be one more coincidence.

Ellen Voie

President/CEO/Founder of Women In Trucking, Inc.

ellen@womenintrucking.org

www.womenintrucking.org

Mission: Women In Trucking was 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.

UPS driver, Tim, with Clare the Truck Driver Doll