PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
Proudly
PM #40033055
March 2018
MARCH 2018
Rig of The Month Featuring Allison Roff Starting on page 16 to AdvERtisE CAll 1-800-331-8127 oR EMAil toRi@PtMAG.CA
PAGE 1
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
AT B&W INSURANCE, TRUCKING IS OUR SPECIALTY. FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN A LEADER IN THE TRANSPORTATION INSURANCE INDUSTRY. Our dedicated transportation division ensures each client’s portfolio encompasses tailor-made coverages; from private auto, cargo and pollution to D&O, bonding and warehousing. Our unique relationships with major transportation insurers, allows us to negotiate enhanced coverages at the most competitive rates available. Our in-house claims manager follows every claim along to a successful conclusion and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you have any questions concerning a competitive quote on your transportation insurance, or would like to set up a fleet or prorate account, please contact our Commercial Division and speak with one of our transportation specialists.
1-866-866-9780
Commercial Office LANGLEY 201-5735 – 203rd Street
ICBC & Prorate Office LANGLEY 19825 Fraser Highway
604-449-3339 ABBOTSFORD
DELTA
SURREY
CLOVERDALE
#4-2054 Whatcom Rd.
#108-8434 120th St.
16007 Fraser Hwy.
306-18690 Fraser Hwy.
604-853-0077
PAGE 2
604-530-9993
604-591-7891
604-597-6555
www.bwinsurance.com
604-575-8454
Find our magazine archives at www.Pro-truckermagazine.Com
MARCH 2018
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
From the Editor’s desk... By John White VOLUME 20, ISSUE 02 OF 11
PUBLISHER/EDITOR John White john@ptmag.ca PRODUCTION/CIRCULATION Tori Proudley tori@ptmag.ca ADMINISTRATION Donna White donna@ptmag.ca ADVERTISING/MARKETING John White john@ptmag.ca Tori Proudley tori@ptmag.ca CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dave Madill • Scott Casey Greg Evasiuk • Mel McConaghy Ed Murdoch • Colin Black • Cyn Tobin Bill Weatherstone • Lane Kranenburg PHOTOGRAPHY Ben Proudley • Brad Demelo David Benjatschek wowtrucks.com HEAD OFFICE Ph: 604-580-2092 Toll Free / Fax: 1-800-331-8127 Published eleven times a year by Pro-Trucker Magazine Inc., The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without prior written consent of the publisher. The advertiser agrees to protect the publisher against legal action based upon libelous or inaccurate statements; the unauthorized use of materials or photographs; and/or any other errors or omissions in connection with advertisements placed in Pro-Trucker Magazine. The publisher can and will refuse any advertising which in his opinion is misleading or in poor taste. The publisher does not endorse or make claim or guarantee the validity or accuracy of any advertisement herein contained. All materials submitted for publication are subject to editing at the publisher’s discretion. The act of mailing or e-mailing material shall be considered an expressed warranty by the contributor that the material is original and in no way an infringement on the rights of others.
PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT #40033055 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. 9693 129th Street. SURREY, B.C. V3T 3G3 Email: tori@ptmag.ca
Climate Change I get emails or calls from people telling me how bad their weather is and they often end with a comment like, “and they talk about Climate Change.” I can sympathise with the thought. February 10th and 12th I was out doing batting practice with my ball team thinking, that the warm weather had arrived as it often does in February here on the west coast. One year I even went golfing on New Year’s Day. (I call it golfing but more often than not groups following me have other opinions.) But I digress. Overnight, on February 13th, it did an abrupt change and over the last 10 days it has barely come above freezing. It has also been snowing lightly every other day and tonight it is supposed to dump a load on us. Now before my phone starts ringing off the hook, let me explain Climate Change as I understand it. (for our younger readers “ringing off the hook” comes from the “olden days” - before cell phones - when you could not carry your phone around with you) Back to Climate Change. What scientists refer to when talking about Climate change has nothing to do with local weather. Last winter and right through spring, here at the coast, was one of the coldest and the snow stayed much longer, than I can remember - and I was born and raised here. What Climate change refers to is the average yearly temperature for the whole planet. Our local weather of course does go into that equation but it is the average yearly temperature of the planet that they refer to. The real question is whether or how much man is contributing to Climate Change and, contrary to popular belief, I’m not dumb enough to go near that one because of my afore mentioned, “ringing off the hook” reasoning. The on-going debate about the pros and cons of E-logs seems to be just as divided among drivers as Climate Change. Ed Murdoch has some good comments on the ease of use and convenience of ELDs in his column on page 28 and Greg Evasiuk also has some, as well as some very good comments on the root of the subject, Hours of Service, in his column on page 26. On page 11 Scott Casey makes a very good case against both our current and our last Prime Minister on a topic close to my heart - the refusal of our government to care for our injured and or broken veterans when they return home. On another note, this year Pro-Trucker will once again be hosting a Truck Display at Truxpo in Abbotsford May 11-12. Please register your truck early as there is limited space and we may not be able to accommodate you if you show up unannounced. Concerning the Alberta Big Rig Weekend at Blackjacks Roadhouse in Nisku, July 7th and 8th, we have had some great comments from drivers. Some interesting competitions have been suggested as well as comments of the general direction of the show. As always all suggestions are welcome and will be considered so please call me at 604-581-7773 or email me at john@ptmag.ca Until then – be safe out there.
CARGO INSURANCE PROGRAM Western Canada’s Cargo Insurance Center “Just a call away to SAVE on your Cargo Insurance”
1-866-866-9780
“Excellence Through Service”
Commercial Branch LANGLEY 19825 Fraser Highway 604-530-9993 MARCH 2018
By combining the coverages for our smaller fleets and singletons into one program, we are able to offer superior coverage at the same discounted level our larger fleets enjoy. Many have even saved up to 50% www.bwinsurance.com JULIE Zazula, Marketing Manager 604-530-9993
to AdvERtisE CAll 1-800-331-8127 oR EMAil toRi@PtMAG.CA
PAGE 3
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
accept the challenge Siemens Transportation Group Inc.
Hiring Company Drivers and Owner Operators for our Open Dispatch Fleet We Offer an Upgraded Fleet, Achievable Safety Bonus, Top Miles and Great Pay! We have the freight to keep you moving Contact us at driver.recruitment@edgetransport.com or 1.888.878.9585
PAGE 4
Find ouR MAGAzinE ARCHivEs At www.PRo-tRuCkERMAGAzinE.CoM
MARCH 2018
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
LETTERS to the EDITOR
e Whit John zine
aga ker M c u r T Proite
John Wh Magazine Pro-Trucker
Hello John, Landon is just like his Papa, he’s got trucking in his blood. Ever since his Papa retired he doesn’t get to go trucking anymore so his next best thing about trucking is the Pro-Trucker magazine. He loves it when Papa reads it to him and he knows all the trucks by name but his favorite is Kenworth. He can’t wait to see all the trucks at Truxpo this year. Tawnya Block Abbotsford, BC Editor’s note: Thank you Tawnya we look forward to seeing you, Truk R Trev and Landon at Truxpo. Our booth will be at the south east corner again just inside the door from the truck display. I spoke with Trev and he said he may bring a truck out to put on display. Please let me know early if he will as there is limited space. Trevor Block, AKA Truk R Trev, was our June 2017 Rig of the Month. He retired from trucking in August 2017
and is currently rebuilding a 1973 Cab Over and hopes bring it to future truck shows. He also plans to buy a 5th wheel trailer and do some traveling - a typical trucker’s retirement. It would be great if in a few years we can run a story of Landon cruisin’ down the highway in his driver assisted truck.
Employment Opportunities!! Truck Dismantlers • Mechanics • Parts Sales Full Time Hours 8:30AM-5PM Monday-Friday Extended Medical & Dental Benifits After 3 Months
Please Email Resumes to: chloe@99truckparts.com
“Parts hard to find? We’ll find them for you.” Your New & Used Specialists For All Makes (1Ton & Up) Exchange Rebuilt Transmissions Exchange Rebuilt Differentials New & Used Parts Lighting & Accessories • Bearings • Seals• Clutches Full Service Shop
Phone: 604-580-1677 • Toll Free: 1-800-663-6460
12905 – King George Blvd. Surrey, B.C. • Email: parts@99truckparts.com MARCH 2018
to AdvERtisE CAll 1-800-331-8127 oR EMAil toRi@PtMAG.CA
PAGE 5
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
For more information and to secure your space at this premier event, please contact: Mark Cusack, National Show Manager mcusack@mpltd.ca Toll Free: 1.888.454.7469
Stay tuned to www.TRUXPO.com and Facebook for updates on Features!
Don’t miss your chance to get in front of a targeted audience from the trucking, logistics and warehousing sectors.
www.TRUXPO.com PAGE 6
Find our magazine archives at www.Pro-truckermagazine.Com
MARCH 2018
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
Dear John: Hope all is well with you. I was your Rig of the Month in March of 2012 and I was wondering if I can nominate someone for Rig of the Month in an upcoming edition. She is a female driver and driver instructor who has hauled flat decks all over Canada. She is very accomplished and has oodles of miles behind her. I have often thought that it must be hard being a women in a male dominated work force but she is more than capable and better than a lot of drivers at doing her job. Blair Candy – Abbotsford, BC
To our readers, If you would like to nominate a driver for our Rig of the Month just send us their contact information and a bit about them. We do not look for “super truckers” as in our opinion most of you are just that.
Hello John, I was just reading “Blizzard” by Dave Madill in the February issue and I have to ask if real truck stops are a thing of the past? Last evening I came off the Rogers Pass and went on through Revelstoke to Sicamous and it was brutal. A really Editor’s note: Thank you Blair – you can read Allison’s story bad truck accident had caused a delay. What I’m getting at is, there are no truck stops for a driver to seek refuge out of a starting on page 16.
Hiring Now
Experienced Owner Operators for Flat Deck division Long Haul or Short Haul available Sign On Bonus • No Start up Fees Competitive Rates Plus Benefits Revenue Split – up to 85% available
To learn more call Larry Mac Neil 604-888-2928 or 604-315-1234 www.shadow-group.com MARCH 2018
to AdvERtisE CAll 1-800-331-8127 oR EMAil toRi@PtMAG.CA
PAGE 7
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
storm. You must push on tired, scared, stressed because there is nowhere to pull over and wait it out. I lay the blame for these accidents squarely on the shoulders of the B.C. government. Yes there are a lot of inexperienced drivers out here. I was inexperienced at one time too - 45 years ago – yet the roads out here still get me stressed. But at least back then there was always a place to pull over if you needed to. Now, what is left of the few truck stops that do exist, are being used as switch yards for big carriers. These drivers don’t even seem to patronize the truck stop so many of them don’t stay open past 9pm. I would like to propose a truck stop chain owned and operated by retired truckers for Truckers, because truckers know what truckers need. There was a time, when truck stops filled that need. On a cold blizzardy night, you would keep your eyes peeled for a bright light and when you saw one, you knew you had found a safe haven. Not anymore. Most of them don’t even want your business – even the big ones. They definitely don’t cater to the driver like they used to. A cup of coffee costs almost 3 bucks at any place a driver can get close to. It’s no wonder older drivers are getting out of the trucking business and younger people have no interest in driving because of the way we are treated now. I still like the work but the life style is akin to that of a homeless person and you don’t get treated much better. These are just the mindless wondering of an old Trucker
and your magazine is the only place I can let em out. Keep up the good work. Chuck Labrenz, Dinosaur Trucker, Clairesholm, Alberta. Editor’s note: You can send us your thoughts anytime Chuck, that is what we are here for. We used to have, “The voice of Western Canadian Truckers” on our cover – I’m not sure when we stopped that. Many things have changed over the years that have negatively affected truck stops. Hours of service no longer allow a driver to pull over any time they want, or need to, so many of the mom and pop truck stops have been forced out of business. Greg Evasiuk has some very good comments on his real life experiences with hours of service on page 26. Switch stops have also made a big difference where now drivers are often forced to turn and burn back home in one day because weather or traffic often leaves them very little time to get back before they run out of hours. *****
Test
When students took the entrance exam for medical school, they were perplexed by this test: “Rearrange the letters, “P-NE-S-I” to spell out the part of the human body that is most useful when erect.” Those who spelled “SPINE” became doctors. The rest are in parliament.
Hiring Single FAST/CDRP Operators to Run BC to CA for New Contract Also Hiring US Teams and CANADA Domestic Team Operators
$1,500 Sign On Bonus!
Call Tylor or Dave at 604-525-9418 or email: YVRops@sptrucklines.com www.sptrucklines.com PAGE 8
Find our magazine archives at www.Pro-truckermagazine.Com
MARCH 2018
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
MARCH 2018
To advertise call 1-800-331-8127 or email tori@ptmag.ca
PAGE 9
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
The Last Mile
John, The trucking industry just lost Dave Cummings, a true ambassador, after a battle with cancer. Those of us who were fortunate enough to have had him in our lives have lost a great man. Dave loved his family, trucks and cars. He was truly an ol’ school man with traditional values. He loved to talk and listen to people’s stories. Everyone with a 2-way radio in southeast BC knew Dave. He kept many of us awake talking in the early morning hours. He was a veteran skinner with a wealth of trucking knowledge and most of us looked up to and learned from him. For me he was my best friend and big brother. His gentle kindness and unselfish character made me be a better man. I miss you driver but I know you’ll always be there with me to get ‘er up the road. Love, your friend Chris Hickerson. CGH Enterprises Limited. Cranbrook, BC Editor’s note: Very sorry for both you and his family and friends loss. It is always sad to lose anyone but losing a driver like Dave who is so willing to help other drivers along is also a big loss for the industry. By your letter it sounds like you will carry on his legacy by helping young drivers along yourself.
8106 LICKMAN RD CHILLIWACK, BC
EXIT 116 - ONE BLOCK NORTH
604-792-1102
Used Trucks for Sale
Tri Drive’s, Sleepers, Day Cabs, New and Used Trailers. Superior Logging Trailers, Castleton Grain Haulers, End Dumps, Belly Dumps, Doonan Deck Trailers - Designated Inspection Facility - Full Mechanical Repair and Wheel Alignments - All Makes Heavy Duty Parts with Delivery Service
Hiring Transport Mechanics PAGE 10
Find ouR MAGAzinE ARCHivEs At www.PRo-tRuCkERMAGAzinE.CoM
MARCH 2018
idle tiMe
By Scott Casey Scott, our Rig of The Month for May 2003 has written “Ghostkeepers” a book about his years as a gun toting truck driver while serving as a Canadian Peacekeeper in the former Yugoslavia. Ironically, Prime Minister is surrounded by an elite team of men willing to sacrifice their lives for him.
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
Hiring Qualified O/Ops & Drivers Drivers 70-80 CENTS PER MILE!
Super B & tridem step 2 yrs exp & acceptable abstract Western Canada & USA Some dedicated runs
Call Al 604-882-7623
Not since Prime Minister Robert Borden’s Sacred Obligation speech (see below) has a Canadian Prime Minister said so much in one brief sentence. And in those recent words our military and veterans communities have never been in worse regard or betrayed more so here at home, than now.
MARCH 2018
It is a tragically sad time for Canada and those who have sacrificed their limbs, minds, and lives in the service of our nation. In one brief moment captured in time, Canada’s leader tried with tone inflection, with what might have been construed as reaching for compassion in light of his impending comment, to offer a sentence which had me sitting in complete disbelief. His comment wasn’t a gaff but a rehearsed rebuttal. It occurred to me as I listened to the sentence over again a few times that there was something deeper in those words. The words are beyond that of a politician. They are the words of a person who has no conscience. Set politics aside for a moment. Any human being in good health, wealth, and influence, who can sit by with insouciance before another who has lost limbs, sacrificed their mental well-being, and struggled to make ends meet, is a person with zero empathy, compassion, or moral truth. This character, or lack thereof, should speak volumes to Canadians of how each is viewed as sub-standard in the eyes of this Prime Minister. Now add in the fact he is also the only Prime Minister to publicly fall on the wrong side of an ethics issue and then laugh in the face of Canadians in its aftermath. Once again this speaks of no moral conscience. His crocodile tears are those of his chosen hobby profession, drama teacher, and not to be confused with genuine empathy for his fellow man. The very fact that the person who wields the pen that sends those who wield the swords at a moment’s notice to the battlefield, is capable of doing so without so much as an afterthought for their wellbeing is disturbing. Furthermore, the unparalleled audacity that exudes during this face to face is contemptful on a level I’ve personally never beheld. To ask someone to offer their life while he sits back amidst the protection of the very people he is empowered to protect, is unprecedented and worthy of removal from the office he holds immediately. “They are asking for more than we can give.” ~PM Justin Trudeau If you can’t give your soldiers and veterans the care they
to AdvERtisE CAll 1-800-331-8127 oR EMAil toRi@PtMAG.CA
PAGE 11
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
have earned simply by surviving the wars you’ve sent them to, then you can’t afford to send them in the first place or in the future. What more does a Prime Minister have to do to be removed from his post? It is high time that the axe of accountability be swung. He is but a Prime Minister, Canadians care for our veterans and should respond directly to this callous, unfeeling, and unpatriotic Prime Minister. Prime Minister Robert Borden’s wartime commitments to Canada’s troops. In 1917, on the eve of the attack on Vimy Ridge, Borden assured the country’s soldiers that they “need have no fear that the government and the country [would] fail to show just appreciation of [their] service.” The Prime Minister considered it Canada’s “first duty” to support the troops and he promised them that none would have “just cause to reproach the government for having broken faith” with its men. Later, the Union Government reiterated these commitments. It too supported Canada’s fighting men and their families. The “maimed,” “broken,” “the widow and the orphan” would each be protected because, the government re-assured its soldiers, “Duty and decency demand[ed] that those … saving democracy [should] not find democracy a house of privilege, or a school of poverty and hardship.” With what is perhaps the most cynical of defences, Ottawa now argues that Borden’s statements were merely political. They were never “intended as commitments or solemn commitments” claim the Crown’s lawyers, who further deny that Borden’s speeches implied any “alleged social contract or social covenant” with veterans.
deliVeRinG the Goods, safely By Lane Kranenburg Lane is a former driver, fleet owner and former Executive Director of the AMTA The Change of Career Paths After some years of being a police officer I started to look around for other opportunities, knowing that the career with enforcement could end with my being the Chief was not attractive. My neighbour in Edmonton had just purchased a truck in Calgary and wanted me to join him in the trucking business. After some due diligence I thought we may be able to work together and make the move. Thank goodness I had a very understanding wife. The move to Calgary was made. The one thing that my partner had was an operating authority which back in the seventies was required to truck anything. We sold our house, car, stereo and other things to invest in a small trucking firm that had no contracts. My parents (older European) were furious as I had a secure job PAGE 12
NEW Extended Hours Mon-Fri 8 am- Midnight • Sat 8 am- 5pm with a pension and good wages and I quit to buy a trucking company, was I insane? The company we bought was hauling pop from Calgary to various locations as well as general freight and anything else we could pick up. Soon we were hauling some of the beer from the Calgary Brewery to Banff and Drumheller. My first load was beer from Calgary to Grande Prairie and, as I had never driven a truck before, this was quite challenging. It was February and there was a snow storm so I found driving along highway 43 quite harrowing and thought to myself, what in hell have I done? My parents comment came to mind, however I kept on trucking. We saw a huge opportunity for trucking the beer, as the railroad was often unreliable and there was a lot of damage from shunting the rail cars. Sometimes a whole railcar would go missing and later be found near Winnipeg, frozen solid. The only hurdle we saw was the rate that the railroad was charging was lower than we could truck it for, so we had to put a big emphasis on damage and freight arrival times. A business plan was developed and presented to Alberta Brewers Agents (ABA) who were responsible for beer transport. ABA was presented with our business plan and a presentation including pictures of the damage to the beer by the railroad. The meeting went well and noticing the enthusiastic response from the Brewery representatives at that meeting we left feeling good about the possibility. A subsequent meeting was held where we were to establish a rate that we could haul the beer for all three brewery companies in Alberta. A rate was developed where we could pay drivers what they deserved and have a very up to date maintenance system as well as all the other costs associated with running a successful business. There was a 5-year contract signed and suddenly we needed 100 pup trailers and converters, 20 tractors and shops throughout Alberta to house this equipment. A shop in Calgary was purchased and the bank charged 18% to finance it. The equipment was purchased at a rate of 22%. After twenty years of successful trucking with no driver turnover and keeping our trucks clean and well maintained we were a success.
Find ouR MAGAzinE ARCHivEs At www.PRo-tRuCkERMAGAzinE.CoM
MARCH 2018
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
Now it was time to renegotiate the contract and the rate was cut so badly that we decided to not try to match such a ridiculous rate. True to our calculations, the company that cut the rate on the 5-year contract was out of business in 15 months. The purpose of this article is to outline the opportunities that still exist in trucking and with no barrier to entry into the trucking business one should identify an opportunity and act on it. And remember the very most important part of your company is the driver, we referred to them as profit center managers. I hear at times that we were lucky and did not have to work for this trucking company, however we both worked very hard and with little or no personal income for the first few years, and no vacation for several years as we were developing our transport company. We saw an opportunity and we continued to work hard until it came to fruition. We had a great company with fabulous drivers, buildings in five locations all paid for and a lot of equipment that we assigned to Ritchie Brothers for auction. The buildings were leased to other firms and we switched from truckers to landlords, and I restarted my career in Venture Capital as investment manager, and often look back at trucking as a great career. Learning from the ground up as driver, dispatcher, truck washer, shop cleaner, and owner manager, it was hard work and I learned that hard work and persistence do in fact pay off.
EST. 1965
Family owned and operated for 87 years and going strong! The Mattu family started trucking in 1931 when Amar Mattu bought his first truck under the name of Amar Fuels. In 1961 it became Jete’s Trucking and in 1968 Amar’s son, Mickey, started driving for his Dad. He was just 16 years of age at that time and by 1979 he had taken over the day to day running of the company. By this time they had 10 trucks in their fleet and Mickey continued to drive himself until 1990. In 2005 he incorporated their 2nd company, MTB Freightways. Mickey’s sons Terry, and then Billy, both started driving when they turned 19. Eventually Mickey semiretired leaving the day to day management to his sons. Even in semi-retirement Mickey still dropped by the office 7 days a week to check on the fleet that, by then, had grown to 37 trucks. Mickey was very well known for his generous community service, supporting everything from softball teams to the Food Bank and the Children’s Hospital. Tragically Mickey passed away in September of 2014 leaving Terry and Billy to take over the company. Eventually Terry hopes that his 7 year old son, Ayden, will follow in his footsteps and be the 4th generation to proudly fly the Jete’s Trucking and MTB Freightways colours into, and beyond, their 1st century of operation. Advertorial
Family owned and operated for 87 years!
Class 1 Super B Train company drivers needed for Lumber Runs (day trips) Pick your lane: Local, Interior Okanagan BC, Seattle Tacoma WE OFFER: Great late model equipment 2015-2018 • Good wages paid bi weekly • No tarping • Year round Monday – Friday work (Average 6am–3pm) • Trucks fueled in yard Dedicated mill runs • Assigned trucks • Performance/safety bonuses WE REQUIRE: 2 years truck and 1 year flat deck experience • Positive professional attitude • Acceptable abstract • TAKING PRIDE IN YOUR RIDE!
NO TARPING & SIGN ON BONUS!
Please contact Terry Mattu Tel: 604-580-1234 MARCH 2018
to AdvERtisE CAll 1-800-331-8127 oR EMAil toRi@PtMAG.CA
PAGE 13
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
... JUST OPENED A 2ND LOCATION TO SERVE YOU BETTER!
New Location BAY 26-4407 116 Avenue SE Calgary , Alberta (587) 620-8243 zzchromecalgary@outlook.com
Head Office BAY 205-9780 197B Street Langley BC (Port Kells) (604) 888-2322 or 1-877-881-6008 zzchrome@telus.net
Same excellent service! Same excellent products! Same excellent SALES!
$400 10
$
PAGE 14
$400
Class 8 Half fenders
34� long quarter fenders
$600
$900 w/brackets or $1200 installed
Find ouR MAGAzinE ARCHivEs At www.PRo-tRuCkERMAGAzinE.CoM
MARCH 2018
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
steering wheels starting at $200
centre light panel $300 2 piece lincon Train horns exhaust kit $3600
$150
MARCH 2018
JW Speaker heated head lights $352 each
Starting at $380
to AdvERtisE CAll 1-800-331-8127 oR EMAil toRi@PtMAG.CA
PAGE 15
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
Rig of the Month
Rig of the Month Photo’s by: Allison Roff and Mike Martin.
By John White If you read the letters to the editor then you already know Candy. For those who have not read the letters Blair wrote: that our Rig of the Month driver for this issue was nominated “I was your Rig of the Month in March of 2012 and I was by our Rig of the Month driver for March of 2012, Blair wondering if I can nominate someone for Rig of the Month
Join our winning team. is HIRING Owner Operators • Fuel Cap of 47 cents per litre • Fuel performance pay program • Late Model Tractor • Direct Deposit, paid twice monthly • Fast cards and passports preferred • No cost satellite communication system • Insurance/license Subsidy is upto 50%,
• Scales paid
To run Canada & USA
Please call
• Group Insurance Dina or Mark at • Fuel cards supplied 1-800-663-2339 or fax resumes to • $500 sign on bonus 1-866-492 -7644 • Home most weekends dinae@berryandsmith.com • Paid pick ups and drops • All miles paid/practical miles equal monthly payments, no interest • Stable Company in Business Over 60 Years Good driving record • Good condition tractor • Cross border capability • Customer service focus
PAGE 16
Find ouR MAGAzinE ARCHivEs At www.PRo-tRuCkERMAGAzinE.CoM
MARCH 2018
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
in an upcoming edition. She is a female driver and driver instructor who has hauled flat decks all over Canada. She is very accomplished and has oodles of miles behind her. I have often thought that it must be hard being a women in a male dominated work force but she is more than capable and better than a lot of drivers at doing her job.” This is her story: My name is Allison Roff and I was born in North York, Ontario, October 24th 1972 and raised in Burlington, Oakville and London, Ontario. My interest in trucks started when I was a kid. We moved a few times and always had a ‘big truck’ handle the job. It would amaze me how well the driver could back that big machine into our driveway. As I got older my love for trucks seemed to grow. My parents used to take my brother and I for breakfast at the Fifth Wheel Truck stop in Milton every Sunday and we always looked for the most shiny and well lit up trucks. It was definitely the highlight of my weekends! When I got older I got to know some truck drivers when working part time at Tim Hortons while going to high school. I always worked the night shift and since it wasn’t too busy during that time the drivers could stay and chat for a while. They would tell me stories about their runs, freight they hauled and of course the bad weather they encountered. I always wished them safe travels and would watch the nicely lit trucks drive away into the night thinking to myself how cool it would be if I could do that.
Allison Roff
AERO HAS FOUND ITS EDGE.
Edges instead of curves. Fuel economy without sacrificing power. Durable and lightweight. Introducing the all-new 5700XE. A perfect fusion of proven Daimler technology and innovation with the legendary durability and performance of Western Star. This is how we do AERO. Learn more at allnew5700.com
604-882-0902
Same Great People. Same Great Service. New Name! MARCH 2018
to AdvERtisE CAll 1-800-331-8127 oR EMAil toRi@PtMAG.CA
PAGE 17
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
A few more years went by, some further education had come and gone, and I realized I really hadn’t settled into anything that I really had a passion for. One day I just bit the bullet and decided I was going to get my commercial license. I started my training November 11th, 1994 at Stansell’s Truck and Heavy Equipment School in Tillsonburg, Ontario. I learned to drive on a 1988 Ford Louisville day cab with an 8 speed transmission. It was a good truck to learn on because it wasn’t very forgiving. If you blew a shift in that truck you knew it! The first day I was there we went through the pretrip inspection and then spent the better part of our time up shifting a few gears, turning left, straightening out and then backing around the corner and repeating the process. I didn’t do too bad on the upshifting part but the backing up had me pretty frustrated. I am stubborn (a quality I think most truckers display at times) so I kept at it. I would often get to class before the other students and then stay late in order to practice. I also had the chance to learn by watching the instructor do maintenance on the truck. Eventually I became just good enough at backing up that I could pass the road test. On January 31st, 1995 I drove the truck from Tillsonburg to London so I would be warmed up for my road test. I can remember that I really stressed myself out because I wanted to pass the test so bad. I also remember bursting into tears when the lady who road tested me told me I had passed because I had thought for sure that I had flunked. I walked over to my instructor and told him I passed and then headed
for the washroom to calm down. I felt very proud driving that truck back to Tillsonburg with my commercial license in my pocket. A good friend of mine, Bill Sisson, got me my first job at the driver’s service he was working for. I hauled everything from pig poop in tankers to courier freight in cube vans. I also hauled some general freight from the Toronto area to Michigan. I had typical rookie issues (at least for me) such as no sense of direction and not setting myself up right for the odd corner - thank goodness I always realized it before I knocked down a power pole - and backing up was still an issue in tight places. I did that job for a while but being young and lacking in experience and confidence, I decided a more repetitive job might be better so I started looking for something else. I applied at a few different companies and had no luck. I finally got discouraged and that’s when my Dad offered me a job at his auto glass shop for as long as I needed. I really enjoyed working with my Dad and brother but my heart was still set on driving truck. Some time passed and then, through that same friend who got me my first job, I met a group of awesome guys with RRS Transport. Their main office was in Langley, B.C. and they also had a location in Mississauga. They specialized in LTL freight and hauled pretty well anywhere in Canada. That is when my life changed. I got to know the RRS gang and would go to Mississauga on my days off and help them unload and reload and some-
LARGEST RADIATOR & CHARGER AIR COOLER INVENTORY IN CANADA
This Month’s Special
RADIATORS CHARGE AIR COOLERS AIR CONDITIONING PARTS AIR CONDITIONING TOOLS
Expansion Tank Volvo 08-15
OE#21846997 RTVO103 $299.00
Expansion Tank Kenworth 08-15
OE#N53446001 RTKE101 $279.00
GRILLS & HEADLIGHTS HEATERS & FANS EGR COOLERS TURBOS
*While quantities last.
Tel: 604-888-1883 Fax: 604-608-4846 #3, 20085 - 100A Ave. Langley, BC
Tel: 905-564-3000 Fax: 905-564-6682 #11 6185 Tomken RD. Mississauga, ON
Toll Free: 1-877-266-5480 • www.chtp.ca PAGE 18
Find ouR MAGAzinE ARCHivEs At www.PRo-tRuCkERMAGAzinE.CoM
MARCH 2018
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
For more than 50 years, Manitoulin Transport has been providing comprehensive transportation and logistics solutions for clients across North America. Our success lies in our innovation and safety, and our dedication to reliable, on-time delivery. So, if you know where you’re headed, we have the training and career development to help you get there.
MANITOULIN TRANSPORT IS LOOKING FOR FULL TIME CLASS 1 TEAM’S & SINGLES AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
TEAM DRIVERS: Grande Prairie, AB | Thunder Bay, ON SINGLE DRIVERS: Cranbrook, BC | High Level, AB | Hinton, AB | Whitehorse, YT | Yellowknife, NT
Job Description: The team’s will run five days a week. Some flexibility in availability will occasionally be required. Qualifications: Class 1 license • LCV Qualified • 2 years of experience • Reliable and dependable Ability to work well in a team • TDG, WHMIS and Forklift experience Must be able to provide a criminal record check, drivers abstract and 3 work related references.
Adventure!
We Offer: $$Great Pay$$ • $5,000 Sign On Bonus Per Driver (varies on location) • Housing Competitive wages • Paid stops and waiting time • Benefits – including short term and long term disability • Profit sharing • Scholarship program • And more!
For more information, please contact: Rickey Pagan 1-800-265-1485 ext 84207 Email: rpagan@manitoulintransport.com | www.manitoulintransport.com MARCH 2018
to AdvERtisE CAll 1-800-331-8127 oR EMAil toRi@PtMAG.CA
PAGE 19
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
times I got to drive. I figured if I learned as much as possible that maybe I could get on working there someday. Well about 10 months of that went on and out of the blue I got a call from my number one mentor, and friend to this day, Morley Lyle. He said he could use some help and asked if I was interested in running team with him for a while. The next thing I knew we were loaded and off trucking. Morley taught me a lot and I know I wouldn’t be the driver I am today if it wasn’t for him. He and the rest of the drivers displayed true professionalism and a can-do attitude mixed with just the right amount of craziness. During my time with Morley he fine-tuned my driving skills and taught me the tricks of the trade. I learned how to operate a forklift as well as what you really shouldn’t do with a forklift but had to sometimes, if you wanted to get the job done. Three guys hanging off the back of the machine to provide extra counterweight is probably not a wise choice and three forklifts under an expensive lathe, suspending it in the air, while trailers are switched underneath it is also frowned upon by WCB. John Bouchard is another mentor of mine and was also an owner operator at RRS. Morley, John and the rest of those guys helped me and looked out for me. After about two months of team driving a driver got hurt and since he was going to be off for a while, I got the chance to drive. I took one of RRS’s company trucks from Medicine Hat, Alberta, to Toronto. I followed Morley out there so he could help if I had any issues but I successfully got the load delivered in
Diamond Insurance Agencies Ltd.
Phone: 403.278.1129 • Fax: 403.278.8307 Email: marilynt@diamondinsurance.ca www.diamondinsurance.ca
MARILYN TAYLOR IS OUR COMMERCIAL TRUCKING SPECIALIST! Marilyn has over 30 years experience in providing insurance for Owner Operators & fleet transport companies operating in Canada & the U.S.A. PAGE 20
Open 6:00 am to 7:30 pm Mon to Fri 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Saturdays
CANYON CABLE 1988 LTD. 930-6th Ave., Hope, BC 604-869-9036 Toll Free 1-800-588-8868 Toronto and then graduated to my own company truck! They put me in a burgundy flat top Freightliner with an N-14 engine. It was definitely bare bones inside, and didn’t have the luxuries of some of today’s trucks, but it was mine and I was just happy to be trucking. They went easy on me at first then, as the months went on, they gradually started giving me more challenging loads. My fear of heights at times played a part in my scheduling back then but I am a lot better now. Believe it or not I used to run the Fraser Canyon at night because I didn’t like looking over the edge. It probably worked out better for everybody (except the loggers) as I would leave Morley’s place in Barriere around 1am to make my appointments at the coast on time. My very first solo load was a bunch of railroad track, and the connecting pieces, to a company just off of Mount Lehman road in Abbotsford. I got lost for a short time while hauling a super-b and for some reason, now and then, that area can still catch me off guard. My second load was another first for me as it sent me over to Vancouver Island. The ferry ride was cool but trying to find somewhere to park something 82’ long in downtown Nanaimo can be challenging. I was bringing the vault for a new bank that was being built and I felt like a shark circling its prey with the amount of times I went around the block. I finally ended up parking the wrong way on a one way street in an unloading area. As far as I was concerned, it was close enough! They got me unloaded in the morning and all was good. I enjoyed working at RRS for the next two years but had to go after another outfit bought us out and things took a turn for the worse. I had some experience by now so getting a job was not such a problem. In September of 1999 I hired on fairly easily at Big Freight Systems in Steinbach, Manitoba. I drove a T-800 Kenworth with an N-14 and set off running the same corridor I was already used to. It was basically doing the same thing I did at RRS except this time I learned how to haul glass. I worked with great people there and it was the first large company I worked for. They had a shop, wash bay, tarping station, forklift operators and even a drivers lounge with laundry and shower. We also had the use of a company minivan if we needed to go to town for anything. I must say I had what I feel was my most important load
Find ouR MAGAzinE ARCHivEs At www.PRo-tRuCkERMAGAzinE.CoM
MARCH 2018
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
Competitive Rates Single Owner Operators
Upto 1.75/mile Guaranteed 10,000-12,000 miles per month
Team Owner Operators
Upto 1.80/mile Guaranteed 19,000-20,000 miles per month
Paid live pickups and deliveries ($50 Each) (Paid from First) Paid Layover • Direct Deposit twice a month • Discounted fuel
(For New owner operators who are looking to buy new trucks we can help you buy our discounted rates trucks, please call at 604-743-4398 for questions related to this)
Company Drivers: Singles
50 cents/mile Live pick up $35 Paid from First) Live Drop $35 Paid from First)
Company Drivers: Teams
62-66 cents/mile Live pick up $50 Paid from First) Live Drop $50 Paid from First)
Requirements: Class 1 license with clean driving abstract • Valid passport Understand US and Canadian compliance and regulations
Please send your resume and driver abstract to jobs@triple8.ca or call for more inquires at 604-743-4398 MARCH 2018
to AdvERtisE CAll 1-800-331-8127 oR EMAil toRi@PtMAG.CA
PAGE 21
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
ever while at Big Freight. I got to play Santa Claus with a hot load of sleds I hooked up to the trailer at the last minute in Steinbach and headed for my home town of London. Time was already getting short and I had been fighting snow since Barrie, but I made it to the store at 6:00 pm Christmas Eve where I met the owner and the very happy parents of a 10 year old. Definitely a happy drive home after that. I worked at Big Freight until May of 2002 then went to Bronco Transportation Systems in Langley, B.C. I started off driving a Western Star and after about a year I got my very first brand new truck. It was a W900 Kenworth short nose. It was jet black with red pin striping and the outline of flames on the fenders. My name was even on the door! It had a C-15 CAT with an 18 speed transmission and I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I had never driven a truck with a CAT in it before and thoroughly enjoyed the next 5 years while driving that truck. I treated it like it was my own and kept a notebook with all my fuel mileage and when oil changes were done and any other work that had taken place. I again went with the security of sticking to what I knew in the way of hauling freight and travelling the same corridors but I also got the chance to run on a radio controlled road going to Huckleberry Mine in Houston, B.C. Scott Casey was one of our drivers who was specific to that haul and I followed him in on that trip. Scott taught me a lot while we were at Bronco. I still remember how much attention you had
SURREY/PORT KELLS www.coastpowertrain.com NEW WESTMINSTER #3, 19080 - 96 AVE 420 CANFOR AVE 604-881-7188 604-520-6125
to pay on a road like that so that you didn’t meet somebody when you weren’t expecting it. When you aren’t used to calling your miles it can be a little tricky to run a road like that when you have to figure out where everyone is plus handle the grades you are travelling on - not to mention doing it in the winter. Scott told me his final tally was 1000 loads of mine balls that he had hauled into the mine over the years. I had the chance to go in there one more time on my own with a stick and bucket I had picked up in Edson, AB. I did well as it wasn’t a heavy load and I could focus all of my attention on the radio. In October of 2004, after a short time of living in Barriere, I decided to move to Abbotsford, and two years after that our long haul turned into just a B.C. /AB haul. I worked at Bronco for another four years and then decided to try CanAm West Carriers. I joined the Vedder/Can-Am team in March of 2008 and pulled super-b’s mostly between B.C. and AB and the odd time out to Ontario and Quebec. The long trips were nice once in a while so I could ‘stretch my legs’. During my 8.5 years at Can-Am I got to see the North which I absolutely love. I got trips to Yellowknife, Whitehorse and even Fairbanks, Alaska. On a trip in the late fall 6 of us drivers hauled wide loads to Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. When we got there we found that the crane company had shut down due to not being paid so we headed back to the Road King in Sherwood Park to
New Westminster 604-520-6125 Prince George 800-663-5580
Port Kells 604-881-7188
Kelowna 800-638-1388
COAST POWERTRAIN LTD. Easy NEW 2050 lbs Torque Rating LAUNCHES MERITOR AUTHORIZED Pedal Installed - $1795.00 - 2 Year Warranty REBUILDER PROGRAM! - $1695.00 - 1 Year Warranty CLUTCH INSTALLATION SPECIAL
Coast Powertrain Ltd. is pleased to announce that they’ve been chosen as the only rebuilder in British Columbia to represent Meritor Inc. in an Authorized DRIVETRAIN INSPECTION Rebuilder Program. Check: - Oil Levels All Meritor Authorized units come with 2 year nationwide warranty - Driveline $ 0 can be confident that they are getting carriers rebuilt coverage, so99fl.0eets - Differential Locks - Power Divider to OEM standards. Built with 100% genuine Meritor gear components and factory trained technicians, Coast Powertrain Ltd. is committed to delivering the highest quality rebuilt carriers in B.C.
Includes 8 Hrs Labour, New Clutch, Flywheel Grind, New Pilot Bearing &Clutch Brake
PAGE 22
NEW WESTMINSTER
Find ouR MAGAzinE ARCHivEs At www.PRo-tRuCkERMAGAzinE.CoM
SURREY/PORT KELLS
MARCH 2018
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
wait. For the next two days we made the run back to the job site to sign in and see if they could unload us. Finally the crane company was paid but when we signed in that morning the wind had come up so they still couldn’t unload us. The forecast for the next few days was not good and the company said they would fly us home or, if we wanted, they would pay us $250 a day to sit wait. It wasn’t a difficult decision as we all decided to stay and party. Every day we still had to go to the Fort and sign in and wait for a decision but that usually only took 15 minutes. We would then go to West Edmonton Mall or back to the Road King and irritate the employees. Four days later, on November 11th, Armistice Day, they finally unloaded our trailers and we headed home on the 12th. All in all it was a great little paid holiday. I was finally getting better at being versatile after years of playing it safe. That versatility brought me the opportunity to mentor drivers and finally give back to the industry I love so much. On the super-b fleet we would usually only teach load securement and tarping and keep the drivers that came right from driving school on the tridem fleet. One day they hired a fellow that they really wanted on the trains. His name is Andrew West and they asked me to show him the ropes! I was really nervous about it but he did well. He had a great attitude and wanted to not only learn from me but was open to information and ideas from other drivers as well. It was a very proud moment for me when he graduated his course and was set loose on his own. He is still there today and can do
MARCH 2018
anything they give him. Towards the latter part of my time with Can-Am I had the opportunity to haul milk. I loved the challenge of hauling liquid and still kind of miss that today. I also went on the garbage haul to Cache Creek for a few months. I wasn’t sure at first if I would like it but I soon got used to the same shift every day and being home every night. It was while I was on that run that I met my now boyfriend Michael Martin. For 30 years he has hauled logs all over B.C. for his brother’s company, Robert Martin Trucking. I have now also driven a logging truck, mostly empty, on grades up to 20% and it’s amazing! When I look back on my night trips through the Canyon I realize just how far I’ve come. The garbage haul sadly came to an end and I went back to helping on the milk haul. I loved it but I had started to build a normal life and with milk you work most weekends. I tried for a while and would go in the logging truck on my days off to spend time with Mike but it wasn’t enough so after 8.5 years I sadly had to say goodbye to my Can-Am family. I tried to find something similar to the garbage haul and Mike had connections with John Forman, one of the senior drivers (seasoned-not old) at Bobell Express and I got the number for James Castleden. I gave him a call and was told to go to the Abbotsford yard and see Floyd. Within a few weeks I headed out for training with Floyd. He was a good teacher and explained everything in a manner that was easy to understand. For the first year I drove a few different
to AdvERtisE CAll 1-800-331-8127 oR EMAil toRi@PtMAG.CA
PAGE 23
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
Reflections Thru My Windshield By Dave Madill Dave Madill was Pro-Trucker Magazine’s Rig of the Month in June of 2001 and he has been entertaining us with his poetry ever since. Dave has published three books of poems that are available by special order through Chapters Book Stores.
trucks that were job specific and now I’m on a more full time run out of the Thompson region to Washington State. I pull various types of trailers pertaining to the bulk products industry and have learned how to operate a wheel loader. I enjoy working with Raj, James and my fellow drivers. They display true professionalism that keeps us successful at what we do and I’m happy to be a part of the team. We all have stories about something that has happened on the road and one of mine is a bit of an embarrassing one concerning not using the 3 points of contact rule. One trip when I finished loading I was sliding down the fender between the lead and pup trailer when I caught a bolt head and ripped a hole in my jeans. I didn’t have anything to change into and when I felt back at the tear I found it was the just below the back pocket so I wasn’t too worried about exposing myself. The only problem was I forgot that on that day I was wearing bright pink underwear – something I would regret. I completely forgot about the tear until after delivering my load and coming out of the office with my paperwork in hand. That is when a very helpful employee with a big silly grin on his face decided he should loudly reminded me of it. I guess I should have worn black that day… I have to say that I truly enjoy turning that key and hearing the engine fire up just as much now as I did when I started. I have had the opportunity and privilege to work with and meet many great people over the years and I hope to keep those wheels turning for many more. PAGE 24
Moose Season Well it was late September and it was moose season but we were busy around the farm and Dad had me hauling Cats and other equipment for a contractor. That meant I was stuck in the truck when Bob, Fred and Larry showed up at the farm to see if I wanted to go with them up to Northern Ontario to get a Swamp Donkey or two. Seeing as I was out when they got to our place they told Mom where they were going and then headed out. About three days later Dad got a call from them that they were up at their usual spot on the Grassy River and had a blown engine. They asked if I was anywhere near and could swing by with a float and load the converted Bread Truck that they used as a hunting camp and bring them home. Dad said I was in the area and would unload the next day and when I phoned home he would have me swing in and pick them up. I called that night and Dad told me what was up and I headed over towards their area. I stopped just when I left the pavement, crawled in my bunk and went to sleep as I didn’t want to do the back road with a semi in the dark. I was up first thing in the morning and after my walk around I headed in. Now as I knew I was going to be up north I had thrown a rifle in the truck, just in case. Driving on this road was no picnic so I was taking it slow and when I came around this corner by a lake I spotted a nice young paddle bull eating in the swamp not more than 40 feet from the road and less than 70 yards ahead of me. Carefully I stopped, crawled out of the truck and stepped into the bush, (just to be legal), and put one 44/40 slug into Mr Moose’s brain pan and he went down like a ton of bricks. I went back to the truck and drove up to where I was as close as possible to him then hooked a bunch of chains together and dragged him out to the road. About an hour later, and with the help of my chain hoist and a lot of work, I had my Moose on the front of the trailer and was back on my way. I got into the hunt camp just before noon and the boys were all sitting around having lunch, with no meat hanging from the meat tree I might add. I got turned around and backed into place to load the truck when they noticed my moose. Needless to say they were all quite teed off that, after 5 days of slogging through the bush, in comes Mr. Road Hunter with winter meat. Anyway we loaded them up and started out and dammed if 1/4 mile down the road we didn’t come across another bull and dropped him too. After loading him up we went straight out and headed home, unloaded our moose and got their truck into the garage. We ended up sharing the meat among our 4 houses but the boys were a little ticked off when I handed them a bill, which was just enough to cover my fuel, for transporting them home. r
Find our magazine archives at www.Pro-truckermagazine.Com
MARCH 2018
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
www.cool-it.ca
MARCH 2018
to AdvERtisE CAll 1-800-331-8127 oR EMAil toRi@PtMAG.CA
PAGE 25
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
Communication By Greg Evasiuk Greg is a third generation trucker with over a million miles and 20 plus years in trucking. He now sells trucks for Nortrux. I know it’s been beaten near to death but it’s a topic that will likely be in trucking longer than any of us…logbooks! E-logs are on everybody’s mind with the US having put through their legislation and quite honestly I can see both sides of the argument. Now many of you may be thinking what would a salesman really know about the subject? Well let me tell you a couple of quick tales… Early on in my career I had a job hauling seedlings back from BC every summer for the tree planters of northern Alberta. We had a limited amount of tractors with sleepers on them and an even more limited number of drivers willing to stay out on the road for any length of time. Being young and single I was more than happy stay out on the coast or in the OK valley in the summer. Well to maximize our resources my boss took to paying me by the load and would give me nearly the full rate to run back to Mount Robson and switch. It worked out really well, I would drive down from home on Sunday afternoon and get into Maple Ridge around
A
COLLISION SPECIALISTS ESTABLISHED 1968 ICBC & PRIVATE CLAIMS FRAMES & ALIGNMENT #4, 19155 - 96th Avenue Surrey, BC v4n 3P8
Ph: 604-888-1133 Fax: 604-888-6254 PAGE 26
A
Midnight where I would back into the dock and go to sleep. Sometime around 7-7:30am there would be a knock on the door and, “Hey Greg, you’re loaded - it’s time to roll!” I would go inside, brush my teeth, grab a coffee and my paperwork and off I’d go. Somewhere around 3:30-4 that afternoon I’d be making my switch around Mount Robson, grabbing an empty to go south and sending the daycab home with a load of seedlings. Again midnight or 1 in the morning I’d be backing that trailer in and getting the knock on the door when it was loaded. Heck it was a great system for me, when it all went well, I was still getting 7 or so hours of sleep every night and I could get 5 or 6 trips in before I went home for a day off and some fresh clothes. Only one problem, the math didn’t quite add up. Now the math for my wallet added up nice but for the DOT not so much. Being that math was a strong subject for me I figured if I had more pages or an entirely separate book the hours would work out just fine (this is all nearly 20 years ago so I’m thinking the statute of limitations has run out on getting me in sh%$). With this all squared away I was laughing all the way to the bank! For the better part of one whole summer I went round and round 16-17 hours a day and thought no one was the wiser. I rolled up on the Tete Jaune scale one afternoon and the old guy was out checking logbooks as he would from time to time by stepping up onto your running board and asking for it as you rolled onto the scale. Without missing a beat I grabbed my book and said “How’re we doing this fine afternoon?” “I’m great,” he replied “but you’d be doing a lot better if you handed me the book you’re actually using today.” My heart nearly stopped - I had grabbed the book on the passenger seat and the one I needed was sitting on the floor, oh boy! “Well this says you’re off duty in Kamloops and I’m guessing the one on the floor says you’re driving though,” said the officer and I answered him with a stupid nod, “so here’s what you’re gonna do. You’re gonna drive up and meet your partner at Robson and tell him he’s going to Vancouver and you’re going home. Seven trips in a row is enough and I see you in the next three days it will be a big fine and I may just park you here permanently! Frankly I would park you if you looked tired in the least which you don’t.” Needless to say I followed orders and proceeded to my rendezvous. I was lucky that Wednesday on two counts; first I walked away from that incident without a single citation, second it was amateur topless bull riding night at Roosters which is the only reason I was able to convince my switch to head down there with no notice! I was breaking the hours of service law and I deserved to be caught but I was nowhere near unsafe to be on the road. Herein lies my issue with the E-log and hours of service regulations in general, they don’t in practice make the roads a safer place. In the later years of my days behind the wheel I was
Find our magazine archives at www.Pro-truckermagazine.Com
MARCH 2018
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
T IT W H S U
• Average Annual Income for Can/USA Company Drivers ($65,000 to $75,000) • Competitive Rates Plus Benefits
EC N N
Join one of Canada’s premier transportation companies today and get the pay and miles you deserve!
O C
Your life Your lane
VISIT US
AT TRUCK WORLD 2018 IN MISSISSAUGA
• Regional and Long Haul Lanes Available • Assigned Late Model Peterbilt Tractors
Let TransX help drive your success! To apply, visit drivetransx.ca or call 1-877-787-2679 for more info. MARCH 2018
to AdvERtisE CAll 1-800-331-8127 oR EMAil toRi@PtMAG.CA
PAGE 27
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
working with a company that had e-logs and one was installed in my truck. There are some aspects of it I absolutely loved like the fact that I was able to type my comments on a keyboard, the way your mileage is always tracked, you can’t get in trouble for violation because it automatically adjusts your status when the truck moves. I even understand the argument that it helps with compliance and I’m sure that it does because the computer’s algorithms won’t let it break the rules. There is also a ton of supporting evidence to the fact that it should help with pay and demurrage because we now have irrefutable proof of our working hours. The one thing it won’t do is help you be safe. I left Edmonton late one afternoon to grab a load from Calgary for Gillam, MB. After being home for nearly 2 days my hours had reset so when I left at 4:25 to go to Cowtown I had a clean fresh slate, according to the machine. To the machine I could’ve driven 13 hours into the night, I strapped down in Calgary and drove for 1.5. Why? Because I was tired and I knew I shouldn’t drive any longer, experience tells me that not a computer. For most of my adult life I have functioned with around 6 hours sleep, sometimes as many as 9 but not very often. According to my E-log program I had to sleep for 8… I woke up in 5.5. Now I’m sitting there ready to go and face my day and I can’t move because the computer says no. So I wait patiently for 2.5 hours and get progressively angrier and finally go, the problem now is I am awake before my shift for 2.5 hours and then I’ll be tired prematurely because of it. I spent many stressful evenings hoping to find a place to park before time ran out and sometimes parking in less than safe areas to stay in compliance. I know the proponents of the system would say you have to plan your day better and I would challenge them to try live within these regulations for a month. In a perfect truckload dedicated linehaul you bet the rules are liveable, in a flatbed, specialized, or LTL with the weather of the north added in it falls short. In a nutshell that is the problem with any of this legislation, it is pushed upon us in the name of safety in a one size fits some solution. They offer no flexibility for sleep schedules or route changes for traffic or the thousands of other things that come up on a daily basis. They also do nothing for safety. If you look at any of the high profile truck crashes that have happened in the last couple years most of the drivers were legally compliant with hours of service but that doesn’t mean they were fit for duty… What I’m saying is we need to do better when Canada looks to implement this, by taking into consideration the people who are experts in moving freight, you! Not someone in a lab doing sleep studies and certainly not the lobbyists in Ottawa. E-logs could be one of the best things to happen to the industry for actually tracking our time and insuring we get paid for it but it needs to be properly implemented. Trust me they need our help on that! PAGE 28
dRiVinG thRouGh My MeMoRies
By Ed Murdoch
Ed has held a commercial drivers license for 65 years and has spent the better part of 50 years on the road. You can get Ed’s new book at www.drivingthroughmymemories.ca While pulling these random thoughts out of my mind I’m fully aware that it is the middle of February and that the outside temperature here in the interior of BC is the coldest it’s been all season so far. I know, I know it’s still balmy when compared to the barren wastelands of the prairies. I too have experienced temperatures as low as -65°F in my career but back then I was younger, bolder, and of course, invincible. Not spending much time outdoors the last while, a few thoughts have been bouncing around inside my mostly empty mind and I air them here for your consideration. Is it the JIT (Just In Time) concept of delivery, where many corporations use a carrier’s trailer as a mobile warehouse and demand delivery just before running out of stock, that is at the root of so many big rig crashes? Dispatchers have a responsibility to allow adequate time for delivery of any load especially in seasons and regions where weather plays such an integral part. Drivers on the other hand have a responsibility to operate their vehicles in the safest man-
T r uc k Wes t C ollisi on ICBC Repairs • Sandblasting Full Truck Collision Services Frame Straightening Custom Painting Painting
Head Office Langley 604-888-8788 9737-197B Street
Abbotsford 604-854-8779 #8-31059 Peardonville Road
EMAIL: truckwest@shaw.ca WEBSITE: truckwestcollision.com
Find ouR MAGAzinE ARCHivEs At www.PRo-tRuCkERMAGAzinE.CoM
MARCH 2018
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
ner possible in order to arrive unscathed and on time at the destination. As captains of their ships drivers are 100% responsible and trusted to make decisions that are beneficial to the safety of all concerned rather than throwing caution to the wind by taking chances and risking a crash. The first rule of driving is that it is always better to arrive a bit late than not at all! When I was driving, in most cases, I would call ahead to the receiver and, after taking all scenarios into consideration, book a reasonable and convenient appointment time. I found that this approach reduced the pressure on everyone by not creating unreasonable expectations while keeping in mind that it is the customer that ultimately needs to be satisfied. There is a school of thought that modern truck-tractors are so plush and comfy and easy to drive that many operators, especially newbies, have not acquired the “feel of the road” that older trucks force you to recognize. And so are not fully aware of the hazards lurking around every corner and over the next hill that can develop into an emergency incident in a flash. The new trucks are extremely aerodynamic with hardly an external fixture that hasn’t been wind-tunnel tested and modified so that speeds are sometimes difficult to estimate without visual confirmation via the speedometer. Years ago when my son was put into a new KW T600 Aardvark or Anteater, as they were then called, he noticed right away
NEW OWNERSHIP
COMPANY DRIVERS TERMINALS OPPORTUNITIESOPPORTUNITIES (Local, Long Haul and Cross Border Runs) AVAILABLE SINGLES and TEAMS Toronto, Kingston, Montreal, AVAILABLE OWNER-OPERATORS
CROSS BORDER OWNER-OPERATORS AND COMPANY DRIVERS
MARCH 2018
(Long Haul and Cross Border Runs)
Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver1.855.564.8029 and Bedford slhrecruiting@slh.ca
slh.ca
JUST SHINE IT Mobile Polishing Services
Professional, Quality Polishing of Aluminum, Chrome and Stainless Steel JUST SHINE IT is a mobile aluminum polishing service in Edmonton. We specialize in machine and hand polishing aluminum wheels to mirror finish, while the rims are on the truck, getting you back to work as quickly as possible. We also hand polish tanks, bumpers, stacks, stepboxes, cleaners, checkerplate and other aluminum or chrome parts on your truck. Based in Edmonton, we service all Central and Northern Alberta communities. We now have our own shop in Edmonton! AVAILABLE 7 DAYS PER WEEK TO FIT YOUR SCHEDULE. Call (780) 289 -5878 to book your appointment www.justshineit.ca how much “slipperier” it was compared to a square-nosed conventional. He said he had to watch his speed closely to avoid a ticket and to reduce the need for excessive braking. The increase in the posted limits on some highways I think might play a part in the overall picture as well. With ICBC here in the Super Natural Province being in debt over a billion loonies we, the motoring public, which includes the professionals, must be held at least partly accountable. It isn’t the government’s fault when someone has a fender bender. If people would slow down 5 or 10 kilometers an hour or more when conditions are not optimum, there would be fewer crashes, fewer fatalities and injuries and a whole lot less money paid out to satisfy the victims. ELDs, which are coming to Canada by the end of the decade might help some and speaking of ELDs – stop fussing! Any driver I have spoken to who uses one, and every carrier I know that has gone to electronic logging devices, absolutely love them. They reduce paperwork and that extra time can be utilized to get a bit closer to your destination. They are also legible, which is a bonus for those who have had to decipher the chicken scratch that some drivers put on the page. On top of that there is a chance that they may ultimately raise driver wages as there is an accurate record of the time a driver spends in a day executing his/her duties which the authorities and the carriers will be unable to ignore. In cases of emergency or adverse driving conditions when a driver is almost home but runs out of hours, the
to AdvERtisE CAll 1-800-331-8127 oR EMAil toRi@PtMAG.CA
PAGE 29
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
device under certain conditions, may be overridden with an explanation. To find out more you can go to https://eldfacts. com/get-the-facts-the-canadian-eld-mandate/. Finally, like it or not, we who are most visible in the industry have a huge role to play in how we are perceived by the public. It is no secret that the trucking industry has suffered years of criticism largely based on what individuals see & experience every day and we ‘hear’ about it from people that are not shy about exposing their sentiments. Some shout loud obscenities at the perpetrators mainly to show others how outraged they are. Some react with not very well thought out road rage that usually backfires on them. Others express their disdain on social media while some write letters or add comments. Still others will actually call the carrier in question or an enforcement agency with many details of ‘their version’ of the incident. Regardless of all of the above we, the players in the game, must not only be doing what’s right at every turn of the road, but we also must be seen to be doing the right thing 24/7/365. The integrity of our profession is judged by the real or imagined perception of the public. Also keep in mind that some of the personal vehicles with which we share the road in close proximity might be driven by a nervous mother with young children on board or just someone who is not comfortable with such a large unit so up close and personal. Company drivers, lease and owner- operators are the players on the field and the reality is that our behaviour is how the entire industry is perceived. You are the transportation Olympians, drive safely with the pride of knowing that today’s truck drivers in North America are without argument the safest drivers in the history of the sport … 10-4!
back sign. All was going well inch by painful inch until he suddenly cranked his wheel – yeah, you guessed it – to the right this time. Not just a little right either but one of those instant jackknife kinda rights. Again the fella stumbles back to me and says, “Good?” I shook my head no and reiterated the pull forward routine. He once again clambered into his driver’s seat and began the process over. Much to my dismay, and I am sure to his as well, this was the process for the next 15 minutes or 6 attempts. I was beginning to wonder if it was something I was doing wrong as language communication was a clear obstacle, since I did not speak his Somalian tongue. Finally this poor fella, almost in tears, pulled the air and shuts off his truck then right there in the middle of the lot, without a word, he handed me his keys. I put my hand over his and just calmly said, “You can do this.” It was clear that it was just the calm he needed to get the job done as he straightened her up again and backed her in the next attempt. He immediately got out and hugged me in appreciation. Back to the restaurant I went shaking my head in utter disbelief of what I had just been a part of. Shortly after another fella with the same company arrived and all I could think was, “Here we go again.” Well the dude pulled ahead and blindsided in between 2 trucks, and I am not too arrogant as to ignore the fact that he probably did it better than I could have. That just reaffirmed my, “Judge not,” rule of life. I went back inside and we struck up a conversation. It would seem that the first fella was on his maiden trip as a driver and it had been one heck of a trip. He had made it from Winnipeg following his friend but somehow they got separated in Toronto. The English speaking one explained that after such a scary trip on the highways it was nice to ile fter ile talk to someone as nice and helpful as myself. We eventually parted ways, as my delivery was due, By Cyn Tobin and mile after mile I kept thinking about what it must Cyn has been driving trucks for feel like to be a new guy in a place where you understand 34 years. She has hauled loads all nothing. We have all been the “new guy” the “greenhorn” across North America and specializes and sometimes we need to be reminded of how important it in expedited perishable freight. is to continue to help each other. This did just that for me. ***** I was sitting at the Flying J in Mississauga, Ontario one morning when in walked this fellow Winnipegger who had Never Ask a Man For Advice. just taken 47 minutes to back in. He had pulled nose into 6 Dear John, The other day, I left for work, leaving my empty spots to straight back into a spot between 2 trucks. husband watching TV. My car stalled, a mile from home I had gone out to help him after seeing that, after several so I walked back where I found him in bed with the attempts, he was worse off than when he started. neighbour’s daughter! We are both 34, married 10 years, I stood at the back end of his trailer on the driver’s side and she is 19. When confronted, he admitted they had been and gave him the straight back motions. Well he cranked having an affair for 6 months. He won’t go to counseling his wheel left, then stopped. He got out and ran back he and I’m afraid and a wreck and need advice urgently. said “yes?” I assumed this was a question by the enquiring Sincerely, Sheila. look on the chaps face. Respectfully I replied, “No, pull Dear Sheila, A car stalling can be caused by a variety ahead and straighten up, then straight back.” Now you things. Check that there is no debris in the fuel line. Then would I think I was from Mars given the look I received but check the vacuum pipes and hoses on the intake manifold the fella trotted on back to his Freightliner Cascadia and and all grounding wires. If you don’t find anything it could pulled ahead. I smiled and once again gave him the straight be the fuel pump itself. - John
M
PAGE 30
A
M
Find our magazine archives at www.Pro-truckermagazine.Com
MARCH 2018
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
by Dave Madill
A Trucker’s Prayer
Oh, Lord, bless all those truckers out there on the roads, Help them and protect them as they haul their loads, Watch over them by day and night, Keep them always in your sight, Give their tires some extra grip, So they will neither slide nor slip. Keep them alert both night and day, As they travel on their way, Then when they lie in their lonely beds, Place thoughts of home within their heads. After their run, please bring them home, So they will know they are not alone, Bless all those truckers on the roads, Protect them as they haul their loads. When their lives are over, and they stand before your throne, Let the final log book entry be — the trucker has gone home.
Dave Madill was Pro-Trucker Magazine’s Rig of the Month in June of 2001 and he has been entertaining us with his poetry ever since. Dave has published three books of poems that are available by special order through Chapters Book Stores or amazon.com
MARCH 2018
to AdvERtisE CAll 1-800-331-8127 oR EMAil toRi@PtMAG.CA
PAGE 31
PRO-TRUCKER MAGAZINE
CLEANING POWER THAT PACKS A PUNCH NOW WITH
IDX4
Introducing IDX4, a new superior detergent package that offers the most powerful injector cleaning in the industry. IDX4 technology is guaranteed to both clean the toughest deposits from your injectors and keep them clean. Combating today’s HPCR System issues, Meaner Power Kleaner also safely eliminates water and increases lubricity. For the best year round performance you need the toughest product available, Meaner Power Kleaner with new IDX4.
Howes Tire Thumper & Flashlight 1-800 GET HOWES (438-4693) • www.howeslube.com PAGE 32
when you purchase 3 bottles of Howes Meaner Power Kleaner Visit www.howeslube.com or call 1-800 GET HOWES Offer ends: 9/30/18, available while supplies last.
Find ouR MAGAzinE ARCHivEs At www.PRo-tRuCkERMAGAzinE.CoM
MARCH 2018