The Trucking Network July 2015 Web edition by The Trucking Network Inc

Contents

HE TRUCKIN NETWORK

NAVEEN NAV- EDITOR nav@thetruckingnetwork.ca Shaun Cumer Copy Editor Rahul Sharma Account Executive

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Glenn Caldwell, Ray J Haight, Tony Hayton, Siphiwe Baleka, Ellen Voie, Rod Stiller, Dave Raynsford, Harmanjit Jhand and Raj Harjika ADVERTISING INQUIRIES 647-818-2121 nav@thetruckingnetwork.ca DESIGN art@thetruckingnetwork.ca VISIT US ONLINE AT www.thetruckingnetwork.ca HEAD OFFICE TF: 1-800-508-1214 Fax: 1-800-488-1314

July, 2015

It’s All in the Wording…

HAMSTRINGS - Back Pain’s Missing (Or Missed) Link

WATERED DOWN - Health, Hydration & The Hazards Of Driving Dry

Ode to the Safety Managers

It’s All A Question of Balance

Trucking’s March to innovation - “can” vs. “should”

Bollywood gossip

Load Securement

Changes to the Immigration law

Let’s look at aviation for innovations

Publication Mail Aggrement # 42703019

PUBLICATION The Trucking Network is a monthly bilingual magazine

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DIGITAL DRIVE - Monthly Highlights In Trucking Tech

Editorial

Stress or anxiety Management What is Stress? Stress can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. What is Anxiety? Anxiety is a feeling of fear, unease, and worry. The source of these symptoms is not always known. Stress and anxiety is part of every industry as far as work environment and work culture is concerned, and the trucking industry is not unique. Let’s focus on trucking industry itself, dispatching responsibilities, day to day administration job, long hours on road across the country, driving in traffic with in the city, worrying about loads and shipment, missing window time for drop off and pick up’s, weather conditions, family emergencies, vehicle maintenance these are few examples that can cause stress but one should think that it is not only trucking industry, in day to day life one way or another you come across unavoidable situations. Is there a way I can manage stress and anxiety? You have two options: • Find a way to manage stress and anxiety • Run away in a direction which won’t take you anywhere and make it worst that can impact your life in different aspects. Second option is for people who are unable to manage stress and don’t find mechanism to help with these coping mechanisms around them. But surely there are ways and you don’t have to panic because of stress or anxiety. Read through below which surely we believe will help and direct you to manage these issues. Stress or anxiety happens when you see that requests put on you —, for example, work, school or connections — surpass your capacity to adapt. This can be an aching for everybody around you. Delivering a help that gives the drive and vitality to help individuals get past circumstances like timelines, never the less, a compelling measure of unavoidable circumstances which can help over coming of wellbeing outcomes. Untreated constant Stress or anxiety can bring about genuine unwell conditions including uneasiness, sleep deprivation, muscle torment, hypertension, blood pressure, diabetes and a debilitated invulnerable framework. Studies demonstrates that push can add to the advancement of significant sicknesses, for example, coronary illness, melancholy and stoutness. But is it really worth it, it is completely driven by your lifestyle. Stress or anxiety does exist but managing it is the key! Remember we live in fast paced materialistic world. However, by discovering positive, solid approaches to oversee

We need your feedback

Send a letter to the editor and you can get published! E-mail: nav@thetruckingnetwork.ca

Stress or anxiety as it happens, a number of these negative wellbeing results can be diminished. Everybody is distinctive, as are the ways they decide to deal with their situations. A few individuals favor seeking after diversions, for example, planting, playing music and making craftsmanship, while others discover alleviation in more singular exercises: reflection, yoga and strolling. Here are five proven systems that Stress or anxiety Management groups has indicated to help diminish these issues in short- and long haul. • Avoid a Stress or anxiety source: It may appear to be hard to make tracks in an opposite direction from a major work extend, unsuccessful initiatives, developing credit card bill, financial crisis, a crying infant, or may be unhealthy relationships. These are just few examples. Be that as it may, when you dole yourself consent to venture out from it, you let yourself have room schedule-wise to do something else. • Exercise: This can help you in changing outlook towards life, positive attitude and healthy psyche. We continue catching up with our daily to do lists or commitments. However, even a 20-minute walk, run, swim or move session amidst an upsetting. • Chortle and quiet laughter: Brain is interconnected with our feelings and outward appearances and behavior. It is hard to believe but the fact is stress and anxiety reflects on an individual’s face, attitude, behavior, personality, work and social life. • Get social: Call a companion, join social group but best would be write your thoughts on paper on regular basis. • Meditate: Reflection and careful request to God help the brain and body to unwind to the best interest. This can help individuals see new points of view, create self-empathy and pardoning. Never Try Managing Stress & Anxiety with the following: • Smoking – Your intake increases instead of cutting it down • Drinking – Elevates your issues and problems • Overeating or Undereating – Unhealthy • Zoning to TV, computer, internet for hours • Avoiding or dis-association with family, friends and group activities • Sleeping too much • Pills or drugs – Temporary relief but long term addiction Try recommendations and approach of this editorial and you will be in Stress or anxiety Free Zone. We wish you success in your journey. Drive Safe. Thank you! Naveen Nav - Editor

IMPORTANT NOTICE

No warranties or representations are made on behalf of the advertisers or promotions in this magazine. If any person chooses to take any service, promotion, or respond to any advertisements, they do so strictly at their own risk, and no liability whatsoever attaches to the publishers, contributors, servants, or agents of this magazine. The advertiser agrees to protest the publisher against legal action based upon libelous or inaccurate statements, unauthorized use of photos, or any other material in connection with the advertisers or content in The Trucking Network Magazine.

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News MTO Reforms Streamline CDL Process For Military Personnel Applicants

anadian military personnel and veterans have always faced an adjustment process when re-entering everyday civilian life, especially when finding a new niche in the job market. Meanwhile, the Canadian trucking industry happens to be starved for dedicated, dependable, safe drivers. Matchmaking should always be so simple. Extensive research comparing military and civilian licensing standards made up the backbone of the Ontario Ministry of Transportation’s (MTO) initiative to create a clear pathway for past and present military men and women into secure commercial trucking vocations. Ontario Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca has announced that the province will recognize Department of National Defence (DND) 404 military driver’s permits as equivalent to Ontario-issued civilian licences in several categories, including both passenger and commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs), effective July 1. Both Del Duca’s office and the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) fully supported the licensing reciprocity after comparative

studies demonstrated that the training and testing military drivers undergo meets and often exceeds provincial civilian and commercial standards. Meanwhile, federal leaders and the national trucking industry at large have raced the clock to head off a deepening industry-wide shortage expected to total 25,000 to 33,000 drivers by 2020. “The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) has always had a strong relationship with the Canadian military. Today’s announcement by Ontario’s Minister of Transportation Steven Del Duca represents an innovative way to integrate military personal into the trucking industry as they transition into civilian life,” OTA president David Bradley said in a press release.

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OTA’s Late-June Award Deadlines Approaching

here is no “wrong” time to show appreciation for Canada’s exceptionally safe, dependable truck drivers. Even so, time runs out next week to partner with the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA), Volvo Trucks Canada and Bridgestone to nominate aboveand-beyond truckers for two prestigious, exclusive yearly honors. Submissions close on June 29 for both the OTA-Volvo Trucks Canada Ontario Driver of the Year Award and the OTA-Bridgestone Truck Hero Award. Both awards recognize drivers who personify selfless action, courage, integrity, and an uncommon ability to think on one’s feet. Both awards’ criteria for selecting their annual honorees stress a broad definition for heroism. Honorees may stand apart for a single remarkably brave act or an uncommonly consistent track record of kindness and dedication. The Driver of the Year award does come with its own specific requirements. Volvo and the OTA are looking for a professional transport driver whose remarkable performance in and out of the driver’s seat is underscored by a spotless, collision-free driving record.

July 2015 | The Trucking Network | 11

News

EPA Debates Commercial Emission Targets For Phase 2 GHG Mandates

Pan Am Games Traffic Widely Worries Toronto Truckers

y the time the 2015 Pan Am Games close in Toronto on July 26, Greater Toronto Area motor carriers will have no doubt whether or not City leaders and organizers of the games took their traffic congestion concerns to heart. Drivers and fleet managers aren’t simply coming forward with worries. The GTA trucking community comes bearing some cre-

ative solutions, but not without an expressed need for official cooperation. In an extensive recent survey of metropolitan commercial carriers, almost 90 per cent of respondents virtually guaranteed long delays during the two weeks of global athletic competition from July 16-26. Continued on page 47

he Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) fuel-economy expectations for North American OEMs won’t settle at compliance with minimum emission regulations. Instead, the EPA’s Phase 2 GHG mandate will press engine and transmission manufacturers to demonstrate ongoing efficiency improvements, Transport Topics reports. As of June, EPA priorities haven’t fallen strictly in line with what engine manufacturers such as Volvo consider solutions that equitably suit their bottom lines. OEMs predicting a rush to push inadequately tested technology onto the market under overly rigid engine standards have championed something more malleable: define fueleconomy compliance according to flexible combinations of technology equipped to tractor-trailers according to manufacturer design discretions - a “total vehicle performance assessment,” as Volvo Trucks North America president Göran Nyberg deemed it. What OEMs have united to propose lays out commercial vehicles’ fuel-efficiency standards on a level playing field with passenger automobile regulations. While producers argue that the EPA’s suggested assessments would result in heavier, more complex and ultimately more expensive engines that their customers would adopt notably more reluctantly, they suggest that their proposed standards with more openended options for compliance benefit the industry and environment together. OEMs would be more free to explore and improve aerodynamic concepts in combination with tire-roll stability and speed limiter technologies, Nyberg and others predict. www.thetruckingnetwork.ca

July 2015 | The Trucking Network | 13

News

Daimler Trucks N.A., Zonar Systems Officially Declare Partnership

ver five years after the two trucking industry brands’ collaborations began, Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) and Zonar Systems have announced an official partnership. By acquiring a minority ownership, DTNA extends the resources at the vaunted commercial truck manufacturer’s fingertips to advance connected and autonomous vehicle development. Going back more than half a decade, Zonar has kept pace as a leading name in intelligent connectivity. Other firms have joined the telematics race since before 2010, but Daimler AG Board of Management member Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard sees DTNA setting a stage on which Zonar can continue to advance its innovation cycles. “We consistently implement this strategy – and today we have reached an important milestone. Our investment in Zonar will help us to put connected services on the road with even greater speed and variety. We are partnering

Trailer Wizards Celebrates Customers With Food, Fun And A Good Cause

T with a pioneer in this field,” Bernhard said. The two brands forged their present relationship’s foundation half a decade ago by jointly launching DTNA’s widely used Virtual Technician remote diagnostics system. Zonar CEO Brett Brinton foresees future endeavors combining the brands’ resources and innovations birthing something greater than either’s singular legacy. “This is a relationship in which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” said Zonar CEO Brett Brinton. Continued on page 47

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railer Wizards marked a milestone in 2014 with the honor of being named among Canada’s Best Managed Companies. At the sales and service brand’s annual Customer Appreciation Day festivities in Mississauga, the assembled executives, management and staff who keep Trailer Wizards’ wheels rolling left no mistake who truly propels the company forward. As always, the catered lunch was a grand hit with the Trailer Wizards family and their appreciated customers alike. Several lucky attendees hit the raffle jackpot, taking hope an Apple iPad, a flat-screen TV, and several gift cards between themselves. The Mississauga Food Bank was even the recipient of a generously gathered cache of non-perishable donations throughout the event. Continued on page 47

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News

Mack Masters Finale Crowns Canadian Team Inaugural Champions W

hen the dust settled and smoke cleared in Allentown, Penn. in late June, the long-awaited MAck Masters Competition finale crowned a British Columbia squad the nine-month challenge’s inaugural champions. The four-member Babine PG team representing Prince George, B.C.’s Babine Truck & Equipment are now an answer to an industry trivia question. The combined talents of Matthew Giesbrech, Tyler Kronebusch, Clarence oosterhoff and Dan Orser matched their Mack service procedures and systems knowledge against teams from across the U.S. and Canada from the September 2014 kickoff, through ongoing questions, tests and problem-solving tasks, and right up to June’s memorable hands-on climax in Pennsylvania. “Mack Masters is all about recognizing our outstanding technicians who demonstrate the skills, collaboration and problem solving needed to service today’s sophisticated trucks and maximize uptime for our customers,” said Mack Trucks North America president Stephen Roy at the contest’s conclusion. “Each team proved to be a strong competitor in a very close competition. But, at the end of the day, the team from Babine Truck & Equipment came out on top, and we couldn’t be more proud to recognize their commitment to service excellence with the inaugural championship.” A pool that began with 263 North American teams comprised of nearly 1,000 individual participants representing 171 Mack dealerships boiled down to a champion crowned for each of five re-

Mack Trucks crowned team “Babine PG” from Babine Truck & Equipment of Prince George, British Columbia, Canada champion of the inaugural Mack Masters Competition final held at the Mack Customer Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania. From left: Mike Vales, Mack technical service manager, Canada region; Babine Truck & Equipment team members Matthew Giesbrecht, Clarence Oosterhoff, Dan Orser, and Tyler Kronebusch; and Stephen Roy, president, Mack Trucks North America.

gions - Canada, Central, Northeast, Southeast and West. Culling the competitors consumed three rounds filled with online challenges designed to weed out the five best teams of the best. In the end, the five teams rotated among service challenges divided among five stations. One required installing a complete engine harness. Another laid out a troubleshooting scenario involving several service codes. Each was supervised by a knowledgeable panel of Mack experts ready to evaluate and rank each team’s performance. Let the countdown to 2015 begin. Remember: practice makes the master.

Kenworth, Paccar Financial Sweeten ICON 900 Purchase Incentives

reshening up or expanding a fleet with brandnew wheels on the road can be plenty incentive enough to jump on board a shiny new model’s bandwagon. Just in case winning over North American fleets might require just a small additional nudge, Paccar Financial and Kenworth have thrown in 3,000 more reasons to purchase the new Kenworth ICON 900 truck no later than Dec. 31, 2015. Continued on page 47 www.thetruckingnetwork.ca

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News

Armbro To Permanently Close, Enters Receivership

O Premier Bulk Christens Gormley, ON Terminal

une’s proper grand opening of Premier Bulk Systems’ new Gormley, Ont. terminal celebrates a sizable new location that keeps the Premier team close to their homes and and workplace alike and valued customers close to Premier. The catered event and ribbon-cutting ceremony offered an ideal opportunity for the crew and customers to settle in together to the 24,000 sq.-ft. home to 30 staff and 60 drivers on a five-acre lot. Premier CEO and president Kevin Berry’s two-year journey to Gormley from its previous Greater Toronto Area home in Richmond Hill provided a three-times-larger facility key to continuing Premier’s connection to Toronto’s east end. “It’s also close to home for me, and it was one of the only pieces of property that I could put together that had the current zoning for the maintenance facility and trucking terminal headquarters,” Berry explained.

Omnitracs Expansion Headed By Ex-Shaw Tracking VP

ith an agenda for growth into Canada, Omnitracs has turned outside its ranks to an executive with over two decades’ impressive experience at his back. Former Shaw tracking VP Mike Ham has accepted an offer from Omnitracs to oversee the wireless technology firm’s planned Canadian expansion, Ham will serve under the title of vice-president of Omnitracs’ Canadian division. “Having worked with Omnitracs for a number of years, while at Shaw Communications, I have great respect for the company’s dedication to innovation and focus on helping customers streamline operations,” Ham said. Continued on page 47 18 | The Trucking Network | July 2015

ne Greater Toronto Area’s half-centuryplus of service came quietly to an end in June. Trucknews.com confirmed June 24 that Armbro Transport succumbed to inescapable rate pressures and unfavorable market conditions and entered receivership after 57 years in business. President Jim Davidson confirmed that the carrier will close its doors permanently without pursuing a restructuring or revival. A number of Armbro drivers have already found placement with other companies, he said. The equipment will eventually be sold off. Davidson admitted that, despite his best efforts in the year-and-a-half since he took over Armbro’s reins to save the company, he couldn’t turn around its path significantly enough. “It had been failing financially for some time,” he explained. “That would be the result of a number of things, at the top of the list, the marketplace itself. We needed an increase from our customers of 8-10% and you can’t get it. It doesn’t exist, because there’s sufficient competition out there that won’t allow it to happen and it has depressed our rates.”

Trucking’s Old Guard Skeptical Of Load Boards In Style Of Uber

he model that anointed Uber the explosively growing vanguard of the evolving ride-sharing passenger transportation market may not fly within the commercial freight sector. Trucker Path CEO and founder Ivan Tsybaev has an upward-sloping road at his feet to win the trucking industry’s old guard over to his debuting Truckloads Marketplace service, thanks in part to likening popular current load boards to the prolific Craigslist.com - and not in a respectful sense. However TransCore Link Logistics marketing communications manager Karen Campbell-Jones countered with her board’s acknowledged robust credit score, insurance and licensing vitae, Tsybaev countered that the integration between a web-based and integrated Truckloads Marketplace app surpassed what he deemed unwww.thetruckingnetwork.ca

remarkable layouts and inadequate broker and trucker data. Tsybaev has anointed his service “where freight needing regional or long-haul trucking — and trucks needing loads — can connect and make deals.” To say that other boards such as Campbell-Jones’ have taken exception to his selling them short would seem an understatement. “In fact, we do not allow anyone onboard Loadlink who does not meet our strict requirements. We also have a complaints process and will remove any member who is not in compliance,” Campbell-Jones told Todaystrucking.com in late June. TransCore Link Logistics Senior Director and GM Claudia Milicevic added, “Nobody in our space can touch the volume of our customer base...many loyal customers have been with us for 20 plus years.”

News

U.S. Supreme Court Declares Right For Same-Sex Couples To Marry Nationwide

New Cummins Eastern Canada Makes Debut Alongside New Gear On Road Show

merican history will remember June 26, 2015 as the day its institution of marriage vanquished its most polarizing adjective nationwide. With a 5-4 vote and a resonating, poignant majority opinion by Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, the U.S. Supreme Court declared a constitutional right for same-sex couples to marry across America. As the entire country acknowledged, “gay marriage” was no more. As no less than President Barack Obama proclaimed, love won. With commemorative, celebratory rainbow lights shining upon iconic national monuments and buildings from the White House to the entire expanse of the New York skyline, there was only “marriage” for everyone. “No longer may this liberty be denied,” Kennedy wrote. “No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. “As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death.

s introductions to longtime customers go, newly appointed Cummins Eastern Canada president Jeff Van Poucke chose pretty wisely: arrive in Mississauga, ON with a parade of new products to tease. The Toronto native and former licensed heavy-duty mechanic, who assumed the leading diesel manufacturer’s leadership position May 1, dropped in June 22 to meet and greet select invited customers and industry observers as a part of the traveling Cummins Redefining Tour’s limited Canadian dates.

In addition to the exclusive day-long VIP preview event, Van Poucke also joined in on the next day’s open-to-the-public gathering. There was no word on whether he would be traveling to the three remaining Canadian dates on July 21 in Winnipeg, July 24 in Edmonton, and July 27 in Vancouver. Continued on page 47

Dallas Mavericks Make NBA History |With League’s First Indian-Born Draft Pick-Sim Bhuller

rovided he earns his roster spot this coming preseason, Satnam Singh will follow in some large footsteps. The NBA’s Dallas Mavericks last month etched Singh’s names in the record books, making the 7-foot-2-inch 19-year-old the league’s first Indian-born draft pick. Singh will join the NBA with his work cut out for him: analysts predict the 52nd overall selection will undergo lengthy seasoning in

the NBA Developmental League before being considered for the Mavs’ roster. Even if he never suits up in a Dallas jersey, the young man from a small Punjabi village called Billoke finds himself in rare company. "I wish to become the greatest player in the world," he told CNN. "I want to uphold the honor of India, the USA and of my coach and make basketball a prominent sport in India."

Bandstra Driver Named B.C. Grand Champion Trucker

ongratulations are in order for a British Columbia driver recently proven to rank among Canada’s very best. Bandstra Transportation driver Kris Szigeti was the operator standing tall as Grand Champion of the 2015 British Columbia Professional Truck Driving Championships on June 20. More than 40 drivers from across the province converged on the Fraser Valley Trade & Exhibition Centre - better known as Tradex - in Abbotsford, B.C. to compete for the top places in their classes. Among other honorees, Overland West Freight Lines Ltd. newcomer William Grant MacDonald took home this year’s Rookie of the Year award. The Safety Award went to Air Liquide’s Dave Lighton, and the Team Trophy was shared by the Canadian Freightways trio of Tony Gomez, Evan Hirst and Rob Balan and the duo of Challenger Motor Freight representatives Harjinder Sangha and David Stegg. These drivers and others listed below will now represent British Columbia in competition against other provincial winners at Canada’s National Championships in Regina, SK Sept. 11-13.

Straight Truck • Third: Tony Gomez - Canadian Freightways • Second: Dean Grant - Agrifoods • First: Kris Szigeti - Bandstra Transportation Single-Single • Third: Donald Tallon - YRC Reimer • Second: Evan Hirst - Canadian Freightways • First: Terry Loftus - YRC Reimer Single-Tandem • Third: Pat Spence - CNTL • Second: Gord Foster - YRC

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Reimer • First: Rob Balan - Canadian Freightways Tandem-Tandem • Third: David Stagg Challenger Motor Freight • Second: Kyle McDonal Comox Pacific Express • First: Murray Lipp - Overland West Freight Lines Ltd. B-Train • Third: Joseph McDonald Dept. of National Defense • Second: William Grant MacDonald - Overland West Freight Lines Ltd. • First: David Lighton - Air Liquide July 2015 | The Trucking Network | 19

Recruitment

It’s All in the Wording… By Glenn Caldwell Vice-President- Sales, Healthy Trucker

22 | The Trucking Network | July 2015

kay, this article is going to start this article off a bit differently: Cna yuo raed tihs? Tehy say …olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can. i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno’t mtaetr in what oerdr the ltteres in a word are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the human mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the word as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! On the surface, insurance policies really look the same. Just like when reading the above paragraph, policy wording is sometimes difficult to get through and very few people actually review their policy wording to truly understand the benefits they are purchasing. www.thetruckingnetwork.ca

Recruitment In many cases the analysis does point out some additional low cost features of their program, but they neglect to point out that their policy wording has some very important limitation that would leave their OO’s (and the fleet) fully exposed

mark their suppliers from time to time to ensure costs are in line with what’s available in the marketplace. Saving money is something we all want to do, and I strongly agree it’s good to take a look at our options every now and then to ensure our O/O’s are getting the most out of their hard earned money. However, it is important to get all the facts before making a change, so remember as my dear mother always said, “If it sounds too good to be true it

usually is.” Saving money on our insurance (disability, drug/dental, home or auto) is something that we all want to do however be sure to review the policy details with someone that knows what to look for (your broker or specialist in that field) before making a change. Getting all the facts up front certainly avoids those uncomfortable conversations at claim time… It’s all in the wording.

I am embarrassed to admit I’m also speaking from experience; A few years back, I returned from a trip to a basement full of water and was shocked to find out that my home insurance policy did not cover water damage if it came in the window. I chuckled when friend of mine asked why I hadn’t reviewed my policy for limitation/ exclusions, as I’m constantly telling others to do. I guess I fell into the trap like most people and just filed the policy with my other important documents. Needless to say, I now have a different home insurance provider. When O/O’s are researching what alternatives to WSIB they should purchase, they usually want to know two things: how much it will pay them if they are injured and unable to work, and of course, the cost. However, we know the reality is that there is a lot more to a policy than those two things. Recently we have been getting a number of inquiries from our members and fleets to compare our program to a lower cost program that has surfaced in the market place. The first question I usually ask is, “Has this competitor provided you a copy of their wording with the analysis they provided you?” Nine times out of ten, the answer is “no”. In many cases the analysis does point out some additional low cost features of their program, but they neglect to point out that their policy wording has some very important limitation that would leave their OO’s (and the fleet) fully exposed. It makes perfect sense for a fleet to benchwww.thetruckingnetwork.ca

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Driver Health

HAMSTRINGS - Back Pain’s Missing (Or Missed) Link TTN Writer

o any given experienced trucker, back pain is nothing new. Face it, an aching lower back comes with the territory. A semi’s constant heavy vibration under the cockpit beats constantly on a driver’s legs, tailbone and hips. The lower back absorbs this ongoing impact while remaining positioned uncomfortably upright and stationary longer than nature ever intended. All the while, a large neighboring muscle group - one of the densest and strongest the human body has to offer, we might add - quietly adds to the tightness: your hamstrings. If you exit the cab at your drive’s end with your back feeling like it has an unforgiving iron rod running up its middle, these large muscles running from the backs of your knees to the bottom of your glutes may hold the secret to easing the pain, if not the root cause of it.

common cause of occupational lower-back pain. That’s the bad news: though cab designs have become more ergonomically sound as driver health and comfort has been taken into greater consideration, nothing entirely eradicates trucking’s prolonged upright posture. The good news? Make a routine these simple, gentle hamstring stretches a ritual, and the reduction in pain may surprise you. • FIGURE-4 STRETCH

Here’s a great example of something for which your body will thank you that takes so little time daily, it will never feel like an inconvenience once it becomes habitual: repeating this simple stretch four times takes

“TILT”

Let’s suppose for a second that you’ve never thought about Mother Nature’s blueprint for your legs. These three muscles connecting your pelvis at the buttocks to the back of the femur are responsible bending your knee and extending your hip to pull your thigh behind you.The back pain they can cause begins when they tighten up and pull the back of the pelvis downward. This takes away the small natural curve the lower back should exhibit. Tightening the hamstrings also shortens them. That constant downward pull works them overtime to hold your body upright because the spine is under newly increased pressure. The lower-back muscles can tire and weaken over time and the muscles that have to compensate for that weakness themselves eventually become strained. As a result, pain and muscular imbalances spread quickly with ongoing unnatural postures. In fact, this is arguably the most 24 | The Trucking Network | July 2015

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a whole combined two minutes. Start out sitting on a flat, solid surface with one leg and foot fully straightened in front. With your other leg bent, touch the inside of your straightened knee or thigh with the other foot. Keep your back straight, your buttocks sticking out just a bit, and your head and body facing forward. Lower at the waist toward the straight leg as far as you can and hold for 30 seconds until you feel minor discomfort. Repeat for the other side, then one more time for each. You’ve just woken up your hamstrings and gone to town on your lower-back pain in less than the time it takes to pop a bag of microwave popcorn.

Driver Health Hold either version between 30 and 40 seconds, repeating as you may feel necessary. DOCTOR’S ORDERS

• TOWEL/BELT/BAND HAMSTRING STRETCH

This one is a simple but moderately challenging favorite in many yoga classes as a warm-up. You’ll need either a towel, belt, or stretchy exercise band and some room to lay flat on your back. When you lay down, keep one leg extended straight in front with toes pointed upward. Pull the other to your chest, also keeping those toes toward the ceiling. Loop your towel, band or belt around the sole of your near foot. Keeping the accessory pulled tight with some light resistance, push the leg upward and straighten it before pulling it toward your head. Hold for about thirty seconds and repeat for the other side. If you prefer, you can also stretch your hamstrings in this fashion by raising one leg until the thigh is perpendicular to the floor, holding your thigh behind the knee, and straightening the leg as described above.

In essence, when it comes to releasing pressure by lengthening the hamstrings, we aren’t recommending much that a qualified physical therapist wouldn’t. Be that as it may, a professional can address chronic, acute lowerback pain in a much more structured fashion. For severe cases, a therapist will likely design an inclusive program that treats both the pain and its causes through a battery of approaches. For starters, heat- or cold-based therapies combined with whirlpool, ultrasound and/or electrical stimulation sessions may reduce or relieve swelling, pain and tightness by circulating more blood to tightened and strained muscle tissue. At the same time, expect a recommended exercise and stretching program to return and even improve strength and endurance to the lower back and hamstrings. The more active exercise and stretching approaches may even include your therapist partnering with you on joint mobilization and manual stretching routines. You may also receive recommendations for deep-tissue massage/trigger point release and myofascial release treatments. The end goal is for these approaches to improve your range of motion, return muscular and joint functions to their normal capacities, and reduce overall paint.

• STANDING AND CHAIR STRETCHES

Admittedly these two are basically the same stretch. The difference being, those who may lack natural flexibility or just aren’t used to habitual stretching may find the chair variation a bit more gentle while still effective at unraveling tension. Anyone who has ever taken a scholastic physical education class or played an organized sport has probably performed the standing version: start out standing with straight legs, then gently bend forward at the waist while letting the arms hang down. Try touching your toes. Stretch gently to the point of discomfort, but not pain. Alternately, sit in a steady chair and extend both your legs forward. Keep them positioned that way while you lean forward as you would if performing the standing stretch. www.thetruckingnetwork.ca

July 2015 | The Trucking Network | 25

Driver Health

WATERED DOWN - Health, Hydration & The Hazards Of Driving Dry TTN Writer

nyone who would claim driving simply can’t be physically demanding must be making a habit of never getting behind a wheel between June and August. It’s a myth most often kept alive by snarky detractors of professional auto racing who insist that “driving really fast isn’t a ‘real’ sport.” Of course, especially in the dog-days of summer, this argument ignores the basic fact that human beings cram themselves into large metal enclo-

sures that not only conduct massive levels of heat during the hottest months of the year, but also generate tremendous heat themselves just by running their engines. Now, add to these brutal conditions the natural reality that Mother Nature didn’t draw up the human body to function best when sitting bolt upright for hours at a time. 26 | The Trucking Network | July 2015

Few conditions could make for a more generally unhealthy (at best) or even dangerous (at worst) scenario than depriving a body under these conditions of something that makes up 60 per cent of its composition: water. Groundbreaking research published as recently as April 2015 has proven that significant dehydration can impair driver performance to a degree on par with driving drunk. When limited to as little as 25ml of water per hour - roughly five normal-sized sips participants in a Loughborough University

study in the UK matched the number of mistakes made by drivers under controlled conditions who were allowed to get behind the wheel while over the legal limit, about 0.08 per cent. To put a finer point on it, both tallied double the errors committed by properly hydrated operators. Those reported slip-ups included drifting into other lanes, braking too late www.thetruckingnetwork.ca

and crossing onto lane lines and rumble strips - all of them, actions that can and frequently do cause accidents. Trucking is, without a doubt, an occupation propelled by caffeine. Coffee, energy drinks, soft drinks, even pills - these are such stuff as long hauls on tight schedules are made of. So it has been, and so it shall mostly remain. Be that as it may, the more we learn about the human body, the more clear it becomes that nothing keeps a trucker primed and alert quite like keeping a steady supply of water close at hand.

WATER ON THE BRAIN

Nobody can deprive his or her human body of that which makes up a significant majority of it without paying a price. Waste away the water, and on every level, your body will harp on you until you either give it what it demands or it gives out entirely. Basically, it goes through a panic attack.

Driver Health sodium crucially keeps fluids moving through the body via sweat, sodium deprivation speeds up dehydration. The human body can require anywhere from hours to days to recover from dehydration. This leaves professional racers with a curious dilemma. Many drivers will carry not much more than 16 to 20 ounces of oral fluids in their vehicles during a race. Why? Because carrying a great deal more would mitigate precise efforts to reduce a vehicle’s weight as far as

possibly. That means racers can lose up to 10 pounds of water during an event due to willingly spending two or more hours in an extremely hot vehicle with as little water handy as possible. Interestingly, during some endurance racers such as the Daytona International Speedway’s Rolex 24, rotating shifts of drivers alternate time behind the wheel while others rehydrate - often with help from an IV - while awaiting their next turns. Continued on page 49

One experiment found that limiting certain adult male and female volunteers’ fluid intakes progressively eroded their concentration and attention spans at increasing intervals of 13, 24 and 37 hours of dehydration. All of them experienced significant reductions in alertness, concentration and shortterm memory. Participants also reported feeling much more tired and sluggish. In another experiment, researchers monitored the hydration of U.S. Army officers relative to their performances and moods throughout 53 hours of intensive training. The tests unsurprisingly demonstrated diminished results in reaction times, memory, reasoning and vigilance - massively diminished, in fact. On top of that, the dehydrated soldiers also admitted to increased tension, confusion, exhaustion, and depressed moods. With all that in mind, what time has proven among the world’s most physically taxed drivers bears out that no one who has ever experienced a top-level competitive race from behind the wheel would debate the physical exertion of long stretches keeping an exceptional vehicle moving safely. ALWAYS ON THE RUN

Truckers, family road-trippers and competitive racers have something obvious but interesting in common: all three categories, at some point or another, will limit their drinking either because they cannot make a bathroom stop under their circumstances or choose to do so. The UK study referenced earlier points out that the hotter the car, the more the high temperatures exacerbate dehydration. While www.thetruckingnetwork.ca

July 2015 | The Trucking Network | 27

Driver Safety

Ode to the Safety Managers

H By Ray J Haight Safe driving! CEO, Transrep Inc. rhaight@transrep.ca

28 | The Trucking Network | July 2015

ello folks hope all is well, I am laying the framework and a set of rules for all the safety personnel that this industry depends on so heavily. My friend and college Mr. Jim O’Neil, President of O&S Trucking, put it as directly as I have heard, Jim made safety his platform as Chairman of TCA just before I was rewarded that honour, Jim stood in front of a crowded room of his peers and stated loud and clear that ‘Safety was a moral imperative to the trucking industry”. I love that quote and whenever I get the opportunity to use it, I do, giving Jimmy full credit for being its creator of course. If you’re a driver at a company that does not recognize safety as one of its primary values you’re in a dangerous situation. If you think about it from one of these companies’ perspectives, safety is a drain on resources. This departwww.thetruckingnetwork.ca

ment produces no revenue and should exist to keep the company on the plus side of legal and nothing more. The enlightened know that this is not the case; as a matter of fact an ongoing investment in safety is actually an investment in the longevity for a well ran company. An effective safety department is the cornerstone of a well ran trucking company and effects every department. It will affect turnover positively and will create driver loyalty how does it do that, when you invest in the safety and well being of employees it shows them that you are concerned for them and are prepared to invest in their future. It will help keep insurance rates at bay, including WSIB, roadside assistance, company benefits etc., it attracts a better quality of personal to the company, it assist greatly in on time performance on customer freight etc., etc.

Driver Saftey

In my past life I had a couple of very good safety managers’ work for me and I did my utmost to support them in their difficult role. I attribute much of any success I have had over the years to these individuals and I thank them. A couple of the rules your about to read come out of that experience and my absolute respect and admiration for the folks who have chosen to take on our most valued resource, our drivers, and train and them to be responsible safe driving professionals.

regulated industries there is when it comes to the rules of the road. A good safety manager must know when to use the carrot and when to use the stick, it’s a fine line, but the best in the industry have this talent. Rule 3, keep it fresh, there is nothing more boring that having a safety meeting where the Manager gets up in front of a group of drivers with his 4 X 8 foot log book and rails the crowd on how to fill it out. I am not saying that this is not necessary, it might be in certain situa-

Here is a bit of advice to those drivers who are reading this article and might be thinking of looking for a new job, it might not be your favourite subject but if you search out those companies who demonstrate a true commitment to safety you will be the winner in the end Rule 1, If I could I would legislate that every company over, let’s say 30 trucks, must have a safety manager on staff and that manger must have their CDS certification (Certified Director of Safety). One of the efforts from my past I am most proud of was bringing Mr. Jeff Arnold Executive Director of NATMI (North American Training and Management Institute) in to meet with the safety division of the OTA and getting unanimous support to offer this training in Ontario, check them out at www.natmi.org. If you see an individual’s resume or plaque on the wall showing CDS certification you are dealing with a safety professional who warrants serious consideration. Rule 2, safety managers must have a healthy dose of common sense when it comes to enforcing and creating the rules of behaviour. This industry is one of the most heavily

tions, but this message is best done mixed in with other messages and speakers. News flash drivers want to know what is going on in the industry outside of their trucks and CB radios. You can make your meetings interesting by inviting guest speakers; bring folks up to date on the latest news from the company and the industry at large, whatever it takes but keep it interesting. Rule 4, ask your drivers for feedback and input on your department and what they need to be safer operators, nothing makes people feel engaged like asking them their opinion, nothing! Beware here though you absolutely have to respond to the feedback you get, as powerful as asking for peoples feedback is it can be just as much a negative if you do not let them know that you valued their input. Feedback can be gained by running company draws, fill out a survey www.thetruckingnetwork.ca

and your name is entered for company items, jackets coolers etc. Let them know that they have input into the safety program at your company. Rule 5, recognition of individual positive behaviour will reinforce that behaviour to happen again and again, as a Safety Manager your job is not to just search out the bad guys it is also to recognize the hero’s and the top performers. Truckload Carriers Association has a great program for this call Highway Angels and a great safety division. Check them out at www.truckload.org. When I was chairman of TCA I had the opportunity to spend some time with the division at their annual meeting and at the planning session for their meeting and it in all honesty it rejuvenated my spirit for this industry just being around these folks and picking up on their passion for what they do. Here is a bit of advice to those drivers who are reading this article and might be thinking of looking for a new job, it might not be your favourite subject but if you search out those companies who demonstrate a true commitment to safety you will be the winner in the end. These companies likely have sound equipment and a strong commitment to maintenance. They likely have a clean and healthy work environment, they likely demonstrate employee and owner operator loyalty in as many ways as they can find and they likely try and get your family involved in as many ways as possible. Want to work for a winner find a company with a strong dynamic safety department and you have likely found a good home. Safe trucking Rjh July 2015 | The Trucking Network | 29

Safety & Compliance

It’s All A Question of Balance

Tony Hayton V.P. Airtab Global Sales at Worldcrest Management Inc. in Ottawa, 613-724-9094, antony_hayton@yahoo.com

30 | The Trucking Network | July 2015

earching for the right answers and looking for ways to improve are all a part of life, and also of business. Finding the logical choices and the things that really work though are not always as easy as they should be or even as they sound. For us who are in the transport industry there are many many choices and options available, and some would say far too many. For those looking for ways to reduce costs the options are quite varied and many. If we simplify the concept of trucking, or what a truck is, we can say that in essence it is a box and an engine going down the road on wheels. The wheels and the tires are the only direct contact to road itself. But because of that they are also a major source of friction and subject to wear. Reducing both can save operators money. In fact there are products on the market that say savings all come down to a question of balance. How simple is that? Let’s find out. Despite appearances, no tire is completely round and smooth. Every tire has heavy spots that cause an imbalance in the wheel www.thetruckingnetwork.ca

assembly. When you drive, these heavy spots are pulled outward by the centrifugal force of the wheel’s rotation, making your vehicle vibrate or shimmy. This shimmy and/or vibration are one of the most common signs that your wheels are out of balance. You’ll generally start to notice the effects at about 35 mp/h, and the vibration will become more pronounced as your speed increases. If you feel this vibration most strongly through the steering wheel that indicates a front wheel is out of balance. If it’s through the driver’s seat that means your rear wheels are out of balance. In addition to being annoying this vibration or shimmy also creates: un-even tire wear, unnecessary wear on shocks, suspension, and increased fuel consumption. If we accept these concepts and premises then obviously there is a need to find a solution to them. The combination of increased tire wear and fuel consumption can be costly, especially when you start to consider the number of wheels that a big rig has on the road. The further you travel and the higher the speeds the more expensive these issues

Safety & Compliance become. Truth is, it is all about science, the science of physics. The number one physics problem is friction. It is simply just going to happen, because when rubber meets road, and there is weight and speed there is always going to be friction and friction creates heat. If the wheel assembly (tire, hub, brakes, and bearings) are out of balance there will be more friction, which means more heat, more tire wear and worse fuel consumption. The wheel assembly is not just a tire and a wheel, it includes the tire, the hub, the brake assembly and the bearings. If you think about it, it is hard to imagine that they would all be in perfect balance. Additionally a tire going at 60 mp/h is rotating fully 400 or even up to 500 times a minute. That means that the balance points on the tire are also changing 400 to 500 times a minute! Add a stone here or spit out a stone there from a tire and you can easily see why and how that this can happen. Plus, if the wheel assembly is out of balance to begin with, then it is obvious that the balance will continue to change with each and every tire rotation. How do you suppose to keep everything in balance given those scenarios? In North America there are 3 main companies that manufacture products that offer to alleviate this problem by using a concept known as constant wheel balancing. Of these companies two, Balance Masters and Centramatic are based in the U.S. and one, Centra Balance is Canadian. The products that these companies sell are disc like rims that fit to wheel assemblies. They look like a long play record with a round hollow tube running all along the outside edge. The tube contains their active ingredient which is usually a heavy liquid metal or similar. These discs manage to constantly balance the wheels as they rotate using centrifugal force. Centamatic’s rim uses oil and buckshot flowing or floating in the thin tube on the outside edge of their disc. Similar to that concept, both Balance Masters and Centra Balance use liquid metal that constantly flows inside the round tubes on the outside edge of their discs. As the wheels spin, these heavy fluids are in constant motion as they flow to equalize the weight or balance of the wheel assembly, and thereby constantly balancing the wheel as the truck speeds down

the roadway. This constant balancing is accomplished by using Newton’s Third Law: “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” So, for us that means that any out of balance part of the wheel is compensated or evened out by the liquids within the disc. As one part of the wheel pulls one way because it is out of balance, the liquids in the rim pull the opposite way to even the balance out. Newton’s Third Law in use to balance truck wheels. As Centra Balance, Canada’s product says of it’s product, “it’s a self adjusting balancing which

they all claim that fuel consumption is also reduced. When you think about it, it makes sense. It takes less energy to pull something that is in balance rather than out of balance. Centra Balance’s Prince continues, saying that fuel savings of about 5% are possible. He tells of an owner operator in Quebec driving a 2013 Peterbilt with a flat bed trailer, equipped with his product that previously had a fuel consumption of 37 litres per 100 km. improve to 31 litres per 100 km. This starts to add up to significant cost savings all around, extended tire life, increased fuel

offers you guaranteed performance and savings. It works by centrifugal force which precisely positions the liquid in counterweight positions. This will eliminate the problem of tire cupping, reduces vibrations resonance making for a smoother ride.” Centrabalance also works with gravity to create a down force effect the holds the tire down on the road. This gives the tire more footprint and better control in cold, icy and wet conditions, this of course is an important safety factor. According to Len Prince, CEO of Canada’s Centra Balance his customers are learning that they save on both fuel and tire replacement. He has customers in Canada and the US and now he will also be providing his industry leading product to Australian truckers as well. He and his competitors claim that their products give an average of between 40 and 50% greater tire life. That’s quite a cost saving in tires alone. But that’s not all,

mileage, improved handling. So how much do these constant tire balancing systems cost you might ask? Per axle on the trailer or drive wheels the cost for Centra Balance is $350. For steer wheels on a tractor the cost is $150 per wheel. When you consider the savings the costs seem quite reasonable. According to Len Prince at Centra Balance he says that 65% of his customers buy steer wheels and the 35% a all the wheels on tractor and trailers. If you do the math, these constant balancing products pay for themselves quite quickly. Saving you in the pocket book but also saving the environment too. A real win win scenario in the truest sense. When you start to analyze the need to balance versus the cost savings involved it becomes quite apparent that putting more money back in your pocket may very much involve getting just the right balance.

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