The Trucking Network June 2015 (web edition) by The Trucking Network Inc

G 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, Marian Lippa, Rod Stiller, Dave Raynsford, Harmanjit Jhand and Raj Harjika ADVERTISING INQURIES 647-818-2121 nav@thetruckingnetwork.ca DESIGN art@thetruckingnetwork.ca VISIT US ONLINE AT www.thetruckingnetwork.ca HEAD OFFICE 1-800-508-1214, publication Mail Aggrement # 42703019

PUBLICATION The Trucking Network is a monthly bilingual magazine

thetruckingnetwork

Bring’ Em Back….

June, 2015

Health and Wellness of Ontario Truck Drivers

THE PURSUIT OF THE CUP: Coffee Vs. Tea

Nothing is more elusive than an obvious fact!

AUTOMATION FOR THE PEOPLE: Nevada, Daimler And Our Industry’s Most Stunning Chapter

Guidelines For Buying A Used Truck Tractor

New Season = New Insurance Risks

Bollywood gossip

DEEPENING DEVASTATION Nepal Rocked By Second Earthquake In Two Months

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE: Never, Ever An Excuse

Driver Shortage – Principal concern of the trucking industry

DIGITAL DRIVE Monthly Highlights In Trucking Tech

Editorial

Closing The Jackknife We at The Trucking Network don’t buy into absolutes.

othing that any human being could ever attempt could achieve absolute accident prevention. The Law of Averages laughs at the very idea. Entropy laughs even harder, until milk shoots from its nose. Stick with us on this one daydream, though. An average 80 per cent of truck drivers killed in accidents annually die in wrecks caused by jackknifed rigs. Now, imagine a 12-month campaign of disciplined industry-wide emphasis on awareness of the driver errors and road conditions that cause jackknifes, with an 80-per-cent year-to-year reduction in these dangerous events as the target. Could any of us hope to quantify not only how much safer we could make our highways across North America, but the extent to which that achievement would further cement our industry as the undisputed worldwide leader in cost-effective, dependable supply-chain transportation? We hereby lay down this challenge. There are few wrecks more wildly hazardous or inherent to our profession than a jackknife, but the here’s what makes them truly tragic: the most frequently occurring root causes of jackknives trace back to fundamental safety practices in which drivers and dock personnel alike are trained from Day One. No driver ever really becomes an expert in surviving a jackknife without first-hand experience, but there is no excuse for any newly minted driver receiving a CDL before displaying an understanding of the causes and correct responses when a rig goes haywire. Jackknifing often begins with a particularly risky weight distribution. Heavy loads maintain consistent traction by pressing the freight down over the wheels. An empty trailer or one with an unbalanced load doesn’t have the weight to keep the trailer centered behind the tractor. Since manufacturers design both especially to bear full loads, the vehicle can overpower the trailer and whip it wildly when strong brakes lock up and begin a skid. Drivers may brake heavily on any of a number of surface conditions, but applying the retarder or engine brake can lock up the lone drive axle it acts upon on a slippery surface. Braking on all wheels distributes force more evenly and safely. Apply the brakes particularly gently before applying a retarder when descending a slippery hill or engaging a low gear. To avoid the skid and jackknife that almost inevitably results from attempting to brake and swerve simultaneously, keep in control by slowing the vehicle down as much as possible with the brake before releasing it to swerve and reapplying it after the

We need your feedback

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

swerve if necessary. In any event, press the brake pedal - never stomp on it - and press the clutch if you need an emergency stop. Whenever possible, your braking should begin as early as is feasible over the longest distance you reasonable can manage. Keep a safe distance and anticipate slowdowns and obstacles to give yourself room to brake progressively and gradually diminish your speed. Under normal circumstances, an aware driver shouldn’t typically need to brake or decelerate into a curve - the time for braking ends with the straight line that leads into a curve or turn. By the time you release your brakes as you begin it, you should have already slowed more than necessary and have the traction in the drive wheels to speed up as your progress through the curve. Don’t take for granted that the trailer will follow straight behind in a left or right turn-off in a downhill turn. These are prime zones for jackknifes because momentum and gravity are hell-bent on shoving the trailer straight down the decline. The only safe way to go about it is to slow down carefully or even come to a total stop until you’re certain you have the trailer’s momentum in hand. Anti-lock braking systems are truly wonderful things. If you drive an ABS-equipped truck - and, let’s face it, that’s practically a contemporary certainty - your vehicle can prevent its own wheel lockup by shifting its braking force automatically when the ABS detects a tire skid. That being said, care to guess what the even more consistently effective strategy is? Avoiding skidding. If your rig does start one, correct carefully by taking your foot immediately off the brake and gaining control the same way you learned to in a typical passenger vehicle. So, here’s a question: why address this now? Summer isn’t exactly the season most closely associated with increasingly hazardous highway conditions. We answer that point, “Exactly.” North American carriers and drivers have the luxury of four months to hone their understandings of the anatomy of a jackknife - prevention and responses alike - before the fall and winter months, when inclement weather can create dangerous conditions ripe for catching drivers unprepared and inspiring what can be tragic occurrences. Take this time to study, refresh, practice and prepare to take on an industry-wide crusade to close jackknifes for good.

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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Company Profile

8 | The Trucking Network | June 2015

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June 2015 | The Trucking Network | 9

News

CCJ EXPERTS: Safety Spending Yields Big Overall ROI It is often a pivotal bottom-line question that assesses any company’s investment: how quickly does it “pay for itself?” The “Adopting Advanced Safety Technology” panel at the 2015 CCJ Spring Symposium isn’t so sure fleet managers haven’t underestimated the ultimately substantial return on investment (ROI) that wellmanaged safety systems can quickly yield. Moderated by CCJ technology editor Aaron Huff, the assembly of diversely schooled industry mind agreed significant safety innovation from anti-lock brakes to in-cab cameras and advanced collision warning systems have put off some resistant drivers initially, but ultimately proved fiscally beneficial through repair, maintenance and downtime costs diminished by fewer preventable accidents. In addition to more drivers returning safely home to their families, trusting innovations tailored to safer highways have ultimately also cut down turnover as carriers find themselves firing fewer drivers for negligence. The panel of Cargo Transporters president

Dennis Dellinger, Saia LTL Freight senior regional safety manager Chris Wright and Pitt Ohio VP of safety Jeff Mercadante agreed that resistance to a focus on safety can be plenty telling in itself.

“Over time that we realized that ‘safety’ and ‘family’ go hand-in-hand as a corporate culture. And really, ‘safety’ is the paramount issue. Because safe drivers go home to their families in the evenings,” Dellinger said. “If you have a professional driver, they’ll work through it.”

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This June, Be Rad In Plaid For Dad

ashionable traditions dictate that June marks the last months in the calendar year to wear white. For what it’s worth, we recommend embracing a touch of 1990’s grunge nostalgia or even traditional Scottish couture and support Prostate Cancer Canada on June 19 by Wearing Plaid for Dad. In the home stretch toward Father’s Day, we urge men and families across the country to raise awareness and support for the one in eight fathers, husbands, brothers, sons and grandfathers statistically expected to face a prostate cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. The hope is that workplaces nationwide will organize the most colorful events in Canada’s history that encourage employee engagement and donations or simply turn eyes toward the seriousness of prostate cancer’s shadow over men everywhere. With the Ontario Trucking Association’s Spring Board Retreat and golf tournament taking place June 18-19 in Muskoka, OTA board member James Steed of Steed Standard Transport has already honored his own father’s battle with prostate cancer by donating a trailer bearing the Prostate Cancer Canada logo and actively rallying fundraising for the cause.

June 2015 | The Trucking Network | 11

News

Stability Control Rule “Technology Fatigue” In Face Of Emission Approved, Speed Rules Exhausting Trucking Industry Limiter Proposal t the rate emission-rule deadlines tighten Volvo Trucks North America president Göran Enters Final Stretch Atheir coils around the trucking industry, Nyberg’s perception of imminent Phase 2 GH “exhaust” may soon actively what the relentless pace of “technology fatigue” does to supply chain stakeholders with an endless sea of add-ons.

regulations inspired a warning via Heavy Duty Trucking during a Volvo Ocean Race stopover to think carefully about truck technology’s pace of advancement. (Continued on page 47)

ne rule proposed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) after lengthy development has passed White House muster, while another has entered the last mile toward approval. The White House’s Office of Management and Budget stamped the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposal for mandatory electronic stability control systems on all new trucks with its final approval. The thumbs-up makes way for the final rule to be published in the Federal Register likely by early June. After the final rule takes full effect two years from its date of publication, all commercial truck manufacturers must equip all new vehicles with systems designed to maintain a truck’s balance in order to curtail rollover and loss-ofcontrol accidents. Elsewhere, a more controversial proposal has reached the White House for its final hurdle prior to becoming a Final Rule. The Office of Management and Budget will not reveal details of the proposed rule jointly formulated by the FMCSA and NHTSA until it undergoes an estimated cost-benefit review. The general public will have 60 days to provide feedback on the proposed rule if it is cleared and published before granting it approval to be published in the Federal Register as a Final Rule. As a potential sticking point, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) have recommended a 65 MPH setting in the event the rule passes. www.thetruckingnetwork.ca

June 2015 | The Trucking Network | 13

News

Trimble Co., PeopleNet Agree To Buy Cadec Global Inc.

mong May’s merger & transaction updates, the purchase of Cadec Global Inc.’s privately held assets now lends muscle in the fleet technology marketplace to recently announced buyers Trimble Co. and its companion operation PeopleNet. Neither side discussed the deal’s details, PeopleNet’s fleet mobility technology and transportation system interests stand to benefit from Cadec’s driver and truck-based platforms and back-office analytic tools. For its own part, Trimble anticipates great strides in safety, compliance, cost reduction and customer service performance. “This acquisition combines the best of both Cadec and PeopleNet,” said PeopleNet president Brian McLaughlin. “Cadec brings its expertise in world-class web enterprise, business intelligence and back-end analyt-

Mexico-To-Canada Autonomous Vehicle Highway Under Discussion

ics tools to the company, while PeopleNet brings its industry-leading mobile platforms, complementary machine-to-machine and cloud-based technologies and infrastructure along with its strong financial position. Together, our companies will leverage the enhanced expertise of both organizations to bring innovative technology and service solutions to the foodservice and private fleet industries and the transportation industry as a whole.”

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ne of the biggest ripples generated by Nevada issuing North America’s first autonomous truck license to the Freightliner Inspiration in May could soon sweep its way from Canada down to Mexico. The Central North American Trade Corridor Association (CNATCA) has proposed connecting the Mexican border first to Brownsville, TX and eventually Manitoba via self-driving truck corridor built alongside U.S. Highway 83. Mexican, Canadian and U.S. government officials are expected to meet soon with CNATCA members following a recently completed feasibility study-planning meeting in Bismarck, ND. The inspiration for the project’s consideration stems from a belief truck drivers could move freight more efficiently without competing with crowded railroads or jockeying for space on highways filled with passenger motorists.

June 2015 | The Trucking Network | 15

News

Marine Atlantic Continues Ferry Service With Two New Vessels M

arine Atlantic made the addition of the MV Blue Puttees and MV Highlanders to its ferry service the capstone of the Canadian federal government’s $375-million investment in the company last month. The two vessels will ferry over a portion of Marine Atlantic’s 100,000-plus yearly commercial vehicles and passengers between Port aux Basques, NL and North Sydney, NS, continuing their service between the two provinces that began in 2011. Each vessel reportedly cost $100 million, leaving the remaining $175,000 in federal investment to cover capital projects and other operational costs. That annual passenger load accounts for more than 50% of all goods that travel between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. “We are very excited with this announcement and the benefits for our customers,” said Marine Atlantic president and CEO Paul Griffin. “These vessels will provide positive results for Marine Atlantic’s service for years to come. We have already witnessed significant improvements over the past five-years;

this new funding envelope will see that momentum continue into the future.” The federal government previously made a five-year funding commitment worth $521 million in 2010. That government aid upgraded shore-based Marine Atlantic infrastructure and renewed the carrier’s business processes and fleet. Since joining the Marine Atlantic fleet, the MV Blue Puttees and MV Highlanders

have operated on charter agreements while dramatically improving vessel reliability, building additional capacity, adding cabins customer-seating space to both ships, and introducing a range of new amenities. The Crown previously announced a February extension for the MV Atlantic Vision, which connects Newfoundland and Labrador to the rest of Canada.

Titanium Transportation Reports Flying Q1 Start To 2015

68-per-cent revenue surge topped Titanium Transportation Group, Inc.’s first quarter of 2014 by $24 million, the carrier reported in its first earnings report since becoming a publicly traded company this past April. Titanium built $14.7 million in new truck transportation revenue to grow 63 per cent yearover-year from Q1 2014 en route to improving its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) by 145 per cent - $2.8 million, total. Continued on page 47 www.thetruckingnetwork.ca

June 2015 | The Trucking Network | 17

News

April Dive In Trailer Orders Doesn’t Faze Analysts

M Sign-Ups Open For Flo Components Lubrication Training

ll things considered, a bearing failure brought on by improper lubrication never has to bring your truck to a halt again. One major component manufacturer determined recently that neglected lubrication causes half of all bearing failures, and Flo Components wants to change that with a sixth year of Lube Basics seminars coming soon across Ontario. This is an opportune time to gather at sessions in Kitchener, Mississauga, Timmins and Thunder Bay for lube training that blends theory with practical demonstrations and learning. • Basic principles of friction/wear, lubricants and lubricant types; • Grease properties/compatibility/applications; • Introduction to manual lubrication; • Lubricant handling, transfer and storage procedures; • And general automatic lube system operation, inspection and troubleshooting. Continued on page 47

Manitoba Trucking Safety Program Introduces New Director

n late May, the Manitoba Trucking Association welcomed Ed Pschulski as director of the Manitoba Trucking Safety Program. Pschulski introduces a varied 14-year resume of experience as a safety professional to the program’s leadership, including nine years as a production supervisor. A member of the Association of Safety and Health Specialists Board of Directors, he has earned the Canadian Registered Safety Professional designation as a certified first aid instructor and fire and life safety educator. Continued on page 47 18 | The Trucking Network | June 2015

ake no mistake: April trailer net orders fell hard. The total 18,000 trailers sold in the last month of Q1 2015 marked a 22-per-cent decline yearover-year versus 2014’s April performance. The good new: ACT Research, one of the trucking industry’s most trusted analyst firms, finds the sizable dip fairly sensible. In fact, ACT hasn’t wavered from its forecast for 2015 to generate “the best trailer market since the late 1990s.” Truth be told, it says more about just how remarkable April 2014 was than it foretells a weakening trailer market. Larger fleets inadvertently front-loaded unusually heavy September-thru-January

orders by climbing over one another to place orders early, thrust the seasonal cycle forward, and guarantee timely builds and deliveries. “The fact that net orders are down y-o-y for the third consecutive month will likely cause much conversation, and perhaps even concern for some,” said ACT CV transportation analysis and research director Frank Maly. “While there is no escaping that fact, one must consider the context of the recent over under-performance.”

Trucking Violations Lead To Murder Conviction

hanks in part to attention drawn by running afoul of U.S. federal trucking regulations, Georgia co-operator of Eagle Transport and Eagle Trans. Devasko Lewis will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole after an April 17 murder-conspiracy conviction. A Georgia federal court granted a motion by federal prosecutors on May 15 seeking to dismiss charges of conspiracy to violate an FMCSA imminent hazard out of service order in light of Lewis’ conviction. Local Albany, GA prosecutors alleged in January 2014 that he and a hitman conspired to murder colleague www.thetruckingnetwork.ca

Corey Daniels. Lewis suspected correctly - that Daniels had agreed to cooperate in the federal case being build by the U.S. Transportation Department Inspector General against him. While doing business as Lewis Trucking Company in October 2008, Lewis received the FMCSA order to cease all operations following several major violations unearthed by a compliance review in the wake of a fatal crash in Alabama that left seven people dead. With the help of his half-brother Lacey Lewis, Devasko began operating Eagle Transport and Eagle Trans. while forming DDL Transport, LLC. Continued on page 49

News

Aveda Purchases Hodges Trucking, Officially Becomes N.A.’s Largest Oil-Rig Transporter

ith discussion reportedly ongoing to integrate and consolidate assets, Aveda Transportation and Energy Services, Inc.’s purchase of Oklahoma City, OK-based Hodges Trucking Company now crowns the Calgary oilfield transporter as North America’s largest rigmoving company. In the acquisition, Aveda absorbs a U.S. operation with a domestic footprint similar to Aveda’s in Canada which has been in business since 1933 and whose gross revenue peaked in

2012 at approximately US$166.0 million. With terminals in Ohio, Texas and Oklahoma and a staff of over 300 employees, gross revenue has fallen again and again to $139.4 million in 2013 and eventually to $123.7 million in 2014. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) inflated through the same span from $34 million in 2012 to $13.6 million in 2013 and finally $14.1 million in 2014. Now that unfavorable energy market conditions and Hodges’ reduced drilling activity have reduced the company a net loss

U.S., Canadian Diesel Prices Hit Two-Month High

s Canada and the United States roll into summer’s slower shipping season, diesel prices ended May continuing their ongoing uptick. A late-May report from London, ON’s The Kent Group noted a $0.012 increase to the 10-city Canadian average price at the pump from the third week of the month to the fourth and final one. The $1.137-per-liter national average price notched Canada’s highest typical price point in two months. By comparison, the same week in 2014 recorded $0.228 lower average costs per liter. Regina sets the lowest point in the range at $0.984 per liter, with Labrador City recording a $1.34-per-liter apex price. With vacation season imminent, gasoline prices jumped $0.038 to an average $1.174 per liter nationwide,

Canada’s highest costs for regular gas since November and $0.194 higher year-over-year. American prices haven’t been a great deal more merciful. In fact, the slight US$0.01 bump in diesel prices to a $2.914-per-gallon national average marked the United States’ own two-month high and continued a sixweek $0.16 average price-per-gallon increase. Nevertheless, prices at the pump remain $1.011 lower than pergallon prices for the same period in 2014. U.S. gasoline prices ended the week up $0.03 to $2.774 throughout the United States, continuing a six-week streak of gains to reach the highest prices since December, yet $0.90 less per gallon year-over-year. www.thetruckingnetwork.ca

in 2015’s first quarter, Aveda gains a sizable 900-piece set of rig-moving and heavy-haul equipment assets: • 200 haul trucks • 400 trailers • 70 bed/pole trucks • 35 cranes • 40 forklifts/loaders • 160 service vehicles Pending several standard conditions being met, the two sides are expected to finalize the transaction on June 15, 2015.

Trailer Wizards To Welcome New Senior Service Manager In June

railer Wizards hopes their many Ontario friends, colleagues and loyal customers will kindly drop in late this month to welcome a valued new management team member. The trusted trailer sales and service provider has invited industry comrades to personally get acquainted with Gary Nippard as the brand’s newly appointed senior service manager for its Mississauga and Gormley, ON centers. Nippard will be making the rounds at the Trailer Wizards Customer Appreciation Day event on June 25 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Mississauga operation. “Gary’s extensive experience as a service manager, as well as his ability to implement best practices, makes him ideal to manage and grow our Mississauga service centre,” said Anne McKee, executive vice-president. “Gary has also been recognized for his dedication to customerfriendly service, which is part of what Trailer Wizards is known for delivering.” June 2015 | The Trucking Network | 19

Recruitment

Bring’ Em Back….

F By Glenn Caldwell Vice-President- Sales, Healthy Trucker

22 | The Trucking Network | June 2015

or the last few months, I have been having issues with our home computer. I tried self-diagnosing the problem by doing a bit of research on the web, with some suggestions telling me I should uninstall and reinstall certain programs. After many hours of grief and frustration I decided to seek the advice of a professional, who seemed to have pretty good handle on things. After explaining all the issues I was having and running a few scans of my computer, he suggested I try a “system restore” to undo some of the changes I had made. The entire process only took 30 minutes and doing so got things running again not perfect but better than before. www.thetruckingnetwork.ca

The whole process got me thinking, How different life would be if we had a system restore button that could take us back a few minutes, days, months, or even years. The sales pitch we lost, the comment you should have kept to yourself, and the meeting that I was late for, could all be undone! Over the years, I have talked to hundreds of drivers, many of which had left a carrier and after a few weeks, wished they would have stayed put. In some cases, they admit that they let a small issue that appeared to be big at the time, be the final straw. They hoped the grass would be greener if they made the switch to a new carrier. It’s proven that in many cases these drivers would have returned to their original car-

Recruitment Over the years, I have talked to hundreds of drivers, many of which had left a carrier and after a few weeks, wished they would have stayed put. In some cases, they admit that they let a small issue that appeared to be big at the time, be the final straw

huge dilemma. Freight has picked up and there is definitely a shortage of quality Drivers and Owner/Operators out there. Advertising in industry publications is an important part of the recruiting process, and bringing quality drivers back is another. Let’s face it: We have all have messed up and said or done things that we wish we hadn’t. Sadly, we can’t hit the system restore button to take things back, but in

many cases it’s not as tough as we think to repair. If you’re not already doing so, why not go back after some of the quality drivers that left your company over the years for one reason or another? Send them out a ‘no questions asked’ rehire letter or just give them a call and invite them in for a coffee and chat. You may find that it’s one of the easier and more cost effective ways to help increase your fleet size.

rier if they knew the door was really open and they would be accepted back, no questions asked. A lot of recruiters wait for a driver to call them back before they offer to rehire them. When a driver leaves, why not decide right away if you would ever want them back? Kelly Anderson, a well known speaker/ trainer from Impact Training Solutions Inc. and an expert at recruiting and retaining drivers suggests the best way to do this is to send them out a rehire letter 30 days after they left. He says, “When you ask them at that time why they left, in many cases you will get a very different answer from when they left your office 30 days earlier”. His rehire letter reads, “The reason for this letter is to inform you that the Rehire Review Board has already voted “YES” for your rehire. A simple telephone call could get you back behind the wheel of one of our trucks where you belong.” (Contact Kelly@ impacttrans.com if you would like a copy of his full letter). “The reason this process works so well is that 75% of turnover happens in the first 90 days of employment”, says Anderson, “Sending it out at that point catches them before they make another employment change”. Kelly also suggests sending a similar letter out any time you make any major changes to your pay package, or in early December as some drivers are looking to make a change in the New Year. The industry is currently faced with a www.thetruckingnetwork.ca

June 2015 | The Trucking Network | 23

Driver Health

Health and Wellness of Ontario Truck Drivers

By Raj Harjika

Why Truckers? • Trucking industry plays a foremost role in the Canadian economy • Occupation with “highest lost time” injury in Ontario (WSIB 2015) • Truck drivers have higher than average health risks and poorer than average lifestyle behaviours, in large part due to the working milieu • Trucking Association of Canada (2015) health screening study –49% were obese, 39 % were overweight and 31% had high blood pressure. • Few health issues (e.g. BP, Diabetes, sleep apnea, stroke) can limit driver’s ability to work • No Canadian statistics data on prevalence of risks to inform programs and strategies Survey as on-going process as part of overall strategy across the trucking industry? • Define survey instrument and enforce trucking professional to participate • Determine the prevalence of health conditions, risk factors and health behaviors and to characterize contributing working conditions • Provide basis for a larger national study on the health of truck drivers How we can define a Survey Instrument 24 | The Trucking Network | June 2015

Following are some of the areas where health related survey instrument can be implemented • Diet - Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) • Exercise - International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) • Job Stress- Job Content Questionnaire (Karasek) • Stress - Stress Satisfaction Offset Score (Health Canada) • General health, sleep, tobacco use, demographics- Canadian Community Health Survey • Health care utilization - Canadian Experiences with Primary Health Care Survey • Work factors – made up or other single published studies There are no Canadian data regarding health and wellness of transport truck drivers. iOS press pilot-tested a survey instrument to examine the risk factors and health needs of Canadian truck drivers. METHODS: A self-administered survey was completed by truck drivers employed in 13 companies in-and-near, Ontario, Canada. The survey was developed using published tools with input from focus groups and included demographics, health issues, health service utilization, and awareness of workplace health programs. Descriptive statistics were used to estimate prevalence of health issues and risk factors. RESULTS: 822 surveys were distributed and 406 drivers (49.4%) responded. source -“IOS Press is an independent, international STM” Established on surveys conducted randomly in 2014

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Driver Health Socio- demographic Variables

Proportion(%) of respondents (406)

Age Less than 30 years old

4.5

30-49 years old

47.0

50 years and older

48.5

Male gender

96.0

Education Elementary

11.1

High School

58.7

Community College

23.3

University degree

6.9

Major Areas of health concern • Stress • Workplace and Communication • Lifestyle and Family Dynamic • Fatigue & Sleep

Married/Common-law 79.4 Income (CAD $) <40,000

8.2

40-59,999

29.0

60-79,999

28.3

80,000 or higher

34.4

Born in Canada

82.7

Now, let’s discuss each area of concern Stress • Traffic and route (loads last minute, other drivers) • Trucker interaction with industry/government/public (respect issue, fines, police, company communication) • Finances (payment, fines, regulations)

Duration of work as a driver <5 years

7.1

5-9 years

14.0

>10 years

78.9

Points of delivery Within city

32.8

Within the Province

25.9

Outside Ontario but within Canada

22.7

Across -US border

41.7

• Take OTC Medicine – 35.1% • Call Family Doctor – 24.3% • Ignore illness – 16.2% • Find Walk-in clinic – 13.5 • Consult a pharmacist – 8.1%

Workplace and Communication • Training and regulations • Relationship with Customer • Relationship with Employer • Infrastructure and Environment Lifestyle and Family Dynamic

Pervasiveness of health related risk factors

• Nutrition (accessibility, availability, costly, time) • Physical activity (no time, too tired) • Culture among drivers (independence, pride, like family) • Family Commitment (late for family events) • Primary health Care conditions (smoking, overweight, alcohol, diabetes, blood pressure)

Other health related risks Issue % Diet rating 50% diet needs improvement 48% poor diet Sleep 35.7% get <6 hours of sleep a night Sources of stress 66.8% indicate work situation (hours, traffic, weather, lack of respect), 53.4% financial situation and 51% indicate time pressure Health pursuing behaviour while on the road • Wait to see Family Doctor upon arriving home – 54.1% www.thetruckingnetwork.ca

Continued on page 47 June 2015 | The Trucking Network | 25

Driver Health

THE PURSUIT OF THE CUP: Coffee Vs. Tea TTN Writer

My, how time has wisened us. Once upon a generation or two gone by, coffee and tea were worlds apart, both in considering who typically preferred each respective hot eye-opening beverage and which did a body more good. Rich, bitter coffee was the highoctane fuel of the blue-collar working class and tea was favored as a more civilized and refined taste.Tea was the cleaning-burning stuff of healthy, wealthy and wise bodies, whereas black coffee….well, it would stain your teeth, kickstart some nasty jitters, and as everyone’s sainted mother would swear, “Stunt your growth.” Damnedest thing, though: over the intervening decades, science’s curious never quite abated. Persistent studies ultimately particularly quieted the immemorial stigma warning that coffee was a harsh poison. While continually validating (and expanding) the avowed breadth of knowledge chronicling nearly every variety of tea’s benefits to a sound mind and primed body, researchers realized that coffee and tea actually share bounties of beneficial antioxidant compounds and somewhat misunderstood caffeine and effectively prevent the onset and symptoms of the same chronic illnesses. So, how do the two steamy pick-me-ups stack up? We’ve sized up the accepted lowdown behind each, looked beyond preferences of personal taste, and reached our very own conclusions about which hot drink best fuels a healthy trucker….

• COFFEE Dieticians the world over stand by centuries of eventually research-validated trust in tea as the single healthiest source of key antioxidants, regardless of the preferred brew. As it turns out, coffee has been sold considerably short in this department: coffee contributes a greater overall volume of antioxidants to a typical Western diet than fruits and vegetables combined. Those beneficial antioxidants bring some equally fortifying friends with them, too. A single cup of coffee also contains valuable quantities of these essential vitamins and minerals: • 11% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) • 6% of the RDA of Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) • 3% of the respective RDAs of Manganese and Potassium 26 | The Trucking Network | June 2015

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Driver Health • 2% of the respective RDAs of Niacin and Magnesium (Vitamin B3) • TEA All of that nutritional value, in a single cup. Now, consider that the Coffee is an underrated boon to overall individual average adult downs anywhere from three to four cups per day. health, without a doubt. Nevertheless, anything coffee can do, tea does at least as well - if not better. It’s well understood coffee quickly bolsters both physical energy levFor starters, tea is absolutely as proven-effective at reels and mental alertness. The caffeine absorbed into the bloodstream ducing heart attack and cardiovascular disease risks at enables increases in neuron-firing dopamine and norepinephrine levels coffee. Any variety will also boost exercise endurance, by blocking inhibitory adenosine, resulting in temporarily improved along with the added advantage of additional fat-burnmemory, mood, energy, vigilance, reaction times and overall cognitive ing catechins (antioxidants) to slim down waistlines functions. Meanwhile, caffeine not only ignites fat-burning by signifi- a bit more efficiently. Speaking of antioxidant comcantly boosting the body’s metabolic rate, but pours on the epinephrine pounds, any kind of tea will protect to some degree levels that light up the “fight or flight” state that enhances the body’s against not only liver and colorectal cancers, but breast, physical performance. skin, lung, esophogeal, stomach, small intestine, pancreatic, ovarian, prostate and oral varieties. Here, we get into some sorely under-appreciated benefits of a damn Most varieties - green tea especially, thanks to wealths good cup of coffee. Your java actually may be going to work preventing of polyphenols - are also known to provide nutrients a number of severe afflictions from getting their claws into you while that can defend against the onset of Parkinson’s discombatting the symptoms of several others. Just for starters, particularly ease, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and depression, prolific coffee-drinkers are at somewhere between 23%-50% less risk among other neurological disorders. From here, the list of developing Type 2 diabetes, a typical reduction of roughly 7% per of known benefits from choosing tea really begins to outstrip the gifts of coffee. For one thing, if there is one significant caveat against coffee, it would be that diuretic caffeine caffeine can cause severe dehydration. Tea has been demonstrated to actually hydrate the body despite its own caffeine caffeine powerhouse. In addition to hydration, tea’s high oxygen radical absorbance capacity actively fights DNAdamaging free radicals linked to heart disease, cancer and neurological degeneration. Meanwhile, green tea in particular offers nutrients that can help protect skin against ultraviolet rays. Adding to cup of coffee consumed on average daily. Though extreme caffeine the aesthetic benefits, regular drinkers of hot tea in one consumption is never recommended for individuals diagnosed with study displayed lower waist circumferences and BMIs heart conditions, those who are not placed at risk by caffeine’s mild on average than non-tea-drinking subjects. blood-pressure increases actually enjoy lower overall stroke risks. Returning to tea’s status as a soldier in the battle More recent data from a 76,000-subject Japanese study also suggests against cancer, drinking tea regularly is believed to as much as a 38-per-cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease for those possibly counteract some of smoking’s negative conwho drink as few as one to two cups daily. sequences while potentially reducing risk factors for Finally, while no food or drink is a conclusive cure-all destined to lung cancer. Many varieties have also been shown to “bulletproof” a body against illness, regular coffee drinkers do enjoy strengthen the body’s recovery from cellular degeneraan appreciable fortification against a number of crippling neurologition after radiation exposure. cal diseases. A 2011 Harvard University study recorded a 20-per-cent Continued on page 49 lower risk of developing depression for women accustomed to four or more daily cups of coffee. Meanwhile, further data from a separate study claimed a 53-per-cent lower likelihood of attempted suicide among the share of 208,424 total participants who drank at least four cups per day. Other research has shown that steady coffee drinkers are 65 per cent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and are at 32%-60% lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. This is all to say nothing of the significantly lower risks for developing liver or colorectal cancer. www.thetruckingnetwork.ca

June 2015 | The Trucking Network | 27

Owner Operators

Nothing is more elusive than an obvious fact!

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

here is only today, tomorrow is uncertain and the past cannot be changed, how cliché right? Yes but lately I have been spending more of my time trying to get this into my head and believe me this head can be thick when it wants to be. I had a major change in my life just a few years ago when I stepped back from being the go to guy for a major carrier to playing a drastically reduced role and freeing my time up significantly. This has been a major change for me that while rewarding it has challenging at the same time. The rewarding part has been being able to set my own agenda the challenging part has been trying to stay focused on what I have taken on as new challenges. You see my new free time has created many new distractions that I truly enjoy but at the same time divert me from what I still want to achieve in my business career. During my old routine I felt accountable to many people so I would write a to do list everyday 28 | The Trucking Network | June 2015

and recap each evening what I had accomplished and I would try to be disciplined enough to touch or accomplish all those items that were the most difficult for me. I did this by marking them AOF (Action Overcomes Fear) the rational was obvious, usually those things that we are the most uncomfortable confronting are made more difficult than they really are because as humans we tend to avoid them. AOF was my mental reminder that in fact confronting those difficult issues early usually reveals that they are not as difficult as we thought they would be. It’s the procrastination that we get bogged down in and the avoidance of a difficult situation that we dwell on that makes the situation bigger than it really is. Some of you might be in the same type situation especially when it comes to dealing with issues with your current carrier. Remember that old song “Take This Job And Shove It” sounds great but the cost of changing jobs as a driver or changing contracts as an Owner Operator are expensive and need to be thought threw thoroughly before leaving the situation your in with your current carrier. As a company driver you will be giving up your earned benefits possible your safety bonus that has been earned to this time of the year. You’ll need to consider your seniority, which may or may not mean that much to you but does grant you additional vacation time or the opportunity for better runs. You may have a waiting period for health

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Owner Operators

benefits at a new carrier, the inevitable cash flow interruption etc. As an Owner Operator considering changing jobs you’re probably costing yourselves thousands of dollars. If it takes you 2-3 weeks to switch carriers as it probably will by the time you de-identify your truck take out your satellite surrender other company equipment go through the new companies orientation, get a safety etc. While all this is going on of course you will be hit with your fixed cost, which keep coming no matter what, including your, truck payment, roadside insurance and your personal fixed cost such as home mortgage, car payments and your insurance payments. The burden of this industry’s high turnover is usually placed at the doorstep of the company. After all they are the employer of you drivers or the one dictating the contract content when Owner Operators are utilized, and to a large degree this is true. But I sometimes wonder if the transportability of your services isn’t also a major contributor to high turnover. In other words it might be far to easy for you to simply look for a new job rather that confront what your significant issue is and work on a solution. I know many of you who have flipped carriers in the past few years are now on the defensive and feel that in fact you did deal with whatever issue you had and you got no resolution so you cut bait and went on to your new carrier. It’s not my intention to second-guess you but I will tell you that there is a major difference in outcome depending on how you choose to deal with your issues. What do I mean by this? Its easier to give you an example, when people had issues that they thought were worthy of my attention they would come to me in one of two fashions. The wrong approach would usually not help their situation because they would do this by living under the delusion that I was some kind of dumping ground for their problem. They simply handed me their issue by stating their case and then when done they would look at me with the so what are you going to do about this look. My usual reaction to this approach was to ask questions of the individual that would lead them to the right conclusion. After you do this enough the smarter ones get the message the not so smarts will wear you out. At the root of most issues is the feeling that generally there is nothing more elusive than

an obvious fact, as a driver you get to sit in your truck all day and dwell on issues that you might think are obvious to everyone around you and likely there not! The approach that I enjoyed much more was the one that was well thought out, where the individual would explain the issue and seek my opinion on if there was actually an issue and then they would ask for my opinion on a single or a variety of solutions, Much less tiring and a more intelligent way to seek lasting solutions.

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So a word to the wise before you decide to cut bait take a long look in the mirror and ask yourself if you have truly been professional in how you have dealt with your issues with that carrier. Then put pen to paper and do the math on your new opportunity and if you have done both of these to the best of your ability you can now make a quality decision. Safe Trucking Rjh

June 2015 | The Trucking Network | 29

Safety & Compliance TTN Writer

aimler hardly settled for shattering any skeptics’ expectations for legitimizing autonomous commercial trucks on North American highways. Instead, the vaunted Mercedes-Benz parent company determined it would defy its own timeline. During the summer of 2014, the vaunted automotive manufacturer Daimler Trucks North America commercial vehicle arm introduced the world to Future Truck 2025, a proof-of-concept prototype born under the Mercedes-Benz banner that debuted with a flawless Autobahn demonstration under standard traffic conditions. The event ignited arguably the worldwide trucking industry’s most compelling narrative: the global supply chain could stand a mere 11 years from being served by trucks successfully engineered to safely steer themselves with minimal human intervention. Patience, Daimler seemed to caution with the diligently concealed prototype’s name itself. Fully polishing both the model and regulatory frameworks to optimize their autonomously-operated truck for perfectly safe use on highways the world over could optimistically take over a decade. Was it a bona fide honest estimation - or shrewd gamesmanship to mask what they believed to be a more authentically imminent timeline? At this juncture, the question might as well be officially moot. How closely DTNA played their hand to the vest doesn’t matter. Bottom line, this much does: the Freightliner Inspiration is, now and forever, the first autonomous truck licensed by the state of Nevada for day-to-day highway use. 20 YEARS, 6 MONTHS To overstate the obvious, Daimler hasn’t taken this ambition lightly over the preceding two decades. For exactly 20 years and six months, it has actually been MercedesBenz passenger vehicle technology that sculpted what would become the Freightliner Inspiration’s backbone. It was the iconic German luxury automaker’s radar-guided sedan steering prior to the year 2000 that set the stage for 2014’s “Detroit Assurance” package setting trucks up with real-time automated blind spot monitoring, 30 | The Trucking Network | June 2015

AUTOMATION FOR THE PEOPLE: Nevada, Daimler And Our Industry’s Most Stunning Chapter

There is no way back, now: North America’s pioneering road-proven automatic trucks are now highway-legal instant lane departure warnings, and adaptive cruise control. Daimler engineers both based at the Portland, Oregon DTNA headquarters and in Germany placed their bets on one guiding assumption: a guidance system sharp enough to negotiate the Autobahn at up to 125 MPH could easily navigate a tractor trailer both several times larger and laughably less maneuverable at least as safely. Judging from the reception of May’s test drive on Nevada’s Hoover Dam, they were right. It took 20 years of conceptualizing and finetuning to even embark on the Inspiration’s formative work - which, itself, took only six months to generate a prototype functional enough to earn a valid Nevada license. With consumer-proven foundations for the necessary electrical architecture, computing power www.thetruckingnetwork.ca

and radar and camera networks already in the palms of their hands, engineers refined an autonomous system that takes control once the Inspiration achieves a designation highway speed, but summons the human driver to assume the helm under less predictable conditions, such as poorly visible lane markers, the need to pass a slower vehicle, or inclement weather. Even the appealing blue lighting accents aren’t exactly (entirely) touches of attractive aesthetics: they’re a product of an LED camera array some observers believe could one day render sideview mirrors obsolete, or at the very least, unnecessary. Think of the truck’s body a bit like putting a human brain inside the body of a rhinoceros: you have a proven-dependable information

Safety & Compliance processor, but functional systems adapted to managing a wholly different body’s unique set of needs. Daimler took the consumer autonomy that long since proved itself in consumer sedans and assimilated it to function cohesively with ideal actuators tailored to tap the computer into steering, acceleration and brake systems. Daimler even developed proprietary magnetically activated valves to manage air pressure throughout the pneumatic unit delivering the truck’s power. Ultimately, the Inspiration looks like a highly gussied-up standard semi. Inside, it is constantly compiling systems input into a single central device that integrates realtime data into immediate high-level decisions. Stereoscopic cameras and both short and long range radar sensors that blend seamlessly right into the vehicle’s body are

constantly scanning up to 800 feet of road ahead to assess obstacles. In autonomous mode, everything feeds into Highway Pilot. Once enabled, the system takes over at a designated speed to keep a steady speed and safe distance from neighboring vehicles while remaining safely within its lane. If the driver doesn’t respond to Highway Pilot’s hails for any reason when the system encounters a dangerous situation, the system brings the truck to a controlled, safe stop. PROVING GROUNDS Daimler embarked on this bold step forward while taking “measure twice, cut once” to a necessarily rigorous extreme. Nevada’s autonomous vehicle license plates won’t have it any other way.

Guidelines For Buying A Used Truck Tractor

ruck drivers depend heavily on their trucks. Their vehicles are their livelihood and, for long-haul drivers, they can be homes away from home. This extremely interdependent relationship between drivers and their trucks quickly turns even the greenest of drivers into truck-tractor experts. It’s no wonder that most truck buyers at auctions carry out their own preliminary inspections on vehicles that interest them. Many people bring a trusted mechanic or colleague to do the inspection for them. An experienced truck owner or driver can recognize the signs of a well-maintained truck and one that has been driven long and hard without any proper maintenance. If you’re a new driver thinking of becoming an owner/operator, a contractor needing to haul heavy equipment back and forth from job sites or a farmer wanting to haul livestock, you’ll most likely need to buy a truck tractor. Whether you’re looking for Mack trucks for sale, Peterbilt trucks for sale, International trucks for sale or another truck tractor make, take some advice from the experts and inspect these five items be-

fore you bid: 1. Axle configuration, horsepower and capacity Check the truck’s axle configuration and transportation regulations for your area. Make sure you are buying the right axle configuration (4x2, 4x4, 6x4, etc) for what you’ll be carrying. Consider the terrain and type of driving you’ll be doing. Will you be hauling loads over hilly terrain for long distances or making short trips within the city to deliver goods? Select a truck tractor that has the right amount of horsepower for the type of tasks and trips you’ll be doing. Ask yourself how much capacity you’ll need. If you’re buying a truck tractor to pull your excavator around town, check the weight of your trailer and your excavator to determine the right capacity for the job. RitchieSpecs is a good source for that type of information. 2. Engine The engine can give you a lot of information about a truck. Pull the hood and look for any signs of leaks. A leak means the engine may need some repair, perhaps not a costly job, but a repair nonetheless. Start up the www.thetruckingnetwork.ca

The engineering team put not just one, but two vehicles - plus a stripped-down test vehicle outfitted with the same overall tech - through the state’s required 10,000 miles of safely self-guided driving. Like Future Truck 2025, Daimler put the Freightliner Inspirations through some of their paces in Germany - this time, on a controlled test track. However, they also saw action on Nevada’s less-busy public roads. It hasn’t yet thoroughly proven itself in the very harshest of conditions. That will take hundreds of thousands more miles in rain, sleet, snow, ice and extreme temperatures to feed a sort of active debugging process. For now, however, Daimler knows this: the Freightliner Inspiration arrived atop Hoover Dam with its work boots ready.

engine and let it run for a few minutes. As the engine gets warm, you should notice no smoke at all coming from the exhaust. If there is smoke and it is blue or white in colour, it could be a sign that the engine is burning oil. Listen for any knocks coming from the engine. A knocking sound is a good indicator that the engine should be looked at more closely. While you’re inspecting the engine, check the engine sticker to find out if the engine meets the latest emission standards e.g. Tier 3 in the US or EURO 5 (as of 2011) in Europe. Be aware that each jurisdiction within a country may have its own emission standards for tractor truck engines. For example, the U.S. has one regulating body for emission standards, but California has additional anti-idling laws. 3. Cab Step inside the cab and look at the overall condition of the interior. Is the amount of wear reasonable for the truck tractor’s age? Check the odometer and make a note of the mileage. For a car, anything approaching 300K might be a sign that it’s time to think about a replacement, but for an over-theroad truck, mileage is not as important as the truck’s overall condition. If the odometer reads in the range of 400-500K, take a closer look at the engine. Continued on page 49 June 2015 | The Trucking Network | 31

Informative

New Season = New Insurance Risks

ith everything summertime has to offer it is easy to forget that the season is accompanied by unique insurance risks. Whether it’s around your home, cottage, on the road or on the water ensuring you and your family are protected over the summer months is essential to peace of mind. Around Your Home & Cottage Being educated on summertime insurance exposures around your property can greatly decrease your chances of having a claim, however, it is important to have adequate protection in place should an unforeseen circumstance arise. Pools – If you are considering installing a pool or purchasing a home that has one, it is important to consider the insurance implications. A pool adds inherent risks to a property and also increases the value of your home. Be sure to review and meet your municipal by-law regulations as well as any safety requirements your insurance company provides. Entertaining – Many people enjoy entertaining over the summer months which often includes BBQ’s, campfires and various parties. It is important to remember that entertaining as well as hiring help greatly increases your liability exposure and reviewing your insurance is essential to ensuring you will not be liable in the event of a claim.

Renting Your Home or Cottage – Families often opt to rent out their home while vacationing or decide to rent out their cottage during the time they are not able to enjoy it. Although this is a great way to earn some additional income, it is important to consider the risks associated with renting and what your insurance policy covers. For example, some policies have a limit on the amount of times you can rent per year as well as the duration of the rental. Be sure to review your policy thoroughly with your broker before renting your property to ensure you have adequate protection. On the Road Many people enjoy seasonal vehicles such as RV’s, ATV’s, motorcycles and classic cars. Each mode of summer transportation brings unique insurance requirements and your needs should be thoroughly reviewed each year with a reputable broker. On the water Enjoying time on the water is often a highlight of the summer but it is important to remember that many water activities also have insurance implications. Small crafts – Kayaks, canoes, paddleboats and other non-motorized watercraft are often a staple at cottages. It is important to note that many of these items are often not covered under www.thetruckingnetwork.ca

a standard homeowner’s policy and it is recommended that you talk to your broker to ensure they are covered. Boats and Personal Watercrafts - Motorized boats and personal watercraft vehicles such as Seadoo’s and Jetski’s should be insured under their own policy. Although boat insurance is not a legal requirement in Canada, insurance is highly recommended to cover liability of passengers, damage and theft as well as damage to other property by your motor craft. As with all insurance it is important to purchase your seasonal coverage from a reputable and knowledgeable advisor. With over 25 years of experience in the industry, National Truck League is pleased to review and make seasonal insurance recommendations for all of our clients to ensure they have adequate protection for themselves and their families.

By Rod Stiller President of National Truck League Insurance Solutions

June 2015 | The Trucking Network | 33

Bollywood gossip

slmfn nUM imlI vwzI rfhq, muMbeI hfeIkort df afieaf vwzf PYslf muMbeI: bflIvuwz aiBnyqf slmfn Kfn nUM muMbeI hfeIkort vloˆ vwzI rfhq imlI hY. muMbeI hfeIkort ny iek vwzf PYslf suxfieaf hY, ijs PYsly `c slmfn Kfn nUM ivdyÈ jfx dI iejfËq idwqI geI hY. iËkrXog hY ik sfl 2002 dy ihwt aYˆz rn kys `c doÈI Tihrfey jfx qoˆ bfad Ëmfnq `qy cwl rhy bflIvuwz aiBnyqf slmfn Kfn ny muMbeI hfeIkort nUM iesy mhIny dy afKIr `c iek Èoa leI dubeI jfx dI iejfËq dyx `qy bynqI kIqI sI. quhfnUM dws deIey slmfn nUM 6 meI nUM iek sYÈn adflq ny gYr ierfdqn hwiqaf df doÈI Tihrfieaf igaf sI aqy 5 sfl dI jyl dI sËf vI suxfeI geI sI. hfeIkort ny 8 meI nUM AunHfˆ nUM Ëmfn idwqI aqy mfmly dI suxfvfeI qwk AunHfˆ dI sËf nUM muwaql kr idwqf sI. adflq ny ieh vI ikhf sI ik aiBnyqf jdoˆ vI dyÈ `coˆ bfhr jfxygy qfˆ AunHfˆ nUM ivdyÈ jfx qoˆ pihlfˆ adflq dI iejfËq lYxI pvygI. slmfn ny afpxI ptIÈn dfier krky ikhf sI ik Auh 29 meI nUM iek Èoa leI dubeI jfxf cfhuMdy hn, ijs dy leI muMbeI hfeIkort ny AunHfˆ nUM jfx dI iejfËq dy idwqI hY. www.thetruckingnetwork.ca

June 2015 | The Trucking Network | 35

Entertainment

vwzy hfdsy df iÈkfr hoxoˆ bcy iemrfn-ividaf! muMbeI: moihq sUrI dy inrdyÈn `c bxn vflI iPlm `hmfrI aDUrI khfxI` dy gIqfˆ nUM sfry psMd kr rhy hn pr kI quhfnUM pqf hY ik ies iPlm dI ÈUitMg dOrfn iek kudrqI hfdsf huMdy-huMdy tl igaf. asl `c moihq sUrI Aus dOrfn afpxI iPlm dI ÈUitMg XU[ ey[ eI[ `c kr rhy sn. iek idn iek Kfs sIn ÈUt kIqf jfxf sI, ijhVf ik ryigsqfn ivcfly ividaf qy iemrfn hfÈmI `qy iPlmfieaf jfx vflf sI. sfirafˆ nUM pihlfˆ hI jfxkfrI idwqI geI sI ik hnyrI cwl skdI hY pr ividaf qy iemrfn ny zfierYktr moihq sUrI dI AumId nUM bMnHI rwiKaf qy ikhf ik Bfvyˆ kuJ vI ho jfvy, Auh dovyˆ ÈUitMg ËrUr krngy. iPlm kI sI moihq ny ikhf `aYkÈn` qy ividaf nfl iemrfn ny iek hI tyk `c pUrf sIn ÈUt kr idwqf qy ies qoˆ pihlfˆ ik imwtI nfl BrI hnyrI AunHfˆ dy kol afvy, pUrI XUint hotl puwj cuwkI sI. mhyÈ Bwt vloˆ ilKI geI iPlm hmfrI aDUrI khfxI 12 jUn 2015 nUM irlIË hovygI, ijs `c iemrfn hfÈmI, ividaf bfln nfl aiBnyqf rfjkumfr rfE vI muwK BUimkf inBfa rhy hn.

kMgxf rxOq dI `mYQz aYkitMg` hfl hI ivwc iPlm `kvIn` leI srvoqm aiBnyqrI dy rfÈtrI iPlm purskfr nfl snmfnq kIqI geI kMgxf rxOq CyqI hI iPlm `qnU vYzs mnU irtrns` idKfeI idwqI aqy Aus dI iPlm `kwtI bwtI` ivwc afAux vflI hY. ieh pRiqBfvfn aiBnyqrI afpxy kMm vwl kfPI gMBIr rihx nUM mÈhUr hY. iPlm `qnU vYzs mnU irtrns` ivwc ieh suMdrI dohry ikrdfr ivwc idKfeI idwqI hY. ipClI iPlm ivwc afpxy qnU vfly ikrdfr dy ielfvf Aus ny dwqo nfm dI iewk hirafxvI aQlIt dI BUimkf vI inBfeI hY. kMgnf nUM `mYQz aYkitMg` ivwc vI kfPI ivÈvfs hY, XfnI afpxy ikrdfrfˆ nUM iÈwdq nfl inBfAux leI ienHfˆ df aiBafs Auh afpxy asl jIvn ivwc vI krn qoˆ ipwCy nhIˆ rihMdI. `qnU vYzs mnU irtrns` ivwc afpxI vwK qrHfˆ dI BUimkf leI Auh `mYQz aYkitMg` nUM vI iewk nvyˆ pwDr qwk lY geI, jd Aus ny Kud nUM afpxy dosqfˆ qy pCfx vfilafˆ qoˆ dUr kr ilaf. ieho nhIˆ lKnAU, idwlI aqy hirafxf ivwc ÈUitMg vyly iksy nfl myl jol nf rwKx dy ielfvf Aus ny Pon qoˆ vI dUrI bxfeI rwKI. iPlm nfl juVy sUqrfˆ anusfr sYwt `qy kMgnf ny afpxy mobfeIl Pon nUM vI iesqymfl nhIˆ kIqf qfˆ ik Aus df iDafn BMg nf hovy. www.thetruckingnetwork.ca

June 2015 | The Trucking Network | 37

Entertainment

pUrn df jnm alÌ afK sKI isaflkot aMdr, pUrn puwq slvfn ny(dy) jfieaf eI . jdoˆ jMimafˆ rfjy nUM Kbr hoeI, swd pMzqfˆ vyd pVHfieaf eI . bfrfˆ brs nf rfijaf mUMh lwgIˆ, dyK pMzqfˆ eyv Ìrmfieaf eI . kfdrXfr mIafˆ pUrn Bgq qfeIˆ, bfp jMmidafˆ hI Bory pfieaf eI .

38 | The Trucking Network | June 2015

by byd Auwqy ijvyˆ iliKaf sI, iqvyˆ pMzqfˆ afK suxfie idqf . pUrn iek hnyirEˆ inkilaf sI, dUjI koTVI dy ivc pfie idqf . sBo golIafˆ bfˆdIafˆ dfeIafˆ nUM, bfrHfˆ brs df Krc pvfie idqf . kfdrXfr mIafˆ pUrn Bgq qfeIˆ, bfp jMmidafˆ kYd krvfie idqf .

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Entertainment

Top 4 Most Beautiful Bollywood Debutant 2014 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2015

1. Shraddha Kapoo

2. Vani Kapoor

3. Poonam Pandey

4. Tamanna Bhatia www.thetruckingnetwork.ca

June July 2015 2014 | The Trucking Network | 41 39

Informative

DEEPENING DEVASTATION Nepal Rocked By Second Earthquake In Two Months

One month and a second disaster later, the UN continues to call for streams of aid

TTN Writer

ne month, over 8,000 dead, more than 19,000 injured and countless more homeless later, May brought no quarter to earthquake-devastated Nepal. More to the point, it ushered a second major quake and United Nations pleas for the international community to muster whatever aid it can as millions mourned lost loved ones and destroyed homes, villages and lives among the rubble. When a 7.3-magnitude quake ripped through Nepal at 12:50 p.m. local time on May 12 southeast of the Kodari border crossing into Tibet, it hammered 26.5 million people within a smaller total area than the American state of Illinois already debilitated on April 25 by a 7.8 earthquake along the same fault. Though the May quake struck further east on the border shared by the Dolakha and Sindhupalchowk districts southeast of Kodari, the force once more radiated massively. Northern parts of India including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal felt the shaking and citizens reported experiencing tremors as far from the Chennai epicenter as 2,400 kilometers away. Scientifically speaking, the magnitude and location were near-identical enough to the April earthquake for May’s event to be considered an aftershock. For the citizens of Nepal, it was nothing short of a nightmare relived. Nearly half a million homes lay destroyed and multitudes await shelter, clean water and food in the aftermath. Meanwhile, June’s relentless annual monsoon rains creep ever closer on the horizon. Jamie McGoldrick, resident United Nations coordinator in Nepal, 40 | The Trucking Network | June 2015

fears the international community is forsaking its window to offer significant relief. To date, Finance Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat told the BBC, overseas aid accounts for less than 10 per cent of his government’s relief spending in the wake of the twin quakes. “I am disappointed in the sense that there was such an impressive response in terms of search and rescue — all the teams that came

least 61 people injured and “dozens” more missing or stranded at higher elevations by a series of avalanches. Among the dead, the Nepal Mountaineering Association reported on April 28 that the avalanches claimed the lives of 10 Nepalese Sherpas, four unidentified climbers and five foreign climbers. Among the two Americans, one Chinese, one Australian

in to do the work, they did very impressively and comprehensively — and maybe they think that’s the job done,” McGoldrick said. “The talk now is about reconstruction, but we are trying to remind people that in between search and rescue and recovery, there is a phase called relief and we can’t forget that.” UNPRECEDENTED DISASTER AT EVEREST The April 25 earthquake set off the single deadliest day on Mount Everest in Nepal’s history. As of the end of May, the death toll from that first event stands at 19 people lost at Southern Base Camp on Earth’s highest mountain, 220 kilometers east of that quake’s epicenter. In addition, officials reported at

and one Japanese climbers killed, Google executive Dan Fredinburg’s death seized Western headlines as a recognizable face of the carnage. The initial destruction and rippling series of avalanches and mudslides wiped out numerous entire villages throughout Nepal. Among UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley, buildings that have withstood the march of centuries in the Kathmandu Durbar Square, the Patan Durbar Squar, the Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the Changu Narayan Temple and the Swayambhunath Stupa now lay in ruins. Many buildings and citizens who withstood the first quake did not survive the May af-

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Informative tershock. The second earthquake’s ensuing damage added an additional 117 people to this spring’s casualty count, as well as another 2,500 injured. That body count includes eight bodies - six U.S. Marines and two Nepalese soldiers recovered May 14 from the wreckage of a downed UH-1 Huey helicopter dispatched to central Nepal on disaster relief operation. Three days later on May 15, another estimated 1,700 still either awaited or were receiving treatment for injuries. The pounding of 32 out of Nepal’s 75 national districts sent citizens and displaced refugees of Kathmandu into the streets, where the city filled with tents within hours of buildings being evacuated. Reports indicate that the district of Sindhupalchowk may have suffered the most extensive damage - 95 per cent of the area’s homes destroyed

between the two disasters. Even the further-removed damage in India proved significant. The aftershock left 17 dead in India - 16 lost in Bihar and an additional casualty in Uttar Pradesh - and citizens fleeing their homes and workplaces briefly interrupted Delhi Metro service. China additionally reported a single death, a woman killed in Tibet by falling rocks. A CALL TO COMPASSION The UN has not sat idle throughout the crisis, Marhat said. The aid simply hasn’t come in the form financial backing for a government depleted of funding to fuel its own relief efforts. Instead, the UN and other aid organizations have spent millions of dollars bolstering their own direct efforts. An appeal from the UN for $423 million (£273 million) in funding to extend tents and tarpaulin, dry

food rations, clean drinking water and toilets to more than 2 million displaced survivors could support many efforts for the next three months of recovery. Thus far, the UN has raised roughly $92.4 million. “The international community provided relief materials, the services and some goods but they didn’t give money - they have their own institutions and agencies to deliver the services,” Mahat said. Your help isn’t just needed - it is now more urgent than ever. If you can offer anything to help at all, please, contact one of the worthy organizations listed below today to donate. • WorldVision - WWW.WORLDVISION.CA • Government of Canada - WWW. INTERNATIONAL.GC.CA • The Canadian Red Cross - WWW. REDCROSS.CA • UNICEF Canada - WWW.UNICEF.CA

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE: Never, Ever An Excuse

TTN Writer

ruck drivers operating a massive vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs cause truck accidents across Canada and the United States every year. These accidents can be severe, given the size difference between large trucks and passenger vehicles and the recklessness with which impaired truckers often drive. Survivors of accidents related to truck driver impairment can recover damages for losses sustained due to negligent, careless or imprudent driving. A truck driver is impaired when one is unable to use one’s mental faculties, sense of reasoning, and judgment to safely operate a tractor-trailer or a semi-rig. That impairment is often the result of the use of alcohol or prescription or narcotic drugs while behind the wheel or prior to getting behind the wheel. Most drivers don’t want to consider the possibility that the trucker beside them on the highway is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Unfortunately, drug use and alcohol abuse by truck drivers is a reality in some cases. The serious danger posed by truck drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs is the

reason why the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has strict drug and alcohol testing guidelines in place. Trucking companies are required to subject new hires to alcohol and drug tests before the person becomes employed. Companies must also conduct random alcohol and drug screenings. Drug and alcohol testing is also a requirement after accidents that cause serious www.thetruckingnetwork.ca

accidents or result in truck driver citation. Effects of Alcohol and Drug Use on Truck Drivers Alcohol can slow a driver’s responses, delay reflexes, and impair judgment. That means a significantly lowered ability to drive safely and responsibly or use emergency manoeuvres to avoid an accident. Continued on page 49 June 2015 | The Trucking Network | 41

Informative

Driver Shortage – Principal concern of the trucking industry

By Raj Harjika

“What is driver shortage, why it exists in this booming economy and what are the facts?”

he problem really boils down to money. At the core of it is the distribution of money in the trucking industry. It’s not exactly rocket science. There’s “BIG MONEY IN TRUCKING”. it’s just not distributed well. Higher driving costs and falling pay rate have created a truck-driver shortage that’s likely to worsen in the coming years. It is hard to believe that there is shortage of truck drivers, when commercial driving schools and trucking companies are pumping out newly trained drivers in flocks. Driving a tractor trailer in Canada has become a job for immigrants or people who cannot find jobs based on their skills and experience, who will work for less money. They are accustomed to sustenance level living in their home countries, or that is what they need to do, to stay in this country. Time is not too far until the cost of living in Canada catches up with them. Then they’ll realize they can’t work for peanuts either. There just aren’t adequate incentives to keep the skilled, experienced drivers in the industry and attract new talent. If someone could make more money as a heavy equipment operator, driving a bulldozer and be at home every night, why be a trucker? The industry needs to smarten up and pay truckers a fair wage if they want drivers to “keep on trucking”. Bringing in temporary labour isn’t the answer. It’s just a patch based solution. 42 | The Trucking Network | June 2015

More recently, companies offering substantial sign on bonuses and increases in mileage rates. It is a step in the right direction, but it’s still not enough. Will driving a truck for a living ever be as good as it once was 25-30 years ago? It is a concern the industry needs to address. In general the drivers are un-paid for: • sitting in traffic jams • waiting at customs, border crossings • loading and unloading time delays • DOT scales and inspections • extra time weighing and scaling a load • performing circle check on truck and trailer • company safety meetings and seminars • weather delays • making arrangements for company equipment breakdowns and waiting for repair, when on the road In Canada Truck Driver Salary Rate Range is Hourly $15.50-$26.25/ Hour (Gross pay) or Mileage .35 - .55/km Canadian trucking companies weep and cry the blues about the empty seats in their company trucks and their big losses in revenue. However, it is mind boggling they are so surprised drivers aren’t lining up to fill these driving jobs. Driver turnover rates are

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Informative in excess of 80%. The trucking industry has got a serious shortage of truckers. There’s more demand than ever to move goods by trucks, which creates an even greater shortage. But, as mentioned above there are very clear reasons this issue has become so solemn. Nothing has been done to address these looming issue over the past number of years. Canada’s trucking sector will need to find as many as 319,900 new employees over the next 10 years to keep the wheels moving. A recently released study by the Canadian Trucking Human Resources Council offers good news for tucking job seekers since it portrays an industry with loads of career opportunities. Retirements among the sector’s existing workers, high turnover rates, and a growing economy are creating job openings for workers and recruitment challenges for employers. The reading delivers the most up-to-date snapshot of the current industry workforce, inspects future industry growth, and explores future human resource requirements. Following are its findings: What’s on the horizon? • By 2021, the truck transportation sector will need at least 153,000 additional workers – just to address the surge in demand, current opportunities, and retirements in an aging labour force. • The actual need for new workers is even higher. After accounting for existing employees who leave the sector, there will need to be as many as an additional 319,900 workers over the next 10 years to meet labour market demand and account for workers who retire or leave the sector. • Class 1/A-Z company truck drivers and truck/trailer mechanics are reported to be the most difficult positions to fill. Industry labour profile • The trucking sector includes about 31,000 firms, most of which are located in Ontario (33.5%), Quebec (22.9%), Alberta (17.3%) and British Columbia (12.1%), with the balance distributed among the other provinces. • Drivers (including shunt drivers) accounted for 82% of the trucking sector’s workforce in 2015. • Female workers account for a mere 4% of the sector’s workforce. While women ac-

count for 3% of drivers (including shunt drivers), mechanics, transport trailer technicians and cargo workers, they account for 25% of freight claims, safety and loss prevention specialists, 13% of parts technicians (parts persons), and 18% of dispatchers. • 64% of the workers in the surveyed companies were between the ages of 30 and 55 years, and 18% were 55 and older. • Workers in truck driving occupations

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(with the exception of shunt drivers) were oldest (i.e. 45 years or more). Nineteen percent of the workforce was 30 years of age or younger. The fact is the future of trucking industry is bright and has tremendous benefits to offer but the industry as a whole needs to align together and enforce the sustainability of “truck drivers”, create more opportunities and attract new talent.

June 2015 | The Trucking Network | 43

Technology

DIGITAL DRIVE -

TTN Writer

Monthly Highlights In Trucking Tech

elcome back to DIGITAL DRIVE, our monthly survey of the innovations in equipment and technology that carry trucking forward as the worldwide supply chain’s safest and most dependable, trusted freight channel. If we’re to be completely honest, we could fill half this issue with the various ramifica-

• DAIMLER DINGED BY TAKATA RECALL? Speaking of DTNA, the month of May wasn’t an entirely merry occasion for the globally regarded truck manufacturer. As a matter of fact, when Japanese manufacturer Takata caved under U.S. federal government pressure and recalled a record-setting 34

is identified, we have no further comment,” DTNA head of corporate communications and public relations David Giroux told Fleet Owner in an e-mailed statement. U.S. regulators have acknowledged six deaths and over 100 injured worldwide to date as a result of defective, potentially explosive airbag inflators that have launched shrap-

tions and revelations emerging from Nevada’s pioneering licensing of North America’s first official highway-ready autonomous trucks. As giant a leap as Daimler Trucks North America’s (DTNA) trailblazing licenses are, we would be remiss if we ignored several other promising small steps ahead that didn’t garner a fraction the major-media buzz that the first light of the Autonomous Era generated.

million U.S. vehicles’ airbags, DTNA launched their own investigation into the recall’s potential impact on their own vehicles. “The safety of our products is our highest priority and we are following this matter closely. Daimler Trucks North America is presently investigating a very small population of potentially affected vehicles referenced in the Takata notices. Until that small population

nel into vehicle passengers upon deployment. The U.S. Department of Transportation and Takata listed BMW, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota among the affected manufacturers. According to the DOT, the explosive potential in the defective airbags increases as the propellant degrades with time. When it ignites instantly in the event of an accident, the

44 | The Trucking Network | June 2015

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Technology inflators rupture under excess pressure and launch immensely hazardous metal shards into the cabin. More information is available now at www. SaferCar.gov/RecallsSpotlight to help owners determine if their vehicle is among those now covered by what has been officially acknowledged as the largest automotive recall in history. • KEN-TOOL 17.5 SIDEWINDER KIT: CHANGING THE WAY WE CHANGE TIRES There is no safely taking anything lightly when it comes to a rig’s tires. When a tire needs changed, it typically needs changed quickly. Not only that, there can be no doubting how securely attached the replacement i, but there is also no taking for granted the importance of keeping the vehicle secured during the operation. Suffice it to say, this isn’t exactly popping a spare onto a Honda Civic in the driveway. Technicians, meet the Ken-Tool 17.5 Sidewinder Kit. This newly introduced item combines five specialized tools into one all-inclusive set for changing and servicing 17.5”-diameter truck tires and wheels as quickly and effectively as possible. Thanks to the Sidewinder, one technician can now handle any difficult changeover with no delays. The revolutionary patentpending 17.5 Sidewinder Demount Tool uses the technicians weight to keep the tire assembly and wheel grounded while separating the wheel and tire from each other with applied leverage. Meanwhile, the companion Gap Tool makes inserting the Demount Tool easily by safely creating an opening between the wheel and tire bead. According to Ken-Tool’s description, the Gap Tool’s spooned end makes mounting easier than other thicker tools can be providing additional “bite” with its unique spooned end. The kit also includes Ken-Tool’s Leather Rim Protector, designed for work with chrome or aluminum wheels, along with three tire bars, the 17.5 bead holder, and leather rim protector. • PETERBILT ADOPTS BENDIX SmarTire PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM With a mind toward crafting safer and more

cost-effective trucks, Peterbilt has announced the addition of Bendix SmarTire Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems to their integrated caband-sleeper Model 587 vehicles. Real-time, on-demand tire status reports and in-cab displays and optional audible alerts keep operators apprised of developing pressure imbalances via the truck’s main instrument cluster. Keeping updated pressure and temperature statuses available at a glance will help Model 587 operators get ahead of conditions ripe for tire failure, maximizing uptime and tire life and minimizing operating costs. Peterbilt and Bendix are betting on their partnership digging into an ongoing issue for fleets across North America: across the board, tire replacements and maintenance total the largest maintenance costs for fleets across all sectors, according to the Technology & Maintenance Council. Nearly equal in impact to directly addressing insufficient equipment, it only takes 10 PSI below the recommended inflation for a single tire to make a 1-per-cent cut into fuel economy. The hope is that the Bendix system - already optional on Peterbilt Models 579 and 567 trucks - can provide owners with measurable ROI within two years through more timely tire maintenance. • KENWORTH MEDIUM TRUCKS & EATON 10-SPEED UltraShift PLUS VAS TRANSMISSION Three medium-duty Kenworth truck models have become the chapels for a marriage of the 8.9-litre Paccar PX-9 engine and Eaton’s versatile 10-speed UltraShift Plus VAS transmission. The Eaton UltraShift Plus lends Kenworth’s T370, T440 and T470 customers an alternative to traditional automatic or manual transmissions, a construct whose electronic clutch actuation system’s quick clutch engagement and shifts come recommended for construction, refuse, municipal pickup and delivery and agricultural uses across any engine-RPM range. “The system automatically selects an appropriate start gear and adapts shift decisions based on driving environment,” Kenworth marketing director Kurt Swihart said in an introductory statement. “The transmission, which has a maximum torque rating to handle all medium duty engine ratings, provides better control of engine and transmission www.thetruckingnetwork.ca

functions for smooth automated shifting and vehicle launches.” “Kenworth has an excellent partnership with Eaton, and our medium-duty truck customers will benefit from the performance and value of the Eaton UltraShift PLUS VAS transmission option for the Kenworth T370, T440 and T470,” he added. Kenworth’s product rundown also spotlights the Eaton UltraShift Plus VAS’s engine and clutch over-speed protection, auto neutral, creep modes, and hill-start aid. • ISUZU TOASTS MILESTONE We round out this month’s tech review with a salute to one major commercial vehicle manufacturer’s milestone three decades in the making. Isuzu Commercial Truck of America emerged as a contender in the North American manufacturing of quality commercial trucks in 1984. The Japanese-founded company has proven over the intervening 31 years to be as adept at designing reliable machines for the supply chain as they’ve been at building well-received passenger vehicles. In May, that position in the industry was cemented when Isuzu delivered its 500,000th North American truck to Farmers Home Furniture in Dublin, GA. Fittingly, the vehicle was sold to an American company that has trusted Isuzu trucks since 1998. The N-Series delivered last month marked the 235th Isuzu truck purchased to service 187 stores across the southeast United States in the 17-year relationship with Farmers. Phillip Faircloth, president and chief executive officer of Farmers Home Furniture, said: “We began buying Isuzu trucks in October 1998, and we’ve never stopped. Our drivers like them because they’re so maneuverable, and they offer a high cab design with a panoramic view that makes them easy to drive,” said Farmers president and CEO Phillip Faircloth. “From a company perspective, we like them because of their reliability, long-term dependability and fuel efficiency. Farmers’ success is built on long term relationships. Isuzu is one such partner playing an important role in its ability to assist us in delivery of fine furniture to America’s small towns. This is our 235th Isuzu truck, but it won’t be our last.” June 2015 | The Trucking Network | 45

News &Continuations Health and Wellness of Ontario Truck Drivers

Continued from page 25 Fatigue and Sleep • Work hours and scheduling • Sleep policy/regulations • Alertness, boredom Action Plan •Two report back sessions to the sector –sharing results, linking with local and international collaborators –action planning with companies, customers, drivers, workplace wellness partners and research team • Design team established –Website developed – TRIHPP –Tailored targeted health literacy

–Customer survey development –Knowledge Transfer sessions with collaborators- IWH, WSIB –Collaborative integrated workplace wellness research projects explored Potential Action Directions • Individual health literacy approaches • Company/corporate workplace wellness approaches • Customer approaches • Policy/government regulatory approaches • Develop a coordinating collaborative • Conclusions

• Results showed chronic disease risks and modifiable lifestyle risk factors related to working conditions. • Collaboration with stakeholders from the sector will help to inform work site policy interventions and offer an evidence base for programs and policies to improve health and safety among these high risk professional drivers. • Engaging with community members and community organizations will help to assess and enhance the system’s capacity to deliver equitable health services and programs.

Manitoba Trucking... “Technology Fatigue”... Sign-Ups Open For Flo Components Continued from page 18 Continued from page 13 He will be responsible for leading a truck- “We need to be able to design equipment in Lubrication Training ing industry-tailored safety and training pro- the best way to meet regulations, but without Continued from page 18 “Each one-day seminar will have a balance of theory and practical – 50% of the time will be your traditional in-class training, 50% will be more hands-on training,” announced Flo marketing specialist, Gabriel Lopez. “These seminars are designed and presented as an unbiased, third-party, vendor-neutral lubrication training program – we don’t bring people there to sell them on our products, we teach them what they need to know about dealing with everyday lubrication issues, so when they apply what they learn, their payoff is immediate and permanent.” The cost to register and attend is $95 in addition to HST. Check out more details and sign up immediately at www. FloComponents.com.

gram designed to engage workers in keeping themselves, their co-workers and their workplaces productive and safe. The MTA and Pschulski have committed themselves to providing companies with valuable information and educational resources to help them become eligible for certifications that can lead to discounted workers compensation board premiums.

having to add too much complexity,” he said. Nyberg would rather sensible regulations take effect only once the people who write them have taken into consideration how truck engines differ from those of standard passenger vehicles. Blindly approving regulations in any other fashion could result in compliance requiring total vehicle performance “assessment” and separate engine “standards” in order to fall in line.

Continued from page 17 The overall EBITDA margin improved from 15.9% for the same period in 2014 to 11.5%. Logistics revenue jumped 74 per cent to the tune of a $9.4-million increase as the logistics EBITDA margin shrank from 10.5% to 6.2%. “We are pleased to announce record results for the first quarter of 2015 including a significant increase in operating margins,” said

Ted Daniel, CEO of Titanium. “These results are particularly positive, as the first quarter is historically our weakest due to industry seasonality.” The report also potentially reflects the positive impact of Titanium’s $2.8 million revenue windfall and $200,000 EBITDA from the group’s purchase of Muskoka Transportation Ltd.

Titanium Transportation...

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June 2015 | The Trucking Network | 47

Continuations

Guidelines For Buying THE PURSUIT OF THE CUP: Coffee Vs. Tea from page 29 has never demonstrated a single inherA Used Truck Tractor Continued In general, tea has also been shown ent downside to overall health. A fine Continued from page 31 It might be time for an out-of-frame or less expensive in-frame overhaul to ensure the truck tractor continues to run for many more years. 4. Maintenance Logs If you suspect the engine has already undergone an overhaul, check the truck’ s maintenance records. Look for any engine work that may have already been done and for other major repairs. The maintenance record should give you a good idea of how well the truck was looked after, in addition to letting you know if the oil was changed on a regular basis. Most mechanics and/or operators will mark the last mileage date of an oil change on the air filter. Check to see if this date coincides with the maintenance records. 5. Brake Pads A truck with worn brake pads may still be a good investment. Replacing brake pads is a relatively inexpensive repair, and something you should take care of as soon as possible. Safety comes first. What truck tractor inspection tips do you have for new truck tractor drivers? Comment and let us know. Kenworth mack international equipment inspection tips used truck tractors used transportation equipment.

to help Type 2 diabetics process sugars more effectively and also improve bone mineral strength and density. ***** After decades of really getting to know it better, coffee is truly an underappreciated treat. However, if pressed to favor one hot cup of comfort over another, one truth elevates one choice over another: for all its varieties and centuries as a favored proponent of both mental and physical wellness, the tea family

cup of coffee is a wonderful thing, but not necessarily recommended for individuals diagnosed with certain heart conditions due to its concentration of caffeine. That’s to say nothing of the unpleasant physical effects that come with ingesting massive quantities of a diuretic in a single sitting. Tea, on other hand, provides all of the same benefits (and then some) while actually keeping the body hydrated. Whatever your “cuppa,” though, you just can’t go wrong.

Trucking Violations Lead To Murder... Continued from page 18 The latter eventually came under another order and Devasko pleaded guilty in May 2012 to circumventing the federal orders. He served 90 days in jail followed by a 12-month supervised release. Though Lewis apparently targeted Daniels, the attempt on his life ultimately led to the slaying of Daniels’ nephew at the then-residence of the federal wit-

ness. The hired hitman also faces a life sentence with the possibility of parole. Before his sentencing, he used friends’ identities - including Daniels’ - to fraudulently obtain DOT numbers for both Eagle Transport and Eagle Trans. Devasko and Lacey Lewis both continued to operate Eagle Trans. with Daniels’ assistance after Devasko reported in November 2012 to prison.

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE: Never, Ever An Excuse Continued from page 41 A person driving while alcohol- or drug-impaired may also be more likely to fall asleep at the wheel or miss important accident cues. Wrong-way driving may also be linked to truck driver impairment. A truck driver’s driving skills can also impaired by the use of prescription medication. Some truck drivers might use certain drugs to stay awake for long periods of time while driving. However, when the effects of the drug begin to wear off, the person suddenly slips into a state of extreme fatigue and could actually fall asleep at the wheel. Truck Drivers and Sleep Deprivation Truck driver impairment is also the result of sleep deprivation. Truck drivers who are driving for long periods of time without any rest may begin to suffer from extreme sleep deprivation, causing impaired driving skills that seriously increase the risk of an accident. The FMCSA enforces hours-of-service rules

that require drivers to not drive beyond a certain amount of time and require rest periods in an attempt to keep drowsy drivers off of the roads. Look down the road Myth: Good truckers can slow down safely without much notice. Reality: To safely slow down, a commercial motor vehicle driver should look at least 15 seconds ahead (a quarter-mile on the interstate and one-and-a-half blocks in the city). Paying attention to the road ahead helps avoid dangerous, abrupt braking situations. Don’t drive drowsy Myth: Drivers are used to getting little sleep and can safely stay awake by using distractions. Reality: Research shows that being awake for 18 hours is comparable to having a bloodalcohol concentration of .08 per cent. It’s vital to your safety and the motorists around you to pay attention to signs of drowsiness, such as frewww.thetruckingnetwork.ca

quent yawning, heavy eyes, and blurred vision. These recommendations were developed using generally accepted safety standards. Compliance with these recommendations is not a guarantee that you will be in conformance with federal, state or local laws. Compliance with these recommendations does not ensure the absolute safety of your occupation or business. Additional commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driving resources For more safe driving tips for CMV operators, visit these sites: • Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration – Videos, safety tips and statistics. • Commercial Truck and Bus Safety (Transportation Research Board) – Research, safety belt statistics and ergonomics. • Drowsy Driving (National Sleep Foundation) – Warning signs of drowsy driving, prevention and videos. June 2015 | The Trucking Network | 49

COMPANIES IN THIS ISSUE A ATLANTIS RADIATOR....................... PG 20 1-800-716-3081 AFIMAC TRANSREP......................... PG 52 1.800.313.9170

B BURROWES INSURANCE BROKERS. PG 11 1-888-690-0010 BISON TRANSPORT ........................ PG 15 1.800.462.4766 BENSON TIRES................................. PG 54 1-866-6BENSON

C CELADON CANADA....................... PG 3 & 14 1-800-332-0518 C.A.T INC........................................... PG 32 (888) 829-8666 EXT. 224 CHALLENGER.................................... PG 6 1.800.334.5142 CLARKE ROAD TRANSPORT........... PG 46 1-800-387-3558 CASCADES TRANSPORT INC......... PG 17 819-363-5804

FREIGHTLINER.................................. PG 4

ROAD STAR TRUCKING....................PG12 905.878.7282 EXT 7 ROBERT..............................................PG51

G GORSKI BULK TRANSPORT............ PG 13 800.265.4838 X 255 GLASVAN GREAT DANE................... PG 38 1-888-GLASVAN

H HOLMES FREIGHT LINES INC......... PG 23 1 800 458 5688 HEALTHY TRUCKERS...................... PG 53

J JBT TRANSPORT.............................. PG 16 866-774-9575 JD FACTORS..................................... PG 56 1-800-263-0664

M MACKIE.................................................................PG 43 905.728.2400

DAY & ROSS...................................... PG 20 1-855-872-7602 DRIVE LOGISTICS............................ PG 48 866.909.0903

NATIONAL TRUCK LEAGUE..............PG29 1.800.265.6509 NEW MILLENIUM TIRE..................... PG 36 1 888.890.1888

50 | The Trucking Network | June 2015

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S SLH.................................................... PG 21 1-855-564-8029

T THE ROSEDALE GROUP...................PG10 1-905-670-0057 TRANSX.............................................. PG 2 877.787.2679 TST TRUCKLOAD EXPRESS............ PG 34 1-877-667-7703