John G. Smith is the editorial director of Newcom Media's trucking and supply chain publications -- including Today's Trucking, trucknews.com, TruckTech, Transport Routier, and Road Today. The award-winning journalist has covered the trucking industry since 1995.
Wabco launches ProVia budget brand
LAS VEGAS, NV – Wabco has unveiled the ProVia brand of budget parts, taking a step that it says will help bridge the gap between “parts of questionable origin” and premium aftermarket offerings. The products are available exclusively through Wabco’s North American aftermarket organization or distributor network.
Haldex partners with Fras-le on disc brakes
LAS VEGAS, NV – Haldex is bringing its Air Disc Brakes to North America with a “big bang,” says Walter Frankiewicz, president and senior vice president, Haldex North America. The company announced during Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week that it is offering a full line of all-makes Air Disc Brake pad repair kits through a partnership with Fras-le.
NAFTA transformed truck making
LAS VEGAS, NV – U.S. President Donald Trump continues his threats to pull Canada’s largest trading partner out of NAFTA. But when it comes to heavy truck manufacturing, Canada may have experienced some of the biggest losses. “If I were Canada, I’d be upset because all the business is gone,” observed Stu MacKay of MacKay and Company, sharing statistics during the annual Heavy Duty Aftermarket Dialogue in Las Vegas.
Aftermarket increasingly global, online
LAS VEGAS, NV – The business of selling truck parts has become increasingly global, introducing a series of new brands along the way. But the source of the parts is only one thing to change, as the industry is further transformed by the tools of e-commerce. “It’s amazing to see what’s happened in the last 10 to 15 years,” said Heavy Duty Manufacturing Association president Tim Kraus, referring to the global alliances of Volvo and Mack, Paccar and DAF, Navistar and Volkswagen, and equipment made under the Daimler umbrella.
U.S. rentals get 90-day ELD waiver
WASHINGTON, DC – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued short-term rental trucks a 90-day waiver from mandated Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs), lasting until April 19. Trucks rented for 30 days or less will be able to use paper logbooks to record Hours of Service until the waiver expires. Carriers cannot simply replace one rental vehicle with another one within the 30 days, and must also have a satisfactory safety rating. They also need to report any collisions involving these vehicles within five business days. The Truck Renting and Leasing Association had known since December that a waiver was forthcoming, and is telling affected truck operators to print out the notice and carry it in the cab during the waiver period. Once this waiver expires, those who rent trucks for eight days or less will continue to be exempted from the ELD mandate.
Do you know Canada’s top driver or O/O?
TORONTO, ON – The search is on for Today’s Trucking’s 2018 Highway Star of the Year – the honor reserved for Canada’s top driver or owner-operator. Nominations are now open for the award, which will be presented during the Truck World trade show that runs April 19-21 in Toronto. And there’s more than bragging rights at stake. The winner will receive:
Star Drivers: 50 top truckers in the movies
TORONTO, ON -- Action heroes. Comic relief. Horror movie villains. Hollywood has long loved the lore of truckers, giving us some memorable characters through the decades. And while they weren't all in classic movies, they made their mark in other ways. From the freaky to the supremely funny, here's our list of the 50 greatest truckers in movie history:
Block by Block: How blockchain will transform trucking
TORONTO, ON -- The business of moving freight generates a mountain of paperwork. Contracts establish rates and delivery requirements; bills of lading are signed and filed; invoices are generated to request the cheques that need to be issued and cashed. Blockchain – essentially a form of digital ledger -- promises to reshape how all these transactions take place.
NAFTA deal still in question
TORONTO, ON – The future of NAFTA remains uncertain as negotiators prepare for their latest round of meetings, this time in Montreal. Months into discussions, nobody even knows if U.S. President Donald Trump will decide to outright scrap the deal that governs every load of cross-border freight. With about 10 million trucks crossing between Canada and the U.S. each year, there is plenty of business at stake. A recent survey by Export Development Canada even found that 26% of exporters would shift their business to the U.S. if the agreement was revoked outright. Trade between the U.S. and Canada tripled between 1986 and 2017, Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association executive director Ruth Snowden observed, during a January 17 seminar hosted by the Fernandes Hearn law firm in Toronto. “If [NAFTA] goes, it could be very significant.”