John G Smith

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.

Avatar photo
Cleaner air, higher equipment prices preview image Cleaner air, higher equipment prices article image

Cleaner air, higher equipment prices

Clean air comes at a cost, and that is particularly apparent whenever regulators tighten the limits on emissions. Luckily, Phase II Greenhouse Gases rules will improve fuel economy, giving truckers a chance to recoup the investments on 2018-27 Model Year equipment. That's the good news. While Environment Canada traditionally aligns its rules with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, that could threaten some uniquely Canadian spec'ing options. Research into everything from tires to 6x2 tractors will continue as regulators prepare to unveil Canadian versions of the rules.
IN PRINT — Fit to Drive: Ulch Transport takes action on employee health preview image IN PRINT -- Fit to Drive: Ulch Transport takes action on employee health article image

IN PRINT — Fit to Drive: Ulch Transport takes action on employee health

Ulch Transport dispatcher Paul Podsadecki was miserable in every sense of the word. He was on a steady dose of Tylenol and antacids to dull the recurring headaches and heartburn. Sleep was fitful when it came at all, and his mood was sour. Fellow employees began to avoid him, and he was officially reprimanded for being too irritable on the job. Then his new family doctor told him he was going to die if things didn't change. And soon. "It was a kick in the butt," Podsadecki admits, referring to his checkup in the winter of 2014. But the scale didn't lie. He weighed in at 330 pounds. "I didn't think I was that big," he says. "I was embarrassed." The news spurred him to action.
Hellish Ontario highway gets TV show preview image Hellish Ontario highway gets TV show article image

Hellish Ontario highway gets TV show

TORONTO, ON -- Highway Thru Hell offered many television viewers their first glimpse of heavy rescue operations, and now the producers are focusing cameras on one of the most hellish routes Canada has to offer -- Ontario's 400 Series highways. Heavy Rescue: 401 debuts on the Discovery Channel this January 3, showcasing the efforts needed to keep traffic moving between Sarnia, Toronto and Barrie.
Mexico a “land of opportunity”, says Daimler’s Kurschner preview image Mexico a

Mexico a “land of opportunity”, says Daimler’s Kurschner

PUERTO VALLARTA, MX - In a year when dealers in Canada and the U.S. face a dramatic downturn in truck sales, Mexico is a world apart. As of November the market for Class 4-8 vehicles was up 18.5%, and Daimler Trucks North America accounted for 36% of it -- up 7.8% over last year. But Stefan Kurschner, president and Chief Executive Officer of Daimler Vehiculos Comerciales Mexico, says there's room for more.
IN PRINT — Signs of No Parking: B.C.’s parking dilemma preview image IN PRINT -- Signs of No Parking: B.C.'s parking dilemma article image

IN PRINT — Signs of No Parking: B.C.’s parking dilemma

British Columbia's newest truck parking area was on the verge of opening in early November. "We're just putting in the poles for the lights," said the project manager, referring to 40 spaces being created at Nordel Way in Delta, the result of a $2.8-million investment and some provincial land. As helpful as that is, it barely scratches the surface of the province's broader parking shortage. Nearby Surrey has concluded that about 1,400 trucks are parking illegally on its streets and in neighboring Langley on any given day. Commercial lots can charge about $250 per month to store a truck and trailer, but that's if they can be found in the first place. Available spaces are often unavailable, inconvenient, or unaffordable.
IN PRINT — The Next Generation preview image IN PRINT -- The Next Generation article image

IN PRINT — The Next Generation

Meet some of those under the age of 40 who are already making their mark in the trucking industry. These are the up and comers, the ones to watch, and the faces and names that you will start to see and hear more and more often. Our Next Generation Class of 2016 is strongly comprised of successors to the throne - the youth who have seen the paths blazed by their parents' footsteps and noticed room for their own. Many are helping to usher family businesses into the digital age, whether it be telematics, electronic logs, or simply ensuring their company has a sleek website or a passionate voice on social media. If our 2016 Class is any one thing it's versatile. They are learning about all aspects of trucking, all the time. Nearly all of them say, without prompting, that what they love best about the business is how every day is new. It's something that's very important to the millennial generation, as they try to continue challenging themselves, and pushing even beyond their own boundaries, because they know that's how to get better. By doing. By doing, after all, is how they've found success so far.

Trending Topics