Today's Trucking Staff

Tomorrow, Ontario Changes Rules of The Road

TORONTO - Tougher penalties for certain driving violations plus increased driver and vehicle license fees in Ontario all take effect on Tuesday, Sept. 1, and the Toronto Trucking Association wants all truckers to know about it. The organization has issued a bulletin outlining tougher penalties for distracted driving, new rules protecting bicyclists and measures to ensure the safety of tow truck drivers. The province has also changed rules surrounding children riding school buses. Penalties for distracted driving will include an increased set fine of $490 and three demerit points upon conviction. Novice drivers will receive a minimum 30-day suspension for the first conviction and longer suspensions for subsequent convictions.

U.S. Canada Freight Movements Post Steep Drop

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The value of freight moving between Canada and the U.S. posted a steep decline in June, according to newly released figures from the U.S. Transportation Department. It fell 10.3 percent from June 2014, totaling US$52 billion, as all modes of transportation carried a lower value of U.S.-Canada freight than a year earlier. A possible recession in Canada got the blame from the department for the decrease in freight flows. The decline in overall U.S. imports and exports with Canada were each down 10.3 percent from a year earlier as well. U.S. truck freight imports from Canada by value did show a 7.9 percent increase over the past year but U.S. truck exports to Canada by value fell 6.1 percent during the same time. This led to total a total decline of 0.2 percent in U.S.-Canada freight flows by value for the month.

Shipping Rates Increase for Second Straight Month

TORONTO -- Newly released figures by the Canadian General Freight Index (CGFI) indicate that the total cost of ground transportation for Canadian shippers increased by 0.3 percent in June from May, the second consecutive monthly increase.

Average Diesel Cost Unchanged, Still Lowest in Years

LONDON, ON and WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The national average cost of diesel has paused from its recent string of declines while gasoline has moved lower over the past week in Canada. The petroleum information services provider The Kent Group reports diesel is at $1.05 per liter for the second consecutive week after falling for eight straight weeks and hitting its lowest level since November 2010. Compared to this week a year ago the price $0.242 less. Not surprisingly, prices varied little if any in the different regions of Canada from last week with the Atlantic provinces this week recording an average of $1.025 per liter, Quebec at $1.097, Ontario at $1.026 and the Western Provinces at $1.065.

Canada-U.S. Truck Border Crossing Figures Reveal Surprises

WASHINGTON, D.C. --New analysis of data shows truck traffic between Canada and the U.S. has declined while it has increased between the U.S. and Mexico. The Journal of Commerce reports U.S. Transportation Department figures show since the second quarter of 2005, truck crossings between Canada and the U.S. decreased 16 percent but grew 19 percent between the U.S. and its neighbor to the south Also, truck crossings at both U.S. borders have increased since 2009, as the level with Mexico approaches what the U.S. has with Canada. It reports in the second quarter of this year, Mexican border truck crossings with the U.S. were up 2.6 percent year-over-year, while crossings at the U.S. Canadian border dropped 1.6 percent. Compared to the first quarter of the year, Canadian truck crossings increased 4.1 percent in the second quarter of 2015, while there was a 5.1 percent jump in June from May after falling in April from May. At Detroit, the second-largest U.S. truck border crossing, truck volumes increased 3.4 percent from the first quarter, according to JOC, but were down 4.6 percent year-over-year.

Paint Your Wagons!

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Private Motor Truck Council's (PMTC) Vehicle Graphics Design competition, and with each iteration, the contestants come up with brighter and more eye-catching ideas.

July 2015 Truck of the Month: Summer Show Time

This 1952 International cabover belongs to the truck-loving Bellwood family of Fenelon Falls, ON.

CVSA Executive Director Stephen Keppler Departing

GREENBELT, MD - The executive director of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), Stephen A. Keppler, is stepping down from his position on Sept. 4. According to a letter obtained by Today's Trucking written by CVSA President and Idaho State Police Major Bill Reese, Keppler has accepted a position with the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA).

TTSAO Gearing Up for Training Conference, Releases Agenda

HAMILTON, ON -- The Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario (TTSAO) has laid out the agenda for its first conference, "Striving for Excellence in Training," that it plans to hold annually, beginning early next year.

Trucker Awarded $$$ in Injury Lawsuit

HOUSTON, TX -- A U.S. federal jury has awarded US$2.6 million to a truck driver who claimed he suffered serious injuries while working on a poorly maintained tandem trailer owned by one of the largest fleets in North America.

Canada’s Grimshaw Trucking Receives PeopleNet Award

PHOENIX, AZ and MINNEAPOLIS, MN - A Canadian trucking company is among the recipients of an honor that recognizes fleets for using products and services from one mobile technology provider to create solutions to improve their business.

U.S. Fleet Expands Expedited Service into Canada

WILMINGTON, OH -- RL Carriers has expanded its time critical shipping services to and from the Canadian marketplace by offering expedited services via their exclusive partnership with Day & Ross Freight.

CarriersEdge Expands Online Training System

MARKHAM, ON - CarriersEdge has made several enhancements to its online driver training system, offering fleets greater ability to customize and consolidate their training programs. In addition to the core library of online safety training courses, customers now have additional options for adding their own content into their personalized training environments.

Data Shows Tire Inflation Systems Reduce Inspection Time

SAN ANTONIO, TX - There may be a secret when it comes to reducing the time spent in having to deal with truck inspectors.

FMCSA Grants HOS Exemption to Certain Haz-Mat Loads

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) last week announced its decision to grant motor carriers transporting security-sensitive hazardous materials requiring a security plan an exemption from the county's hours-of-service (HOS) regulations that prohibit truckers from driving more than eight consecutive hours since the driver's last off-duty or sleeper-berth period of 30 minutes or more.