Features

Mark gets well soon

THE STORY SO FAR…

Training helps maximize tech potential

There was a time, not too many years ago, when trucks essentially vanished from view after pulling out of a fleet yard. Updates about an ongoing trip were limited to calls from payphones in truck stops, or maybe the reports from passing...

The Last Word: Murray Hebblethwaite

There is no shortage of father-son stories in trucking. Many of today’s professional drivers followed their fathers’ footsteps into the industry and learned how to shift and back up from their dads.

MTO should’ve added radar long ago

Dear Editor:

Tune up your books

Hard-working truck drivers deserve every nickel that they’re entitled to get back from Revenue Canada, so make it easier for yourself and your accountant. “Don’t just throw all your receipts in a box,” says Cleo Hamel,...

Van trailer decking systems becoming more popular

The trucking industry’s mantra, in the face of a productivity-choking regulatory environment, has been to do more with less – to squeeze more profit out of its existing assets. Few companies today are adding capacity and are instead...

SmartTruck offers look inside development process of aerodynamic devices

The end result of a new product seldom resembles the initial design; through trial and error, modifications are made until the best possible outcome is achieved. That process at SmartTruck Systems proved that a meticulous eye could uncover...

WINTER FREEZES TRUCKING PRODUCTIVITY; HOW DO YOU MANAGE?

This winter has been a killer for all of us in Canada, even more so if you’re in the trucking business. As Mike McCarron (@AceMcc) eloquently tweeted: “Once again the white stuff wreaks havoc on truckers’ bottom line. Snow...

EATON AND CUMMINS EXPAND COLLABORATION

Eaton and Cummins announced at TMC they are broadening their powertrain collaboration to include new offerings. And in the process, they’re bumping the GVWR allowance for the SmartAdvantage package, consisting of the ISX15 and UltraShift...

PNEUMATIC TRAILER LEGS REDUCE INJURY RISK

Walking the show floor at TMC, I was intrigued by Prime Transport Solutions’ demonstration of pneumatic landing gear, which uses the trailer’s air system to deploy or raise the landing gear at the touch of a button. The system...

REMOTE DIAGNOSTICS: WORTH PAYING FOR?

I’ve been touting remote diagnostics (small r, small d) as a great way to reduce downtime and expedite repairs and a gathering of fleet managers at TMC seemed to agree that there are benefits to the technology. But is it worth paying for?...

THE TWNA TECH AWARD GOES TO…

Congratulations to Mack Trucks, whose Twin Y Air Suspension has been named winner of the Truck Writers of North America’s Technical Achievement Award. I chair the committee and had the honour of presenting the award to Mack at TMC. The...

BULLDOG GETS A NEW BARK

And speaking of Mack, the company in early March unveiled a new logo and tagline for its 114-year-old brand. The iconic bulldog is now positioned atop the distinctive MACK lettering, his head stretched skyward. The company’s new slogan...

EAGLE HOOK SET TO FLY

Johnathan Sousa called called me the other day, to let me know he’s launching his Eagle Hook fall prevention system that allows drivers and technicians to safely work atop trailer roofs. It’s a neat design that keeps them well away...

TRAILER TAILS IN ONTARIO BY…APRIL???

Let’s file this one into the ‘I’ll Believe It When I See It’ file. Not that I don’t trust ATDynamics, who at TMC announced that they believe Ontario will be the first province to allow full-sized trailer tails as...