Features

So, you STILL want to start your own trucking company?

This month’s column is a continuation of last month’s theme, entitled: ‘So, you want to start a trucking company?’ If you decide to set out on your own, stay with the sector you know.

Point, click and monitor the CSA report cards

The US Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) keeps a watchful eye on every truck that crosses the Canada-US border, and is quick to post every observation online.

Core values behind new CTA effort to deal with the driver shortage

The trucking industry in Canada is facing a long-term, chronic shortage of qualified drivers. In some regions of the country (ie., western Canada) and some sectors of the industry (ie., long-haul, irregular route truckload) this is already in...

The value of continuous education

Economic indicators and the pundits on both sides of the Canada/US border are a little more optimistic these days. Less formal indicators include my conversations with PMTC members, both fleet operators and industry suppliers, who universally...

Buyers and sellers

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – The pace of mergers and acquisitions could be a major driving force in changing the Canadian trucking industry for the future.

A heavy-duty engine oil primer

Trucking is like a skeleton; there are many important components that go together to make up our industry. Just like the human body, we need all the pieces to fit together to make it work properly. Nowhere is this more important than in the...

Why seniors should talk to their bank

We all know Canadian banks report huge profits every year. Even during that nasty recession a few years ago, our banks flew through it mostly unscathed. And they just keep rolling along. In fact, in the first quarter of this year alone most of...

The man with the ‘cool moves’

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – In 1959, Vernon Erb was a dump truck operator who purchased a reefer some six years later and never looked back. Today, the Erb Group of Companies boasts a fleet of over 600 power units, more than 800 refrigerated...

Go with the flow

TAMPA, Fla. – Trucks may be powered by diesel, but the repair procedures are powered by information. That becomes clear when Gary Cummings describes the process at FleetNet America, which manages 75,000 service events a year. An average...

Wire system repairs that last

TAMPA, Fla. – Butt splices, displacement clamp connectors and tape are a few of the items Greg Jordan, Canadian national sales director with Truck-Lite, would like technicians to remove from their toolboxes when making electrical repairs...

Choosing the right wire for the job

TAMPA, Fla. – Using the proper techniques when making wiring system repairs is essential, but so too is using the right equipment. And that extends to the wire itself.

Taxes can be so taxing: Part 2

The Story So Far…Mark visits his post-office box and finds another letter from the Canada Revenue Agency. He’s been receiving more and more of these in the mail, but has ignored them all. He’s had bad experiences in the past...

Q: How do you use the Internet when you’re on the road?

BRADFORD, Ont. – In the old days of long-haul trucking – some would say the “good” old days – solitude was part of the job description, with only the camaraderie of fellow CB radio users to keep drivers company...

Why the time is right to break the industry’s reliance on costly crude

Average fuel surcharges increased in 2011 by just shy of 40%, the second year in a row that surcharges increased after having fallen sharply in 2009. It should come as no surprise then that Canadian shippers, although the vast majority of them...

swim faster

While some uncertainty may shroud Canada’s economic rebound, companies are once again on the hunt for talent. With this in mind, firms in the transportation and logistics industry need to ensure hiring and interview processes are able to...