Features

Quebec paves way for young drivers to begin trucking careers

MONTREAL, Que. - Current Class 1, 2 and 3 licensing laws in Quebec make it pretty much impossible to start driving tractor-trailers, straight trucks or buses before the age of about nineteen-and-a-half.

As professional drivers, we need to look after ourselves first

I wanted to continue writing about driver health issues this month, but was beginning to feel like I was flogging a dead horse. That isn't the case according to the results of a recent Health and Wellness Survey of Transport Truck Drivers...

Where did all the toy trucks go?

I was walking around a toy store a few days ago and something struck me: there were hardly any toy trucks for sale. In fact, apart from Bob the Builder's construction equipment and a few Transformers, there was nothing that resembled a big...

Four things you should know about filing online

The percentage of people filing their federal tax returns electronically now easily exceeds those who do so the old-fashioned way. According to Canada Revenue Agency, 16 million of the 24.5 million returns it had processed through May 31 were...

Bucking the trend

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio - If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That seems to be the mantra for Kenworth as far as its long running T800 is concerned.

Ten years later

The 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks is now upon us. Each year on the anniversary of this tragic event we look back and remember those who lost their lives or whose lives were shattered. We also look back on the changes that have...

Progressive companies and drivers combine with leading edge research

Praxair Canada, a longstanding member of the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada, is once again demonstrating real leadership and initiative in their health and safety programs - specifically those designed for their drivers. This is not...

Sties: no crying matter

I recently had a driver come into my clinic complaining of pain in his upper eyelid. During the examination I noticed a small red lump on the inside of his eyelid.

Claiming immunity

How do you stay well? Think about how many germ-covered surfaces you touch each day. What dirty hand last touched the steering wheel in your rig; the truck stop bathroom door; the money with which you paid for your meal; the pen you used to...

Six steps to address the challenges spotted in CSA warning letters

Now that CSA data is being used to measure fleets and drivers who travel US highways, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is preparing to deliver the first 50,000 warning letters to those who are already approaching (or passing) a...

Ontario Transport Minister takes a wrong turn

A couple of years ago I was getting fuel at the Shell station in Ignace on Hwy. 11 in northern Ontario, when I watched a pick-up truck towing a fifth-wheel trailer wipe out in the middle of town. The driver was doing about 50 km/h, I'd guess,...

The lost weekend

On the August long weekend, I watched countless hours of CNN reporting on the US debt crisis and the rest of the time reading former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's new autobiography. I don't know why. I know I wasn't on the golf course,...

Road hogs

CALGARY, Alta. - There are road hogs, and there are roads that carry hogs. And before long, roads that carry hogs will require the use of a new tracking and reporting system to help ensure the health of the nation's meat supply.

Watching your weight

HALIFAX, N.S. - Log truck owner/operator Richard Countway has earned a bit of a reputation among the enforcements folks in Nova Scotia. He's got the uncanny ability to load to the precise maximum gross vehicle weight allowed without going so...

Heavy metal classics

DARTMOUTH, N.S. - Classic Freight Systems, a 25-truck self-described "boutique" fleet out of Dartmouth, N.S. is a little like an ambitious university student who has moved out from their parents' place and sees nothing but opportunity in the...