Health/Safety

OPP concerned about truck crash rates

ORILLIA, Ont. – The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) report fatal transport truck collisions are up 38% this year, with an increase in four of the six regions it monitors. The…

Enforcement teams prepare for focus on unsafe drivers

GREENBELT, Md. – Roadside enforcement teams are preparing for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Operation Safe Driver Week, scheduled for July 15-21. And that means focusing on unsafe drivers. Issues…

Crash spike leads to call for vigilance

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Ontario’s Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA) is calling on drivers and employers to be “more vigilant” in the wake of an increase in fatal collisions involving…

Use Humboldt lessons as ‘catalyst’ for change: CTA

TORONTO, Ont. – The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) is asking governments to look beyond the actions of an individual driver in the wake of a truck-bus collision that killed 16…

MELT coming to Alberta in January 2019

CALGARY, Alta. – Mandatory entry-level driver training (MELT) is coming to the trucking industry in Alberta, with an expected implementation date in January 2019. Alberta’s minister of transportation, Brian Mason,…

Calgary driver faces 29 charges in Humboldt crash

REGINA, Sask. – Jaskirat Sidhu, the truck driver who collided with the Humboldt Broncos bus on April 6, was arrested this morning and faces 29 charges. The 29-year-old male from Calgary who worked for Adesh Deol Trucking was charged with 16 counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and 13 counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily injury. Sidhu was arrested at his Calgary residence without incident and will make his first appearance in Saskatchewan court next week. The investigation took approximately three months and included a reenactment of the collision, over 60 interviews, more than 6,000 photos of the crash scene, and an analysis the driver’s log book.

A driver’s long road to mental health

VAUGHAN, Ont. – The tone in Morris Bellus’ voice can only be described a jovial, but it wasn’t always that way. This year marked the third the 19-year veteran of the road participated in the Ride Don’t Hide for the Peel-Dufferin branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). When he registered for his first year on the 100-km bike ride, he’d only been pedaling a stationary bike at the gym for about three months, attempting to jump start a change in his mental health.

FMCSA needs to do better on resolving medical conflicts: OOIDA

GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. – The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) is criticizing the process for drivers seeking to resolve conflicts with their medical certifications. OOIDA submitted their concerns to the…

FMCSA says drivers will be required to carry medical certificates for two more years

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Drivers operating in the United States will have to continue carrying their medical certificates for two more years. The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has…

Focus increases on distracted driving

MONTREAL, Que. – Transport Canada has added to the focus on distracted driving through a national roundtable in Montreal, featuring voices including the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) and Quebec Trucking…

Driver behavior results in most Operation Corridor charges

TORONTO, Ont. – A 24-hour provincial safety blitz by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and Ministry of Transportation resulted in about 700 charges against commercial drivers, mostly due to driver…

Ontario truck drivers to face zero tolerance approach to pot

TORONTO, Ont. – Commercial vehicle drivers in Ontario must have no blood drug content when operating their vehicles, according to changes to the province’s Highway Traffic Act. Changes to the…

Whistleblower protections aren’t helping drivers: OOIDA

GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. – Whistle-blower laws meant to shield workers from reporting coercive behavior aren’t protecting drivers says the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA). The group met recently with the…

Home Hardware, John Deere win fleet safety awards

NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. – John Deere Canada and Home Hardware Stores were the winners of the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada (PMTC) Fleet Safety Awards. The awards were presented…

Prepare for collision

Mark Fabbroni and Leanne Rapley stress the need to engage experts early. NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. – Accidents happen, and one of the biggest challenges when they do is to determine…