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What’s that in your bag? Swag preview image What's that in your bag? Swag article image

What’s that in your bag? Swag

Gratuit. Livre. Zadarmo. However you say it, it’s free. At conventions it’s the Stuff We All Get - SWAG. At every trucking convention, nearly every booth features some kind of giveaway, and Truck World 2018 was no different. With more than 500 exhibitors - including more than 75 companies in the two-day recruiting pavilion – my mission was clear: hit every booth and come away with as much free stuff as possible. There was one simple rule – I couldn’t take for anything that wasn’t available to everyone. I didn’t include draws where there was only one prize awarded at the end, but did include gifts which required something from the giftee, as long as it was a simple ask and there were enough prizes for most people who completed the task. I also included prizes available only to children, although I didn’t take them home with me.

Makin named fleet maintenance manager of the year preview image Makin named fleet maintenance manager of the year article image

Makin named fleet maintenance manager of the year

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. -- Jason Makin is just another good Kingston boy. Nine years ago, after a career as a technician with the Canadian Forces followed by some time at Toyota Motor Company, Makin and his wife decided to return to their hometown in Eastern Ontario. He took a job as the fleet maintenance manager with Cruikshank Construction. Nearly a decade later Makin is the Volvo Fleet Maintenance Manager of the year for 2018. Makin made the drive to the Canadian Fleet Maintenance Summit (CFMS) to be presented with the award.

New CTA chairman looks to raise regional voices preview image New CTA chairman looks to raise regional voices article image

New CTA chairman looks to raise regional voices

TORONTO, Ont. -- This isn’t the first time Scott Smith has occupied a seat at the head of a boardroom table. The president and chief executive officer of Ontario-based JD Smith led the Ontario Trucking Association from 2004-06. Now, just a little over a decade later, he has been handed the gavel for the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA). As familiar as the role might appear, this is a time of significant change among some of Canada’s largest trucking associations. Stephen Laskowski is entering his first full year as chief executive officer of the Canadian Trucking Alliance itself. Recent months have seen changes to senior staff at the British Columbia Trucking Association and Alberta Motor Transport Association, too.

‘Dear Sask. truck driver’ shows support for trucker in Humboldt crash preview image Humboldt Broncos logo

‘Dear Sask. truck driver’ shows support for trucker in Humboldt crash

HUMBOLDT, Sask. – “Dear Saskatchewan Truck Driver.” So begins a note penned to the driver of the truck involved in a tragic collision that took the lives of 15 people in rural Saskatchewan, April 6. The truck collided with a bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos, a Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League team on their way to a playoff game in Nipawin, Sask., killing 15 passengers and sending 14 more to hospital with injuries. The truck driver was briefly detained at the scene but walked away with no reported physical injuries. The letter offering support

Updated: Nova Scotia Trucking Safety Association receives recognition for mental health program preview image Updated: Nova Scotia Trucking Safety Association receives recognition for mental health program article image

Updated: Nova Scotia Trucking Safety Association receives recognition for mental health program

HALIFAX, N.S. – Linda Corkum was surprised to receive the phone call letting her know she’d been recognized as a champion of mental health. The executive director of the Nova Scotia Trucking Safety Association (NSTSA) will be travelling to Ottawa in May to receive the award as the 2018 Champion of Mental Health in the Workplace Mental Health category from the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH).

Normandin Transit sells to TFI International preview image Normandin Transit sells to TFI International article image

Normandin Transit sells to TFI International

MONTREAL, Que. – TFI International has purchased Normandin Transit, one of the highest-profile fleets in Quebec. The Napierville operation had grown to 300 tractors and 1,000 trailers since being founded in 1988, and offered LTL and truckload services across North America. It will now run as a unit within TFI’s LTL operating segment but will continue to be led by siblings Danielle and André Normandin.