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IN PRINT: Tougher penalties for fatal collisions
MELFORT, SK -- The final chapter in a small-town Saskatchewan tragedy came without much fanfare. After entering a guilty plea to three counts of dangerous driving causing death and one count of dangerous driving causing bodily harm, Normand Lavoie, a 41-year-old truck driver from Winnipeg, was sentenced in a Melfort, Saskatchewan, court to three years for each of the three teenagers whose lives he brought to a sudden end 28 months earlier. The sentences will be served concurrently, followed by a five-year driving ban.
IN PRINT — Attracting a new generation of workers
Attracting the under-35 crowd is a full-time job for many marketers, including those trying to sell jobs in the trucking industry. Already facing a growing labor shortage in all areas of the industry, fleets should brace themselves for the onslaught of retirements coming in the next few years. As baby boomers decide to cash in and trade their trucks for lawn mowers and golf clubs, carriers face a crisis.
OTA defends industry record in wake of crashes
TORONTO, ON - The Ontario Trucking Association is coming to the defense of the industry's reputation following a series of high-profile commercial vehicle collisions. Citing figures from the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, it notes that mechanical fitness plays a role in fewer than 2% of fatal collisions involving trucks, and of those collisions the truck driver was driving properly 70% of the time. "This data reflects the elevated level of commitment to road safety by both professional truck drivers and fleet managers, but it also shows that if we are going to improve truck safety in any meaningful sense, the opportunities are related to human factors," said association president Stephen Laskowski.
Fuel-saving, safety training should be refreshed: study
MONTREAL, QC - A recent study by PIT Group has found that training in fuel efficiency and safety are only effective when it includes refresher courses, while real-time in-vehicle technologies help to reinforce good practices. "While vehicle technology designed to improve fuel economy continues to advance, driver training is the element that has the largest impact on fuel consumption," says Yves Provencher, director - market and business development. "Our studies show that various ways to train drivers - including classroom, in-cab and simulator training - all have their advantages."
